I have made it to my 7th country, Italy. I started in Milan. I continue to eat my way through Europe; but I guess that is just the way it is supposed to be. Although it could be worse now, since Italian food is a little more fattening than tapas and baquettes. I have found that when I order a pizza, they come out as these plate-covering 16 inch pies, which I am convinced I will never be able to finish. But before I know it, I am folding the last piece and shoving it into my mouth. It must be because they make the crust so thin. Yes, that is what I am going to keep telling myself.
Milan was a pretty interesting city. The highlight was the duomo (or main cathedral) in the center of the city. It is one of the best churches I have seen so far. There were some nice parks, a good shopping area, an old castle that is now a museum, and various other historic monuments and sculptures.
I met a guy from Vietnam and we hung out together to explore the city. He was quite nice, and has offered to show me around Ho Chi Ming City if I can make it to Vietnam while in Asia.
Oh, and if you were wondering, I finally got my vaccination shots.
After just a few days in Milan I went south to Napoli (Naples), Italy. They were right when they waid the further south you go, the less they speak any english. And they seem to get a little less sociable as well. As far as the city goes, Naples doesn't really have anything to offer. It is fairly dirty, and there are many areas that are not very safe to go into. However, there are a lot of good sites around Naples that you can visit from the central location. Unfortunately, theings seemed to be against me and I had difficulty being efficient at getting to these places. The public transportation was pretty plentiful, but the most difficult for me to get a grip on. Places have weird hours, things close early, and I just wasn't able to do as many things as I had planned.
I did make it to Pompei. It was a very interesting ancient ruins of a city that was destroyed by the local volcano (Vesuvius). From Naples you can also get to some nice islands and coastal regions (like Sorrento and Almafi), but I didn't make it there.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Mixed Feelings
I am finally on my way to Italy. As I ride the train through the Alps of eastern France, I have mixed feelings. For the last few days I have been looking forward to moving on to the next area. Even in Geneva it felt very much like I was still in France, because the demeanor was similar and everyone was still talking French. Plus half the people at Paleo were from France. But now, as we work through the mountains I have this urge to just get off the train and hike up into the hills. I feel like I didn’t get to experience nearly enough Alps activities. I have seen dozens of huge cliffs and peaks that I crave to climb. Hopefully I find some similar areas in Italy that will satisfy this craving.
Plus, I spent 45 minutes on the train listening to language podcasts to learn Italian…I am so good to go. Ciao!
Plus, I spent 45 minutes on the train listening to language podcasts to learn Italian…I am so good to go. Ciao!
Excitement is following me
In my normal mode of procrastination, I still have not gotten the vaccinations that I should have before going to some of my destinations, like Kenya. I purposely decided to get them in Europe because they would be much cheaper. When I was in France, I never found the time…yes that is my rationalization excuse for blowing it off. I tried to get it in Switzerland and found it was just as expensive as the US. (I forgot the mention that although I really enjoyed Switzerland, it was extremely expensive. It was impossible to have an actual dinner for less than the equivalent of $30-40. And I saw that a Big Mac meal was $12). So since I was so close, I decided to stop back into France for a day on the way to Italy.
I met a young lady and her mother sitting with me on the train. They were unbelievably nice and helpful. They lived near the city I was going to, Chambery. She gave me the name of a bar that her friend owns and the name of a doctor where I may be able to get my vaccinations. This is only interesting because I did stop at the bar for a few drinks and some advice when I arrived. It was a cool little bar with tons of local artist’s work on the walls. They directed me to a place where I could get a room for the night, and I stopped to get a quick bite after I checked-in. When I headed back to the bar, I was shocked to see the building beside it was on fire. And this wasn’t a small building, or a little fire. The fire department was battling it, but it was already out of control. It burned down 3/4 of the block, including an apartment complex and a hotel. Luckily the section with the bar made it through. And luckily that wasn’t the hotel they suggested for me.
And FYI, I still didn’t get my vaccinations. Everything was closed because it was Saturday. But I found out Italy is nearly as cheap, so I will get it done there on Monday….hopefully.
I met a young lady and her mother sitting with me on the train. They were unbelievably nice and helpful. They lived near the city I was going to, Chambery. She gave me the name of a bar that her friend owns and the name of a doctor where I may be able to get my vaccinations. This is only interesting because I did stop at the bar for a few drinks and some advice when I arrived. It was a cool little bar with tons of local artist’s work on the walls. They directed me to a place where I could get a room for the night, and I stopped to get a quick bite after I checked-in. When I headed back to the bar, I was shocked to see the building beside it was on fire. And this wasn’t a small building, or a little fire. The fire department was battling it, but it was already out of control. It burned down 3/4 of the block, including an apartment complex and a hotel. Luckily the section with the bar made it through. And luckily that wasn’t the hotel they suggested for me.
