Eurail

This huge, open-air arena showcased gladiatorial combats, animal hunts, public executions, and even naval battles, seating over 50,000 people. Inside the Coliseum, the pit is surrounded by a high wall, intended to protect spectators form the wild animals used in combats in the arena. The basic architectural structure of the Roman amphitheater is used today for soccer, baseball, and even bullfights. Serious earthquakes had caused considerable damage to the amphitheater. It began to be used as a cemetery, and its vaulted corridors were being rented out for housing and workshops. The Coliseum’s stonework and frescoes were plundered until the end of the 18th century, when restoration efforts finally began.

We awakened at the break at dawn to beat the crowd stifling summer heat, but discovered thousands head already queued, wrapped double around the ancient building. Warren hit despair, lamenting our chance at an early morning entry. We finally gave up and hit the train, lugging our gear in abject disappointment. Better to tour Europe in the snow to avoid the crowds?

In the 16th century Michelangelo created memorable images on the vaulted ceiling of the papal Sisine Chapel. His frescoes depict the biblical story of Genesis, beginning with God separating light and dark, progressing to the story of Adam and Eve, and concluding with the story of Noah. The ancestors of Christ are set in a painted architectural framework above the windows. Vibrant colors enliven the scenes, bringing them all together when standing from the floor of the chapel where we stood.

Venice was once home to some of the world’s most powerful merchants in the Middle Ages. For perhaps 200 of those years the republic of Venice was the richest, most prosperous, and most powerful nation of the Western world. Through the centuries Venice gained renown as the queen of the Adriatic. Stunning works of architecture were erected along its canals, creating a city of unparalleled charm that inspired masterpieces of art, music, and literature. To us, the city's beauty was still here, but is beset by dangers: It's vulnerable to flooding, the glorious facades are damaged from air pollution, and the land is sinking. Efforts to save it are under way, but kinda' sketchy.

Amsterdam has more than 80 km (50 mi) of canals that wrap around 90 islands, which are joined by 400 bridges: We got lost -- a lot. Our hostel was in the Red Light district – the only available place we could afford. (The exchange rate for the Euro vs the American greenback was nearly double!)

The city is a big center for European cultural life, so we saw a lot of artists painting on the skinny, cobbled-stoned streets beneath the porticoes of the16th and 17th-century old buildings. We spent two days seeing the impressive art museums. It took six hours to view the 800 artistic works of the Dutch master, Vincent Van Gogh. And the man-sized figures in Rembrandt’s painting of the Night Watch (1642) at the Rijksmuseum were very impressive. The Night Watch is Mom and Dad’s favorite painting: They saw on their honeymoon years ago.

After a long ride on the speed train from Venice, we arrived in Zurich at 9pm. Without a hostel booking, we wandered around the streets for two hours in search of a room without any luck, so we finally crashed on the town dock. It was so cold, we crawled under the tarps of the boats for warmth! (Zurich is in northern Switzerland!) In the morning, we awakened to find ourselves surrounded by a huge lake against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains. Sweet! Right away we jumped in the frigid cold waters, and dove off the high diving platforms that were scattered all across the lake. Lots of backpackers were around, so it was fun hanging out in the local park, while waiting for our train to Paris. Once finding an available room, we stayed two days because of the great fun we had diving off the high platforms. We rented bikes to get around the big city, which still held its charm amidst its metropolitan aspect. Warren stayed away from the swans: He still has memories of being attacked by one when he was a little kid.

The ancient cathedral of Notre Dame (Our Lady) sits on the Seince River in the spiritual center of Paris. It stands on the site of an ancient monument to the Roman god Jupiter, and was a model for the French Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages. The French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned here in 1804. We saw his first grave in St. Helena Island (middle of the South Atlantic Ocean) where he was exiled, four years ago when delivering "Scud" from South Africa. Inside, the stained glass reflected the sunlight in a myriad of vibrant colors by ambiant candlelight.

At daybreak, we hit the Louvre to beat the crowd. It's located inside one of the world’s largest palaces, which was once a residence for the king of France (1682), and sits on a 13th-century old fortress. The main attaction is the Mona Lisa, an Italian Renaissance painting by Leonardo da Vinci. We stayed in front of it as long as we could, sneaking photos, but alert security guards finally made us move on.

The man-sized statues at the front of the museum was pretty interesting. We spent two hours studying them. It basically took all day to see the entire Lourve, it was so magnificent.

On a full moon night, we left our hostel in downtown Paris to see the Eiffel Tower, a wrought-iron construction on a gigantic scale, built by a French engineer named Eiffel for the Paris World's Fair of 1889. It’s huge: 300 m (984 ft) high. The tower has stairs and elevators, but tourists weren’t allowed inside the towers, so we lingered at the bottom, just hanging out. Will ran into a girl he knew from his hometown in Naples, Florida, who was also on tour with friends. Small world!

We missed the speed train to Marseilles, so waited for the next one. Will chilled with his handy book, crashing in the modern train station. We arrived in Marseilles at dawn the following morning, then camped on the grass, watching the sun come up until the ferry offices opened. We were then told that all ferries to Sardinia (where Scud was anchored) were already fully book for the next day, due to the high season. After a lot of crazy brainstorming, we finally ended up taking a flight to Corsica (boarding right then), a bus across the island to the south coast of Corsica, a ferry across the Tyrrhenian Sea to Sardinia, then two buses to find "Scud" in Porto Conte. Find it sufficient to say, we were rather done in by then.

The Vatican Art Museum has a comprehensive collection that spans many styles and periods. The gilded ceiling of the Museum reflected on the tiled floor in bright pastels that was crowded with earnest tourists. "Keep moving!" "Keep moving!" the Vatican guard commanded. At least we got some great photos -- illegal, of course!

We arrived early dawn after an overnight train from Rome, and hung around the waterfront admiring the gondolas and scenic sites. Next morning we arrived at St. Marco's Square to see inside the Cathedral, which didn't open until late morning (European time!), so we hit the train to Zurich. The pasta and pizza were exquisite! And messy. Will dumped some all over his pants, when a hot sheila walked by in spiky heels.