Day #142 - Travel Day & Hamburg, Germany

Hamburg, Germany

Great views of the buildings lining Lake Binnenalster

Awesome!

Fancy!

My restaurant

Tuesday, August 3rd

Major travel day for me today. I took an 8am train out of London to Brussels, Belgium -- arriving around 11:30am (only 2 -1/2 hours as Brussels is 1 time zone ahead). I then took a train from Brussels to Cologne, Germany. I then took yet another train from Cologne to the 2nd biggest city in Germany. Do you know what it is? Three guesses. Nope - Hamburg. Before this trip, I would never have said this. Maybe you guys are alot better than me. The largest cities by population in Europe from the biggest to smallest: Moscow, London, St. Petersburg, Berlin, Madrid, Rome, Kiev (Ukraine), Paris, Bucharest (Romania), Budapest (Hungary), HAMBURG.

I was going to take a train from Hamburg to Copenhagen, but I would have arrived after midnight. With no hotel booked, I chose to stay in Hamburg for the night. I'm currently writing this blog at a McDonalds next to my place - about midnight.

One thing that's so hard for me on this trip is managing hotels/hostals/places to stay. It's really the most challenging thing I do. I can't get away from it. It's not easy as a single person to keep cost down. With 2 or more, a $150 room -- no problem. I can't swing that high. Some nights I'll pay $150-200, then another night I'll pay $15. Booking the 'low-rent' places is an art. You have to be very careful - else you'll be putting yourself in danger. I've walked the lines a few times on the trip. It's all good - but the amount of time I spend finding a place, and then locating it once I arrive in the city -- large quantities of time. Any advice? I don't want to give up my flexibility on moving locations. And, rolling into a town and walking up to a place is generally 'way more' costly than booking on line. Plus, the places near the trains are always booked. Anyway - just something I was thinking about earlier.

I got to my place in Hamburg about 8pm. Just in time to dump my gear and go out for a walk through the city. Money. A photographer could have made some magic today. The skies were amazing. Unlike you ever see. The white clouds were brighter and more pure. They were gathered in these very unique formations. I took a 1-2 mile walk to the 2 main lakes in Hamburg - Lake Binnenalster (smaller) and Lake AuBenalster (larger). Large buildings lined the banks. I wanted to see a specific place - a hotel mentioned in my book. The Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten - it's supposed to be ranked as one of the greatest hotels in the world (strong statement). I just wanted to see what it was all about. I wasn't able to get inside, but the views the guests must have from their balconies, and the exterior furnishings, both screamed "high-class". I don't think I'll be staying in a place like this anytime soon.

A great evening to walk around - I'm glad I stopped off in Hamburg. It's amazing how things change in 1 day. I was in an English-speaking country - very comfortable with my surroundings - and generally in smaller towns the past couple weeks. Then, BAM, I'm off the train in rush-hour traffic in the 2nd largest city in Germany and the 11th largest city in Europe. It's like - OK - now - perform. I switched from pound to euro, booked a hotel, and was in the game in about 1 hour.

Here's to German folk - a good bunch.

Day #141 - Oxford & Blenheim Palace

Unbelievable views

Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace - place where Winston Churchill was born

Great lake pictures

Awesome!

Monday, August 2nd

Last night I went up to my room about midnight to get some sleep. I opened the door very quietly and entered in stealth mode - hoping not to awake the Barcelona ladies. I had my headlight on but was blocking most of the light with my hand. The room was completely dark otherwise. I slowly turned around and walked toward my bottom bunk on the right side of the room. 'Eyes are looking up at me'. Then I look up and there's another pair of eyes staring down at me from the top bunk. Alright, I had about 2 seconds to process this information. It's either (A) I'm in the wrong room (B) These people are in the wrong room (C) The ladies from Barcelona are looking for some late-night activity.