And FYI, I still didn’t get my vaccinations. Everything was closed because it was Saturday. But I found out Italy is nearly as cheap, so I will get it done there on Monday….hopefully.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Free Hugs
No matter what situation you are in, it appears to me that the body and soul need to (or just inevitably do) go through the typical cycles. Most days I find myself really enjoying this trip. Some days I am relaxed; some days I am eager to explore and meet new people, and even enjoy the challenge of learning a new language. Some days it is bright, sunny and warm and I find every situation enjoyable. Some days I am somewhat frustrated and overwhelmed. And some days I find myself feeling isolated.
Today I am camping in a field with 100,000 other people; yet I feel pretty lonely. I realized that most of the time on this trip I have been in situations where many of the people around me are also travelers. They are on their own or in small groups of two or three. They are easier to interact with, and usually also looking to meet new people. Here, while there are lots of people, they are mostly in larger groups, already with tight ties. Plus it is rainy, so I have spent most of the day in my tent. Which is only good because it has given me time to catch up on lots of blog posts.
A little solace did come when I passed another tent with a ‘Free Hugs’ sign. If you have never heard of this, you have to look it up on YouTube. It is a great campaign. A push for an open door to human connection is an awesome concept. It also made me appreciate all of the people with whom I gain comfort and connection from. Having someone there that makes us feel connected is a valuable thing. Some people have many, others only a few, but it is usually such an effortless scenario that we begin to take it for granted. I hope everyone reading this takes the time today to tell someone in their life that the connections they have with them makes their life more valuable. Many of you those people to me, and I greatly appreciate what you bring to my life.
Ok, done with the pity party and cheesy blog. The rain has stopped, let’s see what tomorrow brings. Maybe I will finally make it to Italy.
Today I am camping in a field with 100,000 other people; yet I feel pretty lonely. I realized that most of the time on this trip I have been in situations where many of the people around me are also travelers. They are on their own or in small groups of two or three. They are easier to interact with, and usually also looking to meet new people. Here, while there are lots of people, they are mostly in larger groups, already with tight ties. Plus it is rainy, so I have spent most of the day in my tent. Which is only good because it has given me time to catch up on lots of blog posts.
A little solace did come when I passed another tent with a ‘Free Hugs’ sign. If you have never heard of this, you have to look it up on YouTube. It is a great campaign. A push for an open door to human connection is an awesome concept. It also made me appreciate all of the people with whom I gain comfort and connection from. Having someone there that makes us feel connected is a valuable thing. Some people have many, others only a few, but it is usually such an effortless scenario that we begin to take it for granted. I hope everyone reading this takes the time today to tell someone in their life that the connections they have with them makes their life more valuable. Many of you those people to me, and I greatly appreciate what you bring to my life.
Ok, done with the pity party and cheesy blog. The rain has stopped, let’s see what tomorrow brings. Maybe I will finally make it to Italy.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Climbing the Swiss Alps
Camping at Paleo, with the Swiss Alps as the backdrop gave me an overwhelming urge to go rock climbing. After a quick trip to town to do some research, I found there was a nice crag just a short train ride into the mountains. It was a nice spot. Nothing totally amazing, but several different faces with 30-70 foot routes, all bolted for sport leading. Unfortunately, it was the middle of the day in the middle of the week, so no one was there. I enjoyed the view for a short bit, but then decided there was only one thing that could be done…..gotta free solo it.
There were some areas that were not too high (30 feet) and looked pretty easy (5.6/5.7-ish). So I did two climbs that were not too risky. Then I found a really nice area that looked great to boulder and traverse. (I know all the non-climbers have no idea what I am talking about). I got in the zone and was working a nice combination of moves; so much so that I suddenly found myself 25 feet up. My ‘no-limitations’ side took over and decided it was easier to finish going up than to downclimb. At about 40 feet I started to second guess that decision, but now it really was too late; had to make a 5.9+ move over a little bulge to be able to top out. My heart thought it felt more like a 10c move at this height with no rope. Wow what a rush! Now that is what I call experiencing the Swiss Alps.
