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Prince Rainier III (1923-2005)
Rainier’s mother, Princess Charlotte, was actually illegitimate. Her father Louis II, getting older and with no legitimate children, legitimized her and made her his heir. She never took the throne, and in fact renounced her rights to her son, Rainier, the day before his 21st birthday.
Rainier became the Sovereign Prince of Monaco upon the death of his grandfather in 1949.
During WW2, Rainier served in the Free French Army. During the 40s and 50s he was in a long term relationship with the French film actress Gisele Pascal. Rainier’s sister, Princess Antoinette, wanted her own son to ascend to the throne, and spread rumors that Pascal was infertile. The rumors along with her treatment by the press and public ended their relationship.
After the war Monaco, a country who made its money primarily as a gambling origin, was in crisis as wealthy Europeans found their funds diminished after the war. To restore Monaco’s treasury Rainier decided to promote Monaco as a tax haven, and he personally took control of SBM (the company who owns the Monte Carlo Casino, Opera, and Hostel de Paris) in 1964. Prince Albert still retains a large share of the company and profits from it today.
Marriage:
Everyone knows this one. Rainier married American film star Grace Kelly in 1956.
Their marriage is rumored to have been turbulent. It is said that Grace struggled with adjusting to royal life, regretted ending her film career, and that Rainier had extramarital affairs. Her children have stated that though she was a loving mother, they spent more time with nannies than with their parents.
Grace's dress is iconic, but here you go if you want to revisit some photos from that day.
Rainier smoked up to 60 cigarettes per day, and in the last years of his life his health steadily declined. On March 8th, 2005 he entered the hospital for a lung infection and by the end of the month he was on a ventilator suffering from renal and heart failure. On March 31st he officially announced his son Albert, as regent, and on April 6th he died.
The Constitution
Monaco’s constitution stated that Monaco is a constitutional monarchy ruled by the hereditary princes of the Grimaldi. If the reigning prince were to die without leaving a male heir, Monaco, according to the treaty, would be incorporated into France. In 2002, realizing he had a 43 year old bachelor son, Rainier amended the constitution to allow the crown to pass to his daughters should Albert not marry.
Grace, Princess of Monaco (1929-1982)
Grace was born in Philadelphia to an affluent and influential family. Her father was an Olympian and a Democratic nominee for Mayor of Philadelphia and was appointed by President Roosevelt as National Director of Physical Fitness. Her mother taught physical education at the University of Pennsylvania and coached women’s athletics at Penn.
Her Uncle, George Kelly, was a Pulitzer prize winning dramatist, screenwriter, and director and used his influence to gain Grace admission to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. Grace became one of the biggest movie stars of her generation.
In 1955 she was sent to the Cannes Film Festival and invited to appear in photos with Prince Rainier. After a year-long courtship, they were married in 1956.
Grace was not allowed to continue her acting career after her marriage. She instead devoted herself to her role as Princess, become heavily involved with the Red Cross of Monaco and the Rainbow Children Coalition.
On September 13, 1982, Kelly was driving back to Monaco after spending time at her country home. During the drive she had a stroke, lost control of her vehicle, and drove off the mountainside. She died a day later.
An article on their relationship
Prince Albert II (b. 1958)
Prince Albert is one of the wealthiest royals in the world with a net worth at more than $1B. He attended Amherst College in Massachusetts, studying political science, economics, music, and English literature, and completed his education with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He toured Europe in 1979 as part of the Amherst College Glee Club.
Albert competed in the bobsleigh for five consecutive Winter Olympics on behalf of Monaco, and was their flag bearer at the 1988, 1994, and 1998 Olympics. He is also a judo black belt.
He became Prince of Monaco when his father died in 2005.
Marriage:
Prior to his marriage his status as a bachelor was a hot topic of discussion. He was known to date well-known fashion models and actresses, however at age 53 had never married. It was rumored that Albert was gay, something he expressed great frustration with in the press. In 2006 he attended the opening ceremony of the Torino Olympics with South African swimmer Charlene Wittstock. They were engaged in 2010, and married in 2011.
There are rumors that Charlene tried to flee the country the day before their wedding. It is reported that the future bride, after discovering Albert may have fathered yet another child during their relationship, attempted to flee as many as three times before their wedding, however was always intercepted at the airport. It is also said she attempted to seek refuge at the South African embassy, and that officials in Monaco ended up hiding her passport so she could not leave the country.
Moreover, during their wedding, Charlene openly cried at parts, and Prince Albert was caught on camera begging her to kiss him. Honestly, she looked pretty miserable the whole time. The palace has denied all of these claims.
During their honeymoon, they stayed in separate hotels
Here's everything you ever needed to know about their wedding
Watch it
Prince Albert is passionate about the environment and an avid sportsman. Prince Albert speaks French, English, German, and Italian. He speaks English with basically no accent thanks to his American mother.
Illegitimate Children
In 2005, the day before Prince Rainier died, Albert publicly acknowledged he had fathered a son out of wedlock. In 2006, he confirmed he had also fathered a daughter. These children were barred from the line of inheritance because of a 2002 constitutional amendment requiring an heir’s parents to be married.
Alexandre (b. 2003)
Alexandre’s mother (Nicole Coste) was a flight attendant for Air France and met Prince Albert when he was a passenger on a flight. He asked for her number, the beginning of a years-long affair. The relationship ended at the insistence of Prince Rainier. Albert visited Alexandre and Nicole often, however when he refused to acknowledge Alexandre publicly, Nicole sold an interview and pictures to the media. Albert was in mourning for his father and made no public comment, but later did acknowledge paternity. Alexandre and Nicole live in France at an estate given to them by Albert.
Jazmin (b. 1992)
Jazmin’s mother, Tamara, met Albert while working as a waitress. Albert knew of Jazmin and visited her, however did not acknowledge her publicly until she was in high school to protect her identity. In 2006 the French magazine Voici published photographs of Jazmin and her mother on a visit to Monaco, outing her as Albert’s daughter. She has attended events with Albert and Charlene, and is listed as a sponsor for her father’s royal foundation.
An interview with Jazmin
Princess Charlene (b. 1978)
Born in Zimbabwe, Charlene’s family relocated to South Africa in 1989. She represented South Africa at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, finished fifth in the 4x100 meter relay.
Albert and Charlene met at the Mare Nostrum swimming competition in Monaco in 2000, however were not seen together until 2006.
Charlene converted to Roman Catholicism for her wedding, and has learned French and Monegasque after her move to Monaco. She is an ambassador for the Special Olympics, patron of the South African Red Cross, and is passionate about sport.
In recent news, she completed “the crossing” water bike challenge, a 180 kilometer water bike race for charity.
An interview with Charlene and Albert on the 1st birthday of their twins
Albert and Charlene have 2 children:
Hereditary Prince Jacques *twin* (b. 2014)
Princess Gabriella *twin* (b. 2014)
Gabriella was born 2 minutes before her brother, however because of the constitution her brother will inherit the throne. They are super sweet together and you see them at events often.
Princess Caroline of Hanover (b. 1957)
Caroline is the eldest child of Rainier and Grace Kelly, however because of the constitution her brother, Albert, sits on the throne of Monaco. She served as de facto first lady of Monaco until the marriage of Albert and Charlene.
Until the birth of her niece and nephew she was heir presumptive to the throne, although she had only held that title since 2005 after the change of the constitution to include female heirs.
Caroline received her French baccalaureat in 1974, and received a degree in Philosophy from Sorbonne University. She is fluent in French, English, Spanish, German, and Italian. Her hobbies include horseback riding, swimming, and skiing.
Marriages:

• Marriage 1: Philippe Junot

Married Phillippe, a Parisian banker, in 1978. The couple divorced in 1980 with no children.

• Marriage 2: Stefano Casiraghi

Married Stefano in 1983, the sportsman heir to an Italian industrial fortune. The two had to marry in a civil ceremony rather than a religious ceremony because Caroline, a Catholic, was divorced. Caroline was 3 months pregnant at the time of their wedding.
They have three children:

1. Andrea Casiraghi (1984)

• Married to Tatiana Santo Domingo and has 3 children

1. Charlotte Casiraghi (1986)

• Married to French producer Dimitri Rassam and has two children

1. Pierre Casiraghi (b. 1987)

• Married to Beatrice Borromeo and has 2 children

Note: The Casiraghi’s are all very beautiful and very fashionable but I don’t want to go much into them here because they are so far down the line of succession. They’re fun to follow for their fashion if you have the time to check them out.

• Marriage 3: Prince Ernst August of Hanover

Married Ernst August, a Prince, in 1999. They have one daughter, Princess Alexandra.
Caroline is thus a Princess twice-over, through her family and through her husband. She and Ernst August have been separated since 2009 however are still legally married, thus she retains the title of Princess Caroline of Hanover.
Read about all of her weddings here
See her speaking in English around 12:00 here
Princess Stephanie (b. 1965)
Stephanie was in the vehicle with her mother when Grace died. She suffered a fracture of the neck.
She has studied classical dance and piano, and competed in gymnastics and horse riding. She interned at Christian Dior and debuted as a model in 1984. She has a swimwear and perfume line, and owns cafes and stores in both Monaco and Barcelona. She also has sold more than 2 million copies of her song, Ouragan, and sold 1.5M copies of her album Besoin. She recorded “In the Closet” with Michael Jackson, however is listed as “mystery girl” in the credits.
Marriages/Relationships:

• Marriage 1: Daniel Ducruet

Stephanie married her former body guard, Daniel Ducruet, in 1995. When Rainier learned of their relationship Daniel was not only still his employee, but had a pregnant girlfriend too. Stephanie gave birth to their two children “out of wedlock” because Rainier refused to grant permission for them to marry, however eventually relented. The two divorced a year later after Ducruet was photographed naked with a stripper.
Read more
They have two children:

1. Louis (b. 1992)

• Married Marie Chevallier in 2019

1. Pauline (b. 1994)

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• Relationship 2: Jean Raymond Gottlieb

Stephanie and Jean never married, however have a child together. He was Rainier’s Head of Security. She did not identify him on the birth certificate and it was not confirmed that he was Camille’s father until she confirmed it herself on her Instagram.
More about Jean
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• Marriage 3: Franco Knie

Stephanie met elephant trainer (yeah, you read that right) when she presented him with the award for “best animal tamer” at the Monaco Circus Festival in 1997. Franco, a decade older than Stephanie, was married with two children at the time. Franco left his family for Stephanie, moving her and her three children into his circus caravan in Zurich. Marrying in 2001, their relationship lasted 18 months until their divorce.
An interview with Stephanie in English in 1990
Why is he a Prince and not a King?
From vogue:
It goes back deep into the history of Monaco. Monaco has always been a tiny nation, and, for protection, allied itself with (or, at some points, was flat-out annexed by) big powerful countries, with big powerful rulers—aka kingdoms, or, a nation ruled by a king or queen. So Monaco’s rulers styled themselves as prince and princess. That, by definition, made the nation a principality, or one ruled by prince or princess.
Regardless, Albert actually plays a bigger role in the day to day operations of the country than most of his European peers. Legislative power is divided between the Prince who initiates the laws, and the National Council who votes on them. Executive power is retained by the Prince, and he has full judiciary powers.
Jewels
See their tiara collection
I think the Ocean Tiara, gifted to Charlene for her wedding, is particularly interesting. You either love it or you hate it.
The Grimaldi Curse
What do you think?

