Vandrelysten – Aching for the Distance
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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
Paddleboarding
Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, U.S.A. – February 13th, 2011 The sign said: ‘Free Paddleboard Demo’, and a half dozen people were braving the fifty degree weather (frigid by Floridian standards) to give it a try. The beginners were standing up slowly and carefully – a February morning swim was not on anyone’s agenda. That was … Continue reading
Suomenlinna – Finnish Castle or Swedish Fortress?
Helsinki, Finland – June 30th, 2008 Whenever anyone asks me what they should do in Helsinki, I know exactly what to tell them – take a ferry to Suomenlinna. A boat runs all through the year, breaking ice when it needs to, so brave souls can even visit the Unesco World Heritage Site during the … Continue reading
Mountains in the Rearview Mirror
Where: Rocky Mountain National Park, U.S.A. When: July 2010 Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T1i ——————————————- A reflection in a crystal-clear mountain pool? A break in the fabric of dimensions? Actually, it’s just an interesting way my camera dealt with my rear-view mirror while I was driving on Colorado’s Highway to the Sky. /American Road Trip … Continue reading
Notes from the Cloud Forest
Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica – June 10th, 2008 When I was a child, I saw a cartoon set in the cloudforest of South America, and I had wanted to go there ever since. I was reasonable about it – I knew one couldn’t truly expect to find ancient ruins, hidden caves behind waterfalls, or … 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.
Fresh Bull Eggs and Googly Eyes
Bilbao, País Vasco, Spain – September 12th, 2010 Just steps from Bilbao’s old town, we visited El Mercado de la Ribera, which claims to be the world’s largest covered market. It’s hard to find independent confirmation of this claim, but the Guinness Book of World Records did list it in 1990 as the biggest covered … Continue reading
Vitoria of the Bean Eaters
Vitoria-Gasteiz, País Vasco, Spain – September 11th, 2010 This weekend, I visited Vitoria (Gasteiz in Euskera), the capital of the Basque Country. Like other parts of the region I’ve visited thus far, Vitoria charmed me with its duality – the medieval alongside the strikingly modern, the way children laugh and play in the fountains as … Continue reading
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