A quick look to my left - both Barcelona ladies are sleeping on their side. I'm very confident I didn't have the wrong room. Option B has to be the correct answer. My mind was turning. I decided to go with the absolute most direct approach possible. I said to the person in the bottom bunk: "You're in my bed". I now realize it's 2 young girls in the bunkbeds. The girl says back to me: "Room 422, Beds 3 & 4, my friend and I checked in this afternoon." I then said: "Room 422, Bed 4, I checked in 4 hours ago". Stalemate. I didn't think going with the "Do you want to share the bed" approach was appropriate at the time, so I said: "I'll go check it out, I'll be back"

I went back downstairs and found out that the hotel had made a mistake. Not 5 minutes after I arrived at the desk - the 2 girls showed up as well. I was correct in my stay but they had put the 2 girls in the wrong room. I told them that I would move - it was just easier that way. The night manager followed us back up to the room to get things straight. I went in and had to move all my gear. Up to this point - this was just a funny situation - no worries. Then, I noticed that the girl had just thrown all my stuff on the floor. Everything - including my wet running clothes I had hanging up to dry from my earlier run. I was less than pleased with this performance. This girl was snotty anyway. I understood the hotel's mistake, but I had left all my gear laid out on the bunk and even put my toothbrush and contact stuff under the pillow. If the girl would have just asked the reception desk if they had double-booked -- all potential problems would have been eliminated. I actually called her out on it - she just said that she thought it was the other people's clothes. Really? I had no response. But - it's hard to lie to yourself. This is a prime example of a young person only thinking about themselves. I've been there - I'm trying to get better - I find myself more aware in recent years of how my actions can affect alot of people. The fact that the girl had no 'scared emotion' whatsoever when I entered the room, confirms they expected someone to enter shortly.

Any which way - live and learn, I moved down the hall into a room filled with a couple Asian dudes. When I walked in, the room was 90 degrees+. First thing I did was open the windows. I dumped my bags and prepared for a semi-sleepless night (I talked with the manager and got the room 1/2 price the next morning)

I got up on Monday morning and had some errands to run first. I went over to the post office that I had past during my run last night. I shipped a few things back to my parents house. I had accumulated items I wanted to keep from my golfing trips, etc. I next went back to the VISA place and got my passport. Beautiful - a full page Russian VISA inside. I can now travel in Russia anytime between Sept 1-30, 2010.

It was still early in the day. I decided to take a train west. I first went to the small town of Taplow. There's a country-house hotel here - called the Cliveden. This is a place mentioned in my book. It was built in 1666 by the second Duke of Buckingham. It was located 3-4 miles from the train station. I took a cab on the way over because I wasn't sure where I was going. I then walked back. I actually just walked the grounds but didn't pay the $15 entrance fee. A wealthy place - impressive - in an unexpected area.

Back on the train, I decided to head further west to Oxford. I wanted to see the Blenheim Palace. This is the place where Winston Churchill was born in 1874. (British leader duing WWII). This was a great call and the highlight of my day. I got into Oxford and walked across town to the busstop. Did I mention that I really like Oxford? This in itself was worth the trip to see again. I took a 30 minute bus to Blenheim Palace.

The place was spectacular - It's regarded as the finest true Baroque manor in Britian. The actual palace was impressive, but the 2,000 acres of land where it stood was even better. There was a huge lake down in this valley with a walking path circling it. I made my way around. I captured some of my best pics of the trip thus far.

I give this place my 5 star seal of approval. Start the day in London. Get a train from the Paddington station. Head to Oxford - witness the history and grandeur of the town. Next, take the bus and explore the grounds around Blenheim Palace. Take a train back into London for a late-night stroll through Hyde Park. Cap it off with a great dinner and drinks at your favorite restaurant/pub. Now that -- is a good day!

Anyway - about 6:30pm, I left the Palace and returned to Oxford - then back to London. I got some food and hit the 'common lounge' for an hour before turning in. There was someone in my bed again tonight when I entered the room. This time there was a free bunk in the room. I just used that one. It would be a quick night for me. I had a train to Brussels at 8am. Here's to Scandanavia - bring on my 'happy place'.

