Copenhagen- Well, I usually don't blog about days at sea, but
yesterday was particularly exciting for two reasons. First, Walker
attended an art auction, entered a raffle contest, and won a large
colorful painting of a woman by the French artist Linda Le Kinff!
Then, Walker was flipping channels on the tv before bed and when I
heard a certain familiar sound I shot up in bed and yelled for him to
turn back. It was Will and Nate, two of my very best friends from Uva
playing with their band Parachute on Jimmy Kimmel's talk show! If you
haven't done so already, stop reading NOW and open up iTunes and buy
their album, "Losing Sleep". I couldn't believe I was seeing them on
tv in the middle of the Baltic! Another great day at sea!

Today, we enjoyed exploring our final port of call here in the capital
of Denmark. We were dropped off by the opera house and walked through
the King's Garden and the botanical gardens to see the
Renaissance-style Rosenberg Castle, where soldiers drilled and marched
to stately music. We then visited the rococco home of the Danish royal
family at Amalienborg Palace and the Lutheran Church. After quick
visits to the National Museum and the Carlsberg Sculpture Museum, we
finished our long sightseeing trip with a trip to the world-famous
Tivoli Gardens amusement park, supposedly Walt Disney's inspiration
back in the day since Tivoli was founded in 1843! We enjoyed classic
roller coasters, modern rides, cotton candy, and Danish Carlsberg beer
before returning to the ship and setting sail for Amsterdam.

--
Sent from my mobile device

Tallinn- Today we enjoyed a quick visit to the historic capital of
Estonia from 7am until 2. Tallinn is a quiet and beautiful town still
holding onto Russian cultural influences, though it gained
independence in 1991. Set on a hill above the Gulf of Finland, the old
town is a medieval enclave filled with old walls, towers, winding
cobbled lanes and buildings dating back to the Middle Ages. We visited
3 more churches in the old own, and I must say that the churches we've
visited on this trip are some of the most beautiful I've ever seen. We
made our way all around Tallinn on foot in just a few hours and had
beautiful weather for pictures. We are looking forward to a sea day
tomorrow to rest our legs and perhaps enjoy another scotch tasting
before Copenhagen on Thursday!

--
Sent from my mobile device

St. Petersburg- We spent over 4 hours of our first day in Russia at
the incredible Hermitage Museum, which is second only to that other
one in Paris in terms of size and wealth of artistic collection. The
exhibits were incredible, and the decor of the museum was truly a site
in and of itself. Today Russia celebrated some sort of maritime
holiday, so everyone wore sailor hats around town. After the museum,
we searched in vain for food before visiting the iconic Church of the
Resurrection, which is filled with beautiful mosaics and topped with
striking onion domes, which make this church the most photographed
site in the city. We then visited a local souvenir market and picked
out some of those hand-painted dolls with other smaller dolls stacked
inside them (I can't remember their special name). The only gifts we
can take out of Russia are these dolls, vodka, amber, and certain
amounts of caviar... Haha, what? Finally, I was fortunate enough to
get a ticket to see the opera Lucia di Lamermoor at the famous
Mariinsky Theatre, built in 1860 and celebrating its 226th opera
season. This was a wonderful cap to a great and memorable day in
Russia. We are docked in port tonight and will sail out at 5:30pm
tomorrow!

--
Sent from my mobile device

St. Petersburg- Our second and final day in Russia was spent visiting
the sites in the city that we missed yesterday. We walked along the
Neva River to Peter and Paul Fortress, then past the Rostral Columns
and on to Dekabristov Square, where we took pictures of the famed
"Bronze Horseman". We then toured the incredibly ornate St. Isaac's
Cathedral and climbed up to the top of the dome for panoramic views of
the city. The afternoon rain kept us from visiting Peterhoff, but
since it was modeled after Versailles I wasn't too disappointed since
I was just there in Paris. Russia is definitely not a tourist-friendly
place, but we had a great time even though we had a tougher time
navigating the city than usual. To me, the highlights were definitely
the two churches, the Hermitage, and the opera last night. Now we're
off to Estonia!

