Day #108 - Bruges & Antwerp, Belgium

Canals in Bruges, Belgium

Bruges, Belgium

Antwerp, Belgium - Interesting architecture

Busy street in Antwerp

Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady - Antwerp, Belgium

Wednesday, June 30th

I didn't taste the chocolate. And, even more sad, I didn't have any of the beer that's legendary either. What kind of a 'sad set of events' am I? I like both - I just wasn't feeling it for some reason. It's hot here. Over 90 degrees and no A/C. I cut weight at night. I have to have a bottle of water before I go to bed so I don't die of dehydration. I'm staying in the largest room I've ever stayed in my entire life. The thing has 20 foot ceilings, it's about 30 ft long and 20 ft wide. There are 3 beds. You could fit a family of 6 in here and people would have space to themselves. This, all coming off the closets I stayed in while in London. I've just about decided upon Billy Joel's "Why do I go to Extremes" song as one of my themes after the trip when I put some music to my pictures.

At night, I leave the 15 foot windows wide open - no screens. An eagle could fly in unabated. I may wake up one morning and have a family of squirrels jumping from bed to bed. I'm willing to take that risk. All the buildings around have open windows - I figure if they are doing it - I can. I haven't seen any bugs, no animals of any kind, and only a couple pigeons in the park. I'm on the second floor at least - no deer or 4 legged animals should be able to get in. (I remember in Africa we were staying in this lodge out in the Serengeti. The managment told us to make sure we lock our balcony doors at night because baboons might come in the room. They had been known to do such. No baboons - but we had a really good time talking about it).

All righty then. Belgium - good stuff. Since I don't talk food very well - let me tell you that the main dish in Belgium is frites and mussles. Frites are basically large french fries. They are served in this huge cardboard cone - with about 1/2 a bottle of mayonnaise on top. A part of you dies just by looking at it. I wouldn't eat this is somebody begged me. I'm not a fan of mussles either - what good am I.

This morning I headed out to the City of Bruges. Bruges is better known at the "Venice of the North". In Flemish, brugge means "bridges". (By the way - most people in Belgium speak French - there's alot of Bonjours, Merci's and Wa-la's being thrown around). The town is really small and has several canals wondering through the cobblestone streets. A popular activity is taking boat rides. The boats are motorized; however, different from the gondolas in Venice or the punting witnessed in Cambridge or Oxford.

The town is small, quiet, and filled with little restaurants and shops. Many folks biked through the streets on a very well defined path. It's funny to see 60+ year olds on bikes, riding in dress clothes (skirts and nice pants). Lance Armstrong has a different look.

I came to Bruges because (1) my book recommended it (2) a lady from my Peru trip said it was one of her favorite cities in Europe. I wasn't disappointed. An incredible little town - a perfect way to spend a 1/2 day or day of leisure. Again, the central square was the area where most people gathered. Great architecture and interesting streets. I'll remember Bruges with words like: canals, quiet, peaceful.

I then boarded the train and headed to Antwerp - another city in Belgium. Antwerp has a population of 500,000 people - the second biggest city in Belgium. In comparison, Brussels has about 1,000,000 and Bruge has about 100,000. I'll remember Antwerp because it had this impressive street running through the town. It stretched for a couple miles. It led from the central train station to a large canal/river. Tons of people were on the streets. Tourism is booming right now in Europe. I see more and more backpackers every day. I see all these people carrying these heavy satchels - I used to be one of these people. Sometimes I think people do things because it's the 'perceived' way of doing it. I'm here to say, drop the bag at the hotel/hostal or roll it - it's just that simple.

Antwerp has this impressive cathedral - The Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady. It stands 404-foot above the city. There were a ton more interesting building, fountains, statues. I sometimes don't feel like I describe these things so well - but so many cities in Europe have impressive, old, buildings. I just try to point out the couple things I'll remember. In Antwerp, it's the never-ending, well traveled street, and the Gothic Cathedral. Oh yeah, the central train station was amazing. It was probably one of the neatest structures in the city. Again, worth a 1/2 day walk-about - no question.

I returned to Brussels about 7pm. I went out for a nice run and then out for dinner. I'm feeling really good lately - strong. I need to continue whatever it is that I'm doing.

Tomorrow, I take a train to Amsterdam, Netherlands. Just curious, what city in the US comes to mind when you hear Amsterdam? More on this tomorrow.

Day #107 - Brussels, Belgium

Grand Place

Mary Chocolatier

Cool hike

End of Hike - Parc du Cinquantenaire

Ommegang Pageant

Tuesday, June 29th

Today I took a 6:20am train from London to Brussels, Belgium -- arriving at 9:45am (Belgium is 1 hour ahead of London - about a 2-1/2 hour train ride)

I don't know too much about Belgium. It's a country about the size of New Jersey located between France and the Netherlands. I've heard good things coming into today. After touring around - I would have to agree. Brussels is a great place to visit. Because of it's size, a good day or 2 could do the trick. Maybe a relaxing stop through as you work your way from Paris to Amsterdam.

Once checked into my hotel, I spent the day walking the streets throughout the city -- easily walkable in a single day. One of the big highlights is the main central square - called Grand Place (Grote Markt). It's one of the most unique squares in all of Europe. I was lucky again today as there was a festival planned for 9pm tonight in the square. This is called the Ommegang Pageant. It's celebrated each summer on 2 separte days. This year, the dates are today and Thursday, July 1st. This celebration reenacts the 1549 procession honoring the Holy Roman Emperorer Charles V. I went back down to the square tonight to see this show. Pretty remarkable. Supposedly, more than 1,400 performers are involved in helping relive the oncoming of Charles V. This is a very important event in Belgium culture - something taken seriously by all. This is a night to remember their history. Horses, dancers, flags, costumes, smoke filtering the air, and crowds of people made this a site to see.

