The Beautiful Romantische Strasse in Germany
I was in a rush to get to Eibergen, Netherlands by September 13. I had nine days to explore the Romantische Strasse (a scenic route through quaint towns beginning in […]
I was in a rush to get to Eibergen, Netherlands by September 13. I had nine days to explore the Romantische Strasse (a scenic route through quaint towns beginning in […]
August 31 I had the next four days to recuperate and get the basics accomplished. Things that I couldn’t do on the road like taking a shower, washing my clothes, […]
August 26. Morning came too early. I jumped out of bed, stressed, and packed everything into as few bags as possible. I had to fit my things into the back […]
August 22. I still had 4 days before picking up a replacement for the Citroen C3 in Munich on August 26, and decided to spend 3 days exploring the southern […]
August 16. I woke up late after a very long night and was barely functional responding to Citroen Europass’ requests for information about the accident yesterday. I had wrecked my […]
August 14. I was dismayed at the fog that had settled in. It was damp and cold and I couldn’t see more than a few feet in any direction,. I […]
August 11. I had planned to drive to the Danube Delta in Tulcea but abhorred the thought of driving on any more roads in Romania, which were either riddled with […]
August 6. Once I awoke (I never really slept) I moved into the room with A/C. I felt like I’d been hit by a truck and ended up spending most […]
August 5. After visiting Bran Castle, I headed southwest toward Bran pass which had been strategically important in controlling trade between Wallachia and Transylvania. What incredible terrain! I passed Moieciu […]
August 5. I had my camping place mostly to myself, and awoke and made my way toward Bran Castle. On the way, I stopped in Râșnov to admire an old […]
August 4. I spent the day in Brasov. I had a hankering for a latte, and spent too long looking for a good cafe. Most had beans from Spain or […]
August 3. I hadn’t made the tour of Peleș and Pelișor Castle yesterday, and decided to try again. It was worth it, even though I had to sit through a […]
August 2. I awoke to the gurgle of a stream and a cool breeze, a refreshing way to start the day as the next few were supposed to get over […]
August 1. I spent the night worrying about my lost tent poles, and didn’t sleep a wink. I hoped against hope that they might still be where I thought I […]
July 31. It was Monday, and a good day to head out of town. All the museums were closed. I headed into town and had a latte at my favorite […]
July 30. After losing my car key and the search that followed, I headed to the ASTRA Museum of Folkloric Traditional Civilization in the Dumbrava Forest. I’d hoped to hit […]
July 30. It had been a damp night and I woke up soaked. I hung my tent, pillows, and blanket out to dry using the outside of the car as […]
July 28. I awoke to a German-speaker delivering something to a wealthy gated house in the hills across from Sighișoara. It was early, and I decided to hit the road. […]
July 21. I drove to Sovata on the way to Odorheiu Secuiesc. Sovata had been recommended to me, though I didn’t know why. I drove through really pretty mountains on […]
July 19. I awoke and headed to Mănăstirea Neamț. It was early, 8:30am, but there was already a mass underway in the fortified church. I donned long pants, long sleeves, […]
July 17. I awoke in a corn field, a cold wind blowing, and drove to Carei, the county seat of Satu Mare. It looked like a dingy conglomeration of crumbling […]
July 16. I awoke early and packed, then spent half an hour talking with Katalin and storing 4 bags that I didn’t want to shlep with me on my travels. […]
July 10. I slept in, awoken by fierce thunder. A powerful storm ensued, complete with tumultuous rain and thunder and lightning, only to clear in the afternoon. It was a […]
July 7. I bolted out of bed at 7:30am, suddenly aware that I had parked in someone’s driveway and that they needed to go to work. The hazards of trying […]
July 4. I had forgotten that it was the 4th of July. A call from my very close friend Tom reminded me, and hearing his message made me feel like […]
July 1. I awoke in the small room in Zuberec that I was sharing with Beata, Monika’s daughter who is very gifted in languages and working as a Swedish translator […]
June 27. All my life I have dreamt of hiking in the Vysoké Tatry (the High Tatras), which are the highest mountain range in Slovakia and Poland with an area […]
June 23. I packed and left Kismaros for Gödöllő, about 20 miles northeast from the outskirts of Budapest. The town is home to the Szent István University, the main education institute […]
June 21. I awoke excited to join my friends in Zebegeny for an evening solstice trip to the island. This was organized by Maruska and Endre, who seemed to be […]
It was the eve of June 20, summer solstice, and I was in fairy land. I had started to climb to the lookout above Zebegeny and had decided to continue […]
June 14. I woke to find Luis scraping paint off his window frames. He has big plans to repaint his house, winterize the windows, clear furniture to expose the chimney, […]
June 8. The day after my first surgery of the trip, I slept fairly well, given that I was in a hostel with a drunk girl in my room who […]
June 4. I awoke in Bad Bellingen and wrote for a few hours. I probably should have waited till reaching my friend’s the next day, but felt that my memories […]
I left Bordeaux heading in the direction of Geneva, driving for hours for an adequate camp site. The corridor between Lyon and Paris is quite industrial (especially relative to the […]
June 1. Thanks to the few trees on the outskirts of the Château near a few miles from the center of Bordeaux, I was able to actually sleep through the […]
May 26. After writing for a few hours I crossed the Eiffel style bridge and decided to go for a walk along the Dordogne between Floriac and Carennac. I found […]
May 5. I arrived in London on a layover to Toulouse. I had less than a day to explore high Kensington Street, which was near the Barmy Backpackers Hostel where […]
I met Frank Freeman in 1997, the first year I was at Apple. He was working as an IT contractor, and was so proud to be working there. He had […]
I wrote the wrote and led the following ritual for the Sunnyvale UUFS to celebrate Imbolc or Candlemass, a Celtic holiday marking the beginning of spring on February 1. After the […]
Yesterday I dipped into the deep grief that’s been masked by depression over the last few months. It’s been hard to access my sadness, deeply buried and rarely excavated as […]