After the climb I sat at the top and basked in my glory for a few minutes. Just enough time for some other climbers to arrive…with ropes. Great timing. So I made a few new friends and got to do some more climbing with them. Climbers are always so friendly.
There were some areas that were not too high (30 feet) and looked pretty easy (5.6/5.7-ish). So I did two climbs that were not too risky. Then I found a really nice area that looked great to boulder and traverse. (I know all the non-climbers have no idea what I am talking about). I got in the zone and was working a nice combination of moves; so much so that I suddenly found myself 25 feet up. My ‘no-limitations’ side took over and decided it was easier to finish going up than to downclimb. At about 40 feet I started to second guess that decision, but now it really was too late; had to make a 5.9+ move over a little bulge to be able to top out. My heart thought it felt more like a 10c move at this height with no rope. Wow what a rush! Now that is what I call experiencing the Swiss Alps.
After the climb I sat at the top and basked in my glory for a few minutes. Just enough time for some other climbers to arrive…with ropes. Great timing. So I made a few new friends and got to do some more climbing with them. Climbers are always so friendly.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Fell into another one
This trip has thus far been a series of random, well-timed, lucky events. The day I arrived in Dublin they was a huge gay-pride parade that had the whole city hoping, perfectly timed arrival in Aberdeen to join in on a weekend hiking event, in London the day after the Wimbledon finals, Pamplona for Running of the Bulls (planned), in Spain when they won the World Cup, in France for Bastille Day, and in France to see the Tour de France. The latest of these coincidences is that just north of Geneva is where they are having the Paleo Festival. It is one of the biggest music festivals in Europe. Five days of around 100 bands on 6 stages, with nearly 300,000 spectators. By luck, I heard about it, knew I would be close, so tried to get tickets; which I was able to do. Mostly bands that I don’t know, but good music non-the-less. I did see Ziggy Pop (who looks older than dirt, but he still puts on a decent show and the Europeans seem to love him) and Motorhead, which I knew; and a guy from Minneapolis, Brother Alli, who was pretty good. Only got a ticket for 1 of the 5 days, then camped on-site for a few days and just enjoyed the festivities. It was a giant field of every hippie in Europe, I think.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Pleasant Surprise
I couldn’t figure out where to go from Lyon. My original plan was to head into Italy; but I couldn’t find any flights, trains or buses for a good price. My other options looked like flying to Belgium, and hitting Amsterdam and northern Germany earlier than expected; or taking a cheap train to Geneva, Switzerland, which wasn’t too far away. Switzerland hadn’t really been on my list of places I had to go to. So I was stuck with a decision. I know, what a horrible problem to have.
Thank you Mona for pushing me to go to Switzerland. Geneva was a hugely pleasant surprise. Everyone is so nice. The city is very relaxed. It is beautiful tucked beside Lake Geneva and the Alps. And there are a ton of things to see. I visited CERN, home of the LHC proton-collider; where people are doing research so far beyond my comprehension, I felt like a 2nd-grader. I also saw the Red Cross museum, UN headquarters, World Trade Organization, etc. But most importantly I bought a Swiss Army knife, had fondue, and ate some excellent chocolate!
Thank you Mona for pushing me to go to Switzerland. Geneva was a hugely pleasant surprise. Everyone is so nice. The city is very relaxed. It is beautiful tucked beside Lake Geneva and the Alps. And there are a ton of things to see. I visited CERN, home of the LHC proton-collider; where people are doing research so far beyond my comprehension, I felt like a 2nd-grader. I also saw the Red Cross museum, UN headquarters, World Trade Organization, etc. But most importantly I bought a Swiss Army knife, had fondue, and ate some excellent chocolate!
True France
After Bordeaux, it was east to Lyon, France. This was supposed to be a short stop on my way to Italy. Yeah, right. I am going to quite even trying to act like I have a plan. Lyon was so relaxed I decided to stay a few days. Met some..you guessed it, Auzzies..and stayed in a hostel that sat on a hill overlooking the city. It had free wifi internet, power for recharging everything, a bar on the deck, and a laundry mat right up the street. Some wine, local beers, baguettes, crepes; life is good.
Plus, I was able to take a short bus ride 30 minutes south of Lyon (to Tain L’Hermitage) to see a stage of le Tour de France. It was interesting. Let’s just say it took a lot of planning and prep work, a good bit of time just waiting in anticipation, 45 seconds of excitement, then I found myself standing there wondering if it was really over that quickly. Something very cool I am glad I got to experience, but not quite as fulfilling as I had anticipated. You can draw whatever correlations you would like for this.
