-----Original Message-----

From: Dan Burke

Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2004 10:15 AM

To: Dan Burke

Subject: The center of the universe.

I died during passage over the Adriatic.

I was slaughtered while sleeping in my cabin.

George Bush Jr. conducted an all-out nuclear strike

against Switzerland, claiming they are an unfriendly

terrorist threat, and accidentally blew up the world.

There must be an explanation why I woke up in heaven!

About an hour ago I was lying in the middle of the

oldest Roman coliseum in Pompeii. I spent about 3.5

hours exploring that old, well preserved city. It's

just about 2500 years old. Saw the mummies of the

people frozen by the volcano. Saw the old streets and

baths where they use to go about their day. They kinda

had bad taste actually. A little trashy decor, but

hey... They had a hell of a brothel though (pictures

soon).

I walked out onto the docs of Bari, Italy yesterday

morning about 8:00 a.m. The sky, I could barely see

from the long ship hull where I had to exit, was

sepia. In just that little splice of sky, I already

knew it. I felt it in my soul, that Italy was heaven.

Upon stepping out onto the docs, and looking all about

me, I began the adventure I had been waiting all my

life for.

Into a cab, on a train, another train, another train,

a bus, a ferry, a taxi, a turtle, a fairy, they an

hour wait in front of my B&B until my hostess got back

from coffee. OK, it wasn't that bad, but it did take

me 11 hours.

And for all of you (men) who have been asking me about

the women along this voyage... I now can say, hands

down, that the Italian women are by far the finest in

the world (that I've seen). Czech woman and a distant

second, and the rest cascade down from there.

Italy, more vibrant and lively than I ever could

imagine. At the 36 hour point, I'm starting to think I

may never come home.

Ciao for now,

Danny B