I can now say I've seen a total eclipse and it was pretty freaking neat. In fact, it was more than pretty neat; the experience of seeing day turn to night all of the sudden was far more powerful than I expected. The 360° sunset, the drop in temperature, the surreal image of the corona peeking out behind the dark moon—these are the things that people talk about and for good reason. And while the experience was powerful for so many of those reason, I imagine the reason I broke out into tears was more because I was thinking back to the last time I watched an eclipse and lamented having to do this little adventure by myself.
But you've probably heard a report of this cosmic ballet a bunch already, and I surely don't have any decent pictures to do it justice nor the poetry skills to share it in any meaningful way. I can, however, share something that perhaps I am more well-suited for which is to recount the crazy adventure that led me to that Hardee's parking lot in Leadington, MO to have the experience at all. I was out in New York for my annual pilgrimage to the Crossword Puzzle Tournament (which I didn't end up getting a ticket for, but that's a whole other story), so I figured I'd hit up the eclipse on my way home. And since I have the flexibility with my stand-by flights to make a game time decision, I waited to get reliable weather reports before deciding on my plan. The catch, however, is that that left me behind the curve of planning things like rental cars, beating traffic, etc. What ensued was perhaps one of my craziest days of travel, spanning a multitude of transit modes and more travel hours than probably should be attempted in one day. Here's the run down:
Not my photo, but exactly what I saw and _tried_ to take a picture of
When viewed by the numbers, it seems crazy even to me this little adventure—a lot of work for what amounts to a brief 4 minute payoff. But there's adventure in the journey, for sure—driving through the back rounds of rural Missouri, hearing the other Hardee's parking lotters ooh and ahh over the spectacular, driving an electric car in earnest for the first time, the satisfaction of successfully riding a new public transit system for the first time. Yes, I'm glad I did this. But now I think I'll take a nap. |
Tuesday April 9 2024 | File under: travel |
Toggle Comments (3) | comment? |
A question I get quite often on the topic of travel is "Where is your favorite place you've traveled to?" I always hem and haw on the answer ("Albania was unexpectedly beautiful", "China was the most challenging yet most rewarding", and "Malaysia and Indonesia (excluding Bali) were cheap, not overly touristy, and had wonderful things to see"). Favorite is so unspecific (favorite moment, site, food, event, etc.). But I know it's just meant to be an opening into a conversation, so I've made my peace with it. And now, I feel like I can add Malta to my hemming and hawing.
Malta is awesome, at least for me at this time of year with the itinerary I've stumbled into. (I suspect Malta is quite often awesome, but caveats.) I've had the most lovely week exploring this tiny island nation. As always, I had done very little research beforehand so only vaguely knew what to expect. Luckily, so many of my travel desires were checked that I'm super glad I threw the dart here! In no particular order, here are some highlights:
Adding to its place on my favorites contender list are some total flukes of coincidence that have only just added to the overall experience. Yesterday, for example, happened to be the feast day for a local saint so there were marching bands, parades, church bells, and fireworks around every turn. Then, this morning on my way to get a geocache (which turned out to be awesome), an old man handed me some delicious mandarins he just picked from his tree. Or on my first night in Victoria, I saw the nightly migration of the sparrows to their roosting trees and then happened to be at the Citadel* for an amazing sunset. I very much realize that every travel experience I have is unique—a different person, a different time, a different turn on the random corner could lead to a totally different experience. But if you're looking to increase your chances of having a great experience, I'd suggest thinking about Malta in the off season! (For posterity, continuity, and completeness, I will mention that prior to my spectacular week in Malta, I explored Berlin and Potsdam for 5 days. I enjoyed myself and did what I was supposed to do (see the wall, get a jumping photo, make bad jokes, and take a photo or two), but without this little side trip, I might have come home a little underwelmed. No offense Germany, oh homeland of mine, but try and be more like Malta.) |
Tuesday February 6 2024 | File under: travel, Malta |
Toggle Comments (2) | comment? |
Sunday January 29 2023 | File under: travel, data |
comment? |
Throughout this trip, I kept a simple travel journal (available here), mostly about the day to day events, record of costs, etc. Its main purpose was for me to have some way of summarizing and remembering my day, kind of like sharing how your day was with your partner. I feel so grateful that so many people followed along with the journal (which, had I known, I might have put a little more effort into spicing it up!). But for those who didn't (and for lazy me of the future that wants to know generally what I did during the trip), I put together this calendar of sorts. The note and photo about the day aren't meant to necessarily be the highlight nor a summary of the day, just something notable.
