From Anchorage to Fairbanks
Drive up to Fairbanks to see Alaska's 3rd largest city, and with hopes of seeing the Northern Lights (aurora borealis). |
| On the open road to Fairbanks, Alaska |
Showing posts with label Road Trips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Road Trips. Show all posts
Monday, October 9, 2017
Monday, August 28, 2017
Mexico: How Little I Knew About My Next Door Neighbor
Traveling with Ainhoa to her old stomping grounds of Guadalajara and then to travel through Guanajuato, León, and Puebla, before hanging out a few days in Mexico City.
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| Viva Mexico! |
Interesting observations about Mexico
- Mexicans are humble, honest, and generally friendly.
- Mexicans put chili on everything. No, seriously, everything.
- Many things named after Miguel Hidalgo (Mexican revolutionary).
- Public bathrooms cost between 3-10 pesos, including some stores.
- At the toilets, they give you a certain amount of toilet paper, or there is one roll outside of the toilet, and you take some in with you.
- Mexicans speak in the simple past, like the Asturianos.
- "Alto" instead of stop signs. (Morocco is the only other country I've ever seen it say anything other than "stop").
- Mexicans drive very aggressively.
- 'E' for estacionamiento instead of 'P' for parking, unlike rest of world.
- Mexican street sellers are loud, but not aggressive (read: bothersome) like in some other countries.
- Despite the intense heat, people have on long sleeves and even jackets, in the middle of the day.
- The women wear a lot of makeup.
- Mexicans aren't fat but also no one is skinny.
- Volkswagen beetle may be the official car of Mexico.
- Mexicans don't throw toilet paper in the toilet, but in a trash can.
- Mexico is more similar to US when it comes to smoking - they do it way less than in Europe.
- In Europe you see people with fútbol shirts (i.e. Barça, Man U, Bayern), but in Mexico you see American cities and (all) sports teams.
- I learned many new words, and new definitions for words I already knew.
- The fruit here is so good: bananas, papaya, guava, dragon fruit, mango, zarzamora (blackberry).
Saturday, July 15, 2017
Southern Spain Road Trip 2017: Skipping San Fermin for Summer in the South
A Hot Car Ride to Madrid
Load the car with camping gear and head south into the blistering heat. The plan is to pueblear down to Granada, next to Almería, and then up the coast to Alicante. I want to visit Murcia, which will be the 16th comunidad that I've visited, of the 17 in Spain (the Canary Islands is the only one I haven't been to). Ainhoa will do all the driving because I'm not good with a stick-shift (aka, useless). |
| Over 2,000km in 7 days |
Head out the afternoon before the first day of San Fermin. It's a hot car ride at 36°. We somehow miss the highway and take the longest route ever. Arrive in Madrid and stay with Ainhoa's aunt and uncle, Pili and Ricardo, who are gracious hosts and feed us and provide wonderful company. They recommend we do in Úbeda and Baeza on our way to Granada, so we add them to our list.
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
How Having A Car Makes Life Easier... Sort Of
It's funny that I've had this draft since the middle of 2015, yet now it seems like I need to change the title, hence the "...sort of". Let me start at the beginning. Having a car is awesome. It is very useful for traveling long distances with friends (Pamplona, Lisbon, Cádiz, León, Les Cases, and Galicia road trips), it is useful lugging heavy exercise equipment to and from workouts, and it's just convenient for going to the movies or anywhere late at night when the buses have stopped running.
