Into Wales

So far Wales has been my favorite place to visit on this trip. I may be a bit biased as it's really the people I'm visiting that are affecting my view of it.

It's rained fairly consistently since I've been here. There was a morning and afternoon of sun where we went to Pombrey Sands beach. The tide was fairly low and we were able to walk pretty far out before stepping in any water. I'm not sure if I would get used to a beach where I stayed fully clothed and just looked at it. Even though I'm a terrible swimmer I would miss playing in the waves.

Having tea each day is new to me. With the cooler weather and rain though I could become very accustomed to it. I've stuck to the herbal teas and have found them easy to drink and very warming.

Not updating this blog is a good sign. It just means that I've been busy living rather than reflecting.

Greyfriars Kirkyard

Thomas Riddell's Grave was such an interesting find. I'm glad that I didn't first research right where it was so I had the opportunity to walk around and look at a lot of the gravestones. After about twenty minutes of doing that I decided it would be better for everyone's time to look up where it is.

Rather unceremoniously, it's tucked into a smaller portion of the graveyard in the corner. There were a few small guided tours of the graveyard that had the tour guides talking about the various Harry Potter things related to that area.

I'm glad that I was able to make the time to stop and walk around that beautifully haunting graveyard. I've already enjoyed walking quietly through these types of places to observe in silence and contemplation.

Train to London and Around Town

The train from Edinburgh to King's Cross was interesting. Thankfully, we decided to book reserved seats so we didn't have to keep swapping around. There was a woman with her young son traveling on the train that didn't have a seat reserved and had to keep loving each time there was a stop. I ended up letting her borrow my battery charger for her iPad so her son had something that could keep him a bit entertained on the train.

There were some kids that sat behind my mom and me. They were very interested in talking to me the whole trip. My first interaction with them was on the way to get aboard the train. Sahara, age 10, made a comment about there being a Pram Jam. I had a pretty good laugh to myself and complimented her on the clever comment. It ended up being that Sahara and her brother Charlie sat right behind me. About half was through the trip we started talking. Mostly we spoke about differences in our languages and the pets we had. Sahara was excited to show me photos of her animals. Charlie liked talking about their trip to Edinburgh. He showed me loads of photos from the trip that he took on his phone. I had originally planned to finish reading the novel I was in the middle of but this was probably a better use of my time as these kids will remember the American they met and spoke to on the train.

The train itself was a bit run down but was an okay way to travel. I would much rather have had a single small bag as there isn't much room on the train. I'm glad that my Mom remember that my girlfriend Rhiannon told us not to check our bags. If we had stood in that line we would have missed our train.

All in all the train ride was good but a bit long. Our taxi driver had trouble finding us even though the booking said Kings Cross station. We were able to meet up with Rhiannon outside of the Marriott hotel in which we are staying. The hotel room itself looks out onto the London Eye. We have to keep the privacy curtains closed or the people on the eye would be able to easily see into the bedroom.

We saw Stomp the first night we were here. My favorite scene was one where the had these varying lengths of rubber tubing. Each one gave a different tone when they hit them on the ground. The cast used this to create a song rather than all straight rhythmic noise. It was loud though but my Dad let me borrow his earplugs.

The first day in London Rhiannon and I ended up sleeping in as we were both exhausted from our respective journeys. We met up with the group around lunch time and went to the Cafe in the Crypt near Trafalgar Square. Then we went to both galleries near there. And a quick walk to and through Saint James Park. Buckingham Palace was a bit too far of a walk for me after having walked around 4 hours already.

Sunday has been a day thus far of waking up at a reasonable hour, getting something to eat, and heading off to Church. The one we decided on is near Hyde Park. The schedule is reversed though so Priesthood is first, then Sunday School and ends with Sacrament Meeting.

I'm looking forward to sitting next to Rhiannon in Sunday School.

Anyway, I'm off to try and stay cool in my Sunday slacks and shirt.

