July-25-2005
Word of the Day
auventura 1: adventure 2: What even everday tasks can be in a foreign land, as much scaling a peek. What JenFu wants to look for in all aspects of travel.
Today started a long time ago. There was the final packing last night. I knew that my pack weighed in at 67 pounds on the way out. With 70 pounds being the limit, I knew that there was no room for expansion. Everything gained on this trip had to make it into my new, larger, carry-on pack. I felt a little like a sham. Though I was sporting a beautiful Mammut alpine pack, I knew that it was filled with Grappa and liquor. I guess there were also my newly acquired guidebooks…that’s legit.
I have a guidebook addiction. I’m not sure why but if I can somehow justify buying one, I will. These justifications can fall into a few categories:
1) I need the guide because I actually climb there.
2) I need the guide because I will be climbing there.
3) I need the guide because I may climb there in the future.
4) I need the guide because I would really like to climb there, though it is very unlikely that I will at any time in the future…but if I buy the guide, I will somewhat magically end up going there.
So, as one can see, I can somehow end up with guides to just about anywhere.
My new “favorite” guide is my guide to Arco. Though it wasn’t officially released until today (too late for us since we are now on a plane), the owner of the guesthouse, Hans, was able to score me a copy out of the trunk of his friend’s car (one of the authors). This isn’t the first guide that I bought out of the trunk of a car but that’s another story. So, I love this guide that I could justify purchasing under reasons 1 and 3, even though it is written in German and we had time to use it for only 4 climbs over 1 afternoon.
It was sad leaving Arco. It was even more sad to do it at 3 AM. That was necessary considering the famous Milano traffic and my lack of proficiency navigating it. Even filling up the car before returning it to the rental company was a chore. With all of the gas stations on the way on the wrong side of the road, a u-turn became a leap of faith.
The self-serve system was a bit cryptic. And, the fact that gasoline actually means diesel and not regular unleaded adds that bit of extra confusion.
They just closed duty-free shopping on the plane so we must be approaching the U.S. border. I managed to sleep for most of the flight so far. This may have been due to a few choice words to the child kicking the back of my seat. Corinne and I some how ended up sandwiched between to small children and an infant, just like the flight out. The kid was not evil, just obnoxious. I’m glad that the threat of being “told on” to his parents still holds some weight for some kids.
It was very nice to see Risa and a bonus to get to share some climbs with her. She has an admirable hunger for getting on climbs but also a balance to not have it be all-consuming. She’s exploring the streets of Milano right now before taking a train back to Switzerland. I hope her stroll is safe, pleasant, and provides a view of another facet of Italian life.
So, what is it like to travel with one spirited for person for two weeks in close quarters? In the case of Corinne, there was never a dull moment. She has a passion for the mountains and a desire to co-exist with them in a seamless way. While wanting to live in the mountains, she still holds in her heart, dearly, her family (as evident by her willingness to exceed carry-on weight limits and customs import allowances to bring gifts back for all of them).
It was an experience seeing and hearing Corinne’s thoughts. For the most part, the thoughts involved loving things like “long routes”, “beautiful peaks”, Gelato Sundaes”, “spaghetti”, “beautiful streets”. But, with all that Corinne was “loving” in Italy, she so often missed those at home. It was a unique experience traveling with this warm individual and my life is richer for it.
As this trip winds down, I think back to Cortina John who had three rules to live by…
1) Never play card with a stranger.
2) Never eat at a restaurant with the word “Mom’s” or “Momma’s” in a town you don’t know.
3) Never get involved with a woman with more problems than yourself.
I’m not sure what these all mean exactly. Perhaps they will make more sense as I embark on my own travels. But, so far, I have a few of my own…
1) Always stop by a roadside eatery where locals are laughing.
2) Never be in a rush if nothing very important is pushing or pulling you.
3) If something important is pushing or pulling you, then move with haste.
4) Toast to your friends’ health as much as you do for “World Peace”.
5) Don’t hesitate to eat in the same place twice, three, our four times, if it was a good experience.
6) Languages are as rich as the food, art, architecture. Always take a shot at it. If the locals smile, at least a little bit is due to them being happy that you are trying.