Plus, I was able to take a short bus ride 30 minutes south of Lyon (to Tain L’Hermitage) to see a stage of le Tour de France. It was interesting. Let’s just say it took a lot of planning and prep work, a good bit of time just waiting in anticipation, 45 seconds of excitement, then I found myself standing there wondering if it was really over that quickly. Something very cool I am glad I got to experience, but not quite as fulfilling as I had anticipated. You can draw whatever correlations you would like for this.
Bon Jour
'Bon Jour' and 'Merci' is about as much French as I know. Heading into my first wine country proved to be a bit harder than Spain. From San Sebastian, Spain I went to Bordeaux, France. If you ever want to experience many aspects of France, without having to go to Paris, then I would highly recommend Bordeaux. The city has great history and architecture, there is a very long street (Rue Saint Catherine) that has all the shopping you could ever want, great food, and of course the city is surrounded by French wine country.
I met another Australian (surprise, surprise) and a Swedish girl in Bordeaux. We wanted to go tour the wine country, but the guided tours for the day were already full. So we decided to rent bikes and trek into the country-side ourselves. Of course this creates a good story because nothing can ever be easy. It was 30 miles later that we arrived at our first and only winery to actually tour and taste. We picked their national holiday (Bastille Day, which is really a not what they call it) to go on this tour, so most of the chateaus were closed. But it was fun anyway. We saw lots of grape vineyards and beautiful countryside. We bought a bottle of wine from a shop, along with cheese, crackers, fruit, and bread and stopped in a vineyard and had lunch.
After our long bike ride, it was great to get back to the city, have a wonderful dinner, and enjoy the Bastille Day celebration. Bordeaux had a great fireworks display. Probably the best I have seen that was not choreographed to a music or laser show. And it was enjoyable to see how much the people enjoyed the fireworks. There were cheers, and oohs and ahhs all the time. It was much more enjoyable than 4th of July shows that are taken for granted now.
I met another Australian (surprise, surprise) and a Swedish girl in Bordeaux. We wanted to go tour the wine country, but the guided tours for the day were already full. So we decided to rent bikes and trek into the country-side ourselves. Of course this creates a good story because nothing can ever be easy. It was 30 miles later that we arrived at our first and only winery to actually tour and taste. We picked their national holiday (Bastille Day, which is really a not what they call it) to go on this tour, so most of the chateaus were closed. But it was fun anyway. We saw lots of grape vineyards and beautiful countryside. We bought a bottle of wine from a shop, along with cheese, crackers, fruit, and bread and stopped in a vineyard and had lunch.
After our long bike ride, it was great to get back to the city, have a wonderful dinner, and enjoy the Bastille Day celebration. Bordeaux had a great fireworks display. Probably the best I have seen that was not choreographed to a music or laser show. And it was enjoyable to see how much the people enjoyed the fireworks. There were cheers, and oohs and ahhs all the time. It was much more enjoyable than 4th of July shows that are taken for granted now.
More Bull...
Ok, because of requests I will provide more detail of the Running of the Bulls event. To start, I was lucky enough to get the full rundown of the strategy needed to successfully get through the run and into the stadium at the end by a really cool Auzzie in Barcelona the day before I went. So I had a perfect game plan…where to start, when to move, when to run. But as with most game plans, it got completely disrupted and was useless. The part I did not know what that at some point during the morning, it was no longer acceptable to take pictures while on the street. A police officer was kind enough to inform me of this as he kicked me off the street right before the run was to begin. Apparently they had made an announcement; apparently my Spanish is not good enough to understand announcements made only in Spanish :-).
Instead of following my perfect game plan, I was now running up and down the side streets trying to find a way to sneak back in. Luckily I was able to do this, but now it was just a mad dash to make it past the checkpoint gates along the route that get closed after the bulls pass. Had all the pulls done what they were supposed to, I never would have made the stadium. Good thing ‘stubborn as a bull’ has some truth. One bull decided he was more concerned with trying to poke some of the runners instead of just running to the stadium. In the one video I posted, you can see a reply of this black bull on the big screen in the stadium. I was hoping to get myself on this video, since I was directly behind the bull at this time of the run. He even decided to give me some personal attention at one point. He turned back up the street to tell everyone behind him to back off. I had to jump up on the wooded fence that lined the street. He helped me up with a little nudge from his horn on my shoe.
