Vandrelysten – Aching for the Distance
Classic
Spanish Bull-Boards
Pamplona, Spain – November 14th, 2010 Since arriving in Spain, I’ve seen the simple but striking outline of a black bull emblazoned on t-shirts, keychains, and bumper stickers. It seems to be every bit as strong a national symbol as the Spanish flag itself – in fact, the two are often combined, especially for sporting … Continue reading
The Window
Where: Suomenlinna, Finland When: June 2008 Camera: Canon Powershot A550 ———————————- My friend Liisa and I were playing in the Suomenlinna tunnels when we encountered the brilliant light of this window-frame, and had some fun taking silly photos there.
U.K. 2010
From the Lowlands to the Highlands August 1st-23rd, 2010 Trip Conception, Goals, and Planning: In my second year of university, I became friends with a Scottish exchange student named Allan. We both loved walking, so we hatched a plan to meet the next summer in his country to try a long distance trek. As the … Continue reading
USA 2010
American Road Trip Plus July 10th-27th, 2010 Trip Conception, Goals, and Planning: This trip started with a email from my penpal, Liisa, who I visited in Finland in 2008. She wanted to come to America – see my haunts, and maybe a litte more – and since I’m pretty well spread out over the continent, … Continue reading
Japan 2009
Three Weeks of Japan Mania July 15th-August 5th, 2009 Trip Conception, Goals, and Planning: I’ve always been interested in Japan. Video games, sushi, manga, samurai, and most recently the Japanese language have all held my fascination at one point or another in my life. Growing up, I lived across the street from a wonderful Japanese … Continue reading
The 5 Weirdest Objects in the British Museum
London, England – August 2nd, 2010 Look to the British Museum’s “History of the World in 100 Objects” if you want an official list of its most relevant artifacts. If, instead, you’d like a very unofficial list of its most irrelevant artifacts, read on! Here are the five things that really made me laugh: 1.) … Continue reading
Moffat Toffee and the Devil’s Beef Tub
Moffat, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland – August 21st, 2010 Not nearly as well known as historic Edinburgh or the Highlands in which so many romances are set, south-western Dumfries and Galloway is one of the least visited parts of Scotland. That’s too bad, because during the few days I spent there, I felt rewarded again … Continue reading
The Witch Caves of Navarre
Zugarramurdi, Navarra, Spain – December 7th, 2010 In the extreme north of Navarre (a state in Northern Spain) is a little town called Zugarramurdi, home to 218 people and, four hundred years ago, one of the biggest and bloodiest witch hunts of the Spanish Inquisition. Ultimately, forty suspected witches were found guilty and sent south … Continue reading
The Castle of Olite
Where: Olite, Spain When: November 2010 Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T1i ——————————————- One morning at dawn, I climbed all the way up to the highest tower of the Castle of Olite for this view of the palace, the sleepy village below, and the wide agricultural fields that are just becoming visible on the horizon. According … Continue reading
Buddhapada in Kamakura
Where: Kamakura, Japan When: July 2009 Camera: Canon Powershot A550 ——————————————- I found this decorated stone in Kamakura’s Hase-Kannon Temple. It is a stylized depiction of the footprints of Buddha. In early Buddhist art, it was considered taboo to directly depict a being as sacred as the Buddha, so they alluded to his presence by … Continue reading
