August 2010
5 posts
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Past Couple of Months in Review
I wanted to highlight 5 of my favorite posts from the past couple of months:
100 Days on the Road
A True French Dinner
Two Months on the Road, Travel Planning Secrets
How to Deal with Your Mail While Traveling the World
How to Pack Your Backpack for a 9 Month Trip
Hope you enjoy!
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Where We've Been
As expected, our trip has changed shape a couple times. We have only been planning about 1-2 weeks in advance, sometimes less. This is easy to do when you are open to all forms of accommodations. The Eurail pass helps as well as we can decide to pickup and leave whenever, oftentimes without even needing even a reservation. The following is a list of all the places we visited during our trip and...
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Coming Back Home
We are returning to South Florida after 5 months of travel for a short break before we spend a couple more weeks on the road. This trip has taught me a lot about life and I am really glad to have been able to spend the time traveling, seeing friends and family and enjoying new experiences. I really needed some time off to recharge my batteries after 10 years of uninterrupted work. I feel ready to...
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Where We've Slept
In the past six months we have sleep in (in no particular order):
Hotel (1 thru 5 stars)
Friend’s and family houses
Hostel
Hostal
Tent at a campground
Mobile home at a campground
Train seats
Train sleeper car (2, 3, 4, and 6 person sleepers)
Ferry
Airplane
Bed and Breakfast
Rented apartment
Some of those accommodations were booked in advance, some were not. We spent about 40%...
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Ciao Italy, Hello Greece
Today we embark in what will likely be one of the most difficult and unpredictable legs of the entire trip. We are leaving from Sorrento, Italy to Athens, Greece in something like an amazing race. From Sorrento we take a train to Napoli, then to Benevento, then Foggia then another one to Bari. From Bari we must get from the train station to the port, take a 16 hour ferry to Patras. Once we arrive...
July 2010
13 posts
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Tuscany
We camped at the awesome camping Colleverde in Siena.
We hiked to the top of the Siena Cathedral and got an amazing view of the city.
We tasted wine inside a cave at Enoteca Italiana.
We drank some delicious coffee (Caffé Lungo Macchiato)
We enjoyed a great Jazz band inside a fortress.
We relaxed under the leaning tower of Pisa.
We visited Florence and its world wonder...
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Wear Deodorant
Do you know that old inspirational video that always seems to be going around on the web called “Wear Sunscreen”? If you haven’t watched it yet, you should. However inspiring that video may be, I am not going to write about that today. I want to write about people not wearing deodorant.
We have spent the last couple months traveling the European continent and I’ve have...
Lessons for Leaders
I would like to share a great book I just finished reading by Kevin Miller owner of New Leaders. It’s a quick read and ideal if you are planning to start or run your own business. Here is a great quote from the book:
“You will only have a few chances to get your business right. If you don’t succeed within a certain amount of time, it is lights out. Early customers are faithful, but...
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Cinque Terre
Probably one of the prettiest landscapes on earth. The Cinque Terre is located in Northern Italy in the Liguria region of the country. A must see if you enjoy nature, the ocean and simple life. We stayed just outside of the Cinque Terre, in La Spezia, a 10 minute ride into Riomaggiore the first of the 5 towns. The other 4 towns are a few minutes away from each other by train.
This place is...
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Not Caring What People Think is Hard
But you have to let it go. If you spend your life worrying about what people think you will regret it, and you won’t achieve your full potential. I would never advocate being selfish, that is of my least favorite character flaws of the human kind. I am talking about living your life to the fullest, taking advantage of every minute and making proper decisions regardless of most people’s...
“Only when you lose everything are you free to do anything.”
– Tyler Durden
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Croatia
We are now in Venice, and it’s hot as hell here. We spent the past 7 days in Split, Croatia. I had no idea Croatia was so beautiful. A country only recenttly freed from Soviet union powers has a lot to offer.
The people are there are incredible helpful and very nice to talk to. Overall I was extremely surprised and would highly recommend a visit to anyone.
More pictures from Croatia.
...
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My Setup in Split, Croatia
I didn’t do any work.