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Puebleando the Pyrenees: Spain and France
A summary (then you can skip to the photos)
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| The viejo monasterio de San Juan de la Peña (sounds better than the old monastery of Saint John of the big rock) |
Thursday, April 20, 2017
Puebleando to Andorra
A Day in Huesca
Head out in the morning toward Huesca. Stop for almuerzo along the Gállego River, watching kayakers and rafters go down the river. Go up to Los Mallos de Riglos and see rock climbers, donkeys, vultures, and eagles. Have a pincho while watching the birds and rock climbers. Talk to some rock climbers about the climb and descent. |
| #RoadTripSemanaSanta2017 |
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Veliko Tarnovo and Vratsa, Bulgaria: The Balkans by Bus Road Trip Christmas 2016 pt. 6
This is a six-part blog. Here are the links to all of them:
Veliko Turnovo and Vratsa, Bulgaria / Final thoughts |
| Having fun at Tsarevets fortress, even though it's -3 degrees |
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Skopje, Macedonia: The Balkans by Bus Road Trip Christmas 2016 pt. 5
This is a six-part blog. Here are the links to all of them:
Veliko Tarnovo and Vratsa, Bulgaria / Final thoughts |
| Just an amazing shot for so many reasons |
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| I bruised my ribs climbing this, but it was worth it |
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Prizren and Pristina, Kosovo: The Balkans by Bus Road Trip Christmas 2016 pt. 4
This is a six-part blog. Here are the links to all of them:
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| Pretending I'm not cold along the river in Prizren, Kosovo |
Day 9: We cross the Albanian border without stopping and continue straight through to the Kosovo border, but they don't let us through because the bus doesn't have paperwork saying it can take food and cigarettes across the border. So we have to go back to Albania and offload the food and cigarettes at a small shop, then pass the border control again, though they don't check our passports the second time, or even come on the bus to see if any new people joined.
Monday, December 19, 2016
Tirana, Albania: The Balkans by Bus Road Trip Christmas 2016 pt. 3
This is a six-part blog. Here are the links:
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| 5h30 at Skanderbeg Square, inaccessible due to construction |
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Thessaloniki, Greece: The Balkans by Bus Road Trip Christmas 2016 pt. 2
This is a six-part blog. Here are the links:
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| Leaving the "lion country" behind and heading to Greece |
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Sofia, Bulgaria: The Balkans by Bus Road Trip Christmas 2016 pt. 1
Synopsis: This is actually the first Christmas I've ever spent without my parents. I haven't traveled much outside of Spain since I arrived here, with the exception of Andorra, Gibraltar, and a couple of trips back to the states.
I want to see some of the countries in Europe that I haven't seen, so I finally decide on Bulgaria, Greece, Albania, Macedonia, and Kosovo - all by bus. Last time I did a multi-country trip like this was to the other side of the Balkans (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro).
I want to see some of the countries in Europe that I haven't seen, so I finally decide on Bulgaria, Greece, Albania, Macedonia, and Kosovo - all by bus. Last time I did a multi-country trip like this was to the other side of the Balkans (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro).
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| Super cool map of the Balkans, from the hostel in Prizren, Kosovo |
Friday, November 25, 2016
Les Cases D'Alcanar, Spain: In Between Cataluña, Valencia, and Aragón
Synopsis: Ainhoa has been telling me about her parent's beach house that is on the Costa Dorada, in the province of Tarragona, right on the edge of Cataluña and Valencia, and near to many natural sites, including beaches, mountains, and the Delta del Ebro. Although we've invited a few others to go with us, no one else can make it, so we will venture out on our own.
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| You gotta look at the castle from a different point of view |
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Galicia, Spain: Semana Santa, Mariscos, y el Fin del Camino
Synopsis: Semana Santa is Spring Break in Spain, and I have 11 days free to travel. I've been planning to go to Galicia for a long time, and now I finally get my chance. This time I will road trip with some new travel buddies: Alberto, Cristina, Hugo, and Julia. I don't know them that well, and some of them don't even know each other, so this is going to be a really interesting trip!
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| 1,857 miles (2.989 km) including the day trips everyday |
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| (from left to right) Me, Cristina, Julia, Hugo (behind), and Alberto |
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
León, Spain: Carnaval and Free Pintxos
Synopsis: I have a three-day weekend and I look at my list of places I want to visit and see my next stop: León. I invite several people, but in the end, it comes down to the faithful few adventurous friends I have, Ainhoa and Greg. We plan to stop at a few places along the way, since we are following the Camino de Santiago and will likely encounter some interesting sights.
