dwightvanm

Europe – Part 8

Countdown: Top 5 Places & Why

#2: Croatia

Dubrovnik main street

“[Dubrovnik is] the pearl of the Adriatic.” – George Bernard Shaw

Dubrovnik city walls looking out towards the Mediterranean Sea

We visited 3 Croatian cities: Dubrovnik, Split & Zadok. Of these, Dubrovnik was my favorite and spent the most time there.

Dubrovnik
– Famous for its red-lined rooftops and fortified walled city, with the main square contained within (AKA: “Old Town”)
– Had a super fun time exploring city interiors & adventuring its many side streets (and getting lost)
– Very impressed with how clean and shiny the streets were, considering the city has no roof
– Spectacular views of the ocean and the waves crashing mightily on the rocks on both ends
– Adventurous time walking the walls around the top of the city (took 50 minutes and beat the minimum time by 10 min)
– Took ferry to 2 different islands and had a blast diving off high end of the bow into crystal clear waters

Split
– Quick stop but managed to snag a pix with a Dalmatian dog & win the proverbial tour competition
– Split is the largest Dalmatian country from where the famed dog received its name
Zadar
– Walked along ocean front and listened to “Sea organ”, where waves crash against marble steps and plays music from holes ingrained in stair steps (is really relaxing to listen to, especially with the sweet ocean view before your eyes)

Mediteranean Sea backdrop in Zadar, with Sea Organ to the left

Croatia Quotes:

“Give me 100,000 Croatian soldiers and I will conquer the entire world.” – Napoleon

“You may boast to strangers, but tell the truth to your own people.” – Croatian Proverb

Side street in Dubrovnik

“Those who seek paradise on Earth, should come and visit Dubrovnik.” – George Bernard Shaw

“Without suffering, there is no learning.” – Croatian Proverb

“Morning is smarter than evening.” – Croatian Proverb

Dubrovnik harbour look-out

Inside Old Town, Dubrovnik

Peeking out into the Mediterranean atop Dubrovnik city walls

High up on Dubrovnik city walls

Europe – Part 7

Countdown: Top 5 Places & Why

#3: Greek Islands – Santorini

“There is nothing like being on the island of Santorini; it is breathtaking, beautiful, and beyond the breath of human words.” – Author’s quote

With a break from our land tour, I got to go to 6 Greek Islands over a 4 day sea excursion. It was my first time on a cruise ship (these things are massive and have almost-anything-containing awesome one could think of.) We started in Athens and went to these following islands: Mykonos; Kusadesi,Turkey; Patmos; Rhodes; Crete & Santorini. Of these, Santorini was my most favorite Greek Island. Mykonos was a close second, as it was very similar to Santorini in its blue and white colors. Overall, I loved the experience of island hopping!

Santorini hillside

Santorini Highlights:

Coming into the island of Santorini from the Aegean Sea is magnificent. I got to watch the grand entrance from the top deck of our cruise ship, pressed against the center of the front railing. It was a very clear, blue-skied day and in the distance a top the mountain all I could see was the color white before my eyes. I thought it was snow and my first thought was, “I should’ve brought my skis to go skiing, how cool would that be?” Oblivious to the summer temperatures, it then dawned on me that this white stuff wasn’t snow; it was the signature white-washed buildings Santorini is famous for
Our cruise boat docked in the middle of the ocean & we took a small ferry to land. From there, we got on a Greyhound bus which took us up the mountain on switchbacks roads. Once at the top, we made our way to Oia and passed through the capital, Fina
I got to walk along the cliff walls in Oia (pronounced: “ee-uh”) with the piercing blue Aegean sea as our backdrop. The sights and views were like nothing I’ve ever seen
We were very fortunate to have seen this island on a perfect day and to see amazing, clear views for miles into the open water’s and beyond
The experience was everything how the island is portrayed: Blue and white domed buildings built into the side of a cliff, and of course, an endless view of blue, uninhabited ocean waters set before our eyes
Our time ended heading back to the cruise ship during sunset with the beautiful, dawning colors lighting up the red rocks of the mountain. I remember seriously contemplating jumping off the ferry boat into the water and swimming back to land, as this island had so gripped my heart that I did not want to leave

Entrance into Santorini from the Aegean Sea

Sunset on Santorini

Boarding cruise ship at sunset

Greece Quotes:

“Experience, travel – these are as education in themselves.” – Euripides

“Happy is the man, I thought, who, before dying, has the good fortune to sail the Aegean sea.” – Nikos Kazantzakis

“I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world.” – Socrates

“I have never come across someone who could inspire more respect than the Greek philosophers.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

