For those wondering, I just made it back to the US. Lack of consistent internet access kept me from updating the blog in the past several weeks, though I continued to have an amazing time. This experience has been (though it is cliche to say) life-altering. Learning to live on the road and out of a bag for 40+ days has at various times been exhilarating, intense, frustrating, eye-opening, and rewarding. The things I have done, the people I have met, and the places I have seen have all provided me with a lifetime full of memories. I took over 2,000 pictures on this trip, and while they can provide an idea of what I saw, looking back on them makes me realize how little justice they give to actually being there in the moment. I look forward to sharing my memories, pictures, and stories (well, those appropriate for the crowd) with my family and friends. In the meantime, here are some tidbits from my trip...

By the Numbers:

Thousands of dollars spent
Hundreds of memories made
Dozens of people befriended

7 Countries visited (UK, Ireland, Spain, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands)

13,537 total miles traveled
8534 by plane
3657 by train
932 by car
469 by bus
45 by bike

Highest elevation (on land) reached: 2,560 feet above sea level
Lowest: 0 feet

Weight of bag carried: 62.3 pounds
Number of times back pulled out carrying the damn thing up and down stairs: 1

Airport security line suffered through: 6
Number of times subjected to a "pat-down": 2

Number of deportation arrests witnessed: 1

Nice immigration/customs agents: 5
Douchebags keeping the stereotypes alive: 2

Average size of hostel rooms: 4 bunks (8 people)
Largest room: 8 bunks (16 people)

Number of times Michael used the word "quaint": Whatever infinity minus 1 is

Lessons Learned:

• As anyone in France can tell you, Champagne is only good as an apertif, and salad should always come after the main course
• In Spain and France, you can drink fine wine more cheaply than you can water or Coke
• At McDonald's in Ireland, tacos are a popular menu item. In Spain, you can get a beer with your Big Mac. In Italy, I had a better cappuccino at McDonald's than I can get at most coffeehouses in the US.
• You can subsist on 3-4 gelato a day. Trust me.
• Lugging around a 60lb back sucks. On my next trip, I'm fitting everything into a carry-on bag. Even if it means wearing the same 2 outfits in every picture.
• Before you make a day-trip to a city on a whim, at least make sure the places you want to visit will be open first.
  

Pictures 4

Ellwood, D-Day tour guide extraordinaire, and I on Omaha Beach. Omaha Beach was one of two American landing sectors on D-Day, the other being Utah Beach. Losses were devastatingly high here for American troops, as portrayed in Saving Private Ryan (Normandy, France)

Pointe du Hoc. Army Rangers climbed the 100ft cliffs behind me to capture a battery of 6 artillery guns (Normandy, France)

Here, I'm on the Arc de Triumphe, with the Eiffel Tower behind me (Paris, France)

Pictures 3

St. Peter's Basilica (Vatican City)

View from roof of Duomo (Milano, Italy)

View from hiking trail in Cinque Terre (Italy)

Pictures 2

Michael and Helene outside in her garden, after breakfast (Bordeaux, France)

Michael and I halfway up to the cupola of Saint Peter's Basilica (Vatican, Italy)

Me in French wine country (St. Emillion, France)

Michael, Chloe & Co., and I in her apartment/our bedroom (Lyon, France)

Shattering Stereotypes

Misconceptions are always a huge part of traveling. Misconceptions about what living arrangements will be like, about how easy catching a train at 8:00 in the morning will be, about how much money you will need for food each day, or the amount of clothes you can get by with... the list is endless. However, the biggest misconceptions tend to be about another country's people and culture. Hardly a day goes by without me discovering stereotypes and impressions I had previously held to be embarrassingly wrong.

Now, I am not saying before this trip I was ignorant or narrow-minded--that's not the case at all. Still, it's hard not to come in without SOME preconceptions about what to expect from people when overseas. I mean, one can only watch classic animated Disney movies so many times before a set of stereotypes is created, especially about the French (OK... the bad guys have crazy eyes, pencil-thin mustaches, and laugh like "HON HON HON" while the good guys always kiss a girl's hand and say "mon cheri"....got it). Keeping with the theme, in the US, the French have a reputation for being unwilling hosts, especially towards Americans. And I can't tell you how many people told me that it's impossible to get the French to speak in any language other than their native tongue. In my experiences, both of these misconceptions couldn't be further from the truth.