--
Sent from my mobile device

Helsinki- It was a gorgeous day here on the southern coast of Finland,
where we enjoyed walking along the Gulf of Finland and on to visit the
Lutheran Cathedral at Senate Square, the Kauppatori Market where local
women were knitting all sorts of clothing, the brick Uspenski
Cathedral, and the city park. We also really enjoyed hearing some
young musicians playing along the Esplanade. Perhaps the most exciting
find of the day was a Donatello flavored Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
sports drink discovered at a local supermarket! Yes, I bought it in
case you were wondering...

--
Sent from my mobile device

Stockholm- Walker and I blended right in today with all of the local
Swedish blondes as we toured this wonderful city. We visited the
Flagship Vasa, Storkyrkan Cathedral, the Royal Palace, City Hall, and
Riddarholms Church. 14 islands and 50 bridges give the city the name,
"the Venice of the North" and we got some great photos along the
waterfront. I forced Walker into the beautiful Stockholm Opera House
at the end of our walk and then we caught the last bus back to the
ship and grabbed some ice cream for the sail away. The ship is
crowded, busy, and strikingly diverse in composition, but Walker and I
have enjoyed life on board so far. We've attended the nightly shows
and scotch tastings and are off now to formal night.

--
Sent from my mobile device

Warnemunde & Rostock- Today was fairly overcast here in northern
Germany, but we were excited to get off the ship in our first port of
call after a sea day Tuesday. After about 20 minutes, Walker decided
that Rostock is Germany's version of Swainsboro (i.e. Absolutely
nothing exciting has ever happened here). We did visit 2 beautiful
churches, ate bratwursts, and each drank "a meter of beer" (don't ask)
at a German brewery in order to drown the memories of what Walker has
called the "most forgettable place I've been since the Vienna Opera".
That's what I call a complement! Haha, another day at sea tomorrow
before Helsinki.

--
Sent from my mobile device

Amsterdam- After 6 years, it was wonderful to return to Amsterdam,
which lives a dual life as a quaint, historic, canal town with
incredible churches and master art and a party town after dark with
its famous coffee shops and Red Light District. Our visit was rated PG
with our visits to the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum (with
incredible Rembrant and Vermeer), the Heineken Brewery, and a very
brisk stroll through the Red Light area... Now we're sailing for
Germany on the Celebrity Century and will be at sea tomorrow!

--
Sent from my mobile device

Paris- Took the city by storm in a whirlwind tour of some of Paris'
incredible highlights: Monmartre, Opera Garnier, Musee D'Orsay, Notre
Dame, Saint Chapelle, Jardins du Luxembourg (where kids were sailing
mini sailboats in the fountain), St Germain des Pres, Tour Eiffel,
Versailles, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, and, of course, des escargots!
Surprisingly the weather was a little chilly (yet beautiful) and my
legs are more tired than they've been all summer, but as always Paris
was amazing and I even got to dust off some old phrases from high
school french to wow the locals ;) haha, most just responded to my
french in impatient english!

--
Sent from my mobile device

Paris- After having been in Asia for a month, I believe that even Hill
Jeffries and Paul Anderson would join me in kissing the Parisian soil
and smiling at all of the "big noses" (as Westerners are
affectionately referred to as in Asia) that greet you with "bonjour"
and don't feel compelled to touch your hair or be in a picture! Even
though this is my 4th visit, I'm excited to visit as many of the
tourist spots and museums as possible and to get to Versailles for the
first time! Its actually kind of chilly here! I'm feeling the jet-lag
for the first time so it might be time for un cafe!

