SEVEN MONTHS - This 'n That

UPDATE:  Here we are in Denver, Colorado, nearly 7 months after having gone on our Awesome Adventure to Europe.

We have met so many new friends, toured so many amazing places, seen so many fantastic sites, and gotten to taste so many different cultures.  Thank you to all who made it possible - young and old, new and old, family and friends.  We love you all!

There is still two more months to make posts on, so stay tuned and I WILL finish it by Thanksgiving - late November - PROMISE.  YOUR picture and story may be on it and feel free to contact me if something is not true.  I wrote notes, but my memory is not perfect.

7th MONTH: The Unfortunate Happenings of Rich & Shari
LOST:
1.  Rich's water bottle - yes, I think this is #5
2.  Rich's fanny pack (pick-pocketed in Barcelona, Spain).  Phone, two apples, cookies, camera case and batteries, sun glasses.  Nothing too too serious, but very annoying.
3.  Shari got lost in Carcassone, France - after a call to Paris to a lady who texted Rich to come get me, I was found safe and sound two hours later.  

SIX MONTHS - This 'n That

Only 20 more days left and 3 countries to visit
 

 Bonjour -Comment allez-vous?  (Hello - How are you?)  Can you guess where I'm writing from?  Yes...that's right!  France...Paris, France no less.  "The City of Love", "The City of Light" are two names you might hear, except it would be in French. 

The Eiffel tower (of course)

  We are so excited to have 4 days to spend here, which is probably not enough.  

For our 7 month trip to Europe, we're doing nearly 100% couch surfing for accommodations.  It's fun to comment on all the things we've lost or broken.  So enjoy the last month telling of our mishaps.

6th MONTH: The Unfortunate Happenings of Rich & Shari

LOST:

1.  Rich's water bottle (another one)  He says it's my fault.  :)

2.  Shari's head bands (2 of them)

3.  Shari's hair brush - left in Bergen, Norway

4.  Shari's family history papers - left in Inverness, Scotland (Host took a picture of them and emailed them to me)

5.  Shari's journals/notebooks - left in Oslo, Norway (Host had to mail them to me in Norway)

6.  Food in refrigerator - left in a couple of places

7.  Shari's two pens

BROKEN:
-  Mouse for Computer - cord tore away, so one of our hosts gave us an extra one they had.  Thanks Andrew!
-  Shari's Shoes are wearing out where her bunions are.  LOTS of walking!
 

 

FIVE MONTHS - This 'n That

Only 54 more days left and 6 countries to visit
 
Hi Family & Friends -  We LOVE hearing from you whether it's on facebook, couch surfing, or email.  I answer every one of your notes, so feel free to message me.  I am writing this from Bergen, Norway.  It's raining now as it does more than 300 days a year. 

On the pier in Bergen

Bryggen, the old wharf of Bergen, is a reminder of the town's importance as part of the Hanseatic League's trading empire from the 14th to the mid-16th century.

At the Fisherman's Wharf - the dark fish is Whale.

 I have posted a "This 'n That" every month so far, so if you want to go back and re-visit them, go to the 19th (or around that date) of each month since March.

5th MONTH: The Unfortunate Happenings of Rich & Shari

LOST:
1.  One adapter plug to the computer - left on a train in Norway
2.  One large water bottle - left in a car in Sweden
3.  Shari's journal/planner/notebooks - left at a couch surfer's house in Oslo, Norway
            Yeah....she mailed them to the home of another host in Norway!
4.   Rich's underwear - left on a clothesline on the island of Mon in Denmark
             Yeah....the host mailed them to us in Sweden 
5.  Shari's eye glasses case (another one)

BROKEN: 
1.  The clip on Rich's backpack - he fixed it by hooking something to it
2.  The zipper on Shari's camera case - :(
3.  A glass water pitcher of our host in Stockholm
4.  9 eggs blown up to smithereens in a kitchen in Bergen, Norway 
 






 

FOUR MONTHS - This ' n That

120 Days Gone - 84 More to go!

Today (July 17th) we head from Prague, Czech Republic to Krakow, Poland.  the weather has been perfect and the people are wonderful.  Prague was a dream with some unimaginable sights and the people are incredible!  We loved it very much.  We miss you FAMILY & FRIENDS!

