Paris 2024

 [This is a transcript of a handwritten document.]

Paris

Aug 21 - Sept 4, 2024

[photos]

I didn't expect the French Air Force to show up, but show up they did! My "if I can make it happen" tradition for my birthday over the past decade has been to find a boat and a body of water. This year it was a river cruise down the Seine - I never expect anything mind-blowing, I merely enjoy waving to people on the banks and bridges as I float by. This year, however, my birthday coincided with the Paralympic Opening Ceremonies which, unexpectedly, included a fly-by from the French Air Force just as we were passing Notre Dame. It was surprisingly magical and really cemented Paris as one of my favorite cities.

I had visited Paris for a couple days back in 2016 at the tail end of the "banger rally" I had taken part in. With such little experience there and lots of whispers of how dirty and dangerous the city was, I was a little worried that my memory had failed me - what should I expect? What sort of city is Paris really? Were folks rude and the city an absolute terror? Of course not! Within hours of landing I'd net with an old friend (a coincidental overlap of vacations with a friend from high school) and made a half-dozen new friends. It turns out that being friendly and open and having a big smile opens many doors - a lesson I learned during my Big Trip and, being a bit self-conscious, had doubted prior to this one.

To get a common question out of the way: I did not go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I did go to the Louvre and I feel like what enjoyment I derived from the visit was from the idea of a box being checked off - I'm not much of an art scholar and I dislike sweaty, crowded places. The Catacombs were interesting in a volumetric sense - like walking through dozens of cemeteries at once - but I had a small expectation of tunnels and chambers where I should have expected a never-ending hallway of bones. I know there are other entrances/tours - perhaps I should have done one of those? The company I kept, however, made the trek through the tunnels worth it.

Eclipse 2024

 [This is a transcript of a handwritten document.]

A minute or so after the moon completely obscured the sun I heard the Spring Peepers singing. I had been told to listen for birdsong or crickets, but I hadn't expected frogs. There had been a lot of hype about birds' evening song, night song, and morning song, but I don't know much more about birds than they have beaks and feathers and some of them taste great with sweet & sour sauce. Spring Peepers, however, were my friends growing up. I knew their song. I heard it again for the first time in at least a decade on the afternoon of April Eighth.

The eclipse was really fucking cool. I was a little skeptical of the hype, but pleasantly surprised by how everything turned out. My highlights, in addition to hearing the Spring Peepers singing were: the 360 degree sunset, how impressively bright it was when the sun returned, looking at the solar flare through my brother's telescope, and the general fun of being with friends & family. I'm glad I made the trip.

The trip! We're 1/3 through this trip report and there hasn't been any traveling yet. That being said, if you were hoping for an exciting tale of Simon's travels, prepare yourself for disappointment - this won't even be about my trip, but rather my mom's!

I took the train across Pennsylvania and linked up with my mom in Pittsburgh. We then drove to Vermillion, Ohio (more or less) to where my brother and sister-in-law live. Being in the path of totality, they hosted a big eclipse party complete with themed snacks - moon pies, cosmic brownies, and the like. Mom & I painted little eclipses on our fingernails. It was a fun time!

That night (at one am) mom & I hopped on the Capitol Limited to DC and eventually made our way to Philadelphia. This was the first inkling that mom had bad travel luck. My travel story ends here - I was out of town for four days and had to get back to work. Mom, however, stayed with me until the 19th.

Her story, if she were to tell it, would be about train trips and a mad dash with a red cap, a Phillies game and leisurely conversations with friends sitting in front of my house, the Barnes Museum for impressionists and the various expressions of friendship at trivia night or in the APS Museum or in my house at my dinner table. With that being said, some of her story would have to cover the travel itself: she didn't have a full charge on her car when she picked me up so we were (heh) squeezed for juice as we traveled across Ohio; Amtrak had a signal issue so it took us three hours to get from Wilmington to Philly (normally a half hour); the Phillies and the Sixers let out at the same time so owe were stuck waiting for a rideshare for an hour after the game; when she got home (courtesy of a cousin making the drive anyway) her garage door keypad malfunctioned and she & my brother had to rendezvous at a halfway point so she could get the garage door opener - adding a couple extra hour to her ride's obligation.

I think she had a fun time though - it was nice to see her for an extended period of time and I know she enjoyed leaving Ohio for a couple weeks. I don't know if she's going to brave an overnight train trip again (sleeper car or no sleeper car), but I hope she got a kick out of the experience. I'm so glad my friends got to meet her and I'm glad she got to meet so many of my friends.

Finally, I want to underscore that the eclipse was so fuckin' cool - I'm glad I got to see it and I'm especially glad I got to see it with my mom.

Amsterdam 2023 (narrative transcript)

 [This is a transcript of a handwritten document.]

