Week two started on Tuesday with a late start, for me. I was out of the house at 10am and decided to try one of the several Hop on/Hop off bus tours in order to get to the big sites easily. Unfortunately, we’re in the off-season so the bus schedule for the line I chose (and I admit, I just went with the first one I saw, and even then I thought it was a different line), the Grayline tours, which, truth be told, was kinda shitty. The busses were supposed to come every 20 minutes but every 30-45 minutes was more accurate and the ground staff (and the one driver when I tried to get on the wrong bus) were unfriendly and unhelpful. But I had paid for it, so I tried to take as much advantage of it as I could. I did do the full circuit on the two lines (out of four) I had paid for so I guess that was okay. And it did take me to see the Belem Tower, which is certainly on the must-see list. Continue reading “Portugal and the World of Tomar… (12/6-12/11)”
Category: Europe
Just clowning around…Lisbon (11/28-12/5)
Almost two years ago, through a weird series of connections and circumstances, I ended up tech-ing a clown show called Aga-Boom, which was performing in the Vilnius Comedy festival. Long story short I became friends with the principles, Iryna and Dimitri (and Jesse, who is also in the show and with whom I have many mutual friends from many different facets of my life) and several weeks ago, they asked if I could tech their upcoming run in Lisbon, Portugal. On the plus side, I’d never been to Portugal, it was decent money, and I always love working in theatre. The down side was that it was a three-week gig at the end of the semester and with Monki only 4 1/2 months old I would miss her 5 month check up (this after missing her 1 month for a gig in Vegas) and three weeks is a long time away from family. Continue reading “Just clowning around…Lisbon (11/28-12/5)”
Earth Rise | David Magazine
Man Had to Go to the Moon to Appreciate the Majesty of the Bright Blue Marble Floating in Space that We all Call Home.
Source: Earth Rise | David Magazine
My latest in David Magazine. I’m pretty happy with this one. Give it a read and see what you think.
Kauno Rotuse Live Feed!
I live in a beautiful place. This picture to the left is a ground level shot of our former City Hall (where I, and many others, got married). This square is the home of our official Christmas Tree, which often wins design awards (especially the green plastic Christmas Tree miracle from five years ago).
But now, someone has gone ahead and put a live cam overlooking the square. So if you ever want to know what things are like here in Kauanas… Go ahead and click. It’s worth it.
Thinking in and about English on a Sunday Morning
You know, Shakespeare didn’t always sound like Shakespeare. Sometimes he sounded like a pirate. And in fact, just for good measure, English didn’t always sound like English.
Anyway, here’s a couple of videos to get your brain working. Continue reading “Thinking in and about English on a Sunday Morning”
Soviet science fiction movies in English online
Reimagining London 2016
One of the great things about living centrally located in Europe is that nothing is very far away – and generally not that expensive to get to. If you’re like Monika, you can find amazing deals (she boasts about a roundtrip from Sweden to Italy, via Frankfurt, for little more than a euro each way). But even if you don’t have her luck, you can get some pretty amazing deals which allow you to see new countries or revisit old ones. Continue reading “Reimagining London 2016”
Jules Verne’s Tomb | Atlas Obscura
Science fiction’s grandfather has a fittingly marvelous tomb
A Most Unholy Architecture: Six Devil’s Bridges | Atlas Obscura
Source: A Most Unholy Architecture: Six Devil’s Bridges | Atlas Obscura
Bridges are such wonderful devices, liminal transports from one side to another. Here’s a look at 6 which can take you from wherever you are to a fantastical place found on the outskirts of your imagination.
For me, I now have more places to see before I die.
Belgium 2016 Day 6/7 – In Brugge, Brussels and Back Home
Belgian timing is not my strong suit. It really doesn’t take long to get from city to city in this small country. So while I got up early and took time to actually take advantage of the free breakfast at Hostel Uppelink and didn’t rush to get the train, I was still in Brugge before 10 am which is when everything actually opens. Okay, not exactly true. The central square was packed with the weekly Wednesday market and some of the souvenir shops, restaurants and their version of a Belfry were open, but the tourist information office, not so much. Continue reading “Belgium 2016 Day 6/7 – In Brugge, Brussels and Back Home”
Belgium 2016 Day 5 – A Ghent-leman and a Scholar
I left Antwerp early… again. Today I was heading towards Ghent, a town I knew had a history. The train ride was only about 30 minutes so I’d get to Ghent early and have all day to explore. Until the train stopped. Seemed that there was a train stopped on the tracks ahead of us and a voice came over the intercom informing us we’d be delayed a few minutes. In Dutch. A nice gentleman sitting across from me translated so I could keep up. Continue reading “Belgium 2016 Day 5 – A Ghent-leman and a Scholar”
Belgium 2016 Day 4 – Ink, Bridges and a Butt Plug Gnome
Really wasn’t expecting to go the Netherlands this trip, and yet, here I was, just past 8am, hanging out with fully armed Belgian soldiers, waiting for the train to Rotterdam. As it turned out, our train was delayed so we were instructed to take the following train (which had a change rather than being a direct route). This wasn’t a big deal and they announced instructions in Dutch and English. The problem was the poor Albanian guy who was trying to get to Amsterdam (the ultimate destination of the train which would drop me in Rotterdam). He was having a hard time figuring out where to go so I made sure he got on the right train and then changed where we were supposed to. I left him on the second train. I hope he made it. Continue reading “Belgium 2016 Day 4 – Ink, Bridges and a Butt Plug Gnome”
Belgium 2016 Day 3 – Opening Locks in Antwerpen
Once again, the boys from Jersey had their alarms set. They had overslept yesterday and missed Amsterdam so were trying it again today. The night before, when I’d gotten in, I mentioned the double alarm and gave my permission for one of their number to hit the guy who hadn’t woken with his alarm the day before if he did it again. I figured that was fair. This time, though, I was ready. I realized I had basically six days in Belgium and had spent two in Brussels. I also knew I had a hostel waiting for me for two nights in Antwerp and in Ghent but that I could arrive whenever so it was a flexible plan. But it was cold in Brussels and I kinda wanted to see what else this fair country had to offer. Continue reading “Belgium 2016 Day 3 – Opening Locks in Antwerpen”
Belgium 2016 Day 2 – Doing it the way the Belgians Do
I awoke with a plan… and someone else’s alarm. There were these four young college guys from Jersey in our room and they were planning on hitting Amsterdam today (it’s a three-hour train ride – something I would remember a couple of days later) and so had set alarms to get up in time to make the early train. Unfortunately, being college guys, they were not to be roused by a mere alarm. Me, however, being an old college professor, I get up at the slightest sound so when his alarm went off for the second time, I was ready to hit the day. Continue reading “Belgium 2016 Day 2 – Doing it the way the Belgians Do”
Belgium 2016 Day 1 – Mannekin (and sky) Pis
So, Belgium.
Wasn’t supposed to be here all by myself but them’s the breaks. Rasa was supposed to join me, but they wouldn’t give her the time off work and then sent her to Germany besides, so here I am. Thing is, a couple months back, RyanAir (that bane of the comfortable traveler) had a special and it was either Brussels or Paris for us. Since that was right around the time of the terrorist attack in Paris, we opted for Belgium. Besides, I’d never been before and it was as good a place as any. So I booked the flights and we figured Rasa would get the time off after the three months probation period. At least we hoped so. We we wrong. Continue reading “Belgium 2016 Day 1 – Mannekin (and sky) Pis”
Getting the Hang of Thursdays 