A Cold Front

Where in the World: Places where inclement weather heightens the adventure, like New Zealand.

The Inspiration: A cold front that came in right with the beginning of autumn in Pittsburgh. Now, truthfully, I love cool weather, and the world outside is oh-so-tempting to me and my dog right now. The air is becoming crisp, and some of the leaves have yellow edges, and the world is all kinds of lovely. However, the furnace in my house has not been active since last spring, and the new one has been being installed in complicated ways for the past two weeks (I'm learning a lot about it all, though: pipes needed to be replaced, valves needed to be located in walls, the old furnace had to be removed in pieces and cut apart with a torch, fittings didn't fit, etc.). What this means in simple terms is that I'm writing while huddled next to this miracle of a space heater, and last night I baked just to heat up the kitchen.

I was starting to pout way too much about this, but then, something wonderful happened:
I remembered that in much of New Zealand and Australia, homes don't have any sort of central heating because it's not cold for enough of the year for the systems to be worthwhile. Many homes and hostels will have a sort of permanent space heater in common rooms (like you'd find under the window in an average hotel room) and maybe a smaller one on a timer in the bedrooms. Every bathroom I encountered in NZ was flat-out freezing, and for some mysterious reason also had a window cracked just enough for them to feel damp from the winter rain, too.

I noticed all this at the time, but none of it really bothered me. Certainly, I'm spoiled at home with radiators in every room and remember bundling in many, many layers on that trip, but when I was with the Kiwis the cool air was an invitation to toughen up and live in a way that was aware of the seasons and the land. So despite the fact that I'm procrastinating on an important paper in Pittsburgh today, mentally, I'm going to New Zealand, where adrenaline alleviates the chill.

Iceland!

Where in the World: Iceland

The Inspiration: Helping a friend plan a trip (hooray for variety in inspiration!). Iceland is crazy beautiful, due to their economic woes their currency favors American tourists, it's cold but there are lovely hot springs. My friend is planning a couples-y trip, so I might have to plan my own adventure rather than tagging along (being a fifth wheel for the movies can be a bit awkward; being a fifth wheel for a vacation would have, um, significantly more potential for awkwardness). Every time I learn a little more about Iceland, I realize I need to bump it up on my must-see list.
To start being dazzled on your own, I suggest http://www.icelandtouristboard.com/

Roma!

Where in the World: Rome, Italy

The Inspiration: You've already guessed it. Last night we made homemade pizza, and it was alright-- good, actually-- but in Italy it's heavenly. Gnocchi is one of my favorite foods, but since I had it in Rome nothing else has seemed nearly as good. Then there is gelato, which we have already established as one of my all time favorites...

There's more to Rome than the food, of course. In fact, the history is so thick you breathe it everywhere, and can quite literally stumble into something that is centuries old and being ignored for another object of more impressive origins right next to it. I only had three real days in Rome, and was overwhelmed by all there was to see. I realized that I could live there as a tourist for years and still not soak in half of it, but I would love to try.
This is one of the halls leading to the Sistine Chapel; the scope and detail are incredible.

Here I am with the Colosseum! We had to walk a block and a half to be able to get a photo in which we could show the whole building.

This is my brother, B, expressing his enthusiasm for our favorite dessert. The cone in this photo was actually his second one during that visit to the gelato shop. =)

Going Visiting

Where in the World: to the Traveling Friends

Inspiration: a variant on the same nostalgia. When I was in Australia, I toured the Melbourne Cricket Grounds and pretended I knew a little bit about the sports they play there. I wouldn't have gone on my own, but B described the MCG as "the Fenway of the Southern Hemisphere," we found it and took the tour. The tour guide was very good, a member of the cricket club, but he assumed that we knew about cricket and Aussie rules football because we were interested in seeing the arena, which wasn't true at all. My knowledge of cricket mostly came from Bill Bryson's "In a Sunburned Country," in which he talks about how little sense there is in the game, and incorporates things like unicorns into his descriptions.

Our group was small, and I asked a couple little questions which the guide clearly found juvenile, but especially because I was the only woman on our tour I didn't want to be *that* girl, I mostly walked around perplexed. When the guide was showing us a practice area that resembled a batting cage but talking about rotating bowlers and wickets I whispered to another visitor, "What does that mean?" and he replied in an Irish accent, "I have no idea. I'm here for the football." Hooray! B and I weren't the only ones who didn't know a thing! Newly empowered by my touring peer's lack of knowledge, I asked a few more questions, and laughed more openly at my ignorance.

