In my previous post on French Long Stay visa (AKA OFII), I outlined the process I went through to apply for the French Long Stay visa. Once you get the stamp in your passport, there is still more to go. Frech Visa OFII stamp After landing in France, you have to let the state know you are there. You have three months to get the final OFII stamp for your long stay visa .

I have previously posted notes and information on backpacking and travel. This doesn’t fit with the theme of the previous post, so I am seperating them. I’ll probably do this going forward. A backpack on a chair in a random room. Backpacking in Western Europe is a little different from elsewhere. Specifically, how busy it seems all the time. The majority of the people I talk with in hostels are on vacation for a few weeks.

From the beginning of my travel, one of the biggest things I hoped to accomplish, was to find the resting place of my Great Grandfather. I knew he died in Normandy, France in World War One. I figured a good place to start my was in the middle of Normandy. Doing no research beforehand, I picked Caen. Caen is a beautiful place. 1 Caen I spend a few weeks there doing research and visiting historical sites and cities near by.

For about a year, I had been excitedly waiting for the 2017 Goodwood Festival of Speed. I bought the tickets about 10 months before the date of the Festival. After selling off my possessions, this was the only thing I was nervous about travelling with. Everything else, I can live without or replace. When the day came, I was happier than a butcher’s dog. Flying into London was a bit of an event.

For a couple years, I have been tracking places I have travelled using Google Maps. I thought it might be fun to share this out for all to see. There is still far too much unpinned area for my taste. I hope to change that sooner than later. There is no rhyme or reason as to why some of the smaller places have made the map, other than I felt like it.

Update: (17/10/2017) I am no longer using Dr. Scholl’s Gel Insoles. I will actively be avoiding them going forward. They have a design flaw. A rubber ring in the heel becomes pronounced when the gel starts failing. As it happens gradually, it’s not immediately noticeable. It caused me pain and aggravated my plantar fasciitis. As a traveller, the most important piece of equipment is my shoes. I only have the one pair, so I wear them everyday.

Going back almost a year, I had been wanting to spend time sleeping on a beach in Greece. After spending weeks in rainy Paris waiting for my state medical examination, I wanted this so much more. Once the exam was complete, I found flying to Naxos Island incredibly expensive. Almost 500€ one way. I wanted to get there, but I wasn’t going to swallow almost twice what my two week stay was costing.