Amsterdam

20-30 August 2023

[photos]

For those of you who have not read one of my trip write-ups before, I ask that you lower your expectations. For those of you who have, I ask that you lower them further! This vacation was about relaxing and being overseas - I'm not a fast-paced adventurer to begin with and this trip was a lot of just soaking in the vibes even by my standards. With expectations set, let's start in the middle.

I was sitting across from a little girl and her littler brother on the train from Rotterdam to Amsterdam. I'd had a mediocre day - while I spent it walking around the Hague, Delft, and Rotterdam, a bad sleep meant that I didn't have the brainpower to appreciate arts & culture and I chose not to enter any museums. The kids were goofing off and running back and forth to their mom (who was watching a stroller near the door) for snacks. At one point, the girl was distracted and the boy leaned over and took a big bite of her snack. It was something out of a cartoon - I laughed pretty hard at the sight. Which meant the kids now knew I was paying attention.

The little girl said something to  me that I didn't understand and I apologized for not speaking Dutch. Of course, we're in the Netherlands - she simply switched to English and started quizzing me. Sasha (6) decided to teach me math and draw things on the 'blackboard' (the window). We finished the trip by chewing increasingly large (mimed) amounts of gum and blowing (mimed) bubbles. Honestly it was one of the most 'pure fun' moments I've had in a long time.

RETROSPECTIVE: Germany by Train - 2014 - PART TWO (Berlin, Leipzig, Nuremburg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Saarbruecken, Trier, Frankfurt)

 With the same caveats as Part One - this is a 2019 transcription of a 2014 trip to Germany.

17 Aug ‘14 BERLIN

Lots to report today. I don’t know where to start, or even in what order to go. My memory is failing me, as the past few days have been a bit of a blur.

I don’t exactly remember what all we did on the 14th. I think it was mostly low-key, some wandering around and a nice meal (Konigsberger Klopse) at Wirtshaus Max und Moritz. I’m fairly certain that Mike was out running errands all day and I found myself in a bar celebrating the old DDR (East Germany). All-in-all, a good day.

The 5th was the day of the walking tour. We met up with Mike’s friend Liam and started the tour at a bar named for Oscar Wilde (I think). The whole thing was a lot of fun - not least because Liam was not afraid to be inappropriate. Oh, also the beer. Lots of beer as we walked. Sights seen included: Brandenbur Tor, Holocaust Memorial, Hitler’s bunker, Checkpoint Charlie, some churches, and other spots.

After the tour, Mike & I went to meet with Hanna, an old lady who was willing to let me stay at her place for a few nights. Everything worked out there and I’m at her place tonight and yesterday night. The rest of the evening was uneventful - I think we went home and I sent a minute in the cafe near his house before turning in.

On the 16th (yesterday) Mike had to work. I had a fairly lazy morning and attempted to do laundry. After getting lost trying to pick Mike up from work (he’d lent me his monthly pass), we finally connected and went for lunch at a wonderful little Italian sandwich shop called PIC NIC. Super delicious, and complete with cute, moody Italian hostess.

A quick trip home then we went to check out Hanna’s apartment and then meet Liam at some bar. The bar was nice, but small and devoid of women. There was a fat, gay Finnish guy who kept bothering us, but that’s another story. We decided to go to another bar.

We ended up singing Karaoke and just having a night. If it’s any indication of my inebriation, I was dancing my feet off and asked a girl for her number. The first part of today was spent drinking water and snoozing.

Today was interesting, despite the waste of the morning / early afternoon. I had “breakfast” at a little bakery and got 90% of the way through the conversation in German - I messed up at paying. I wandered a bit before getting food at a Doner shop. All went well there, but then I asked where I could buy paper (stores are closed on Sunday) which turned into a whole ordeal. I then got lost and got found.

In order to break a 50 EUR note, I stopped at a gas station for one beer. On the way, a whole official convoy passed by -- even the street lights were deactivated - it was very weird. I had a beer on the train, did some planning at Mike’s, watched a crust-punk argue with a cafe employee about where he could randomly dump his bike, then worked my way back to Hanna’s.

Now it’s time for bed. I had a chat with my parents via Google Voice and got pissed at GEMA for not letting me listen to music. Screw them.

(still) 17 Aug 14 BERLIN

Postscript - I have to say, I really like being allowed to take a beer along for the ride on public transit. It makes for a much more enjoyable ride. On the flip side of life in Berlin, I hate that there are bees EVERYWHERE. I suppose I shouldn’t be too concerned, but holy shit.

20 Aug 17 BERLIN-LEIPZIG TRAIN

What all has transpired? Oh, right, lots. On the 18th I started out by wandering around. I got breakfast at some Turkish breakfast-all-day joint that turned into a whole ordeal. I was fine, but it was havoc from the beginning - the waitress cut her hand, there was a shift change, a huge storm hit that caused everyone from outside to come inside, &c. I just sat and drank coffee.