On Friday, Michael and I took a train from Barcelona, Spain to Narbonne, France. There, we picked up a car for 6 days of unlimited driving freedom. After a quick stopover in Carcassonne (a beautifully restored Roman/medieval city), we drove 6 hours along the Pyrenees and Atlantic coast to Bordeaux. Here, we met with Helene, who is the mother of Michael's co-worker. Though neither of us had ever met her, nor even talked with her, none of this mattered to Helene. From the moment we drove into her garden (a gorgeous green area filled with roses, cherry trees, fig trees, and peach trees, walled in the middle of a bustling city), Helene greeted us with eager hospitality.

For 2 days in Bordeaux, we were treated like close family friends. Helene gave us the keys to her house, the freedom to come and go as we pleased, our own private rooms, and access to her fully stocked fridge. Dinner with her was, simply put, amazing. In typical French fashion, we enjoyed 3 hour meals with 4 or 5 courses, during which Helene taught us the proper way to eat (Champagne is always an apertif, never an after-dinner drink…salad should come after the main dish, not before). A typical meal reads like something you would find in a 5-star Parisian restaurant:

Sliced melon (from the Bordeaux region), served with Champagne
Fresh French bread served with beef pate and beets
Puff pastry stuffed with grilled pork and ham, served with red wine
Mixed salad with apples, beets, and an almond-vinaigrette
4 types of cheese with bread and more wine
Locally made artisan pistachio ice-cream with a strong cup of black coffee

Needless to say, dinner-time was my favorite part of Bordeaux, though the entire stay was incredible thanks to our gracious host. Luckily for us, Helene is visiting her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter in Virginia later this summer, so we will be able to return the favor (or at least attempt to).

After leaving Bordeaux, we made the 6 hour drive to Lyon, where we had our first Couch Surfing experience. For those unfamiliar with CS, it is a sign-up service with which a person can offer their couch/bed/spare-room/floor to travelers and choose those they want to host. On the other end, you can also “surf” those offered places. It’s a great way to meet people and see the non-touristy side of a city, all while saving money.

In Lyon, we were lucky enough to be hosted by Chloe, an energetic and friendly 23 year-old who has a passion for traveling, the English language, and the United States. Thankfully, Chloe happened to be on holiday from school, so she was able to spend the entire time with Michael and I, showing us around Lyon’s sights during the day and taking us out for some fun during the night. The evening we arrived, we also met 8 or so of Chloe’s friends, most of whom went out with us to the music bar (which happened to be a boat docked on the Rhone, one of Lyon’s two rivers). Chloe and her friends warmly welcomed us and kept us involved in all of their conversations (which were all carried out in well-spoken English. Chloe and Co. appreciated the chance to speak English, Michael and I appreciated the fact that we didn't have to test out our horrible French). The social aspect of CS is what makes it such a unique and special experience, one that I hope to get involved with on the hosting end sometime in the future. Going from strangers to friends and travel buddies in such a short time with Chloe and her friends was really fun, and I hope that they come out to the US soon so that I can take them out to Chloe’s favorite restaurant, McDonald’s.

Even in my relatively short 25-day jump through the UK, Ireland, Spain, and France, I can safely say that traveling is one of the best things a person can do for themselves. It is an eye-opening experience that has allowed me to meet some great people who have shattered previously held misconceptions and unfair stereotypes, all while becoming new-found friends.

So, what have Michael and I done since my last post? Lots of beach in Barcelona, lots of driving in southern France. Because I don’t have a ton of time, I’ll give it to you in itinerary form:

May 23: train from Madrid to Barcelona
May 24: La Boqueria (large open-air market packed with fresh produce/fish/meats) in the morning for breakfast and to pick out stuff to make for dinner. Beach all day, back to hostel to cook dinner, out for a few drinks
May 25: see May 24
May 26: see May 24
May 27: Train from Barcelona to Narbonne, France, where we picked up our rental car. Carcassonne (a beautifully restored walled medieval city dating back to Roman times)
May 28: Drive to Bordeaux along the edge of the Pyrenees. Relaxation, dinner, and some Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers with Helene.
May 29: Walking tour of downtown Bordeaux, visit to the beach and HUGE sand dune, dinner with Helene
May 30: 6 hour drive to Lyon (after a failed attempt to visit wineries near Bordeaux), out to the boat-bar with Chloe and friends
May 31: Walking tour of Lyon, drinks and conversation at home with Chloe and friends
June 1: Beautiful drive through French Alps to Nice, France. Awesome Thai food for dinner (which was capped off with complimentary digestifs served in some… interesting shot glasses)
June 2: Four trains to Cinque Terre (Riomaggiore), Italy. 2 hours of hiking along seaside trails.
June 3: Explored Riomaggiore, much needed internet café (we just booked Paris…four days before we are set to arrive), and dinner with Jin and Linda, two girls we met at our hostel.
TODAY: Train to Rome, visit to the Vatican, climbed to the top of the cupola

