Monthly Archives: June 2013
Tour de France: stage 2
After yesterday’s excitement at the finish line and seeing so many cyclists afterwards, I knew it would be tough for today to top it. The plan was to catch the start of stage 2 as it left Bastia and headed through Corsica’s categorized mountains for Ajaccio. As usual, I was up and out the door, … Continue reading
The 100th Tour de France: stage 1
I won’t tell you exactly how many hours before the cyclists even started I arrived at the finish and I won’t tell you how many before my alarm went I was already awake (don’t worry, the sun was already up…I think), so I’ll just say that I’d left the Corsican town of Bastia and walked … Continue reading
4 minute guide to the Giro d’Italia
Dear reader, allow me to digress from my Egypt postings to talk about cycling! I will certainly put up more about my great trip to Egypt (and a couple of other countries, too!) but it's presently the eve of the 100th edition of the Tour de France and I'm far too excited to think about … Continue reading
Midnight in Giza
I was tired of standing so I flipped my backpack to its side and sat down. Viraj and I had already been waiting at the train station for close to 2 hours for the overnight train to Aswan to show up when I felt something tap me on my back. I turned around to find … Continue reading
Giza pyramids, Egypt
You’ve only got one option today if you’re keen to see the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Fortunately, the Great Pyramid of Giza (not to mention its 2 companion pyramids and the Sphinx) is still pretty damn impressive over 4 millennia after completion. Viraj and I made a beeline for the interior of … Continue reading
The step & red pyramids, Egypt
If you like old things, Egypt is a good destination! My trip there with my friend Viraj (who you may recall from September's Kilimanjaro posts…or you may not) started with a vain attempt to beat Cairo's legendary traffic to get to Saqqara, site of the famous step pyramid, the pyramid of Djoser. Built in the … Continue reading
Bologna, Italy & San Marino
I spent 3 nights in Bologna, but my day trips meant that I was hardly in Bologna at all! I snapped some pictures the afternoon I arrived but I didn't have a chance to investigate too much of the city unfortunately. It had a very different atmosphere than Rome or Florence. Here are a few … Continue reading
Vatican City
With a population of just 800, Vatican City is the smallest independent country in the world in terms of both population and area, so I’m guessing they won’t be fielding a bobsled team at the Sochi Olympics next year. But that’s ok because the Vatican is truly an incredible place to visit, even without an … Continue reading
Florence, Italy
For such a small city center, Florence really packs in a number of sites. The best place to take them all in is from Piazza Michelangelo. Spanning the Arno River is the Ponte Vecchio, a stone arched bridge lined with jewelry shops. Hundreds of years ago, the bridge hosted butchers but the leaders of … Continue reading
Nocturnal Rome
Rome didn’t capture me right away. It was much busier and more crowded than I was prepared for. But each day, I found something that I really enjoyed and I would revisit my favorite spots each night where I appreciated them even more. The Colosseum. The Trevi Fountain. St. Peter’s Basilica. … Continue reading