“If in the library of your house you do not have the works of the ancient Greek writers, then you live in a house with no light.” – George Bernard Shaw

“Hence we will not say that Greeks fight like heroes, but that heroes fight like Greeks.” – Sir Winston Churchill

“How can any educated person stay away from the Greeks? I have always been far more interested in them than in science.” – Albert Einstein

“Of all peoples the Greeks have dreamt the dream of life best.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“Greece is the mother of science and the source of knowledge.” – Moses of Chorene

“I would prefer to be a Greek, rather than a heir apparent of a throne.” – Ludwig I, King of Bavaria

“The ancient Oracle said that I was the wisest of all the Greeks. It is because I alone, of all the Greeks, know that I know nothing.” – Socrates

“In every island of the Aegean Sea are found abundant traces of a vast prehistoric empire.” – James Theodore Bent

Europe – Part 6

Countdown: Top 5 Places & Why

#4: Rome, Italy

Coliseum exterior

“All roads lead to Rome.” – Chaucer, 1391

Coliseum interior

City highlights:

Coliseum
– A very cool experience being able to see the historic structure from Gladiator
– Had a fun time exploring the inside of the amphitheatre & got to see part of the stage and sections underneath
Roman Forum
– Large ancient ruins of architectural remains of what once was the center of public life in Rome
– Got to walk on the roads where these greats walked: Julius Caesar, Maximus Decimus Meridius & Marcus Aeralius
– Had an awesome tour guide; she was passionate and extremely knowledgeable about this type of history, and with a Master’s in Classical History she brought Rome to life!
Trevi Fountain
– People from all over the world come to see this famous landmark
– Is one of the most famous fountains in the world & an estimated 3,000 Euros are thrown into the fountain each day
– The big idea: Make a wish and throw a coin in your right hand over your left shoulder into the water & one day it may come true

The Vatican
– Sistine Chapel: a huge room, full of extraordinary painting’s, which houses some of Michaelangelo’s most famous works, not to mention the ceiling masterpiece he painted (which took over 4 years to complete)
– St. Peter’s Basilica: got to walk through this Late Renaissance church & has a very large square outside surrounded by numerous columns (colonnades)
– Vatican Museum: contains sculptures and other famous art works from the Renaissance era
Spanish Steps
– A cool looking design and is apparently the widest staircase in Europe

Outside Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel

St. Peter’s Square with St. Peter’s Basilica & Sistine Chapel in background

Overlooking St. Peter’s Square from St. Peter’s Basilica

Other quotes on Rome:

“While stands the Coliseum, Rome shall stand; When falls the Coliseum, Rome shall fall; And when Rome falls – the World.” – Lord Byron

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” – Proverb

“Every one soon or late comes round by Rome.” – Robert Browning

“Rome was not built in a day.” – Jean de La Fontaine

“I came, I saw, I conquered. [Latin: Veni, vidi, vici.]” – Julius Caesar

“What we do in life echoes in eternity.” – Maximus, Gladiator

“I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble.” – Emperor Augustus Caesar

“Her smile, I’m sure, burnt Rome to the ground.” – Mark Z. Danielewski

“In Rome it seems as if there were so many things which are more wanted in the world than pictures.” – George Eliot

“Civis Romanus sum.” (I am a Roman citizen) – Cicero

“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.”
– Marcus Aurelius

Europe – Part 5

Countdown: Top 5 Places & Why

#5: Paris, France

Eiffel Tower

“Paris is always a good idea.” – Audrey Hepburn

City highlights:

Eiffel Tower
– Is an enormous, bronze statue
– Took elevator up to first deck & took stairs the rest of the way to the top
– There are 3 platforms
– The 2nd observatory deck offers the best view of the city
– It is, of course, definitely a tourist haven but is a must-see when visiting this iconic city
The Louvre
– One ginormous museum with 3 separate wings
– It would take 1 full year to go through and read/see everything the museum has to offer
– Has a really cool entrance: a glass pyramid
– Got to see the Mona Lisa and other famous art pieces while exploring the museum with a family friend I met up with while there

The Louvre

Arc de Triomphe
– An insane 8 lane traffic circle
– It really is a crazy intersection; an accident happens there every 15 min’s (our tour bus driver actually sped up into the traffic circle!! And we didn’t get smoked)
– You have to go underground in order to get to the top and once through there are some really sweet views to be seen of this magnificent city
Notre Dame Cathedral
– Didn’t get to go…guess I’ll just have to come back another time
– We only had one day to explore 4 of Paris’ top sites and we batted 0.750

View of city from the Eiffel Towel

Other Paris quotes:

