Well, I knew all along that it was inevitable, but I seem to have encountered some bug that my immune system couldn't hold its own against. It's not bad yet -- so far just a feeling in my throat and a certain tiredness that I can recognize -- but I'm a bit nervous about the next couple of days.

I was supposed to leave tonight for Bordeux, but the train I needed was full when I went to make a reservation... soI'll have to be a day late meeting the folks. I'm going to see the Ufizzi gallery tomorrow morning though, so at least I'll have time to do that.

I met two guys in my hostel yesterday and was absolutely sure they were from Huntington Beach or somewhere in Orange County. Nope, west coast Canadians - but I swear they talked and dressed just like OC frat boys. Not the Billabong/"lid" variety of frat boy, but the baggy-pants-pastel-polo-shirt-wearing variety. For those of you who have seen the episode of Adult Swim with the Frat Boys From Outer Space, these guys were just like that. "You know, man, when you're huggin on your bro, and, like, you just feel so warm and safe in his arms, and, like, you never want to let him go?"

To illustrate my point: This Aussie girl and I were walking around together this morning, and we ran in to the guys at one of the statues we'd gone to see. They came with us to get some gellato, but got distracted by the Puma store, and we had to leave them behind. That's right: two straight men got ditched by two girls because they were too busy looking at clothes. I had to leave when I saw one of them pick up an orange sweater-vest and seriously contemplate purchasing it. I think the other one bought a pink hoodie. For €70. I am not making this up.

I'm sure the irony of getting ditched by two girls while shopping for clothes intended to make them more attractive to girls was totally lost on them... as was any other form of irony. Or any conversation beyond "Dude, I was sooooooo drunk last night." I like to laugh at the airhead girls I meet from time to time, but these guys really took the cake. If only they were gay so they'd take themselves out of the gene pool...