|
Thursday January 19 2023 | File under: travel, europe |
Toggle Comments (2) | comment? |
Ever since I heard about the EuroVelo system of bike paths across Europe, I felt like I needed to check it out. I didn't know how or when, but it seemed like a good fit for me. As I do most of my travel in Europe's winter, I thought it might be a bit of a pipe dream. After all, who likes pedaling in rain, snow, and freezing temperatures? I somewhat put it in the back of my mind until...
During my Christmas cruise down the Danube, after the weather went from sub-freezing to just at or above freezing, I found myself eying the pleasantly paved paths that line much of the Danube thinking, "Maybe this could actually work!" A quick peek at the weather forecast once the cruise ended, and it was decided; I was going to do some biking! No less than an hour after disembarking the ship, I found a place to rent a bike (a big shoutout to Vienna Explorer for 1) being open while everywhere else seemed to be closed 2) having just the right package for me (1-week of rental with helmet, lock, panniers, and tool kit), and 3) being super super nice and supportive!). The cost came to $135, just under $20/day. EuroVelo 6 passes through Vienna so I had the choice of heading east or west. Going west would keep me mostly in Austria (the most expensive country I'd visited yet) but going east would take me back to where I just was on the cruise. The foriegness (and cheapness) of Slovakia and Hungary won out so I headed east! As a consequence of doing very little research*, the actuality of the trip differed from my imagination of it. I was picturing a clear, smooth, wide path along the Danube the whole way. While some of it was like that, maybe 40-50%, 20-30% was on less ideal paths (sidewalks, less even surfaces, or sometimes unpaved tracks). The rest was on roads, probably evenly split between very few cars making for a lovely ride and not overly enjoyable because cars are more frequent and go fast. Those percentages might have skewed more favorable had the signage been a bit better so I didn't get lost as much and I wasn't in the offseason so facilities (hotels, ferries, etc.) were open and operating. But even as it was, EuroVelo 6 between Vienna and Budapest was a very pleasant ride. Another "didn't fully think it through" consequence was the state of my body. Sure I ride a bike at home. I sometimes even ride 10 miles in a go, usually in less than an hour. So having a full 24 hours to ride 30-40 miles for 4 or 5 days in a row? That should be easy, right? Easy? No. It was doable, but at a cost. My legs (quads, specifically) really turned to jelly by the end of the day. I found myself cursing hostel keepers for putting me in a 4th floor walk-up room. But that was the good kind of hurt, the kind that makes it feel like you're getting stronger. My "sit bones", however, were a different kind of hurt. By the end of the day, esp. when I ended up on less than smooth pavement, I would audibly yelp when I hit a bump. In the end, I covered the ~180 miles to Budapest in 4 days, quicker than I anticipated, but mostly because I had a hard time finding hotels where and when I needed them (leading to cycling much longer than I wanted at the end of the day). I could have kept going because I had the bike for another 3 days, but my body told me to maybe chill. So I ended up taking the train back to Vienna and using the bike to get around the city which greatly increased my appreciation of the place! And it only took a day or two of rest before my "sit bones" were no worse for wear! Very often while in the saddle, I found myself comparing the experience to that of the Camino last year. There were just so many similarities: physically taxing, off season, loneliness, motivation, diet (grocery store meat and cheese FTW). And just like the Camino, while I can't say that I had the best time ever, I am really glad I did it. It was where I was meant to be. I think with better planning (esp. in regards to not pushing myself so hard) in a less off-season, a long bike trip could be a really good trip for me, though I don't imagine I'll put it at the top of my list. I've done Europe 2 years in a row now, and there's so much of the world still to be seen. But, like I said, I'm glad it's a thing that I've done. |
Saturday January 7 2023 | File under: travel, europe |
Toggle Comments (2) | comment? |
To some people, "cruise" is 4 letter word. I often find myself evangelizing to often bewildered people, as I'm not the type. And while I do understand many of the downsides of cruises that the nay-sayers say, I typically find the positives outweigh the downsides. But there's a whole other post in that. There's probably another complete post weighing the difference of ocean cruises to river cruises too, but that's not why we're here. We're here to recap my Christmas cruise on the Danube River.
