Canadian Soil

So Jon and I arrived back a little ahead of schedule. We were able to get on an earlier flight out of TO which was a very good thing, our flight was canceled and we were going to be put on a flight 3 hours later than what we booked. We arrived in Edmonton donning our Canadian flags, the very same ones we wore at our first stop in Turin. We were welcomed home by Jon's girl Susie and her friends Melissa and Jen as well as my mother and Al. After getting cleaned up it was of to the new Sidetrack cafe to celebrate Canada day. After a few rounds the party died out and people started heading home. Not satisfied or tiered, Melissa and I headed to the only bar we thought was still serving. It just happened to be an alternative/goth bar. Needless to say we stuck out but was fun none the less.

The next day Jon had a bbq at his folks place. This was highlighted by Jon's beer fridge keg. Not sure if I posted pics of it before we left so here it is. Lots of food and friends made for a good day.

The next day I went tubing down the Pembina river, something I had wanted to do for sometime. Loads of fun but the water was pretty low and made it slow going. I had numourous brusies on my lower half from the rocks.

I spent the next few days couch surfing and running around. I visited my house to make sure everything was well and to grab cloths. I was not home sick until seeing home. I felt like just dropping my bags and relaxing...couch surfing is fun though. Stopped in at work and found that not much changes in 5 months so that is good. What else happened...I got a tattoo! It’s a poppy with barbwire around the stem. I saw it at Jon McRae’s field station in Flanders field. It was such a moving day that I wanted to remember it and thought this would be a good way.

Off to GP in the Morning then up to Yellowknife for a friends wedding




After a night out on Whyte ave I was off to Grand Prairie on a greyhound to meet up with Taj, a high school buddy who is in Aarons wedding party with me. I had never taken a bus in Canada before but had my share in Europe and thought it would not be so bad. Surprisingly comfy but man there was a lot of weirdoes. Luckily I sat with a some what sane girl and we talked the whole way. Exhausted from the night before, Taj and I decided to only go out for 1 drink because we had a 14 hour drive to YK in the morning. Snow flake turns to avalanche. We ended up getting a little over 2 and a half hours sleep before heading out at 7:00 AM. The drive went really good and really fast. We did it in just under 11 hours. (Would have been less if we didn’t take a "detour" through Heinz Creek...to which I said "were the hell is Heinz Creek???") Taj and I hadn't seen much of each other since high school so we had lots of catching up to do and ended up talking the whole way up. Fueled by Red bull we made it into YK in time for our good friend Aaron’s stag party. What an odd, kickass night. Aaron is the Canadian Idol rapper I posted on awhile back. He ended up doing a song at the Gold Range ( a native favorite) with the country house band. Pretty interesting mix. Taj got up and did a song with him at another bar which brought back memories from high school. I used to play guitar in a group with the two of them. I also just found out that some of the songs I recorded with Aaron last year are on his newest disc. Checks in the mail. After a brief stint at the peelers (the girl stormed off stage in a hissy fit for reasons we still don’t understand) and after Aaron dodged a stalker and a couple fights we ended up at a club. This place was a lot of fun as I ran into a ton of people I hadn't seen in awhile. This included a cousin of mine I had met once. Trevor came up to me and said hi and I just thought it was someone from high school but could not place it. Taj walked by and I asked for help "hey Taj it’s ah...remember umm..." He just gave me a funny look said I was on my own and left. Would have worked if it was a girl. Trevor finally told me he was my cousin. I felt so bad that I ended up introducing him to anyone and everyone in the bar. I think he had a good time.

I spent the next couple days lounging around and getting caught up with friends. We wanted to go camping at my dad's cabin but the weather turned shity. We ended up at the local campgrounds which was fun but the bugs were horrible. I got up to pee in the morning only wearing boxers and got bit everywhere...and I mean everywhere! One thing I definitely do not miss about the north.

The wedding rehersal came next. Taj and I were bugging Aaron because he was so calm and had it together, if it was me, I would have been freaking out but then I realized why would you be nervous if it’s something you really want?

