"Ryanair flight 4538 now boarding, to Milan".

Yeah it is!

Ryanair roundtrip tickets to Milan, Italy = 50 pounds
Tickets to Jason Mraz = 40 pounds
Hotel in the ghetto of Italy = 100 pounds
Opting out of our second night to drive to Switzerland with new friends?
PRICELESS!

Seriously though, we boarded the flight, listened to the hammering of advertisements on the way to Milan, Italy... and chuckled that we were actually going to Jason Mraz live in Milan... what?

We originally rented a Smart Car... you know, one of those little motorized wheelchairs with a roof? But for some reason the confirmation number never arrived and after incessant phone calls, we discovered they never actually had any left.

Option 2

We rent from another company for double the price. Sounds lame? It is.

We ended up getting a hot little Peugot though... much cooler than the Smart Car, but way more pricey... though it helps us to look the part of the Italian Stallion!

Now, I would like to advise anyone flying into Bergamo airport late at night... to get into the city, you need to cross 4 toll booths... these toll booths only accept Euro's...

Guess what?

No Euros.

Crap.

Thankfully I speak broken Italian. It sounds like this.

I don't have any Euros... open the gate.

It worked 3 out of 4 times... the last time was a little more hostile, but we still made it through. I'm waiting for the video footage and a bill in the mail, but we should have a good laugh about it!

Hotel was... fine. Nobody there spoke English, which isn't their fault as much as it ours for not bringing a translation book... or even prepping ourselves on some basic language skills... for instance... is it dangerous outside?

Anyhow, we survived the night, went downtown (avoided all toll booths) and saw the famous "Duomo"... a must see if you're in Milan, and successfully avoided the rip off artists trying to sell dead roses to me to give to Julia to appear romantic. My towel smells of wet emu. I'm passed romantic.

Morning equals breakfast... delicious teas, coffees, croissants filled with chocolate and then back to bed. Just had to take advantage of the free stuff I guess.

Finally we wake, find someone that speaks English, and away we go to discover the Capital of Fashion!!!

Beautiful city in fact, castles, deli's, pasta, wine... everything you would hope to find... you find. We settled in to a nice little café for a bottle of, what else? Italian red! And of course, a famous Panini or two with a view of the gargoyle and statue infested Duomo.

Concert starts at 9ish, but we have internet tix that need to be redeemed before the show. We get there early in our hot little hoo-ride and join the line up. We're talking to each other when we're interrupted by two girls that miraculously speak the same language as we do!

Turns out, they're American.

Studying in Switzerland.

Also in love with Jason Mraz.

Excellent.

We get to know them a bit, and sort out the internet line together, discovering that there's a second line that we need to join.

We join.

Finally it's our turn to get our tickets... which we gladly do, only to be told that the back of the original line has our names on it. Well, let me tell you, Julia wasn't going to have this at all. So, with a smug grin on our face and a little fire in the eye, she let's the bouncer know that her and her friends would be staying where we were as we had already been in line from the beginning. The bouncer, either smitten or frightened agrees to the terms, and allows the whole lot of us in 5 minutes before anyone else is even close!

Front row, centre row, in a venue that only holds 700 people. What better way to see a show?! Thank you Miss J!

Our new found American/Swiss friends offer the BC cash crop for the pre show which is declined by the majority. Of course, upon their return, we're introduced to photos clearly identifying Mr. Mraz as being a participant in their smoke fest, not to mention a clear invite for a post-show partay!

Dropped the ball on that one I guess.

Show = Amazing.

Acoustic, Bass, and Djembe...so intimate, so unreal. Can't say more. It's in that special place in my memory, to be brought out only when I'm depressed in Denton... or Sleepless in Seattle... sounds like a movie!

Show finished, the invitation stays true... but only to the three originals... negating the other Swiss/American/Canadian groupies. So, what better way to spend a Thursday night, then driving to Switzerland! Afterall, we might as well take advantage of a full car rather then an electric wheelchair!

2 hours later we're crashing in the dorm room of three American girls studying in Lugano, Switzerland!

Hotel?

What hotel?

Switzerland is the new Milan?

Waking up in Switzerland surrounded by the alps, a stunning lake, overpriced cars and gelato stands? There is no better way. I'm sure that our hospitality was only dwarfed by the memory of the people hosting us... it was a beautiful chance to share and love life with people we hadn't previously known, but without a doubt we will know for a life time.

Cheers Sam and Michelle... you are the greatest!

Back to the Peugot, on to Bergamo airport, Ryanair flight... who cares, we don't want it to end... and back to Denton. To the clouds. To the rain. And to our stinky towels.

Who are we kidding. We accomplished a trip, inside a trip, inside a trip.

Cheers to that!