Belgium is known for it's great beers and world's best chocolates. I visited a shop called Mary Chocolatier (in my 1000 Things Book). This place is world renown as the best of the best when it comes to chocolates. An autographed picture of President Bush and wife Laura was hanging in the shop. Belgium is proclaimed to have hundreds of beer breweries, producing some 300 varieties within its borders. Brussels is also known for its parks. There are parks scattered throughout the city.

After checking out the main city area, I took a hike recommended by the visitor center. It went through some of the outskirts of town, travelling through many parks, and ending up in Parc du Cinquantenaire -- where the military museum and art hisory museums are located.

Tomorrow I'll take a train to Bruge, Belgium and possibly Antwerp to checkout what else Belgium has to offer.

Day #106 - London, England

Monday, June 28th

I just wanted to say "Thanks" for all the great messages and comments on the blogsite. They keep me motivated and inspired. It's great to have a few of my friends from Bloomsdale on board. Fantastic to hear from you guys - I hope everything is going well your way. I've mentioned this before, but if anyone has suggestions or places they would recommend seeing, I'd love to hear from you. My email is kyle1baum@gmail.com. In addition to the photos I post on the blog - I put the rest of my pictures on the site: makeitcount.smugmug.com.

I had full intentions when I got up this morning to go visit the White Cliffs of Dover and Canterbury Cathedral - it just didn't work out. Due to some scheduling conflicts - I'll have to do this later in July when I come back to the UK.

Tomorrow I will be leaving the UK for Brussels, Belgium. I ended up getting a 6:20am train out of London. I decided to get some rest and not push it right now. The next 20 days are going to be awesome. This is one of the most anticipated couple weeks for me on my journey.

A look at the upcoming schedule: Belgium couple days, Amsterdam 3 days, meet up with my Aunt & Uncle in Venice for 2 days, Running of the Bulls in Pamplona-Spain, meet up with one of my buddies in the Alps, Tour de France 2 days, Paris few days with Bastille Day celebrations, golfing in Scotland at Carnoustie & Turnberry courses, and conclude with the British Open Golf Tourney at St. Andrews.

I'm not positive how I'm going to pull off this schedule. Alot of groundwork has been laid already. It's going to be a fantastic ride.

I leave London tomorrow feeling really good about my stay here. I hope to be posting from Belgium tomorrow evening.

Day #105 - London, England

Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum - Piccadilly Circus

Piccadilly Circus

Trafalgar Square

Phone Booth - they're on all the postcards

Paul McCartney's concert - Hyde Park

Monday, June 28th

Well, not so good news to report on the US World Cup front. Losers 2-1 to Ghana. That's OK - it was alot of fun to watch them while it lasted.

Today has been great - even though I didn't do much. I really, really like London. I've spent a ton of time here now - and it's a fascinating place. So many things to see and do: Wimbledon, Big Ben, Tower of London, Parliament, Oxford, Windsor/Warwick Castles, Stonehenge, Buckingham Palace, the Royal Family, Shakespeare's place, Hyde Park, etc. Maybe because I've heard of many of these before the trip - it means more when you see it in person.

This morning, I moved out of Forestgate and into a much nicer place by Paddington Station. This is my 4th place I've stayed in London. I've just about got it figured out.

I took the afternoon to walk around. I watched England get killed 4-1 versus Germany in the World Cup. The town was devastated. It went from people driving around with flags waving -- to relative silence for a while.

I then got my hair cut, bought some things I needed, and got some dinner. One of the reasons I chose this location for my final spot in London - I wanted to run through Hyde Park.

I took off for my first run in a couple weeks about 8pm. Just a map in my pocket and a room keycard. I ran threw Hyde Park and headed towarded Piccadilly Circus. This is an area of town very similar to Times Square in New York. I'm not sure why I haven't been here yet - I'd been all around it - just never there before. Really cool place. The big flashing signs, even the streets angled away from the central point just like in New York.

I then ran down to Trafalgar Square. This is right by the National Gallery. I wanted to take some more pictures of this area. Neat area just minutes from the River Thames. I then walked/ran back to Hyde Park - passing Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Buckingham Palace, and the Queen Victoria Memorial along the way. This run for me was almost like a final overview of the city -- it was awesome.

It was now about 10pm - I just got to the corner of Hyde Park. I needed to run across the park to get back to my hotel. I start out on the trail. I hear some music in the foreground. I continue running. I can now make out the words. It's "Hey Jude". The Beatles? - they can't be here. I continue running and then see some fireworks go off up ahead. Then I hear the next song: "Live and Let Die". I now see a bunch of people in the lawn. I can see in the distance that an outdoor concert is going on. I asked a guy nearby: "What's going on tonight". His exact words: "Dude, It's Paul McCartney"

Now, on trips you're never going to have perfect days, there's ups and downs, you have to roll with the punches and hope you can get some perfect moments. Tonight was one of those moments.

I pulled up a seat on the cool grass in Hyde Park. It was about 65-70 degrees. I was experiencing a runner's high after just completing an 8 mile run/walk throughout London. It was about 10:15pm. People were all around, laying on blankets, kicking the soccer ball around, dancing, enjoying an adult beverage. I just laid back and listened to the concert while I stretched out after the run. For that hour in Hyde Park - things were perfect.

I never realized how many great songs McCartney has. He was playing music from the Beatles, his Wings group, and his solo albums. One of the last songs he played was "Yesterday". The last time I heard this song was outside a cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, Spain - the pilgrimage site I had visited. It was as good tonight as it was then.

