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Audio Entries

A Tiny House Movie Theater

Friday, February 26th, 2016

I have planned to build a music listening station and movie theater in our cottage since day one. At long last, this dream has come to fruition! When we were raising the bale walls, I ran speaker wire and HDMI cable through them to prepare. H...

Cantrip Scottish Trio Returns!

Thursday, July 23rd, 2015

One of the highlights of the fall of 2013 (truly an epic autumn) was going to see Cantrip, a rollicking, toe-tapping Scottish trio consisting of fiddler, piper, and guitarist. When I got an email from Cantrip's guitarist (I'll admit I let out a lit...

Strawbale Workshop, Day Four

Thursday, July 16th, 2015

Our workshop is going to be stunning. It was striking as an open-air structure, and a very small part of me was afraid we'd lose something by enclosing it. Boy was I was wrong. The strawbale walls everyone has worked so hard to raise only serve to ...

Karina & Ivica's Wedding Party

Saturday, May 24th, 2014

November 2013, in Photos, er, Music

Saturday, November 30th, 2013

Today marks the first time in four years that we don't have an overabundance of pictures to pick from for a monthly photo post. So, this entry is going to be about music instead. Two months ago, we both got instruments and started taking lessons....

The Love Sprockets

Wednesday, September 18th, 2013

This morning, we wake our guests with bacon and cheesy scrambled eggs, rich apple-cheddar scones and mugs of recently pressed apple cider. "Is this real? Jahnavi asks, her bleary eyes coming into focus, finding a feast of epic proportions set befor...

Paying it Forward

Tuesday, September 17th, 2013

This evening, just as the skies were darkening into a milky pink dusk, we turned on to route 7A, headed to our friend Jenna's house for an evening of board games and camaraderie. Rounding the corner, we passed a pair of touring cyclists, their hel...

Traditional Scottish Trio: Cantrip

Saturday, September 14th, 2013

Yesterday, while munching on apple cider donuts and chatting with Greer at Clear Brook, a yellow flier on the bulletin board caught my eye. On it was advertised a house concert in neighboring East Arlington that would be happening the very next day...

Peeling Bark

Tuesday, August 6th, 2013

Today, we woke early with the intention of spending the day debarking the posts of our timber frame workshop. We brought our big water jug down to the workshop site, and Tyler ordered a pizza from East Arlington Takout so we wouldn't crash and burn...

Workshop Slab Concrete Pour: Part One

Friday, July 26th, 2013

The day we've been preparing for is finally here. The workshop foundation is being poured! Our masons, Pete and Chris are the first to arrive, at 6:30AM. Next comes Rick, and then the concrete trucks, right on schedule at 7AM. Though we've only ju...

New Years in Pigeon Forge

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

As December came to a close, we drove to Tennessee for a spring-like New Year's weekend, joining some of my college friends for what has become an annual reunion. I was worried that it might be weird since I haven't seen most of them since well be...

Withering Autumn Beauty

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

Be empty. Be still. Just watch everything come and go. This is the way of Nature. Lao Tzu Zoë Keating - Lost ...

Land Hunting, Part Ten: Re-Engaging

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

As the sun sinks toward the horizon, we pull off the road, wheels crunching over the rutted dirt drive of a lakeside "Fish and Wildlife Area," hoping to find a secluded place to sleep. There's a truck parked near the shore, so we sit for a few min...

Thoughts on Returning: Part Three

Friday, August 5th, 2011

Tyler: We're back in Minnesota, now, and our time in New England is rapidly becoming a distant, fuzzy memory; some days, it feels as though we only imagined it. Our return has brought the pain of an ongoing family disagreement to the forefront o...

Sailing in Maine

Saturday, July 16th, 2011

Back in February of 2009, while Tara and I were preparing to leave the country, our friend Kit was seriously considering quitting her job to enroll in a boat-building apprenticeship. While we were off pursuing our own "crazy" dreams, she abandoned...

Into the Wild West: Part One

Friday, May 13th, 2011

The skies are purple this morning; the world is softly lit in a dull, silvery light. I was too exhausted last night to notice, but I parked right in front of an old red barn. It is home to a lone, stubbly donkey, who is munching away in his pastu...

Homecoming Roadtrip Begins

Thursday, May 12th, 2011

Tyler: I'm cruising down the freeway in our new car, a 2000 Honda Civic Hatchback; the windows are down, and Tara is sitting in the passenger's seat by my side, practically vibrating with excitement. She has yet to see the places through which w...