After that I got lost a bit in the Tiergarten. I eventually went to that DDR bar again where we met Heino the taxi driver. That is to say, Mike & I went to that DDR bar and happened to meet Heino. He was a lot of fun and we had a grand time just being bums. Among other things, it was determined that I am Fidel Castro’s brother, Raul, due to my beard. I was too polite to mention that I don’t think Raul has a beard.

The 19th was pretty low key in the beginning. A little internet, a little coffee, a little shopping. Then I went to a reddit meetup. It started a bit slow, but it turned into quite a party. At some point a guy came up to me “angry” and told me that he'd had a problem with me - he was supposed to be the loud American of the group! We laughed so hard we got glares. Also, I was meeting and greeting so many folks a couple new folks thought I was the organizer. That went later than it should have and I was very hungover today.

Which brings me here - on an afternoon train to Leipzig. I’ll get to town at about 3pm, which is 4- hours later than I wanted to arrive. I’ll wander for a bit then head to Dresden to wander there. Then it’s back to Berlin.

I’m at the point in my trip where I can tell the end is coming soon. Sure I still have more than a week, but there’s definitely a looming thought as the plane ride to Philly approaches.

LEIPZIG-DRESDEN

Well, Leipzig was underwhelming. To begin, I got out of the train and was immediately shuffled into a parking lot. I had to find my way to the main part of the HBF where I was then confronted with a choice of storing my stuff for extra money due to not having correct change or hauling it around. I chose the latter. There was very little in the way of information about the city, so I had to wander around until I found a map. Long story short: someone had a checklist of what a typical German city should have and they placed one of everything Leipzig. I’d say it wasn’t unpleasant, just not striking.

Now I’m on my way to Dresden to do the same. I do want to see what if has to offer, but I also want to chill at Mike’s place. I’m also hoping a cute girl I met on the 16th continues to talk to me - it’d be great to actually see her again, if only for a minute.

Alright, I’ll probably put a couple more words down on the way back to Berlin.

DRESDEN-BERLIN

Dresden was beautiful… from the train. I arrived late - just a little before 7pm. I checked the train schedules and it turned out that all the trains to Berlin took four hours except one leaving in 15 minutes. Naturally, I had no choice but to jump directly on that one. So, here I am.

BEER UPDATE: Bremen had Becks & an independent brewery. Berlin has been everything, especially Kindl, Berliner Pils, and similar. I had one beer in Dresden Dresdner-something-Keller Pils. I’m on a Hungarian/Czech train and am currently drinking a Staropramen dark and will have the light shortly. In other food news, I just had the best goulash soup of my life. Holy shit. Also a kid just ran headlong into a glass door with a satisfying “clung!”. I feel bad for him, but it was hilarious.

Another amazing experience was on the last leg of pulling into Dresden - we were passing by farmland and a small town and high above this stereotype of a town was a red biplane lazily making its way toward the train. Poetry.

So, now back to Berlin. The waiter says we’re a half-hour away, at which point I suppose I’ll make my way back to Mike’s and to bed. I’m looking forward to that.

On a reflective note, I haven’t really written any fiction this trip. I was really hoping to do so, but it seems my laziness has won out. [2023 - when have I ever been successful in writing fiction?]

23 Aug ‘14 BERLIN

It’s been quite an eventful, event-filled, past few days. On the 21st Mike & I went up the TV tower (Fernsehturm). It was very nice - Mike got a little emotional looking down on all the places he’s lived. We parted ways and I did some internet stuff before heading back.

On the 22nd, I got to go into the Reichstag dome. Very cool! The day was also filled with frustration though - first I was running late and the trains weren’t working. As a bonus, I missed three separate connections by five seconds each. Security didn’t give me too much trouble - I was noticeably flustered. Then it was dealing with tourists who didn’t know how to get out of the way. The dome, the view, and everything else was great - just the tourists were terrible. Oh, and I had to take a taxi, which was also frustrating.

After the Reichstag, I headed to the Victory Column, which was double frustrating. Not only was it a ton of tourists, but a ton of tween girls who couldn’t figure out how to pay admission. As a bonus, I found out at this point that my phone needed money.

So, I saw the two things on my list from last time and they were great, but frustrating. I then got a beer and went to the DDR bar. Everything got better, Mike & I jammed at the cafe, and now I’m recovering.

Bonus - I just got a text from that girl at karaoke!

24 Aug ‘14 BERLIN-NÜRNBERG

If I had to pick a day to repeat a few times, it’d probably be yesterday. Mike & I had a great breakfast at the cafe and apparently the waitress took a liking to me. We then went to Tiergarten to see Anne (from Karaoke) and her friends where we laid about, picnic-style and occasionally walked on a tightrope. Lots of fun!