Day #140 - Wales - Tintern Abbey

Tintern Abbey - the western front

Tintern Abbey

Only remains are left - Tintern Abbey

The 'Common Lounge' in the biggest hostal in London

The entranceway to the biggest hostal in London

Sunday, August 1st

I started the day in Cardiff, Wales. I'm now in London - another pretty aggressive travel day. I first took a 30 minute train to the city of Newport, Wales. This is the place where Celtic Manor - the golf course hosting the Ryder Cup this fall - is located. I couldn't see the actual course, as it was blocked by trees, but I was able to get a look at the clubhouse and the grounds. It looks like a pretty impressive place. Note to my sister, the 2016 Ryder Cup is in Minneapolis at Halzeltine - grab some tickets - I'll be over if you're still up there. The Ryder Cup is a prestigious golf tournament always held in the fall between the Americans and the Europeans. It's very unique in that it's a team competition. It's well recognized among the players as one of the elite golf events in the sport.

I spent only a short time in Newport. I walked through the town on my way to the bus stop. I took a 1 hour bus to my destination for today - Tintern Abbey. Tintern Abbey is an old monastery. It was founded in 1131 by monks of the Cistercian order. Often known as the 'White Monks' because they wore habits of undyed wool, the Cistercians practiced a life of strict austerity, rejecting possessions and unnecessary ornament In a desire for poverty and isolation, they chose for their new foundation remote places 'far from man'. Unlike other monastic orders, farmland provided their main source of upkeep.

Tintern Abbey is now only a reflection of what once stood at the site. It was neat to see. I walked around the ruins and took in the history of the place. Whenever I visit areas like this, where people once lived long ago, it really makes you appreciate the efforts put forward in building these amazing structures.

I took the bus back into Newport and then the train to London. Before I leave England, I need to retract my previous statements made on the UK train system. I've grown to appreciate it over the past couple weeks. Specifically, the Britrail pass is great. I am able to literally jump on any train I want - no questions asked - and get off when I feel like it. I don't need to make reservations like in mainland Europe. In this way, I actually like the UK system better. It's still pricy and there can be delays and cancellations sometimes stemming from the lack of consistency in the rail companies - but it's not all that bad. I just wanted to set the record straight.

I'm staying in a hostal the next 2 nights in London - the absolute biggest hostal in London. It's a place called Generator Hostal. Supposedly it holds up to 800 people - wow! I'm staying in a pot-luck 4 person room. I just met my roommates - 2 ladies from Barcelona - I'd put them at 50+. It's their first hostal ever and their first time in London. Interesting. They called it a night at 10pm. I'm down in the 'common area'. This place is enormous. There are roughly 30 people in the computer lounge. They have 8 computers for people to use. Most everyone else has their own laptops like me. There is a bar down the hall - I'd say there's another 100 people partaking in some drinks. This bar is only accessible within the hostal. There's another 30-40 people in the kitchen area and hanging out in the halls. Security guards are located outside the building. They have a staffed information booth inside the hostal - where you can also book tours. They have a restaurant and snack shop. Hostals are an adventure - you never know what you're going to get.

Day #139 - Wales - Southwestern coastline

A line from "Under Milk Weed"

A walking path by the Dylan Thomas Boathouse

A look from the house

Dylan Thomas Boathouse

Writing shed

Saturday, July 31st

I took a train out of Cardiff this morning and headed west. My target location was a small town of Laugharne. Even though it's only located 70 miles or so from Cardiff, the trip took about 2-1/2 hours. (many stops along the way) That was OK however - I got to see the southern coastline of Wales - impressive. I really do like train travel. You can stretch out, walk around, stand up, talk to people, check out the scenery, read, whatever. I guess it's good I like the trains - I wonder how many thousands of miles I will have travelled via train by the end of my trip?

In addition to seeing the coastline, the town of Laugharne is the location where writer/poet Dylan Thomas used to live. I took a bus into the main town center from the rail station. I then walked along this path leading up to the boathouse where he lived with his wife and children towards the end of his life. The house overlooks the Taf Estuary - an absolute amazing view over this water body. The house is up on this big bluff. You first come to this small garage - his writing studio. A look inside shows how things were left just as he had them - filled with papers, manuscripts and furnishings. One of his most famous works is "Under Milk Weed". It was translated into a film in 1971 starring Welsh-born Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, and Peter O'Toole. The movie was filmed in the nearby town of Fishguard. Thomas died in 1953 at the age of 39.