Sunday Streets in San Francisco: Part Two

Sunday, May 8th, 2011

Now sporting quite the entourage, we meandered around a corner and stumbled upon a collection of tricked-out low-riders, decked out with all kinds of hydraulics and air bags! On a nearby stoop, a stereo connected to a long extension cord was belti...

Sunday Streets in San Francisco: Part One

Sunday, May 8th, 2011

On a bright Sunday morning, we headed across the Bay to San Francisco's Mission District for brunch with Lian's friends, Max and Manjula. Though we'd never officially met them, we'd been in contact for quite awhile (and felt like long-lost pals af...

California I'm Comin' Home

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

Tara: Tyler is asleep next to me, and next to him, a man snoozes, his head against a plane window sparkling with lacy ice crystals. In the aisle to my right, perfectly coiffed flight attendants in their smart uniforms are beginning to rustle aro...

This is Jesse

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011

Jesse: It was a funny moment when I realized that Tara and Tyler would start their journey back to the States on the same flight as me. Their two-plus years traveling together has taken them through experiences and landscapes I have only glimps...

Music for Airports

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011

As I sit here in the florescent, mechanized, automized hub of all things coming and going, Tyler sleeps on a cold metal bench, the tips of his toes brushing against my legs. Waiting for the check-in desk to open, I plug in my headphones, put my mp...

Packed Up, Ready to Go

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011

Yesterday, Tyler disassembled the bikes in the lobby of our guest-house (with a cute little audience) and then joined me to clean the parts in the alleyway between Shanti Lodge and the next building over. It took several hours and most of the gaso...

Eccentric Writers

Tuesday, April 5th, 2011

We're starting to learn where the stereotype for the eccentric writer comes from. After typing non-stop every day for nearly a month, we have begun to develop a very idiosyncratic schedule in order to keep the words flowing. Everything must be "j...

May Kaidee's Cooking School

Thursday, March 17th, 2011

When Freddie mentioned she was hoping to register for a vegetarian/vegan Thai cooking class at the well-known (in the tourist world) May Kaidee Cooking School, it took approximately two milliseconds for me to decide I wanted to come with. So, Fred...

Homeward Bound: Part One

Sunday, February 20th, 2011

It seems that the nearer we draw to the close of this trip, the harder we're finding it to stay positive about the normal ebb and flow of traveling. We are aware of our shortening patience, so we've been making a concerted effort (even more than u...

Life in Vientiane

Saturday, February 19th, 2011

Vientiane feels more like a slightly large and modern village than a nation's capital. In spite of it's sizable (relatively speaking, here) population of two hundred some thousand inhabitants, the city retains that pleasant, poky vibe we've come t...

Tarred

Thursday, February 17th, 2011

Tyler: I'm still feeling sick this morning, but we're carrying on anyway, eager to meet Pete and Natasha in Vientiane in two-day's time. Today's route is a winding, hilly affair, and because we've accidentally slept in, all 90km of it is under t...

Up, Up and Out

Sunday, February 13th, 2011

After a fried rice and fried noodle breakfast this morning, during which a very pregnant mama kitty yowls non-stop at us for food (we obliged), we hop on our bikes to ride out of town. Just like it was the day before yesterday, this road, dubbed b...

Samson Zoom H4n: Review & Repair

Saturday, February 12th, 2011

In January of 2010, I bought my first sound recorder: a Samson Zoom H4n. At the time, I knew essentially nothing about field recording—I selected the device based on the recommendation of several musician friends. I didn't think of it at the time...

Afternoon in Muang Ngoi

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

After lazing in our hammocks and editing photos for a few hours, we're all hungry, ready to set off down Muang Ngoi's lone dirt road in search of food. There are plenty of options, as it turns out the village is sort of touristy—we decide on an In...

Welcome to Laos, Part Three: Music & Petang

Friday, January 28th, 2011

Tyler: After the goat feast, the festivities continue with music and games. Behind our table is a long strip of dirt where men gather for a petang match, one of Lao's favorite past-times. It's a holdover from French colonization, known there as...

A Very Long Bus Ride: Part One

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011

We've hardly been on the road an hour when our bus executes a wide left turn into a roadside restaurant parking lot. Lit up like a beacon in the night, the place has drawn a herd of giant coaches just like ours. They've all stopped here to fuel t...