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| Seems so much closer on the map |
Friday, December 11, 2015
Cádiz, Spain: La Costa de la Luz
Synopsis: I have been trying to get down to Cádiz and Gibraltar since I moved here, and I finally have some time to do it. Plus, I found some friends to road trip with me, so we can move around and do more in the area. Brittney and Ainhoa will ride with me in the car as we go down the Ruta de la Plata, and Eduardo will take the train and meet us down there. We got a nice AirBnB apartment near the beach and not too far from downtown.
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| Road trips are the best, except when they're not, then they aren't |
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| 1,000km along the Ruta de la Plata |
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Lisbon, Portugal and Madrid, Spain: New Years 2015
Synopsis: Fresh off eating lots of Spanish food for the Christmas holidays, we hit the road again, this time headed to Lisbon, Portugal, before we celebrate New year's in Madrid, Spain.
When entering Portugal on the via verde, you have to use your Visa/Mastercard to register at the first toll, which simply takes a picture of your license plate and then bills your credit card directly, instead of you stopping to pay tolls.
Once we get to downtown, we drive around the block a few times and perform several illegal maneuvers before we find our hotel. As soon as we check-in, we leave the hotel to go to the pharmacy, and now my GPS is officially fired. She (because it's a female voice) has us all over the city and lost. And this isn't the first time on this trip. After we find the pharmacy on our own, like the settlers used to do, we want to stop for food on the way back to the hotel, but nothing is open. We end up ordering the least delicious pizza I've ever had. But I am hungry...
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| Just a short drive |
Trip Overview:
Day 1: Head out around midday after my parents say goodbye to Virginia and the boys. We said goodbye to Leo the night before since he had to wake up to go to work today. We make good time to Salamanca, listening to the Pentatonix. I didn't realize driving west meant having the sun blind you the whole time - thank God for sunglasses. There is absolutely no one else on the road, on either side of the highway, which makes it easier to disregard the speed limit. As soon as we cross into Portugal, we are suddenly overcome by intense fog.
When entering Portugal on the via verde, you have to use your Visa/Mastercard to register at the first toll, which simply takes a picture of your license plate and then bills your credit card directly, instead of you stopping to pay tolls.
Once we get to downtown, we drive around the block a few times and perform several illegal maneuvers before we find our hotel. As soon as we check-in, we leave the hotel to go to the pharmacy, and now my GPS is officially fired. She (because it's a female voice) has us all over the city and lost. And this isn't the first time on this trip. After we find the pharmacy on our own, like the settlers used to do, we want to stop for food on the way back to the hotel, but nothing is open. We end up ordering the least delicious pizza I've ever had. But I am hungry...
Thoughts: That was a looong drive, but between Portuguese coffee and talking with my parents, the 8 hours flew by quickly.
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| Almost there |
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| I should email them a copy of this photo |
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| Almost no visibility |
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Spanish Road Trip: Christmas 2014
Synopsis: My parents are flying out a few days before Christmas so we can tour around Spain a bit and then head back to Pamplona for Christmas with my new Spanish family. I plan to do all the driving so my parents can enjoy the scenery and relax.
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| Road trip! |
Day 1: I head out at 5 in the morning to Madrid, and it's actually nice since no one else is on the road. Super foggy and dark, though. As the sun finally comes up around 8:15, I can finally see the beautiful Spanish countryside in the Sierra Guadarrama, and the sunlight helps wake me up.
Meet my parents at the airport in Madrid and we sit and talk a bit over coffee and catch up. Hop in the car and while heading down to Granada, we stop at Toledo on the way. We park in a garage and my mother and I take the elevator while my dad walks up the stairs. I tell him if anyone talks to him in Spanish to say "no entiendo". He walks away practicing aloud "Nintendo".
As soon as we are out the parking garage, we grab some food. We eat at Bű Terraza and it is delicious. Walk around the city a bit and it's very foggy, but still nice. Catedral Primada Santa María de Toledo towers over the city, but again the fog makes it hard to see.