The fun part of this anecdote is the original point of today's post; the Irish man, C, chatted with B and me through the rest of the tour, and then we all went for a coffee afterward. He was in Melbourne visiting his sister, and playing in international Gaelic-rules football tournaments, and was glad for the company; my brother and I were glad for variety in our conversation. After that little encounter, we started emailing, and C has now been a reliable pen-pal for two years.

It's the friends like him who I'd like to visit today, the people you meet who are just fun to hang out with, and with whom it would be nice to just have a bit more time. There's the Australian woman who we met on the plane to Singapore, and then had dinner with in London, the Kiwi family who hosted us for a night in Christchurch, the owners of the hostel in the Aran Islands who practiced genuine hosptiality and occasionally traded beds for work, my friend's sister who made the Sydney suburbs exciting. There's a whole subculture of travel where people say, "You know so-and so? Well then of course you can sleep on my couch for a few days! What would you like for dinner?" There are now the couch surfing sites etc., but I'm not sure I'm that open to complete strangers. It's the people I've met on the way who I'd like to see again, whose company is today's dream destination for me.

Hiking on the Edge

Where in the World: A Rocky Ledge with Great Views; Katoomba Australia would be nice, but Utah could work, too.

The Inspiration: More reminiscing. Two years ago today, B and I had progressed to Australia, and my friends in Sydney took us out to the Blue Mountains to hike for the day.

I believe this was in the area known as the King's Tableland. From here, we went to see The Three Sisters rock formation, and hiked around there. I couldn't get over the fact that there were wild cockatoos in the woods; my friends couldn't believe we were surprised.
It was a fantastic day, and remembering it has me anxious for my next wilderness adventure.

"Excuse me, is this the town?"

Where in the World: The tiny towns along New Zealand routes 1, 6, and 7 between Kaikoura and Franz Josef.

The Inspiration: Nostalgia etc.; I did warn you. Once upon at time exactly two years ago, I stopped at an intersection near Victoria Forest Park, New Zealand. We got out of the car, and I approached a man walking down the side of the road, and said, "Excuse me, is this the town?" It was a reasonable question. Other than the "T" intersection of the highways that matched the map, there were only three buildings to indicate any sort of town-ness. The man laughed, and told me it actually was Springs Junction, and asked me what I had been expecting. At the puzzling advice of the woman from whom we tried to rent a motel room, we pressed on to Reefton for food and shelter that night. The next day we drove to Punakaiki, and then south down the coast to Franz Josef. Since I'm all misty-eyed over it, and I'm not sure you actually exist, lovely reader, I'm going to show off some more of the photos that are inspiring me. It's also worth noting that neither words or photos could ever adequately capture the beauty of that landscape.

This was on the "highway" across central New Zealand.












The plains run right up to the mountains, and make the geology lessons about the power of glaciers make sense.




This drive was unbelievable













As we got closer to the coast, the snow on the mountains vanished and was replaced by vegitation that looked delightfully prehistoric.




Here's me at the Pancake Rocks, which are amazing rock formations on the west coast. It was freezing cold, and raining, and I was so happy to be there.


The Maori name for New Zealand translates to "Land of the Long White Cloud," so when the views were obscured by fog I felt like I was at least having an authentic Kiwi experience. It actually added to the landscape, and gave it a sort of mythical property. This is one of my favorite photos.

New Zealand

Where in the World: New Zealand

The Inspiration: Nostalgia, and the fact that I didn't really want to leave the first time I was there. Two years ago, I left LA on a flight around 11pm on June 25, and 15 hours later I arrived in Auckland, New Zealand, around 7:30am on June 27. That's not a typo, the first part of my trip to New Zealand actually involved time travel, and I think that's crazy cool.* Of course, that's just the beginning. My trip lasted a total of 40 days, and so for the next 40 days I'm predicting that I'll be daydreaming about revisiting most of the places that I went to on that adventure. With that in mind, it's only fair to share a bit of what I saw on my first day in NZ.


I met up with my brother in Auckland, and we flew together to Christchurch. This is what NZ looks like from the air.






We rented a car, and drove from Christchurch to Kaikoura. We had to stop a few times on the way there, because it was simply too beautiful to just drive by.


Kaikoura is in an area with several marine sancutaries. We went directly to the beach to see the seals. I was just a little excited.






We then went for a walk along the cliffs. I was thrilled to be looking east towards the Pacific Ocean, and the scenery just took my breath away.



I may have chased these sheep a little bit, and then decided it was proof of my natural shepherding skills, and that I could live there forever.



This photo doesn't do justice to the colors we saw there; it was unspeakably beautiful. That's why I need to go back to see it again. =)





*You know what else isn't a typo? The spelling of "New Zealand". The spell checker keeps underlining it like it's wrong, which I think is pretty irksome. It's a country, for goodness sake! It's not like I'm using the Maori name, Aotearoa.