I followed the crowd out of Hyde Park around 11pm and back to the hotel. It's after 1am now and I'm just finishing up this blog.

I know I use the words alot - but today was 'all-good'.

Day #104 - Warwick Castle @ Stratford-Upon-Avon

Warwick Castle

Warwick Castle

William Shakespeare's birthplace and boyhood home

Shakespeare's boyhood home

Sunday, June 27th

So, I'm staying at this hotel which sits atop a bar in Forestgate, England - a hotel aptly named Forestgate Hotel. You don't want to stay here - I would not put it on the 'must do' list.

This place is in a housing area without anything else nearby. No stores, restaurants, shops - these are all located about 1/2 mile away. About 2:30am last night, the afterbar crowd had finally gone and I was slowly drifting to sleep. Then I hear a lady's voice from the street below: "Hello". I had my window open because most places have no air conditioning in England, same as Ireland. (I realize I'm writing this as one of the hottest times of the year is making it's presence felt in the midwest back in the states. Temperatures here aren't that bad - mid to upper eighties. But, no A/C and no fan - it's no treat to sleep.)

Again - "Hello". I could now here this girl and guy talking somewhere below on the street. About 10 more 'extremely loud' - "Hellos" - and a guy from a couple rooms down yells out "What do you want?" The girl says: "Who are you?" Now, this guy was much nicer than I would have been. He said: "I'm up on the 2nd floor, in the hotel". She then says: "We have a reservation here tonight, things are all locked up, any advice for me." Wow - that's an open door. I wanted so badly to yell: "Get a brain!" I chose to stay out of it. The guy a couple rooms down says: "The bar closed at midnight. Everyone's home for the night, can't help you." The girl and guy on the street mull over their options. It's safe to say that they are not Rhodes Scholars. The last thing I heard them announce was: "We're definitely gonna ask for a refund" After all this - I finally fell asleep about 3:30am. I'm out of here in a day - no worries.

Today has been aggressive. I chose to use one of the brochure days as a guideline - and do it myself. I first took a 2-hr train north to Warwick, England. I visited Warwick Castle - the second most visited castle after Windsor.

Described by Sir Walter Scott as 'the most noble site in England', the castle sits above the River Avon. This castle was highly focused on families. There were different activites you could participate in: shooting a bow & arrow, watching a bird show, going in the Princess Castle, etc. The layout was fairly simple, a courtyard surrounded by the exterior castle walls. I climbed up into some of the towers. Impressive sites.

I double-timed it back to the train station. Next stop - Stratford-Upon-Avon ---- the birthplace of William Shakespeare. The town was really great. I got to the house where Shakespeare was born and grew up. I took the tour through the house. Shakespeare was the oldest of 5 surviving children. He had 2 older sisters but both had died. His family was considered wealthy - his father made gloves and sold them right from the house. Alot of details are unknown about Shakespeare's life. Many things are assumed through evaluation of his words used in his writings.

Shakepeare married Anne Hathaway and had 3 children. An older girl and then a set of twins (boy/girl). He had moved from Straton and spent time in London. He was born on April 23rd, 1564 and died on that same date in 1616 (52 years old).

I have to admit that I know very little Shakespeare. I'm not even sure I ever read any of his books/plays fully. Because this trip is about expanding my mind, I decided to buy a book in the shop next to his house. It's a general overview of his life, with highlights from all his works. I had just finished my last book - why not learn more from the 'world's greatest writer'.

I had to run/walk back to the train station. I'm on a 2-hr ride back into London right now. We are going through a section called the Cotswalds. This area of countryside is the epitome of rural England. Small towns everywhere. Wool, once Britian's biggest industry, was the big trade here in the Middle Ages. Almost every prosperous town in the region had a Sheep Street and an impressive church built from the profits. Good stuff.

Tonight - 7:30pm - US vs. Ghana. It's somewhat sad for me to admit that I'm totally into this World Cup thing. I even planned my day to be back for the game. I'm trying to get into the European culture - football is a huge part of it right now. I'm hoping to report Elite 8 status for the Red, White & Blue come tomorrow.

Day #103 - Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, Bath

Changing of guard ceremony at Windsor Castle

Residence of the Queen at Windsor - newest part of castle

Stonehenge

Stonehenge

Roman Baths in Bath, England

Friday, June 25th

Today I took a day tour out of London. We met up at the Victoria Station at 8:30am. Our first stop - the Windsor Castle.

Windsor Castle is the world's largest and oldest castle. The Queen has a residence here - when not at Buckingham Palace. Queen Elizabeth II is 84 years old and has been Queen for 58 years. I didn't really understand the royal family too much so I asked alot of questions.

The Queen was the oldest of 2 daughters. She had 4 children - with Prince Charles being her eldest son. Charles and the late Diana (killed in car crash) had 2 boys - William and Harry. Once the Queen passes, Charles will become King. Then, when Charles passes, William will become King. it's crazy to think about this. From the day you are born, you are an idol - a dominating prescence that will go down in history. I wonder how conversations go with Prince William and the ladies. "Hi, my name is Will. I'm going to be King of England in a few years. How are you. Would you like to dance?" Something tells me that this line would work every time.

Our guide told us how there are some folks in thje UK that are anti-royalty. They feel the money spent on keeping up the royal family could be better spent on schools, healthcare, etc. He said that he's in favor of the royal family. Last year, Prince Charles brought in $121 million for charities alone. Plus, the activity the royal family does to promote Britain around the globe creates tourism dollars that offset any money needed to keep the family around. He stated that most British tend to feel this way.