But alas, I followed him all the way to the stadium and was able to squeeze in the doors just as they were being closed. There are thousands that start on the street, but only a few hundred are in the stadium. This is where they release one bull at a time to challenge the runners. They are slightly smaller bulls, and have the ends of their horns corked, but still plenty scary. Then it is just mayhem. Half the people running from the bulls, the other half running toward them. The goal is to get close enough to touch them. I touched them twice. Unfortunately, I feel like an ignorant foreigner because I didn’t find out until after that it is not correct to actually touch them with your hands. The locals all had little newspaper rolls they would touch them with. But all the outsiders would touch them with their hands.
But yes, I did survive. Which is why I waited until after I did it before I let anyone know I would actually run, and not just watch.
Instead of following my perfect game plan, I was now running up and down the side streets trying to find a way to sneak back in. Luckily I was able to do this, but now it was just a mad dash to make it past the checkpoint gates along the route that get closed after the bulls pass. Had all the pulls done what they were supposed to, I never would have made the stadium. Good thing ‘stubborn as a bull’ has some truth. One bull decided he was more concerned with trying to poke some of the runners instead of just running to the stadium. In the one video I posted, you can see a reply of this black bull on the big screen in the stadium. I was hoping to get myself on this video, since I was directly behind the bull at this time of the run. He even decided to give me some personal attention at one point. He turned back up the street to tell everyone behind him to back off. I had to jump up on the wooded fence that lined the street. He helped me up with a little nudge from his horn on my shoe.
But alas, I followed him all the way to the stadium and was able to squeeze in the doors just as they were being closed. There are thousands that start on the street, but only a few hundred are in the stadium. This is where they release one bull at a time to challenge the runners. They are slightly smaller bulls, and have the ends of their horns corked, but still plenty scary. Then it is just mayhem. Half the people running from the bulls, the other half running toward them. The goal is to get close enough to touch them. I touched them twice. Unfortunately, I feel like an ignorant foreigner because I didn’t find out until after that it is not correct to actually touch them with your hands. The locals all had little newspaper rolls they would touch them with. But all the outsiders would touch them with their hands.
But yes, I did survive. Which is why I waited until after I did it before I let anyone know I would actually run, and not just watch.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Sorry, Senorita Parrish
I guess I really should have paid attention to Senorita Parrish a little more in spanish class. Having moved from the Ireland and the UK into Spain proved to be a noticeable transition. It was the first time the language barrier became an issue. Well, if you don't count the drunk Scottish men and bus drivers that spoke with such a heavy accent I sometimes thought they were speaking a different language :-)
After the bull run in Pamplona, I went directly to San Sebastian, Spain. The first day was somewhat tough. Since everyone from Pamplona was coming there, all the lodging was long gone. There were thousands of travelers swarming the internet cafes trying to find someplace to stay. Seeing that I had not slept in well over 24 hours, and it was extremely hot outside, I was not the happiest of campers. But then ironically, that is exactly what I became...
I met an awesome Australian couple (Cat and Mike) and we all heading to a campground just outside the town. They had space. This made me happy and I was camping!
San Sebastian ended up being so relaxed that I stayed there for several days. Spent a day on the beach, walked around the beautiful city, hiked up to an old fort, and had great food (although I have had enough tapas to last a lifetime). Plus, Mike, Cat and I went to a bar to watch Spain win the World Cup. Viva Espana!
Next, to tackle France. At least I knew a little spanish. French, not a bit!
After the bull run in Pamplona, I went directly to San Sebastian, Spain. The first day was somewhat tough. Since everyone from Pamplona was coming there, all the lodging was long gone. There were thousands of travelers swarming the internet cafes trying to find someplace to stay. Seeing that I had not slept in well over 24 hours, and it was extremely hot outside, I was not the happiest of campers. But then ironically, that is exactly what I became...
I met an awesome Australian couple (Cat and Mike) and we all heading to a campground just outside the town. They had space. This made me happy and I was camping!
San Sebastian ended up being so relaxed that I stayed there for several days. Spent a day on the beach, walked around the beautiful city, hiked up to an old fort, and had great food (although I have had enough tapas to last a lifetime). Plus, Mike, Cat and I went to a bar to watch Spain win the World Cup. Viva Espana!
Next, to tackle France. At least I knew a little spanish. French, not a bit!