Mike and I departed for a Soviet war memorial after a bit. It was very moving and cartoonishly Soviet. We also had a little lunch of bread, cheese, wurst, and beer. It was great. Lots of good conversations.

We hit the DDR bar and ran into Heino again. Finally we went to the cafe for a little internet and the waitress just gushed on about how charming I was. Thought it might turn into something, but no luck.

All-in-all Berlin was a blast. I’m very sad to go, but I have plans to fulfill and will (eventually) have to go back to work. I’m on the train to Nuremberg with no idea what’s next or what I’m going to do.

One final note: snack cars suck compared to dining cars. I’ve become very spoiled after all this train travel and I want my full menu and waiter at a table with a seat - not some guy in a booth and hightops.

SUPPLEMENT

Yesterday & today got me thinking about some of my other good days. There have been a lot of them and I felt I’d share a few snippets in this notebook instead of the fiction notebook (if only because I don’t want to unpack the latter).

The first thought that was of climbing up and sitting in the tree to the south of Lafortune Student Center with Tim and Miranda. That was a good day and a fun day. A little lazy, a little funny, and very care-free. It also reminds me of climbing the tree in the back yard with the neighbors or “adventuring” in the small strip of trees that run from the south of the Young’s house down to the hill we used to go sledding on.

With the tight rope, I was reminded of wandering around the woods to the north of the house and how somebody had strung wires across the creek in certain spots so people could cross. I always wondered who put the wires up. Last time I went out that way the wires were down - I hope they’ve been repaired. Those woods were good to me - walking up the creek barefoot, shooting the muzzle-loader, just wandering around.

I love traveling. When I get back home I’m going to set up a travel fund for just this purpose. I also pledge not to wait three years before doing it again - at least one weekend trip out of the city and one week-long trip. Hell, working MTW & WHF would give me nearly two weeks away while only using three vacation days, and then I get seven more days for every three I use. Genius.

Alright, I’m at the end of my retrospective. Let it be known that the cafe car guy looks like he popped out of a Pink Panther cartoon.

25 Aug ‘14 NÜRNBERG-STUTTGART

First up, man is traveling by train pretty. I almost cried as we passed by a little town. I’m currently on an all-stops train to Stuttgart which is going to take three hours to get there. Then I check schedules and maybe head down to Ulm or another black forest town.

All that said, Nuremberg was lovely - just the thing to soothe my ills after Berlin. I got to walk around a bit in the evening and it’s just a great little city - complete with castle. My host - a man from Nigeria - was a bit odd. We had a miscommunication about when I’d arrive, when he should be around, what I wanted to do (he made a chicken dinner with wine - I wanted a local dinner with beer) and so on. Very nice, very welcoming, but very insistent that you visit on his terms. I hope my next hosts give me some space. So far I like AirBnB better than Couchsurfing, but the latter is free.

27 Aug 14 STUTTGART-SAARBRÜCKEN

It turns out I missed the train to go to Aachen or Ulm on the 25th, so it was Stuttgart-Ulm-Stuttgart that day. As a note, the storage containers at Stuttgart are way overpriced.

Ulm was great. It started out weird, then I stumbled into a museum about bread. Best 4EUR I’ve spent. The lady suggested some restaurant - Three Mugs? - which was tasty. An art teacher bought me a beer after a little conversation. Then I wandered around the city center. Not much to report - same checklist as most towns.

In Stuttgart I connected with my CS hosts at a pub quiz where we came in fourth place. They were nice and I had a good time. On the 26th, I wandered around the city, just having a relaxing day. At around 3pm I discovered (or re-discovered) that there were Porche and Mercedes-Benz museums. Both closed at 6pm, so I picked the one that seemed closer/quicker - MB. This was the correct choice - Daimler & Benz invented the automobile independently so there was a huge historical exhibit. In addition, MBis the car used by royalty and diplomats, as well as in all sorts of weird applications. So, one show-room had a garbage truck, another had the pope-mobile. Super cool.

I ended the day by getting lost in a shopping mall, heading back, and playing Love Letter with my hosts. I’m now headed to Saarbrueken in Saarland for the sole reason the Mike doesn’t know anyone who’s been there. Then it’s up to Trier (Roman Ruins, Marx’s birthplace), then Frankfurt.

31 Aug ‘14 PHILADELPHIA

So it’s been a bit of a whirlwind of activity recently and I've either not had the time or the motivation to write. [2023 - lol, again, when have I ever?] That all said, I’m safely back in Philly and I had a great Welcome Home party.

(27th) Saarbruecken sucked. Smelly, dirty, and devoid of interesting points, it was Dusseldorf plus north Philly. I don’t have any stories because I caught the first train out of there.