For the gameplay of FIFA 20. It is people that are playing the game that ruin it. It’s not the games fault. It’s the people that play the negative Mouriño style that destroy it (imo it is because they are incapable of manual defending so they have to defend this way bc learning is too hard lol). The only gameplay issues I see are headers being non existent, passes not going to correct players at times, and near post being way too effective. Oh and btw what are they gonna do take away custom tactics? Make AI defenders completely useless? That wouldn’t just affect the negative sit back players, it would effect the people that play press too. Bc even if you are press player you have to rely on AI controlled defenders at times.
If you are one of the ones that defends people that play 4231 and sit back you are an idiot and probably hypocrite. My solution when I come against these players is to hold possession and swing it back and forth till I find an obvious scoring opportunity. Apparently that is considered TOXIC and that the 4231 players are just doing what works for them (or playing “smart”). That holding up play is toxic. Mannnn wtf. First of all, Many of them don’t play defense at all. It doesn’t take any damn skill to stand a player in front of a striker and wait. These people make the game boring, they are the reason the gameplay is boring and repetitive and why no one enjoys playing anymore (yet they also complain about it). You can easily beat them but the goals you would score are just boring. If they want to play “smart” and boring asf on defence I’m going to do the same shit to them on offense. It is not TOXIC. I am literally doing what they are doing on defense but on offense you morons. I sit there and stand my player and waste their time just like they are doing to me. Also I’m playing SmARt bc holding the possession limits the amount of times that they can counter attack which over the course time you are bound to score from a 3v3 or 3v4 without being that good at the game. So wtf is wrong with me using scummy tactics on attack if you do it on defence. And if you really think about it. YALL fucking praise Barcelona when they do the exact same shit irl (atleast a few years ago they did I don’t watch much anymore). All they did was pass around the back in the midfield bc everyone dropped back in fear of MSN. You are a fucking hypocrite if you think holding possession is toxic and you don’t even press in your own damn half. And most of y’all are hypocrites bc when it comes down to playing a game y’all are so afraid of losing y’all do it too so wtf. I can only understand if you are like up by 2 goals or something
*also just an added note if you say that it is a game not real life. GAMES should have a skill gap and the 4231 bs literally destroys it and allows a trash player be able to compete with some one way better then them with no learning curve. Games should have a skill gap and not have one form of playing the game be so dominant.
All we ever wanted just a few FIFAs ago was the ability to get high rated squads without putting money into the game. Now that we have them all I hear is that you want a reason to play with worse/other players (from nepenthez video) What? Why? Shouldn’t you just try out different players bc Idk YOU want to. Because the game allows you to play with your favorite players. It’s not all about winning if you don’t want it to be. Why tf do you want an incentive to play with a player you don’t care for in the first place. Although I do agree milestones is a good way to do (giving incentives) that and that section needs additions. Like if you get 100 goals with a player you can increase his shooting by 1 or some ish like that
As for the game only attracting sweats nowadays. I feel that every game is getting sweatier since the emergence of esports and cash tournaments like when fornite was a big deal. So the increase in sweaty try hard players abusing the game mechanics was bound to happen anyway. You come across sweats in any sports game not just FIFA.
As for division rivals being sweaty. The reason for it being sweaty is the rewards YALL asked for. I remember years ago YALL asked for a reason to play divisions bc the rewards were not worth it. Now you have a reason play for decent rewards and you still complain. I don’t see why you are mad about 90+ players being there. And for the people that say they are bad rewards bc you can easily have better players on your team for 30k. WTF,THAT IS WHAT IS GREAT. Back in the old FIFAs we would be happy with a gold squad and few informs. The only way i see EA can make those rewards seem more valuable is to make it so that it is not easy to make a mega team next year. Which would be reverting back to the old FIFAs difficulty to make a team able to compete (against Pay to play players). That’s was impossible back in the day. Now it’s honestly not. You can beat players with 99 rated cards. BTW the reason you could run with a silver squad back in the day IS BC NOBODY HAD SHIT. PLEASE go watch the opponents you came up against in those FIFA 16 videos. If the revert were to happen it would repel casual players and many grinders.
Also I heard Nepenthez say that objectives should be removed from division rivals. This is coming from the SAME guy that asked for them in the first place. If those objectives were not there he would be asking for something to play for without a doubt. That if there isn’t a reward for playing division rivals he would not play. Not to mention he also asks for a reason to play with different players (which objectives accomplishes) I wouldn’t have tried out Vardy if the objectives were not out.
Also the game didn’t need the ultimate team of the season pack. That’s just players wanting to pack one of the 97+ players. You want one of those players just handed to you let’s just be honest here. Those players are the chase. Those players are the reason you should continue to play. You want to get enough coins to obtain them. I feel like that is the POV that EA sees it from anyways. Which honestly is not that horrendous. Because it gives you a reason to play the game. Which is what y’all keep asking for some damn reason. Also I mean it is a business so keeping those 99s out of reach is what EA will continue to do. And it fucking makes sense. Let me put it in simple terms you might understand. People that put hard earned money into the game deserve the top tier players. They are spending REAL money (and it’s still a gamble when they do it highkey). Also not everyone needs to get those players. That’s like saying everyone deserves a lambo bc everyone works. Like nooooo that is not how it should work bc then the people that actually pay with hard earned money will feel like they got bullshited out of what they paid for. Again it is a business and it makes sense. And y’all know y’all would be complaining if you were running into the same tots players every game if y’all did have the ability to get them. No one is gonna play ocampos if Messi is obtainable. Lowkey the whole idea of y’all wanting the best possible players seems like some communist type stuff to me. Y’all all want the same stuff as the people that put money into the game and support Ultimate team financially when y’all don’t want to help. As I probably said before you are not entitled to it. Some people just deserve it more. Also I don’t put money into the game and I sure as well know my 190 team can compete against bought teams
The FIFA community will find a way to complain no matter what and it’s starting to piss me off. It’s complaint after complaint and then when they get what they want they complain about that. I hate that this community only knows bitching and moaning.
(This sections is in regards of how people quit rivals when they don’t get their objectives done this section may not be important) I don’t knock youtubers grind they are great and really helpful. I grew up watching them. But a lot of the reasons the game is the way it is due to them. Youtubers teach people how to use 4231 to cover for how bad they are. They teach people to quit out of games early when things get to tough to save time. Honestly A lot of players wouldn’t know to do that if they had to think for themselves, they just follow what YouTubers tell them to. (Btw some people are just gonna quit anyway bc that’s just how they are and we have all done it in rage when we get unlucky but sometimes rebound goals happen it’s whatever)
Another thing, for people that say this game is a cash grab. WHAT IN THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU. You can literally have a team full of great high rated players with a week or 2 of work. Showcased by nepenthez in his new rtg series. All you have to do is be smart and don’t mess with the obviously bad SBCs. Like if you choose to waste your coins on horrible SBCs that is your fault wtf. Y’all clearly don’t know how it was in FIFA before where it was just about impossible to build a good end game team at the end of the year if you didn’t trade or were really good at the game. Even then, I would be in the top divisions with a below average team in today’s standards in the final months in FIFA.
Most of the SBCs are set up as a gamble. It’s like trying you luck at a casino. Just don’t do it if you are not prepared to lose those coins. Since when was the purpose of FIFA to just sit in those damn menus for hours on end. Play the game. It should be about the gameplay but the community of players that play it ruined it.
The community itself ruined this game. It really wasn’t that bad. With all the negative players and the ones dropping divisions in division rivals. We made it a mess not EA. Btw I’m pretty sure we asked for a lower barrier of entry for fut champs which is letting this happen. It used to be only if you were in a top division if my memory is correct.
My problems with the game and solutions 1. The drag back is way to effective and any player can do it clean. I think the solution is to make it so that you have to be slowed all the way down in order to do it and the overall the execution should be a tad bit slower since it honestly is difficult to pull off (irl) 2. I think for the objectives they just need to make them a bit easier to achieve. So don’t make it so that you have do complete them in rivals WINS. Make it so that you can work for them even during a loss so that people don’t quit as much. 3. Obviously just bring occasional headers back lol tall physical strikers lost a lot of value because what they should be used for isn’t relevant in the game anymore. 4. The draft should include every player included the ones we missed out on. It shouldn’t pull out the same players all the time. 5. As for the 4231 bs, I think it’s a hard fix. I think one thing that could help is increasing the intelligence of attackers to find the open spots more consistently. Also I don’t think the AI that presses the attacker should be that good. 6. As for long shots not being effective I actually don’t have many issues with them. I score them ever one in a while and they arnt that hard. I think the real issue y’all might be having is the outrageous autoblocks which yeah need a nerf. Players blocking shots not coming at them is a problem.
Oh and if you argue that the game should not have allowed people to use the 4231 bs in the first place bc it was there to abuse. This community chooses to abuse it. You are not being held at gunpoint being forced to use it. Y’all just want to win at all cost then complain that you can’t have a casual gane of fut anymore. Also let’s be honest, for some of y’all the definition of casual=easy. Y’all just want to win without effort. Because as soon as you go down you will start sweating.
There is probably more problems I can add and fixes but I honestly believe no one will read this so I’m over it. Lol also I was gonna look over what I wrote again but I can’t be bothered to. Just to sum it all up I hate the player base of this game bc all they do is complain about stuff get what they want then complain about that. There are obvious problems with the gameplay this FIFA but I feel like a lot of the time is spent complaining on other stuff. Also a lot of the player base complains about the 4231 but they are they same people that use it (and stick to it even against something like a 433) so wtf. Y’all are sitting there with your high rated competitive squads (without spending a dime) and still want EA to give you more. Like bruh just think about it. Not everyone should have the best tots because then you would just come up against the same top tier players every game. Man do I love to ramble on lol byeeeee