A Culinary Tour of Europe

Where in the World: A Culinary Tour of Europe.

The Inspiration: Accurate stereotypes. Seriously. And, if you haven't noticed yet, a fondness for delicious food. Today I was reading and writing about ethnic stereotypes and humor for one of my classes, and came across this joke:

“Heaven is where the police are English, the cooks are French, the mechanics are German, the lovers are Italian and everything is organized by the Swiss. Hell is where the police are German, the cooks are English, the mechanics are French, the lovers are Swiss, and everything is organized by the Italians.”

It was in the article “Science gets the last laugh on ethnic jokes” by Kathleen Wren, and although she said it was an old joke, I hadn’t read it before, and thought it was hilarious (the rest of the article is pretty interesting, too). I haven’t visited Switzerland yet, and I’ve only been to the airport in Munich (which was, incidentally, a model of efficiency on which all international airports could be based) but it got me thinking about the fact and fiction of stereotypes that I encountered when I’ve been in Europe.

When we were in college (for the first time) my best friend, who has always been braver than I am, decided to spend her junior year studying the French political system while in France. I promised to visit her, and since I always work very hard to keep my travel promises, I went at the end of her school year in Paris. I took French in high school, which was close to useless, and a year of French in college, which was marginally better, so it’s generous to call my linguistic abilities “limited”. So, stereotype in mind, I was really worried that I would have a terrible time in Paris not being able to speak to anyone. Of course I was wrong; I loved all of it. I had S to speak for me when my words were inadequate, and I didn’t encounter a single rude French person. Every time I tried to speak French, I was met with encouragement, understanding, and often a reply in English to help me along. I read somewhere a few years ago that the number of tourists visiting Paris ever year is nearly 10 times the size of the population. When I imagine living in a place where only one out of every ten people on the street is a citizen, I find it staggering that the locals would acknowledge the visitors, let alone go out of their way to be kind to the deluge of tourists. However, when I got myself a wee bit lost on my independent day in the city (S was finishing a term paper) I met several Parisians, and that’s exactly what they did.

There are a zillion lovely things that I could tell you about my week in Paris, but I started writing today with the intention of telling you that the food in Paris lives up to whatever lofty, stereotypical expectations you may have, from the street vendors to the nicest restaurant we could afford (which, notably, was far from the best restaurant in Paris). The only meal that was less than excellent was when we went to the Mexican restaurant that S took me to because it was where she would go when she was a bit homesick; the food was beautifully prepared with quality ingredients, but it was astonishingly bland. However, after that dinner I got my first taste of gelato, the most delightful dessert on the planet, so it was a great culinary evening after all.

Lovely reader, I was going to tell you all about how I went to Rome for the history and the food, and how each exceeded my expectations there as well, but I think that will have to wait for now. In the meantime, I did dig up some photos of my trip to Paris. They’re each worth a story of at least 1000 words, but this will have to do for now.

This scene was on the cover of my high school French book, so when I was in Paris I had to go have my portrait drawn. This artist is Damien, and he has twinkling eyes, and only one arm, so he'd hold one pencil in his teeth while drawing with another.




This is where I first tried real gelato. I was excited enough to be taking pictures before I'd even tried it.















S and me at Versailles. There are somethings that you have to see to believe; Versailles is hard to believe even once you've seen it. =)

Melbourne

Where in the World: Melbourne, Australia

The Inspiration: Good friends and a cheap plane ticket. Here's a true story: Last night I was up until 3:00 (which is midnight in California, and therefore the last minute for the sale that ended on June 16) staring at my computer screen, trying to figure out how to take advantage of amazing air fares. I had to called my friend JC in Melbourne twice, first to make sure the dates worked for visiting, and then because I had run out of ideas and was still indecisive, and he was the only person I knew who was awake. Okay, that's half true: I could have called my friends N&P, who also live in Melbourne, but N would help me be excited and not reasonable, when JC could try to be both. In the end, at 3:02, I closed the window asking for my credit card information, and the logical, responsible half of my personality beat out the adventurous half. Now, I know that was the better choice, but today Qantas extended the sale (although all the tickets have gone up by at least $100 each way) and after spending a day imagining all the fun I'd have visiting Melbourne and some of my other Aussie friends, I just want to get there soon, and I'm pouting like a two year old about it.

I visited Melbourne for the first time almost exactly two years ago with my brother, when JC was unfortunately out of the country and I hadn't even met N&P yet. We had a fantastic time without knowing anyone in the city, and I can only imagine it being better with delightful friends. Since I have photos from that trip, I thought I'd share.


This is my brother in Melbourne. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of this bridge.








