Traveling, For the Love of…

I find myself at the airport again. I like the drive in, turning off the highway onto the airport parkways, passing the industrial parks and freight carriers. I know that once I am close to the hotels and car rental places, I am almost there. Today the airport was a ghost town. I arrived two hours and twenty minutes before my flight so that I could beat the crowds and make it through security in a reasonable time. This trip, not only were my belongings scanned and my carry on rummaged through like someone who receives the newspaper only for the coupons, however I had my body scanned. I placed my arms up in the air, elbows bent at 90 degrees, hands facing the machine, and shoulders raised. I suddenly realized I forgot to remove my watch. I take great pride to remove my belt and have it in the gray plastic tub without having to be reminded. Today I forgot to remove the watch. I wondered what the agents could see about me on their scanner. Could they see my bones? My scars? My soul? Just how much did they know about me? How much exposure to radiation was I receiving? The staff was friendly and paid little to no attention to my forgetting the watch. They scanned it and all was well.

I made my way through security and into the halls of fresh brewed coffee wafting through the air, business magazines and newspapers, bookstores and delis with televisions showing the Australia tennis open. I was the first to make it through and felt like they were opening up just for me. I found my gate, checked the time and in my usual fashion, found a row of empty padded chairs away from my gate. I like to observe, know my surroundings. Bagels were being shelved, energy drinks straightened in the display case, smiling people were portering white disposable cups with lids that told me, coffee would soon be theirs. Some strolled along pulling their rolling luggage like when you’re a kid and pulling your wagon. Limited conversations were exchanged along the walkway and in other sitting areas. Light laughter could be heard. Some swiped badges and tapped in numbers on a keypad. It felt that everyone was in a good mood and pleasant.

I was reminded overhead that smoking was not permitted and not to accept baggage from strangers in English and Spanish.

I opened my book and enjoyed the early morning read. After many pages, my eyes grew heavy and I was soon to sleep.

Europe: Germany

Here are a few photos as promised of Europe.  I’ll start with Germany and then move through the other countries.  Enjoy!

 

 

These photos are of Kaiserslautern at the train station and of Heidelberg and Heidelberg Castle.

Traveling

Thanks for tuning in. I’m currently traveling. Will post more in a bit.

Cheers!

Bristol Is…

Bristol Is…

Now one of my most favorite cities! We landed two nights ago, stayed at Brooks Guesthouse which is an inexpensive, upscale, classy hostel. I highly recommend it. One of the best stays I’ve had anywhere in the world. The service from the night bellman to the chef, breakfast servers, and staff on checkout were absolutely polite, accommodating, friendly and without a doubt, professional.

I wish we could have stayed longer however the Balloonfest was upon us and the place was full-up.

After a full English breakfast with extra breakfast, we stepped out into a welcoming cool breeze that felt like fall time in the Midwest US. We followed the trail to find Gromit. Gromit is a lovable cartoon character from the series Wallace and Gromit by Nick Park. The kids were excited as we dashed from Gromit to Gromit, exploring the town, the cafes, the harbour, the university, the rail lines, business districts and neighborhoods. Many of them were in the city center and I think my wife and I were equally, if not more, excited as the kids.

Down by the harbour are new, trendy apartments and an installment of eateries that double as night clubs and pubs as the sun sets and atmosphere changes.

Older parts of town that survived the shelling and bombing by the Axis during World War II, revealed some of the history. The town was effected by German shelling and bombing due to aircraft and ship manufactoring here so there is a mix of old and new architecture. The old buildings demonstrate intense character, architecture that has eye catching shapes, and the cold gray stone contrasts while complimenting the bright vibrant new structures.

We stopped during lunch right in the heart of the city, plopped down centered before the large screen television in the plaza where episodes of Wallace and Gromit entertained hundreds in the plaza, and enjoyed oversized ice cream cones. The smiles all around the plaza suggested that the crowd enjoyed the innocence and gentle humor that is portrayed in Wallace and Gromit.

