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.
So this is a cool thing. This link – Nearby – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia – will return a Wikipedia search of what’s near your current location. Mostly, I’m posting to be able to find the link again when I’m traveling. How great would it be to find something new and exciting… and just around the corner!
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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
Once again, I’m at Coffee Inn with Monika and she’s studying for a tour to the Silesian Lowlands of Poland. This is a tour she’s created and done a few times in the past, and it’s happening a week or so before school starts so I figure it’s safe to ask if I can go along. After a few minutes, she agrees. Now, sure, these tours are open to the public, but as she’s a friend, it’s like asking if you can visit at work so I want to make sure everything is cool. Continue reading “Silesian Holidays – A weekend in Poland 14-16 August”
(this is the third of three parts and very long – just giving you fair warning)July 2, 2015
We’d been in the country for two weeks and were just now making it to the ancestral homeland. This week was going to be different than the two previous weeks as now there was going to be a bit more visiting people rather than places. And we got a good start to this on Thursday morning. Continue reading “Las Vegas, Baby – USA summer 2015 – Week 3”
(this is the second of three parts and very long – just giving you fair warning)June 24, 2015
Wednesday morning started early since we knew we had a long day ahead of us. Of course, the hardest part was going to be simply getting out of town. By this point, we’d learnt to (kinda sorta) trust the googlemaps GPS system and it said surface streets were our best bet for getting out to Santa Monica and the PCH as quickly as possible. Continue reading “To the Bay and Butterflies – USA summer 2015 – Week 2”
(this is the first of three parts and very long – just giving you fair warning)Last January, 2014, I was visiting the US for my niece Riley’s bat mitzvah. This was my second time returning to the motherland since I’d left and as with the time before, I took the opportunity to visit friends in LA and San Francisco. While I was in LA I met up with my good friend, brilliant actor and former roommate JR. A few weeks earlier, JR had gotten engaged to the beautiful and charming Natasha, whom I’d heard about but this trip was my first time meeting her. It was great! Then at one point, JR and I were just shooting the breeze and he said “Listen… If you say ‘no,’ I’m screwed because I don’t know who else fits so will you be my Best Man.” I man enough to admit there were tears and hugging and of course I said “yes!” Continue reading “Weddings and the West Coast – USA summer 2015 – Week 1”
You gotta love it when a friend bails on ya. You have tentative plans, to meet for a coffee after work then she calls and says she can’t make it because she got a better offer. Fair enough. I understand that. No harm no foul. Of course, to make it up to she comes back with… “so, wanna go to Poland on Saturday and check out a place Hitler used to live?”
This is my relationship with Monika. She’s as good a friend as you can get, even if she does get better offers from time to time. She’s also a great traveling companion and our (mostly) day trips together, from Anykščiai to Tallinn to the one time we went to Finland just to ride roller coasters are all amazing fun – so when she says do you want to check out a place which can verifiably host a placard stating “Hitler Slept Here” who am I to say “no”? Continue reading “The Wolf’s Lair or The Further Adventures of Julia and The Brat”
DAVID • Think: Travel App-titude.
This month in David, I’m putting my vast knowledge of travel to the test when I give you my thoughts on some of the cool connection apps out there to cover all aspects of your trip.
In addition to my piece, there’s all sorts of great reads to be found between the covers.
We woke up Monday morning with the sad realization our whirlwind tour of Northern Italy was coming to an end. We weren’t in as big a rush as we had been since today was going to be devoted to seeing the city we’d been staying in and then moving north and eventually ending up at the airport preparing for a 6am flight. Continue reading “Italy – Day Seven – Padua and Verona – Shakespeare would be proud!”
Getting the Hang of Thursdays 