The itinerary was simple, 7 days basically going from Vienna to Budapest and back with a few stops along the way, notably Bratislava and less notably Melk, Durnstein, and Esztergom* In between "ports", there were maybe two 3/4 days of sailing where we could watch the shore go by. Mostly, though, they did a good job of motoring along while we were sleeping so time in the cities were optimized. You've heard me rave about cruises before and I'm afraid that won't be the case here. It's not that there was anything bad about this trip, but it had a few strikes against it that weren't its fault. But before we get into the downsides, let's highlight the good! The Good
Let it be said that I don't hold the "bads" against Crucemundo, the crew of the MS Fidelio, or anything. It's more just an observation on my experience that I want to share and also capture for the next time I'm thinking of cruising. The Bad
Overall, I'm glad I went. While not something I would necessarily glowingly recommend to someone, I had a good time and it was a pleasant way to spend my Christmas. It also gave me an idea of what river cruises are like, so if the occasion arises again, I will have a basis for comparison. It definitely added to the texture of my Europe 2022/23 trip and for that I'm grateful. |
Sunday January 1 2023 | File under: travel, cruise |
Toggle Comments (1) | comment? |
Ever since last year's visit to Spain, I've found myself with Europe on the mind. Something about the old buildings, pedestrian-forward cities, reasonable prices (at least in Spain), newness but with some familiarity—whatever it was sat and stewed in my mind all year. So when it came time to plan this year's travels, I cast my gaze eastward.
First stop on the tourist part of the trip (as opposed to the semi-productive volunteer portion of the trip as seen below), was Poland. While I did get a chance to peek around the small city of Jaroslaw in the southeast, Krakow was the majority of my Polish experience. And, I have to say, it was exactly the blast of Europe that I was hoping for! There were castles, narrow streets, bustling squares, cheap food, ease (and pleasantness!) of transit, and so much more. In Krakow, I did most of what I was "supposed" to: I saw the fabled salt mines (super interesting in concept and history, slightly less so in practice (esp. when the requisite tour guide had a thick enough access that I only caught every other word)), I toured Wawel castle (I was hoping for more castle-y stuff and less in the way of a medieval art museum, but not bad), I spent a ton of time in the main square complete with its huge Christmas market. After much consideration and talking to many people that did it, I skipped the Auschwitz tour. But mostly I did what I do: wander. I logged many miles walking through the snow, slush, and ice just taking it all in. I usually try to set a mission for the day to guide me (find pierogis, for example), but mostly I just tried to keep myself occupied. After all, staying occupied is half the reason I'm traveling in the first place. And I'm pleased to say, so far, I've been mostly successful. Thanks Poland for keeping me occupied! |
Friday December 23 2022 | File under: travel, Poland |
Toggle Comments (2) | comment? |
Personally, chronological, laundry-list style travelogues never super appealed to me as a reader. Maybe its just because I like doing better than reading about others doing. So I've always tried to make my travel blog posts over the years a little more varied with topic specific observations, photo-heavy descriptions off a place, or a particular anecdote that I could see telling someone when asked "how was your trip".
I diverged severely from this format last year for my time on the Camino, with a straight travel journal of what I ate, where I was, what I spent, etc. Surprisingly to me, it was very well received, though perhaps more because of the uniqueness and import of the adventure than because of its style. But perhaps more importantly than how well it was received was how valuable writing it was to me. Not having someone to share the adventure with left me lots to say and no outlet. Closing down my evening with capturing thoughts and feelings as well as facts and figures became a favorite part of my day. With that in mind, I've decided to chronicle this year's Europe trip (starting with volunteering in Poland, then onto a Christmas cruise down the Danube, then hopefully further European adventures) in a similar manner. While I anticipate less chronicle-worthy daily activities than the Camino (volunteering on a construction site might be a lot of "I painted all day again" posts), creating and having a record of my time and sharing that with whomever cares feels right. |
Thursday December 8 2022 | File under: travel, europe |
Toggle Comments (5) | comment? |
Whenever it comes up (which is more often than you might think), I always encourage people to go to their school reunions. The idea is usually met with resistance or downright contempt. The reasons offered up are not invalid, but, in my opinion, outweighed by the positives (memories, networking, self-reflection, good food, and more.) In the end, however, I relent, knowing that we all gotta follow our hearts. When my college reunion rolled around, though, you better believe I was going to attend.