Seeing as the NY underground poker posts have been so popular, I figure I can give a bit of a different perspective on the underground scene of the mid 2000s. The Boston scene wasn't nearly as big as the NY scene, but there were still some big games and wild characters involved. I started off in small college games, so if you're only interested in the big mob associated games and stuff like that, this first part will probably bore you. I'm not going to bother changing names in the story. If you knew me from that time, it'll be obvious pretty early on who I am.
Back in 2005 I headed out from California to Boston for college. I'm still not sure why I was so set on going to school in Boston over the beautiful California schools that I had been accepted to, but there I was. Facebook was a really new thing at the time, and you needed a college email address to sign up. As soon as I got my college email in about April, I signed up for Facebook and added every cute girl who was living in the same dorm as me. I also signed up for a bunch of Facebook groups, several about poker games around the campus.
The Moneymaker effect was in full swing at this point, and I had an edge. My best friend at the time's dad had taught us poker when we were 14 or so. We got started playing mixed games, I loved 7 stud variants, but over time we transitioned to NLH. When I left for college I had been a regular in a $0.50/1 NLH game at a house in a rich area that played pretty big, and I had been winning regularly. Between that game and playing online, I had turned $200 I had made from my after school job into a $1500 bankroll.
So I arrive in Boston in August and start going to various games. One was in a nook in the school library, a weekly $50 tournament with no rake, unlimited rebuys and insane players. One was in a frat house with a bunch of drunk bros. Then I found Stevo's game. I think Stevo was a senior at that point, he lived in off campus housing, and he had a professional quality poker table in a side room of his apartment. Besides the nice table and personalized "Stevo's Card Room" chips, what set the game apart for me was that it was the first private game I had played in with a dealer, Erik.
I introduced myself to the other players by my real name, but as became my trademark, people knew me better by my card protector. Bubbles She came from a cake my friends had gotten me for my 17th birthday as a joke, and since her base was perfect for sitting on cards, she became my card protector. I knew some of the guys in the Boston scene for 3 years, and many never knew my real name, they simply knew me as Bubbles.
Stevo's was $1/2 NLH with 75% stack match if I remember correctly. So if the big stack on the table had $1600, you could buy in $1200. The game played pretty deep, and with the same players most nights. Many of them had been playing together for a couple of years, so they knew each other well. The first night I went, me and this other guy Chris were the only freshmen there. It turned out we lived 1 floor apart in our dorm, and we became fast friends.
I bought in for the $300 I had brought with me (lolbankroll) and played my normal, pretty tight style. There were a few crazy bluffers on the table, but one guy Phil really stood out for how often he'd try to steal pots. I played some small pots and was up to around $400 when I looked down at AA. Phil raised $8 from EP, I 3b from late position up to $25 and Phil called. The flop came unsuited low cards and Phil bet $30, I raised to $90 and Phil called. The turn came an 8s which brought a flush draw and Phil checked, I shoved and Phil went into the tank. He flipped up KJss and said he thought I had TT or 99 and so he had lots of outs with his 2 overs and flush draw. He asked me if I wanted him to call and I said absolutely. He eventually called and nailed his flush on the river. I headed to the nearest ATM and bought back into the game. I eventually left with about $500 for a $100 loss on the night, but I was hooked. The action was crazy, I had gotten it in great for an $800 pot and lost, and still only lost $100? I was going to make so much money!
The game ran twice a week, and I was always there. I still played in some random other games, but Stevo's was my main hangout. I became pretty good friends with some of the guys, including Stevo and Chris. Chris and I would regularly skip classes to play on Full Tilt all day. Often on Sundays about 5 of us would go to Stevo's place and grind Party Poker, especially when they had their monthly Party Millions tournament. One Sunday I was playing in a huge $50 online tourney on Party, and ended up going all the way and winning it for $22k. Suddenly I had a great big bankroll! I was consistently winning at Stevo's game, and I had picked up a crazy tell on Phil, the big bluffer. When I left Boston for good 3 years later, I'd finally explain to Phil how I had made so much money off of him, picking off so many of his bluffs he'd made against me. Whenever Phil would make a big bluff with nothing, he'd ask his bet as a question. "300?" He'd say, as if asking "is 300 enough to buy this pot?". I made thousands off of this tell.
As time went on, I wanted more than just 2 nights a week of poker at Stevo's and the crappy other games around campus. Phil had mentioned that they would sometimes go to a game in Chinatown, so one day I asked if he'd take me along.
The Chinatown game ran in an apartment unit above, what else, a Chinese restaurant. It was run by a guy named Jay, who seemed pretty nice, but had a temper at times, and people said was connected to the Triad. Apparently Jay knew the game would eventually get broken up by the cops, but he figured he'd get a few years in prison, but the $500k he planned on making from the game before then would be worth it.
The Chinatown game had 5 tables if I remember correctly. They'd have a tournament at 6pm on most nights, and then a cash game would start around 7 from the people busting the tourney as well as others who came just for cash. At first you could just walk in as long as someone went and introduced you to Jay and vouched for you. They had big screen TVs all over the walls, constantly playing High Stakes Poker, they had food delivered in for the players, fridges full of beer and soft drinks, it was great. Eventually the game would get robbed (although some claimed they thought it was a setup by Jay), and a steel door with an electronic bolt and a security camera would be added.
The game itself was a $1/3nl game with $500 max buyin. It played extremely loose, and I started coming by nearly every night. The players were a mix from all walks of life. Since it was an underground room, there was no age restriction, so some rich high school kids were even in the games. There were tons of college students of course. The Harvard kids always thought they were hot shit, but they always seemed to want to be the table bullies, and I'd pick off their bluffs. The MIT kids were another story, they were nothing short of geniuses, and I tried to stay out of their way usually.
I got a reputation for hitting and running the game, because my goal was to make $1000 and then quit for the night. Often when I'd quit early, me, Jay and some of the others guys would play board games for cash or weird random poker variants. I was making a killing in this game. I went out and bought myself a BMW, I was taking girls from the dorms out to $100 a plate dinners, I thought I was the man. It was 2nd semester, early 2006, and I was also failing out of school. I managed to scrape by first semester with a 2.5, already putting me on probation for my academic scholarship, but I didn't care. I called my mom and told her I was going to make more money than her in 2006.
2nd semester, Chris and I had signed up for many of the same classes with the idea that we'd force each other to go, but instead we enabled each other to skip. One Wednesday morning we were supposed to be going to class, and I don't remember who suggested it, but we ended up instead driving up to Montreal for a 5 day weekend. I got a speeding ticket going 95 MPH through Vermont on the way there, Chris got a ticket driving back through Vermont on the way home, but overall it was a great trip. We played some poker at the casino up there, and I made a few hundred bucks which we blew at the bars and clubs.
A few months after the robbery, the Chinatown game got raided by Boston Vice Squad. Apparently having regular cops there didn't help us out any, they had their money taken along with anyone else there. Jay was arrested, but all of the dealers and players were let go after a bit of harassment. Luckily for me, despite being there about 6 nights a week, I wasn't there for the robbery or the bust. However, unluckily my favorite game and my cash cow was gone.
Now I was back to just 2 days a week at Stevo's. I had met a guy named Rich through the Chinatown game, he was often a dealer there but would also play sometimes. Rich hit me up one day and asked if I was looking for another regular game. I told him I was, and got an invite to a game called The Loft. The Loft was a game outside of Boston in Chelsea. It was in an upscale loft and run by a guy named Moon. Moon was a total character. He was probably around 30, had been an engineer for GE, but quit because he rejected the idea of paying taxes. Moon was a conspiracy nut, and as we became friends he'd tell me all kinds of crazy theories, often involving Jews. As a Jew myself, I told him I was sure upset that all of these fun Jewish conspiracies were happening without me!
The Loft was a good game, but not as juicy as the Chinatown game. There were 2 tables, but usually just 1 ran, and it was often the same people every day. Many of them sucked at poker, so I was still making a bunch of money, but some of the shine had worn off. I completely stopped going to classes around this time, but was still living in the dorms and joined a fraternity. This frat was famous for crazy parties, and we'd sell cups for $5 at the door as admission. Eventually a party got busted up by the cops, and the frat president and a few other guys got arrested for selling alcohol to minors. The mayor of Boston went on TV and made an example out of us, calling us the negative Animal House version of a fraternity and calling for harsher regulations for serving alcohol to minors. The national fraternity revoked our charter, and that was the end of that.
The school year was coming to a close, and I was supposed to go home for the summer. I was done at the university, and didn't really know what I was going to do the next year. I drove the BMW all the way home to California and then went with a bunch of friends to Europe for the World Cup. We spent 5 weeks there, went to the 3 US games, and had a great time. I played some PLO in Barcelona despite not really knowing how to play (that was the only game they had there at the time), and I won $1200 by playing no hands for hours until I hit a full house, then getting paid off by the maniac players. When we stopped in Paris I played at the Aviation Club, the swanky poker club a few blocks from the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Elysees. They told me I couldn't come in wearing tennis shoes, so I went across the street and bought $200 loafers at Lacoste, then proceeded to win $5000 over the course of a crazy 24 hour session. My total expenses for the trip were $5500, and I had made $6200 in poker during the trip, life was amazing!
I ended up deciding to sign up for a program where you spend a year in Israel, get some college credits and volunteer. I ended up doing more drinking and partying than volunteering and studying, and got kicked out of the program halfway through.
I came back to California and went to community college for the semester, before deciding I missed the grind and that I was going to move back to Boston for the 2007-2008 school year and go to community college there (yeah right) but mostly get back to the underground poker grind. I had just turned 20, had about $80k and the BMW, and I was ready to jump back in. I talked to Rich, the guy who had gotten me into the Loft game, and he was still dealing poker around town and was looking for a roommate. I told him I was driving out to Boston the next week from California, and that he should find a 2 bedroom for us near campus. Little did I know, Rich was not to be trusted, and I was in for a shitshow of a year...
Part 2: https://www.reddit.com/pokecomments/bfvdp3/inside_boston_underground_poker_part_2/?