A Taste of Edinburgh

Well the CIE tour is nearing a close. Today is our last official planned day. It's been interesting doing this tour type this again. I like being able to see a lot of things quickly but the photographer in me wants to slow down and just watch.

Last night we went to the Jam House. They put on a nice show with song and dance while dinner was served. It reminded me a bit of a better quality dinner theater. The volume on the speakers was up way too high though. I'm very thankful that I brought my earplugs.

Tonight we're going to go see the Military Tattoo in Edinburgh. That should be a lovely show.

All in all this trip has been going well. It's just been difficult to find time to do much else than what is scheduled. I'm glad that I had some downtime in Germany towards the end of that part of the trip even though it was because I didn't feel well.

A Taste of Edinburgh

Well the CIE tour is nearing a close. Today is our last official planned day. It's been interesting doing this tour type this again. I like being able to see a lot of things quickly but the photographer in me wants to slow down and just watch.

Last night we went to the Jam House. They put on a nice show with song and dance while dinner was served. It reminded me a bit of a better quality dinner theater. The volume on the speakers was up way too high though. I'm very thankful that I brought my earplugs.

Tonight we're going to go see the Military Tattoo in Edinburgh. That should be a lovely show.

All in all this trip has been going well. It's just been difficult to find time to do much else than what is scheduled. I'm glad that I had some downtime in Germany towards the end of that part of the trip even though it was because I didn't feel well.

Lochs and Nairn

We had the opportunity to see Loch Lomond and Loch Ness yesterday. It was only a quick photo stop at Loch Lomond but we were able to go on a boat ride for about an hour on Loch Ness.

Everyone was super cold and trying to keep warm and wrap up. I got a few strange looks because I was wearing shorts and didn't appear cold. Having been in the Germany heat wave definitely made me appreciate and enjoy the cold.

We stayed the night in Nairn at the Newton Hotel. I'm really pleased with the choice the tour made with this particular hotel. It's beautiful and is within walking distance of the North Sea.

My Dad, his friend Greg and I went down to watch the sunset on the beach. We got there just as the sun had gone behind the hills in the distance. My Dad was a bit bummed because he felt that we had missed any photo opportunities but I told him it would be fine and set up for photos.

We got a handful of great shots and ended up doing silhouette photos of each of us on that beach. I'm sure my Dad will end up with that as his social media photo. We'll probably have near matching ones.

Well I'm off to eat breakfast and chat. I probably should queue for the line as well.

Glasgow

I really like the general feel of Glasgow. It's a good mixture of new and old. I feel like I would like to stay here a summer for school and get to know it better.

So far the food and the culture has been agreeable with me. It's also very nice not to have jet lag. I did however get very little sleep last night as we were up early for the flight out of Stuttgart.

Anyways, off to prep for sleep and finish some personal errands.

Leaving Germany

I ended up taking yesterday to rest up in preparation for the Scotland tour. There seems to more than one occasion to drink on this tour. Too bad I don't drink.

We're all heading to the airport now. I'm fairly sure we got a speeding ticket as there was a flash of yellow light. Our driver has been driving pretty fast and jerky this trip. I'll be curious to find out how much it costs and how it's delivered.

There should be plenty of time to check in, get through security and maybe even stop to eat something for breakfast. I'm unsure of my options as I've been sticking to my gluten free diet while here. It really is too bad as I've seen a lot of good looking bread throughout the trip.

Emotionally this trip has been taxing. I hope that the worst of it is behind me and that the rest of the trip will be smooth sailing.

Nearly Planned

I don't mind making plans to do things and then doing them. It stresses me a bit but that's probably because I research down to a high level of detail when I make plans.

On the other hand, I'm also fine letting others make plans and then following them. What I don't like though is being under the impression that things are planned and then just winging it once we're there.

If I had been told prior to coming that we would just wing it and figure it out whole we were here I could wrap my head around that. But doing all this supposed planning and then not is just weird to me.

