“A good traveller has no fixed plans and is not intent upon arriving.” (Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching) “Learn to relax and find meaning in the experience. When you are forced to let go of the haste of normal life, it teaches you truths about yourself you had no idea you longed to know. A… Continue reading The Quiet Traveller
Tag: travel
Along Trail 34
“Most of Canton Schaffhausen lies on a plateau dominated by the Hoher Randen. The summit of this mountain is 912 metres/2,992 feet. The slopes of the mountain are gentle towards the south where it reached the Rhine River valley. Short and narrow valleys interesct these gentle slopes. The Klettgau is one such valley.”(Wikipedia) There is… Continue reading Along Trail 34
Alex Supertramp and Canada Slim
“What´s in a name? That which we call a rose A rose by any other name would smell as sweet…” (William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet) “Each thing is the same with itself and different from another.” (Plato, Theaetetus) “Like the pine trees linin’ the windin’ road I’ve got a name. I’ve got a name. Like… Continue reading Alex Supertramp and Canada Slim
Borderline Obsessive
It seems to be my destiny to be obsessed with borderlines, both geographical as well as psychological. I was raised in Argenteuil County, Quebec, on the border of Ontario´s Prescott-Russell County. Most Canadians live within 100 km of the US border, because the land north of this tends to be unarable (i.e. can´t be farmed… Continue reading Borderline Obsessive
Death and despair defeated
The past month has been good for me in that it has awakened long dormant feelings and ambitions that I am only now starting to act upon. Part of this has, of course, been connected with my domestic situation at home, which, after the mother of all discussions and arguments, seems, for the first time… Continue reading Death and despair defeated
Down and out across Switzerland
Zürich Hauptbahnhof, yesterday. Clean-shaven, showered, red backpack from Canada on one shoulder, pulling a new suitcase along on its smoothly running wheels and extendable handle, clean white short sleeved shirt, blue jeans, black leather shoes. Not your image of a homeless man? I approached the station´s Bahnhofshilfe (train station assistance) office and inquired if the lady… Continue reading Down and out across Switzerland
Sign of the times
Arrived back home in Switzerland late last night, left for Freiburg im Breisgau at 0500 this morning. Am fighting fatigue like a woolen blanket over my head in the desert. To save a spot of cash I am in the Black Forest Backpackers Hostel for the next two nights. In the stairwell between reception and… Continue reading Sign of the times
Canada Slim and the Dickensian Moment
Two days ago my hosts in England and I did a very English thing… We visited the Charles Dickens Birthplace Museum, at 393 Old Commercial Road, in Portsmouth. “He created some of the world’s best-known fictional characters and is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His work enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his… Continue reading Canada Slim and the Dickensian Moment
Blood, sweat, tears and toil
Today marks the 70th anniversary of the D-Day Landings, the largest seaborne invasion in history. 5,000 landing and assault craft, 289 escort vessels, 277 minesweepers, 160,000 troops crossed the English Channel, 10,000 hit – 4,414 dead Allied soldiers, 1,000 German soldiers dead, over 3,000 civilian casualities. Southsea Beach and Portsmouth Harbour were vital embarkation points… Continue reading Blood, sweat, tears and toil
Gold and orange / triumph and tragedy
Day Three in England…a full day…a knife to the throat…the gold of victory…the first port of a legend… Last year, prior to my best pal’s wedding, we arranged to have a barbershop shave to ensure that no five-o’clock shadow faces would cloud the perfect nuptial day. Iain thought it might be a lark to have… Continue reading Gold and orange / triumph and tragedy