Hi all,
This is my first post on this subreddit. I apologise if it is very long, I wanted to try and include all the facts. I am a huge fan of Unresolved Mysteries and I hope to leave more posts in the future. I wanted to start with this one because I find cruise disappearances very interesting and I couldn't find anything on this case. Do you think it is a straight forward accidental overboard or could it have been a murder? Let me know your thoughts and also any general feedback you have. For more info see links below
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_George_Smith
News Articles: https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/05/nyregion/bride-recounts-disappearance-of-husband-during-cruise.html https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fbi-closes-probe-into-vanished-cruise-ship-honeymoone
Premise: George Alan Smith IV was a 26 year old Connecticut man who went missing under mysterious circumstances while on a 12-day cruise with his new bride, Jennifer Hagel Smith. Although it is assumed he went overboard at some point during the early morning hours of July 5th 2005, how that happened remains a mystery.
Background: George Smith came from the upper-crust Connecticut town of Cos Cob, near Greenwich. His family owns a popular liquor store there, and he was the store's General Manager. He had been married to his wife, Jennifer, for 10 days. She was a teacher, who was to begin a new job teaching third-graders upon their return. The newlyweds were honeymooning on a Royal Caribbean International cruise of the Mediterranean, which departed from Barcelona on Wednesday 29th June 2005 and was due to stop in Greece, France, Turkey and Italy, among other locations. The cruise ship the couple were staying on was the MS Brilliance of the Seas and they had booked Stateroom 9062, a cabin with a balcony situated on Deck 9. By all accounts, George and Jennifer appeared to be having a wonderful time those first few days of their honeymoon. Photographs show them embracing by the pool and on the second night, after a day spent exploring Villefranche-sur-Mer in France, the Smiths’ decided to have a get-together in their room, the noise of which kept their neighbour awake until almost 3:30am. The next morning this neighbour reported the incident to the guest-relations desk and asked what could be done. If it happened again, he was told, call the desk, and they would handle it.
The Disappearance: On Monday 4th July 2005, the Smiths were half-way through their cruise and had spent the afternoon exploring Mykonos, a popular Greek island. Jennifer had reported that they had been on a high as they returned to the ship that evening, because they had spotted the actress Tara Reid, who was filming her show "Taradice" on the island. The couple had planned a romantic dinner on the ship for that night, which seemingly occurred without incident. After dinner they spent some time at the casino and all reports said they were in good spirits and seemed to be acting normally, albeit a little rowdy. As is common on most cruises, the Smiths had become friendly acquaintances with a number of other guests on the ship, mostly other couples, but also a 20-year old Californian student named Josh Askin and another group of four boisterous young Russian-American men. The four were traveling with relatives; their group, numbering eight people in all, consisted of two families, both with the surname Rozenberg. One family hailed from South Florida and the second are believed to be from Brighton Beach, a Russian section of Brooklyn. Between them the families had three sons aboard, all said to be in their teens or early 20s: Jeffrey, Zachary, and Greg. Also in the group was a 20-year-old named Rostislav “Rusty” Kofman.
Following some time spent at the casino, the Smiths met up with another newlywed couple who they had befriended and who had gotten married on the same day in June as the Smiths had. They then headed to the on-board disco, where the Smiths and their friends were joined by Josh Askin, two of the Rozenberg boys and Rusty Kofman (it is not clear whether they had all socialised prior to this night). They all sat around a table drinking absinthe, which the cruise staff reported is not sold on the ship and must have been smuggled on-board.
It was at this stage that Jennifer Smith's behaviour is called into question. Josh Askin reported that Jennifer had been very flirtatious with one of the croupiers at the casino, a South African man named Lloyd Botah. When the group left the casino to go to the disco, Botah accompanied them, staying close to Jennifer the entire time. At the disco, Jennifer continued to flirt with Lloyd and also attempted to drape herself over other men. At this point, George noticed his wife's behaviour and attempted to intervene. An argument between the couple ensued, culminating in Jennifer kicking her new husband in the groin and storming out of the disco, with Botah following after her (although this detail is refuted by others, who say he remained behind). Shortly after the Smiths’ disagreement, at about 3:30am, the disco closed, and Askin, the two Rozenbergs and Rusty Kofman became aware that George was highly intoxicated and was too drunk to walk unaided, and so they helped him to his cabin. When they arrived at Stateroom 9062, Jennifer wasn’t there and George stated he wanted to find her. George changed his shirt and then, with Askin and the three Russian boys, headed to the solarium, where the cruise ship’s younger crowd would congregate after the disco ended each night. Jennifer wasn’t there either and so the group then helped George back to his room, arriving at 4:02am—a time verified by a computerized monitoring system that tracks when key cards are used to open stateroom doors. This was the last time anyone reported seeing George Smith.
It was after this time that noises coming from the Smiths room, described by one neighbour as “loud cheering—what sounded like a college drinking game...as well as high pitched yelling”, were first reported to crew members. At one point this neighbour believes he might have heard at least one person leaving the Smiths' cabin and talking in the corridor. After this, an argument with "at least three voices" was reported coming from the Smiths' balcony. At around 4:15am, the neighbour reports hearing voices ushering people out of the room, and distinctly heard the words "Goodnight, Goodnight" repeatedly, followed by the cabin door closing. The neighbour says he then waited about 10 seconds before opening his door and looking out, where he states he saw three men, whose identities have never been released publicly. Other neighbours reported hearing three male subjects talking in the corridor at around this same time, and they stated two of the men had "accents" (the Rozenbergs?). This is where questions start to arise, it is reported that 4 men accompanied George back to his room, but only three are seen and heard leaving, so who remained behind? Maybe the group misremembered and only three men went back to the cabin, or maybe one left earlier? Either way it is unclear who is in the room after 4:15am.
It was after 4:15am that the same neighbour claims to have heard a single voice speaking in a conversational tone, followed by furniture being moved around, and he speculated the Smiths may have been cleaning up after the party. He says this "clean up" lasted around 10 minutes before the sounds moved to the balcony, and he states he heard one of the metal balcony chairs being moved. All was quiet for around a minute, and then he describes a very loud thud, which was so loud it made his bed vibrate. He states it was not the sound of someone falling off the balcony, but instead it sounded more like someone falling on the balcony, except it was so loud he didn't believe a single person falling could have created it. He thought it could have been furniture, such as a couch, falling or being thrown on the floor. He said no screams or voices followed the thud, and all was quiet after that. So presumably despite what this neighbour states, the sound he heard was George falling off the balcony and hitting the canopy below. But did he fall or was he pushed? The neighbour said he always heard the Smiths coming and going from their cabin because he could clearly hear their door opening and closing, but on this occasion he didn't hear anything. So if someone was still in the room with George, did they manage to leave silently? The neighbour says the next thing he heard were the crew members arriving at the cabin to respond to the noise complaints from the passengers. However they only knocked and didn't enter the room, as the noises had stopped.
When question by authorities, Askin indicated that he, Kofman, and the two Rozenbergs stayed with George for 10 or 15 minutes in his cabin after returning from the solarium. During this time Askin stated he used the bathroom. He says that everyone departed by 4:15am, leaving no one inside but George. Kofman disputes this, saying everything happened 15 minutes earlier, and they all left and were back in their rooms by 4am. He states he has a timestamped photo proving this. Whatever the timing, Kofman insists the last he saw of George Smith was when the boys left him on his bed; George thanked them for looking after him, kissed one of the boys and promised to buy them a round of drinks the next day. According to Askin, he went to Kofman’s room with the others and was back in his own stateroom by 5:15am.
During this entire incident, Jennifer Smith was nowhere to be seen. According to several witnesses, she was seen leaving the disco at about 3:15am—just minutes before George and his friends left. It should have taken her less than five minutes to return to her stateroom, and if she did return, might she have been there for some of the party and then left? Evidently, she was not in her room all night. From the disco it appeared she took the elevator down to Deck 9, but she must have been so drunk she became disoriented. Instead of turning right, into the long port corridor that led to their stateroom, she turned left, into the starboard corridor. From there she walked until the corridor ended in an alcove with a maintenance door. It was here Jennifer passed out and was found by crew. She claims she believes she may have been drugged and led to this alcove by someone who left her there.
Jennifer Smith was found passed out at approximately 4:30 a.m. on the floor of a lounge area on Deck 9. The crew members who found her went to look for her husband back at their cabin, but entered and could not find him, and so they put Mrs Smith in a wheelchair and she was taken back to her seemingly empty cabin just before 5am, where she was placed on the bed. The staff reported that while they did not search the room at the time, nothing looked amiss, and so they left Mrs Smith to sleep. Jennifer says she remembers nothing from that night after the group left the casino, but says she slept for around three hours and then awoke as the ship docked and let people off at Kusadasi, Turkey. She said although her husband was nowhere to be seen when she woke up, nothing else seemed amiss in the cabin and she quickly remembered a 10am couples massage she had booked earlier in the week, and so got dressed and headed two floors up, hoping George would meet her there. When he did not arrive at the spa, she presumed he was passed out himself in a friend's cabin and would return to their room when he regained consciousness. She stated he had passed out outside their cabin on two prior occasions during their trip (seems like this couple know how to party to excess!) and so she was not immediately worried.
However Royal Caribbean officials said that Mrs Smith actually arrived about an hour and a half early for her massage and was in the treatment room when crew members came looking for her. They approached Jennifer to say that the cruise ship staff had received calls that morning from passengers who, in the daylight, had noticed blood on the awning outside their cabin, and indeed blood had been found outside the cabin and on a lifeboat canopy below their balcony. They said they suspected her husband had fallen overboard in a tragic, alcohol fuelled accident. A member of the crew was allowed inside the cabin to retrieve Mrs Smith's belongings, and she reports that she was escorted from the boat along with Mr Askin (who had come forward after hearing pages for George across the intercom) and the two were questioned by Turkish authorities. She then reports that she was left behind in Turkey to make her own way home, however staff from the ship strongly dispute this, saying she insisted on leaving on her own accord. The cruise staff have also been criticised for washing away the blood found inside and outside the cabin, although they claim they washed the area only after Turkish authorities had given them permission to do so. Police also boarded the ship, photographed the bloodstained canopy, and searched the Smiths’ stateroom. They reportedly found small droplets of blood on a bedsheet and a towel inside the cabin.
The aftermath and investigation: The family reported that little was done by Royal Caribbean International or the Turkish authorities to investigate George's disappearance, instead they insisted he had been extremely intoxicated and had fallen overboard, however no body has ever been located. The FBI were soon involved and once home in Cromwell, Jennifer reported that within a week, she met with the FBI and agreed to give blood and hair samples to their agents and to take a polygraph test that she said she passed. The investigation soon seemed to focused on the group of four Russians and Josh Askin, who the Smiths had befriended.
There was a lot of reluctance on the part of the media to identify these young men, which seems very odd in itself. What was also odd was the Russian boys' behaviour throughout the cruise, which gained a lot of attention and was described as outlandish, arrogant and rude. For example, when asked by a crew member to put out a cigarette in a non-smoking section of the ship, one of the boys cursed the employee and continued smoking. Their parents were warned numerous times about their sons' behaviour, however it seems little was done to control them. After the boat left Turkey on 5th July without Mrs Smith, the Rozenbergs and Mr Kofman continued to cause trouble. Two more incidents involving them allegedly occurred over the next 48 hours, one involving arguments between the Rozenbergs and staff over the age of their son Greg and whether he should be allowed enter the disco and another involving the four boys cursing at staff members. The parents were summoned and were told that if another incident occurred, they would all be asked to leave the ship.
On Thursday July 7th, a young girl reported being raped by Rusty Kofman and the three Rozenberg boys and the incident was videotaped. Kofman was the only one identified on tape, and claimed the sex was consensual. However rumors were spreading and 13 people in total were escorted from the ship, including the Rozenberg group and the Askin family. Perhaps the most damning piece of evidence pointing to their potential involvement in Georges disappearance is a videotape found on one of the Rozenberg boys' phone that appears to show three of the four men commenting on George's presumed death in a very callous way. The Smith family attorney stated "the most incriminating statement (from the video) comes when one of them stands up at the end of the tape and sort of hunches his shoulders and flashes gang signs and says, 'Told ya I was gangsta' and in the context of the discussion about George's death, almost as if he's bragging about having done something to George."
Since then the FBI have investigated both the rape allegations and the disappearance of George Smith, but so far, no arrests have been made. There has been a lot of controversy over the Royal Caribbean's supposed handling of the crime scene and Mrs Smith in the aftermath of the disappearance, with conflicting statements coming from both sides. George Smith's family and his wife insist he was murdered and the cruise staff covered it up to avoid a media frenzy. They state they believe the FBI will make arrests in the future. But why would someone want to kill George? There’s been speculation that he spoke of having a large amount of cash in his stateroom, but no one involved in the case says any money was missing.
Alternatively a less nefarious theory is that George could have gone out to the balcony for a cigar and somehow fell overboard. Or in his drunken state he could have tried to sit up on the railings and fell overboard. I'm inclined to believe one of the latter theories, although the disputes over how many men entered George's cabin on the 5th July versus how many were seen and heard leaving does make me question the accident theory, plus the small amount of blood found inside the cabin and the statements about George made on the video.
What are your theories?

Although it is the world’s second-smallest continent, Europe welcomes more than half of all the tourists worldwide.
7 of the ten most visited countries in the world are European nations
. It’s easy to see why a well-preserved cultural heritage, productive history safety and efficient infrastructure makes visiting Europe a breeze. Here’s a look at the best places to visit in Europe.

Vienna

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As the former seat of the Hapsburg Empire Vienna is awash with impressive imperial buildings and palaces which so comprehensively convey the wealth and power of its previous monarchs. Now the capital of Austria the city is a delight to get lost in. Nicknamed “the City of Music” the names of its famous residents roll off the tongue with Mozart Beethoven and Schubert among those who once graced its streets.

Stonehenge

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You have to marvel at the determination of prehistoric man when you look at Stonehenge. Construction started about 3000 BC on what was initially burial grounds. Huge monoliths weighing 25 tons dragged One hundred fifty miles to the site a few hundred years later. It’s not known precisely how many humungous rocks were moved to a field near Amesbury, but there are 13 standing today. It’s also not known why Stonehenge was built, but many believe this significant English landmark is associated with ancient astrology.

Matterhorn

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Egypt may have its pyramids, but Italy and Switzerland have a nature-made pyramid of their own Matterhorn. At 14,692 feet high, this famous mountain is one of the highest in Europe. The mountain has four faces, each equally rugged. The legendary mountain has been popular with climbers since the first ascent in 1865 during the summer 150 people a day try to climb it. Couch potatoes may be just as happy to stay below and gaze in awe at the summit playing hide and seek with the clouds.

Plitvice Lakes

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The Plitvice Lakes are so pretty officials turned them into a national park. Located in central Croatia Plitvice Lakes consists of 16 lakes that attract more than a million visitors a year. Lush forests surround the lakes and connected by waterfalls cascading down from one lake to another. The lakes are dividing into two sections lower and upper because of the difference in elevation. The best way to see the lakes is walking on the route you might even see some wildlife.

Budapest

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Budapest was already an established city when the Hungarians took over in the ninth century. Today Budapest is the country’s capital and largest city. In between these two events, Budapest was ruled by the Mongols and Ottomans among others. Considered one of the most beautiful cities in Europe Budapest is home to the Museum of Fine Arts with its collection of more than 100,000 works. Be sure to visit the centrally located Old Town with its many museum’s churches palaces and Parliament building.

Lisbon

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The Portuguese capital of Lisbon lies on the Tagus River along the Atlantic coast. It is this location that encouraged explorers to sail far and wide around the world in the15th 16th and 17th centuries. One of the things you’ll want to see is Belem Tower a 16th-century fortress on the Tagus’ north bank if you’re looking for excellent views of old Lisbon head to Saint George Castle that was built on a hilltop by the Moors.

Gullfoss

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You probably don’t know too many people who’ve been to Iceland. But it may be worth a trip there to visit the spectacular Gullfoss waterfalls. Located in southern Iceland Gullfoss is one of Iceland’s top tourist attractions. At times it almost appears glacier-like appropriate perhaps since a glacier feeds it. The waterfalls begin just after the Ölfusá River makes a perpendicular turn and then cascades down a three-step staircase into a canyon that is 115 feet deep.

Athens

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Athens, a city that’s been inhabited since the fifth century BC, gave the world the concept of democracy and is the birthplace of Western civilisation. Many of the city’s significant landmarks can found in the old town particularly around the Acropolis. The list includes the temple of Zeus the Theatre of Dionysus where Sophocles works were performed and the Parthenon which sits atop the Acropolis.

Bay of Kotor

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When you’re hungry for breathtaking scenery feast your eyes on Kotor Bay in southwestern Montenegro. This bay off the Adriatic is just downright picturesque hemmed in by mountains with quaint villages sandwiched between the cliffs and the beautiful blue water. Several well-preserved medieval towns ring the bay. People make pilgrimages here not only to take in the scenery but also to visit the many Orthodox, and Christian churches spread among the villages.

Moscow

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For nearly 900 years Moscow has been the capital of Russia. As such, this old city has plenty to offer visitors. Let’s start with the 15th century Red Square since many of the city’s key attractions surround it. A top landmark is the Kremlin a former fortress that houses museums and the president of the Russian federation. Lenin’s Tomb sits in the middle of the square while the iconic onion-domed St.Basil’s Cathedral now a museum is on one side.