In Windsor Castle, we toured the State Apartments, viewed Queen Mary's doll house, and visited St. George's chapel. Before boarding the bus again, we saw the changing of the guard ceremony at 11:30am. How do these guards stand perfectly still for hours? These guys should be given some kind of award.

Back on the bus - next stop - Stonehenge. Stonehenge is known by many as the unique pattern of circular stones created long ago. The monument evolved between 3,000BC and 1,600BC. It is aligned with the midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset, but its exact purpose remains a mystery. (Just like the Incas in Peru, the winter/summer solstice were special dates - from there, they could monitor the times of the year). I guess this makes sense. Farming is very dependent upon the season. Today, we look at the calendar. In historic times, they made their own calendars based on the sunrise.

Stonehenge is located about 50 miles outside London in a very remote area near Salisbury. You're not going to come upon Stonehenge - you're going to make a concerted effort to get there. We had an audio tour - but really, just stood in apprecaition of the mystery and scale of the place.

As earlier stated, Stonehenge was created 5,000 years ago. The remains of some of the people thought to have built the site were found nearby. Carbon dating of the rocks from the site showed the history and also provided information supporting how the larger stones were local (within 15 miiles) and the smaller stones were from Wales (250 miles away). Only about half the site remains. Many of the stones have fallen down. Others have been removed. Still, enough stones exist to give a picture of the original masterpiece.

Next, we boarded the bus and headed to the city of Bath. The city's historical heart is at the Roman Baths, Britain's finest ancient Roman ruins. Overlooking them are the 16th century Bath Abbey and the 18th century Pump Room, a noted watering hole and restaurant. We had about 1-1/2 hours to walk around the city . Wow - very impressive.

The Roman Baths site was really interesting. A multi-story complex with the swimming bath on the bottom level. The top was surrounded by statues of various conquerors. The huge tower church, Bath Abbey, was next to the Roman Baths - making for some great pictures in the unusually blue England sky.

Some random facts learned today:

(1) 61 million people live in the UK

(2) 50% of people in the UK are protestant. 20-25% are catholic

(3) 4 countries in Europe drive on left side of road: UK, Ireland, Cyprus, Malta

(4) 64 countries worldwide drive on left side of road. Only 3 of these have non-English ties: Japan, Mozambeke, Thailand.

(5) The US and UK are the only 2 countries left that still use miles instead of kilometers.

(6) The surname of the royal family is Windsor

(7) The Queen visited Wimbledon this past Thursday - first time in 32 years and only the 4th time in her tenure.


We boarded the bus for a 2.5 hour return trip to London. 8:30pm arrival. Some computer work - back to the hotel. Another good day in the UK.

Day #102 - London, England (Tower of London & Jack the Ripper)

Water Entrance into the Tower of London

Location of be-headings

The White Tower - oldest building

Walking across the Tower Bridge

Location of the 4th Jack the Ripper murder - Mitre Square

Thursday, June 24th

Today had a Friday the 13th kind of feel to it. I took the afternoon and toured the Tower of London. I didn't realize it was considered London's most haunted place. Filled with stories of torture and death - I guess it's easy to see why. This place would make an excellent haunted house on Halloween.

The Tower of London was built in the 11th century by William the Conquerer. It was built as a kingdom and a fortress. It had several layers of protection built in. From the moat, the guards, the 2 interior walls - it would not have been an easy place to penetrate by any intruder.

I took the audio guided tour. There were 5 different sections that you could experience at your leisure. I started with "Imprisonment and Execution". Creepy. They would say things like: "You are now standing in the exact area that 3 princesses were beheaded". The voice on the audio was classic. A little dramatic music in the background - it would have been perfect. I went into the Beauchamp Tower and saw some of the areas where the prisoners were held. The Tower held many famous prisoners in its thousand-year history - some in astonishing comfort, and others less so. We got to see the graffiti placed on the walls by the prisoners. Then I visited the "Bloody Tower". We were able to see instruments of torture at this location.

I took the other audio tours which described more of the history and life at the Tower. There were ravens in cages on site. Legend has it that Charles II was told that if the ravens left the Tower, the kingdom and fortress would fall. The White Tower - the oldest building on the complex - completed in 1100 by William the Conquerer - marks the start of the Tower of London's history. Today, it houses displays from the Royal Armouries collection, which includes the armour of Henry VIII.

The Tower has also been a luxurious royal home as well as a forbidding fortress - shown in the medieval palace. There are rich colors and comfortable furnishings including a replica of Edward I's bed. The Crown Jewel is also a highlight of the tour. This collection of priceless Coronation Regalia has been on public display at the Tower since the 17th century. The Yeoman Warders - popularly known at 'Beefeaters' - help guard the tower on a daily basis. These men come with heavy qualifications. They must have 20 years as a guardsmen and be 40 years of age to hold the position.

After visiting the Tower - I then walked across the Tower Bridge which spans the River Thames. Very cool. I got some great photos while making the journey to/from each side of the river.

Next, I walked over to the 'meet-up spot' for the 6pm Jack the Ripper walking tour. I had seen this advertised in one of the travel brochures. It was free with my pass purchased for Friday's tour. Why not - let's walk the streets of the Whitechapel murders.

First off, our tour guide was exceptional. He should have been given an academy award for his character acting. He totally played this dark, gloomy personality throughout the tour. In August 1888, the gruesome discovery of a murdered East End prostitute started one of the most famous manhunts in the world. 4 murders later, the identity of the killer was still unknown.

