Ahoy,
Madrid, I swear on my smoked sea salt's worth, is the smoking capital of Europe. Don't quote me on this. I'm only making this claim on speculation. It's like the whole city was smoking like chimneys. We thought Paris was bad, but they got nothing on Madrid. And when it wasn't the cigarettes, it was the motorcycle exhaust. Every bated breath I took, I could see my lungs wilting like flowers left in the sun with no water. Dying. I must have been holdingmmy breath the whole time I was in Madrid. It was awful. I'm glad my cardio health was adequate.
Besides that, Madrid is the largest city in Spain. And it was so crowded. It was more people than times square, but all the time, and everywhere. I long for Barcelona.
chafingly snuffled,
jt
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
not found here
Ahoy,
These are things I miss when I go on vacation:
1. Rice. I haven't realized until recently how prominent rice is in my life. It's amazing to me when thinking back on how I grew up. My parents enforced a very strict regimen of rice for dinner everyday for my whole life. No matter how late we got home, they would cook rice every night. They even brought a rice cooker on vacation. I'm thinking now that might be such a wild idea for my travels.
2. Fruit. Produce markets might not always be the easiest to come by. And it might be expensive, poor quality or we might not want to carry it around all day. I dream of grapes and oranges. These aren't really good excuses for why I'm fruit deprived on vacation.
3. Tap water. I don't like bottled water, nor the concept of bottled water.
longingly satiated,
jt
These are things I miss when I go on vacation:
1. Rice. I haven't realized until recently how prominent rice is in my life. It's amazing to me when thinking back on how I grew up. My parents enforced a very strict regimen of rice for dinner everyday for my whole life. No matter how late we got home, they would cook rice every night. They even brought a rice cooker on vacation. I'm thinking now that might be such a wild idea for my travels.
2. Fruit. Produce markets might not always be the easiest to come by. And it might be expensive, poor quality or we might not want to carry it around all day. I dream of grapes and oranges. These aren't really good excuses for why I'm fruit deprived on vacation.
3. Tap water. I don't like bottled water, nor the concept of bottled water.
longingly satiated,
jt
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
last leg
Ahoy,
Barcelona is the pickpocketing capital of Europe, according to wikitraval. But we also know Rafael nadal is from Spain, so we were super excited to run into him and have him kick our butts. We saw Roger Federer when we passed through switzerland. It was fabulous. He looked so chic in his watch advertisement.
Aside from being hyper cautious for pickpocketers, I still love Spain. The siesta thing makes it a lot less crowded in the middle of the day. The weather is a lot warmer, which the tall one is happy about. There are both small and big streets that lead into turnabouts like in other European cities.
Barcelona held the 1992 Olympics and that left an indelible mark on the city. It's obvious that some of the structures and monuments were built for the olympics. It's really interesting to see how the city runs after such a huge event. It's very different from what I saw of Athens. I won't bore you with the details. I know some of you must already be asleep. Certainly, the tall one is.
linguistically bulleted,
jt
Barcelona is the pickpocketing capital of Europe, according to wikitraval. But we also know Rafael nadal is from Spain, so we were super excited to run into him and have him kick our butts. We saw Roger Federer when we passed through switzerland. It was fabulous. He looked so chic in his watch advertisement.
Aside from being hyper cautious for pickpocketers, I still love Spain. The siesta thing makes it a lot less crowded in the middle of the day. The weather is a lot warmer, which the tall one is happy about. There are both small and big streets that lead into turnabouts like in other European cities.
Barcelona held the 1992 Olympics and that left an indelible mark on the city. It's obvious that some of the structures and monuments were built for the olympics. It's really interesting to see how the city runs after such a huge event. It's very different from what I saw of Athens. I won't bore you with the details. I know some of you must already be asleep. Certainly, the tall one is.
linguistically bulleted,
jt
Monday, December 26, 2011
omnomnom
Ahoy,
I haven't really reported much about the food, and you all must be dying to hear about our culinary adventures. All of you, my 2 readers. Despite our bullseye intent to see as much as we can, we did not sacrifice our taste buds. There have been hits or misses, but our bellies remain full and content. I'll just regale you with the highlights.