So what could have been a few hour drive to Stuttgart is now an all day journey in the car. Only because there isn't apparently much to see in Stuttgart. I find it hard to believe.

The German countryside is beautiful though. I would have liked to stop several places to get out and walk though instead of whizzing on by in this monster van.

I feel Scotland and London will be very much the same flow. Going quickly from one place to another. Hopefully I'll be able to catch my breath in Wales and take the time to explore at a slower pace.

Neuschwanstein Castle

We had the opportunity to go to Schwangau today. It's probably best known for the Neuschwanstein Castle resting up above the town. This castle was one of the castles that inspired Disney's Cinderella's Castle. It really does look majestic nearly hidden away up in the forest. Even though it was a bit of a hassle getting up to the castle it was worth taking a look at it. I wasn't impressed with the tour as they didn't allow photography inside the castle. I'm fine to abide that when they tell you all the rules prior to purchasing your nob refundable tickets.

The other castle was across the way was interesting but was also a castle that didn't allow photography. It had some neat rooms and there were fountains on the outside.

It was mid day when we were there though which makes me feel like bone of the photos turned out. I'm sure there will be some snapshot quality photos out of the batch that I took.

Off to use the Internet for some real important work now. Netflix.

Lounge Day

Still recovering from whatever bug I have. The Internet actually works in this hotel in Augsburg so I'll be listening to Netflix while watching the back of my eyelids.

To get the hdmi to work on this hotel's television I had to press zero to switch inputs.

Internet and Illness

I seem to be coming down with something. It's starting in my throat but I hope my body takes care of it and it doesn't move about.

We're officially on the romantic road now. There are several small medieval towns that we'll be visiting. The first one was Rothenburg which we visited yesterday.
Dinkelsbühl is coming up pretty soon. The German countryside is beautiful. Golden fields surrounding by green wooded areas. There are also quite a few large windmills for generating power.

I ended up having a pretty nasty migraine a couple nights ago and that took me out from updating the blog. I still feel a bit dizzy and out of it from that but the pain seems to be gone now.

I'll to do more written updates but by the time the day is spent so am I.

Church in Nuremberg

We're attending church today in Nuremberg. The last time I went to a church meeting was when I went to Utah for my Uncle's funeral. It's been difficult for me to go to church because of the social aspect of it. Thankfully having the meeting in German is to my benefit.

This will be the first sacrament meeting that I've gone to indoors without air conditioning. Today should get up to 95f so it should be nice and toasty in here. I'm glad that I brought with me more than a liter of water. The blinds appear to be controller by an electrical switch to open and close. They're now very much open and the warmth is flooding in.

The meeting is starting soon so I need to put away my phone. I do love the church and hope that one day my personal issues will abate and make it easier to attend on a regular basis again.

Melting in Nuremberg

It's about 104f here in Nuremberg. I've been hanging out in the old town center for a couple hours now. It feels a lot like home as I ended up watching a volleyball tournament for a good portion of it.

I unfortunately made the mistake of buying soda water instead of normal. For some reason I thought still water was still. I blame the heat and dehydration.

It's a very interesting contrast with the loud music and sports surrounded by old buildings.

New Boat

I'm not sure about this new boat yet. I'll give it another day to see how it goes.

Service was extremely slow and I felt like I had to hit a waiter to get them to pay attention to me. Water was consistently empty as well. It's a bit of an annoyance trying to get used to the new crew. I'm still debating whether to let the Program Director know or not.

Anyways. Walking around Passau was great. I got to walk a bit by myself which was strange. I had a guy take special interest with his eyes on my camera. Made me a bit paranoid and I kept checking my back. The walk was uneventful in both a good and bad way.

I'm looking forward to sleep.

Moving Boats

The big moving day has come. Everyone is in a bustle this morning making sure they are all packed up as they should be.