Bates College in Lewiston, Maine is not exactly on the way to many places I go, so it's been 10 years since I've been back to campus. I sometimes forget how beautiful it is, with so much brick, ivy, history, and, of course, memories. Just walking around campus was worth the trip out east itself. "Hey, I used to live there", "The meal hall cereal bar!!!", and "This was where the frisbee golf course teed off from!" were bubbling through my head. I enjoyed the simple walk down memory lane almost more than anything else the whole weekend. Of course the college went all out, from a lobster dinner to steel pan bands on the quad to beer gardens, mimosa brunches, and winery dinners*. There were banners everywhere, plenty of photo ops with the Bates Bobcat, and golf cart shuttles to take you anywhere on campus you wanted to go*. And, as luck would have it, we had absolutely perfect weather. I hope Bates came away feeling like it was a successful weekend because they did a great job. Obviously the other part of a reunion is reconnecting with classmates. Despite my encouragement, none of my core group of friends choose to make the trip (even though, in all cases except Horge, the distance and effort was considerably less). That left me mingling with people I knew in passing 20 years ago with the occasional shared memory, but no genuine excitement to reconnect. That said, however, even with less than close connections both back then and in between, everyone was super nice, engaging, and inclusive. They let me tell my "yes, I juggle for my job" and "just north of Seattle" stories and took them with a smile. And hearing about their lives, my peers from so long ago, was genuinely interesting as well—lots of professionals with families and kids*. Unfortunately, it turns out my former classmates haven't lost any of their enthusiasm for heavy drinking, so I turned in early rather than being able to enjoy more connecting and socialization, but so goes the life of a teetotaler, I guess. Just below the surface, in almost all elements of my life still, are thoughts of Della. The last time I visited Bates was with her on our first big adventure as partners. And talking about the last 10 (or 20) years of my life is simply impossible without her being a part of every story. My friends that knew of the situation via facebook surprised me with unpromptedly sharing such genuine condolences and making me feel really supported, which meant more than I could even express. Having these thoughts of Della so close to the surface all weekend seemed to fit with the theme of reliving memories and I was happy to embrace that (albeit with sometimes less than dry eyes). Another, and perhaps equally important for my desire to attend the reunion, was non-Bates Maine. I looked for jobs here after graduation because it is a place that very much agrees with me. I had time before and after my campus visit to soak up some Down East vibes from a ferry ride to Peaks Island to the requisite lobster roll from a roadside stand. I was lucky to have good friends host and guide me and the vacation bit of the trip was a total success. It's not everyday that a 20-year college reunion comes around. Not that there was much of a chance that I would have skipped it, and in hindsight, I'm really happy I didn't. Memories, perspective, new experiences, scratching that lobster itch—it was a successful weekend for sure. Perhaps keep that thought in mind next time a reunion opportunity presents itself to you. |
Sunday June 12 2022 | File under: travel, Maine |
Toggle Comments (3) | comment? |
On of the things that I do upon returning from a trip (besides looking through photos and sharing stories IRL) is to wrap my head around the costs of the trip. This helps me see the big picture, after so much attention paid to whether that albergue is worth €2 more than this one or if I'm the kind of guy that pays for taxis rather than taking public transport. And I really like knowing. So without further ado, here's what my recent trip to do the Camino de Santiago and then some R&R time in Africa cost.
In grand total, I spent $3,621 which comes out to about $65/day all inclusive. I'd say that's a small price to pay to have an experience of a life time that gave me new perspectives on myself (the Camino) and a glimpse into how others live in a totally different part of the world (Senegal/The Gambia), not to mention a long overdue visit with a college friend (Jerez, Spain). (P.S. I know that travel is about more than doing it as cheaply as possible. And I know that caring less about money while traveling is something I need to work out. This analysis is a tool to help me do that. And I would have said more about all that, but this post is long enough as it is.) |
Sunday January 9 2022 | File under: travel, data |
Toggle Comments (1) | comment? |
< Previous Page Next Page > |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 |