My Euro-Bucket List

While I am looking forward to "relaxing" in Europe I thought that unplanned relaxation was just not my style. So, I have created a bucket list of 25 things that I would like to do during the 42 days that we are on our trip. If you have any suggestions as to things that I absolutely must do, please feel free to post comments!

25. Shots Shots Shots Shots Shots Shots Everybody! DONE

Although I really dislike the taste of black licorice, flaming shots of ouzo in Santorini will have to happen.

24. Gondola Ride in Venice

I'm almost certain that this is a “must do” in Venice, and besides, the last gondola I rode was up the green hill at Mt. Washington.

23. Sing-Along

From June 3 to 23 the Festival de Musique de Strasbourg will be occurring in the small town of Strasbourg, located near Alsace, France. I may not be singing along per se, but I will be enjoying the classical music.

22. Eat an Exotic Food

A local type of fish? A weird looking fruit or vegetable or perhaps a cut of meat that I have never seen. I want to try some of the local delicacies.

21. Be a Copycat DONE

I hear that there are a number of knock off purses, bags, wallets etc. in Europe and I will definitely have to pick one (or five) up along the way.

20. Global Connections

I anticipate that we will be meeting lots of people along the way. I want to meet/befriend one person from every continent in the world (minus Antarctica perhaps) and stay in contact with them after the trip.

19. Etch-A-Sketch DONE

I've been told that the Uffizi Gallery in Florence is one of the top museums/galleries in Italy. There is something like 45 rooms of paintings that date back from 1200's until current day. I am looking forward to spending a day viewing all of the wonderful artwork and perhaps sketching a bit myself.

http://www.uffizi.com/painting-collection-rooms-uffizi-gallery.asp

18. Crack Da Vinci's Code

While I may not be able to crack Da Vinci's code literally, I am looking forward to spending a day at the world famous Lourve in Paris.

17. Hike the Cinque Terre in Italy DONE

Every person that I have spoken to about going to Italy said that I HAVE to hike the Cinque Terre. Located on the west coast of Italy, cities Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore boasts delicious seafood and robust wines.

16. Visit one of the 7 Wonders of the World DONE

In the future I would like to visit all seven wonders, but in the mean time I plan to see either the Statue of Zeus located in Olympia or the Colossus of Rhodes (in Rhodes).

15. This... Is... SPARTA! (Sort of Done)

I think it would be humorous to recite some lines from the movie 300 in Sparta. I suppose it will go something like this: “He did not wish tribute, nor song, or monuments or poems of war and valor. His wish was simple. "Remember us" he said to me. That was his hope, should any free soul come across that place, in all the countless centuries yet to be. "May all our voices whisper to you from the ageless stones, "Go tell the Spartans, passerby, that here by Spartan law, we lie." And so my king died, and my brothers died; barely a year ago. Long I pondered my king's cryptic talk of victory, but time has proven him wise, for from free Greek to free Greek, the word was spread that bold Leonidas and his 300, so far from home, laid down their lives... not just for Sparta, but for all Greece and the promise this country holds. Now here on this ragged patch of earth called Plateaea, let his hordes face obliteration! Just there the barbarians huddle, sheer terror gripping tight their hearts with icy fingers... knowing full well what merciless horrors they suffered at the swords and spears of 300, yet they stare now across the plane at 10,000 Spartans commanding 30,000 free Greeks... The enemy outnumber us a paltry 3 to 1, a match for any Greek. This day we rescue a world from mysticism and tyranny and usher in a world brighter than anything we can imagine, Give thanks, men, to Leonidas and the brave 300! To victory!”

14. Too Fast and Too Furious

I would really like to see the Monaco Motor Show which is occurring from June 10-13^th. Who wouldn't want to see beautiful cars in a beautiful city?!

13 Voulez Vous Couchez Avec Moi Ce Soir?

While my male counterparts may be using this phrase quite a bit on the trip, I would like to see a Moulin Rouge show in Paris. I've heard that they are fairly pricey (100+ euros) but definitely worth the pricetag.

http://www.moulinrouge.fr/home-flash-gb.html

12. Get Crazy, Get Wild, Let's Party, Get Loud DONE

While I may be missing out on the new season of Jersey Shore and will definitely not be having Ron Ron Juice on my trip, I definitely plan on trying the real deal absinthe.

11. Hallelujah DONE

I was brought up in a Christian family, however, today, I am by no means religious. Nevertheless, I want to go to as many Roman/Vatican cathedrals and maybe even confess my sins (of which I anticipate there will be a few along the way). The cathedral architecture of Western Europe is breathtaking – in particular I would like to visit the Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano.

10. Ole Ole Ole Ole

I am fortunate to be in France when the 2010 FIFA World Cup commences in South Africa. I do not typically watch soccer or FIFA (maybe because Canada's doesn't have a competing team), however, I cannot miss out on the opportunity to go to a local pub and cheer on France in their game against Uruguay on June 11th. Viva France!

9. Visit one of the seven Medieval Wonders of the World DONE x2

Similarly, to item 16, I would like to visit all of these wonders one day. In the mean time I will go to the leaning tower of Pisa and/or the Colosseum.