On the Bus Again

Sunday, January 23rd, 2011

Tyler: After some long discussions and lots of hypothetical mapping, we've decided to catch another bus. This time, we're headed all the way to Hanoi. While we could likely ride there before our visas run out, it wouldn't leave us much time to ...

Hội An Lantern Festival: Part Two

Monday, January 17th, 2011

In a small cobbled park, situated between a pair of buildings in Hoi An's old town, a crowd has gathered. People shout and laugh raucously, while a man announces something in Vietnamese through a car-battery-powered PA. As we work our way through...

Hội An Lantern Festival: Part One

Monday, January 17th, 2011

Every fourteenth day of the lunar calendar, Hoi An puts the complications of modern life to rest in favor of a romantic, nostalgic celebration of a quieter era. Once a month, instead of playing host to noisy scooters, the old quarter is reserved f...

Arriving in Hội An

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

Gritty and dim, under an overcast early morning sky, we've arrived at just the right time to witness this historical town coming to life. On narrow streets filled with dark wooden homes, we cycle into the heart of Hội An; a living, breathing relic...

What's Wrong

Friday, December 31st, 2010

If we were toddlers, we would be dragging our feet, whining "I don't WANNA!" this morning. Since we're all grown up, we seethe quietly instead, and force ourselves out for another ride. As the day progresses, our inner toddlers win out just a lit...

On Noise & Nature

Thursday, December 30th, 2010

Being on the road today felt more like a chore than a grand adventure. Keeping my sour mood in check was a grim mental battle, and it was a fight which I found myself losing for the majority of our ride. I feel like a broken record complaining ab...

Armpits & Brothels

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010

Visa extensions in hand, we're finally ready to leave Ho Chi Minh City. After nine days of waiting, we're feeling fresh and ready to explore once more. Unfortunately, very little about this day turns out to be enjoyable, as Vietnam boasts the mos...

Vietnamese Funeral

Sunday, December 26th, 2010

It sounds like a brass band is playing inside our room. The horn section is so eye-poppingly loud that the musicians could very well be hiding in our mini fridge, or playing from the shower stall. A flick of the curtains reveals a band on the all...

Ho Chi Minh City's Taste of the World Festival

Sunday, December 26th, 2010

Exhausted from our Củ Chi tunnel adventure (mostly tired out from the ride there and back), we're enjoying some peace and quiet in our hotel room. By the time night falls, the noise of a party outside is clearly audible in our room. We're not ...

Củ Chi Tunnels: Part One

Sunday, December 26th, 2010

Our first introduction to the Củ Chi tunnels is a stroll through the lovely, innocuous woods above them. As we make our way to the first exhibit, leaves flutter on to the path, falling gently from the trees overhead. It's quiet and restful h...

A Skype Christmas

Saturday, December 25th, 2010

Pleasantly full from dinner, and feeling joyful about our unexpected visitors, we come home to our hotel room with a renewed sense of peace. At last, it's late enough for our families to be awake (we're twelve hours apart). Now we can call them o...

Mekong Delta Bike Paths

Friday, December 17th, 2010

Bolstered by a colorful market experience, and a steady succession of friendly smiles from local cyclists, we're having a spectacular morning. But, after less than twenty kilometers on the road, the excruciating off-key symphony of Vietnam's horn-...

Vietnamese Market Morning

Friday, December 17th, 2010

Tyler: This morning, determined to keep a positive attitude, we take to the teeming roads of Vietnam once more. Now mentally prepared to let the chaos wash over us, the constant dance of dodging people and oncoming traffic is actually pretty fun...

Peaceful Ride on Phú Quốc

Friday, December 10th, 2010

Tyler: The sound of waves lapping against the shore rings in another sleepy morning at our beach side bungalow. As the sun rises, we slowly rouse ourselves from a deep slumber, gently awakened by the warm light filtering in through the bamboo sl...

Ferry to Phú Quốc

Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

"Your passports, your passports!" the man shouts, speeding over to us on his scooter. We're loading our bikes on the ferry to Phú Quốc, heaving them over a railing at the front of the boat, but I turn around to see him approach, lifting his helmet...