--
Sent from my mobile device

J. Lawson Anderson
lawsonanderson@gmail.com
(404) 944-1735

University of Virginia, CLAS 2009
jla7r@virginia.edu

The Virginia Gentlemen
thevirginiagentlemen.com

New Delhi- Enjoyed a few relaxing days here in Delhi reading by the
pool and working out at the hotel gym. Yesterday, I rode around the
"new" city and saw Sir Edwin Lutyens designs in the India gate, the
President's home, Parliament, and the tree lined boulevards. Then I
saw two more World Heritage sites: Humayun's tomb (said to be the
inspiration behind the construction of the Taj Mahal) and the leaning
tower Qutab Minar. Even though I have a LONG day of travel ahead, I
won't be too sad to bid farewell to India. Been there, done that...
forgot to get the t-shirt. Is this really the world's next economic
super power?

--
Sent from my mobile device

Agra- I woke up at 5am for a 4 hour drive in a van with 6 others (from
India, Australia, and Spain) to Agra. Our first stop was the Taj
Mahal, which to me is quite deserving of its title as a wonder of the
world. The detail of the inlaid marble came alive the closer we walked
to the Taj, but I will never forget the experience of walking through
the maine gate and taking in the site all at once. It is truly
breathtaking. Jeans were a bad choice, considering that the humidity
pushed the heat to an almost unbearable level. I am the focus of even
more pointing and staring here than in China, but the looks here are
not happy ones... At all. While the men wear the new arrivals from the
shelves of Value Village, the women cover their bodies with some
really vibrant and beautiful fabrics that breathe life into an
otherwise desolate street scene. I'm so glad I'm having this
experience in India, but, as I wrote to my dad today, I think the best
way to see India might be with a National Geographic Blue Ray disc, an
arm chair, and a cold Sweet Water 420. We did also enjoy a nice
traditional Indian meal for lunch today after visiting Agra Fort and a
marble factory, so that was a nice experience. All in all, it was a
great day- the Taj Mahal is a site I will never forget!

--
Sent from my mobile device

New Delhi- I am safe in India after a long day of travel yesterday.
Today I toured Old Delhi, with its markets, the Red Fort, the Lotus
Temple, the Rajghat (Gandhi memorial), Jama Masjid (India's largest
mosque), and the Ferozshah Kotla. This is- without a doubt- the
nastiest place I've ever been. I don't even want to mention the
various things I saw on the ground in the street markets. Piles of
bricks and rubbish all over the city indicate that the motor of
India's capital city stopped running a long time ago. I'm off to Agra
in the morning to see the Taj Mahal!

--
Sent from my mobile device

Bangkok- Those who know me well know that I've never met an ice-cream I didn't like... Well, that was until I accidentally ordered curry flavored yesterday! It's like mixing beets and applesauce- they just don't belong in the same bowl. I enjoyed my last night walking around Bangkok and woke up early today to ride through the canals of the famous Floating Market, and now I'm off to India! 16 flights down, only 5 to go!

Macau- Today I rode the ferry and hired a driver to take me around the island of Macau. The nearly 400 tears of Portuguese rule that ended in '99 is still alive in the colorful, elegant buildings, squares, and churches. It has only taken about 4 years for the casinos to add flashier color to Macau, but this juxtaposition makes the island truly unique. The Venetian is 3x the size of the one in Vegas! Just returned to Hong Kong to see the harbor light show!

Hong Kong- After weeks of endless rain here in HK, the skies have cleared for two beautiful days in this strikingly Western city by the sea. Though shopping near my hotel here in Kowloon is the main attraction for tourists, I really enjoyed the view over the city from Victoria Peak and a sampan ride through the fishing community of Aberdeen. I picked up souvenirs at Stanley Market and had a few suits made for work after walking all around Kowloon Bay area

Shanghai- Ayn Rand wrote, "A city is the frozen shape of human courage- the courage to say, not 'it seems to me,' but 'it is'". Shanghai is preparing to host the 2010 World Expo, and it is clear that this globalized city is the beacon of modernity. The illuminated city did seem peacefully frozen tonight as I enjoyed the views from a river boat after exploring People's Park earlier where a crowd of kids practiced their English by telling me several stories

Shanghai- God bless America. Happy 4th! Enjoyed a visit to the Yu Garden at Old Town, walking on the glass floor 300 meters above the city in the Oriental Pearl Tower and exploring The Bund and Nanjing Rd. I even saw a man in an Auburn shirt and yelled "War Eagle"! A very American moment for me... Fun Fact for the day: the largest chain of convenience stores in China is called "Lawson". Not kidding. Japanese owned. I got a picture today, no worries.

