my colleague and i decided to hit the Borough Market today and managed to miss being in the middle of chaos by minutes.

we were crossing the Jubilee Bridge by the London Eye when an absurd number of police were seen across the way on the Westminster Bridge…..helicopters, emergency vehicles, the works.  since we work on Market St. in SF and sirens are an everyday occurrence, we continued on our way to the market, where we enjoyed a delicious grilled cheese and hot apple cider.

it wasn’t until later we saw the report of the tragic events at Parliament. scary to think had we been one bridge over things could have turned out very different for us this afternoon.

my heart goes out to all those families affected.

it sounds like a children’s book doesn’t it?  i haven’t been to London since 2015, but i’m back now, for the next 11 nights.  this is a work trip, and since we’re here for so long we’ve rented a flat instead of staying at a hotel, just to be a bit more comfortable, plus it will save money.

i originally went to VRBO and Airbnb for a flat rental, but then came across a site called the Plum Guide.  it’s like the other sites, but they take it one step further with personal customer service.  we wanted to be walking distance to the office, didn’t want to be in the middle of party town and needed enough space for two.  the very nice person at the PG provided me with three options, and we ended up booking a two bedroom flat in the Fitzrovia district.

so far so good.  a nice manager called Ellie met me at the flat and got me situated, and rang the taxi driver for me when i realized i had left my mobile in the taxi.  whoops. thank you Ellie.  the flat is as pictured, well appointed and certainly well situated. also, the couch is perfectly acceptable for a nap.

post nap there was some coffee and a bourbon, i know….counteracting beverages, but you can’t have a coffee for cocktail hour, that isn’t right.  shortly we’ll venture out for some dinner, and then i’m just hoping i can stay up till 9 PM.  i feel if i can make it until 9 PM and sleep at least until 6 AM i’ll be in good shape.  i’ll get back to you about that.

i recently received an email stating that it was time for my renewal to keep this fine blog alive and well.  i thought, of course i want to renew, i’m not letting the blog fall by the wayside. then i sadly realized that i hadn’t posted anything in a very long time.

it’s really no surprise, i haven’t done much travel recently that i thought would be of interest, so i haven’t written anything.  but sometimes simple local travel can be fun and worthwhile to write about.  going forward i’m going to try and be better about posting, although no one ever reads this except me when i’m feeling nostalgic….

as i mentioned i haven’t done much travel recently, but back in December i did celebrate my one year anniversary in Sebastopol, so let me share a couple of my local favorite things.

Doran Beach – it’s the closest beach to my house, a mere 20 minutes away. not the most popular of the Sonoma County beaches, so it tends to be less crowded than some of the others, and it’s long and flat, perfect for a run or walk.

Graton Ridge Cellars – delicious.  this winery fairly close to my house and they have a great 2011 Pinot Noir.  they also have a dessert wine called the A+ Apple Dessert Wine that is well worth a try. it makes for a fantastic gift if you’re looking for something special and local.

Woodfour Brewery – this is my go-to place for lunch, dinner or afternoon drinks and snacks. they have a nice selection of beer & wine and lots of tasty small plates. the deviled eggs with horseradish are on the top of my list.

that’s all for now. in the future i’ll try to be better about posting, even if it’s just a tidbit about local flavor.

photo courtesy of: parks.sonomacounty.gov.ca

first off, let me just say i think it’s a little crazy that i’m still writing in this journal/blog.  i kind of thought i would write a couple more posts after Argentina and call it a day.  oddly enough i just renewed my website subscription and i continue to post.  i’m pretty sure no one reads anything i write anymore, but hey, does it really matter?  i think i determined from the very beginning of this project that it was really for me and maybe someone else would read it at some point and get a chuckle out of it.

which leads me right into today’s post……..

last week i was on a flight home from LA and i was desperately trying to finish my book club book, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson, as i have been a bit remiss recently in finishing the chosen books.  it’s a funny book and there are some seriously laugh out loud funny moments.  of course these moments never come when you’re reading in the privacy of your own home, but always when you’re on some form of crowded public transportation.  i’m sitting next to a very quiet man on the flight and he’s reading something serious and i’m laughing so hard i snorted.  ah geez.  slightly embarrassing, but i regained composure, wiped the tears from my eyes, took a deep breath, and then the whole thing happened again.  i don’t think he, or anyone really cared, they probably were trying to figure out what i was reading, and making a mental note, but i did feel self conscious for half a second.  not nearly as self conscious as the time i was watching a TV show though……….

