ERIK
Rome, Italy
4 June

So this is the famous Trevi Fountain?  Three coins in and all that?  Man this is like the Acropolis back in Athens.  It’s swarming with these COUPLES!  Sheesh!  These people are entirely OBLIVIOUS to anyone else around them, just like the ones in Athens.  I guess they find something romantic about the fountain at night, all lit up spraying water everywhere.
Oh-oh, look at Rob, sitting there dejectedly.  Looks like he’s missing Leigh... still.  He’s doing that fiddly thing.  The man would enjoy himself more if he just cut loose for a few days, I mean, we’re meeting the girls in a couple days anyways.

Yeah... who needs romance?  Who? ... Yeah.
But
WHAT DID I DO on that ferry?   Did I really think there would be no consequences?  Entirely apart from any medical conditions, I currently feel like crap.  A fling was what I wanted, and that’s exactly what I got.  It was all wrong, all wrong.  Things shouldn’t happen that way.
It WAS pretty amazing though... something I will never forget.
But I don’t feel like I thought I would.  I thought I would feel... I don’t know, like I graduated or something.  But I don’t.  Françoise left on a train to Torino when we left for Rome.  I’ll never see her again.  But I’ll remember her for the rest of my life.  It’s funny, that.  Well, enough brooding.

Hey, ROB.  Buck up, Guy.  We’re here in Rome and now that we’ve seen this here fountain, we can move along and get on with things. Get out some and see the city!  Yes, right now!

Call her?  I guess you can call her, but why?  Just to talk?  It’ll be too expensive.  Yeah, I suppose you could tell her that.

He’s getting a little obsessive.  He thinks she’s out partying with random guys—why the hell would she be?  Sheesh.

Women.  They will be our downfall.