I enjoyed my first trip to Georgia, but happening in late fall and early winter the conditions weren’t the best to see the mountains and nature it has to offer. I loved it regardless, so the wine, food, and the prices of everything were another good reason to come back. Visiting in July this time, tourist activity would be a bit higher and I’d have an opportunity to see some things I had missed on the first go. Continue reading As sweet and clear as moonlight through the pines
Tag Archives: Cathedrals
Wanna thrive in the dust of the universe
After I got dad on a plane (actually he got himself there via tram super early so I didn’t even wake up), I decided to stay in Prague for another week since I liked it better this time. The apartment was really nice, and having a beer garden a 5 minute walk away is handy too. Continue reading Wanna thrive in the dust of the universe
No mistakes in the tango, darling, not like life.
If you’re considering visiting Buenos Aires in January and February, don’t. It’s too hot. Lots of sweating, which is especially bad since I’m a disgusting waste of life who sits in his own filth most of the time, only washing his clothes like once a month. But what am I going to do, pay the laundry lady $10 every week to wash them? Rich get richer? I don’t think so. Continue reading No mistakes in the tango, darling, not like life.
We leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place, we stay there, even though we go away.
From Porto, I took the train down the Lisbon, but went directly to Sinta for the weekend. The town is 40 minutes outside the city center towards the coast. Very touristy place, but more space to hike around and see some palaces, castles, coasts, and beautiful homes. Rumor has it that Madonna just bought a place here, so how bad could it be? Continue reading We leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place, we stay there, even though we go away.
I’m a rebel just for kicks, now
Porto is one of those popular “digital nomad destinations” due to its European culture, nice weather, low cost of living. So I decided I’d go there for a bit. I’m actually staying in Vila Nova de Gaia, the city right across the Duoro River from Porto. It’s the side with all the wine on it, where I belong. Continue reading I’m a rebel just for kicks, now
Wherever I wander, wherever I rove, The hills of the Highlands for ever I love
Return trips for me are rare, but Edinburgh is a nice place. Forget all that sunshine, beaches, and warm weather in Spain – not sure how anyone tolerates all that. I’ll take this constant sea of 60 degree mist any day. After arbitrarily choosing a hostel, upon arrival I realized it was the same one I stayed in over three years ago. I get older and the kids in here stay the same age. JK it’s an old person hostel. Continue reading Wherever I wander, wherever I rove, The hills of the Highlands for ever I love
The trick is to enjoy life, accepting it has no meaning whatsoever.
I came into Barcelona with rather high hopes. Not exactly sure why. Heard mostly good things about it I guess? But my initial impression is underwhelming. The fundamental reason, I think, is that I just don’t get it. I’ll say it: tapas are just overpriced tiny foods. And I don’t understand the appeal of all these outdoor eateries – just because you put an umbrella up doesn’t change the fact that you’re just eating on the street. Continue reading The trick is to enjoy life, accepting it has no meaning whatsoever.
Reading is a protest against the insufficiencies of life
I’m writing this considerably after the fact, so my recounting will likely be a list of facts rather than interesting anecdotes about the trip. But it’s not like I can skip posting pictures of Machu Piccu, so here we go. I promise to be better in the future. Continue reading Reading is a protest against the insufficiencies of life
I was told that I could listen to the radio at a reasonable volume from nine to eleven
After three months in Colombia, it was time to move on to a whole new world. Ecuador, a Latin American country that just uses US dollars. If you’re wondering where all our Sacagawea dollars went, the answer is Ecuador. They have a rich appreciation for Native American culture here. Continue reading I was told that I could listen to the radio at a reasonable volume from nine to eleven
There is always something left to love
People complain about Bogota, saying it’s dangerous and there isn’t much to do, but I actually enjoyed it (maybe just because they had good WiFi and normal city things). I stayed the first few nights in a hostel in La Candelaria, the more touristy area. A couple girls tried to steal my bottom bunk the first night, and I had none of it, as I’m an old, seasoned traveler that doesn’t fall for those cute girl shenanigans anymore. I’ll die alone in my lovely bottom bunk, thank you very much. But anyways, overall very nice people, a couple vegetarian restaurants close by, and mostly walkable. Continue reading There is always something left to love
¿Plata o Plomo?
I’ve been living in this apartment in Medellín for about 6 weeks, tallying about two months total in Medellín, which I think is the longest I’ve lived anywhere in a few years. The theory was it would be good to have some more consistency and become part of a community a bit more. Which makes sense in theory, but I think you actually need to make an effort to engage with the community for it to work. Continue reading ¿Plata o Plomo?
Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.
I managed to avoid any excitement my last couple weeks in Riga, sticking to my familiar walking paths and coffee shop hopping. I did take a walk over to the markets on the weekend, which were quite large and busy. One building was completely filled with meat – did not last long in there. But I wish I had gone earlier, as there were huge stalls of vegetables as well.