We walked the streets and saw the locations of the murders. Jack the Ripper was known for the horrible way he attacked his victims. First, he would slice their throats - probably killing them instantly. Next, he woud rip the abdomen open. Often times, he would remove pieces of the intestine and his calling card - the uterus. Because of this in depth knowledge of anatomy, it was thought the killer may have been a doctor or some kind of medically-trained person.

The tour lasted 1-1/2 hours. We ended with the guide's thoughts on the killer's identity. Supposedly, there was an Irish American doctor who had lived in the East End during the time of the killings. He had left his apartment in November 1888 after the 5 killings returning to New York state. Blood-stained clothing was found in his abandoned apartment, as well as some jars containing uterus from different females. The fifth and final murder was thought to be a different person. Perhaps a jealous husband to Mary Kelley - the fifth victim. No one was ever conviced of the crimes. As the guide stated, they didn't have the technology back then that exists today. If so, things would have been much different. One things for sure, it has resulted in some serious mystery and intrigue over the years. There's actually Ripperologist - who research every aspect of the crimes.

Over to an internet cafe where I struggled to complete my blog as the Wi-Fi service was sketchy. A couple hours there and back to my pad for the night.

I hope I can sleep tonight - "Haunted London".

Day #101 - London, England (Cambridge University)

World Cup soccer - pub in Cambridge

Punting on the River Cam

St. John's College

King's College

One of the many colleges that make up Cambridge

Wednesday, June 23rd


Thanks all for the inspirational comments. It's taking me a little bit to get back adjusted to being on my own after coming off the great trip in Peru. The other thing, I think the weather conditions in London have a major effect on my allergies. I normally get some allergy stuff going in the springtime - not a big deal. I live with it. Over here, it's like I'm dusting a room all the time. I'm continually sneezing. Not sick - just something in the air. I even notice other people sneezing all the time as well. Along with this, I feel like I'm paralyzingly tired all the time. Bottom line - I just need to suck it up for the team. There could be worse things in this world.


Today was a really good day. I had to move hotels again this morning. Not by my choice, but the hotel I was in - all booked. (I typically only book 2 days in a hotel at a time and will re-up if I like the place). Wimbledon has really increased the number of tourist to the city. I'm now staying at this place on the very east of the city. Not great - that's for sure. I'm thinking this is the area of town where you shouldn't go. I'm good - precautions are in place - I won't be staying here long.

Why am I staying in London so long? There's really 3 reasons: ONE - I need to stay in the UK for a certain number of days to stay within my Schengen requirements. TWO - when I learned that I had stayed in 48 different locations in 97 days - that's too much change. Continually switching locations adds to additional stress. I can still go different places - but maybe do more day trips. THREE - London has alot of things to do. My eurail pass does not work in the UK; therefore, it's better for me to day trip from London. The cost is actually better versus buying individual rail tickets.

Midday on Wednesday, I took a train north to Cambridge. (anywhere between a 45 minute to a 1-1/2 hr train ride pending the type of train) Cambridge is home to Cambridge University - the other very prestigious college in the UK.

Cambridge is very similar to Oxford in that it has 31 different colleges that make up the university. Cambridge is not as old as Oxford - dating back as far as 1284 (Peterhouse College) right up to 1974 (Robinson College). The town and university were very impressive. I particularly enjoyed the area around King's College, Trinity College, and St. John's College. These areas are just south of the River Cam. A popular activity on the river is punting. This is the equivalent of taking gondolas on the river - just with wooden boats and wooden oars. Very similar to Oxford - just with the fancy title.

I don't know anyone that has attended either of these universities. So, I have nothing more than my days spent to see differences. For my money; however, it's Oxford hands down over Cambridge. Why - I'm old school. Oxford has a certain mystique, a certain tradional feel about it. Cambridge is trendier, it's more hip. I think alot of people may enjoy Cambridge more. The first sentence of the Cambridge map says it perfectly -- "Cambridge is a wonderfully vibrant city that blends history with contemporary culture" I don't like the blend - I like the tradition. I just googled 'differences between Oxford and Cambridge". I think I may have nailed it after 1 day at each university. Very interesting when you really get into the details. Any way you look at it, both are exceptional universities.

About 3pm, I found my way into a local sports pub in Cambridge. England was playing Slovenia and the US was playing Algieria in the World Cup. The atmosphere was electric. I always wanted to watch a World Cup game in Europe. If you think soccer is boring, come over here to watch it. People hang on every single play, every pass, every kick. It was like watching a Stanley Cup hockey playoff game -- you could feel the tension in the air.

England ended up winning 1-0. The US game was not on; however, they were providing updates. The US was still tied at 0-0 with just minutes to go. If things ended up this way, both England and Slovenia would move forward and the US would go home. Just at the conclusion of England's game - they came over with the announcement that the US had scored. The whole crowd was going nuts with the victory and then started to boo at the US result. I just felt a strong feeling of national pride. Both England and the US will be moving forward to Round #2 - great stuff.

I took the train back into London. I then transferred to my 'hotel' for the night and called it a day.

Day #100 - London, England

Tuesday, June 22nd
Today was more less a rest day for me. I spent some of the day walking around the area by my hotel. I think I could live in a big city. You really have everything you need in just a couple blocks.

I spent the rest of the day planning some strategy for the week ahead. By the time I had completed, it was already late afternoon. It was a little late to go much of anywhere significant.

I'm feeling lazy. I sleep all the time, I haven't exercised in a week -- I'm currently a waste of space. I need to make something of my life starting tomorrow.