We had french food in London. London is not known to be a culinary Mecca, I think- more like a mishmash of everything else. I had a salmon dish and A had a nap. He was so sleepy, he was falling asleep in the middle of his sentences. So we proceeded to France where we were ordering blindly at this point. But it was delicious and simple. Baguettes with cheese and salmon for me, something carnivorous for the sleepy one. But my goodness, Italy took the cake. In Venice and rome we came across pizza, pasta and tiramisu that made my taste buds sing in a language I don't even know.
For however unpleasant the French come off, however mean, unhelpful, snooty, all other forms of unpleasantries in france, I'll give them this one thing. They know how to make heavenly noshes, divine pastries, amazing bread. I had curry lamb, duck confit, smoked salmon. All of it tasty. A had skate, risotto, and seafood ravioli. All of it tasty. We stopped in bakeries for bread and pastries. All of it tasty. And the macaroons. All of it tasty. Trend here? I wonder why Parisians seem so displeased because anyone who gets to delight daily in such orgasmic culinary tastes yet remain unhappy must be off their rocker.
delightedly satisficed,
jt
I haven't really reported much about the food, and you all must be dying to hear about our culinary adventures. All of you, my 2 readers. Despite our bullseye intent to see as much as we can, we did not sacrifice our taste buds. There have been hits or misses, but our bellies remain full and content. I'll just regale you with the highlights.
We had french food in London. London is not known to be a culinary Mecca, I think- more like a mishmash of everything else. I had a salmon dish and A had a nap. He was so sleepy, he was falling asleep in the middle of his sentences. So we proceeded to France where we were ordering blindly at this point. But it was delicious and simple. Baguettes with cheese and salmon for me, something carnivorous for the sleepy one. But my goodness, Italy took the cake. In Venice and rome we came across pizza, pasta and tiramisu that made my taste buds sing in a language I don't even know.
For however unpleasant the French come off, however mean, unhelpful, snooty, all other forms of unpleasantries in france, I'll give them this one thing. They know how to make heavenly noshes, divine pastries, amazing bread. I had curry lamb, duck confit, smoked salmon. All of it tasty. A had skate, risotto, and seafood ravioli. All of it tasty. We stopped in bakeries for bread and pastries. All of it tasty. And the macaroons. All of it tasty. Trend here? I wonder why Parisians seem so displeased because anyone who gets to delight daily in such orgasmic culinary tastes yet remain unhappy must be off their rocker.
delightedly satisficed,
jt
macaroon holidaze
Ahoy,
As we stand next to one of the great wonders of the modern world, "the Eiffel tower is not as interesting now that it isn't sparkling." The Eiffel tower sparkles every half hour or so. We walked up the stairs and were in the tower when they turned the lights on, so we got some really cool shots.
In other monumental ventures, the arc de triomphe looks even bigger in person. The roundabout to get to it is so wide, but we saw people jaywalking. There is an underpass to get there. We were concerned nothing would be open on Christmas and we would starve, but not the case. The champs élysées was incredibly crowded and plenty of restaurants were open. The Christmas markets we've been running into are great and filled with overpriced, non uniquities. They're a lot like American ones in that it's the same stuff being vended by multiple parties. I'll spot some things that I'm sure are not from anywhere near here, or that I've seen in the states before.
We tried photo bombing some wedding pictures near the palace. We were probably successful because they shooed us away. I'm sure we have photo bombed millions of pictures as we have been photo bombed repeatedly as well. It'll be fun to see how our photos turn out.
We saw the notre dame during a Christmas service. And there was a playground in the back. We got shooed out as they were closing. This seems to be a recurring trend with us.