Venice

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Venice is for romantics who love gliding through the Grand Canal with a gondolier singing Italian love songs. This is, after all the city that sent Marco Polo off on his journey to China. Start your exploration of Venice at San Marco Square, the city’s most famous square. Here you’ll find the Doge’s Palace the seat of Venetian government and St. Mark’s Basilica the main church in Venice with stunning views from the tower. Venice also is famous for its bridges across the canals.

Monte Carlo

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If you’re into glitz and glamour, look no further than Monte Carlo the major city in the tiny principality of Monaco. Monaco has always for these qualities, which reached new heights when its prince made Grace Kelly his princess. Sitting on the shores of the Mediterranean Monte Carlo is known for fast car races and its elite casino. Take a walk along the harbour to see yachts that belong to the rich and famous.

Alhambra

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The Alhambra is one of the great wonders of Spain. It’s a gorgeous palace-fortress complex that can found in Granada in southern Spain’s Andalusia province. This imposing complex started as a small fortress in the late ninth century though it was built on the ruins of a former Roman fort. Taken over by Christian rulers, it is the site where Columbus got the go-ahead to discover the New World. The blending of architectural styles over the centuries is stunning. You’ll find great art and grand gardens throughout.

Florence

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If it weren’t for Florence, the Renaissance might not have happened. Florence is generally credit with bringing Europe out of the dark ages with great artists like Michelangelo. You can see their works at the Uffizi gallery or the Academia that displays the original David. Eat a gelato while strolling the Ponte Vecchio that bridges the Arno River. Ogle the over-the-top riches of the Medici family at the Pitti Palace.Marvel at the new engineering that created the magnificent Duomo.

London

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English history buffs will have a field day in London. This city on the Thames is chock full of palaces from Buckingham Palace to Hampton Court Palace. More a prison than a castle the Tower of London is home to the crowns jewels. And from Knightsbridge – don’t forget to visit the magnificent food halls at Harrods to Carnaby Street the shopping is fantastic. You can get around London quickly and efficiently by riding the famous Tube.

Neuschwanstein Castle

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“Fairy tale castle” is a phrase that aptly describes Neuschwanstein Castle in the Bavarian Alps. These 19th century Romanesque Revival castles look like it just stepped out of a fairy tale some say Neuschwanstein inspired the castle in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. The castle was built as a retreat for King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Who viewed it as a romanticisation of the Middle Ages The castle was built of brick then covered in rock including the white limestone that is visible from afar.

Amsterdam

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Amsterdam is a pleasant city marked with meandering canals lined with tall narrow row houses. It is the city where Anne Frank kept her famous diary, so visiting the house where she wrote that. Also is a city of great art beginning with the Rijksmuseum home to great European masterpieces Rembrandt’s house and the more modern van Gogh museum. Take a break from sightseeing to tour and sample Holland’s beer at the Heineken Brewery.

Prague

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Prague, with a long history of war and destruction, is considered one of the best places to visit in Europe. Despite the devastation caused by World War II Prague has a charming Old Town that is worth more than a few hours of your time. Prague has many pedestrian zones which making walking a delight as you wander by Prague Castle through the Jewish Quarter and over the Charles Bridge. Wenceslas Square situated in the New Town hums with a vibrant nightlife and entertainment air.

Istanbul

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Istanbul may be on the outer fringes of Europe but well worth a visit when you’re travelling abroad. Turkey’s biggest city is a fascinating place filled with a rich history, colourful markets and mosques. Top attractions include the Bosporus that separates Europe and Asia. The ecumenical Hagia Sophia that’s been a Greek Orthodox Christian basilica then an imperial mosque and now a museum and the 15th century Topkapi Palace also a museum today. Get in a little shopping at the Grand Bazaar that’s been in operation since 1461.

Geirangerfjord

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When the summer heat of Europe gets you down head to Norway with its pretty cool scenery. Geirangerfjord is a 9.3-mile long fjord with crystal blue waters fed by picturesque cascading waterfalls. Take a sightseeing trip on a car ferry through the fjord passing villages on the shores. Look out for the Seven Sisters and Suitor waterfalls so named because legend says he’s trying to court the sisters. Also, look for Bridal Veil – when the light is right, it seems like a thin veil covering the rocks.

Barcelona

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Founded by the Romans Barcelona today is a bustling city on the Mediterranean Sea. As the capital of Catalonia, it is a powerhouse in the region. It is perhaps best known for the unusual buildings designed by the architect Antoni Gaudi. These landmark structures include La Sagrada Familia a church that’s been under construction since 1892. You could build your entire visit around his buildings. But then you’d miss out on other Barcelona delights such as La Rambla a famous pedestrian street in the central part of the city.

Dubrovnik

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As European cities go Dubrovnik isn’t huge but don’t let its size deter you. This little jewel with less than 43,000 people is one of the most visited cities in the Mediterranean. Dubrovnik transports visitors back to a time when the fortified town was a significant maritime power commanding the third-largest navy in the Mediterranean. As you wander the streets, you’ll likely come across sculptures of St. Viaho the city’s patron saint whose life is celebrating every February.

Santorini

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When it’s time to sit back and relax take yourself to Santorini an island in the Aegean. Top travel magazines consider this a prime destination once there you can’t help but agree. The island has picture-postcard villages an active volcano and stunning sunsets. Be sure to visit Fira, a town perched atop a cliff. You’ll also want to sample wines such as the dessert wine Vincent as well as the product that is made sweeter and tastier because of the volcanic ash soil it grows in.

Paris

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Songs laud Paris in the springtime but any time of year is an excellent time to visit this riveting city on the River Seine. It’s a city loaded to the brim with history culture great food and high fashion. The iconic Eiffel Tower is one landmark you won’t want to miss. The Louvre houses one of the most significant art collections in the world. Its great churches include Sacred Heart and Notre Dame. When it comes to opulence, there’s Versailles with its famed Hall of Mirrors.

Rome

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The ancient Romans established outposts as far away as Great Britain. They didn’t ignore their home city; however when it came to building great monuments. One must-see landmark is the Colosseum an arena that could hold up to 80,000 people for gladiator contests. One of the biggest draws is a tiny country inside the city The Vatican City, with its impressive St. Peter’s Basilica with art provided by Michelangelo. Maybe you’ll get a glimpse of the pope at his Wednesday audiences.
Source

Below are my general recommendations for someone going in the summer. I have been three times for a total of about a month and a half. Any suggestions (for the next time I visit)?
Hello!
There's so much to say so I will try and start at a high level and then zoom in.
While staying in Montevideo, I suggest finding an Airbnb (or a higher ranked hotel) in Villa Biarritz/Punta Carretas/Pocitos.
This area is nice because it is walking distance to the Rambla (similar to the Barcelona Rambla) and has a ton of cute, boutique restaurants in the area. It is also close to the Punta Carretas shopping mall which was a prison from the dictatorship days that was converted to a high class shopping mall.
Montevideo is super safe, but downtown, and especially the "Old City" are much more likely to have homeless people and beggars just because of all the tourist traffic.
For super luxury, check out http://www.sofitel.com/gb/hotel-7969-sofitel-montevideo-casino-carrasco-and-spa/index.shtml It is in the nicest neighborhood in Montevideo, but its a bit far from everything else.
As for places to eat, I highly suggest Mercado de Peurto (http://www.mercadodelpuerto.com/). This website is HORRIBLE but it is a pretty authentic Uruguayan experience. Lots of Asados, grilled meat, and its a cool atmosphere. Definitely worth it. Another really nice, small place is El Viejoy http://www.elviejoyquerido.com.uy/. It's small, and everything is for sale. So the plates are all different, the food is good. Also, wine at places is SUPER cheap so bottles all the time in Uruguay. These are the two places that come to mind, but please feel free to ask about any specific food. Fish, pizzas, pizzetas, chivito, beef, griled chicken, pastas are the main food you'll see.
Also, before I forget, there is a built in discount for when you use a Visa or other Debit Card. Its like 11-20% so its pretty substantial. It is meant to encourage tourists to spend money, so it only occurs at "touristy" things like restaurants and cafes. So use a Visa card.
Flea markets are a huge thing in Uruguay because there are many, many artisans. Here is a list of the top markets-- https://theculturetrip.com/south-america/uruguay/articles/the-best-markets-in-uruguay/ -- the first one is huge. You can get anything at the market. Anything. A live chicken? Yes. A dog? Yes. Fresh fruit? Yes. There are miles of this thing.
Other touristy things you can look up yourself because a top 10 list will do a better job than me, but the above suggestions made everything enjoyable for us. Here is a website with that stuff: https://theculturetrip.com/south-america/uruguay/articles/the-top-10-things-to-do-and-see-in-montevideo-uruguay/
The NYT also recently did an article: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/16/travel/montevideo-uruguay-millennial-entrepreneurs-design-fashion-restaurants.html
ON TO THE COAST
First of all, rent a car. They aren't super expensive. Get a fun cheap little Chinese car. Really, cause gas is expensive and you don't need much more than that. Start to head west up the coast. There are a ton of small beach towns, but I am going to point out a few that are worth it. Also, beware! Try and drive this during times when tourists won't be. Up toward the coast is the main tourist attraction of most of South America, so you don't want to hit traffic. In approximate order of hitting the towns...
Pirapolis --cool spot with a fantastic view up the large mountain (driveable). Theres a restaurant up there too. It was really cool when we drive through at night, but we haven't spent that much time there.
Las Cumbres isnt a town but its a hotel on the way and its BEAUTIFUL. Have never stayed there but have just gotten tea and its literally stunning (https://www.cumbres.com.uy/ingles/index.html)
Punta Del Este-- I am sure you have heard of this place. Book a hotel early as it is likely going to be very busy when you go. It is the most upscale and you will see the richest families in South America here, and possibly Ricky Martin. I can't recommend a single restaurant because they are all fantastic. Bars START to get hopping at 2am (this is typical of all Uruguay) and this strip of bars will look like something out of a movie by 3 or 4. It's worth it to see. Random note: when you park, you usually give a small tip to people who "watch" you car, before or after. You'll see them. Its a real thing and protected from govt even though its scammy. I can go off about it but not here lol. Otherwise, do the touristy things here!
After Punta there's also a belgian hotel that's gorgeous called L'Auberge. (http://www.laubergehotel.com/) if you're interested in that.
La Barra is the next town, right after Punta. This is a party town, and theres a big, party beach with live DJs called Bikini. Also check out the shops. There's this amazing candle store called Vellas de Ballena that is great for souvenirs to give to people.
Next up is Jose Igancio. Super upscale little old fishing village that now gorgeous. There is a restaurant called Parador La Huella that we have never been to but has been in NYT and is really nice. We usually just pass through here, go to beach for an hour or two (there are surfing lessons here) and get a bite to eat. Wouldn't suggest staying here just because its so expensive and there isn't much nightlife in this area. There is sometimes a pop up restaurant here that has their sister restaurant in Brooklyn that if you go to both they treat you really well (because so few people do).
After Jose you have La Paloma (which is the next biggest city (after Punta and Pirapolis) but I don't suggest it, but then right after that is La Pedrera which is SO cute, and worth a stay. This place is also centrally located so if you stay in Punta for a few nights this might be your second home base. This is like hipsteartist central, with cool restaurants down the strip and a cool beach. Definitely an airbnb place, though--have no concept of what the hotels might be like cause its smaller. Not a party place but so cool and relaxing. Its a nice contrast. One restaurant I really enjoyed was Petisco (https://www.facebook.com/PetiscoRestoPubLaPedrera/). I highly suggest spending a night here. You won't find it on tourist destinations.
Next up...Cabo Polonia. This place is AMAZING. It is only accessible via these all terrain vehicles and its absolutely beautiful. We made a day out of it (I think its like 40 min from La Pedrera, so we stay two nights in La Pedrera and spent one day here). Here is a NYtimes article on it: http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/30/the-coast-of-utopia/ --I highly suggest it for a day, at least. We didn't stay so I don't know nightlife (they don't really have electricity or running water?) so don't know what its like, but there are hotels and is one of the top tourist destinations.
Finally, you have Punta Del Diablo, its one of my favorites. beautiful beach, cool atmosphere, and overall chill AF. We made a day trip out of this place (every year), but I assume you could stay longer. Think surfers, and surf huts, and beautiful beach.
Finally, not a beach town but possibly worth a visit, there is a winery and a town called Garzon. http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/05/13/travel/20120513-SURFACING.html Very hard to find, but worth a good dinner at the restaurant listed. The winery is evidently amazing as well, but I have never been.
COMING OVER FROM BA (East):
It might be worth it to take the ferry to Colonia instead of directly Montevideo. Spend a day here and then take a bus to Uruguay (probably cheaper too). This place is a super small Portuguese town from like the 1600s or something that has been preserved. Cute cafes, artisans, and great views.
For five nights, I would suggest spending:
1-2 nights in Montevideo. See the tourist things in the link above and experience the flea markets. Drive through Pirapolis if you can on the way to Punta from Montevideo, maybe grab lunch there.
1 night (preferably a weekend, but not necessary) in Punta. It's really the most famous destination. Go out and have fun all night long. On the way to La Pedrera stop in La Barra and Jose Ignacio to walk around, grab an ice cream, and sit on the beach for a bit.
2 nights in La Pedrera. You can use this as a destination point-- spend 1 day in Cabo Polonia, 1 day in La Pedrera (or just come back for dinnedrinks at the end of the day). You could even make it to Punta Del Diablo.
1 night in Punta Del Diablo or back to Montevideo (where you will probably have your flight from).
Note that driving up and down the coast takes like 2 hours from Monte to Punta and like 2-3 hour to Punta Del Diablo, which is the furthest point. It's not that far.