Day #99 - London, England (Winbledon)

Djokovic victorious on Centre Court

Venus Williams victorious on Court #1

Overlooking Court #1 from my First Row seat

Wimbledon - Centre Court

The Train exit at Wimbledon

Monday, June 21st

This morning I decided to change hotels and move into the city of London. My place I've been staying at is not much more than a closet and it was about time to move on. Although very inexpensive, it was questionable in many other areas. Since it's so small, my head was about 6 inches from the door when laying down. This morning 2 different chambermaids keyed in. Not a big deal - they knock - I ask them to come back later - they come in anyway. I don't care - eventually I've just started not saying anything because they come in anyway. Then, this other guy throws open the door. It was like Kramer's entrance on Seinfeld. I must have been sleeping because I didn't hear keys. This scared the living daylights out of me. The door slammed open. I must have jumped about 2 feet horizontally from the bed. I don't know who it was - but they left.

I'm now staying near Earl's Court - walkable to many of the tour sites in London (Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, etc). It's perfect, you get off the train and walk about 50 yards. Plus, I'm still only paying about $80. London can definitely be cost effective if you find the right spots.

My first order of business today was getting my Russian Visa worked out. Russia is easily the most difficult country for me to gain access on the entire trip. The Visa process is involved and time consuming. You can only apply for a Visa within 90 days of your departure; therefore, I couldn't do it before leaving the US. I don't have the luxury of easy resources like in the states. I found a place in London (through internet search) that would assist people like me. I went there early afternoon. I found out it's possible for them to handle everything for me (including the sponsorship letters, etc). Only problem - it's going to take 14 days with my passport. I have copies, but I don't want to be without it travelling from country to country. I worked out the schedule to bring them my passport on July 19th and they will send in while I'm travelling in Scotland for 2 weeks. That's a huge relief. I was worried this was not going to happen.

It was about 2pm. What should I do now? Go to Wimbledon - that's the easy answer.

Wimbledon - the All England Tennis Club - the home of the 3rd tennis major of the year - the home of the most prestigious event in tennis (my opinion). Wimbledon is to tennis as The Masters is to golf.

I didn't have tickets and was skeptical how I would get in. I knew that today was the very first day of Wimbledon; therfore, the matches were all first round and shouldn't be quite the price as quarterfinal matches in Paris. I took 'the Tube' to the Wimbledon exit (District Green Line). When I got off the train, the sidewalk was grass and chalked, just like at Wimbledon - that was pretty cool. I followed the people for about 3/4-mile to the grounds. I found out right away that the only chance to get tickets is to stand in the Queue line. This gives you access to Grounds Tickets and then you can possibly buy resale tickets for the main courts once inside.

I had my backpack with me so this worked out just fine. I had a book while my backpack acted as a pillow. We had to wait about 2-1/2 hours. It was well done however. They had given you a queue card so you could go to the bathroom, get a drink, etc. People came around and gave out free drinks while in line. They also had piped in wimbledon updates from the loud speakers. Finally, we got to the gate just after 5pm. I paid 14 pounds for Grounds Access (about $20). That's a great deal.

The place was amazing. Much more refined and elegant than Roland Garros. Mint julip is to the Kentucky Derby as "x" is to Wimbledon? Answer - champagne and strawberries. There were huge booths for champagne and strawberries. Matter of fact, there were food booths with just about anything. I took the first hour or so and walked the grounds. There are 17 courts at Wimbledon. Centre Court, Court #1, and Court #2 are the stadium-type courts, while the other 14 have minimal seating. With a ground ticket, you can view any of the 14 outside courts. There were 64 matches being played today. Men's players included: Federer (#1), Djokovic (#3), Roddick (#5). Women's players included: Venus Williams (#2), Jankovic (#4), Schiavone (#5).

Federer had completed his match while I was in the Queue. He lost the first 2 sets and then came back to win the next 3. He even had a tie-breaker in set #4. I don't think I'm such a good luck charm for Roger Federer. If he would have gotten upset in the first round at Wimbledon, that would have been the most surprising thing out of tennis forever. Federer has one 6 of the last 7 Wimbledon Championships. He's going for a record 7th men's Wimbledon Championship this year.

The grounds were really impressive and I enjoyed spending time here, but, I wanted Centre Court at Wimbledon. I found out that they have a resale booth. You stand in line and then have access to tickets for 5 pounds. The line wasn't even that long. Within 10 minutes, I had a ticket to Centre Court. I made my way there. My ticket was for the second row from the court, just inside the baseline. This ticket may go for $1,000 come Championship Sunday - wow! I couldn't believe it. I was sitting second row at Wimbledon. The resale booth is a great idea. Whenver someone leaves for the day, they chart their ticket location, and offer this to others currently in the grounds. I had just entered the stadium as the Men's #3 seed - Novak Djokovic started his match. He was playing this guy - Ollivier Rochus. Never heard of him. He was this short little guy. He could barely see over the net. Djokovic was this tall, lanky, powerful player. This would be a laugher - wouldn't it??

I watched the first set of this match. Rochus won the first set. Unbelievable. Djokovic kept making too many mistakes. I figured this would take a while - Venus Williams was starting to play on Court #1 - let's see if I can get a 5 pound ticket to watch her play. Again, I strolled up to the resale window, bought a ticket for Court #1 and went into the stadium. This time, my ticket was in the First Row. I was on the stadium floor. I couldn't beleive it. There's Venus Williams - about 15 yards away. She is destroying her opponent. Venus serves as fast as most men. She's hitting the gun near 120mph. For reference, the little guy currently playing Djokovic, he musters it up around 103mph. Djokovic can get up to the upper 120's. Venus's match takes only an hour - she straight-sets her opponent without barely breaking a sweat. She is also a 5-time winner at Wimbledon.