Trier, on the other hand, was fantastic. Granted, it was a bit Disneyland: Trier, but they did a good job of it. The have two main attractions - the Roman Gate and the house where Karl Marx grew up - and they know how to use them. I’m tempted to go back sometime just to catch the gladiator fights they have in their colosseum. But yes, Trier was great - including a nice meal at a cafe called “Asterix”. Then one final, beautiful train ride through Koblenz and Mainz and I arrived in Frankfurt.

(28th) A lot of sleeping and a short river cruise was the order of the day on my birthday. Fun fact: I have discovered that I love waving at people from the back of a boat while intoxicated. Some other passengers were not so happy with this. Whatever.

I had a frankfurter in Frankfurt and my host - Franzi - and I had wine & cake.

(29th) I woke up, got ready in a rush and forgot my phone. Was yelled at throughout the airport for being “late” (I wasn’t) and then had a kicking, coughing kid behind me for the flight. Well, the start anyway - I moved and watched movies.

Finally, I arrived home and had a little party. Bad decisions were made, but it was fun nonetheless. Everyone who came seemed to have a good time, and it was very nice to see some old friends. As a bonus, it cemented some thoughts on some other friends [2019 - very cryptic - I wonder who I meant]. Yesterday was recovery, chores, and bills; today was an early start and, obviously, writing. Oh, and I am clean shaven for the first time in three years.


TIME: 26 Days

COST: ~$3700

CITIES: 15

RETROSPECTIVE: Germany by Train - 2014 - PART ONE (Frankfurt, Cologne, Bonn, Duesseldorf, Essen, Hamburg, Bremen, Berlin)

2019 Transcription with Additions from 2014 Travel Notebook

INTRODUCTION

I'm overdue on writing up my other big solo trip - my 2014 train trip around Germany. As it’s been nearly a decade, I will have some additional thoughts and editing, so it’s not going to be a direct transcript from the written book. This version also includes notes from July 2019, when I first typed it up. That being said, I’ll stay close, though my Germany trip starts with a reflection on Hawaii from two years prior.

6 Aug 14 FRANKFURT

Well, I’m in Germany. Currently I’m on a train to Cologne, but I’ve been “in country” since yesterday.

First note: I will never take an overnight flight again in my life. [2019 note: I have, though they continue to suck ass.] While the mechanicals were all fine, the people behind me wouldn't shut up for the whole flight. When I landed, it was ten in the morning here - about 4am at home - I was not able to get to sleep until 9pm here (some 36 hours awake). Oh, and my clothes were all sweaty. Ugh.

Frankfurt (part one) was very nice, despite being sleep deprived. Everyone speaks English, which is annoying on the one hand, but VERY helpful in my state last night. I mostly wandered around, drank coffee, and sat down whenever possible. I had a very German meal - pork, potatoes, &c. - and eventually connected with my hosts, Elanore & Edward [2019 note: who didn’t leave me a review :( ].

Elanore had many suggestions for the city and Germany in general. She also made me walk along the Main River at dusk, despite my protestations. It was worth it.

This morning I got going early - a bit too early. Everything was closed and I had to wander for a couple hours. Eventually I saw the old city hall, St. Bart’s (the Dom?), and St. Paul’s Church. The last building is more like Germany’s Independence Hall - it was the seat of government after the 1848 revolution. Though, of course, that revolution did not fare as well as the one in America. [2019 note: I have learned so much more since 2014 - check out Mike Duncan’s Revolutions Podcast if you get a chance.]

Now I’m almost in Cologne (Koeln) with one regret: I didn’t have any Apple Wine in Frankfurt. I suppose that can wait until the end of the month.

7 Aug 14 KOELN!

Well, I have lots of stories already, despite there being little to do here. After I got off the train, I took some pictures of the Dom, which is right next to the train station. I met my host, Gamze [2019 note: I wonder how she’s doing - she was cool.], and departed for Bonn. It’s a little tourist trap, but whatever.

I wandered around the streets of Bonn in search of the old federal capitol. I found Beethoven’s birthplace, but declined on the mandatory tour -  no photos allowed! Eventually I went to the tourist bureau and found out that the government district was about three miles south.

I paid for the UBahn and headed down, map-in-hand. Unfortunately, everything was under construction and all the streets had changed from the map I was given. No pictures, no fun, and no luck. I went back to Bonn, then to Koeln.

Today I woke up late, took a long shower, and went out to wander. I saw a couple touristy sights, but for the most part I just walked the city. At one point, with me looking very touristy, three girls came up to inquire whether or not I believed in God. I talked with them briefly, then they gave me a bottle of Coke and left. It was strange.

Inside the Dom is very pretty, as one might imagine. The Rhine is nice, but I think Frankfurt has the better riverfront. All in all a nice trip. [2019 note: I should do a river tour if ever I return.]

Tomorrow I depart for Duesseldorf. Depending on timing, I might take a boat tour.