So yes, we have continued to have a great time. This trip has been, the vast majority of the time, extremely relaxing and enjoyable. I am eating non-stop, though I’ve yet to gain weight because of all the walking we have done. And though I wasn’t a wine guy before, I have been trying a lot while in Spain, France, and Italy. Like I told my sister, a glass of wine is cheaper than soda or bottled water, so why not, right? I just might make it back to the US slightly more cultured.

Thoughts on Hostels, Traveling, and Tapas

Hola, y saludos desde Espana. Michael and I have spent the past 5 days traveling around central and southern Spain., from Madrid to Granada and back. Along the way, I have come to a few realizations. Firstly, I think the Spanish officially take the prize for the most exotic and beautiful people on earth. For over 2000 years, Spanish control has shifted between many different powers, from Western Europe to the Middle East, creating a melting pot of people and cultures. African, Arabic, Italian, and English traits are all evident, allowing for a very diverse-looking population, all gorgeous in their own way. Still, I haven’t had much luck meeting Spanish girls, which actually clumsily brings me to my next point.

Staying in hostels and participating in hostel activities has proven to be, by far, the best way to meet people. Coming into this trip, I had no idea what to expect from our stays in hostels, which was slightly concerning considering that we are staying in hostels for over 90% of the trip. If anything, I had a negative impression, thinking that it would be like freshman year in the dorms, except instead of 1-3 roommates, I’d have 3-9. I didn’t even want to think about the shared bathroom situation. However, overall it has been a really enjoyable experience which has allowed us to meet some awesome people from all around the world. We enjoyed traditional Irish music and dancing with 2 girls from Alaska while in Galway, met Zoe while on a tapas tour in Granada, (having some great conversation and getting tips about Spain and France along the way), and most recently met people from South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia while on a hostel organized bar-crawl. The next day, we went on a daytrip to Segovia with two new friends, Bridget and Neeharika, and will be meeting up with another, Sophie, while we are in Barcelona. Had it not been for the hostels (group bathrooms, rooms that smell like dirty feet, snoring roommates and all) we never would have had the opportunity to meet such like-minded, fun-loving people.

Lastly, traveling on Spain’s extensive and well-ran train system has convinced me that the US is in need of something similar. I absolutely LOVE traveling on the trains. Airport security is a pain in the ass, and I dread it every time. Already, I've suffered through long lines, in Dublin I was given a rough and, um, let’s say thorough pat down, and been charged $60 extra dollars to have my bag ever so lovingly taken care of by the airport’s luggage squad (good thing I brought that extra roll of duct tape). Security at train stations, however, is quick and efficient and leaves me surprisingly headache free. The trains themselves are modern, clean, decently spacious, and comfortable, and FAST (200-300KPH). The journeys are full of great views and have allowed me to see the astoundingly beautiful Spanish countryside. So far, I have seen double rainbows arcing over an olive tree grove, twisted through mountainous farming villages, and saw the sun set behind the rolling hills outside of Madrid. It is a complete departure from train travel in the US which, in my experience, is slow and full of delays. Amtrak has a less-than-glowing reputation and has only been able to stay afloat because of extensive aid from the US government. A high-speed rail system would allow for quicker travel between major US cities (particular the Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York, Boston corridor), alleviate traffic congestion in those major cities, and it would reduce the amount of air-traffic. The success of high-speed rail throughout Europe and Asia indicates that an efficient and well-maintained system would also do very well in the US. I know there was a brief mention of starting such a system in Obama’s State of the Union address this year, but I honestly never followed up to see what is happening with that.