Shanghai- They proudly call this city "the archetypal urban template" and after only one day I can see why. There can't be another skyline on earth that matches this one. Like in the good old USA, there's a welcomed lack of architectural and cultural cohesion, as the city instead takes on the melting pot feel of NYC with much more room to breathe. I even stumbled upon the PwC offices today after a visit to the Shanghai Museum and the French Concession!

Guilin- Yesterday I had a chance to walk along the lakes and bridges of this most picturesque Chinese town, but the most memorable scenery came today during a cruise down the Li river where the famous rock formations reminded me of Halong and Capri. I also enjoyed visits to Reed Flute cave and Fu Bo hill

Xi'an- The China tour has been different since I am alone (no group) with different guides in each city. The terra cotta warriors were really quite a sight, as were the 22 types of dumplings I was forced to try and the famous Chinese "hot pot"... Off now to Guilin for Wednesday and Thursday. Happy July!

Xi'an- The drive into the city proved that Xi'an was indeed the longest standing capital city of Imperial China, as countless burial mounds of emperors rose up out of the surrounding fields along the highway. Xi'an still retains its city wall from roughly 600 AD, and I enjoyed biking along the top of the wall around the entire old city for a few hours this afternoon. I'm very excited to see the terra-cotta army tomorrow!

Beijing- Today began with a walk through the park, where we heard musicians and saw old folks dancing and playing games near the 15th c. Temple of Heaven. Then I hiked solo for 3 hours along the Great Wall on a beautiful (but scorching) day and was featured in at least 30 pictures with Asian tourists holding up the peace sign. After dinner I saw a traditional Peking Opera show. Walker, you would have died- the vocals sounded like Halloween animatronics

Beijing- Today I enjoyed a morning visit to Tiananmen Square, where I saw chairman Mao and watched the daily crowds gather before touring the Forbidden City with its Ming Palace- featured in "Hero", "The Last Emporer", and many other movies. Then we visited the Summer Palace, its imperial garden, and took a boat ride on Lake Kun. Tonight, I attended a traditional Chinese tea ceremony and had then ate an incredible Beijing duck dinner!

Beijing- Well, it took 20 hours to get here, but the journey was certainly not void of excitement. A team of folks dressed in Fisher Price space suits stormed the plane when we landed (at 4am local time!) and zapped all of us in the forehead with some gun that apparently detects swine flu... I finally got to the New World Hotel and just grabbed a pizza at the Kro's Nest, founded by a Westminster alum- delicious! Tour starts in the morning!

Bangkok- I bid farewell to the 7 other members of the group today after a really great tour. I spent the afternoon walking the streets of Bangkok (still filthy), eating some curry and thai noodles, and swimming in the hotel pool. Then, I rode to the top of Thailand's highest building and hit golf balls!

Siem Reap/Angkor- I REALLY enjoyed our two days touring the temples of Cambodia here in Angkor. Today was my favorite of the whole tour, and everyone in the group agreed that we wished we’d had one more day here. The highlight was certainly Ankur Wat from the early 12th century, but all of these Hindu and Buddhist temples were adorned with the most intricate carvings and designs considering their age and the primitive tools used in their construction. Other temple highlights included the carved faces at Bayon and the temple with giant gum trees growing all over and around it, which apparently was featured prominently in the Tomb Raider movie. Yesterday, we spent the whole day touring Angkor Wat, but since the weather was bad we returned for an hour today (which was absolutely perfect weather but incredibly hot) along with our visits to seven other temples. Whew, it was a long day, but really unforgettable. We just finished our final group dinner, which was concluded by Sandra (the lady who single-handedly jump started the Thai, Vietnamese, and Cambodian economies by buying almost every souvenir from every single vendor she encountered) saying, “You know, I’ve been doing tours like this for years, and I just want to thank all of you for being so normal!” It was a very pleasant group to travel with, and I think we all really enjoyed getting to know each other. We return to Bangkok tomorrow morning and have a free day to explore, and our tour ends on Thursday after breakfast. Then it’s off to China…