i was going on a trip (this was quite awhile ago) and needed some TV/movie content to watch while traveling.  my Mom had just finished watching the Tudors and said i’d really like it.  Jonathan Rhys Meyers and historical fiction, what’s not to like?  so i downloaded season one and away i went.  i settled into my flight and decided to start the Tudor adventure.  what my Mom failed to mention was that in addition to it’s extremely good looking cast and amazing costumes, the show had a lot (A LOT) of nudity and sex included.  first 5 minutes, King Henry, the chamber maid, skirt up, over the bed……need i say more?  bare everything and sex, not usually an issue for me, unless of course i’m on a flight and seated next to a priest.  sigh.

needless to say, i watched the Tudors in my hotel room and kept my flights PG with romantic comedies.

image courtesy of memories.com

i live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and we have a lot of bridges. it seems there is a bridge to cross in every direction you travel.

the Bay Bridge has the longest span and will take you from Oakland to San Francisco, the Golden Gate will get you from San Francisco to Marin County, if you want to go from Oakland to San Rafael you’d take the San Rafael Bridge. The San Mateo Bridge goes from San Mateo to Hayward, the Dumbarton is the shortest bridge and goes from Menlo Park to Fremont. and let us not forget the first major bridge built in the Bay Area, the Carquinez Bridge, which connects Crockett to Vallejo.

the Golden Gate bridge is one of the most beautiful and photographed bridges. it’s bright orange-red definitely makes for a wonderful picture on a clear day, with blue sky behind and the shimmering bay below. it has also been named one of the modern Wonders of the World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
i’ve been thinking a lot about our bridges recently, as the Bay Bridge will be closing once again this weekend for construction. they are opening a new span right after the toll plaza on the East Bay side of the bridge. the repair of the bridge is both fascinating and annoying at the the same time. annoying because i drive across the bridge quite a bit, and the closure of the bridge makes transportation just that much more complicated to figure out. BART doesn’t run 24/7, the San Mateo Bridge is far from where i want to be, not too mention, the new span will really jack up the morning commute on Tuesday.

but it’s fascinating to watch the new construction as well. you just know when the bridge was originally designed they never thought it would be used as much as it is today. it carries approximately 270,000 vehicles per day, that’s crazy. if memory serves correctly, my friends great-great grandfather was one of the few engineers that submitted a design for the original Bay Bridge. they laughed at him because his design had something like 16 lanes going across, and the committee felt that was just absurd. what i wouldn’t give for 16 lanes……

a couple of years ago i had the opportunity to see the Bay and Golden Gate Bridges from a different vantage point than usual, i was in a zeppelin (no, not a blimp, a zeppelin) for a one hour tour over the Bay. it was very cool, and the view, unlike anything i’ve ever seen before. a plane flight takes you much higher than the zeppelin, so you aren’t able to see things as close. a hot air balloon would be similar i suppose, but it’s a different feeling all together.

seeing the bridges from above gave me a real appreciation for the people that originally designed and built the structures that i for one, now take for granted. when you see/use something every day, you tend to forget how amazing it really is. come Tuesday morning when i’m stuck in commute traffic because some idiot has crashed into the new S-curve, i will try to remember to take a deep breath and appreciate the structure that is, the Bay Bridge.

i am suffering from travel envy. i think when you don’t have a trip planned, it seems like EVERYBODY around you is planning a trip.

i’ve been chatting with people that are planning trips to the Galapagos Islands, Argentina, Chile, the Grand Canyon, Sydney, Ireland….. it seems like an endless stream of travel plans are passing me by, and i want to jump on the travel train.

but that being said, i’m not exactly sure where i want to go. granted, the funds are tight this year, but i will go somewhere, it’s just a matter of determining where that somewhere will be. i don’t think international will be an option, although, you never know what kind of bargain airfare you can find if you put your mind to it.

while thumbing through the ultra lovely Wilderness Travel catalog sitting on my coffee table, i came across a trip to Palau. i had to look up exactly where Palau was….. even though the title of this journal is internationalgeotastic, it could as easily be geographicallychallenged.