“A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of Life.”
– Thomas Jefferson

To know Paris is to know a great deal.
– Henry Miller

London is a riddle. Paris is an explanation.
– G. K. Chesterson

There is but one Paris and however hard living may be here, and if it became worse and harder even – the French air clears up the brain and does good – a world of good.
– Vincent Willem van Gogh

The chief danger about Paris is that it is such a strong stimulant.
– T.S. Eliot

Europe – Part 4

At the top of Mt. Pilatus; Lucerne, Switzerland

“People don’t take trips . . . trips take people.”
John Steinbeck

A Collection of My Learning’s:

People are people, wherever you go
– Each person has the same needs as I do (need for acceptance, belonging, to be apart of something bigger than themselves, need to be heard and understood)
– Everyone feels the same emotions as I do (happy, sad, frustrated, excited, stressed, curious, & the list goes on)
It’s fun meeting different people from other countries, ethnicities and cultures
– This experience has opened my mind to see how very different people are (how they think, the decisions they make, their personalities, values etc) and there really is no one exactly like me anywhere in the world
– Each of the 19 countries I visited had something different to offer; a distiguishing feature that separated one country from another & would leave a lasting impression on my memory
It was so fun always being on the move and seeing new sights and new places every day
– I thought this fast pace would overwhelm me, but I came to realize how much I enjoyed this as I got to see and do a million things a day for 42 straight days (Sound intense? That’s because it is!)

Bike riding in Amsterdam, Holland

I needed downtime in order to go at this pace for an extended period of time (I craved “introvert time” – time to be alone by myself – to re-gain my energy in order to do it all over again the next day). I would do this by:
– Not always going out each night but having intentional “down time”
– Going to bed early on some nights
– Sleeping on the bus during travel days
Taking lots of pictures
– I took over 7,000 pictures on my point-&-shoot digital camera & have gone thru them all 3 times since returning home
– I have condensed them into smaller, more manageable amounts for my own and other people’s realistic viewing pleasures
I became a sponge and took everything in
– Via tour guides
– Watching other people/tourists and how they travel, sightsee & do things
– Asked lots of question’s (not to be annoying but because I am curious)
Kept a travel journal and wrote in it each day to record what I did/saw (see my last post, Europe – Part 3, for more on this)
– Did this so I would always have a written account of what I did for each day to be able to recall and re-live this experience anytime I want to

“Take only memories, leave only footprints.” – Chief Seattle

Guess where this is!

Europe – Part 3

Ephesus library; Ephesus, Turkey

“Just go.” – Anonymous

Okay, so you’ve decided you want to travel and see the world. Whether this is just a dream (for now), or a commitment you’ve made, here are some practical tips and fun suggestions that helped me when I was preparing for my big trip.

Questions to ask yourself (part of the planning and prep stage):

Who will I go with? (solo or with a friend/group of friends)
What will I be doing? (get your itinerary ready ahead of time)
Where will I travel to? (name the countries you will visit)
When will I go on this awesome trip? (warmest months to go, high/low season)
Why do I want to travel? (what’s my purpose)
How am I travelling? (tour group, backpacking etc)

“The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready.” – Henry David Thoreau

Essentials for the trip:

– Passport (check to make sure yours isn’t up for renewal, as passports expire every 5 years, and that it will be valid for the entire length of your trip – I had to get mine renewed)
– Visa’s (bring these if needed)
– Immunization shots (there’s a great clinic I went to over in the Market Mall Professional building, called Odyssey Travel & Tropical Medicine Clinic; it was a great deal and got me all the necessary shots I needed & the people there were great)
– Healthcare coverage (I got mine through AMA and the travel agency I went through)
– Go to your bank and convert your money to the currency you’ll be travelling so you will have money when you land in that country (I would recommend going to your bank 2-3 weeks ahead of your departure date to get all the bills and coins you need)

As a heads up, the best time to travel Europe, according to European expert, Rick Steves, is May, June, and September as the weather is still warm but not scorching hot and humid.