Vietnamese Food

Sunday, December 5th, 2010

I had inkings that Vietnam might deliver some stellar eating, especially after we spent a few days with my friend Tony's Vietnamese grandmother in Berlin. Last night, Tara's barbecued pork was easily the most flavorful dish either of us could reca...

Cambodia's Bon Om Thook... (Or Not)

Saturday, November 20th, 2010

We're feeling quiet, ready for an evening inside, when we see fireworks light up the night sky from our hotel window. It's the opening night of Phnom Penh's Bon Om Thook, Cambodia's annual Water Festival, celebrating the end of the rainy season. ...

Cambodia's Bamboo Railway: Part Two

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

Tyler is standing behind me, next to the conductor, holding our bikes upright – I'm scrunched on the platform in front of them, trying to maneuver myself off the broken slats and onto some of the strong-looking wooden beams beside me. With so litt...

Electricity in Rural Cambodia

Monday, November 15th, 2010

Less than 20% of rural households have access to grid-quality electricity services. Almost all people in rural areas use firewood for cooking, kerosene for lighting, and lead-acid rechargable batteries for household appliances. Energy use is in...

Riding in Cambodia: A Day in Pictures

Saturday, November 13th, 2010

While we are really enjoying our time in Cambodia, there is one thing we would change: the long distances between accomodation. With no tent, we're regularly cycling much further than we'd like (100-120km) in a single day. This morning, we have a...

Slow Boat to Battambang: Part Three

Thursday, November 11th, 2010

Tyler: I am digging through our backpack for some food, when our friend Genevieve stops by. She's excited to inform me that there is an enormous praying mantis on the railing at the back of the boat. As if I didn't think Genevieve was cool enou...

Slow Boat to Battambang: Part One

Thursday, November 11th, 2010

Tyler: It's another 5AM morning, but we're not cycling to the temples for a change. Instead, we're sitting on the front step of our hotel, waiting. We could have easily ridden to our destination, the boat dock for our sailing to Battambang, but...

Apsara & Shadow Puppets

Sunday, November 7th, 2010

For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated by puppetry. I even worked for a short time making massive props and puppets in London at Emergency Exit Arts when I was in college. So, when we were first planning our adventure, I was naturall...

Temples of Angkor: The Road to Banteay Srei

Saturday, November 6th, 2010

Tyler: After exploring Bayon temple, we cycle northwards in the Angkor Thom city complex, passing the enigmatic Prasat Suor Prat towers. There are twelve of them, mostly identical, and nobody knows what they are used for. As well, they don't sh...

Hello, Sir

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

We're taking a day off, letting our aching muscles recover from a long day yesterday. Tomorrow, we start our three day tour at the temples of Angkor. In the meantime, we're checking out the city on our unloaded bikes. I can already tell ...

Making for Cambodia

Sunday, October 31st, 2010

We're heading east, making our way towards Cambodia this afternoon. Before we take to the highway, we stop at the local market so I can satisfy my budding smoothie obsession. Today, it is a neon-green, melon-flavored concoction, with orange and y...

Working in Dong Khi Lek

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

Stopped for a few days, we're enjoying the peace and quiet around the palm-lined property of our hotel. There's a temple nearby whose meditative music drifts in on the breeze, giving us a pleasant soundtrack as we work on our various projects. ...

Chasing Waterfalls

Sunday, October 24th, 2010

Tara: It is with immense relief that we cycle away from our second dingy bungalow, heading towards the Park's exit. First, we're going to see some waterfalls, and then, we're outta here. However, when we arrive at "Orchid campsite" where the tr...

Into the Jungle: Part One

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

Tara: Under the ugly flickering fluorescent lights of our dingy National Park barracks, I gingerly take a seat on the questionably clean bedsheets, and survey our home for the night. These overpriced accommodations are a complete dump, but I am ...

To the Bungalow

Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

Without the constant mental mantra of find water, find food, find a free-camp running through my mind, I find I am more relaxed. Here in Thailand, there is abundance. Food is plentiful, in the form of vendors and markets generally only a few step...

Thai Food Feast

Friday, October 15th, 2010

Being waited on hand-and-foot gracefully is not our strongest suit. Invariably, it involves numerous rounds of awkward back and forth – us reflexively insisting on doing everything for ourselves, then relenting when we realize that we're spurning ...

