The Best of the Baltics

After a week along the coast of the Baltic Sea and I'm in love with this post-Soviet paradise. Estonia is the most sparsely populated country in Europe- yah but, sparsely populated with really, really beautiful women. Hot Damn! We were in Tallinn for about an hour until we were walking down a cobblestone street and confronted with- Boo yah- a team of 8 blond haired, blue eyed goddesses. The next morning, with my jaw back in place, Chris and I had a set off to explore the medieval city.

Two days in Tallinn was perfect, then it was time to hit the road and catch the ferry to an island I can't pronounce and a town spelled Kusarree (I think, but we never really figured out how to pronounce it).

I think it was safe to say that Chris and I were the only Americans (or non-Estonians for that matter) in town. But it was pretty awesome because in Kursarree you don't get the feeling it's built for tourism- even the castle felt like there might still be a king living in it.

After Kussarree we drove to Parnu- a beach town where it rained. So we watched Walker Texas Ranger on TV. I dont have any pictures, but close your eyes and picture Ranger Walker kicking the crap out of 20 dudes with uzzies. It was sweet!

After that we went to Sigulda and Cesis. I bet you didn't know that Latvia has a rugged mountain terrain... well it's doesn't. But there is one place that kind of reminded me of the mountain loop highway back home without the mountains. Chris and I were able to stretch our legs a bit, hike around the valley, cross a cable car, and wander through medieval castles. Then we had beers at the top of the saddest ski resort I've ever seen.

Then came Jurmala, Latvia. Oh boy, the foggy memories I have of this place will stay with me forever. First off, the town was cool and the beach was great. That said, in the evening we went to a bar and sat down to watch one of the most outstanding spectacles of my entire life- A parade of such beautiful girls it was mind boggling- I felt like I was in a rap video. Polished the night off with a 2am swim in the Baltic Sea... I think a few folks might have gotten phone calls...

After Jurmala we spent the last two nights in Riga. A nice enough city, but after the week we'd just had I think it was pretty hard for us to get too impressed. The highlight of Riga was their Occupation Museum- an overview of the 70+ year saga of being occupied by first the Soviets, then the Nazis, and then the Soviets agian. In all seriousness, anybody who's lived through it all has had a really tough life.

Great trip- a place I probably wouldn't get to visit if I wasn't living in London. Two countries so close together, yet so different. The Estonians are perhaps the most friendly Europeans I've met while the Latvians, well, kind of remind me of the French. I wasn't accosted in a bathroom like Paris, but I was twice refused the sale of ice cream- once by a really old lady and once by a kid who looked like Harry Potter.

Like the pics? There's plenty more where they come from HERE

Got a couple other updates on the way soon, so check back in a few days...

The Bob and Marcia European Tour
Bavarian Invasion

Well the saga continues... after loosing touch for a week while mom and dad made their way though France, over the Swiss alps (and I mean over- they even made it- via gondola- to the summit of a 10,000 foot peak!) and into the beauty of Austria. Like clock work we met up in the tiny town of Reutte, Austria on Friday night.

After a nice dinner and a few drinks, we bunked down and in the morning we were off- mom and dad to explore Bavaria on their way to Italy and Chris, Monica and I off to explore the land of the Bier Garten is search of the Hofbrauhaus... Good luck to mom and dad- one more week of madness before the Roman finale!

So, I love Munich. I mean I really love Munich!

And the reason for do...

The Hofbrauhaus!

AKA- The happiest place on Earth!!!! (except in the 30s and early 40s)

And what do I love most about the Hofbrauhaus?

This guy!!!! I've probably been to the Hofbrauhaus 5 or 6 times on three trips and he's always been there! Three years ago he was Fung and I's waiter, and while he'll never know it, the truth is... I love him!

The football was amazing, didn't go to a game, but got to watch them is some really great places. This picture is in happier times... on Saturday before the games. After the game...
Man, I love Germany, but not as much as I love these guys-

A note about the World Cup in England-
It's been world cup madness overhere- a massive spectacle... I've been in the pubs watching the games every night and I have to say, over the past two weeks I completely got behind the England squad- I found myself much more attached and passionate about their matches than those boys from back home... and after the star spangled boy's less than inspiring performance I officially jumped ship and joined the home team- "Come on England." Unfortunately, I bought my jersey only in time to jinx the team. The English describe their team like New Englanders describe the Red Soxs- I feel their pain.

The Bob and Marcia European Tour
"Look out Rick, here comes the carlbergs..."

And they're off!

That's right, the Bob and Marcia European Tour has left England and moved to France... can you believe it, my folks are walking around Paris... how cool.

