dietsch ::

Itinerary

I expect this is now set, barring something entirely unforeseen. My revised itinerary: 11 December, Indianapolis to Chicago - O'Hare: American Airlines flight 4144, Depart 3:35 PM Arrive 3:36 PM 11 December, Chicago - O'Hare to London - Heathrow: British Airways flight 298, Depart 8:15 PM Arrive 12 December, 10:00 AM Accommodations: The Generator. Compton Place, 37 Tavistock Place, WC1, London ENGLAND; Telephone 011 44 20 7388 7666 16 December, London - Waterloo to Paris - Gare Du Nord: Eurostar, Depart 3:10 PM Arrive 7:23 PM Accommodations: Hôtel St-Jacques. 35, rue des Écoles 75005 Paris FRANCE; Telephone 011 33 1 44 07 45 45 18 December, Paris - Gare Du Nord to London - Waterloo: Eurostar, Depart 7:19 PM Arrive 9:28 PM Accommodations: The Generator. 20 December, London - Heathrow to Chicago - O'Hare: British Airways flight 299, Depart 3:05 PM Arrive 6:05 PM 20 December, Chicago - O'Hare to Indianapolis: American Airlines flight 4147, Depart 8:37 PM Arrive 10:32 PM

Plans for Europe

Plans for Europe proceed apace. I ordered British pounds sterling so I have cash immediately when I land at Heathrow. Going to Thomas Cook right away upon landing is a hassle I don't want. The currency arrived today. I'll worry about getting francs probably before I get on Eurostar for the trip to Paris. I also stopped off for more travel supplies. I picked up a padlock with a retractable cable. Pretty cool. The cable's of small enough gauge that I can snake it through the metal rings on my luggage. I also got one of those toiletry packs that hangs up in the shower, on a hook. I have a little case for my stuff, but I learned in Boston how unwieldy it is when I'm using a hostel shower. My itinerary is now set in stone. I'll post it separately. I cancelled the hostel reservation at City of London. I had to alter the plans anyway and the online booking service I used allows only reservations and cancellations, not alterations. If you change your plans, you can only cancel and make them again. So I decided not to mess with that. Instead, I hooked up with The Generator, a hostel in Russell Square, near Picadilly Circus, Leicester Square, and Bloomsbury. I was booked in City of London, which is near St. Paul's Cathedral. The problem there is that the neighborhood is dead at night. Frankly, most of my evenings will probably be spent in the West End anyway, and since my new hostel is right there, it seemed ideal. Plus, you can't beat an onsite pub. My hotel reservations are set for Paris. I'm staying at Hôtel Saint Jacques, which is located in the Latin Quarter, near Notre Dame. Cool location, yes, but what's even better is that Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn were in Hôtel Saint Jacques in 1962, filming Charade, which is among my favorite movies. This is exciting! Finally, I have my Eurostar reservations now and should receive the tickets soon. Eurostar heads out of London's Waterloo Station, into Gare Du Nord in Paris. I'm spending two days and part of a third in Paris. I know that's time enough only to dip my toes in, but that's okay. I'll go back some time. I wish I could get more excited about this, but I'm so busy right now, it's difficult to do so. But that's okay, too. With all I have going on, December 11 will arrive before I know it.

wemadeoutinblahblahblah

Here's an interesting domain name: http://www.wemadeoutinatreeandthisoldguysatandwatchedus.com/

Newer new design

Oh boy. Yes, boys and girls, it's time for a new design for this site. Hope you didn't like the old one too much, because it's history.

Have patience

I beg you...to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without ever noticing it, live your way into the answer...

-Rainer Maria Rilke
"Letters to a Young Poet," letter four

Travel itinerary

My travel itinerary, for the curious, concerned, and bored: 11 December, Indianapolis to Chicago-O'Hare: American Airlines flight 4144, Depart 3:35 PM Arrive 3:36 PM 11 December, Chicago-O'Hare to London-Heathrow: British Airways flight 298, Depart 8:15 PM Arrive 12 December, 10:00 AM Accommodations: YHA City of London hostel, 36 Carter Lane, London, EC4V 5AB, ENGLAND; Telephone 011 44 20 7236 4965 20 December, London-Heathrow to Chicago-O'Hare: British Airways flight 299, Depart 3:05 PM Arrive 6:05 PM 20 December, Chicago-O'Hare to Indianapolis: American Airlines flight 4147, Depart 8:37 PM Arrive 10:32 PM

London hostel

The hostel in which I'll be staying.

Europe plans

My travel plans are finalized now for Winter Break and I'm really excited. I've been wanting to escape Indiana again for months. Didn't do it over the summer, but I am now. Getting back to London after eight years should be a real joy. I arrive at Heathrow the morning of 12 December and return 20 December. I'll be staying in a hostel while there, and despite its quirks, I still quite enjoy hostelling, primarily for the people you meet. Cheap travel's good, too. I hope to keep this log up to date while I'm preparing to go, and if I can, I'd like to update it daily while I'm there. Watch this space!

More funk and science

I'm back, sans girlfriend. Sigh But enough moping. Here's something to restore your faith in the universe: a so-called Sombrero Galaxy, courtesy NASA. Seriously, though, when I'm sad or depressed, comtemplating the beauty of the natural world helps me heal. I take a lot of hits for being an atheist, but when it really comes right down to it, I love this world and this universe at least as much as most believers do. The only difference is my thoughts about its origins. People think my outlook cheapens the natural world somehow, but that could not possibly be farther from the truth.