Even though I'm not a writer, just in the last 4 months, I can see how proper settings and a good frame of mind can make a difference when telling a story. You guys can probably see this as well. Sometimes, it's late at night and I'm tired. I write out the blog without much emotion. I can even tell when I go back and reread some postings that I should/could have been better. I've come to enjoy writing a little bit - it's a way to express my feelings when maybe I would not otherwise do so. I know when I look back at this blog creation in 10+ years - I'll still be able to feel what was going on with me on that particular day. Even though I'm hanging myself out there - as a pure remembrance of this trip - I'm glad I'm doing this.

Since I'm talking about writing and writers, let me say that I'm nearing the end of my Shakespeare book. Some unbelievable stuff. I can't believe how many things have come from his stories. The following expressions were created by Shakespeare: a foregone conclusion, a tower of strength, bated breath, come full circle, dead as a doornail, elbow room, for goodness sake, I have not slept a wink, into thin air, It was Greek to me, puppy dog, shooting star, too much of a good thing, wild goose chase, well-behaved. I bet every single person reading this has used one, if not many, of these expressions. Shakespeare also introduced more words into English than all other poets of his lifetime combined. Examples are: employer, drug, engagement, glow, investment, luggage, mountaineer, partner, retirement, traditional, roadway. Now, I don't know if all this is true or not, I'm going by the book here. But if this is the case, as Samuel Johnson put it: "His works may be considered a Map of Life"

Shakespeare has 39 plays. They are divided into 4 categories: History (Henry VI, Henry IV), Comedy (A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice), Tragedies (Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth), and Romances (The Tempest, The Two Noble Kinsmen). I listed only a few in each category, but the Tragedy plays are known to be his masterpieces. Before reading this book, I knew almost nothing about these plays. Now, it seems like I see a reference about them almost everywhere I go. I could see myself going to a few of these plays in the future.

Back on point.

The town of Langharne was interesting. They were having their summer carnaval today. Bizarre. People painted themselves in different colors and wore weird stuff. It was like Halloween - only up a couple notches. It was a small place - again like Bloomsdale. Neat to see.

I came back to Cardiff via train. It was just taking too long to continue further west. I need to be in London on Monday. I got some great news - my Russian Visa is back and ready for pickup. Brilliant! I'll pick this up on Monday and make my train on Tuesday morning headed for Denmark. I got lucky with my departure date guess -- I love it when a plan comes together. I have some serious travel decisions to make in the next couple days. I'm just about ready to pull the string on doing the Reychevik, Icleand Marathon on August 21st. My plans are to do a marathon on every continent. I know that I have the Athens Marathon upcoming on Halloween, but, if for some reason this doesn't happen, I'd like a backup. How could I spend 9 months in Europe and not do a marathon here. Also, I heard from one of the great ladies I worked with in Minnesota (Jan) the other day. She has some good friends in Sweden and has connected me with them. I hope to visit their family in the next couple weeks. I just need to get my Russia travel plans set, my flight to Iceland set, and the rest will fall into place. I was thinking this today - I know I'm on a holiday trip - but I still have alot of irons in the fire. That's all good though - I need to keep sharp.

In Cardiff now, an awesome party city believe it or not. If you're ever in the area, belly up to the Marriott by the Train Station, and partake in the many bars and restaurants in the area. I walked around earlier. I saw more bachelor and bachelorette parties than I've ever seen before.

Tomorrow I spend more time in Wales and head back to England later in the day.

Day #138 - Grasmere & Manchester, England

Grasmere, England

A little stream in Grasmere

The streets of Manchester, England

Manchester, England

Friday, July 30th

This morning I took a 30 minute bus ride over to another small town in the Lake District - the town of Grasmere. I was told great things about this place - and it did not disappoint. This was the home of poet William Wordsworth and he is buried in the graveyard of the village church. I walked around for a couple hours - but since I had my big bag with me - I decided to cut it short. The town was great. Very small. A little stream cut through the center of it. The lake was just a short walk away. A really good day trip from Windermere.