Muay Thai: Boxing in Bangkok

Sunday, October 10th, 2010

I arrive on foot alone, covered in sweat, an hour into the event. Approaching the arena, a woman quotes a series of cringe-inducing ticket prices for the various levels of access, most probably reserved for farang. For a split second, I wonder ho...

Bangkok Canals: Long-Tail Boat Tour

Saturday, October 9th, 2010

Tyler: At our friend Neisha's suggestion, we've booked a trip on the rivers and canals around Bangkok. Normally, our guide leads twenty or more people on this tour, but for reasons unknown, we are the only people with a booking for this particu...

Wat Pho

Friday, October 8th, 2010

Swinging a leg over my bike, I am instantly awash in a joyous feeling that permeates our rides in Bangkok. Biking in this city is fun! This morning, under the benevolent gaze of Thailand's dweeby-looking royalty, observing us from their huge, dec...

Flying to Bangkok

Monday, October 4th, 2010

We're groggy and tired, bouncing around in a taxi that feels like it could be a louage. Our driver hums along to the radio, while every joint in the body of his rickety van creaks and squeaks and complains about its old age and neglect. Out of th...

Ulaan Baatar's Gandan Monastery

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

I was pretty disappointed by Ulaan Baatar's Gandan monastery. Between the hawkers trying to sell us cheap crap, the strong warning in our guidebook about pickpockets, and the monks texting and talking on their cellphones during the chants, I spent...

Back to Basics

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Back to at the car park, Tara is busy journaling. Striding in to meet her, I can hardly believe we've done it! Cheering, high-fives and a recounting of the last few hours ensues. Then, as much as I want to collapse and call it a day, I get to wo...

Turning in the Keys, The Fate of LRC: Part Six

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Pulling into a parking space at the customs building, I feel like I am fourteen years old again, taking our beloved but very sick family cat to the Humane Society to be put down. Walking into the brick building, I am holding out hope that the hard...

Mongolian Customs, The Fate of LRC: Part Four

Monday, September 27th, 2010

It is Monday morning, and we're about to see if we can give our car to Mongolia. Tom from the Adventurists has told us to go to the customs office, so that's where we're headed. "Okay, get psyched up", I say to myself. It's going to be one of th...

Rocking Out

Saturday, September 25th, 2010

Now that we have some semblance of a plan involving our car, we're able to enjoy ourselves a little. The team is holding a beard competition! After the elimination stages, only two members remain. The final round will be put to a group vote. ...

Leaving Altai

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010

Tara: I've read that there is a market in Altai, right next to our hotel. As a visitor, I can't see how you'd ever discover this without being told. The only telltale sign is an incomprehensible voice yelling over a distant loudspeaker outside ...

The Rock Tumbler

Saturday, September 11th, 2010

Tyler and I have talked many times about how this trip has been one gigantic exercise in personal growth. All of our silly idiosyncrasies, the many niggling things we do to get in our own way, and a multitude of habits which we could improve upon…...

Back to Ölgii

Monday, September 6th, 2010

Glorious morning views are waiting to greet us as we reluctantly crawl out of our warm sleeping bag today. Yellowing fields stretch far and wide around us, hugged by a series of awe-inspiring mountains. Our camp is nestled near the lake in this s...

Mongolia!

Saturday, September 4th, 2010

It is early afternoon by the time we're prepared to leave the Mongolian border. As we make our way towards the gate, the guards on patrol smile and wave enthusiastically. After we pass them by, the barrier which held us captive in no-man's land l...

Morning at the Border

Saturday, September 4th, 2010

My nose feels like an ice-cube this morning. The rest of my cramped body is, thankfully, much more inhabitable – safely wrapped in numerous layers of clothing and sleeping bags. It was a group effort last night, staying warm and comfortable. If ...

Morning Chai

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

It is a chilly grey morning. Heavy clouds hang overhead, threatening rain. Even so, we pack our camp at a leisurely pace, paying no mind to the potential deluge. Once everything is in order, I direct Tyler through our field of car-high grasses, ...

Off the Beaten Path

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Our last adventure in the Siberian countryside left us feeling like it might be a good idea to stick to the highway for at least a few days. Though off-roading in our LRC is exciting, we want to be sure we'll actually make it to our final Russian ...

Russia's Golden Ring: Suzdal

Monday, August 9th, 2010

The tiny town of Suzdal is purportedly the home of more than one hundred architectural monuments (and fifteen monasteries too). We're still a little unclear on what actually constitutes a monument, but all of them are packed into the space of a fe...