The louvre, however, was a little lax on security. I got a foot into the water and still there was no one to shoo me away. I know you would need a week at least for the louvre alone, so we just gawked at the exterior.
smokingly shuffled,
jt
As we stand next to one of the great wonders of the modern world, "the Eiffel tower is not as interesting now that it isn't sparkling." The Eiffel tower sparkles every half hour or so. We walked up the stairs and were in the tower when they turned the lights on, so we got some really cool shots.
In other monumental ventures, the arc de triomphe looks even bigger in person. The roundabout to get to it is so wide, but we saw people jaywalking. There is an underpass to get there. We were concerned nothing would be open on Christmas and we would starve, but not the case. The champs élysées was incredibly crowded and plenty of restaurants were open. The Christmas markets we've been running into are great and filled with overpriced, non uniquities. They're a lot like American ones in that it's the same stuff being vended by multiple parties. I'll spot some things that I'm sure are not from anywhere near here, or that I've seen in the states before.
We tried photo bombing some wedding pictures near the palace. We were probably successful because they shooed us away. I'm sure we have photo bombed millions of pictures as we have been photo bombed repeatedly as well. It'll be fun to see how our photos turn out.
We saw the notre dame during a Christmas service. And there was a playground in the back. We got shooed out as they were closing. This seems to be a recurring trend with us.
The louvre, however, was a little lax on security. I got a foot into the water and still there was no one to shoo me away. I know you would need a week at least for the louvre alone, so we just gawked at the exterior.
smokingly shuffled,
jt
Sunday, December 25, 2011
walk the champs élysées
Ahoy,
Boys take something like 5 minutes to shower, which will forever amaze me. Sure, I can take that short a time too, but I have to try really, really hard. But one thing that is universal is the size of our bladders. We have been going through this cycle of being thirsty and looking for the water closet. He has a bladder the size of a peanut, and with all the expressos he drinks, you would think since the volume is smaller- he would need to empty his bladder less often. But that is not the case.
Anyone will tell you that walking around is the best way to see any city, and that is true for all the cities we've been so far. We spend almost the whole day walking around and getting lost, so our travels are not for the faint of heart or slow of pace. It's been fantastic seeing everything by foot stumbling in and out of touristy areas and looking for things off the beaten path.
One of the features that has thrown me off the map is the lack of a grid network. The streets all lead into turnabouts and public squares, and connect like a spiderweb. It's great for creating open streets and clear views, but more for aesthetics than function. This seems to be the goal of Paris and France, so mission accomplished. The people here think like that too. Smetimes it's like they are all on a catwalk.
merrily sunburned,
jt
ps. Joyeaux Noel
Boys take something like 5 minutes to shower, which will forever amaze me. Sure, I can take that short a time too, but I have to try really, really hard. But one thing that is universal is the size of our bladders. We have been going through this cycle of being thirsty and looking for the water closet. He has a bladder the size of a peanut, and with all the expressos he drinks, you would think since the volume is smaller- he would need to empty his bladder less often. But that is not the case.
Anyone will tell you that walking around is the best way to see any city, and that is true for all the cities we've been so far. We spend almost the whole day walking around and getting lost, so our travels are not for the faint of heart or slow of pace. It's been fantastic seeing everything by foot stumbling in and out of touristy areas and looking for things off the beaten path.
One of the features that has thrown me off the map is the lack of a grid network. The streets all lead into turnabouts and public squares, and connect like a spiderweb. It's great for creating open streets and clear views, but more for aesthetics than function. This seems to be the goal of Paris and France, so mission accomplished. The people here think like that too. Smetimes it's like they are all on a catwalk.
merrily sunburned,
jt
ps. Joyeaux Noel
Friday, December 23, 2011
kindness of strangers
Ahoy,
There's this philosophy or saying I've heard before that goes something along the lines of how people live their lives dependent on the kindness of strangers. I can understand how there would be those skeptic cynics who strive to be fiercely independent. Strangers are strange, and inherently you don't have to trust them.
I try to know where I'm going and what I'm doing, but I have often depended on the kindness of strangers. And I try my best to be helpful to strangers. Never is the kindness of strangers more valuable and meaningful than when you are in a foreign country with only a small arsenal of the native tongue's vocabulary under your belt.
