I have too many cameras. Theoretically they all have different purposes, but sometimes it feels like too much. Most days the big weight that I am carrying is technology, not clothing. I would love to not have to carry the big weight, but photography is an important part of travel for me. The skill of […]
We have been planning our Beyond Vacation trip since last year. The one day we spent in Lisbon and the few days in Barcelona just felt so good and freeing after a bit of a hard summer. An even harder winter due to the cold and dark has led us (I fear) into hyping this […]
The ideas of slow travel and quality travel are coming up more and more. The core idea being to stay in a place longer and sink deeper into it as opposed to go skipping by so fast as to only see the major sights before being whisked away on a bus to the next sight. […]
This month’s topic in the Blogger Stammtisch is museums. But you see, I am not much of a museum person. When you read about what is going on in a city, often you end up with a list of museums. I usually skip this section in the guidebook. If this is the only thing on […]
I call it the “Aquarium Effect”. It is the idea of going to an aquarium to look at fish. Big fish, small fish, red fish, blue fish.. fishes of all shapes, sizes and peculiar mating habits. But really how many fish can you look at before they just blend together? One fish just looks like the next. This seems to happen in sightseeing as well. Cathedrals are in every European city. And yeah they are different, but after a week long trip going to a different one each day, they all look alike. Castles too after a while. So how to do I deal?
I remember traveling in Europe pre-euro. (It’s only been around 10 years, I’m not that old. Ok, maybe I am but still it’s not that long ago.) In that day and age every border meant a new currency with a new name and exchange rate and bills and coins. Post Euro in Europe is easier, but still there are tons of travel destinations with their own money. It gets overwhelming in a few different ways.
Post in support of the start of the Passports With Purpose. This year’s goal is raising money to build libraries.
I enjoy the physical object of a book, both the feel of it as well as the smell of paper. They however are bulky and can be heavy, so the desire to travel requires some compromises. Becoming an expat in a non-English speaking country has added to those woes a bit as well. I not willing to give up on either reading or traveling so compromises ensue.
Often when caught staring as a kid, the retort was “Take a picture, it will last longer.” It occurs to me as I travel that this is somehow exactly what happens. Travelers and tourists alike search for the best picture and forget to actually LOOK at what they are taking a picture of. Are pictures somehow more important than looking at a place?