Russia's Golden Ring: Rostov

Friday, August 6th, 2010

The cities on our Golden Ring tour are teeming with ancient architecture, including loads of Russia's iconic onion domes. Leaving Petroslavl-Zalessky, Tara read from a website I'd saved about our next picturesque, church-filled destination of Rost...

TGI Friday's on Sunday

Sunday, August 1st, 2010

This morning, Evgeniy came up with a brilliant idea. He suggested we buy a fishing pole to take advantage of all the lakes and rivers in Siberia! He and his wife Svetlana were planning on going shopping anyway, so it worked out nicely. Early thi...

Special Day

Saturday, July 31st, 2010

Here we are, in Red Square, in Moscow. We can hardly believe it! The first thing we notice is not the giant statue of Lenin or the colorful oniony domes of St. Basil's Cathedral, however, but some of the tallest, skinniest woman we've ever seen, ...

Heat Wave

Monday, July 26th, 2010

St. Petersburg is currently setting all-time records for heat. We're not enthusiastic about going out this morning, but we need to get our visas registered. Though we have three business days to complete this required task, we've decided we're no...

Into Saint Petersburg

Sunday, July 25th, 2010

Tyler: We've just crossed the Russian border, and are now driving towards St Petersburg. As we cruise through the familiar scenery of birch and pine forests, I flip on the radio. A crackly voice comes in through the speakers as cars speed by us...

Christmas in July

Monday, July 19th, 2010

Santa's Village in Roveniemi, Finland was our big attraction for the day. Apparently, it rests right on the line where the Arctic circle begins. At first we were pretty disappointed, it was mostly shops selling cheap souvenirs and jewelery. ...

Saami Museum

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

We stayed at our hotel late into the morning, sleeping restfully in the novel darkness afforded by closed curtains. When we finally roused ourselves around 10AM, our overpriced, stingy hotel redeemed itself somewhat by providing a multi-buffet fea...

Amethyst Mining

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

We're falling into a nice routine with Finland. It goes something like this: swim in the morning, tear down camp, drive through beautiful pine forests, swim before lakeside lunch, enjoy said lunch, drive some more, set up camp, swim before dinner,...

Roadside Oddities

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

Here we are, just drivin' through Finland, when we come to an abrupt halt because we've officially reached reindeer territory. There are loads of them, just milling about on the highway. Here they are, calmly oblivious to the incessant honking di...

Lake Hopping

Sunday, July 11th, 2010

Today, we are making ourselves at home in Finland. We've ditched the itineraries we found online, and are simply winging it as we head north towards the Arctic Circle. Feeling as free as we did on our bicycles, we poke along, likely to the annoya...

Sandcastles and Lakes

Saturday, July 10th, 2010

Today, we left Helsinki and headed into the Finnish countryside. It was a relief to leave the expensive city behind, watching metallic cityscapes transition into woods and forest. For our route, Tyler found several driving itineraries from a Scan...

Into Estonia

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

Tyler: As I checked us out of our campsite this morning, I sheepishly handed a note to the woman working in the office. Before packing our tent, I had torn a piece of paper from one of our notebooks, consulted google translate, and carefully scr...

Baltic Amber Road

Saturday, July 3rd, 2010

I wake up at 7:00 AM to stifling sun, blaring techno, and a very grumpy Tyler. Hoo boy, is he cranky after a night of no sleep. We get to work packing immediately. Thankfully there is little but the tent to take down. As we remove the rain-f...

Up All Night

Saturday, July 3rd, 2010

Normally, I can sleep through just about anything. For some reason, last night was a miserable exception to this rule. With Tara enviably dead to the world next to me, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep for most of the night. It didn't help th...

Over the River and Through the Woods

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Tyler: Stopping to take photos is definitely easier when you're on a bicycle. But, we don't let that deter us. When there is no shoulder, we just hang our camera (or, if you are me, yourself) out of the car window to snap pictures as the scener...

In the Map

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

Tyler: We leave Janka's apartment this morning, supplied with two big boxes of Polish chocolates, ham and cheese sandwiches, heartfelt hugs, and enthusiastic well wishes. As we pull away, waving wildly, Tara and I feel simultaneously overwhelmed...

Road Trip Begins!