Of all the countries we've been in, France has had the least helpful, least friendly people who were the least interested in trying to help in any way. So we were apprehensive at coming back. But as the fates would have it, we found ourselves on a train that arrived at 2146. Somehow we got on the right train. Somehow we got on the metro and transferred to a bus that led us to our accommodations for the night. Somehow we got to Paris.
I can't recall how many times we have asked for directions, instructions, tickets, reservations, information, change, etc. I can't recall how many times it has been more of a struggle and frustration than it should be. And I can't recall how many people have hindered us.
Thank the mighty travel gods for all those who have helped us on our trip.
gracefully perturbed,
jt
There's this philosophy or saying I've heard before that goes something along the lines of how people live their lives dependent on the kindness of strangers. I can understand how there would be those skeptic cynics who strive to be fiercely independent. Strangers are strange, and inherently you don't have to trust them.
I try to know where I'm going and what I'm doing, but I have often depended on the kindness of strangers. And I try my best to be helpful to strangers. Never is the kindness of strangers more valuable and meaningful than when you are in a foreign country with only a small arsenal of the native tongue's vocabulary under your belt.
Of all the countries we've been in, France has had the least helpful, least friendly people who were the least interested in trying to help in any way. So we were apprehensive at coming back. But as the fates would have it, we found ourselves on a train that arrived at 2146. Somehow we got on the right train. Somehow we got on the metro and transferred to a bus that led us to our accommodations for the night. Somehow we got to Paris.
I can't recall how many times we have asked for directions, instructions, tickets, reservations, information, change, etc. I can't recall how many times it has been more of a struggle and frustration than it should be. And I can't recall how many people have hindered us.
Thank the mighty travel gods for all those who have helped us on our trip.
gracefully perturbed,
jt
Paris is like NYC
Ahoy,
Paris is like New York. But more. More people. More mean. More dirty. More subways. More pushy. More smoking. More graffiti. More.
dashedly bumped,
jt
Paris is like New York. But more. More people. More mean. More dirty. More subways. More pushy. More smoking. More graffiti. More.
dashedly bumped,
jt
Thursday, December 22, 2011
serendipity
Ahoy,
Our trip from Venice to Brussels consisted of 3 train rides. We went from Venice to Milan, Milan to Basel, and Basel to what was supposed to be all the way to Brussels. But the strikes, you see, happen all the time and during weekdays and are nation wide. So our train got stopped in luxembourg. Because of strikes, nothing was running in all of Belgium. So 8 o'clock at night we find ourselves stranded in Luxembourg. I guess stranded is an understatement, because of all places to get stuck in, Luxembourg is one of the best. We rushed over to the hostel and checked in for the night. We explored the next day and have perhaps fallen in love.
We also zipped through Switzerland, which was amazing. We were not expecting to go through or see Switzerland, but it was gorgeous from what we saw out the window. It was snowing and all snow covered mountains and beautiful. Anyone that knows me, knows that snow is my favorite. We will definitely return.
It's a shame we never got to see Brussels. We were really looking forward to the chocolate, but we'll be back! Luxembourg and Switzerland were fantabulous surprises.
remotely adrift,
jt
Our trip from Venice to Brussels consisted of 3 train rides. We went from Venice to Milan, Milan to Basel, and Basel to what was supposed to be all the way to Brussels. But the strikes, you see, happen all the time and during weekdays and are nation wide. So our train got stopped in luxembourg. Because of strikes, nothing was running in all of Belgium. So 8 o'clock at night we find ourselves stranded in Luxembourg. I guess stranded is an understatement, because of all places to get stuck in, Luxembourg is one of the best. We rushed over to the hostel and checked in for the night. We explored the next day and have perhaps fallen in love.
We also zipped through Switzerland, which was amazing. We were not expecting to go through or see Switzerland, but it was gorgeous from what we saw out the window. It was snowing and all snow covered mountains and beautiful. Anyone that knows me, knows that snow is my favorite. We will definitely return.