Pictures
I have been asked by a few people about when I am going to post pictures of my trip. They made me aware that I may need to clarify something to people that are view my blog. I have created public photo albums via Picasa. In my blog posts, if there is text that is highlighted and underlined, it means I have attached a link from that text to an album on Picasa that contains picture associated with the subject of the post.
Another thing I have realized, unrelated to pictures all together, is that I very much look forward to having comments posted on my blog by all of you. It makes me feel like I am more connected when I hear from you. So feel free to comment on anything (even about how crazy you think I am for doing some of the things I am doing).
Last thing on this miscellaneous post. Excuse any spelling and grammatical errors that I may be posting. I have discovered that my browser knows where I am connecting from, and therefore when I do a spell check, it does it in the local language of where I am. So it thinks I spell everything wrong.
Another thing I have realized, unrelated to pictures all together, is that I very much look forward to having comments posted on my blog by all of you. It makes me feel like I am more connected when I hear from you. So feel free to comment on anything (even about how crazy you think I am for doing some of the things I am doing).
Last thing on this miscellaneous post. Excuse any spelling and grammatical errors that I may be posting. I have discovered that my browser knows where I am connecting from, and therefore when I do a spell check, it does it in the local language of where I am. So it thinks I spell everything wrong.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Run Forest, Run !
Running of the Bulls !!
HOLY COW....'nough said.
Arrived in Pamplona at 9 pm on a bus from Barcelona. Several hundred thousand people more than the city can hold. Walk straight to a shop to buy my San Fermin clothing...because that is all that ANYONE wears for the whole week. Buy some Sangria and walk around the party for 9 hours. Sleeping is highly over-rated. Find a good spot on the bull course about 6:30 am.
Let the madness begin!!
HOLY COW....'nough said.
Arrived in Pamplona at 9 pm on a bus from Barcelona. Several hundred thousand people more than the city can hold. Walk straight to a shop to buy my San Fermin clothing...because that is all that ANYONE wears for the whole week. Buy some Sangria and walk around the party for 9 hours. Sleeping is highly over-rated. Find a good spot on the bull course about 6:30 am.
Let the madness begin!!
London
I took an overnight sleeper train into London on Tuesday morning. I got off the train around 7:30 am, and felt like I was in the subway of Manhattan. The station was packed with corporate 'England' scrambling off to work. It was shell-shock after being in the totally relaxed atmosphere of Ireland and Scotland for over a week. Outside it still felt like a major U.S. city, just not as tall of buildings.
I did a free walking tour of the city Tuesday afternoon. It took me to all of the major attactions; Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, the residences of past King's mistresses, etc. It was interesting and very informative.
I was going to stay in London for a few days, but to be perfectly honest, I didn't really like the vibe of the city very much. Most of the people I met (that were not travelers from other countries) were rather unpleasant. It is bad to say that the negative stereotype much of the world has about the English was confirmed to me. Which is too bad. Everyone I have known from England that are in the US have been great. But then again people that travel around and explore new places are usually more care-free, so maybe until now I had met all of the exceptions.
London was good to experience, for a day or two; but I wouldn't feel the need to go back unless it was for a needed purpose.
I did a free walking tour of the city Tuesday afternoon. It took me to all of the major attactions; Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, the residences of past King's mistresses, etc. It was interesting and very informative.
I was going to stay in London for a few days, but to be perfectly honest, I didn't really like the vibe of the city very much. Most of the people I met (that were not travelers from other countries) were rather unpleasant. It is bad to say that the negative stereotype much of the world has about the English was confirmed to me. Which is too bad. Everyone I have known from England that are in the US have been great. But then again people that travel around and explore new places are usually more care-free, so maybe until now I had met all of the exceptions.
London was good to experience, for a day or two; but I wouldn't feel the need to go back unless it was for a needed purpose.
Friday, July 9, 2010
The beauty of Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the most beautiful city I have ever seen, at least thus far. I only had about 7 hours to spend there before leaving on an overnight train to London at 11:40 pm. This is a ‘must see’ city in my opinion. The pictures will not do it justice. The medieval style architecture surrounds you everywhere. I walked the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle, had a salmon croissant and tea at a café that was the former workshop of William ‘Deacon’ Brodie, who is the real life basis for the character Jekyll and Hyde, then took a ghost tour into the underground depths of old Edinburgh. Overall, just an amazing day.