11 Aug 14 HAMBURG

This weekend has been a blur. after I wrote on the 7th, I went out to explore Pilchenstrasse - a happenin’ street. While it was a bit hard to find a spot that fit my interests, I eventually came across a bar with live music and people sitting at the bar. After a bit more I struck up a conversation with a man originally from Iran who will soon take a trip to the US. He’s taking the typical tourist approach and trying to hit every major city. While that’s more do-able in Europe, he’ll be spending a lot of time on planes as his trip moves forward.

After Koeln, I went to a very disappointing Duesseldorf. Very car-focused, no tourist info, and I missed the tour boat. I wandered around for a bit, then took a side trip to Essen. That turned out great! It’s a fun little city and I wish I’d spend more time. I did, however, have lunch, meaning that I can say “Ich hat nicht in Essen mittagessen essen vergessen!” (I’ve butchered that - there is a way that makes sense). The only downside to Essen was that they put tomatoes in everything. Ugh.

I arrived in Hanover and was able to meet with my host, Ronny, with time to kill before we went to a board game night. Board game night was a lot of fun - we played “Russian Railroads” (or something like that). The next day we took a tour of the city, somewhat following the “red thread” - a line the city painted on the ground for tourists that goes by all the major sights. We had lunch at their version of Reading Terminal Market and eventually went home. After a couple more board games it was time for bed and the next travel leg.

A brief note on Ronny - unless you were asleep, the guy was standing too close and chattering nonstop. He’s basically the reason I don’t have an entry over the past four days. Not only did he talk too much, he was always RIGHT. This was sincerely annoying on all fronts. Still, I had a great time and would not have seen all that I saw (including a random trip up the Waterloo Victory Monument) without him. That all being said, I lied about when I needed to leave for Hamburg just to get away.

SIDE-NOTE - in a sincerely frustrating linguistic distinction, residents of Hannover & Hamburg both pronounce their cities' names with an ‘a’ like in ‘ham’ or ‘Sam’, contrary to everything I’ve learned. So, every time I mention the name of the city, someone corrects me.

Now I’m in Hamburg. I arrived, got lost for a bit, then met my host, Felix. Very dirty house, very little accommodation. Whatever. I then went, saw a little beach via a ferry ride and wandered around a street festival. What was super interesting was that the festival took place in the shadow of a huge air defense station.

Then it was on to Reeperbahn. Terrible idea, but hey, I’m here. I got drunk, visited five strip clubs, got solicited by prostitutes, and paid 25EUR for a Jamaican lady with huge fake tits to sit next to me and have her dinner. Surreal. I also got to fall asleep on the train, miss my stop, and almost have to walk all the way back. Thankfully a taxi happened to pass by. Today has been recovery, laundry, and Greek food.

I’m not sure what else I want to do in Hamburg proper. Wednesday I’m going to make a short visit to Bremen before heading to Berlin - finally getting to see Mike. I might take a ferry to a North Sea island tomorrow, but who knows? I need to have a hamburger before I leave, and I also need some fish soup - a Hamburg specialty.

BEER NOTE: Frankfurt: Römer Pils. Koeln: Dom, Afel, Gilden, Roemer. Essen: Stauder Pils. Hannover: Herrenhäuser, Gilde. Hamburg: lots of Astra, Flensburger, Holsten, Ducksten, Warsteiner, Becks (which is brewed in Bremen)

GENERAL THOUGHTS: So far, so good. I’m spending a lot of money, but that was expected. It seems like a lot of it goes to bathrooms and local transit though, which is annoying. Toilet paper is cut into rectangles, not squares, and is made of sturdier stuff. Paying for water means I’m constantly dehydrated and I’m getting drunk quicker. Portion sizes are crazy big when meat is concerned - there have been a couple meals I’ve given up on. My grasp of the language is not as good as it once was, though it’s getting better - if I know what is going to happen, I can get through a conversation, but the random street encounters are painful.

I think I’m losing weight, but that doesn’t seem right - especially with what I’m drinking and eating. Perhaps I’m just stretching my pants out? I don’t know.

I made a bad choice on shoes - I wish I had my pair from three years ago. I finally cut a blister on my toe open. Lesser of two evils, I suppose. Still though, I won’t be wearing those Rockports until I have to (Wednesday). I hope the toe heals by then.

On a (possible) final note, everyone seems okay with flies here. They are everywhere - especially in the unlined trash cans. They annoy me so much, but I seem like the only one who cares. Humbug.

14 Aug 14 BERLIN

I finally rolled into Berlin last night. I’m super excited to be here. It’s great to see Mike again as well. I have no plans, but we’re doing a walking tour in a couple days, followed by a tour of the Reichstag, which will correct an oversight from last time.