Cu Chi- First of all, Happy Father's Day!!! Dad, I hope the bluegrass out in Telluride is treating you well! Well, today we ventured from Saigon to Cu Chi to explore the iconic forest domain of the unification fighters against the U.S. troops and the Saigon army. These forests have been depicted in countless war movies about Vietnam. The woods seemed so peaceful, but we could see land mine craters, the horrible forest floor traps that were once hidden under leaves, and the incredibly disguised hideouts for these warriors. The Cu Chi woods are most famous for the system of secret underground tunnels, and we were able to crawl on our hands and knees in the pitch black darkness for 40 meters through one tunnel- I could barely fit my shoulders through some areas, and many Cu Chi peoples actually lived in these tunnels for years during the war! Children were born underground and people would light fires to make themselves sweat in order to cleanse their bodies. I can't even imagine- 4 minutes down there was more than enough. I thought several times about how these woods were really quite similar to those in south GA at the Kea Mill. I was handed an AK-47 and shot several rounds into a target on a shooting range before we left. On the way back to Saigon (the younger generation only refers to the city by its newer name, Ho Chi Minh City), we stopped at a temple of the Caodai religion, which is a mix between Buddhism, Taoism, and Confusianism. The service going on was an incredible sight to see. Designed more like a basilica than a Chinese temple, the floor was covered with worshipers in all different colored robes and hats in perfect lines facing forward. Traditional instruments and a very oriental sounding chant played through the entire service. The temple itself was extremely colorful so the pictures turned out really neat. Interestingly enough, Victor Hugo is hailed as a patron saint of Caodai. We then returned to Saigon, and when one of the kids looked out the window and saw Bud's ice-cream of San Francisco, he yelled and we all cried out to have the bus pulled over. We stormed the ice-cream shop and just went crazy! Delicious! I then went to the biggest bookstore in the city and miraculously found "Atlas Shrugged" on the bottom shelf of a horribly organized section, so now I can stop watching looped CNN spots talking about how awful things are in Iran right now. Only Sandra (the consultant from California) and I went to dinner (another French restaurant, thank goodness!), as the others were "too tired". I asked Sandra about her experiences being here having lived through the Vietnam war era herself. She told me many sad stories, one about her boyfriend who never returned and that she had found several of his letters in a box only a few months ago, and she admitted that these past two days had been especially hard for her. Tonight is our last in Vietnam. We're off to Cambodia tomorrow morning! Have a great week!

Ho Chi Minh City- Today was a hard day to swallow, as we visited the Vietnam "War Crimes" museum and the Reunification Palace, both of which are propagandist outlashings against the U.S. Army. There really are 2 sides to every story. I did enjoy walking the streets of Saigon later to see Notre Dame cathedral and the opera house. There is still a huge French presence here, and I was extremely happy to see that influence turn up on my dinner plate!

Hue- On our way to the old imperial capital of Vietnam, we saw some incredible scenery out the window and stopped several times for pictures. We passed through the Hai Van mountains, which reminded me of the Blue Ridge mountains and C'Ville and saw the beautiful lakes at the foot of the pass. We stopped to take pictures of some goats at a rest stop and I almost had my camera bitten out of my hand! Though it is incredibly hot here, we enjoyed a tour of the walled citadel where the kings ruled from the throne at Hue. Then, we cruised the "Perfume River" in a wooden boat. Our guide asked, "Can't you smell the perfume?" I took in a big whiff and caught the aroma of dead fish... maybe the translation is off? Haha. I listened for several minutes to Buddhist monks chanting inside one of the temples of the Forbidden Purple City and was probably featured in about 40 candid photos taken by other Asian tourists... I tried the Emporer Minh Mang's special wine and it about knocked my socks off. Whew! Early flight to Saigon tomorrow so I'm off to bed soon!

