Poop Euro Tour 2006!!! (expanded edition) Boring (but longer and more pictures) list version available here. Friday March 3rd, 2006, I left Los Angeles to visit Europe for sixteen days. Last years euro tour was a ton of fun, but ten days wasn't nearly long enough. I asked several of my friends if I could visit them and crash at their place. This years list: Germany, Switzerland, and Scotland. Here is my picture journal of the trip.

My first stop was Cologne Germany, where Peppi (www.peterboehme.com) was waiting for me. He's on the left in the above picture. It's blurry, I know, but that's the only way he won't kill me in my sleep. (he's photo-shy) He picked me up at the airport and we went straight to a bar (of course) where I met up with sa74n from polycount. We had margaritas and good mexican food (weird to eat in Germany, but I wasn't complaining).

Our first stop the next day was the zoo. Peppi's dad is a zoologist and we got to see his name on the wall in the description of a lizard he discovered. I asked if he named it after Peppi, but alas, he did not.

The highlight of the reptile house was the humping lizards.

I really didn't think I would see Rogue13 in Germany, but he was there, and quite grumpy.

This poor elephant was having seizures or something. They had the food spread out inside those doors, and these elephants wanted IN!

Sa74n sketching a heron. It was great getting to meet Henning (his real name). We talked a bit about schooling and the game industry, lots of good conversations over pizza with Peppi and Sa74n.

I don't think I need to explain this picture, or why I took it.

My bed while in Cologne. Peppi snuck this picture the second morning. We stayed up late watching Little Britain season one and two. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. If you know the series, my favorite character was Vicky. I <3 that crazy chav.

I don't know what I was doing in this picture, but knowing me, it was neither important, nor relevant to anything... anywhere.

You know you're a nerd when you take texture reference pictures while at the zoo.

Me and Henning looking into the fish tanks.

It might look like haze, but it's really the glow of my awesome reflecting the flash.

You know how we roll.

I didn't think I'd see bearkub at the zoo in Germany either, but yet another polycount mod must have followed me.

Next stop was Leipzig where my friend Sebastian showed me around.

The unirese, the tallest building in Leipzig.

The view from the top.

Back in Cologne. For some reason there are way too many pictures of me sleeping. I think I know who is responsible.

Next stop was Switzerland. I LOVE this country. I must visit again, and I'm scheming various ways to move there. Lord Scottish was my host there. He's on the right.

Even the metal things that hold window shutters open were gorgeous in Switzerland. Look at that ladies head made of metal painted red. LOOK AT IT!!

I think these are the apartments where I will live while my chateau is constructed.

Jess was another american from California coincidentally staying with Lord Scottish sister the same week. Here the three of us are on the lift. The view was pure eye candy.

See?

After taking the lift to the top of the mountain, we hiked back down. The forest and the view were so picturesque. I really REALLY want to live in this country at least briefly. My aesthetics were so juiced after seeing so much amazing scenery and architecture.

We almost got lost, but luckily we had not one, but two amazing navigators to get us to his girlfriends house, where her mother made some amazing food for us. Lord Scottish' mother made me feel like the swiss have awesome food every meal, she definitely spoiled me. Some of the dinners we had really made me homesick because it reminded me of the large family dinners I have with my own family on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Here is where we were working on computer art. I finished my general for the Dominance war late one night here. You can also see the gun leaning against the wall that every person who serves in the Swiss military is issued. A country that loves guns more than Texas, I think I'm in love. We watched the Beach one night here as well (too, also). Their house had these awesome blinds that closed with a mechanical crank. It felt like you were lowering bullet proof armor to protect the house. Way better than Venetian blinds. My Swiss Chateau will definitely have them on ever window and door.

We went exploring and it just made me more jealous of how gorgeous Switzerland is. It was dag on cold. Almost cold enough for me to for go shorts if I moved there (almost).

Playgrounds are like magnets to me.

The one photo of me and Lord Scottish' girlfriend, but unfortunately you can't see her face. He was trying to capture leaves to use for tree textures, but the two of us had other plants. When in switzerland, do as the giraffes do, that's what I always say.

Next stop, Edinburgh, Scotland! Land of my ancestors, though as Rick Stirling (a polycounter who lives in Edinburgh) would say, bullocks, born in American you're American. As a funny aside, I had to fill out a feedback form on the airplane on the ride home, and it had a blank for nationality. I checked American, and beside it, wrote "HELL YEAH!".

Mop (left) and Rick Stirling (right) slowly trogging up the stairs. I thought Americans were the lazy ones, Scotland has us beat by far. We went to a Pub, where we met up with Thermidor and several other members of the Rockstar team. I got to see the Rockstar building, but Rick was too much of a wanker to show me the inside.

Probably my favorite landmark in Edinburgh. Very cool looking as a near black silhouette on the horizon.

Mmmm, Castles.

Next stop, Dundee, City of Discovery! (The Discovery is a ship harbored in their river, they don't really discover anything there) Mop was a great host and despite his claims that Dundee is boring and dull, I found it quite interesting and fun. (but I wouldn't trade LA for Dundee anytime soon) I also got to meet Rooster from polycount, who went to the same University with Mop. We got to play some killer quake (I'd never played original quake before) and managed to come in first one round.

While I was posing for this picture, the Mayor happened by, and liked me standing there so much, he commemorated a sculpture of myself to be added in this exact pose. It was flattering to be sure, but it's to be expected.

We spent some time and Mop's university student building. I tried Guinness Extra Cold for the first time (quite good) and helped Mop get trounced by his roommates in billiards. Afterwards we went to a restaurant, where to Mop's amazement, I ate two dinners, a dessert, an espresso, and another Guinness Extra Cold. I was a bit full afterwards. Then we went to see V for Vendetta, which we all thoroughly enjoyed. Mop also showed me his culinary skills while I stayed with him. I think I could hear my arteries clogging as I ate his sandwiches. We also made a gladiator model to let other people skin. Concept > model > UVs > rig all in one evening.

Poop says, "Best Euro trip so far!" Honestly I had a blast, and got to meet a lot of polycounters for the first time.