We continued on using the Detect-O-Gromit app. Purchasing the app to find Gromit around town goes to a children’s hospital. At the end of the month, they will auction off the 80 different statues to raise money for the hospital. Plus, it is awesome geocashing, a great way to see the city, tremendous exercise and good for business to get publicity. Everyone was super friendly and I even felt safe walking around at night with the kids.

Bristol enjoys a healthy nightlife

Yesterday was also the Balloonfest in which the sky was covered with hot air balloons.

Today, we slept in, had a huge breakfast at Beefeaters and I set out to do laundry. I stumbled upon a cute, quaint, nostalgic cafe/launderette/internet business named @TheWell in the Stokes Croft area. I met one of the owners and read how the three sisters set up the business. It was a great experience. A broad selection of breakfast and lunch as well as coffees and teas bring together those needing or wanting to use laundromats with those who enjoy cafes. One would typically spend time doing something while waiting for the clothes to finish so this brings people together in a social environment and provides internet and an array of foods prepared in house.

One of my kids sat on a couch @TheWell, played Minecraft and with some blocks in the store as the clothes tumbled. Books can be found neatly arranged everywhere. Once used sewing machines and typewriters had me perusing around the shop. The owner mentioned that another American had carefully planned this location as a stop in his journey prior to leaving home earlier this week. I can see why. What a great concept.

Bristol is absolutely a wonderful city. One of my favorites. If ever in UK, you must add it to you list.

Tomorrow is a new day.
Make It Fun!
God Bless.

Venice and Rome

We left Vicenza and took a train to Venice. One might ask why go to Venice when you are headed to Rome? Well , good question and it is two part. First, there are no direct trains to Rome from Vicenza. Second, my wife and I were to have a date in Venice. So, we said goodbye to our host and took a train to Venice. This time, I was quick to spot those preying on tourists. Everywhere I looked, people were handing over money left and right. Men had laid out sunglasses on blankets or rugs along the pathways and bridges tourists had to cross. Each merchant placed their items in succession closer and closer to the middle of the walkway. We stopped at a cafe for street food off the beaten path. The price was reasonable, not cheap but reasonable. Many people pulled wheeled luggage with scowls and many looked miserable. Some ladies were wearing what I assume they thought were cute heels as they tried balancing on cobblestone paths. They too looked uncomfortable. Earlier today, I lightened our load by mailing home two boxes of clothes and small items we were not using. We started out light anyhow only carrying one small backpack each. We are tourists though we were light and mobile. These other tourists looked hot and miserable. We have been saving our water bottles over the past week and filled them up nightly. Well, today was no different. Rather than giving up more euros, we were able to save that by carrying lot of water in one bag. I did not see a single drinking water fountain in Venice.

I inquired as to the price of a gondola ride and was quoted €80. Wow. My wife passed and we continued on foot getting great photos of the town. I noticed the people in the gondolas were exposed to the noon sun in an already hot and humid Venice. I was thankful not to be baking out on the water. I saw an elderly woman moaning and begging on the street. She had a small cup, bandage on a limb and a cane at her side. She tapped a cup to the ground with the faint sound of coins rattling inside. This pulled at my heart. I reached into my pocket to pull out the only money I had in it. Quite literally, the only money in my pocket was €0.20. Similar to twenty cents. I dropped it in her cup. She stopped moaning, said “Gratzi” looked in the cup then gave me one of the dirtiest looks a human being could give another. Then she began moaning again. Later on the high speed train from Venice to Rome a young woman passed around a crisp, newly printed square piece of paper in Italian and English describing that she was traveling with two small kids and few monies. She asked that people provide her money and wished God to bestow blessings. I declined as I thought about the old woman. Then just as I thought about the fact that we were in the very last seats of the very last train car, I realized she was dressed well, no kids in tow, on a pricey high speed train. One of my kids made note of this very same thing. So, I wasn’t the only one. I pray her well but scammed I was not. This young lady also gave me a dirty look.