Hamburg went well. My hosts were frat boys who were dirty and ate my bread, but whatever. I spent all of Tuesday wandering around - first from the house to the lake, then around the lake and to a “hip” section of the city (Schanzenviertel, I think). The canal & lake were great - I wish I could / would have jumped in a sailboat and spent an hour on the water.

After the lake, I wandered around a botanical garden for a bit in between fits of rain. I tried to get in a tower, but no luck. I did some more wandering just north of the hip quarter (including a visit to a brewery and pub) before just wandering around the Hamburg equivalent of Northern Liberties / Fishtown. I stopped in a few bars and generally had a pleasant time before returning to the house.

On Wednesday, I became the only person to arrive at a McDonald’s too early. I was making a desperate attempt to eat a hamburger in Hamburg, but was foiled once again - this time by the breakfast menu. I did, eventually, make it back to complete my goal, but it was frustrating.

I took a quick day trip to Bremen, if only to say that I’ve been in all three city-states. It was very nice, very pretty. The Rathaus was impressive, but was not really open inside. I had a couple beers and some Labskaus (minced beef, onion, potato with egg, fish, pickle & beet on the side) at an independent brewery and wandered around a bit more.

Eventually, I stopped in the Uebersee-Museum. Very nifty spot, though more kid-oriented. I bought an English audio tour which was useless because all the placards were written for kids, so I understood them. It wasn’t anything amazing - mostly stuff I’d seen before - but the presentation of a few items was unique. In one section, there was a wall of photos that either showed the material (e.g. goal) or the name / use depending on your angle. In another section, there were multiple-choice quizzes that mechanically opened an infobox if you answered correctly. Very nifty.

My favorite part, and the part I had the hardest time understanding, was the history of Bremen. There was a lot going on and no translations. The visuals were cool though; a lot of the artifacts were fairly self-explanatory. On a side note, there are a lot of ships named “Bremen” and they all seem to fly the American flag.

After Bremen, I made a quick layover in Hamburg (for that elusive hamburger) then on to Berlin. There was a terribly annoying squeak on the train, so I hopped down a car to the cafe. This turned into a liter of beer. I love traveling by train.

So, yes, I’m in Berlin. Mike & I walked around a bit yesterday and I’m sure we’ll do some more today. I’m so glad to be here!

RETROSPECTIVE: Hawaii 2012

As part of my journal entry for my 2014 trip to Germany, I wrote about the January 2012 trip my family took to Hawaii. This is presented (mostly) as it appears in the book.

Photos can be found on Flickr.

2 Aug 2014 PHILADELPHIA

I flew out of Philadelphia and my parents and brother flew out of Pittsburgh. As it turned out, we had a shared layover in Phoenix before we were to depart for San Diego on separate planes. To make a mildly interesting story short, after some pleas that fell on deaf ears, my plane had mechanical trouble and I was moved to my parent’s plane anyway.

We arrived in San Diego, briefly caught up with one of my father’s friends over beer and fried fish, and spent the night. Next stop: Oahu!

All went well and we were greeted with leas at the airport. My timeline is a bit fuzzy, so I’ll just detail what we did on the island, even if it happened after visiting Kawaii or the Big Island.

We traipsed about the tourist city for a bit, visiting beaches, shops, and, in a brotherly bonding moment, an IHOP. At some point, we caught a bus and visited the Capitol Building (it’s in the shape of a volcano) and the other palaces. I believe we also had some Loco Moco at this point. We visited the Pearl Harbor Memorial and we were impressed.

At some point - and I’m fairly certain this happened after the excursions to the other islands - we took a road trip which circumnavigated Oahu, stopping at several beaches and tourist traps along the way. I can officially say I’ve swam in the Pacific and had “Hawaiian Shaved Ice” in Hawaii. We hung out with another of my father’s friends and his wife, and we went to Wal-Mart. I met eyes with a girl who was taking a piss in a parking lot 100 yards away from a bathroom and 250 yards away from the ocean. Oahu had a lot to offer.

In Kawaii, we roamed north to see the trails where Jurassic Park was filmed (and saw some whales while trekking them). We also roamed south to see some geologic formations. Kawaii, in one word, consisted of chickens. Holy shit, so many chickens. Also there were a lot of Hawaiian Independence Flags flying on this island.

On the Big Island, we did touristy things in the northern tourist city. We took a helicopter trip to view some lava flows and the like. We also took an amphibious boat tour to see the coast and some other lava flows. Sadly, we didn't see any whales, despite the attempt.

Finally, we made a couple trips up the volcanoes / mountains. In the first, we visited the Park Service stuff related to the volcano, which had, at that time, just opened a new caldera. Quite a unique experience staring over at an active volcano. The other trip was up to the Mauna Kea Observatory, or, at least, its tourist outpost.

In all, it was a great trip, despite the usual family tensions. While I doubt I’ll ever get back that way it has set the stage for a hopeful trip to Alaska. Someday!

