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.

HAI! I went to this art place in Paris that a good friend told me about. It was cool. There was some stuff I didn’t understand, though. Like this. or like this. Dis, too. What dis? All jokes, aside, there were some pretty cool pieces. Here are a couple I liked. Of course there where many more, but I didn’t get pictures of everything I liked.