Monday, June 21st, 2010

We spent our last day with Nadine and Felix checking off the final items from our to-do list. These were mostly our shopping-related chores. Namely, finding them fun T-shirts, and finding us the things we'd need for our little red car. The co...

Dresden Thunderstorm

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

It rained on and off all day. Nice, warm, summer rain. This evening, we enjoyed our most dramatic thunderstorm yet! ...

Hiking in the Bavarian Alps

Monday, May 24th, 2010

After drinking some of the best coffee I've had in recent memory (hand ground by Felix, brewed in a shiny silver cafetiere, and finally dolloped with foam frothed in a French press) we made our way to the train station. At one of the station's bak...

A Ride in Munich

Sunday, May 23rd, 2010

This morning we met Felix and Nadine at the "Rathaus Glockenspiel", a famous attraction in downtown Munich. Every day at 11AM and 5PM, the clock tower in the town hall comes to life with bells, chimes and animatronics. As we watched old...

No Bikes Allowed: A Train Story, Part Two

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

12:29 AM Four hours since our train left us behind, we're back on platform three, waiting. A train whistle sounds in the distance, and people start filing across the rails to join us. The station agent who promised to help us is nowhere in sigh...

Come and Gone: A Train Story, Part One

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

4:30 PM / Tara After a long, cold, wet, hilly day of cycling, we arrive in Sighişoara and head directly to the train station. Tyler goes in to ask about tickets to Munich, while I stay outside to guard the bikes. I am soaked and shivering, cupp...

Sounds of Sibiu

Sunday, May 16th, 2010

I was roused this morning around 7AM by a raucous, twittering racket just outside our tent. The early birds in the trees surrounding us were tweeting and chirping so loudly they may as well have been in our tent. I felt like my eight year old sel...

120 Kilometer Day

Saturday, May 15th, 2010

As we were eating breakfast this morning (a heartier, double portion of yesterday's delicious sausage and egg feast), Lily informed us that today's weather was supposed to be "crazy". According to the forecast, thunderstorms and record rainfall wo...

A Walk in Braşov

Friday, May 14th, 2010

We started the morning off with a delicious breakfast cooked by Lily, the woman who owns Casa Timar. Along with her husband and grown son, she runs their family's cozy pensiune. This morning we exchanged stories about Italian travel while we enjo...

Exploring Bucharest

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

After sleeping in, and enjoying the morning with music playing the background (something of a revelation to us after so long on the road), Robert cooked us breakfast. He refused any help and told us the plan for the day while we ate. He had creat...

Lazy Saturday

Saturday, May 1st, 2010

Let's just face facts. We never get on the road before 10:00 AM. Okay, not never, but rarely. Even in the sweltering hot summertime, when it is prudent to get moving early to save ourselves from the brutal afternoon sun, we still stay up late wo...

A Life Less Ordinary

Monday, April 26th, 2010

The first day back on the road after a brief interlude of buffet breakfasts and silky sheets can be a little difficult, especially when it looks like rain. As we wheeled out of the Hotel Anna parking lot Tara was more than a little wistful. I was...

Into Romania

Friday, April 16th, 2010

With a good attitude, relatively clean bikes, and the excitement that comes from approaching a new country, we breakfasted on our new staple of bread, butter, and honey, and set off towards a better day. Under sunny skies, over flat, blessedly ...

Serbian Hospitality

Saturday, April 3rd, 2010

Before we left, we received numerous warnings that Eastern Europe would be a dangerous, depressing, soul-suck full of steely thousand yard glares and ferocious dogs. So far, these stereotypes couldn't be further from the truth. The genuine kindne...

Hello Serbia

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

Three hundred and sixty five days of travel. Nine countries and fifteen thousand kilometers covered by bicycle, foot, ferry, train, mobylette and camel. More than four hundred journal entries. Fast approaching one hundred free-camps. I wanted a...

Springtime in Macedonia

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

Riding out of hilly Stip was a wonderful thing. Once we left the city limits, we were treated to a ever-so-slight downhill that lasted almost all day. A sky full of puffy clouds vacillated between looking gorgeous and somewhat menacing. ...

Athens General Strike

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

I had trouble getting to sleep last night. As rest eluded me, I lay awake for what seemed like hours, staring at the ceiling with anticipation. It was late when I finally drifted off, and quite early when I awoke. If I was tired, I didn't notice...

