Travels Category
Posts related to travel, abroad and nearby, many with additional multimedia content.
Sep 23 | Naoshima Trip Report
Naoshima’s art museums feel like a cross between a hidden concrete paradise and an asylum. Tadao Ando is a genius, and Naoshima is an odd but deeply satisfying testament to his vision. Naoshima sits about an hour north of Takamatsu by boat, 3 hours south of Tokyo by train, and is more or less a […]
Dec 30 | Around APAC in 88 Days Part 1
I’ve made some progress since last week, which is probably a good thing given the amount of time I’ve spent doing research and making various plans. It’s a bit like an optimization problem in operations research, where the goal of minimizing cost and maximizing efficiency bumps up against unknown constraints like unpredictable airfare changes. I […]
Dec 25 | 14,655 miles and 1 iPad
It turns out an iPad with the Ultrathin Logitech keyboard cover makes an awesome travel companion. Say what you will of a smaller-sized iPad Mini – the full sized one with a keyboard cover is a pure joy to use. In fact, when it comes to writing, I feel that the additional threshold of minimizing […]
Jun 10 | A weekend of pictures
This weekend, alongside some positively awesome interns at Google, I managed to tick off two items off a Tokyo tour checklist I had made in the last couple of weeks: the Tsukiji tuna auction market, and Sanno Matsuri. Click here or above to see an audio slideshow from Tsukiji The Tsukiji tuna auction market takes […]
Apr 15 | Mutterings from 30th Street Station
In which I travel 320 miles on a bus, meet a Swarthmore student, and realize Apple’s mac chargers have shortcomings too. The video station with the station cop repeating about how security is his number one concern fades into the recesses of 30th Street Station as I sit awkwardly near a wall socket. It becomes […]
Jun 21 | Ambler Ramble
To celebrate the return of my bike from the bike shop for minor wheel truing, I decided I’d take part in a C+ training ride sponsored by the Bicycle Club of Philadelphia (where C+ designates a ride of duration between 15 to 75 miles and a 12 to 15 mph average on flat terrain). My […]
Jun 24 | Coney Island
No visit or stay in New York would be complete without a trip to Coney Island, about an hour’s subway ride away from midtown Manhattan on the N, Q, D or the F. Famous for its boardwalk, amusement rides, fun, games, and Nathan’s hot dog eating contest, Coney Island was no stranger to the throngs […]
Aug 21 | Part 3 of 3 – Roadtrip Italia
8/6 Portoferraio – Livorno – Pisa Leaving the island at 10, we headed north, along the shoreline toward Livorno. Finding a rather desolate and emptied town (due in large part because it was Sunday and we had arrived in the afternoon, when most stores are closed), we left Livorno and moved to Pisa, where we […]
| Part 2 of 3 – Roadtrip Italia
7/29 Perugia – Assisi – Perugia 9:00. We headed off to Saint Francis’ home town, Assisi (from which you hear Saint Francis of Assisii). The hilly town some 20 kilometres from Perugia is the pilgrim’s stop for the patron saint of Italy, whose remains are interred in the lower basilica. According to an audio-visual guide […]
Aug 20 | Part 1 of 3 – Roadtrip Italia
7/20 Paris – Nancy 11:30. 3 suitcases, a bag full of books, another full of food, my backpack, and a few other minor things packed into our rented beige argent Renault Mégane and we’re off, blasting the AC at a fresh 19°C. At around 6pm, we’re in Nancy, and finding the Hotel Americain, we’re comfortably […]