Monroe Bagger
The next stop was Aberdeen, on the coast of northeastern Scotland. Before I talk about the activities there, I have to thank my friend Clara’s sister Marianne for her outstanding hospitality while I was there. Marianne picked me up from the train station and let me stay in her flat, as well as tag along with her and her friends (Mary, Fiona, Morag, Mike and Steven) into the hills for a weekend outing as part of celebrating Mary’s birthday. The outing was awesome. We got up early Saturday morning, drove about an hour outside the city, then got onto mountain bikes to ride a few miles into the hills. It has been years since I have spent much time on a bike, so my but is still sore. Once we got to areas that we couldn’t ride anymore, we ditched the bikes and started hiking deeper into the hills. After dropping our camping stuff off at some old ruins, the real hiking began…and kept going, and going, and going. This is when I found out about the Scottish tradition of the Monroe Bagger. A “monroe” is any peak that is over 3000 ft. There are a little under 300 of them in Scotland. The challenge is to climb to the top of every one of them in your lifetime. On this trip I was inducted with my first two ‘bags’. I am officially a Monroe Bagger. Good luck to my gracious hosts in their journey to get them all.
After hiking all day (guessing over 20 miles when it was all said and done) we set up camp at ‘the secret howff’. I was honestly sworn to secrecy on when this it at…but since I had no idea where we were, I think the location is safe. It was quaint little stone hut built into the hills that been there for generations. Some eating, drinking, and general merriment followed through the night. Broke camp in the morning and then hiked and biked out in the typical Scottish summer rain.
Sunday night at Marianne’s again, then just enough time to get in some rock climbing along the coastal cliffs in the morning with Mike. Ironically, Mike knew the best option was to go to a regular spot nearby that was called Clash Rodney. It was a great opportunity to get some experience doing trad leading.
A quick drive to the train station early Monday afternoon just in time to catch a ride to Edinburgh.
After hiking all day (guessing over 20 miles when it was all said and done) we set up camp at ‘the secret howff’. I was honestly sworn to secrecy on when this it at…but since I had no idea where we were, I think the location is safe. It was quaint little stone hut built into the hills that been there for generations. Some eating, drinking, and general merriment followed through the night. Broke camp in the morning and then hiked and biked out in the typical Scottish summer rain.
Sunday night at Marianne’s again, then just enough time to get in some rock climbing along the coastal cliffs in the morning with Mike. Ironically, Mike knew the best option was to go to a regular spot nearby that was called Clash Rodney. It was a great opportunity to get some experience doing trad leading.
A quick drive to the train station early Monday afternoon just in time to catch a ride to Edinburgh.
Scotland
Scotland was a fantastic whirlwind of activity, so I am only now getting a chance to document it. Thursday morning I flew from Shannon, Ireland to Glasgow, Scotland. It was an okay city from what I saw of it. I was only there for a few hours, but don’t feel like a missed too much. It was friendly, but for the most part felt like a typical city.
In the afternoon I caught a train to Aviemore, in central Scotland. It is known for its abundance of outdoor activities. I can see why. It is a hub for hiking, biking, canoeing, kayaking, climbing, snow skiing, etc. I could definitely have spent several days there and not run out of things to do. I hiked to the top of a hill Thurs night that provided a great view of the city and valleys below. Very surreal. Went to a pub at night…surprise, surprise, and found out that the Titan Army was in town. They are a large group of formal supporters of the Scottish futbol team. They were a lot of fun. Then, on Friday morning, what must you do if you are in Scotland? Well golf, of course (no pun intended). I was able to get in a round at the championship course they had in town.
Then off to Aberdeen.
In the afternoon I caught a train to Aviemore, in central Scotland. It is known for its abundance of outdoor activities. I can see why. It is a hub for hiking, biking, canoeing, kayaking, climbing, snow skiing, etc. I could definitely have spent several days there and not run out of things to do. I hiked to the top of a hill Thurs night that provided a great view of the city and valleys below. Very surreal. Went to a pub at night…surprise, surprise, and found out that the Titan Army was in town. They are a large group of formal supporters of the Scottish futbol team. They were a lot of fun. Then, on Friday morning, what must you do if you are in Scotland? Well golf, of course (no pun intended). I was able to get in a round at the championship course they had in town.
Then off to Aberdeen.
Moher Peace
Hiking the miles of coastline atop the Cliffs of Moher was the epitomy of why I decided to do this trip. It was the perfect surreal setting after a few days of hectic travel roadbumps.
"Moher Peace"
I am abraded by the deterioration of hopes and dreams;
You embrace deterioration to carve your magnificence.