I took the bus back and then got a train to Manchester. I decided I was going to spend the weekend in Wales so I needed to continue south. Once arriving in Manchester, I only had 1 hour before my connecting train to Cardiff (capital of Wales). In that time, I made a quick loop around the city. A really big place. It appeared to have alot of diversity. Above ground trains similar to Geneva, Switzerland. Tall buildings everywhere and a huge central train station. Manchester, Leeds, and Liverpool are 3 big cities very near each other in central England. The couple I met on my Peru trip live in Manchester (the doctor and nurse). Unfortunately, they were both out of town for the weekend - maybe I'll catch up with them on a return trip.

I then took a 3-1/2 hour train down to Cardiff. Wales is the last area in the UK for me to visit. Wales is located north of London and south of Manchester - on the western coast. It's a small area as compared to England and Scotland. There's not as many 'drawing cards' here. I was told that the southern coast of Wales is worth the visit. Because I arrived around 7pm - I decided to call it an early night and see what happens tomorrow. I had about 5 hours of train travel and a couple hours of buses today. I need a little shuteye.

Day #137 - Glascow & The Lake District

Great running trail

Awesome lake views

More running trails

The ferry boat approaching the bank

Sailboats all over the lakes

Thursday, July 29th

This morning I got an early start and walked around the city of Glascow. Along with Edinburgh, it's the biggest city in Scotland. Interesting place. Alot of activity on the streets. I got the feel that Glascow is to Cambridge as Edinburgh is to Oxford. It just had that same feel. Newer, art museums, the swanky place to be. I might be off on this -- just what I took from my walk about. I like Edinburgh better.

One of the interesting things about Glascow - it's the home of the Macintosh Trail. The city's greatest architect-designer, Charles Rennie MacIntosh (1868-1928), earned Glascow its reputation as a hub of creativity. One of his creations - The Glascow School of Art. When completed in 1899, it was heralded as Europe's finest example of Moderism. Along with the school, there are also restaurants and teerooms spread around town with his design and archtecture.

After spending a few hours in Glascow, I decided to take a train south out of Scotland and back into northern England. I'll remember my time in Scotland fondly. I'm a little disappointed to be leaving. Even though I did alot of stuff here (golfing at 2 big time courses, British Open at St. Andrews, Loch Ness, Edinburgh & Glascow, the Hebrides, the Highland Games, whiskey trail, castle trail, and the Isle of Skye), I still feel like I'd like to come back sometime. It's a neat place to visit.

I took a 2 hour train to the city of Windermere. Many of my buddies who have spent time in the central UK with Caterpillar told me about this area called 'The Lake District' - a must see. This is an 880 square mile section of northern England (north of Manchester) known for its amazing lakes and natural beauty. It's renowned for the incredible hiking trails scattered throughout the endless lakes. It's said to have more than 1,800 miles of footpaths and trails. Because I'm a big fan of hiking - this was an area I couldn't miss.

There are a number of different small towns in the Lake District, but I chose Windermere because it was easily accessible by train for me. I got to the town about 3:30pm. I really wanted to go for a long run/walk today. I went directly to the tourist center. This was one of the best I've been to. They called and got me a hotel, and pointed me in the direction of a great 4-1/2 mile long path along the lakefront.

I dumped my bags off at the hotel and headed out. I had to run/walk about 2-3 miles to get down to the lake. I then took a ferry boat across to the trailhead. I ran the 4-1/2 miles to the end of the trail. It was spectacular. Boats, blue skies, clouds, wooded forests - perfect. At the end of the trail was a castle -- they're everywhere. I turned around and did a walk/run back to the start. I really felt good today. I haven't been running much - as I'm giving my body a rest. I needed to make sure I still had it in me today. All good. A good half marathon+ after counting the miles to/from the ferry boat. On the way out, I caught up with this biker, he was going really slow and had his radio playing loudly. The song being played was by the Boss (Bruce Springstein) - "I'm on Fire" --- 'Woo -o-o-I'm on fire'. It got me gong a little bit and brought me through a couple miles.

I got back, cleaned up and went out to a nice dinner. I really never do this. I went to a sit down place and had an awesome baked lasagna, a nice big caesar salad, and an ice-cold corona. I still will never get used to eating alone in a place like this. It's a bit ackward. I'd rather just grab something and bring it back to my room. It was all good though. A very good day in the land of lakes.