Danang- After a short flight, we enjoyed learning about the Cham people at the Cham museum and then climbed the beautiful Marble Mountains and saw the Buddhist sanctuary caves used by Vietnamese soldiers as hideouts as well as the grand pagoda built into the marble cliffs. Every time we stop we get attacked by vendors! I had a gross lunch of noodles and mystery meat mixed together with what looked like hair gel. After that we visited the old port city of Hoi An and then back to the really nice Furama Resort hotel where I ordered room service dinner and watched the new ninja turtles movie on tv... Haha!

Halong Bay- We had a really peaceful and enjoyable boat ride on a traditional Chines "junk" boat all around the incredible limestone cliffs of Halong Bay today. We also got to climb into the Heavenly Cave and saw the amamzing rock formations inside. I learned today that there is no appreciation for personal space over here. We were in this amazing cave and all of these tourists were scrambling around with their heads down, touching me squirming right by as if they have somewhere to be. It's incredible. I felt like I was in a Lemmings computer game, haha. Nonetheless, it was a spectacular trip. We just returned to Hanoi and I went out by the lake and got some ice-cream! Tonight we have a "Western" dinner here in Hanoi... let's see what that's all about.

Hanoi- The rain pured down and thunder appropriately rolled as we made our way somberly through the "Hanoi Hilton," as the old French prison was notoriously dubbed by American POW's in the Vietnam War. We saw where John McCain was kept and his pilot uniform (he actually parachuted out of his plane when it was shot down and landed in the lake that my hotel room looks directly over). I got some pretty intense stare-downs by the guards at the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, where his body lies embalmed- I stick out like a sore thumb here, haha. We enjoyed seeing the one-pillar pagoda and Ho Chi Mihn's stilted house before the sun came out and we took a three hour ride to Halong Bay, the UNESCO World Heritage site. The limestone cliffs rising out of the water look like giant cypress root stumps- it's really an amazing site to see! We will stay the night here in Halong Bay and we are all excited about taking a boat cruise through the bay and into one of the caves tomorrow. All of the meals have had at least 10 courses, but I have still managed to lose all of my "crystal weight"! They have scales in all of the hotels and only eat fruit for dessert (maybe that's why everyone's so thin over here!). The Florida family and the Mexican couple often carry on in Spanish over meals, which is quite funny! Even the kids (ages 8 and 11) float back and forth between English and Spanish, so maybe I'll come back with some key phrases, haha. I started reading "Atlas Shrugged" and was really getting into it, but I accidently left it on the airport so I've got to find a bookstore. But the iPod has been a dear friend. Just tried my first Tiger beer at dinner too- not bad! Alright, I'm off to bed!

Hanoi- After a 4am wake up call, we took a short flight to the Vietnam capital and enjoyed a HOT AND HUMID day here. The weather reminds me of football camp in Florida... But we really enjoyed seeing the Temple of Literature and taking pedicab rides through the Old Quarter of Hanoi. There are basically no trafic laws, so we were right in the middle of the action and got to see an up close and personal view of street life in Hanoi. We then saw a traditional water puppet show, which sounds funny but was actually incredible to watch. The tradition goes back over a thousand years. Our guide mentioned that Vietnamese people eat dog and horse meat on the way to dinner, so 2 people in the group have vowed to stay away from meat for the rest of the trip! Oh yeah, and yesterday when we visited one of the temples outside Bangkok, the greeter was wearing a UGA polo shirt- I said "Go Dawgs!" and he gave me a priceless blank stare... oh well.