This train to Rome must have been magical. They kids were ” too excited to sleep”. They were wound up and anxious to get to Rome. The train sped from northern Italy through Tuscany and into Rome. The pressure on the eardrums through the tunnels was annoying. Beautiful views were disrupted by having to equalize ear pressure. In Rick Steve’s Europe Through the Back Door 2013, he mentions not to skip the middle off Italy by simply going from Venice to Rome. Well, I anticipate coming back and will stop along some of the less traveled sites in the future.

After securing our Roma passes which are to include metro rail and bus as well as two free museums, we caught a rail to one of our points then walked about 1-2 miles to our hostel.

I have been watching Rick Steve’s European travel since the early 1990s. I met him and asked a few questions at a presentation in the late 1990s. I have read many of his guide books and have long wanted to stay in a hostel. Well, tonight I checked in with my family. Right away I met a gentleman from Brasil and some other kind people. This was also the first experience for my kids in a hostel. There is NO air conditioning though I am told the manager will have it tomorrow. We shall see. There is no lighting in the ladies shower/bathroom. The kids did enjoy the communal common/eating area getting to socialize. The rooms are quaint, basic and most importantly…clean. The showers were also clean just as the whole place is. There is nothing posh about it. There are bars on the windows for protection and our room has a lock and key.
I shall post more of our travels soon.

Make It Fun!
God Bless.

Nights Out

Our friend returned home from work and we spent one impromptu evening visiting Klosterl Monastery. The monks were saying evening prayer when we arrived. Traditionally, they brew beer and serve it in a bier garten/ social area. The property touches the bend in a river where the kids swam. We then headed to Behratzhaus for light, filling pizza and Apfel Schorle. I have eaten a LOT of pizza over the years. This was a very tasty and satisfying meal. Not too heavy. Often when finishing pizza I have heard or have said “Oh I’m stuffed”. This was just right. Lightly pasted tomato sauce and olive oil on thin crust. One version was Hawaiian, two margerita, and a tomato basil cheese pizza.

Our last night in Unterpfraundorf, both families went out for a walk in the countryside. We watched large slugs slowly creep along the path, butterflies danced from flower to flower, there were small orchards of apple trees, cherry and plum trees. The kids rode bikes, scooters or walked as they took turns chasing or leading the way. The evening air was perfect. Just the right temperature, a pleasant, gentle breeze and the right way to spend our last night with our hosts and friends.

Oceans 2013: Indonesia

This is a short break from my European travel blogging. I returned last month from Java, Indonesia. The country is stunningly beautiful. Though I was not around the beaches, I did see that trash and debris is a major problem there. Many people just threw wrappers on the ground after eating things. Rubbish was everywhere. I should specify that in the jungle and in the cities was trash laying about. At one of the military bases, the place was nearly spotless and trash was not visible. In some places, were signs or posters of working to improve conservation or environmentally friendly efforts and photos showing where their army was leading that effort.

Indonesia is not the only country in the world with this sort of problem. It even occurs in and around the United States.

Here is an article I stumbled upon today. I hope that the photos of trash in the article were altered to look this way, if not then much work and education needs to be done.

http://www.grindtv.com/action-sports/surf/post/surfing-paradise-has-a-serious-trash-problem/

 

(here is a separate link about a new shark found off Indonesia…http://news.yahoo.com/walking-shark-discovered-indonesia-141908033.html)

Heidelberg

We slept in. No alcohol involved though it was as if the whole family was hung over. We stayed up yesterday to get on a normal schedule and wards off jet lag. The kids were so absolutely tired that they fell asleep on some stairs.

We caught a train from Kaiserslautern to Heidelberg. I greatly recommend using the tourist information center just outside the train station as the staff was tremendously helpful and next to the train and bus stops.

