Category: Equipment
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Catching Up Part II, or, The French are Striking
France is no stranger to bold government reforms and equally bold public responses. Recently, the government decided to increase the retirement age from 62 to 64. Unsurprisingly, this move sparked widespread discontent among union workers, culminating in a nationwide rail strike. For travelers relying on trains, this posed a significant challenge—and we were among them.…
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Catching Up: A Journey Through Southern Italy and Germany
Lately, catching up has been a theme in my life—whether it’s dealing with a stubborn foot injury or taking moments to stop and truly absorb my surroundings. Now feels like the right time to bring you up to speed on where this journey has taken us. Heading to Rome We’ve just boarded a train bound…
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A few days later…Arrival in Napoli: A New World.
A few days later, our train pulled into old Napoli. Stepping out, we found ourselves transported to an entirely different world. Southern Italy—with its vibrant energy, warm hues, and distinct character—stood in stark contrast to the European locales we’d visited before: Hamburg, Strasbourg, Bern. Napoli’s bustling streets, colorful buildings, and the sheer vitality of its…
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En Route: Traversing Cities and Stories
Four days have passed since I last shared anything here. As I recount those days, let me start with the most distant among them. A Morning in Amsterdam Rainy and gray, cool and brisk—this was the setting of our morning in Amsterdam. Outside the Princess Hostel, bicycles zipped past in endless streams, carrying commuters on…
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In which we walk among the Dutch
As I write this, I’m sitting in a room in Amsterdam, having caught a few much-needed winks. It’s been a whirlwind since we landed at AMS yesterday morning at six. Deciding to hit the ground running despite a lack of rest, we started navigating trains—an easy task in theory, but one complicated by the intricacies…
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In which the travelers embark
Last night, after work, I drove to Hiawatha and arrived at Titus’s place around 9. Titus greeted me at the door, and after chatting with his folks and diving into a few engaging conversations, we turned our attention to last-minute preparations. Shoes and backpacks were inspected—and speaking of backpacks, my new Osprey Farpoint 55 is…
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In which the backpack zipper fails
I have this old blue backpack—a trusty companion since I stumbled upon it in an unexpectedly upscale shopping mall in India. Over the years, it has been with me through countless adventures: tucked into the stowage compartments of Airbus A320s, occasionally stashed under the seat in front of me, and even serving as a makeshift…