I always get a bit apprehensive with others handling my luggage. Normally I take very good care of my things so that they last as long as possible. Tossing them about isn't usually on my to do list. I'm sure everything will come through fine. My camera will stay with me and that's really the only thing of importance that would be inconvenient to replace.

It's nearly time to get on the busses and start the day. I don't want to put on sunscreen but feel I must as we'll be doing a lot of walking outdoors today. The other day I put too much of it in and ended up looking like a ghost.

My favorite part so far had been waking up with the sun and walking up to the top deck to look around. I need to do that on a more regular basis.

Satellite Internet

We're continuing down the Danube from Melk towards Linz. Then we'll be doing a bus trip to meet with our other ship at Passau. The water level is low enough on the Danube now that we need to switch to a sister ship that is on the other side of a very shallow part of the river. Some of the other passengers are put off by this but it doesn't bother me. They told us the first day so I just didn't unpack.

The only frustrating part of the cruise so far has been the intermittent connection to the Internet. I don't mind the sluggish speed which is about 10kb a second when I'm on a mobile network. It's the Internet completely not working on the ship. I'm not sure if it's a wifi issue or router issue. The slow speed should be fine as long as things get queued properly.  Taking a long time to load is much better than never loading.

I could normally do without the Internet but it's been tough not being able to speak to my girlfriend regularly. We're nearly in the same time zone now which is a first for when she's at home but we can't talk with any regularity. The tours I go on take chunks out of the day which is expected but when I'm back on the ship it's hit or miss. I haven't voiced my frustration with this to her or anyone else as I don't want to spread a negative attitude around.

Anyways, the Melk Abbey was beautiful as was the town itself. There was a little stand that was selling apricot juice, jam and liquor. I had a sample of the juice and bought a bottle. Apricots are apparently one of my favorite types of fruit and I didn't even know. I should look at where I can find them back home.

I'm going to attempt to post this blog and probably go to bed shortly after. Until tomorrow.

Satellite Internet

We're continuing down the Danube from Melk towards Linz. Then we'll be doing a bus trip to meet with our other ship at Passau. The water level is low enough on the Danube now that we need to switch to a sister ship that is on the other side of a very shallow part of the river. Some of the other passengers are put off by this but it doesn't bother me. They told us the first day so I just didn't unpack.

The only frustrating part of the cruise so far has been the intermittent connection to the Internet. I don't mind the sluggish speed which is about 10kb a second when I'm on a mobile network. It's the Internet completely not working on the ship. I'm not sure if it's a wifi issue or router issue. The slow speed should be fine as long as things get queued properly.  Taking a long time to load is much better than never loading.

I could normally do without the Internet but it's been tough not being able to speak to my girlfriend regularly. We're nearly in the same time zone now which is a first for when she's at home but we can't talk with any regularity. The tours I go on take chunks out of the day which is expected but when I'm back on the ship it's hit or miss. I haven't voiced my frustration with this to her or anyone else as I don't want to spread a negative attitude around.

Anyways, the Melk Abbey was beautiful as was the town itself. There was a little stand that was selling apricot juice, jam and liquor. I had a sample of the juice and bought a bottle. Apricots are apparently one of my favorite types of fruit and I didn't even know. I should look at where I can find them back home.

I'm going to attempt to post this blog and probably go to bed shortly after. Until tomorrow.

Down the Danube Towards Melk

This morning we got to look at some castle ruins along the Danube here in Austria. I probably took close to a hundred photos but it hasn't rained in a while here so the haze was in full force. I'm curious to see how the photos turned out when I get them onto a computer.

We're getting off the ship this afternoon to visit the Melk Abbey. From the map that I saw earlier it looked pretty interesting and a decent amount of walking. I'll have to put on my better shoes and change out of these sandals before disembarking.

Found a Quiet Place

I've been sitting up on the Sun Deck of the boat to get away from the cacophony of the dining hall. Unfortunately, the quiet place that I found has now turned into gab central. It's not too bad though as I can hear the insects chirping, the cars driving in the distance, and the low rumble of the boats docked. All in all it's a relaxing place to spend a Monday evening.