St. Mark’s Square; Venice, Italy

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!”
– Benjamin Franklin

Must-Bring items I brought on my trip (and would recommend to you):

iPod (loaded with your favourite music)
1-2 books to read and stay entertained / somewhat educated
Travel journal & pen(s) – Tip: Jot down in list-form the main events you did and places you saw FOR EACH DAY of your travels.
Reason: So you can remember what you did & saw many years from now.
Take this seriously and be disciplined.
How I did it: On the tour bus during travel days I would update my travel journal while “on the road”. I would do anywhere from 2-3 days at a time. You will forget if don’t capture this with good ‘ole fashion pen and paper, as you are seeing SO MUCH all at once, all the time!
Money belt (To avoid pick-pocketing. You would be surprised how common this is in Europe. I wore mine and this never happened to me.)
Backpack to put essential items in: iPod, camera, food, drinks etc (I left mine on the bus to avoid having to carry a honking bag around all the time)

Other tips: (free of charge, you’re welcome)

– Go to a travel agency to help with the details of your trip planning (airline booking, events and excursions booking, extra brochures/info pamphlets for your destination…including pictures to INSPIRE you!!) I went to Marlin Travels and they were excellent! I received awesome service & very helpful tips.
– Check your bank account…can you actually afford this? Do you have the money for this? (If not, you may need to come up with some “creative financing” to get you there!!)

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
– St. Augustine

Acropolis (meaning, “high point of city”); Athens, Greece

Europe – Part 2

City Walls in Dubrovnik, Croatia

“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.”
– Pat Conroy

For this trip I went by myself to have a solo adventure. I met up with other people on my tour group, as well as other crazily-psyched travellers along the way at each of the destination stops. I went with the tour group, Contiki. Known for its party culture (as I apparently found out), the partying scene wasn’t what I was going for; rather, it was to see the world in general, and as much of Western Europe in particular.

Here is a map of where I went:

These are some of the thoughts and words that describe my trip to Europe:

Before:

Adventurous
Exciting
Exhilarating
Taking a risk
Planning + research & planning + research
Time to put “real life” on hold
WHERE AM I GOING TO COME UP WITH ALL THE MONEY?!?
Who do I go with??
Time to pack &: Consolidate, consolidate, consolidate!

During:

Time of my life
Unreal opportunity
Sleep? Who needs sleep…I’ve got places to see!!
Breaking my comfort zone & ingrained personality style
My index finger seems to be in a fixed, permanent position from constantly taking pictures
So much to see and take in
There isn’t enough time to fit everything in!
Thought process: “Go, go, reflect, go, go!” (repeat)

After:

I don’t want to come back!
Is there ANY way to extend this trip??!
Definitely the trip of a lifetime
Opportunity to share with my kids about this trip (as my Dad had done with me when he travelled Europe)
So many memories that will last a lifetime
TONS of pictures to look through
Wow! I just saw 19 countries in Europe in 5 weeks
When can I go back?

The Louvre – Paris, France

Upon the return to my native land, Canada, I noticed I had caught a serious bug from all my travelling. No matter how fervently and desperately I tried to cure it it just never went away. This “bug” as I have heard it coined, is more prominently known as the “Travel Bug”, and more people than I know have been infected with this. The more folks I talk to who have done their share of travelling have confirmed the undeniable fact: IT WILL NEVER GO AWAY!!!

The question is: Will you allow yourself to catch this adventurous & contagious “bug”?

Europe – Part 1

Santorini, Greek Isle

“Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

I had the great and awesome opportunity to travel Europe last summer and wanted to share my experiences. These next few blog posts of my trip will be part of a series. This is Part 1 & I hope you enjoy it.

This trip to Europe was, without a doubt, the trip of a lifetime!

I’ll start with some of the events that led up to my travels:

I had spent (served) six years in post-secondary education (4-year Business degree at Trinity Western University & 2-year IT diploma at SAIT) + fourteen years (pre-school – Grade 12) for a combined total of 20 years in school & I needed to get off the continent of North America & explore the world!

Graduating last spring, April 2012 from SAIT, travelling had always been a dream of mine & something I had always wanted to do.

I had wanted to travel after I completed my 1st degree, but never made it a priority to see it happen, mostly due to costs. This was a big motivation in seeing my travel adventures come to fruition after my 2nd educational completion.

I decided now was the best time to go: I was FINALLY finished school, had not started working in “the real world”, I was single, and without a ton of responsibilities I thought it was now or never! (Besides, when else will you ever get 6 consecutive weeks off in a row at work, with your boss graciously holding your job for when you return?!?) I rest my case.

By The Numbers – Trip Overview:

# Memories to last a lifetime: Infinite
# Pix’s taken: 7,000+
# Countries visited: 19
# Weeks in total: 6
# Weeks in Europe: 5
# Weeks in London: 1
# Continents explored: 1
# People I went with: 1
# Regrets: 0

26 Reasons To Do a Triathlon

“The starting point of all achievement is desire.”
– Napoleon Hill

Would you ever do a triathlon?

It’s a simple question, yet most people would not compete in a triathlon because they are scared of the swim portion. And by scared, I mean terrified. They say they don’t know how to swim or couldn’t possibly swim the length that is required.

