'It is our destiny'

There are a number of things I (Marissa) can blame for the lack of posts. First and foremost, there is alcohol. I don't think I have had a night since Prague that I haven't been drinking. In excess. Secondly, I blame all you people I have either befriended or caught up with along the way. It has left very little time to get on and spend time writing.

Anyway, just to get everyone on track who keeps asking me what I'm doing, where the hell am I and where do I go next, I'll go back to Berlin and just update briefly. Basically after a week of partying in Berlin (I never woke up before 11am while I was there) Loz and I continued on our merry way to Paris with the sole purpose of seeing the Kings of Leon. I never meant to spend the entire night clubbing afterwards and never thought I would be spewing my guts up the next day in a side street near our hotel. Clearly Mum and Dad, the candle has definitely been burnt away at both ends. However, you'd be happy to know that I think my body is getting used to all the alcohol. After Paris I took off to London to visit Rachel who I'd met on Contiki (and just happened to be an equally insane former Somerville student) and I believe there was just one night that I wasn't completely drunk. On the Tuesday we went to this little wine bar near her work that was built right into a cave in the ground, and the reason I think I'm handling my alcohol better is because I managed to polish off two bottles of red and was fine the next day (well, except when I fell asleep on the bus in the afternoon and this little girl was telling her mummy about the weird girl in front who was asleep with her mouth wide open).

I am having a bit of trouble walking straight though. On my second trip ever through the London tube system, I was so engrossed telling Rach all about Rome and how crazy it is, using my typical flying hand movements that it was too late when I saw a guy coming straight towards me. I ran straight into him and it was only when I pulled back I realised the man was not only blind, but that his stick had collided with my lip and I was bleeding everywhere. For anyone who is in London and know about them, I did try to donate money to those people wearing red outside just about every tube stop (they are from the blind society or something) but they wouldn't take my money and you need to have a UK bank account to donate. I tried. I spent my money on expensive new shoes instead. That blind guy better stay clear now...I was walking in flats when I ran into him and these heels are close to 4 inches high.

So let's speed up to now. Right this very minute Loz, Phoebe (our new flatmate) and I are in some seedy Pakistani internet point close to our apartment in Florence. I have to say, I am incredibly impressed with our new Florentine apartment...it is massive! Anyone who wants to come and stay, we have a spare bed until Saturday and enough floor space for about 20 people. We're about a 15-20 minute walk to the centre of town and we have arguably the best trattoria on our street. We found it last night completely packed with locals and I ate the best spaghetti del mare (with seafood) I think I've ever had (Dad it just about beats the squid ink spaghetti in Como and Mum the soft shell crab in the Cinque Terre).

Really I must fly. There is a pile of vegetables sitting at home just waiting to be turned into minestrone. And it kind of smells funky in here. Ciao ciao belli!