8. Luck Be a Lady

While my next set of travel plans includes going to Las Vegas, I would like to visit a world-famous casino in Europe. Back in December 2008, I visited a number of casinos in Macao, including the world-famous Venetian. In Europe, the Monte Carlo casino is renouned and has been showcased in a number of James Bond films. Maybe I'll win the jackpot there.

7. See Some "Disruptive" Advertising

TBWA is my favourite advertising agency in the world, largely because they have an unconventional style of doing advertising for companies. TBWA has been known for their disruptive, boundary pushing advertisements. Auditoire, is their Paris office which I would like to visit. I wonder what the odds are of getting a tour?

Some of TBWA’s advertisements for Sony Playstation: http://www.coloribus.com/focus/playstation_print_ad_history/

Auditoire’s website: http://www.auditoire.fr/

6. Strut My Stuff at the Fashion Capitals of the World

The big four cities, New York, London, Milan and Paris have long been regarded as the fashion capitals of the world. So if I'm going to tour Europe, I want to do it with a bit of class and style by visiting London, Paris and Milan. As for New York, I have already stayed at the Mariott Marquis in Times Square twice for conferences in 2007 and 2008.

5. Recreate a Starry Night

My favourite artist of all time is post-Impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh. He created hundreds if not thousands of paintings that helped to define modern art. Of his paintings, my three favourites are (3) Starry Night over the Rhone (2) Starry Night and (1) Cafe Terrace at Night. All three of these paintings were inspired by the city of Arles, located in the south of France. In particular, the Cafe Terrace at Night was painted based on the Place du Forum which is where I would like to visit.

http://www.vincent-van-gogh-gallery.org/Cafe-Terrace-on-the-Place-du-Forum.jpg

4. Eiffel Tower the Eiffel Tower

This one’s fairly self explanatory, except that it will most likely be the G-rated version.

3. There's No Business Like Show Business

I would absolutely LOVE to see a London broadway musical. While I have been fortunate enough to see Wicked and Rent on Broadway, as well as a plethora of other musicals in my hometown (my most recent being the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), I cannot wait to see an outstanding London rendition of a classic musical.

2. Be like Coco Chanel

I idolize Gabrielle Chasnel (apparently her birth certificate spells her last name with an “s” because the person who wrote it was illiterate). Chanel came from nothing and was able to build herself an empire, exceptional brand image, and most importantly design the covenant little black dress that every women has in her wardrobe. Before Chanel's career came to fruition, she use to sit in the Bar Vendome lobby in a velvet chair and people watch for hours at a time.

http://www.ritzparis.com/jump_to.asp?id_target=1330&id_lang=2

1. When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do DONE

This is the all encompassing bucket list item. While on my euro-trip I do not want to miss out on any opportunities that may arise. Therefore, like in the Jim Carrey movie "Yes Man", I want to say 'yes' to as many things as possible.

--------------------------
So this is my bucket list for the trip. I will try to document the achievements of as many of these as possible and keep you posted on what things still need to be done throughout the trip. As I formerly stated, if you have any items that you think I should add, please let me know!

One Week

Finally there is only one week before my group departs to Europe. You would think that we have packed, or would have taken the week off to start mentally preparing for our first Eurotrip, but sadly all four of us were not afforded the luxury of pre-time-off before our time-off. Myself, I am still working two jobs, one at the University of Victoria and one at a local restaurant downtown. My last shift is Sunday - we leave from Vancouver on Tuesday. One of my other travel mates is working a co-op term in Vancouver until this Friday, while the other has exams until mid-week. Finally, my roomate, has to work until Sunday as well.

Have we booked our hostels, no. Do we know what cities we're travelling to, not really. All we know is that we're starting in Athens, ending in Paris and this trip is going to be the highlight of our young adult lives. This trip is going to be a riot - literally and figuratively (weren't there just huge riots in Athens last week!?). We plan to eat the local foods, lie on white sandy beaches, and enjoy the local sights (be that of the alcoholic, educational, or male/female assortment, is up to you to guess). Most importantly, we want to have the MOST FUN possible.

John Steinbeck once stated that "a journey is like a marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it." So we've decided to be laid back about planning the trip and hope that whatever we do and wherever we go, it will result in an amazing experience.

Using Steinbecks simile, I think that currently we're in the "dating" stage of our relationship. All of us are working or living in other cities, seeing each other once in awhile and planning our trip. We'll transition into the "marriage" once we arrive at the airport on Tuesday with our passports and tickets in hand, filled with all types of emotion and extremely excited for the adventure awaits us. This leads us into the "honeymoon" phase, in which we hang out on the plane and arrive at 3 a.m. in Athens. We'll all be excited, perhaps have a celebratory drink or ten and then call it a morning.

I am really hoping that our journey is like a marriage in that we all are amiable towards one another and our friendships remain longlasting. However, it is puerile to think that there will not be arguments or even separations. While time will tell whether or not our "marriage" will work out, I do know for certain that our marriage will not be built on traditional foundations such as monogamy. While my bucket list is of things "to do" on the trip, my travel mates have more of a bucket list of people "to do" on the trip. List(s) to come soon - we'll see who will be able to "hit" more things on their list.