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3  
 
I am writing this entry on my fifth day aboard the Lodestar, a luxury cruise ship in the Mediterranean Sea. I’ve never heard of the cruise company before, and I hadn’t signed up for any contest to win either this or the other cruise I had won in the mail, but between the two, this one was farther from home, so it won out. I wanted to be away from everything familiar, away from myself if it was possible. Of course, the opposite has been the case.  
The trip started off well enough. I flew out of Atlanta, my heart thudding as the plane took off. I kept being haunted by the idea of all the flights that crashed where only a few people survived. I wasn’t very worried about myself, but I didn’t want to be responsible for the people around me being hurt or dying. I’d be lying if I said it was a pleasant flight, as I felt myself tensing at the slightest noise or shimmy of turbulence, but other than hearing several people complaining about small inconveniences like their phone dying or something being wrong with their meal, the trip was uneventful.  
We landed in Barcelona, and from there I took a taxi to the docks where the ship was boarding. After going through the initial check-in and handing over the suitcase I had brought, I went up the series of small ramps to the ship itself. It was beautiful, feeling more like a fancy hotel than a big boat until you looked out a window. The ship left the port, and while I could occasionally feel the slight motion of the water we were slipping through, I felt no signs of the sea sickness I’d had the few times I had been on the water growing up. I felt a combination of gratefulness and bitterness as I guessed the reason for the change, but pushing the thought aside I tried to focus on exploring the ship.  
The ship was truly massive, filled with rooms, three restaurants, a casino, four pools, and even a small ice rink on one of the lower levels. I considered trying to kill time in the casino, but my stomach turned at the idea of having the constant reminder of winning. Instead I went up to one of the upper decks and looked out at the water. It’s June as I write this, and the weather has been warm but not hot, with the cool air coming off the sea being both gentle and refreshing. I felt myself starting to relax slightly, and as the hours went by uneventfully, I actually started to enjoy myself, or at least not hate myself so much.  
The next day we landed in Italy near Florence, and while I debated getting off the ship at all, I was glad when I did. The city was beautiful, with such a weight of history and artistry around every corner. I started out with one of the ship’s tour groups, but I felt uncomfortable around so many people. Splitting off by myself, I traveled some of the smaller streets away from the main piazzas, dipping in and out of shops and grabbing a sandwich to eat as I walked. Being alone, with so many things to distract me, I actually felt good for the first time in months.  
The next two days were much the same. The ship stopped in Rome and then in Venice, and I had days of solitary sightseeing that were peaceful. The fourth full day at sea was actually called an “at sea” day, with the ship not landing at any port on its way to a stop along the coast of Croatia. Naturally, that led a lot of people to take the day to relax by the pools, and I was no different.  
I had set up in a lounge chair away from other people, my face barely shaded by a nearby umbrella. I wasn’t showing yet, and my old bathing suits still fit just fine, but it still struck me how little I cared how I looked anymore. Occasionally I would see a guy looking at me, weighing his odds if he came over, but clearly my expression told them all they needed to know. I reminded myself of my mother. Never truly laughing or smiling, just putting on faces as was needed for the task at hand. I had closed my eyes, trying to force those thoughts away and maybe take a nap, when the strong smell of cinnamon hit my nostrils. The smell was so strong and sharp that I sat up and opened my eyes almost involuntarily. That’s when I found the young woman standing nearby, her smile seeming genuine as she gave a light laugh.  
She gestured at the chair next to mine. “Is this taken?”  
I shook my head and she plopped down, spreading her hair out behind the top edge of the chair and settling back. I thought it was strange that she picked that spot when there were plenty of open chairs, but I was about to lay back down on my own when she spoke again.  
“So what smell is it?”  
I froze mid lay-down and turned back to her. “What?”  
She rolled on her side and propped her head on her hand as she looked at me. She looked to be about twenty and was on the beautiful side of pretty, but she also seemed strange. Not just what she was saying, but her…manner. Her movements, the meter of her words, they all seemed slightly off from what I would expect from someone of her age. Then she was speaking again.  
“When I came up. You smelled a strong smell, right? What was it?”  
I blinked. “Cinnamon.”  
She laughed and gave a nod. “That’s lucky. Sometimes you get a burning trash or dog shit smell, or strong cheese. I hate cheese, except for American, which is mainly plastic anyway, right?”  
I felt like I had stumbled into the middle of a conversation she was having with someone else. “I don’t understand.”  
The woman gave a shake of her head. “Sorry, not trying to be mysterious or weird. Just been looking forward to talking to you. Running off at the mouth.” She stopped a minute, looking around before continuing. “When I got near you, I smelled coconut. Those of us with…the luck is what most of us call it…we can smell when each other are near. You can’t ever predict what the smell will be, and once it’s smelt, it’s always the same for that person. So again, better you smelled cinnamon than dog shit when I showed up, because that can happen.” She gave another laugh.  
My mind was racing, and I wasn’t sure what to believe or what to say. I didn’t want to admit to anything in case this was a misunderstanding or a trick, but I also didn’t want to give up this chance to possibly learn more about what was going on. Ultimately, I just lamely blurted out, “I don’t smell my mother or grandmother.”  
The woman’s face grew more serious for a moment before lightening again. “Well, no it doesn’t happen inside your own family. I don’t know why, but I don’t know why the smells happen in the first place.” She studied me for a moment. “Did they tell you there were other families like yours?”  
I shook my head and she reached over to pat my arm. “Well, this is even weirder for you then. I’m sorry.” She pushed herself up to a sitting position, folding her legs underneath her. “Ok. There are other families that have it too, just like yours. Not many, of course. I know about eight. Well, seven now.” She frowned but pushed on. “To answer some questions you might have off the bat, yes, it’s always girls. Yes, the rules are the same for everyone. Yes, a lot of it sucks, but you can learn to live with it and use the rules in your favor.” The girl beamed as though she had just finished a sales pitch, which in some ways she had. I shrugged in return.  
“I guess. I just am so tired. I’m so guilty feeling for all these people I’m hurting.”  
She nodded. “Understandable. Totally get it. But once you come to terms with people getting hurt and that you can influence who that is, it becomes easier to channel the bad into something more positive.” Noticing my confused stare, she went on. “Ok. Wow. They told you very little.” She swung her feet back onto the chair, turning to face out at the pool. “Alright, you see the little guy across the way, sitting next to bar? The one with the glasses?”  
I nodded. “Yeah. So?”  
She turned her gaze back to me. “So, he’s a convicted child molester. Two months after he got paroled, he got a letter in the mail saying he had one a free cruise. This cruise. Lucky, right?” She gave me a wink. “Now, during his trip, I’ve made it a point to talk to him for a few minutes. Make sure I have a clear memory and feel for him. And a few days from now, when he’s back home, lying to his parole officer that he hasn’t left the city, much less the country, he’ll have some really bad luck. And that will be the story of him.”  
“But how? I thought we don’t control it?”  
She waggled her hand back and forth. “Eh, we do and we don’t. It’s going to happen regardless, we can’t stop it, that’s for sure. But you can channel it to a large degree. If you go to sleep thinking about someone with deep anger or hatred towards them, most of the time, they’re going to get popped the next day or two. And you’ll find that very little other stuff happens if you give the bad a direction regularly.”  
I thought about Brad and felt nauseous, but pressed on. “So how did you pick him? How did you know about him in the first place?”  
The girl grinned. “Oh, this is my ship. My cruise line. It’s semi-profitable, but it’s real purpose is that once or twice a year I also take a cruise myself. On those trips, I make sure I have a dozen or so people show up that can go onto my list. Pedophiles, murderers, people that the world is better without. And I chat with them some, get enough so I can put some feeling behind it when the time comes. And then they go home. Then some time later, it might be a week or a few months, I’ll do my part, and they will feed whatever this thing really is.”  
I sat for a moment, thinking about all that she was saying. Was it true? And why hadn’t her mother or grandmother told her about it? About any of this? She didn’t know what to believe or whether she could trust this woman at all.  
“How long have you been doing this?”  
Her grin widened. “Fifty two years, give or take. My mother did it a little before she passed, and I know some other families do variations on it as well, but I like to think I’ve perfected it. I’m helping the world and myself too.”  
I sucked in a breath as she spoke. “How old are you?”  
“73.” She paused and raised a hand. “I know how it sounds with you being so new to it all, but I’ve been doing this pretty much since it came on me, and there are certain benefits to directing it beyond your conscience. You don’t really age, and your body can even get younger and stronger depending on how frequently you do it. Plus, it really does make you look better, or at least closer to how you would want yourself to look. You won’t look like a totally different person, but more like the best version of yourself. And believe me, some people have a very broad range they can travel in that regard. Before this stuff hit me, my face looked like someone took a shit from the top of the ugly tree.” She swung herself back around to facing me, her face serious again. “Look, I know this is a ton of stuff to take in. If not for all you’ve been through, you would think it was all made up shit. But I’ve been keeping an eye on you, and I think you’ve seen enough to know that what I’m saying is possible. You just have to decide how much you can trust you can put in it and me.”  
I frowned at her. “I don’t know how much I can trust. Why have you been keeping an eye on me?”  
The woman sighed, and for the first time she looked truly sad. “I used to be your mother’s best friend. She wasn’t introduced to all of this until just a few months before it came on her, but our families have always gotten along fairly well, so we were that introduction. Me and her became close really quickly. She always smelled like cotton-candy to me.” She smiled, her eyes glimmering. “I was with her when she met your father. He was handsome, and such a good guy. She loved him so much.” She stopped and rubbed her eyes. “But things happened, and she cut off ties from everyone. Even me. She was pregnant with you at the time, so I never got to meet you before now, but I’ve always kept an eye out.”  
“What ‘things happened’? I’m so tired of people not telling me everything. What happened back then that changed everything so much?”  
She was shaking her head before I even finished. “I’m sorry, Eliza, but I can’t go into that. I don’t know all the details, and even if I did, that’s for your mother to tell. It won’t be easy for her, but I think if you push her on it she will be honest.”  
I gave a bitter laugh. “She won’t even return my calls. The only person that will even talk to me anymore, aside from I guess you now, is my grandmother.”  
The woman’s face hardened, her expression dark. “Well, go to her then. Make her talk. After you have talked to her, I’m happy to talk to you again, to help any way I can. But please, if you take nothing else I’ve said to heart, listen to me on this: Do not trust that other woman, the one you call grandmother.”  
My eyes widened. “What? Why? She’s my grandmother. She’s always looked out for me.”  
She shook her head. “No. No she isn’t and no she hasn’t.”  
“What’re you saying?”  
She reached forward, gripping my hand tightly. “I’m saying that fucking bitch isn’t your grandmother and she is extremely dangerous. That’s what I’m saying.”  
Part 5