[2023 update: it turns out I did go to Hawaii and Alaska]

Morocco - and home!

 MOROCCO

I arrived in Morocco within a day of March 1, 2020 (it’d be great if I looked at my actual arrival day). There were rumors of a pandemic spreading from Asia, though it was less of a concern for me than the possibility of bedbugs in my hostel(s).

CASABLANCA

Here’s looking at you, kid. I don’t have a whole lot to say about Casablanca, as I did my usual routine and explored. I didn’t get into Rick’s, as my backpack did not contain an acceptable set of clothing and I was unwilling to buy something better. I wandered, I mingled, I had a good time. My most vivid memory is of how good the public transit was in getting me to the spots I wanted to explore - and how good the food was when I wandered into a spot. I recall eating a large, shared meal with either couchsurfers or hostel-folk, though I didn’t make friends the same way I had over the rest of the adventure.

Speaking of friends, my visit to Casablanca was interrupted (in a good way) by friends visiting...

Tunisia

Right on time - not two years later...

TUNISIA

I showed up in Tunis, Tunisia on the 26th of December, 2019, unsure of what I’d find. I linked up with my couchsurfing host and over the next few days we wandered through the medina and beyond. This is the first country where I felt I was at a huge disadvantage as a monoglot - where most other places I’ve been have either adopted English as a second language (or at least have signage with Latin characters), the second language here is French (and there are no signs). Additionally, while the people were generally nice, there was an undercurrent of “I know better than you” - my first host actually insisted I put on a sweater before going outside in the moderately cool weather!

TUNIS

As usual, I have no idea what to write. The medina was impressive? There were lots of people, colorful shops, and good & bad smells? It was cool to go up to the rooftop cafes to drink coffee and smoke shisha (hookah). I'm not much of a shopper, so a lot of the appeal of any medina is lost on me. I did go to the library and write a poem though.

On medinas, generally, from an American perspective: have you ever been to the mall? Have you wished that all the clothes racks and jewelry displays and food courts kept their stuff within arms’ reach while you walked down labyrinthine hallways? Do you enjoy bumping into people and generally fighting to move forward, all while being slightly concerned about pickpockets and other characters? Then medinas are for you. Everywhere I went people were excited to show me the medina and I was like “oh, this is like a smelly, cramped flea market where, even if I wanted to buy something I wouldn’t, as I’ll have to carry whatever I buy in my backpack later.” In summary: not for me.

Really, honestly, the highlight of Tunis was the discovery of leblebi - a chickpea soup over shredded stale bread. I probably ate the stuff every three days. I will have to figure out how to make it at home.

The historical sites were cool - I spent a day and saw Sidi Bou Said with its blue & white buildings in the morning, then the ruins of Carthage in the afternoon. Knowing the history made the ruins interesting - on their own they were modest piles of rocks. The pictures I took reflect this.

After my first host, I spent a couple weeks at an AirBnB while I tried to coordinate with a workaway in the south. This was a fun time - the host and I got along really well and we explored cafes, bars, and restaurants around the city together.

Skipping ahead a bit, when I returned to Tunis in March I visited the Bardo Museum. I would highly recommend it - it's a museum of all the mosaics that have been found in the country (plus a few other things). I was really blown away. Before I returned to Tunis, however, I had to go to:

Update and Book List

Hello! I'm still alive, I'm in Philadelphia, and I'm generally doing well. I arrived home on March 21.

Maybe a bit hairy.

I need to write posts that cover the two months I spent in Tunisia, the few days I was in Barcelona, the week or two I was in Morocco, and the harrowing adventure that was the evacuation flight (I'm lying - the flight was fine). That said, I've always had a hard time sitting down and writing - having my housemates blasting the TV at all hours has not helped my concentration. And, I mean, it's not like I can go to a coffee shop and write :(

That said, I can read things and type them here. With no further ado, a list of books I read (* - started but didn't compete) over the past 20 months:

Egypt

I arrived in Egypt on December tenth in order to meet up with RC again (we had previously met up in Malaysia and Singapore). Unlike in earlier countries or with previous traveling companions, neither of us knew what we were doing or how to avoid the hoards of scammers we were assured were about to pounce on us upon our arrival. Given those factors (and some planning fatigue), we decided to hire a tour company. Unfortunately, we did not end up with the best coordinator.

Now that I’m typing this, I wonder if this marks the start of a run of general bad luck for me. Upon arrival, before I had a chance to decompress from flight, before I had even seen the room, I was told to pick what optional activities we wanted to do over the coming two weeks (and pay for them in cash on the spot). With a list of strange names and no information, I picked a few cheap options and went on my way. The coordinator was perplexed that we weren’t doing something every hour of every day - both RC and I like to relax and, say, swim in the hotel pool every once in a while. Crazy, right?