Before they left London we had a great week, I worked during the day while they got lost and in the evening we laughed at Dad... what a great week! Before they left we did some great stuff, Friday night we went Greenwich for dinner and Wapping for drinks at The Captain Kidd with Chris and Monica.



And on Sunday we took a short trip to Cambridge. Dad bought a 'Cambridge University' hat so he could fit in with other tourists... it was sweet.
Oh man is Rick Steves in trouble... I can't wait to hear the stories.

The Bob and Marcia European Tour
England

You've heard the rumours;

felt the hype;

now witness the madness of...

The Bob and Marcia European Tour… (bump, bump bump bump, bump bum bummmm.....) So far so good. The folks and I had a nice little trip to Bath over the weekend- without incident. Very relaxed. The perfect place to settle in and recover from the long flight- just chilling canal-side and easy walking through the laid back town.

Jet-leg can be tough though... look how cute they are all tuckered out at 430 in the afternoon.

I will say things got a little crazy when we got to London. Dad nearly broke one of the tube gates at Paddington station when he put his Oyster card into the slot that only accepts paper tickets… other than a few missed tubes, a run-in with the city hall security guards and one potential pickpocketing the last week has been very smooth as Mom and Dad have spent the days exploring the city.

Over the weekend we'll take a day trip to Cambridge and then they're off to Paris to meet my favorite people in the world- the French...

'Do NOT talk to me about Mythos.'

Oh man, Greece, wow what an escape. After 8 days in Athens and the islands- the sun, the food, the views- coming back to reality was really, really hard. Started the Greek tour +1 Fung on a Sunday night in Athens. Monday was a busy day seeing the acropolis and the ancient agora.

By Monday night we'd seen everything in the city we needed and we thought 'Okay, next?' So, Tuesday morning we hoped a bus to Cape Sounio to see the Temple of Poseidon- remember Greek mythology where the Greeks launched 1000 ships bound for Troy... If I'd been them I'm not sure I'd have wanted to leave... Cape Sounio is a pretty nice spot- even nicer at sunset.

Well the biggest news on Tuesday to be honest was my big purchase... a funky green euro-tanktop that I'm happy to report I wore at least part of each of the following 6 days in Greece before it was sacrficially burned as an offering to the Greek gods.

Wednesday morning we we're off to the islands, on a 7am ferry for Santorini- and 9 hours later we were in paradise! Santorini is claimed by the locals to be the lost city of Atlantis... I'd believe it. The island is basically all the remains of a once massive volcano island which exploded some 2000 years ago- the crater rim is all that's left, just a creasent moon shaped ridge jetting out of the sea.

And the best way to see the island- on mopeds and 4-wheelers! So I got Fung and our new friends Judd and Mellissa on board with the idea of starting a moto-gang. It was awesome, a whole day of being bad to the bone- click here to see more.

After a day of some serious hell raisin' the gang settled in to watch one last sunset before a painful 7am flight to Rhodes...

While getting to Rhodes from Santorini is somewhat of a blur in my memory (perhaps memorable for others), the island leaves a vivid picture in my memory.

The first day in Rhodes was spent 'recovering' on the beach. In order to properly tour the island we rented a jeep and set out on a hiking/beach hopping tour.

First hike...

Then beach...

Then Donkey... click here

Then beach...

Then ferry boat to Turkey... on kind of a whim we decided to take a day trip from Rhodes to Turkey. It was really cool. I've decided that if my bar game as a good as a Turkish carpet salesman's I wouldn't have any trouble getting English chicks to call me back... seriously, even though I don't have a house to put it in, this one Turkish dude had me ready to buy a $1000 rug just to get out of the store... but I settled for some fake Prada shoes instead for $20. While the city of Marmaris wasn't anything too amazing the coastline leading into the port was...

The last evening in Rhodes I climbed up to the top of the acropolis outside Rodos and was spent a few hours wandering through the city's ancient ruins before catching one last spectacular sunset.

Man, it's a good life!

-----Original Message-----
From: Tim
Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2006 12:38 AM
To:
Subject: All along the...

Rhino-

Oh man, let me tell you that was AWESOME!!!!

Just the man and hisguitar for two and a half hours! And he was seriously inuber-crazy-talkin'-mutant mode- at one point telling a story about'Doug the horse' for 10 minutes between songs... definitely not whatyou'd see at the gorge- and this venue no bigger than the Paramount and I was in the 12th row. Hands down the most amazing show of any kind- be it theatre, cinema, concert, or anything- I've ever seen. I really wish you could havebeen there.

He started his second encore, and then abruptly stopped to say, "onemore story- I was at this show in [somewhere] and Dylan comes up to me and says, 'you gunna play watchtower?' and I say, 'not since you're here' and he says, 'no, play it cause YOUR here man.' And then he goes on to rock like I can't even tell you.

It was AWESOME!

Tim