"Memoirs of a day filled with drugs and violence"

 Written by Jonas Øvsthus 

“I was more addicted to self destruction then to the drugs themselves ... something very romantic about it” ― Gerard Way

 Chapter one "Self Destruction" 

So there I sat... drenched in sweat and shame. Well, not really the shame part. That came later. I remember that day very well. It was a Sunday in 1998. I was in a hotel room in Los Angeles, California. I was supposed to be the key-note speaker at the Sunnyvale rehabilitation center. The conference was at 11 o´clock. It was eight o´clock at the moment. I had some hours to get myself back in shape. I still have the faint taste of cheap tequila and cigarettes in my mouth. I smelled horrible, but I did not feel like taking a shower. Instead I opened a can of Heineken and poured a line of cocaine. Columbia´s finest. I used my debit credit card to cut two perfect lines. I was strangely detailed about my lines of coke. I was not the person to cut up a two centimeter line and a three centimeter line. I bought the cocaine from a hispanic gentlemen outside of Baker´s Casino last night. At least I think so. I´m not really sure. The last week has been a real blur for me. Ever since I left New York, every night has gotten more blurry and every morning has gotten more grim. So I guess I should explain why I; a drug addict and an alcoholic are going to speak at a conference for some bullshit rehabilitation center. My wife, well ex-wife forced me to go to rehab about two months ago. And off course I went, I would not do anything to disappoint her. I put on fresh blue jeans and a cheap brown blazer and went on my way. I opened the door and there I saw a dozen of depressed, anti-social peasants drinking their coffee and pretending to be nice to everybody. I was not like that. I never pretended. I guess that is a problem, huh? Well anyways; I went to two or three meetings. I don´t really remember because I was high out of my mind, but nobody noticed. They really reacted badly when I refused to admit I was an addict. I clearly was, and I still am... But I adventualy got around to admitting it. And I was not proud. Not at all. They got the best of me. They took the one thing I owned. Something personal. That is all you really need to know.
It was 8:30. I already drank my beer and did my cocaine. I started to feel good. Back on track. Then the hotel phone rang. I slowly walked towards it. Hesitating. Why? I don´t know. But when you do as much drugs as I do, paranoia tends to take the best of you. "Hello?" I asked quietly. It was a lady. She was talking very fast. Way to fast. "Can you please repeat that?" I kindly asked the nice lady. "You have a phone call, sir. Please hold and I will put you over." I did not respond. The channel changed and the dial tone started. It probably dialed two or three times. "Mr. Smith?" a man asked on the other end of the phone. "Yes?" I answered. "Your requested rental is outside the hotel, whenever you´re ready." the man said and hung up. Rental? What was he talking about? I did´t rent a car. Or maybe I did. Waking up to suprises like this after a night in a total drug haze was starting to get normal for me. But it never seized to amaze me what appeared on my doorstep every morning. Well I guess I had to go downstairs to check out the rental I ordered. I was still in my bathrobe, so I had to put on some respectable clothing. Jeans with huge holes on the kneed? Sure. An old woolen sweater my wife got me a couple of years ago? That would do. I checked my pockets to see if I had everything I needed. Wallet, hotel room key, and what is this? A small piece of paper with a smiley face on it. Did I buy acid last night? I can´t recall. I studied the piece of acid closely. "Fuck it" I said to my self and put the piece under my tongue. And out the door I went. I could hear yelling from the hotel room next to mine when I entered the hallway. The light was really bright here. I put on my sunglasses. I started walking down the hall and towards the elevator. I clicked the button and waited. How long does this thing take? I checked my fake rolex wrist watch. 08:45. I had plenty of time before the conference. The elevator finally opened after what felt like an eternity. Inside there was an elderly couple. They smiled at me, with I did´t care for. I stepped inside. "You going down?" I asked. "Yes" the woman replied. "Jesus christ" I mumbled to myself. You don´t have to be so damn enthusiastic about everything. I could feel them smiling behind me. I adventully turned and I was right. Smiling like a couple of high-school girls. "Rough night?" the man asked me. "I beg you pardon?" I replied. He repeated himself. "No, not really." I replied. "Well you look like you had one" he said. For fucks sake. I really hate old people. "Well, I went bar-hopping with some friends." I said. "Well that sounds like fun." the woman replied. "Yeah sure. We got really drunk and did a lot of cocaine. Way to much. I´m not even sure if they´re alive after last night." I replied. They did not answer. Not a single fucking word. The elevator door opened, and I turned to the couple. "Have a wonderful day!" I said and walked away. Their faces.... I will never forget. It was like a combination of pure horror and an aneurysm. It was wonderful. As I walked into the hotel reception, I suddenly started to feel a tingling sensation in my legs. I got dizzy. Kind of sick. I felt like throwing up. Then I remembered! The acid! I got really excited. I totally forgot. I walked up to the front desk. "I ordered a rental" I said. "Sure, what is your name?" the nice lady asked me. "Smith" I replied. Her eyes were funny. They were not in place like on a normal person. They started rotating, and so did her mouth. I could see colors and glowing from behind her. "Yes, it is parked outside." the lady said and handed me the keys. But I could not focus. Her face was so fascinating. And what was the glowing halo behind her? I had so many questions. "Sir, are you okay?" the lady asked me. Fuck! My high was starting to show. I needed to pull it together. "Yes, off course" I said and took the keys from her hand. I walked towards the front door. I though I walked normal, but now I realize I did not. Everyone was looking at me strange. I just smiled at them. In a total daze of obliviousness. Come to think of it; I don´t think I acted normal at all. People were turning their heads and shaking their heads at me. I did not understand at the time, but now it makes total sense. Sure, I had at least three different recreational chemicals in my system, but I felt great. It was sunny outside. Not a cloud to be seen. I walked towards the parking lot. There was probably three hundred cars parked there. I pushed the lock button on the black car key I was handed. I heard the opening of a lock nice and a honk. And there it was: a black 1967 Ford Mustang. And I was taking this baby on a ride on a beautiful day, high on cocaine, and the lsd was just kicking in.

 Chapter two "Rebel Within" 

Was I fit to drive? Probably. I´m going to have to take that risk today. It´s not everyday you get to drive a masterpiece like the 67´Mustang. I started it and revved it. I cannot describe the sound that it made. It was purely orgasmic. I sat there and revved it for a few seconds. People started to look at me funny. I rolled down the window and yelled "All hail the mighty V8!" at the top of my lungs. People was just shaking their heads. They did not appreciate this like I did. I took out a tiny salt shaker from my pocket that contained the rest of the coke I bought last night. I placed a little dab on hand and snorted it. "God damnit!" I yelled and drove off. After just a few seconds of driving I realized that the trees around me was not friendly trees. They all had faces and had a smug look. I did not get afraid, rather unsettled. I rolled down my windows and yelled "What the fuck are you looking at, you filthy plants? Have you never seen a V8 before?". That showed them. They oughta know better than to stare at me with their stupid fucking faces. I can´t remember how fast I was going, probably 80 or 90. To fast, nevertheless. Then I saw it; blue rotating lights from my windshield. "They must be in a hurry" I thought to myself and pulled over at the nearest bus stop to let them pass. But he did not pass. He stopped behind me, and got out of his car. A filthy fucking pig with a mustache that will make you want to throw up. He dragged his fat pathetic ass over to the Mustang and knocked twice on the window. I rolled it down. "What seems to be the problem, sir?" I asked politely. And when I said a filthy fucking pig earlier, I meant it. This was a fucking pig in a police uniform. He grunted with his dirty pink nose. His uniform was very clean though, compared to his face. Wait... was this the acid? Maybe this is an actual cop and not a pig. I better play it cool nevertheless. "SIR! License and registrations, please!" the police pig said. He must have asked me a couple of times, according to his attitude. I was in a total daze, I could not focus if my life depended on it. All I could see was a pig in a police uniform. "Yeah, sure! Sorry, officer" I said and pulled out my driver license from my wallet. The pig studied my license and then my face. "Have you been drinking today, sir?" the pig asked. "No, sir." I answered. Confidently. He took another close look at my face and then rolled his eyes. "This right here is a Nevada driver license, you need to get it changed as soon as possible." the pig said. "Sure thing! I´ll get to it ASAP!" I answered. At this point I was afraid, I´m not going to lie. I was scared to death. This is the first time I´ve seen a talking pig, or an actual pig! "Are you on drugs?" the pig asked me. I was in pure terror. I was sweating so bad the pig could probably smell and hear it. "Absolutely" I answered. The pig froze. He was shocked. "Sir, step out of the vehicle, please." the pig said and stepped away from my door. "Sure" I said and took of my seat belt and stepped out of the car. The wind and air hit me in a beautiful way. I could hear birds and wind blowing in the trees. It was beautiful. Then the beautiful setting got interrupted by the pig throwing me to the ground. "I am getting real tired of your fucking games!" the pig said. He put me in handcuffs and rolled me over to my back. Then I saw it. It was not a pig that I had been seing. It was an actual police officer. The acid tricked me. He pulled me off the ground and put me against the Mustang. "What drugs have you been taking today?" the officer asked me. "Well, nothing much, two grams of cocaine and a sheet of lsd." I answered. I was always honest when it came to my drug use. Well not always, but sometimes. "Jesus fucking christ" the officer said to himself. "Are really the handcuffs necessary, officer?" I asked him politely. "They are for my protection" he replied. "Come on man, I´m calm. I´m not going to do anything stupid" I said. The cop looked at me. I could see the gears grinding inside his brain. He was weighing out the positives and negatives in his mind. "Well, I guess they're not necessary." the cop said and unlocked me from the hand-bound prison. I needed to get out of here, I had a conference to attend. I needed a distraction, or better; make one myself. "Hey, what is that guy doing?" I said and pointed across the street. The police officer turned his big stupid head like I was pointing to a castle made out of chocolate. I grabbed his baton and hit him across the back of his head. He fell to the ground. I felt alive. I also took his 9mm Glock and his police radio. I got in the Mustang and drove off. I had to get out of here quick. What was in this acid? I´ve never experienced this in the twenty-two years I´ve been taking psychadelics. But the acid behaved for a while after that. No more bad trees mean-mugging me and talking pigs with badges. I checked my wrist watch. It was 10.00. Only an hour til´the conference. I needed to straighten up. I was a mess. I checked my salt shaker. Empty. Well, fuck. I needed some coke right now. I opened my phone and scrolled through my contacts. "Hector" I dialed him. You see; Hector was my go-to guy when it came to cocaine back in the day. But he got busted for possession of illegal drugs with intention to sell, and for contribution to murder. He was locked up for seven years. Allround dangerous dude. But that did not matter, I needed coke. I needed it bad.