The night before the wedding I went out with some high school friends that just got into town. Another great night but probably not the best idea as Taj and I did not get to bed till after 4 am then were up at 930 to help decorate the reception hall. Let me just say that two hung over guys...or guys in general, should not be put on streamer detail. There was honestly a group of 10 trying to get these streamers to the bride’s specs. The bride’s uncle was on eyeball duty, telling us if the streamers were at the right height and what not. Taj and I kept yelling, "Hey Eyeball, how does this look?" and "Where the hell is eyeball?" when he would disappear for his frequent smoke breaks. Later that night talking to "eyeball" I noticed that he has a severly lazy eye....possibly even glass. Talk about party fowl but he seemed cool with it.

The wedding was great, nicest I have been involved with and I have to say we were one good looking wedding party! After the nice ceremony it was off for pictures then to the reception. I had such a blast as did everyone...chicken dance and all. Great mix of people including Aaron and Melisa's families and high school friends. Another great, late night. I was so happy to be apart of it all.

The next day I was supposed to go to Folk on the Rocks, a great northeren music festival, but going through 14 bottles of wine and countless shots the previous night, makes for a groggy day. I got up in time to hang out with Taj before he left and say congrats to the newly weds while watching videos from there big day.

The weather turned great here, could not have asked for a better weekend so I decided to stick around. Hopefully I can get some fishing and camping in. As I am writing this I am swaying in a hammock, relaxing in the sun listening to music. Life is still very good.

More to come…

The lists

Ok, so even before getting back home I have been bombarded with typical questions about the trip. Because of this, I have compiled a few lists of the questions.

Please Note: The following are based on my own personal opinions, and experiences. What I think is tip top may not be for everyone…although I do have great tastes…

Nicest Hostels

Hostels make the experience of a city or town. TO me it’s very important to have a great common area or bar where backpackers can meet and socialize. Cleanliness is also a factor as is a friendly, helpful, staff. Here are my top choices from where I have been:

Nathan’s Villa Hostel – Krakow, Poland

This hostel is great. It has a large and very cool bar in the basement. They have organized events like trivia night, (which we won two beers each as a team) a home theater, and live music. There is even daily cheap bbq’s prepared by a real Australian so you know its done right. Finally, upstairs the dorms are immaculate with huge lockers, comfortable beds, and spotless bathrooms. If you’re going to Europe, go to Krakow. If you go to Krakow, stay at this hostel.

Friendly Franks – Riga, Latvia

Not the cleanest or newest hostel around but it wins my vote for friendly (and hot) staff, organized events, free internet with enough computers to go around, and a 24hr bar. The staff makes sure you have a good time as they take groups out nightly as well as organizing bobsledding and ak-47 outings. The 24hr bar was key for me as a great group of us watched the Oilers down the Ducks in the playoffs.

Hostel 99 – Cesky Krumolov, Czech Republic

Again, not the newest or cleanest but has tons of soul and character. The hostel is located with in the old city walls and the upstairs dorms are very cabin like. The staff is great and its got an awesome bar/restaurant. We partied there nightly with the staff, until way past after closing, and had a great time singing and playing guitar. The food is yummy and they serve real breakfasts. There is also organized rafting trips and if that’s not enough, free keg of beer on Wednesday nights!

(picture of "The Tats" playing on the hostel's patio)

Rising Cock – Lagos, Portugal

I was skeptical at first as my guide book tended to cater to gays but when we arrived we found it was anything but. Run by two brothers whose motto is “Its our business doing pleasure to you,” they make sure you have a good time. There mother is also on staff and is very sweet. She even cooled some portages meals a couple nights. Throw a great small social area, clean comfortable rooms, beer pong, and a great restaurant and you have mine and Jon’s favorite hostel.

(picture of "Pee Pants," one of the staff at Rising Cock. He knows how to have fun.)