I seek Moher peace.
My expectations crash down to pound on my morale;
You conduct the crashes into a soothing rhythm of tranquility.
I want Moher peace.
The winds cause turbulent howling in my soul;
You channel the winds so others may rise and soar in your presence.
I need Moher peace.
I fear my worthiness may get drown out by the emptiness;
You stare at the vast emptiness in front of you everyday
and know you wouldn’t be what you are without it.
I feel Moher peace
And even now as the final light is leaving us,
You remain the sturdiest of rocks; knowing tomorrow
WE will stand tall and strong to amaze them again.
Thank You. I have Moher Peace.
"Moher Peace"
I am abraded by the deterioration of hopes and dreams;
You embrace deterioration to carve your magnificence.
I seek Moher peace.
My expectations crash down to pound on my morale;
You conduct the crashes into a soothing rhythm of tranquility.
I want Moher peace.
The winds cause turbulent howling in my soul;
You channel the winds so others may rise and soar in your presence.
I need Moher peace.
I fear my worthiness may get drown out by the emptiness;
You stare at the vast emptiness in front of you everyday
and know you wouldn’t be what you are without it.
I feel Moher peace
And even now as the final light is leaving us,
You remain the sturdiest of rocks; knowing tomorrow
WE will stand tall and strong to amaze them again.
Thank You. I have Moher Peace.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Ireland's west coast
Keeping this blog up to date has proved to be a bit more of a challenge than I had expected. First off, access to internet connections is not readily available in many places. When there is internet, it usually costs a small amount to connect for a limited amount of time. The second challenge is that I run around all day, and then only have time to try to post updates very late at night; when my mind is not too clear or articulate. I fear that with several days between postings, I will forget to write about some of the great things I am experiencing. But oh well, I will just do what I can.
So, I made my way to the western coast of Ireland; to a little city called Doolin. It is where the Cliffs of Moher are located. They are so amazing I will have to do an entire post just about them. But not tonight. Instead I will tell you about the people I met and the atmosphere. Doolin is a one street town that lives off the tourism of the cliffs. More than 50% of the houses are quint little B&Bs, hostels or cottages for rent. I hung out at O'Connell's Pub; which was packed on a Tuesday night. There was live traditional Irish music. And every once-in-a-while there would be an acappella folk song, causing everyone to stop their conversations and just listen in complete silence. It was also at this pub that I met the 'Baltimore ladies' (Geri, Annette, Clare and Ellie). When they get home and see this post, they better add the picture we all took together.
Speaking of live Irish music, on Wed. night I spend the evening in another small town called Ennis. It was here that I discovered what I think is very cool. When many pubs have live music night, it is not like in the US. It is not a set band that will play there specific session of songs, and they don't have a stage. There are a couple of people that will definitely show up and sit around a table or open area; but then it is open for others to just come and join in. The traditional Irish songs are so common to all musicians, they can all join together with whatever instrument they play, and start a band right there. At Moroney's in Ennis there ended up being about 10 musicians just sitting in a circle harmonizing together. It was great to experience...while having a few Irish Whiskey's with the locals.
Now off to Scotland.
So, I made my way to the western coast of Ireland; to a little city called Doolin. It is where the Cliffs of Moher are located. They are so amazing I will have to do an entire post just about them. But not tonight. Instead I will tell you about the people I met and the atmosphere. Doolin is a one street town that lives off the tourism of the cliffs. More than 50% of the houses are quint little B&Bs, hostels or cottages for rent. I hung out at O'Connell's Pub; which was packed on a Tuesday night. There was live traditional Irish music. And every once-in-a-while there would be an acappella folk song, causing everyone to stop their conversations and just listen in complete silence. It was also at this pub that I met the 'Baltimore ladies' (Geri, Annette, Clare and Ellie). When they get home and see this post, they better add the picture we all took together.
Speaking of live Irish music, on Wed. night I spend the evening in another small town called Ennis. It was here that I discovered what I think is very cool. When many pubs have live music night, it is not like in the US. It is not a set band that will play there specific session of songs, and they don't have a stage. There are a couple of people that will definitely show up and sit around a table or open area; but then it is open for others to just come and join in. The traditional Irish songs are so common to all musicians, they can all join together with whatever instrument they play, and start a band right there. At Moroney's in Ennis there ended up being about 10 musicians just sitting in a circle harmonizing together. It was great to experience...while having a few Irish Whiskey's with the locals.
Now off to Scotland.
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