Drive on to Granada and I'm glad my parents are there to talk to because there is nothing between Toledo and Granada, except some beautiful mountains right before Granada. Walk around the city a bit and stop to eat at La Terraza, by the Granada Cathedral, and the food is decent, except the paella. Then we head to our hotel that we found, and decided on, while eating dinner.
Thoughts: So great to see my parents again. It's been a full year since we last hung out and we have so much to catch up on. My dad is funny at languages and when trying to imitate me saying "hasta luego" he says "yoyo". Turns out we got a pretty good hotel, Gran Luna De Granada (tripadvisor review), at 77€ for 3 people, plus cheap parking and breakfast and Wi-Fi included. My parents also gifted me an iPhone 6 for Christmas, that they let me open tonight. So happy! Today I drove 8 hours.
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| Picking my parents up at the Madrid airport |
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Road Trip from Belgium to Spain
Synopsis: I have found a way to immerse myself into the Spanish language and culture. I finally got an au pair visa (read about the chronicle here) and I'll teach some English and French to the Spaniards. I am taking my car with me, so that means a road trip is at hand! Will and I are going to take three days and enjoy some of the French countryside on the way there.
Trip Overview:
Day 1: Head out on the road with Will, the best driver this side of Peru, and myself, the best non contributor in the galaxy. I accidentally select "avoid tolls" on the GPS and we add two hours to our drive time and we are off in the farmlands of France.
Finally, we arrive in Lyon, right at rush hour. After driving around our hotel a few times, we find free street parking, then walk to our hotel. Since our hotel is on the main strip we walk around and hit Place Bellecour. Other than a giant ferris wheel, a statue, and a closed tourist info center, there isn't much there. We grab some food and then walk around the Traboules of Old Lyon, and walk forever uphill to the Basilica Fourvière. After all that walking, we are hungry again and end up at a Mexican restaurant. Afterward, we go to place Hotel De Ville, but it's dead so we head back to the hotel.
Thoughts: After watching Will drive for six hours, and then walking for several more hours around the city, I was exhausted. But not as exhausted as Will, who fell asleep as we walked into the hotel. Lyon is beautiful by night and quite spread out. We stopped at a hostel to ask about pub crawls and organized night tours and there doesn't seem to be either. Dommage.
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| Where the map goes, we will follow |
Trip Overview:
Day 1: Head out on the road with Will, the best driver this side of Peru, and myself, the best non contributor in the galaxy. I accidentally select "avoid tolls" on the GPS and we add two hours to our drive time and we are off in the farmlands of France.
Finally, we arrive in Lyon, right at rush hour. After driving around our hotel a few times, we find free street parking, then walk to our hotel. Since our hotel is on the main strip we walk around and hit Place Bellecour. Other than a giant ferris wheel, a statue, and a closed tourist info center, there isn't much there. We grab some food and then walk around the Traboules of Old Lyon, and walk forever uphill to the Basilica Fourvière. After all that walking, we are hungry again and end up at a Mexican restaurant. Afterward, we go to place Hotel De Ville, but it's dead so we head back to the hotel.
Thoughts: After watching Will drive for six hours, and then walking for several more hours around the city, I was exhausted. But not as exhausted as Will, who fell asleep as we walked into the hotel. Lyon is beautiful by night and quite spread out. We stopped at a hostel to ask about pub crawls and organized night tours and there doesn't seem to be either. Dommage.
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| On the open road |
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| This is what it looks like when you are not on the toll road |
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Champagne Region, France: Celebratory Drinks
Synopsis: Fresh off my vacation from the states, and Staša recommends we go to the Champagne region. I cannot turn down a legitimate reason to celebrate, so why not learn about the most popular celebratory drink in the world? Cheers! Santé! Salut! Na zdravje!
Trip Overview:
Day 1: Jump in the car and head down friday after work. We get there in no time and walk around the town of Epernay. Interestingly enough, the town seems abandoned on this lovely friday evening. Makes it so much easier to take pictures.Thoughts: It is so peaceful driving through the French countryside...when you aren't the one driving.
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| This is going on Instagram |
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| Walking through the Saint Martin portal |
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