ITALY-SWITZERLAND

(ex=exclamation point. i cant find it on this german keyboard and you know how i feel about my exclamation points)

well we finally made it here(ex)

Venice and Milan were a blur...cassie has been sick with tonsilitus. she feels awful and her energz level went down a lot so its been rough for us trying to get everzwhere and get everzthing done. but we made it here(ex) and shes feeling better and so am i after some meds and rest. i may have broken my leg falling down some stairs in Venice...damn bridges are rough with luggage...but even its feeling better now(ex)...must be the mountain air or something.

Venice was a bit of a mess. we got on the wrong part of the train and had to sit in between two cars the entire way. then we got lost on the way to our hostel...there were two streets with the same name and we got off on the wrong stop and it was just a mess. we finally made it but were so tired. Venice is weird. its like your at disneyland for real. theres no italians, just mobs of tourists walking down the roads. it feels weird. but it was beautiful(ex) and we stayed in this amazing little studio hostel that was so cute i wished i lived there normally...except in Florence of course...hehe. after a lonnnng nap we walked the main street along the canal and went to see San Marco square and had dinner at a cafe along side the main canal to people watch and enjoy the beauty.

Milan was also a bit of a mess. luckily we didnt have a hard time finding our hotel and it was very close to the train station, but we were so tired from Venice and still getting over being sick that we just rested and then walked to the beautiful Duomo and fashion area. we left early the next morning to come here, Grimmelwald Switzerland. its just outside of Interlaken.

it was sad to leave Italy. our spanish/italian was getting good and people thought we were locals a lot of the time. and i still want to move to Florence so i was extra sad. but honostly, its amazing here. its so beautiful i cant stop looking out the window. its just green and lush and theres snow just above us and i can count 7 waterfalls just from our bedroom window(ex) are you kidding?(ex) we got to ride a gondola up here(ex) i keep singing songs from the end of Sound of Music when they are going to switzerland...and i feel like Heidi:) we walked a bit yesterday to go to the next village and get some groceries, then today ive been resting and cassie walked to the river. in a little while were going to walk to a waterfall and hang out. the hostel is really cute but its all mostly americans which is a little disappointing. and mostly californians at that....which is just plain weird(ex). but they are nice. were in the cutest little village town. theres cows everywhere with little bells around their necks and goats and little waterfalls everywhere and were just surrounded by mountains(ex).

weve made some new guy friends, but none as lovely as the Frenchmen. the guys weve met besides them are too much like socal guys...cocky and precouscious (sp?). "hey look at me im cool and backpacking lemme tell you about all the places ive gone and things ive done...im awesome." but its still fun to meet new people and make new friends. we have met some nice girls though here.

and now an ailment list weve been working on for you. we keep track and cross off and add items as necessary.

List of Ailments

Cassie:

-entire right throad gland is swollen and has little white spots on it. she can hardly swollow and is afraid she wont be able to breathe.

-head and back ache

-body hurts

-neck hurts

-two fingers are swollen mysteriously

-mosquito bites galore

Esther:

-body and back hurt

-left leg is broken

-throat and head is sore

-too many sore and itchy mosquito bites to count...damn Italy.

a lot of those ailments have let up, weve crossed some out. but just thought youd like to know what were dealing with. our bodies are failing us(ex)

alright, and now some pictures. we miss you guys a bit now, but were having fun and being safe. and i think weve figured out the trains now so thats always nice.

heres some pictures from Venice, its all i had time to upload. all my love(ex)