Ayyuthaya- Today we enjoyed a tour by bus to Thailand's ancient capital city, where we saw the ruins of the old palace and temple, along with the summer palace of the Thai royal family, which was surprisingly Western in design. We then had another great Thai meal aboard a river boat cruise, which brought us back to Bankok in the late afternoon. We were able to see the Temple of the Dawn from the deck. Tonight we ventured to the night bazaar for a crazy shopping experience second only to the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. We have to wake up at 5am for our flight tomorrow to Vietnam- yikes! our group consists of a family of four from Florida, a honeymoon couple from Mexico, and a IT consultant older lady from California- a pretty funny mix, but all seem very nice!

Bangkok- Tour highlights today were the incredible Royal Palace, the Emerald Buddha Temple, and the beautiful Thai art/design collections at the Jim Thompson house. We had 2 delicious traditional thai meals and got to see a Thai dance performance tonight! People keep pointing and staring at my hair, haha

Bangkok- I arrived safely this morning and spent the day exploring the city on foot and by "tuk-tuk" taxi carts. It's very busy and pretty trashy- vendors' carts flood the streets with strange foods, but the tour sarts tomorrow and we'll get to see the more appealing Bangkok, including the Royal Palace!

Happy birthday Granddad! Hope everyone's having fun at the beach- I'm off to Bankok tomorrow and will write when I arrive!

Assisi- Beautiful day in the Umbria region of Italy in the hillside town where the Franciscan movement began. S. Francesco basilica is decorated with frescos and the buildings of the town are made with pinkish and pale stones. I visited all churches and the fortress atop the hill. Oh, and gelato of course

Rome- Saw 8 beautiful churches today (guidebook suggested them)- favorite was S. Giovanni Laterano. Dinner at he famous Pizzeria da Baffetto and gelato, then saw a piano concert amidst the ruins at Teatro Marcello. Finally, I went to the Forum overlook for the nighttime view before a long walk home!

Rome- 2 great days in one of my favorite cities with the VG's. You name it, I think we saw it! I think the Vatican was the favorite. I saw the guys off to the airport this morning, and thus begins my solo journey. I'm going to see churches and a concert tonight and travel to Assisi tomorrow hopefully!

Sorrento- Final sea day yesterday was spent getting a Crystal haircut, trivia, and a drawing class (and food...)- 9 lbs total gained on board. Today we explored Sorrento and took a boat out around Capri while those who hadn't seen it visited Pompeii. Capri's limestone cliffs were unforgettable. On to Rome

Santorini- The VG's storm the volcanic island on ATV's, riding through Fira, Ia, Thira, vineyards (sample their famous wine and tomatoes), and the black and red sand beaches. A 1st-year broke his shoulder... Well, this is probably the most beautiful place I've ever seen- great pictures today! Gave our final VG performance tonight, ending with "Lonesome Road"- I really can't believe it's over. Final sea day tomorrow before our Italian ports!

Kusadasi- The VGs enjoyed a group tour of Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary, the Temple of Artemis- a wonder of the ancient world- and a leather and Turkish rug factory. Hill Jeffries was forced to walk down a runway modeling a leather jacket as house music and strobe-lights blared. Wow. İ walked through the port town of Kusadasi and returned to the ship for a late lunch. The much-antipated port of Santorini is tomorrow, as well as my final performance as a Virginia Gentleman. İts hard to believe...

Rhodes- Walked with Larry around the old walled city and learned the history of Rhodes and the famous colossus in the palace museum. We walked along the wall above the town and got a great view of the island. Off to sing "GA On My Mind" with the VG's at our gig tonight! Happy birthday Nonnie!

Mykonos- we had a great day at the most popular vacation spot in Greece. The port town had the picturesque white stucco buildings, but we also rented ATV's and rode around the island to get the great views similar to those on Santorini and to visit a few of the famous beaches and windmills.