It's a shame we never got to see Brussels. We were really looking forward to the chocolate, but we'll be back! Luxembourg and Switzerland were fantabulous surprises.
remotely adrift,
jt
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
new friends
Ahoy,
It rained just about the whole time we were in Lyon. But it was an incredibly pleasant stay. I selected a room from the airbnb website. It was the first time we used airbnb. There's a certain degree of risk or trust when you decide to stay in a room in a strangers house. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. The room and bed was comfortable, everything worked. Sometimes there was breakfast or whatever they were cooking at the time. The host was amazing. We suspect he has genie blood. He performed some function of a miracle to help us get to Rome, and let us stay an extra night free of charge. It might be better than a hotel because we got full access to kitchen and pantry, laundry, conversation with locals. It was like staying at a friend's house. I'm sure not every experience is like this, but this was a fantastic first time with airbnb.
drizzily awestruck,
jt
It rained just about the whole time we were in Lyon. But it was an incredibly pleasant stay. I selected a room from the airbnb website. It was the first time we used airbnb. There's a certain degree of risk or trust when you decide to stay in a room in a strangers house. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. The room and bed was comfortable, everything worked. Sometimes there was breakfast or whatever they were cooking at the time. The host was amazing. We suspect he has genie blood. He performed some function of a miracle to help us get to Rome, and let us stay an extra night free of charge. It might be better than a hotel because we got full access to kitchen and pantry, laundry, conversation with locals. It was like staying at a friend's house. I'm sure not every experience is like this, but this was a fantastic first time with airbnb.
drizzily awestruck,
jt
art of scowling
Ahoy,
So I know they're always telling you that french people are not nice, but I think it's better to find out for yourself than to make these grand assumptions. After a few days in France, I think it's more true than not. They all do this sneering, Scowling face as if stuck that way. And they don't smile back at you, not even service workers. A describes it as if it pains them to smile.
One of the first differences we noticed was that londoners looked so much more friendly. And then in Italy, too, their expressions were just softer and less hostile. But I'd like to mention not all French people are mean. Our host had a friend of his staying with him too, and she was really nice. And the strangers we got in a car with were really nice.
French people are similar to new Yorkers in this manner. They have to develop this toughness about their disposition or else they will get overstimulated and overwhelmed. Closing off to the world is like a defense mechanism. I can understand this need in big cities and where there is a lot happening.
heavily friendless,
jt
So I know they're always telling you that french people are not nice, but I think it's better to find out for yourself than to make these grand assumptions. After a few days in France, I think it's more true than not. They all do this sneering, Scowling face as if stuck that way. And they don't smile back at you, not even service workers. A describes it as if it pains them to smile.
One of the first differences we noticed was that londoners looked so much more friendly. And then in Italy, too, their expressions were just softer and less hostile. But I'd like to mention not all French people are mean. Our host had a friend of his staying with him too, and she was really nice. And the strangers we got in a car with were really nice.
French people are similar to new Yorkers in this manner. They have to develop this toughness about their disposition or else they will get overstimulated and overwhelmed. Closing off to the world is like a defense mechanism. I can understand this need in big cities and where there is a lot happening.
heavily friendless,
jt
not quite frigid
Ahoy,
"we are standing next to one of the 7 great wonders of the ancient world, and I am uninterested. "
My California boy has trouble surviving when the mercury drops below a certain range. I thought it was toasty that night. We ended our very long day of walking all over Rome at the collesseum. Everything was really close together so we were at the next stop on our walking tour before we thought about it. This made it easy to see just about all we wanted to.
Unfortunately, Venice was not warmer. It might have been the coldest of all. I thought it was lovely, granted there was a bit of a bite, but not uncomfortably so. A just about shivered like we were in the arctic. There's certain tolerances that get developed when you live in a place where there are seasons.
toastily brazen,
jt
"we are standing next to one of the 7 great wonders of the ancient world, and I am uninterested. "
My California boy has trouble surviving when the mercury drops below a certain range. I thought it was toasty that night. We ended our very long day of walking all over Rome at the collesseum. Everything was really close together so we were at the next stop on our walking tour before we thought about it. This made it easy to see just about all we wanted to.
Unfortunately, Venice was not warmer. It might have been the coldest of all. I thought it was lovely, granted there was a bit of a bite, but not uncomfortably so. A just about shivered like we were in the arctic. There's certain tolerances that get developed when you live in a place where there are seasons.
toastily brazen,
jt
Monday, December 19, 2011
border patrol
Ahoy,
By some function of a miracle we arrived in Rome the night of the 18th. Half a day later than planned, but safely and securely nonetheless. Our host in Lyon knew of this carpool site in Europe. There's one in the states too. He called this one fellow that was out of seats, but forwarded us to another group. A mother and her daughter. So the night before our flight, we got an email it was cancelled. By now it was almost midnight, but our host texted the mother and daughter and they called back. So the next day we got in a car with complete strangers who didn't really speak English, and we don't really speak French and we all drove to Rome.
They were incredibly nice and friendly, contrary to our perception of the French. A got to drive for a bit in Italy. The mountains in the south of France were incredible, so gorgeous. And even more so because it was snow covered.
roamingly frazzled,
jt
By some function of a miracle we arrived in Rome the night of the 18th. Half a day later than planned, but safely and securely nonetheless. Our host in Lyon knew of this carpool site in Europe. There's one in the states too. He called this one fellow that was out of seats, but forwarded us to another group. A mother and her daughter. So the night before our flight, we got an email it was cancelled. By now it was almost midnight, but our host texted the mother and daughter and they called back. So the next day we got in a car with complete strangers who didn't really speak English, and we don't really speak French and we all drove to Rome.
They were incredibly nice and friendly, contrary to our perception of the French. A got to drive for a bit in Italy. The mountains in the south of France were incredible, so gorgeous. And even more so because it was snow covered.
roamingly frazzled,
jt
Sunday, December 18, 2011
breaking news
Ahoy!
First snow! First snow, you guys! First snow in Lyon this morning! We left France. We will be back. Our flight got cancelled and we hitch-hiked to Rome. Details to come.
assuredly terminal,
jt
First snow! First snow, you guys! First snow in Lyon this morning! We left France. We will be back. Our flight got cancelled and we hitch-hiked to Rome. Details to come.
assuredly terminal,
jt
Saturday, December 17, 2011
remain alert
Ahoy,
So our logic that zipped us through London was that we have eurail passes for all the countries on our itinerary except London, London is boring (according to A's friend from London who is skeptical of everything), and we figured it would be the most like home. Sometimes a piece of home is not too bad. There is nothing like the hospitality of the French to make you want to go scurrying back to boring, familiar London with your tail between your legs. But alas, we began this journey with only the intentional direction of moving forward, and with our Dino companion as my witness we will persist. And we will make it home one way or another.
Winter travel is seeming more tricky than we originally perceived. I guess the holiday season really is upon us with plenty of folks scrambling home to meet the frenzy of another holiday gathering. Winter does not trump holidays, and people will continue traveling regardless of the season. There is no off-season for tourism in Europe because it doesn't really get cold enough, and maybe people are less pansy.
Our Lyon - Rome connection was fully booked, so this little snafu had us initiate plan b, which was a flight to Rome instead. The airline or airports cancelled all flights today, hopefully our flight tomorrow won't be cancelled.
We remain flexible, caffeinated, and aware of puppies.
faithfully fortunate,
jt
So our logic that zipped us through London was that we have eurail passes for all the countries on our itinerary except London, London is boring (according to A's friend from London who is skeptical of everything), and we figured it would be the most like home. Sometimes a piece of home is not too bad. There is nothing like the hospitality of the French to make you want to go scurrying back to boring, familiar London with your tail between your legs. But alas, we began this journey with only the intentional direction of moving forward, and with our Dino companion as my witness we will persist. And we will make it home one way or another.