Anyway, as for what Michael and I have done for the past week or so: Monday and Tuesday, we were in Galway, Ireland, a coastal city almost due west of Dublin. It is a really small town with a pretty vibrant night life. Everything was walkable from our hostel. We saw Cathedral of our Lady, a beautiful Roman-Catholic cathedral with several mosaics, towering vaulted ceilings, and many stained-glass windows. On Tuesday, we went on an 8 hour tour of the Cliffs of Moher, where we also stopped at a variety of castles and dolmens, which are ancient Irish tombs dating back to 3000BC (before the Great Pyramids were built). We saw some great Irish music while in Galway, which I actually hadn’t managed to catch much of in Dublin. Wednesday morning, we took a bus from Galway back to Dublin, and then caught a plane to Madrid, Spain in the evening. The next morning, we took a train to Granada, an Andalusiam city famous for the Alhambra, a 14th century Moorish fortification located on a mountain overlooking the city. That night, we went on a tapas tour and learned that the only way to see the Alhambra would be to line up early in the morning and hope to get a ticket (the tickets are often sold out days, if not weeks in advance). After coming back from the tour and getting to sleep around 3:00am, we were up and out the door at 6:45am. After a 30 minute steep uphill walk, we nervously waited in line for 1.5 hours and were luckily able to get tickets for both the garden and the Alhambra. It is impossible to describe exactly how beautiful the whole complex is. From the meticulously maintained gardens, to the 360 degree views of the city from the tops of 14th century guard towers, and the stonework/tilework of the interior buildings, it is all amazing to take in. For anyone who makes it to Spain, visiting the Alhambra is, in my opinion, one of the most spectacular things you could do in all of Spain. After hiking back down the mountain, we grabbed lunch and waited for our train back to Madrid. We returned around 11PM that evening, checked in to our hostel, and went for a late dinner. On Saturday afternoon, we visited 2 art museums, El Prado (European art from the 12th-19th centuries) and Reina Sophia (modern art, famous for tons of Picasso--including Guernica). That evening, we went on a bar crawl, where we met Sophie (from Australia), Bridget (New Zealand), Neeharika (Michigan), and Dylan (South Africa). After plenty of dancing (an extreme rarity for me, as anyone who has gone out with me knows), we came back around 3:30am and were up in time for an 11am daytrip with Bridget and Neeharika to Segovia. There we saw an aqueduct built by the ancient Romans and the last Gothic cathedral built in Spain. After changing hostels (thanks to my own error) we met back up with Bridget and Neeharika, as well as Sophie, and headed to a taperia recommended to me by our new hostel. For those who don’t know, tapas are traditional Spanish snacks (mostly in the form of finger foods) served alongside beer and sangria. Though they can be small, if you have a large enough group like we did, you can get enough to make up a meal. This particular taperia, El Tigre, was suggested because I asked for the most authentic, non-touristy place in Madrid. When we arrived, the place was PACKED with people, non of whom spoke English. All 5 of us stood crammed should to shoulder eating alongside Madrilenos, enjoying a huge mug of beer and 4 heaping plates of tapas, all for the modest price of 5 euros. After saying goodbye to everyone (and making tentative plans to meet Sophie here in Barcelona), we headed back to our hostel. This morning, we took another train to Barcelona and spent 4 hours eating our way across the city. We went to this gelato place twice, and with all due respect to Splendora’s, it is the best I have ever had. We also made it to a massive open air market, where we picked up some exotic fruit, Spanish chocolates, and decided to return tomorrow so we can pick up fresh ingredients to make our own supper. For dinner, we went to another tapas restaurant, where I had pulpos pequenos (baby octopi), un pincho de pescado (small fish sandwich topped with hearts of palm), and caracoles (I’ll let you look that one up). I hope this ridiculously long post makes up for the lack of updates I have been giving, but I will try to blog more often. Look for more pictures to come soon.

"Bear in mind that you should conduct yourself in life as at a feast"
--Epictetus

Pictures 1

Michael and I at the Cliffs of Moher... crappy weather, but we were lucky to even get this shot. The fog rolled in and completely covered the area 10 minutes later.













Michael watching some street performers in London. That's British Parliament and Big Ben across the Thames River.












Michael in his heaven. An artisan chocolate shop in Borough Market, London.













Baby Cliffs of Moher. A little bit better weather. Right behind me is a 100 foot fall to the Atlantic Ocean.










We're in Granada right now, safe and sound. About to head out for a tapas bar hopping tour. Walking tour and Alhambra tomorrow morning, back to Madrid in the evening. More pictures and posts to come soon.