Palau is is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, 500 mile east of the Philippines and 2,000 miles south of Tokyo. thank you Wikipedia! it looks amazing, and i think it might have to go on the list. of course, looking at that catalog, everywhere they go to needs to be on the list. i don’t think Palau is in the 2012 plan, but who knows what 2013 might bring. oh wait, wasn’t 2013 supposed to be Chile? hmmm. maybe i will give South America a break and venture elsewhere in the world for the next big trip.

as for my next trip in general…..it’s to Denver! if you’ve read my previous posts then you know i’ve got pals in CO, and i’m super excited to see them. i feel like it’s been forever since we’ve had a visit. Denver, it might not be international, but no matter where you go, if you have friends involved, it’s bound to be great fun!

photo: random dilapidated building in Summit County, CO

i can hardly believe it, the trip to Argentina is almost here. i leave in a mere four days. i feel like i’ve been planning this trip forever.

i’ve slowly started piling items in the corner that i want to take with. i have a feeling that by Friday it may be a tower.

pack, unpack, repack, repeat…..now you know what i will be doing Friday evening after i get home from dinner with my friends. i have everything mentally packed already, so it’s really just a matter of will it fit in the bag, and will i be able to lift the bag. small details.

i have high hopes for packing, i’m not really taking that much with me. i figure when you go on a tour it is perfectly acceptable to wear the same items of clothing multiple times, especially if there is a big coat involved. although, i have come to the conclusion you do need to make sure to mix it up enough for the big photo op days. i’m pretty sure every Peru picture i’m in i’m wearing the same outfit.

photo courtesy of hypebeast.com

i’m fairly certain the last major thing i needed to do for my trip was secure a Visa so i could visit the Iguazu Falls in Brazil. many documents and $140 later, i have a Brazil Visa in hand.

now what? i have over a month left before i board the plane for my Argentinian adventure, and not much prep to do. i occasionally surf the internet for info on things to do and see while i’m there. you’d think i didn’t have a tour already planned and 2-3 guidebooks sitting on the nightstand…..but one of the things the internet can offer which a guidebook can’t, is the blog.

blogs are such a great read when you’re researching an area. i simply searched on, “being vegetarian in Argentina” and a days worth of reading magically appeared before my eyes. i started reading about vegetarian options in Argentina on one couples blog, then i looked at their photos, read some interviews, clicked on some links, ended up other peoples blog sites, read their information, looked at their pictures, and next thing you know the sun has set, i’m sitting in a dark house, and i missed dinner. blogs suck you in.

travel blogs are the best. so many people writing about the amazing places they’ve been to, it really does make you realize how big the world really is. i’m really enjoying reading the blogs of people who have been traveling for years. i guess i knew that people did that, traveled non-stop – working their way around the world, but i never really thought about it. it’s fascinating to read the stories and find out how people make it all work.

i think i will stick with my yearly trips, but i raise a glass to those that rent their houses, sell their belongings, and make the decision to travel for the rest of their lives!

image courtesy of southloopschools.net

my friend LT is leaving today for Bali, and she will be staying there for a month. i know that i have a month long trip to Argentina in my future, but i have to tell you, i’m feeling a bit nostalgic for Bali.

i was putting together a list of places i visited for her, and i started to feel sad that i wasn’t going back to Bali. although i didn’t feel a kinship to Bali while i was there, something definitely gets in your blood and the draw to go back increases with time.

i’m betting the Bali of July is very different than the Bali of February. probably not so hot that you think you’re going to die, for one. yes, that is a little dramatic, but it was SO hot & humid. the temples and other sites will be more crowded, and the beaches as well, it’s big surf season now. that was a nice thing about going in the off season, at least the beaches weren’t crowded. i could go somewhere to escape the crowds. somewhere with a lounge chair and a cold drink too……it doesn’t get much better than that.

i look forward to hearing about LT’s trip when she returns, as her adventure will be very different than mine. it involves yoga for one thing. the only yoga thing about me is a pair of yoga pants i bought at Target, so comfy!

54 days to go, i’m SO excited!

speaking of exciting, i had thought for one brief moment that i would be able to go to Antarctica, but alas, no. the tour company i’m using for the Argentina North to South tour has a great tour to Antarctica, but it doesn’t start until October 29. somehow i don’t think i can justify staying in South America for another month so i can set foot on Antarctica. those penguins are mighty cute though.

after coming to terms that the Antarctic travel was a no-go, i started to think about the rest of my trip, and my 16 days in Buenos Aires. i think it’s a bit much. i don’t sit still very well or for very long, and i like to go and see and do. not that i think i could see everything there is to see in Buenos Aires in two weeks, i think it’s just too much time in one spot for me.

i thought about taking a side trip to Brazil, which would be very cool, but this trip is about Argentina, so i think i will make Brazil it’s own adventure. also adding a trip to Brazil would increase the cost of the trip by quite a bit.

so i’ve opted to come home a week early. don’t sigh, don’t be disappointed, i’m not. i will have a month in Argentina, and it will be fabulous. also, i don’t have to take any unpaid time off of work, which is nice. funny how rent and bills have to be paid even if you’re not in the country!

this is the plan as of today, but of course, it could all change tomorrow.

photo courtesy of antarcticconnection.com