The Famous Prague Castle

Sunday Tour in Prague

St. James Bridge in Prague

The blog is hard to keep up.  I have posts ready and photos ready, but time to find on the computer is not always so easy - lots of reasons for that.  But...I'll keep plugging along as I'm determined to look back on this time 10 years from now, so I want to remember EVERYTHING!
Thanks for reading it and for any comments you have.

4th MONTH:   (this list is definitely shorter than the previous months)

LOST:

1. One pair of earrings – with some turquoise in them; bought in New Mexico a while back.
   FOUND!! Update as of last night...found at a CS home in Strasbourg, France
2. Rich's water bottle – left on a bus somewhere in Hungary

BROKEN:

1. Rich's fanny pack – he has had to mend the stitching several times (hope it lasts til October)
2. Our bodies - wearing down, but not broken. After 120 days of very little stretching and very little swim exercise, both of us are feeling it. Our knees are still recovering from coming down off the mountain in Switzerland. We walked nearly three hours at a very fast pace and a very steep incline. I will never complain about walking uphill again.

THREE MONTHS - This ' n That

Tomorrow is June 18th (Rich's birthday) - gone for 3 months

  (the list is getting shorter Carolyn!  Be proud of Rich for taking care of me!)

LOST:

1. Rich's water bottle left on a bus somewhere in Macedonia
2. Shari bifocals left at a camera shop in Croatia, but luckily Ross, a fellow couch surfer went back after we had shipped off the sailboat and found them. He mailed them to Swizerland where we will pick them up from Carlene's friend in a couple of weeks. Good thing I brought a “spare” pair which I'm currently using.
   
   

BROKEN:  Posted in 2 month "this n' that", but worthy of another post.  :)

Shari's Kodak camera....droppped in Croatia, so it is “kaput” (sad day, but I bought a new one after we got off the sailboat adventure which will be posted soon.)

INJURIES: NONE! Just a little foot fungus for Rich

TWO MONTHS - This ' n That

Today is May 29th and we've been gone over two months.

Since I had several weeks when I couldn't post pictures (because of "blogger" problem), I'm over a month behind with my posts, but I WILL catch up!  Below are the problems I've had this month.  Everyone smile!

LOST:

1. Shari's Computer/Piano Glasses – fell out of fanny pack (oops...zipper was open) at bus station and the conductor wouldn't let us hop out to pick them up on the platform.
2. 2 more pens – who knows where
3. one yellow highlighter – left on the bus

LOST, but FOUND:  Shari's bi-focal glasses left in a store on an island in Croatia (Ross, a co-couch surfer from California went and got them after we left and is mailing them to a friend in Switzerland...thanks Ross!!

BROKEN:  Shari dropped her Kodak camera on the pavement and now there is no display on it, so she had to buy a new Nikon camera in Croatia.

 

INJURIES: (so far)

1. Shari jammed a toe bumping it on a tile step (it was hard to wear shoes for several days, but I had to)
2. Shari stepped funny on her ankle and caused a sore bump on the inside so wearing shoes was difficult, but I had to.
   

   

   
   This is what my arm looks like over 2 weeks AFTER having a train door smoosh it.  Uh-Oh!

3. Shari was too slow getting onto a train, so the door shut with her arm in it, leaving a big bruise on her forearm for several weeks.
   
   

ONE MONTH - This ' n That

Today is April 17th and we've been gone for one month. 

 Although I'm 10 days behind on the blog, I thought I'd give you an update on some tidbits that might make some of you who know me really well.....SMILE!

LOST:  One blue Thermos Water Bottle - left on a bus somewhere in Turkey
            3 pens - I have no idea!
            Dark Blue bi-focals glasses case - left on a bus in Athens

BROKEN:  Strap on my blue day pack
                   Bi-focal glasses - smooshed ear piece damaged in car door (Rich kind of fixed it)

LOST, but FOUND:   Bi-Focals left in host's car, so they mailed to next destination  (Thank-you Ercan!)
                                     Sunglasses left at host's mother's house - Athina drove us back to get them.
                                                                                                                       (Thank-you Athina!)
                                     Rich's camera left at travel agency - They called & we went to retrieve them.
                                                                                                                      (Thank you Rhodos Agency!)

I think we've done pretty well so far, don't you?  Carolyn, you should be proud of me!  Rich says to tell you that he's trying really hard to remember to ask if I have everything, especially when we get off the buses.
                                
 Only 6 more months to go in Europe...we're having such a GREAT time!