Continue reading Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.
Two Latvian look at clouds. One see potato. Other see impossible dream. Is same cloud.
I decided to enter the social realm for a few days, booking four nights at a hostel in Riga to start off the trip. The password at the hostel was “justonebeer”. Which of course is “just one beer.” But I’ve been drinking very little and listening to questionable music, so I thought it was just a weird spelling of “juston ebeer”. Surely, a mistake anyone can make. Thankfully, I did not say this aloud so my reputation as someone with some dignity remains intact.
You city people are children of the moment
Here we go again, the road beckoning. After a couple days in NYC (I stayed in the Upper West Side for the first time), I took a flight to Helsinki via Stockholm. In the Stockholm airport a simple coffee was nearly $5 (which was greatly desired after a red eye), which I didn’t to survive without, but I’m going to judge all prices moving forward in terms of Stockholm airport coffee.
A city of treasure buried beneath a sky of curses
I haven’t been cafe-ing as much, plus there aren’t as many opportunities to do it. But I did find a good one in Oaxaca so I feel I should mention it. It’s Café Los Cuiles, and I had breakfast here as well as some famous Oaxacan hot chocolate (made with cinnamon), and partook of their lovely setup and fast WiFi. Let’s be honest, I really just like the fast WiFi.
Continue reading A city of treasure buried beneath a sky of curses
I have nothing to do the rest of my life but do it and the rest of my life to do it
I walked down to Chapultepec Park Wednesday afternoon to see the National Museum of Anthropology (Museo Nacional de Antropologia). It had an extremely beautiful interior and was laid out very well, not to mention all the authentic artifacts from the area. While I’m not usually thrilled with natural history museums, this one was definitely worth going to. Continue reading I have nothing to do the rest of my life but do it and the rest of my life to do it
She’s very pretty, even though sometimes she’s sad for many days at a time.
I woke up to my first day in Guadalajara and couldn’t keep any food or water down. Getting sick is worrisome in my situation. But after a day of not moving too far from my bed, I finally felt it things turn at 2am after a 3 hour nap. Since people were partying right outside my window and I was well-rested, I decided to get up and do my taxes. Such an old man. But hey, those taxes are done. Continue reading She’s very pretty, even though sometimes she’s sad for many days at a time.
The challenge is not to act automatically. It’s to find an action that is not automatic.
To start off my journey in Guatemala, I’d just like to thank Oscar Isaac (who was born in Guatemala) for his recent rise to fame, allowing me to use relevant quotes for my post titles. Otherwise, I would have been pretty lost. It’s the little things.
But my flight went relatively smoothly. Sat next to an older guy from Northern NY who was a Harvard-educated psychologist and now visits Guatemala and Nicaragua a lot. He knew Spanish and was pleasant enough, so we grabbed a transport to Antigua together. Maybe I’ll see him around. Continue reading The challenge is not to act automatically. It’s to find an action that is not automatic.
Enough to travel the world with you until one of us has to take an honest job
My bus ride between cities was finally only two hours this time, after my string of 6-8 hour journeys. Just had to cross from Croatia into Montenegro basically. And as nice as Dubrovnik was, it was a little too nice, so when I arrived in Kotor I felt like I could breathe a bit more. Even though its old town area is also quite touristy, everything had a bit more of an authentic feel to it. Continue reading Enough to travel the world with you until one of us has to take an honest job
Though I would treasure your friendship, I’m mainly interested in your facility with murder
I started my new, lonely Dubrovnik experience with a walk down to the new town and through the harbor. On the way back, I stumbled upon Cafe Bar Art and had a couple cups of coffee while I worked on my computer. It was colorful and quirky, with bathtub seats and odd decorations. Whether that’s your taste or not, it was a great place to chill out and have a coffee or a beer, so I might go back. Continue reading Though I would treasure your friendship, I’m mainly interested in your facility with murder
Even Beethoven had his critics. See if you can name three of them.
The first night I went to Charlie’s Bar with a guy from my hostel in Sarajevo, which was fun. The next night I went to Caffe Bar Mosquito to have some coffee, a beer, and get some work done. Similar to Iceland in that their coffee shops turn into bars, which is kind of cool. I’m mostly working, so not a whole lot of sightseeing is accomplished each day. Continue reading Even Beethoven had his critics. See if you can name three of them.
Don’t just stand there, kill something!
Closed out the Ring Road in preparation for the boat trip to Denmark. It was a lot of coastline driving, and we drove up into the foggy mountains for a bit as well. Very nice landscapes, etc, and then eventually made it to Seydisfjordur a bit early so we could relax before the trip. Continue reading Don’t just stand there, kill something!
Wherever he saw a hole he always wanted to know the depth of it. To him this was important.