The swim is generally regarded as the hardest part of the tri for most people. And it’s easy to see why: Swimming is the most technique-oriented sport of the trio & most people aren’t naturally great swimmers. So rest assured, you are not alone.

These objections were what I initially thought, until I decided to do something about it. I resolved I would not let this fear keep me from competing in a triathlon. What did I do? I got a pass to the U of C pool and swam LOTS (the majority of my tri training consisted of swimming), got a swim coach, looked at swimming videos on YouTube and analyzed the best swimmers in the world (I.e. Michael Phelps & other elite Olympian’s) to see how the swim is supposed to look and tried to emulate their form each time I was in the water. To answer these swim objections for a tri race, there are 2 options: In the pool or open-water. I would advise starting off in a pool for your first triathlon and if you enjoyed it, then do an open-water swim for your second tri. That’s what I did & it worked out great.

“The first and best victory is to conquer self.”
– Plato

With this is mind, and as per the title, here’s the list:

26 Reasons To Do a Triathlon:

It’s summertime and winter will soon be here
Opportunity to try a new sport
Have fun and feel great about yourself
Do something you’ve probably never done before
Take advantage of playing a sport outdoors, in Mother Nature’s wonderland
Challenge yourself and be stretched in new ways
Expand your outlook on life & sports
Learn more about yourself and what you’re made of
Know what you believe about yourself
Meet lots of new people who, like you, are athletes and enjoy sports
By learning a new sport you create new neural pathways in your brain to help you think better
Conquer 3 sports all at once (kill 3 birds with 1 stone)
Excellent workout and great for your health, sleep and well-being
Releases stress and allows you to think better and more clearly
Is a legal alternative for dealing with stress and frustration in your life
The cross-training is excellent as you get to work & develop different muscle groups
Accomplishment of a personal goal
Personal satisfaction in seeing your success from beginning to the end, during the high’s and low’s
Be a part of the journey (the goal) en route to the destination (not the goal)
Life lessons you learn: Time prioritization, goal setting, money management, personal accountability
What you also learn: Character, integrity, dedication, suffering, struggling, discipline, follow-through & commitment
Crossing the finish line on race day is the reward and the memories will last for the rest of your life
Opportunity to share your story with others
To be inspired and inspire others
Now is the time to get fit and be more active
Why not?

Triathlon #2 – Recap

“The rewards for those who persevere far exceed
the pain that precedes the victory.”
– Karen Bliss Livingston, Elite road racer

This has been a summer of triathlons for me. I just completed my 2^nd triathlon of the season this past Sunday, August 11, 2013. The race was held in the beautiful lake community of Lake Chaparral, in south Calgary. Although I wasn’t able to have trained as much as I had hoped, due to injuries, it was a great experience and I was able to improve on my overall time from the last triathlon I competed in earlier this summer.

Here are my thoughts for the Post-Race Recap:

Swim:

– It was long! Apparently, the swim went longer than expected as we ended up swimming 900m instead of the 750m
– The first half started off well and I was swimming great, but gradually my arms began to get tired
– It was a different experience swimming with fellow competitors in my heat all at once. My strategy was to stick to the outsides to create more open-water to swim in
– It was my 1st time swimming an open-lake swim

Bike:

– Went really well
– It was my strongest event and the sport I was the most confident at
– On my 2nd lap I took advantage of the downhill’s and pushed myself to gain faster speeds to compensate for the big uphill coming back
– The hill wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated; being a long, gradual uphill I was on my highest gear near the top but kept pushing myself
– The volunteers were really supportive and encouraging throughout the run course & helped me keep going

“Belief triggers the power to do.”
– David Schwartz

Run:

– Had calf cramps on both legs at the beginning for several minutes after transitioning from the bike to run
– Was a long 5 km and I was really hot due to high temperatures (high 20’s Celsius)
– There weren’t any markings on the run which made it difficult to know where I was along the run portion
– Finished the race strong and ran with all my energy through the finish line & almost took out a competitor guy who finished just in front of me & had stopped right after he had crossed the finish line

Transitions:

– Secured a spot at end of rack closest to the exit, a prime location
– Had clothes and equipment well-organized to ensure a smooth & quick transition for both T1 & T2

Overall:

– Completed 2nd Sprint triathlon of the summer
– Beautiful location for the event at Lake Chaparral community
– Achieved my 2 goals for this race: 1) To finish and 2) Beat my 1st triathlon overall time (which I did by over 6 minutes)

“Never underestimate the heart of a champion.”
– Rudy Tomjanovich

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this:

Like this: