I love it when people put up sites to chronicle their epic trips. These sites are often both useful travel guides and vicarious glimpses into another person’s daily life. Some of them are done better than others, and many are crap, especially when people don’t post frequently or neglect to post photos, which are half the fun. Well, a traveler named Lee is following in the footsteps of Director Werner Herzog…well, sort of. He’s kind of following the off-hand advice of Herzog who said that to become a filmmaker, you should forget going to school, but take a long walk, say, from Madrid to Kiev. Hence the name of his site, Madridtokiev.com. And so apparently, this trip, which we get to see through dispatches and some video, is Lee’s excuse for film school. Good luck to him.
European Rock Festivals
Every time I travel in Europe, it seems that I hear about a really cool rock festival that I just missed, or will be missing soon. I can never seem to find out about them far enough in advance to include them in my travel plans.
Well, this summer might be different thanks to The New York Times who has just printed a guide to the major festivals in Europe and some of the headlining bands. For example, The Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona, Spain kicks off this Thursday (oops, too late for me again!) with over 100 bands that include Killing Joke, the Violent Femmes, Lou Reed, Motorhead, Stereolab, and many others.
Other festivals mentioned include Rock am Ring in Nuremberg, Germany; Roskilde in Denmark; La Route du Rock in St.-Malo, France; and the Leeds and Reading festivals in England.
Depending on the Kindness of Strangers
The New York Times is chronicling the travels of journalist Matt Gross, who has undertaken a trip around the world — but frugally. This week, Gross finds himself in the isolated village of Galicia in Spain, and has been taken under the wing of a kindly man named Miguel, who has offered to show him the sights.
I found this article interesting, since Gross is traveling on a budget — as such, he’s been relying on a network of the friends of friends to find his way through the world. As it turns out, Miguel is the cousin of a friend of a friend — and because of this connection, Gross finds himself overwhelmed by the hospitality he receives, not to mention a view of the village from a local’s perspective.
His story reminded me of a trip I made years ago to Barcelona: when my friend Galvin learned I was going, he got me in touch with a friend of his, Fernando. It turned out Fernando was Galvin’s students when Galvin spent a year in the region teaching English. I couldn’t have had a better host in Fernando, who allowed me to accompany him to this tiny local bar in the heart of Barcelona, where I hung out with all his friends for about 5 or 6 hours. A completely memorable day.
How about you? Have you depended on the kindness of friends of friends in your travels?
Word for the Travel Wise (05/14/06)
Word around town is it’s Mother’s Day and since we here at Gadling love mom’s worldwide I figured I’d provide you with a number of ways to wish your own mum the happiest of days. The New York Public Library online has a list of greetings and expressions for several holidays so use it today and then prepare for Father’s day just around the corner. Here’s a just few from their list:
- Catalan – Feliç Dia de la Mare
- Dutch – Gelukkig Moederdag
- Hebrew – Yom ha’em sameah
- Italian – Buona festa della Mamma
- Japanese – Haha nohi omedeto
- Norwegian – Mors dag
- Russian – S dnëm Materi
And again, Happy Mummies day to all the mummies of the world!!!!
San Sebastian on my Mind
There is nothing to dislike about San Sebastian. This wonderful coastal city located in the Basque region of Northern Spain is awash in old-world atmosphere and alluring personality.
Simon Calder of The Independent paid a visit to this fine city and literally gushes over its charm and beauty; the pedestrian promenade, the scenic bay, cobblestone streets, old churches, late dinners, fine wines, picturesque hills, and yummy Basque tapas.
I went myself a number of years ago and simply loved the place. I think Seville has a bit more charm, but the gritty Basque culture gives San Sebastian a slightly more charged edge.
Unfortunately, being so far north that it nearly abuts the French border, not as many tourists come here as Seville or Madrid. Take a few moments to read Calder’s article, however, and you just may opt for this city over the more common tourist haunts.