Saturday we were super productive. Ran all kinds of errands, switched hostels, I bought some shoes, signed up for a hike, went grocery shopping for said hike, walked around the city, and then ended it relaxing in hammocks with cold drinks.
I prefer León to Granada. Less touristy, but still had the city feel and was easy to walk around. Lots of small shops, restaurants, and some cool Spanish architecture throughout the city (not as well-maintained as Granada though). Continue reading Wherever he saw a hole he always wanted to know the depth of it. To him this was important.
It’s no big sin to stick your two cents in If you know when to leave it alone
As a seasoned traveler, my bravado has apparently gotten out of hand and I arrived in Granada rather unprepared when it came to actually getting to where I needed to be. Of course I don’t know any Spanish, but I had the address on my phone and showed it to the taxi driver. We headed towards Granada (which is like a 45 minute drive), speeding around in his deathtrap with a dysfunctional seat belt. Continue reading It’s no big sin to stick your two cents in If you know when to leave it alone
Mirror, mirror, here I stand. Who is the fairest in the land?
I’ve got 5 days to get back to Copenhagen for my flight. Luckily, I’m pretty close so I just picked a stop or two along the way to get there. Turns out Bremen is in the right direction, so I decided to spend two nights in Bremen. Long train ride during my “spare” time (like 5 hours) to get there on the first day, so that night was just relaxing and a bit of work. But then the next morning I decided to see all there was to see. Continue reading Mirror, mirror, here I stand. Who is the fairest in the land?
The only preventative measure one can take is to live irregularly
Sometimes I think you just need a couple days to regroup, which is really what Freiburg ended up being for me. Staying in my own hotel room, free breakfast, and a smaller, more relaxing city to wander around without the pretense of needing to overload on sights and attractions. Continue reading The only preventative measure one can take is to live irregularly
Climb every mountain, ford every stream
Salzburg is a smaller city in Austria with a lot of good day trips from it, so I decided to stay here a bit longer. Should allow me to relax a bit and catch up on work as well. There’s an Aldi (Hoger) right across the street, plus the hostel/hotel is attached to a mall with a grocery store in it, so I’m able to eat a little more normally again. Continue reading Climb every mountain, ford every stream
Isn’t everything we do in life a way to be loved a little more?
Just a quick stop in Vienna for the weekend. Went to bed early on Friday, then Saturday I had to get a lot of work done that I had been putting off (unfortunately, since this is a quick weekend trip). That meant I was just able to wander down to the main square and back, and otherwise did not do any exploring. Continue reading Isn’t everything we do in life a way to be loved a little more?
She loved to walk down the street with a book under her arm
I arrived in Prague on Monday, staying at a hostel kind of out of the way from all the others, across the Charles Bridge near the castle. I didn’t do much the first couple days except for some casual sightseeing. I’d get up in the morning and wander around, look at the old stuff, and then go back to the hostel to work for a while. Continue reading She loved to walk down the street with a book under her arm
I always had a repulsive need to be something more than human.
So a couple hours after arriving in London, I ran to the bathroom in a Pret a Manger and had my phone stolen while I was in there. Which I’m annoyed about, but not really that upset. It was a piece of crap, but it’s still an inconvenience. At least he/she didn’t take my laptop or passport, which were also sitting right there. Mainly, that just means I won’t be taking any more pictures. Continue reading I always had a repulsive need to be something more than human.
So come with me, where dreams are born, and time is never planned.
On Friday I started off by visiting a start-up hub in the city. Someone there gave me a tour and showed me everything that was going on. It was alright – not as exciting as I was hoping, but still pretty cool to work in that kind of environment.
Continue reading So come with me, where dreams are born, and time is never planned.
I want to take shelter from the poison rain
There are really only a few things to see in Kilkenny, so I figured I might as well get up and see them. I went up to see St. Candice’s Cathedral and Black Abbey. Unfortunately, they were both closed so I just kind of walked around like an idiot. Continue reading I want to take shelter from the poison rain
For everything that’s lovely is But a brief, dreamy, kind delight.
Sadly, it was time to finally leave Galway this morning. I relaxed a bit in the morning and took the 9:00 express bus to Limerick, then transferred to the bus that took me to Killarney.
It’s kind of a cool little town. Lots of shops. Lots of restaurants. Lots of pubs. All more or less copies of each other, expanding out down a few different streets. I circled through everything this evening but just decided to go to Tesco and buy some things to make for dinner. Continue reading For everything that’s lovely is But a brief, dreamy, kind delight.
Standing in the sunlight laughing Hide behind a rainbow’s wall
Providing updates during the week isn’t really that interesting. It’s like my regular life, except strangers sleep close by that might steal my things. So here’s your typical day. Continue reading Standing in the sunlight laughing Hide behind a rainbow’s wall