Today we were able to stop at two places in Vienna; the first being Stephansplatz and the second Schönbrunn Palace. I was touched by the murals along the outside of the Stephansplatz's Stephansdom Cathedral. There were a series of images of Jesus Christ being beaten and humiliated that made me tear up. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Christ but don't often look at images of His physical sufferings towards the end of His life. The Church I attend chooses to focus on His resurrection rather than death.

Inside the Cathedral was dark and hot. There were droves of people going in and out which lessened the effect. I do find the idea using architecture to encourage people to look up to Heaven interesting but I feel a disconnect from a God that is far away and unreachable. Maybe that's not the intention behind that style of building but those are the feelings that I had.

The Schönbrunn Palace was an interesting place to walk through. I'm glad that we had our own your guide as I feel I would have been more disengaged listening to a recording. He also had some interesting quotes that aren't public record to share with us. There were a few rooms that were extra warm. The guide even said that when it's really crowded some people pass out due to lack of oxygen. I feel like he was having us on though but the temperature was enough to make me feel faint.

I didn't get a chance to look at the gardens or explore them as our bus was leaving to go back to the boat. The little time I did have I used to make sure my Mom was able to find a seat in the shade and got to it safely.

Overall it's been a good long sweaty day. I'm going to go try and retire early tonight to finish my mental clock change.

Through Some Locks

I went through my first lock last night. The weirdest part of the whole thing was the thousands of seagulls that were lined up alone the walls just before entering the lock. When the boat would get near they would fly away further down along the wall. But this process kept repeating itself as we moved further towards the lock. Maybe a hundred or so actually ended up landing in the water.

The lock itself took maybe 15 minutes to get through and about half of the cruise came out to the front decks to watch the process. There was something neat about it but I still can't put for finger one.

The second lock that I saw was this morning. I enjoyed the view of the wall from the inside of my state room. It made it seem more like a cave with the dark, wet, almost stone looking wall.

Well I'm off to do a bus tour of Vienna.

Second Day in Budapest and Beyond

I'm not sure if this style of cruise is for me. The food is excellent and the people who run it do a fine job. There's just not enough spontaneity and a feel of exploration. It might be my long time interest in photography and discovering new places to shoot that's causing the disconnect of being able to enjoy it fully for what it is.

We were able to see a bit of Buda and some of Pest this morning during the tour.  Most of what we saw took place while riding on a bus. This makes it extremely difficult to get the shots that I would like to take but I can see how this is the easiest and quickest way to explore some of the city and learn about its history.

I should research some places to go out and do photography tours. I know they exist but are probably out of my budget range. In fact, there are at least a few that come to mind that I've seen advertised. It's settled. I will research and plan one of those out. Either in a group or just do one by myself. Mostly I need to wake up before dawn to shoot and spend the day exploring the area for places to take photos or do street photography.

Victoria in British Columbia is still top on my list of places I want to visit in North America. Most likely I'll plan a trip closer to home first and have some successes before planning a longer trip. Air bnb seems to be a good way of finding decent places or stay. Or perhaps couch surfing since I'll be going by myself and I'm not too bothered with meeting new people.

This blog entry's title should probably be changed but I am going to keep it as is. I know I have a tendency to change from topic to topic quickly but that's just how I am.

Well, until tomorrow.

First Day in Budapest

The plane flight was as expected. Cramped and long. Thankfully I sat near two pleasant older women that let me hang out on the plane in peace.

The river boat cruise that we booked has been great so far. Dinner was excellent and provided a wonderful view. Then after dinner we toured around the docking area of the river and passed by a few landmarks while they were lit up at night.

I hope I'm able to sleep and adjust to the time zone okay. My body doesn't really understand what I'm doing to it. I think I might have slept thirty minutes or so on the plane.

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