Winter travel is seeming more tricky than we originally perceived. I guess the holiday season really is upon us with plenty of folks scrambling home to meet the frenzy of another holiday gathering. Winter does not trump holidays, and people will continue traveling regardless of the season. There is no off-season for tourism in Europe because it doesn't really get cold enough, and maybe people are less pansy.
Our Lyon - Rome connection was fully booked, so this little snafu had us initiate plan b, which was a flight to Rome instead. The airline or airports cancelled all flights today, hopefully our flight tomorrow won't be cancelled.
We remain flexible, caffeinated, and aware of puppies.
faithfully fortunate,
jt
Thursday, December 15, 2011
wonky hours
Ahoy,
Sometimes people don't believe me when I tell them I don't take naps. Or they are astounded that I continue to exist and function. And then! And then! They outright clutch their pearls when I tell them I don't drink coffee either. Far be it for me to approve of your habits, but there are things I have been programmed not to do. Taking naps is one of them. This is typically not a problem because I rarely put myself in the position to have the opportunity to take naps. Courtesy of SAS, I've been conditioned to fall asleep on bus or train rides. Now I find myself with the opportunity to sleep for at least 5 hours in the middle of the day from Paris to Lyon. So I bring to you my 3am rantings as a result of the extended nap I had today.
Things like this throw off my circadian rhythm. Jet lag has never really been a problem for me, and we've recently theorized my possible genetic fortitude for fully functioning at fewer hours of sleep. I'm not sure what latitude and longitude London is on, but I'm accustomed to certain shadows at certain times of day. Despite the rumored doom and gloom of London, the sun did come out. It looked like 4 in the afternoon when it was noon. Of all things that have not affected my circadian rhythm, where the sun is in the sky is not one of them. For this reason, I think it would be really strange to ever live in London.
wide-eyedly rambling,
jt
Sometimes people don't believe me when I tell them I don't take naps. Or they are astounded that I continue to exist and function. And then! And then! They outright clutch their pearls when I tell them I don't drink coffee either. Far be it for me to approve of your habits, but there are things I have been programmed not to do. Taking naps is one of them. This is typically not a problem because I rarely put myself in the position to have the opportunity to take naps. Courtesy of SAS, I've been conditioned to fall asleep on bus or train rides. Now I find myself with the opportunity to sleep for at least 5 hours in the middle of the day from Paris to Lyon. So I bring to you my 3am rantings as a result of the extended nap I had today.
Things like this throw off my circadian rhythm. Jet lag has never really been a problem for me, and we've recently theorized my possible genetic fortitude for fully functioning at fewer hours of sleep. I'm not sure what latitude and longitude London is on, but I'm accustomed to certain shadows at certain times of day. Despite the rumored doom and gloom of London, the sun did come out. It looked like 4 in the afternoon when it was noon. Of all things that have not affected my circadian rhythm, where the sun is in the sky is not one of them. For this reason, I think it would be really strange to ever live in London.
wide-eyedly rambling,
jt
London calling
Ahoy,
London will have to wait once again for my presence to grace it's lovely cobbled streets. Stumbling over the stones, we recognized much of the architecture as our own. With the first immigrants hailing from the UK, it is clear they did not take as much creative license in the New World as some of my colleagues today in urban design. Nonetheless, the uneven pavement did not keep us from seeing the usual sights - Big Ben, London Bridge, the Queen (I'm kidding, we didn't see the Queen)' etc.
I'll forever remember London as the city of mismatched proportions. It seems the place was built for folks with a smaller stature. Everyone was so TALL, and the spaces they had to fit into were so small. It was a touch comical - like clowns in cars at the circus.