I left the stadium and went to get something to eat. It's now a little after 9pm. The match with Djokovic and the little guy has gone 3 sets so far. The little guy is up 2 sets to 1. This is too good. I grabbed a little pizza and a soda and went back into Centre Court and my second row seat. When I got into the stadium this time, the lights were just coming on and the stadium roof was closing. Awesome. Under the lights at Wimbledon on Centre Court. The fans were really getting into it. A few glasses of champagne and a couple frosty beverages later, people were feeling it. I thought tennis people were supposed to be refined. The crowd was doing 'The Wave'. People were going crazy. I had heard this about the US Open Tennis, but never Wimbledon.

The playes were in on a break. No way this little guy could beat the #3 seeded Djokovic - could he? This baby was going 5 sets - there was just no other way around it. The players came back onto the court and it was Go Time. People were cheering uncontrollably for the little guy. He could barely muster the ball across the net - but he was still winning. It was clear to me (even being a complete tennis novice), that Djokovic needed to stop making mistakes. I learned after the match that Djokovic had 48 unforced errors to the little guy's 20. I just wanted to yell out: "Dude, stop going for the big shot, you don't need to hit lines or drop fancy volleys to beat this guy, keep it conservative and you'll win this thing". I think Djokovic must have been given the same advice by his coaches. He stopped making so many mistakes. Even though the little guy had alot of heart, he just couldn't hang with the more powerful Djokovic. The match did go 5 sets, with Djokovic winning the last set 6-2.

It was an awesome night. The match ended after 11pm. I believe this was the very final match of the night. I took some last photos and then walked the 3/4 mile back to 'The Tube'. A 15 minute train ride to Earl's Court - a 5 minute walk to my hotel - I called it a night. Great day!

Day #98 - London, England (Oxford University)

Oxford Streets

Looking Through Christ Church

Gondola Rides on nearby stream

Tom Tower

Radcliffe Camera

Sunday, June 20th

Today I took the train from West Drayton out to Oxford - the home of Oxford University, one of the most prestigious colleges in the world.

Something about me you may not know is that I have a great interest in colleges and really enjoy touring them whenever I get a chance. I have a list of the Top 20 universities in the US along with all the colleges in the Big 6 Conferences (Big 12, Big 10, Pac 10, ACC, Big East, Sec). This lists includes 88 total schools. I've been to 58 of these to date - I hope to visit the rest at some point. Each one has something unique. I remember calling my sister while viewing Touchdown Jesus at the University of Notre Dame or the time I talked with my mom for an hour while walking around Harvard.

My interest in colleges stems somewhat from my time spent as a career specialist/supervisor while attending the University of Missouri. During the 4 years I spent at the center, I was able to help different students with career decisions - one of which was exploring postgraduate education. I figure that my path may lead me somewhere in this area in the future. I figured I'd be prepared by doing some recon on the national universities.

Oxford University - spectacular. First of all, it's not a campus at all. I asked the lady when I got off the train if she could direct me to the university. Her response: "Young lad, Oxford was here long before the idea of campuses came about. Oxford is made up of 39 different buildings/campuses scattered all around town" My response: "Wow - thanks my lady. Cheers!"

Oxford first emerged as a formal center of learning around 1167. All of the 39 current colleges were founded before the 16th century. The town is incredible. It's easily walkable and very, very unique. I walked over to the area called Christ Church. Founded in 1529, Christ Church is home to about 550 undergraduate and postgraduate students. Tom Tower is a huge tower that serves as one of the entrances into Christ Church and a gateway to the Great Quadrangle. It houses Tom, a seven ton bell. Every night at five-past nine, Tom tolls 101 times. The origianl 101 students of the college had to be within the walls by the last toll.

I then walked over to another site called the Radcliffe Camera. This is a huge dome building that was originally home to the main research library on the campus. It's now a seating area for the present-day central library - which sits nearby.

I then walked along the open field that surrounds Christ Church. You come to this area with a meandering stream. People are taking gondola rides like you were in Venice. Eventually this leads to the river, where many students row during the semesters.

The place is awesome. The whole town feels comfortable. A note to my little nieces and nephews - research the words "Rhodes Scholar". This is the world's oldest and most prestigious international graduate scholarship. People such as Bill Clinton have accepted this scholarship. If you're into sports, you may have heard of the name - Myron Rolle, from Florida State University. He was a starting cornerback on the football team and also has aspirations to be a neuro-surgeon after professional football. He chose to delay his NFL career by attending Oxford last year.

The US sponsors 32 Rhodes Scholars each year - why shouldn't this be you. I'm just putting a bug in your ear. This is something I had never really heard about - but I don't think it would hurt if added on a resume.

I spent about 4 hours in Oxford today. It's over an hour train ride west of London - but worth it for me. Old, historic = prestigious.

Day #97 - London, England

River Thames - at sunset

Kensington Gardens / Hyde Park

Westminster Abbey

London Eye

Big Ben

Saturday, June 19th

London is great city. I spent several more hours today walking around some of the places I'd yet to see. It's massive, expansive. You could walk forever in London. It's a clean city, dignified. The subway system (The Tube) is easy to get around. I find it convenient to stop into the many food cafes for a water or sandwich. I feel the streets are safe. It's a comfortable place to get around.

I found myself walking around Kinsington Gardens leading into Hyde Park. It's amazing the open areas people have to enjoy. This would be an outstanding place to run, as many people proved while I made my way through the park.

I kept going and found myself in Parliament Square. Just like you would imagine. There's Big Ben on one side. Westminster Abbey lines one of the sides of the square. I guess I didn't really know what Westmister Abbey was. It is an English Gothic cathedral. It has been the site of almost every British coronation since 1066. All the remaining buildings are those of Parliament. Very impressive site.