Greek Economic Crisis

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Signs of the economic crisis occurring Greece are easy to find in Athens. We frequently pass police in full riot gear, we've seen several protests during our short time here, and taxes have risen (on some goods, to astronomical levels!). I won't ...

Athens Markets

Saturday, March 6th, 2010

Apart from buying groceries and cooking, we've spent the majority of the last week cooped up in the apartment staring into our respective computer screens, working away. In a welcome change of pace, we decided to put down our projects and head out...

Buskers of Athens: Part #2

Friday, March 5th, 2010

One of the few things Tara and I really like about big cities are the buskers. We love going out for a walk here, if only in the hopes of stumbling upon a good musician. Athens doesn't disappoint! This jazzy duo winked at us when we left coin...

Buskers of Athens: Part #1

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

During our walk around Athens yesterday, we ran into lots of buskers. We only got recordings of two of them, but I think we'll capture a few more over the next week. There were numerous accordion players of varying skill levels wandering arou...

Climbing in Crete

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

I drift in and out of sleep, in a very cozy morning haze. I think I hear a truck crunching over gravel… probably Pietro off to milk his sheep. Before I drift back into unconsciousness, the thought: "so glad that's not me" crosses my mind. I roll...

Pushing Through Paradise

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

We were thankful for the shelter of our tiki hut this morning when we discovered it had rained in the night. We really and truly no longer take having a roof over our heads for granted! Since the area was rather deserted, and we rarely concern ou...

Coasting in Crete

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

We found a thin layer of ice crystals covering everything outside this morning. Thankfully the sun soon melted away the frost, showering the Lasithi Plateau with glorious, warm light. As we packed, Tyler said (as he often does at the start of a n...

Lasithi Plateau and Dikteon Andron Cave

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Last night when I downloaded our GPS tracks I was surprised to find that yesterday was our third biggest climbing day of the trip! The only two rides that topped it were Julierpass in Switzerland and Verdon Gorge in France, two equally stunning da...

Celebrating Sunday

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

I would never have imagined this to be true, but many of our favorite days involve slowly climbing mountains. As long as we bring copious amounts of food, start the day with a positive attitude, and make sure to take our time, it almost always mak...

What Traffic?

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

After one last dirty parade through the lobby of our Corinth hotel, we rode off under grey but mercifully dry skies heading east along the coast. Our destination for the day was Piraeus, the port town of Athens. From there we would catch a ferry ...

What Matters

Saturday, February 6th, 2010

We awoke excited about our plans for the day. Last night I'd discovered that just ten kilometers away was a town with a rack and pinion railway leading into the mountains. Our guidebook said it was spectacular and not to be missed, trundling up t...

Partying Patras

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

The first five minutes of earth-shakingly loud techno music BLASTING into our Patras hotel room at 11:00 AM was kind of fun. (OOH DANCE PARTY!) After the five minute mark the novelty had worn off and we began to wonder who was making such a racke...

Ciao Bella!

Monday, February 1st, 2010

Though the day dawned brilliantly, the sun wasn't providing much in the way of warmth. Amidst millions of shimmering dewdrops in our churchyard free-camp, we groggily blew into our chilly hands and dutifully started our morning routine. I rolled ...

Coasting

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

According to our database, after ten months on the road we've ascended 108,469 meters and descended 108,215 more. Imperially speaking, that is nearly 70 miles in each direction. We have officially cycled up enough hills to take us into space. Co...

Matera Sassi

Friday, January 29th, 2010

"Please don't be raining please don't be raining please don't be raining"… I repeated over and over while waiting for Tyler to come back from a quick trip outside to check the weather this morning. To my relief, he returned with a smile: lots of ...

Just Right

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

We've only been here two nights and two days but Tara and I enthusiastically agree; we think we'd like to live here. The city of Potenza has a particular vibe, a quiet welcoming sort of quality about it which we both immediately noticed when we ar...

Climbing in the Cold

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

The day didn't start out very cold. In fact, the first twenty five kilometers of our trek east were just beautiful; much flatter than I expected they would be too! We cruised through non-stop civilization with huge grins plastered on our faces fo...

Field Recording

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

During yesterday's ride, we enjoyed the Amalfi scenery on our second trip through it's unforgettable coastline. Though it provided spectacular views once more, we'd forgotten how mountainous the area is. Today, we were hoping for something a litt...