Troy's on the clock . . .

Hey everyone! So Natalie says it's my turn to blog a little. We have been having an amazing time thus far and I hope to get a book out of it. The traveling has been hard at times. Going over the Alps was a hard traveling, and once off the gondolas we had a hard hike into the italian town of Cormeyeur. It's one thing to think about all the walking, but another entirely to actually do it with a fifty pound pack.

Some of the highlights:
1. Walking in a Paris subway tunnel because all the workers went on strike.
2. Riding a gondola over the French Alps and standing on the France/Italy border.
3. Waking up next to my wife everyday!
4. Waking up in Chamonix and looking up at a glacier
5. Meeting our Mexican American Friend Emmanuel
6. Meeting the director of Good Morning Aman and his Editor! (Claudio and Andrea!Grazie!)
7. Eating fresh food everyday.
8. Haribo! If you don't know what it means you should look it up!
9. Sharing our travels with our friends and family.
10. Writing every detail of our misadventures.

Specifically, and I know I'm jumping ahead, we rented a vespa today thanks to a family member who thought it would be an amazing wedding present. So we are zipping through the city of Rome on a bright red classic vespa. I have no fear, but Natalie wishes the Vespa had a cab. The Italians have no formal driving system in Rome because there are no traffic lanes, no rules and as long as you stay on your toes you should live to see tomorrow. If any of you thought California driving was madness, I now figure that if I can drive in Rome, then I can drive anywhere in the world. After all the sight-seeing I pulled up safely in front of our hotel and Natalie almost got down on the ground kissing it because we survived. Vespa and scooters just fly past you on every turn, every different color, make model with drivers of all ages and sizes. We followed a grandmother and her grandaughter. Many men in ties and business suits raced past us to go to work, the gerneral Italian just going to the market and one unhappy Italian who told me what he thought of my tenative driving. Tomorrow morning to avoid the traffic we are going to the Vatican at 6 am. From there we are giving the death scooter back. I really hope all of you are able to read this:)

I would also like to say hi to Nick and Jaime and baby Cameron, my mom and dad and Courtney, plus everyone else out there. When we get back I will be putting the full book up on the page. I've written 192 pages in 15 days (small pages). Have a great rest of your summer and until I 'm on here again stay cool (I know we will in the cool waters of the bay at Napoli:)!
-Troy