Worst Hostels

Surprisingly there was little to no dirty hostels. Before we left Jon warned me that there was no hot water in Europe. In 5 months I think I had 2 cold showers. Never-the-less, there were some bad places; one in particular should be avoided at all costs.

Pink Palace – Corfu, Greece

Many people would be surprised to see this on a worst hostel list. It is in fact very clean with a ton of activities but I feel its over rated and over priced. Add to it that I spent 3 nights extra because I had stept throat, and over half the staff quite while we were there (bad managers) it makes for a bad experience. If your young and looking for fun it’s a good stop but only for a couple days. Weekends are a good bet as they throw one hell of a toga party.

(picture from the Toga party. Just love the expressions!)

Centric Point – Barcelona, Spain

Another very clean, large hotel-like hostel that is very new and nice, but has no character. The bar/common room is huge and uninviting and the staff was pretty dense. We had to move beds twice whole in the same room. Still not sure why the people checking in could not be put in the empty beds.

The Oasis – Seville, Spain

This was the cleanest and newest hostel we stayed in. It has very comfortable beds, gorgeous bathrooms, a great common area and a kickass roof terrace. Then why is it on the shit list you say? The staff. I had paid for 3 nights accommodations. 2 nights into my stay I decided last minute to pack up and meet up with friends who were driving to Morocco. I asked if I could get money back and they said if someone filled the bed. Understandable. 2 seconds later a girl showed up looking for a bed. Perfect. I was in a huge hurry so I asked them to give the money to Jon, who was staying another night. No problem. Turned out that the girl left the next morning without paying and the staff decided after a long argument with Jon, that I should pay for there screw up. Not cool, especially to a tight budgeted backpacker. As great as the hostel is, a boycott of the place would be sweeter.

R&J – Rome, Italy

This is it. The one horrible hostel we stayed at. Avoid it. Tell others to avoid it. We booked it as a last resort as it was around Easter... We were then told by others that it is a dive. We got there and although it was not disgusting, it was dingy. It advertised a great common room, restaurant, bar, free internet and free breakfast. None of it was true. The bathrooms were small and mixed. The dorms were small and dank. The worst part was that the staff made you feel like you were imposing. They had satellite TV which was great cause Jon and I wanted to watch hockey. Only problem was that this janitor/maintenance looking guy (who all I saw do is drink and watch TV) was in control of the remote. He would not let anyone change the channel and would even take the remote with him when he left the room. Mighty neighborly, mighty neighborly.

Favorite cities

Again, a hostel can really make for a great stay so some of there will look familiar:

Bergen, Norway

This is where I stayed with friends and had a great visit. Bergen is like a small Vancouver with the ocean, Mountains, and rain. The food is great and the people are very friendly.

(Picture: Bergen from above)

Budapest, Hungary

I was not expecting much from Buda or pest but could have easily stayed longer. It was surprisingly beautiful and offered a lot of fun activities. The spa’s are amazing, they definitely know how to kickback there. Also, I had a very relaxing stay at a nice hostel so that helped sway me.

Lagos, Portugal

Some very good times were has in Lagos. Great hostel and breath taking coastline makes it one of my favorite spots. On the downside this is where Jon got mugged. Also, another friend of ours got put in the hospital there by some little punks. Play safe kids.

(Picture: Guitar on the beach)

Stockholm, Sweden

I had a blast in Stockholm. I felt so alive while there, hard to explain. It’s a beautiful city and the people are great and its not as expensive as its Scandinavian neighbors.

Honorable mentions:

Bled, Slovenia – best mountain trails/scenery
Cesky Krumolov – Fun factor
Munich – Beer and Beer
Edinbrough – Beautiful city, Athens of the north
Berlin – Lots of history
Copenhagen – mmmmm Danish.

(Picture: Beautiful Bled)

Least Favorite Cities

Madrid, Spain

This capital just does not have that much to offer. Over rated by a lot of people

Nice, France

This is where I woke up feeling fat and sweaty and out 50 euro just on beer. Another over rated stop.