We stepped out to a local grocery store where we picked up fresh fruit, baguettes, cheese and lots of water. It was the best $18 dollars spent on this excursion. We enjoyed a picnic on a spot of shaded green, freshly mowed and enjoyed by all. A wonderful breeze began to cool us and helped stop the frequent comments of “it’s hot”. The kids laid out with full bellies and smiles. Then they played tag.

After boarding the bus, we headed to Altestadt or old town to the Rathaus where we took the Funicular to the top of the schloss (castle).

A wedding was taking place in the chapel of the castle so as I tried to take photos of the church, I was quickly ushered out. Even offering wedding gifts did not allow me to stick around. We toured an apothecary museum in the castle. A group was setting up to perform classical music after the castle closed for another event. We headed back down. I encouraged the family to stick around the town. Originally, I was out numbered. The kids wanted to head back to our lodging. As we waited for the bus, the kids wandered down the alleyway that opened up to the city center with Peter’s Church (peterskirche) and many restaurants. The kids were drawn to the central fountain so we ambled about. The crowds were friendly. We walked past the outside cafes then across the bridge. We returned to the cafes and decided to have some dessert and coffee. Crowds meandered past us glancing to see what others ordered. We watched hen parties ( bachelorette ) sell small items such as schnapps and lighters. A tour guide dressed in garb of the 1700s with a tri-cornered hat and pikepole led a group through town lending a bit of history to those around. Our wait to order food grew longer and we noticed we were seated next to a hidden foul dumpster. As my patience grew thin at the restaurant our waiter appeared. In the end, the restaurant service was terrible and they did not have tap water or sweet wine available. We ordered deserts for the kids and espresso for the adults. The waiter said he was from Kabul and was really friendly once we asked him where he was from. He spoke Dari, Urdu, German and English. The desserts were fantastic. Über sweet tiramisu and mousse was paired with currants and blackberries. The espresso was exquisitely strong, the way I like it. The kids were smiling again.

We wandered about the shops where we stumbled upon some great stores and my wife picked up an apfelwein.

After finding our way back to the bus stop, we met up with some acquaintances we met earlier from Holland. They had gone to the church where they saw a Bach classical concert. It was 2130 hours and the sun did not even think about setting though it was cooling. The bus took us to the hauptbahnhof and bahnhof (train station). The sun finally decided to let hold of the day. We caught a train and headed to the hotel. As I type this, young eyes have grown heavy and the train lists here and there rocking gently side-to-side as it gains speed.

Good night sweet angels.

Indonesia: A Country of Many Colors

 

Java. The Indonesian countryside.  I was surrounded by some of the friendliest people on the planet. Some of the most striking colors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indonesia: A Country of Many Sounds

I caught a flight from Seoul, South Korea and landed in Jakarta.  The sun had set.  I stepped out of the baggage area and into sweltering humidity.  The volume of new sounds quickly caught my attention.  New languages, the sound of excitement as people greeted each other with hugs and the undeniable sound of motorbikes and buses had me looking in all directions.

I have been to some very warm places on this planet.  Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait tend to stick out the most.  Iraq was undoubtably the highest temperature I had encountered at 138 degrees though it was quite dry. Kuwait was both hot and humid.  Well, Indonesia was in the 80-90 degree Fahrenheit range however the intensity of the humidity was unbelievable.

I boarded the bus and was soon whisked away from the airport.  The driver darted in and out of traffic, honking at the motorized two wheelers that dared taking the narrow bit of road between the bus and shops only to jut out in front of the bus, narrowly escaping a massive wreck, though I suspect this was not their first flirtation with near death.

Everywhere I looked, were motor bikes.  Some had helmeted riders, others did not.  Some had whole families, babies, infants, children, mom and dad.  It was most impressive.

As I arrived to where I was staying, I found myself in a portion of tamed jungle.  The frogs and geckos sang as the bats swooped down to the mosquitos that were welcoming me.  I sat and listened, assimilating to my new location, and realized that I liked it already.

(In Indonesia, the R’s are rolled as in RRRRRuffles have RRRRidges).