Around the world Part II – What we packed this time

When we left in April for our first around the world trip we assumed we’d follow the sunshine and packed for a year of warm weather. This time we are heading east and starting in Ireland in the fall. As a result we’ve had to pack for colder weather, and hope what we’ve learned for our last packing experience will come in handy.

Aware of underwear

Last time I went light on under garments. Based on how they were advertised I assumed quick-dry and odor fighting under garments would come in handy. They did not. It sucks wearing underwear for more than 24 hours no matter how “antibacterial” they claim to be, and quick drying items don’t dry at jaw dropping speeds. So, this time, I packed 10 days of under garments instead of 3.

For the times we do end up washing clothes, we are packing a few washing machine detergent pods. They came in handy a few times and are pretty small and light weight.

Nix’ing some Knick-knacks

We ditched a lot of knick-knacks and gadgets this time around. The quick-dry towels and specialty water containers never added much value for a hotel hopping couple like us.  After buying one bottle of water we just refilled the bottle and we always had towels in our hotels. We rarely wanted to carried the binoculars with us on our walks, and our bags always weighed the same so the bag scale was useless for 99% of the trip.

Keepers

We doubled up on the vacuum bags. They are awesome. Here is me using one below.

 

 

From David to Venus: A video tour through Florence, Italy

We love how Florence is able to provide so many things to see and do into a town that very much feels like a part of the Tuscany countryside. The only downside is the mega crowds and lines you may have to  contend with to see the immense collection of art and architecture.

We started our tour with a stroll over the Ponte Alle Grazie and walked through an array of beautiful sculptures filling every corner of  the open air square at Loggia de Lanzi.

There is truly no end to the sites and art to see in Florence, from the Accademia which holds Michelangelo’s David (which is so much larger in real life than I had imagined), to the Birth of Venus in the Uffizi Gallery, you will be sure to check of a large chunk of your bucket list in this town.

“If” by Rudyard Kipling with a video by Spy Films

The poem beautifully describes life’s ups and downs and the importance of knowing how to embrace them both. It celebrates the acceptance and abandonment of what you’d love to have or would hate to lose, and, in either case, having the capacity to move forward – without losing yourself.

It’s about putting yourself out there and playing out the entire story. It may be through a startup, a job, a piece of art or a night out with friends. To follow a dream, or to pursue a want, but not to become bound to any one mantra while doing so.

I’ve always had a soft spot for that type of duality-talk. I too believe life provides a bounty of gifts for those that dance the line.

That’s my take anyway, but the only true way to describe how it makes me feel is to be inside my head when I read it. Thus is the beauty of art and poetry: personal interpretation.

Want to take a crack at expressing your take?

Enjoy the black and white video and reading by Dennis Hopper in the video below created by Nikki Ormerod and Spy Films and let us know your take of this classic piece.

from Graham Chisholm on Vimeo.

If by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
    But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
    Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
    And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
    And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
    Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
    And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
    And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
    And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
    To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
    Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
    Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
    If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

Source: A Choice of Kipling’s Verse (1943)

Videos of Budapest: Walking tour of the Pest Side

Pest Day 1

I don’t know if this is common knowledge in the states but I didn’t know that Budapest was actually a combination of two towns split by the Danube. Pest is the newer town filled with some amazing architecture, parks, malls, shopping and sites including the Parliament and Hero Square. The Buda side is the more historic side of Budapest and contains sites like the Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastille.

As a whole Budapest is pretty incredible. We continued to be surprised as to just how big the town is. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, there is another part of town rich with even more monuments and building. Then, once you think you have the hang of the city you realize that at night there is an entirely new dimension to it all that deserve another lap.

You can watch our timelapse tour of Pest in the videos below.

Pest Day 2

Our video walking tours of Vienna: Buildings, Palaces, Sites and Food.

Vienna was a beautiful city. Clean, rich with history, and both trendy while still retaining its classic history. We were lucky enough to grab an AirBnB with Thomas whom showed us around the city and introduced us to some great restaurants, bars and wines. Time and time again we are shown just how much the people you meet in a city will impact your stay there.

We tried foods, desserts and visited some of the many museums this town has to offer in the videos below. Enjoy!

More pics @ https://goo.gl/photos/KWzBzSEBzvvvDzTt7

District One

Palaces

Amusement Park

Food