Everywhere we went, I couldn't help but be reminded by Harry Potter. I'd remember to look the other way to jaywalk, sometimes not a hair too soon, as a double decker bus came rumbling down towards me. It's just like that scene from the movie where Harry, Ron, and Hermione have to squish in between the buses in London.
royally dazed,
jt
London will have to wait once again for my presence to grace it's lovely cobbled streets. Stumbling over the stones, we recognized much of the architecture as our own. With the first immigrants hailing from the UK, it is clear they did not take as much creative license in the New World as some of my colleagues today in urban design. Nonetheless, the uneven pavement did not keep us from seeing the usual sights - Big Ben, London Bridge, the Queen (I'm kidding, we didn't see the Queen)' etc.
I'll forever remember London as the city of mismatched proportions. It seems the place was built for folks with a smaller stature. Everyone was so TALL, and the spaces they had to fit into were so small. It was a touch comical - like clowns in cars at the circus.
Everywhere we went, I couldn't help but be reminded by Harry Potter. I'd remember to look the other way to jaywalk, sometimes not a hair too soon, as a double decker bus came rumbling down towards me. It's just like that scene from the movie where Harry, Ron, and Hermione have to squish in between the buses in London.
royally dazed,
jt
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
take off
Ahoy,
Let me preface this by confiding in you that this was my first time flying across a major body of water. Having said that, i think you will excuse the jazzercise pounding in my chest when I tell you we flew over the (expletive) ocean!!! Miles of ocean, not terrain, under this tush.
Can we please talk about the first class treatment on our budget ticket deal? Two meals and all the fixings. The flight is less than 6 hours long, which is scarcely enough time to watch all the free movies we want (which we didn't't). They gave us toothbrushes and socks. Now that's class. Folks, flying domestic has it's thrills and frills, but at the end of the day Virgin Atlntic has stolen my heart.
dazzlingly docked,
jt
Let me preface this by confiding in you that this was my first time flying across a major body of water. Having said that, i think you will excuse the jazzercise pounding in my chest when I tell you we flew over the (expletive) ocean!!! Miles of ocean, not terrain, under this tush.
Can we please talk about the first class treatment on our budget ticket deal? Two meals and all the fixings. The flight is less than 6 hours long, which is scarcely enough time to watch all the free movies we want (which we didn't't). They gave us toothbrushes and socks. Now that's class. Folks, flying domestic has it's thrills and frills, but at the end of the day Virgin Atlntic has stolen my heart.
dazzlingly docked,
jt
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
find me here
ahoy,
12/13___ night departure Newark, NJ to London
12/14___ arrive morning London, UK
12/15___ depart morning to France, stop in Marseilles or Avignon
12/16___ Lyon, France
12/17___ Lyon, depart overnight train to Rome, Italy
12/18___ arrive morning Rome
12/19___ Rome
12/20___ depart morning to Florence, late train to Venice
12/21___ Venice, Italy, depart overnight train to Brussels, Belgium
12/22___ arrive morning Brussels
12/23___ depart morning to Bruges, mid-day train to Paris
12/24___ Paris
12/25___ Paris, depart overnight train to Barcelona, Spain
12/26___ arrive morning Barcelona
12/27___ Barcelona
12/28___ depart morning to Madrid
12/29___ morning flight Madrid to SFO (stopover in Chicago)
nearly booked,
jt
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
upcoming
ahoy,
This is a test for if I want to post while I'm away this winter. I'm not bringing my laptop, but A will have his iPad. We'll be zipping across the continent so fast I don't know if I'll remember it all. I hope I will have time to write to here for memory keeps. Our schedule is just about finalized, and I'm in the process of booking accommodation so we don't have to sleep on benches in the park, though that seems to be the trend these days. Besides, A and his thin California blood starts quivering at the thought of 50 degree temperatures.
This is a test for if I want to post while I'm away this winter. I'm not bringing my laptop, but A will have his iPad. We'll be zipping across the continent so fast I don't know if I'll remember it all. I hope I will have time to write to here for memory keeps. Our schedule is just about finalized, and I'm in the process of booking accommodation so we don't have to sleep on benches in the park, though that seems to be the trend these days. Besides, A and his thin California blood starts quivering at the thought of 50 degree temperatures.
spirited away,
jt
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