Day #136 - Highland Games

The Opening Ceremony - bagpipes galore

The Heavies in the middle of the field

The scenery on the other side of the street from the Highland Games

The 100yd dash - the guy in the shorts (white) wins

Traditional dancing

Wednesday, July 28th

I made it through the night unscaved. I didn't sleep soundly however - too many weird scenarios going through my mind. I was up at 6:30am - I had a bus to catch at 7:30am. No shower - hat on - I'm ready to go. I could hear this earth-shattering snore coming from the obese gentlemen's room. We came back late last night and I have not paid for the room - what do I do? I took 40 pounds out of my pocket - purposefully walked out of my room holding the money in front of me (for all the cameras in the world to visualize) and then went back into my room and placed the $40 on the bed where I slept. I had told the Canadian couple last night that this was the strangest place I've stayed in 135 days. Their response: "Great, we've nailed it after just 3 days". I will never, ever forget the small cottage in the woods in Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland.

I took a 1 hour bus ride to a boat ferry off the southern coast of Skye. Then, I took a 30 minute ferry ride to the city of Mallaig. I waited here for 45 minutes, then took a 15 minute train to my destination today - the town of Aisaig, Scotland. I came here today to watch the Highland Games.

The Highland Games, rooted in the Middle Ages, are unique summer sporting events that are held all over the Scottish Highlands (40+ such destinations). They were begun as county fairs for the exchange of goods and news, they provided clan chiefs the chance to witness the physical prowess of the area's most promising young lads.

Events include: dancing, piping (bagpipe competitions), heavy events (shot put, hammer throw, log throwing), track events (100 yd , 200 yd, 400 yd, mile), and field events (long jump, high jump, triple jump). Other Highland Games offer more variety (tug of war, etc), but this was one of the smallest games. Great for me however - I got to see the event at its core - how it originated.

This was outstanding. What an unbelievably cool thing to see. Very traditional. Nearly everyone had on a Scottish kilt. Bagpipes were playing continuously throughout the day. I bet the whole town was in attendance. This place was about the size of my hometown of Bloomsdale, MO (450 people).

It was all held in this big field. The competition sites were roped off. There was endless food and beverage stands. It was kind of like our county fairs, but strictly dedicated to unique sporting events. I spent the afternoon watching in amazement. I thoroughly enjoyed it. From the 100 yard dash where people ran in jeans to the hammer throw - where contestants competed right by the dance stage with no net or anything. If these "monster dudes" would have let go of the hammer on the wrong turn - somebody could have got killed. (The hammer throw requires a person to spin a couple times and then let loose of the block attached to a chain). It was totally old school.

One of the neatest things was seeing these girls in the dance. They did several traditional Scottish dances. You would see some of the girls run over to the start of the 100 yd dash in their dance costumes, do the run, and then be back on stage for the next song. You would see these huge dudes throw the shotput, run over for the 100yd dash, and be back for their second throw. They had open competitions for the runs as well. I almost jumped out there and ran the 100yd. I couldn't do it. Mainly because at the end of the run, 15 yards from the finish line, they had the roped off exterior border about chest high. I saw the first heat. Only 1 guy had any speed at all. This guy was so athletic that he hurdled the rope at the end. The other guys were so slow that they were able to slow down before hitting the rope. I did not think I could hurdle that thing and didn't want to kill myself in the process. I'm wondering if anyone ever thought about taking the rope down at the finish line. It's all good though - traditional - deal with the elements.

I stayed for most of the events and walked the 3 miles back to the trian station. I took a long train to Glascow - arriving at 9pm. I met a really cool couple from London on this trip. We talked for hours. I mentioned how I was so impressed with Europeans and their patriotism. The guy had lived in the states for some time. He said that he felt the US had patriotism as well (National Anthem before all sporitng events, pledge of allegiance at schools, etc) but just that the patriotism in Europe is more rooted in their cultural past. It's not that people aren't patriotic in the US - there's just more history in Europe, and more events celebrated because of it. Interesting way he put it.

The countryside we came through on the return train was spectacular. As far as pure outdoor scenery, the Scottish Highlands are my 2nd favorite location in Europe to date (second to the Alps). Here's to a very unique day and learning about new cultures.