One thing of interest, the inner square was filled with tents housing protestors to the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. There were signs everywhere. I was surprised to see this here in Parliament Square. Although I never experienced the Vietnam years, referencing movies and prints, this display seemed similar to those on the Mall in DC during the height of the Vietnam War.

I continued on to the River Thames. The sun was beginning to set and I got some awesome pictures. On the other side of the river was the London Eye. It's a big carnival wheel that overlooks the banks of the Thames. Many people were gathered in this area taking photos, etc.

I don't really have anything dramatic to report today. It was just a relaxing day. Alot of walking and just taking it in.

Day #96 - London, England

Friday, June 18th

Today was a rest day for me - on the touring front. I needed to get my finances in order, along with getting some upcoming trips/plans confirmed and booked.

I'm about 1/3 of the way into my journey, so I thought I would give a state of the union address. Just a quick outline to see where I am current-date.

Days on Trip ---- 97

Continents ------- 4
(North America, South America, Europe, Asia)

Countries --- ---- 12
(Ireland, United Kingdom, France, Monaco, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Switzerland, Italy, United States, Peru, Canada)

Nights stayed in each country
(France=19, Ireland=18, Spain=14, USA=14, Peru=10, UK=6, Switzerland=5, Turkey=5, Portugal=4, Italy=1, Canada=1)

Number of Different Places Stayed ----- 41 different cities, 48 total locations (some cities stayed in different hotels)
1) France (Paris=7, Annecy=3, Nice=3, Caen=2, LaRochelle=1, Bordeaux=1, Lourdes=1, Biarritz=1)
2) Ireland (Dublin=8, Galway=3, Cork=2, Killarney=2, Limerick=1, Castlebar=1, Ballycroy=1)
3) Spain (Madrid=4, Barcelona=4, San Sebastian=1, Salamanca=1, Leon=1, Santiago de Compostela=1, Seville=1, Granada=1
4) USA (Bloomsdale=8, St. Louis=3, Raleigh=3)
5) Peru (Cusco=5, Machu Picchu=2, Yucay=1, Lima=1, Camping-Uramba=1)
6) UK (London=4, Belfast=2)
7) Switzerland (Interlaken=3, Geneva=2)
8) Turkey (Istanbul=5)
9) Portugal (Lisbon=2, Faro=1, Porto=1)
10) Italy (Torino=1)
11) Canada (Toronto=1)

** I've been to alot more cities - these are just the places I stayed overnight.

Average Pictures Taken Per Day --- 37 (I have about 3,500 posted on my website, I didn't post all of them). I should have between 10,000-15,000 pictures by end of trip.

Average Cost of Hotel Per Day ---- $62.00

Average Daily Expenses (including hotel) ---- Too much right now. If anybody wants this number at the end of the trip, I'll give it to you. I'm just not comfortable posting this for the world to see at the present moment.


I basically spend money in 1 of 3 ways: credit card, ATM card, USBank direct pay. My USBank has been refined now to basically paying my health insurance only. Therefore, I keep spreadsheets of my ATM and credit card statements -- this tells me what I've spent year to date. I do this mostly to make sure everything seems right. My card has been used in so many locations -- it's bound to have identity theft at some point. I'm just trying to keep on top of the game.


Sorry for the detour today. I just needed to get my arms around things - I feel better for it.


Here's to the US beating Algieria in their last World Cup game --I can't even describe how passionate the Brits are for soccer. I watched both the US and England games while working on Friday. I'll be in a bar for next week's games - no question.

Day #95 - London, England

Hyde Park

Queen Victoria Memorial

Buckingham Palace

Tower Bridge

Tower of London

Thursday, June 17th

I slept in this morning after my late arrival into Heathrow last night. I'm staying in a hotel out by the airport in an area called West Drayton. I found out that the train station was 1/2 mile from my hotel. I walked over around lunchtime and took the train into Paddington Station.

One of my favorite things to do on the trip is to head into a major city, without any maps, and just figure it out. That's what I intended to do today. (Full disclosure, I do know some things about London simply from reading books, looking at maps in the past, etc). It was a perfect weather day, low 80's, sunshine.

I got off the train in Paddington Station. I walked a couple blocks and saw signs to Hyde Park. I knew Hyde Park was in the western part of the city. I kept the sun to my back and headed east. I walked the length of Hyde Park on my way into the inner city. Great place. The equivalent of Central Park in New York City. People were out everywhere - getting some sun, feeding the birds, running, bikeriding, and just eating/strolling around. There was an awesome lake where people gathered.

After leaving the park, I saw signs leading me to Buckingham Palace. Very interesting. A huge palace enclosed by the elaborate fencing. The Queen Victoria Memorial out front. Leading from the other side of the Memorial, The Mall stretched out further into the city. The Mall is a long stretch of road with flags lining each side. It leads to the National Gallery.

I continued into the city. I headed to the River Thames which meanders through the city. Once on the waterfront, I continued east. Tons of runners were passing by. It was late afternoon and many were probably just finishing work. I next past the London Bridge. Then, up ahead, I could see the Tower Bridge outside the Tower of London - the historic royal palace.

The Tower of London is an impressive site. I hope to go tour this facility later in the week. I read some of the bulletin boards out front. I guess it was protected by a moat and some lions. My knowledge is limited, I'll get more info later.

By this time, I had walked most of the city and it was after 7pm. I didn't plan to walk all the way pack to Paddington, so I found the subway system and took the train. I got back to West Drayton and called it an early night.

A good initial day in London. Introduced myself to the city. Much more to come.