 Chapter three "Customer Service" 

"Hello?" I said. "Who the fuck is this?" Hector replied over the phone. "It´s Smith... I need some coke" "Hey fuck you man, I´m not getting you no coke" Hector replied. "Well I did´t ask you filthy puerto rican. I demanded" I replied. "Who the fuck do you think you´re talking to, white boy?" Hector said, aggregated. "You know damn well who you´re talking to, Hector" I said to him. By the way; I´m speeding down Hollywood Boulevard, dodging cars and responsability. "Don´t ever call me again, white boy" Hector threatened me. "Oh I don´t need to call you again, sandbag. I´m on my way to your house." I replied. "Wait, what?" Hector was starting to get worried. "Yep, about three minutes away now, you better have a fresh pot when I arrive" I said and hung up the phone. I cocked the 9mm as I pulled into his driveway. I was not three minutes away, it was more like three seconds. I got out of the Mustang and marched to the front door. I kicked the door in, with my 9mm pointing at anything that moved. But nothing moved. It was empty. "Where the fuck are you at, sandbag?" I yelled. "Where´s the coke?" I yelled again. No reply at all. "Hector!" I tried again. I don´t even think I finished yelling his name before I was rudely interrupted by the blast of a twelve gauge through the bathroom door. I jumped to the ground. He kept firing two more shots. I could hear him reloading. He was armed with a pump-action shotgun, because I could hear him cocking it. "Get the fuck out of my house, Smith!" Hector yelled as he fired another round. I crawled behind the kitchen counter. I could hear the bathroom door opening. It creaked really bad, could use some oiling. "Where are you, white boy?" Hector said. I could hear him moving closer and closer to me. Maybe he was getting to close? I needed to warn him. With my back against the kitchen counter, I fired two shots of the Glock at the ceiling. "Fuck!" Hector screamed and rain for cover. I stood up from the counter and got the Glock ready. "Listen, buddy. I just need some cocaine" I said to calm him down. But I was not lying. "You just want some fucking cocaine? Then why do you come in here strapped?" Hector cried. "Mostly for my own safety, you know how you drug dealers are." I said and laughed. "Listen man; I stopped dealing. I´m trying to go straight this time" Hector said. "Really? Well I´ll be damned" I answered. "There is no fucking snow in here, man. Just leave" Hector cried. "You better shit out some fucking cocaine, because I´m not leaving without my fucking cocaine!" I yelled. I was starting to get irritated. I knew damn well he had some bricks stashed in this shit hole. I started to hear sirens. Were they real? There was no way to tell. This acid trap was getting worse by the minute. I needed something to focus. But the sirens kept getting louder and louder. "Okay, Hector, I´m putting the gun down." I said and thew Hector´s phone on the ground. It was worth an attempt. I was pointing the 9mm at the corner where he was hiding. Waiting.... Then Hector peeped around the corner, and I placed a bullet right between his eyes. He fell to the ground and I started opening drawers and cabinets looking for the good stuff. "FUCK!" I yelled out loud. I ran into his bedroom. It was full of dirty laundry. I rain through his drawers and wardrobe. And here it was; at the top shelf of his cabinet. A brown beautiful bag wrapped in duct tape. There was a halo glowing around it when I held it in my hands. I swear to god I heard angels singing. I rain to the kitchen and got a knife and sliced it open. I stuck the knife in the bag and snorted the coke right off the knife. It was amazing. Truly wonderful moment. But then I realized: The sirens! They were getting louder and louder by the seconds. I was sure this was not just a trick made by my acid-filled mind. I opened a kitchen drawer and grabbed some electrical tape I found. I taped over the hole I made in the brick and took off. I started the Mustang and backed it off the driveway. I heard a loud bang. That was the sound of Hector´s mailbox I hit. Who the hell places a mailbox there? Never mind... I had to leave. As I drove off I checked my watch again. 10:45. Shit, only fifteen minutes till´the conference. I had to get out of here quick. I estimated about ten minutes till´the hotel. That is off-course; no traffic. But this is Los Angeles, the city of angels. And also the city of traffic jams. I just had to wing it. If I got there late... so be it. I was easily doing seventy miles per hour down the busy street of Santa Monica. Dodging oncoming traffic and lousy pedestrians trying to cross the road. "Get out of my way, dickheads! This is an emergency!" I yelled out the window. I may be in a hurry, but I took the time to appreciate the mood I was in. The coke did one hell of a job. And yes; I put the seat belt on my brick of cocaine in the passenger seat. Then a strange noise appeared. I could not figure out where it came from. I checked the glove box, the floor of the car and in the sunglasses-compartment on the roof. Shit, it was my phone. "Hello?" I answered. "Where are you?" a man said on the other line. "Ummm, Santa Monica, who is this?" I replied. "It´s Andy. We´re all waiting for you." Andy said. Andy was the president of the Sunnyvale Rehabilitation center. Real dickhead. Think he is SO fucking special because he´s ten years sober. "Yeah, well... I´ll be there in five minutes." I replied. "Five minutes? You said you were in Santa Monica, there is no way in hell you´re going to make it in five minutes!" Andy yelled at me. "Wanna bet?" I replied. "What?" Andy replied "I asked: Wanna bet?" I said again. "No, I don´t want to bet, just drive safe and I will talk to the board and say you are going to be late." Andy said. "I won´t be late. Five minutes. Five grand." I said and hung up the phone. Well fuck... Five minutes. I can make that. I picked up the knife from Hector´s kitchen and sliced a hole in the brick of cocaine. I took a huge snort. Probably close to one gram of pure columbian cocaine. You see; when you do cocaine, it increases levels of natural chemical messenger "Dopamine" in brain circuits controlling movements and pleasure. Cocaine prevents dopamine from recycling, causing excessive amounts to build up between nerve cells. Meaning; it will make you fell fucking invincible. So I did the only logical thing to do: I floored the damn thing. The Mustang roared a might roar as it geared down and built up speed. I turned up the radio. "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones was on. I turned it up and yelled: "Now we´re talking!

 Chapter Four "Maybe I´m not fit for the job" 

As the screams of Mick Jagger we´re roaring from the car stereo, I was concentrating on not killing myself and innocent people on the road. I was doing good. There minutes left. I could make it. The four-lane highway was jam-packed with soccer moms in mini-vans and suits in nice Mercedes Benzes. I was tailgating this really nice Mercedes AMG. I though to myself: "Jesus christ, you have about three hundred horsepower in that thing, why not use it?" I had a huge V8 in the Mustang, and I made sure to use every single one of the ponies in the cylinders. I could see him lifting his head to check the rear-view mirror. He was not happy with me being this close to the ass of his nice car. But I had a important conference to attend to. I decided to calm down. This is going to be fine. I looked to my left and saw a beautiful woman driving in her BMW convert able. She was truly a beautiful person. She reminded me of my wife. Yeah I know: Ex-wife. Then my beautiful moment was rudely interrupted by a huge crash, forcing the Mustang to a complete stop. I hit my head on the steering wheel, causing bleeding from my forehead. All I could think was: "Isn´t there any airbags in this shit?". I could´t make sense of what happened. The front window was full of smoke from the radiator. Then, the driver door opened. "What the fuck are you doing? Learn how to fucking drive a car!" a mysterious voice said. I was still in a tiny coma. "W-What?" I replied. He talked some more, but his voice just got more and more blurry, so did his face. I unbuckled my seat belt and stepped out of the car. My legs were sore. Really sore. I had problems with standing up straight. I could´t make sense of what he was saying. Them my vision became more and more clear. The man was wearing a nice blue suit. "Learn how to fucking drive!" He yelled at me. "Yelling does not solve anything." I replied. "What the fuck did you say to me?" the man answered. Aggravated. He was furious. "Do you want some coke?" I asked him. I thought we would forget all this if he got a line of my precious cocaine. "Are you high?" he asked me. "Off course I´m high!" I replied. "Jesus christ!" he yelled and started dialing on his phone. "What are you doing" I asked him. "What do you think I´m doing? I´m calling the cops." the man replied. "No you´re not." I said. This went back and fourth. I went into the Mustang, grabbed my brick of coke and the 9mm lying in the passenger seat. "I don´t think that is a good idea" I said and pointed the gun at him. He froze. At this point several honest citizens started to stop to assist the accident. One gentleman that stopped drove a nice Audi sedan. I ran over to him and forced him out of the car. "I need your car!" I yelled and dragged him out his car. I took off. The Audi was not nearly as fast as the Mustang, but it did the job. At this point I was really late. I lost the bet. I had to pay that sack of shit five grand. I pulled up to the Hotel valet´ and ran out of the car. I rushed into the hotel and went up to the reception. "Where is the conference?" I asked. "It´s in the conference room in the basement" the nice lady replied. "Thank you, have a wonderful day" I said and took off. While I was running down the stairs to the basement, I realized that I had the pistol in my waist, and the brick of coke tucked into my shirt. Oh well, they won´t notice. There stood Andy. "Where the fuck have you been?" Andy said angry. "Here" I said and handed him five thousand dollars. "What the fuck?" Andy said. I walked into the conference room. It was jam-packed. And at that very moment, I realized that maybe I´m not fit for the job. I mean: I´m going to get on stage and lie to a hundred people. Lie about how my life has changed since I got sober. Since I joined this stupid club, the only hours I´ve been sober has been when I was sleeping, and I´m not even sure if I was sober even then. So there I stood. Sweat running down my forehead, still bleeding from that damn steering wheel and a head full of cocaine. I felt a tug on my shoulder. It was Andy. "What the fuck happened to you, you cannot go up there looking like that!" Andy whispered in my ear. "I have to." I answered. Andy kept trying to pull on my shoulder. "Momma did not raise no quitter!" I yelled and ran to the stage. Me yelling caught the people´s attention. I could only imagine Andy´s face as I ran. I walked towards the microphone. It was quiet. Dead quiet. "Hello everyone." I said. No reply. I guess a small part of me wanted the people to respond. "Pull yourself together!" I though to myself. "You´ve been lying to everyone your entire life." I said to myself. People were looking at me strange and whispering to each other. And I understood why. I couched twice and started my speech:
"Dear people of Los Angeles. I is a pleasure to be here on this beautiful day. I am here to talk about how Sunnyvale Rehabilitation center has changed my life. And how getting sober has made me an all-round better person. About two months ago, my then-wife forced me to go to rehab because of my drug addiction. I had lied to her about my drug use the entire three years of our marriage. So I went to one of their meetings, not knowing what to expect. And I was met with some of the nicest and love-filled people I´ve ever met in my entire life. We were all friends there, no, family rather." I stopped for a second. I started thinking. Where am I going to end up if I continue lying to everyone like this? In jail? Dead? Or just a man with no emotion or empathy for anyone? Was I turning into a drug-filled psychopath? I think I was. And I think it was about the right time. The right time to tell everyone the truth. By the flip of a light-switch I completely changed my belief in life. I have been lying to everyone to get out of trouble, to get my will and to manipulate people. No more. It was time.
"Listen folks... I have something to confess." I took a deep breath and couched. "The things that I just said.... It was complete horse shit... I am not two months sober. And I´m not the right person to stand here and talk about sobriety to you wonderful people. I.... I am an addict. I have been using cocaine and various psychedelics my entire life. And I´m not ashamed. I do think I have a problem. Absolutely. But I am not ashamed. Or maybe I am.... I am starting to lose grip of my life. On what is real or not. Today, on this beautiful Sunday morning.... I have taken about three grams of cocaine, one beer and a sheet of LSD." People were shocked. Andy started walking towards the stage in a hurry. "Stay the fuck back, Andy! Let me finish this!" I yelled. Andy actually stopped. Neat. "And the drugs is not the worst thing I did today. I also killed a puerto rican drug dealer to acquire this!" I said as I held up my brick of cocaine. The people sat completely frozen in a combination of shock and fear. But they did listen. And I appreciated that. "I am not the right person to do this. I am a fraud. I have lied to everyone in this wonderful facility. My real name is not Smith. I killed my wife because she flushed ten grams of my cocaine down the toilet." A lady fainted in the audience. I noticed several people pulling out their cell phones to call the police. I looked at Andy´s heartbroken face and said: "The first step is admitting, right?" Andy just stood there in a total daze. "Thank you!" I said and ran off the stage. I figured I had said to much information to lock me up for life, so I made a formal descicion to haul ass. As I ran I though to myself: "I never though a Sunday like this could completely change my life. To completely change aspect of life itself like this is truly remarkable." And as I ran through the hotel, onto the busy streets of Los Angeles with police sirens all around me, I knew; I was a different person at this point.
While writing this, I am currently sitting on a balcony in a hotel room in Barcelona. The sun is hitting me just perfect as I sit here in my Hawaiian shirt and jean shorts. I am drinking a wonderful mixed Jack and Coke and eating a slice of pizza which the wonderful room service lady brought up for me. If anyone reads this, I am deciding here in beautiful Spain for a few more days, before finally flying to Texas to reunite with my mother. It´s been to long since I last saw her. I really miss her voice and her sweet Apple pie. I´m not sure if she is going to be happy or mad to see me. Or even recognizes me. Time will show. I can´t think of that right now. In an hour I am going to meet up with an old colleague of mine to discuss some new business opportunities. I took my acid about an hour ago, so it will kick in any moment now. Until next time...
Best regards... Mr Smith.