I didn’t have to don anything but to enjoy the sun, beach and good company.
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Sometimes You Just Have to Jump
Me taking a dive in Split, Croatia. Life can be scary sometimes. Once you face your fears the payoff can be huge.
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100 Days on the Road
As I sit here on a train from Berlin to Budapest shoved into a couchette like a sardine who’s too large for its can I contemplate the last 100 days. Traveling is about expecting the unexpected. Sometimes you get 5 star treatment, other times someone will piss on your tent and you will be just fine with it. Life is a bit that way you see, some days everything seems to work just fine. You...
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Reliable Internet is Hard to Come By
I just don’t understand what the problem really is. After traveling for over 90 days, I have experience internet connectivity problems virtually everywhere we’ve been. I can speak for United States including Puerto Rico, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany and The Netherlands. Places like McDonalds and Starbucks and mostly all other spots which advertise in big bold letters:...
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Amsterdam, Cologne and The Rhine River Valley
The past couple weeks have been pretty interesting. I haven’t written in a while, mainly because I haven’t had time to sit with the computer for long enough to write. Today I am writing in reverse chronological order as it makes the most sense to me right now.
I am currently on a train from Amsterdam to Hamburg, Germany. Amsterdam was a blast. The city clearly caters to tourists, in a nice way...
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The Past 90 Days
Since I left for this trip 90 days ago I decided one of my goals would be to simplify my life. Here is how it’s coming along.
We sold our condo and most of our possessions, canceled most services which required a bill paid monthly, cut down the number of credit cards to a bare minimum. We got rid of our cars and packed all the rest into a storage unit. Believe it or not this was not too...
June 2010
16 posts
2 tags
A True French Dinner
A couple days ago we got recommended an authentic french restaurant for dinner. I was personally looking forward to a hearty meal after so many cheese and wine picnics. We got an incredible deal and delicious food.
A delicious Foie Gras salad
Followed by Escargot Entree
Magret de Canard Plat &
Closing with Crème brûlée
All of that for €35.
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Marseille, Dijon and Beaune Pictures
I don’t have much time but wanted to share some new France pictures I uploaded.
Marseile
Dijon
Beaune
“He who’s not busy being born, is busy dying.”
– Bob Dylan
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Leaving the South of France
We are leaving the south of France tomorrow morning in route to Dijon. I really enjoyed the time. Provence and Cotê D’Azur have some of the most beautiful places on earth. The pictures certainly don’t lie.
Cassis
Hyeres
Aix-en-Provence
See the best pictures from the south of France.
Feel free to share this post with someone you think may benefit from it. Also remember to...
“A happy living is about sorounding yourself with those you love and things you...”
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Spain and Portugal Pictures
I have been uploading a bunch of pictures from the past few weeks, including Spain, Portugal and the south of France.
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Where to Go? What to Do?
Planning an itinerary can be a daunting task. Questions like where to go, what to do there? A couple of you asked how we are planning our trip so here it is.
American’s are allowed to stay in Europe for 90 days in a 180 day period. We decided to take a cruise from Puerto Rico to Barcelona so Spain and Portugal were the obvious choices. We also have a 3 month unlimited rail pass. This...
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What do I Miss?
Before I embarked on this trip I spent a good amount of time reading blogs of other world nomads alike. Most of them at one time or another mentioned missing certain things from home. Anything from Kit-kat to cheeseburgers, to soda’s with ice. I don’t miss any of that. You can get all of that stuff all over the world these days.
I do miss friends and family. I miss the day to day...
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Leaving Spain
We are currently on a train from Madrid to Toulouse, France. Spain was incredible. I quickly fell in love with the south of the country.
Our last stop in Spain was Madrid. Last year we spend a couple days in Barcelona, one of my favorite cities of all time. Many people told me if I liked Barcelona I probably not enjoy Madrid, I kept and open mind. I do prefer Barcelona, but Madrid is just as...
“Many people with jobs have a fantasy about all the amazing things they would do...”
– Paul Buchheit
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Two Months on the Road, Travel Planning Secrets
After traveling for 2 months I have collected a few tips I believe can make traveling and travel planning a bit more enjoyable.