In most major cities, you're encouraged to avoid the alleys. In Melbourne, they tell you to go check them out. It turns out that they're full of wonderful restaurants and interesting little shops.












We also took a day trip from Melbourne to Phillip Island to see the Penguin Parade, which is one of the most charming natural phenomenons in history. We were not permitted to photograph the penguins, but the whole trip was full of fun sights.



I fed kangaroos at a petting zoo.

















We stopped at gorgeous beaches on the way. It was winter there, so they didn't have many visitors, which made them all the more majestic.





And before we left Phillip Island, I spotted the best sign I've ever seen.








I can't wait to go back!

While You're Waiting

Where in the World: Wherever you're stuck.

The Inspiration: I read this delightful article today by Bruce Turkel in the New York Times. In it, he talks about how he loves all parts of travel, and usually takes a harmonica and a sketch pad with him on business trips for when he is delayed or laid over at airports. Since lay overs and delays are such a big part of air travel these days, it makes sense to be prepared for it with something you enjoy. I usually travel with at least two books and a notebook, since I'm a bit of a bibliophile. I'll take a new book, and an old favorite, and have every intention of journaling in the notebook which usually gets lists instead of thoughtful, detailed entries. Now I'm wondering: what do you do while you're waiting? Do you plan for it? Would a spontaneous guitar and harmonica jam session between your fellow travellers bring you joy or aggrivation?

This also made me think about delays, and the reasons and stresses behind them. I think the worst kind of delay is when there is a storm somewhere else that is going to impair your chances of making your connecting flight in Chicago. Delays to check on something mechanical about the plane always make me nervous; I never want them to hurry up on those ones, but they make me antsy until the plane lands at the destination. The strangest delay I've ever experienced was when I flew from Singapore to London. Before we left the gate, the pilot came on the loudspeaker and said we'd have to wait a little while before taking off, we wanted to make sure the timing would be right and Afghan air space would be clear for us; I thought, "PLEASE, take all the time you need!"

"Once in a Lifetime Trips"

I want this book.

It's Once in a Lifetime Trips: The World's 50 Most Extraordinary and Memorable Travel Experiences by Chris Santella.

It looks gorgeous.






It's full of photos like this. Doesn't that ship in the Spice Islands look like it sailed out Arabian Nights? *Swoon*





I'd also love to write books like this one, although I think that wish is pretty obvious.

Timbuktu

Where in the World: Timbuktu, Mali

The Inspiration: Timbuktu! Seriously! First of all, it exists. For a good portion of my childhood, I thought Timbuktu was as real as Never Never Land. I've wanted to go since I thought I'd need to take the second star to the left to get there; my desire didn't decrease with actual accessibility of the place. The fact that it is a traditional center of learning, full of scrolls of hidden ancient knowledge, the pinnacle of an empire that was expansive, powerful, and largely unknown... well, as a person interested in books, archaeology, anthropology, and travel, what's not to love? (Okay, the average temperature in the winter is 85˚ which is less than ideal for me, but the dry arid climate has been kind to the ancient scrolls, so I can handle it.) Plus, it was an important city for the nomadic groups in western Africa, and I think nomads are absolutely fascinating.

Two more things about Timbuktu: It was an important part of the Songhai empire. I recently read "In Sorcery's Shadow" by Paul Stoller, about his anthropological apprenticeship to Songhai sorcerers in Niger. It's a pretty amazing book, and provides some great background about the region if not directly Timbuktu. The second thing is that I realized I need to mix up my wish list a little bit; Chicago and Seattle are both very nice, but they're not very exotic. If you have an suggestions of places to research and dream about, I'd love to know about them.

Japan

Where in the world: Japan

The inspiration: Tea, mostly. I've been learning a lot about nice teas lately, and starting to cultivate a finer tea palate; this is expensive, but also appropriate, since I have a little job at a tea shop. I've started to discover some really lovely Japanese green teas, and the finer points of using a Japanese cast iron tea pot. It has me thinking about the other things I've learned about Japan, particularly Kyoto, and my recurring fascination with geisha. (If you enjoyed the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha," I'm going to recommend the book by Arthur Golden, of the same title; if you enjoyed the book, you should check out Liza Dalby's ethnography, "Geisha.") Also, if this hasn't already become apparent, I'm a big fans of mountains and oceans, and places where the two meet. I'd like to enjoy sushi in a restaurant where concerns about freshness or appropriate preparation won't cross my mind. I love the cherry trees on the Mall in Washington DC (which, by the way, were a gift from Japan), and I'd be delighted to see the full blossoming season. As usual, I'd also be thrilled with any recommendations you can give for my dream trip!