Cutest girls

This one’s tuff. Europe has a lot to offer and again, this is my tastes and preferences:

Norway – Very cute and friendly. I was quizzing Sonny on all the Norwegian pick up lines.
Sweden – Blond hair, blue eyes and great bodies…what else is there? Personality and brains
are over rated! Totally kidding.
Latvia - #1 by far. Hands down. Must be something in the not-so drinkable tap water. A lot of the women have this kinda bitchy look that is somewhat exciting. Just me? Alright then…

Cutest dudes

Ha! Trick question, you know I like boobies. Next question.


Safest City’s

These are city’s I could rome some what care free and not worry about getting stabbed:

Cesky Krumolov
Edinbrough
Stockholm
Dubrovnik

Least Safe City’s

Again, trick question. I feel safe everywhere, you know why? Cause I’m a man, A man who invented the wheel and built the Eiffel tower out of Braun and steel…that’s the kind of man I am. Its science….

But honestly parts of Spain and the small streets of the old town in Tanger freaked the hell out of me.

Food and Bevy’s

Best Beer

This is easy, Germany…no wait…Belgium…no…Czech….No Germany. Germany…final answer. When a country has laws about what they can put in their beer, you know its goanna go down smooth.

My personal favorites:

Germany – #1 Augustiener, Paulaner
Czech – Pilsner Urquell (the original Pill)

Budvar (original Budweiser…which, unlike its North American cousin, tastes nothing like dog piss)

(Picture: This is actually taken at the best fish and chips place I have eaten at...and its in my home town. They just happened to have the 2 Czech beers I love!)

Croatia – Zaltborg? I think I liked it cause it had a goat on the label…I mean common, a goat!

Netherlands – Amstel and of course Heineken
Copenhagen – Carlsberg

Worst Beer

Portugal, please stick to making Port. Italy please stick to wine.

Portugal: Super Bok – Jon describes it best “Its lick licking a bus rail!”

Italy: Moriarti (?) Again, Jon: “Its tastes like you have a bloody lip!”

Best Wine

Italy and France. I swore of beer for a month. It only lasted a week but we were in southern France and Italy at the time so the wine filled the void nicely. So very cheap too!

Worst Wine

Greece – Grappa. I gotta tell you, it tastes like pure gasoline.

Best Coffee

Coffee in Europe is so strong but so good. Italy and France in particular. I’m not much of a coffee drinker but I had to have one everyday in these countries. Tim Horton’s just doesn’t cut it anymore.

Worst Coffee

Again Portugal and Greece take this one. Not sure why, but as soon as you cross the Adriatic, instant coffee is everywhere.

Best Food

I had the best meals in Germany. Very hearty. Roasted pork, dumplings, Gnocchi, mmmmm…..
Other meat and potato places were Latvia and Slovakia. Goulash and porgies were my favs. So good and so cheap. Italy is also up there with the best pizza (of course) and pastas.

Worst Food

Can’t say I had many bad meals but Spain did not have much to offer. Not a big Pai ai (?)fan.

Cleanest Bathrooms

Europe was not as dirty as people led me to believe. A lot of Public bathrooms were spotless, but you also had to pay for them. In Switzerland and I think Germany, there is actually a chain of bathrooms caked McClean. A very modern “Ikea” like place that is more an experience than a daily function.

(Picture: A soccer net in a uniral...Goooooaaaaallllllll!!!!)

Dirtiest Bathrooms

France and Italy. Good God. All I can say is I am glad I am a dude. In Turin, after one of the hockey games, we were at a bar with a ton of drunk Canadians, way more people than what the facilities could handle. The mixed Female/male bathrooms were just holes in the ground. After awhile about an inch or two of “liquid” was present. One large topless dude, who I saw earlier that night slamming numerous beers at a time, was passed out and had to be dragged to the bathroom to throw up. Face down puking on the floor in that mess is not something I would wish upon anyone.

Any other questions?