Most of the following tips are targeted to European travel but they also apply to many other areas of the world.
Plan Ahead, But not too far ahead
I like to stay two weeks ahead. One week is too little. Every two weeks I’ll spend about 4-6 hours planning the...
May 2010
14 posts
“Life does not ask what we want. It presents us with options.”
– Michael McFaul
Leaving Portugal
We are leaving Portugal today. The past 9 days have been incredible. Lisbon was a bit smelly but beautiful. The whole city is kissed by the Atlantic ocean, breeze and charming.
We spent a couple days in Estoril and Cascais. Here I found some of the most beautiful beaches I’ve seen. The way the ocean challanged the rocks was refreshing. Man made ocean pools allowed kids to play safely in...
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Avoiding ATM & Credit Card Fees Overseas
Travelers Cheques are out the window. Nobody uses them anymore. I like to start with just a bit of cash in the local currency while traveling abroad, enough to pay for one night at a cheap hotel plus a cab.
You can VERY quickly find and ATM anywhere in South and North America, Europe and Asia. Once I do find an ATM I like to take out enough cash for week. This can become expensive if you consider...
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Spain and Portugal
We spend the last 2 weeks traveling between the south of Spain and Portugal.
Spain was a blast, we only spent 1 day in Barcelona, since we had already visited the previous year. We then took a train to Granada to visit Alhambra. The Alhambra is absolutely incredible, see pictures.
We then took a train to Sevilla, Spain where we spent the next 3 days with a day trip to Cordoba to see the...
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Heavy Backpacks
A couple days ago, while in Seville, Spain Paula and I decided that our backpacks were too heavy. Carrying 50+ pounds on our backs was too much.
We have already left 95% of our possessions behind, but that still was not enough. The next morning we went thru our packs again and set aside 21 pounds of non essential items that we could afford to ship back home. The items included sleeping bags,...
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Travel Planning is Stressful
Believe me travel planning can easily be a full time job. Here are just a couple things one has to consider before arriving at a new place.
How to get there (plane, train, bus)
Where to stay (hostel, hostal, hotel, camp grounds)
How to get from the arrival station to the place where you will be sleeping (public transportation, maps, cabs, walking)
Weather at the place you will be arriving
...
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“The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all.”
– Richard Branson
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In the Middle of the Atlantic Ocean
It’s been a while since I’ve blogged. The reason is pretty simple. I have been on a transatlantic cruise for the past 7 days crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
The “Adventure of the Seas” is incredible. The amenities stack up pretty high. We have about 300 miles left to go before we hit our fist stop, La Palma, Canary Islands. The past seven days of cruising have been out of...
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Cruising
Tomorrow we start our trip from Puerto Rico to Barcelona. I will likely be without internet access for the majority of the time during the next 15 days. We’ll be stopping in 3 Canary Islands, Cadiz, Spain and a final destination of Barcelona, Spain.
Photo by OneEighteen
Expect to see new posts starting May 15th.
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Enjoying Life in Puerto Rico
I am loving Puerto Rico. I had no clue such a small island had so much to offer. Desert, forest, swamp and beaches to no end.
The weather has been beautiful everyday. We arrived a couple days ago and I have enjoyed literally every second of it. We spent the first night in San Juan on a pretty little Pousada in Condado. That night Paula and I took a cab to Old San Juan to checkout the city. The...
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“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to...”
– Jack Kerouac
April 2010
37 posts
2 tags
Top Hotel and Car Rental Travel Resources Online
Long time travel can be very expensive. Research is king if you want to stick to a budget. I want to share some less known online resources I have been collecting over the past couple of months.
Airfarewatchdog.com
You can use AirfareWatchdog to track time-sensitive airline deals too hard to track on your own. Unlike other airfare search engines AirfareWatchdog also tracks Southwest and...
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Paint Creek Hike, Cherokee National Forest
We drove for about 1 hour today to the Cherokee National forest to hike Lower Paint Creek. It’s a very steep 5 minute hike to the top where you see both Paint Creek river and French Broad river meet. There are also native indian paintings on the side of the rock.