Athens- this is my third trip to Athens, so I visited the Acropolis quickly, but then walked off the beaten path by myself for the afternoon enjoying the Parliament, the Roman Agora, the cathedral, the market, a lamb gyro, the National Gardens and temple of Zeus. Off to sing at the welcome shows tonight!

Suez- fun day-long transit of the Suez Canal. I took a drawing class and sketched the scene off the port side of the ship. During the transit the young VG's saw the pyramids, which the rest of us saw last year. We have now landed in Athens and welcome new guests on this week-long cruise through Greece!

Safaga- Memorable day snorkeling in the Red Sea by two reefs off the Egyptian coast- supposedly some of the best reefs in the world! Beautifully colored fish, coral, and other marine life. Larry hosted a dinner for the graduates tonight and the we sang a few songs for the crew members.

Aqaba- We finally reached land and saw Petra, a true wonder of the ancient world! I've never seen anything like this city carved into the rocks and the canyon path. Got some great pictures of the mountainous Jordanian landscape! Thoughts and prayers with Kelsey and K.Elzinga who both undergo surgery today

Red Sea- we've escaped the pirates and swine flu, but have re-routed the cruise so that we won't see land 'till Tuesday (Petra), so we're over-eating and just relaxing on the ship. The guests have been very kind and receptive. Dinner tonight was French- best one yet! A mind reader had a show last night

Oman- Not! A crew member might have swine flu, so we couldn't dock today and now have 6 sea days in a row! More trivia and food today plus napkin folding- the ship opened bars as an apology, which we graciously accepted ;) Rooming with DJ and enjoying spending time with the VG's! Off to face the pirates!

2 fun Arabian Sea days: reading, workouts, trivia, ice-cream and tons of food, spa, dance lessons, singing "Dream" and "Brandy" for the last time, karaoke, swimming, Mozart tea, more eating... Probably already put on a few lbs! Group tour of Salalah tomorrow and then a rendezvous with the pirates Friday!

Dubai- we took a great city bus tour today around this futuristic city- saw the indoor ski slopes, the burj Dubai, Dubai museum, the creek, and the old markets. Gave our welcome performance, welcomed latecomers Tre, Nathan, and DJ. It's midnight here, and we're pulling out of port! 2 sea days then Oman!

Dubai- we've arrived safely and boarded the Symphony. I went with four others to the hotel that looks like a sailboat for a drink. Dubai looks like a beach-style Vegas- very Western. Off to bed- it's been a long day of travel. Full day in Dubai tomorrow and we set sail at midnight. Congrats fellow grads!

The Virginia Gentlemen are aboard the plane in Atlana after a group excursion to Five Guys led by Hill Jeffries. I spent the flight from Dulles reflecting on four great years at UVa- it still hasn't hit me that it's over. The honors of Honor... Alright, we're off to Dubai!

First Post

Dear friends and family,

Thanks so much for visiting my blog! This site allows me to post messages via a direct login to this site (from an internet cafe) or via SMS text message from overseas. I highly doubt that this blog will be the most gripping reading you will do all summer, but I felt that this would be a good way to keep in touch with everyone and let you know what I'm up to. I am so excited for this opportunity to travel to so many wonderful places, and it all begins in two days when I fly with the Virginia Gentlemen to Dubai to begin our three week stint as guest entertainers aboard the Crystal Symphony (pictured in the title image of the blog above).

The VG's have been hard at work preparing about 50 songs to take aboard the Symphony, and as the "Cruise Crunch" winds down, the UVa graduation festivities are just kicking up. Mom arrived this evening and Dad arrives tomorrow around lunchtime. They are happy to be spending graduation weekend on the Lawn, but are less thrilled that I will not actually be attending my own graduation ceremony on Sunday, as I will be boarding the ship across the pond while my classmates walk the Lawn.

This concludes my first blog post- told you it wouldn't be too exciting! Thank you again for checking in. I'm off to VG initiations followed by an early morning filled with packing up my apartment.

Lots of love,

Law