And, trying is all we can keep on doing.
auventura 1: adventure 2: What even everday tasks can be in a foreign land, as much scaling a peek. What JenFu wants to look for in all aspects of travel.
Today started a long time ago. There was the final packing last night. I knew that my pack weighed in at 67 pounds on the way out. With 70 pounds being the limit, I knew that there was no room for expansion. Everything gained on this trip had to make it into my new, larger, carry-on pack. I felt a little like a sham. Though I was sporting a beautiful Mammut alpine pack, I knew that it was filled with Grappa and liquor. I guess there were also my newly acquired guidebooks…that’s legit.
I have a guidebook addiction. I’m not sure why but if I can somehow justify buying one, I will. These justifications can fall into a few categories:
1) I need the guide because I actually climb there.
2) I need the guide because I will be climbing there.
3) I need the guide because I may climb there in the future.
4) I need the guide because I would really like to climb there, though it is very unlikely that I will at any time in the future…but if I buy the guide, I will somewhat magically end up going there.
So, as one can see, I can somehow end up with guides to just about anywhere.
My new “favorite” guide is my guide to Arco. Though it wasn’t officially released until today (too late for us since we are now on a plane), the owner of the guesthouse, Hans, was able to score me a copy out of the trunk of his friend’s car (one of the authors). This isn’t the first guide that I bought out of the trunk of a car but that’s another story. So, I love this guide that I could justify purchasing under reasons 1 and 3, even though it is written in German and we had time to use it for only 4 climbs over 1 afternoon.
It was sad leaving Arco. It was even more sad to do it at 3 AM. That was necessary considering the famous Milano traffic and my lack of proficiency navigating it. Even filling up the car before returning it to the rental company was a chore. With all of the gas stations on the way on the wrong side of the road, a u-turn became a leap of faith.
The self-serve system was a bit cryptic. And, the fact that gasoline actually means diesel and not regular unleaded adds that bit of extra confusion.
They just closed duty-free shopping on the plane so we must be approaching the U.S. border. I managed to sleep for most of the flight so far. This may have been due to a few choice words to the child kicking the back of my seat. Corinne and I some how ended up sandwiched between to small children and an infant, just like the flight out. The kid was not evil, just obnoxious. I’m glad that the threat of being “told on” to his parents still holds some weight for some kids.
It was very nice to see Risa and a bonus to get to share some climbs with her. She has an admirable hunger for getting on climbs but also a balance to not have it be all-consuming. She’s exploring the streets of Milano right now before taking a train back to Switzerland. I hope her stroll is safe, pleasant, and provides a view of another facet of Italian life.
So, what is it like to travel with one spirited for person for two weeks in close quarters? In the case of Corinne, there was never a dull moment. She has a passion for the mountains and a desire to co-exist with them in a seamless way. While wanting to live in the mountains, she still holds in her heart, dearly, her family (as evident by her willingness to exceed carry-on weight limits and customs import allowances to bring gifts back for all of them).
It was an experience seeing and hearing Corinne’s thoughts. For the most part, the thoughts involved loving things like “long routes”, “beautiful peaks”, Gelato Sundaes”, “spaghetti”, “beautiful streets”. But, with all that Corinne was “loving” in Italy, she so often missed those at home. It was a unique experience traveling with this warm individual and my life is richer for it.
As this trip winds down, I think back to Cortina John who had three rules to live by…
1) Never play card with a stranger.
2) Never eat at a restaurant with the word “Mom’s” or “Momma’s” in a town you don’t know.
3) Never get involved with a woman with more problems than yourself.
I’m not sure what these all mean exactly. Perhaps they will make more sense as I embark on my own travels. But, so far, I have a few of my own…
1) Always stop by a roadside eatery where locals are laughing.
2) Never be in a rush if nothing very important is pushing or pulling you.
3) If something important is pushing or pulling you, then move with haste.
4) Toast to your friends’ health as much as you do for “World Peace”.
5) Don’t hesitate to eat in the same place twice, three, our four times, if it was a good experience.
6) Languages are as rich as the food, art, architecture. Always take a shot at it. If the locals smile, at least a little bit is due to them being happy that you are trying.
And, trying is all we can keep on doing.
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