Freestyle Friday: Travel Tips

I was once dropped off at the wrong hotel, by a London Taxi driver. London Taxi drivers are world famous for their knowledge of the city. They have pass a detailed test to become licensed to drive in the city, and there I was at the wrong hotel, actually on the wrong side of the River. And it was at least in part, my fault. The hotel I was going to was relatively new, and I didn't have the address handy when I got into the taxi. I have struggled several times with take me to Hilton, only to be asked which Hilton, there are three of them downtown? 

The solution is simple, before I leave home, no matter how simple or complex the trip, I find the address of the hotel(s), copy and paste them into a google doc, increase the font size to about 14, and print the address(s) out.  When I get in the taxi, I hand the driver the address of the hotel.  Even if I am renting a car, I do the same, then I have the address easy to find to program the GPS or satnav.  

I print out copies of all of the travel details and put them in order in a file folder before I leave home. Phones can fail, you can't always get a signal, but printed reservations don't require power or a signal.  I put everything on my calendar, this provides a cross check for dates.  

Especially with carry on bags, if I can't heft it in and out overhead bins, I don't pack it. It seems like everytime I fly, there is a small person overwhelmed trying to lift a bag into the overhead bins. If you can't lift it, don't pack it. 

On this topic, check a bag when flying.  I have traveled a lot, hundreds of flights, and I can count on my fingers the number of times I have flown without checking a bag. I have had bags delayed a few times, only three times on outbound flights, and two of those were delivered to the hotel later the same day.  I loathe that airlines have made checked bags an extra on most domestic flights. I get free checked bags as a credit card perk on the two airlines I fly most often.  Well worth the small annual fee. 

I avoid overnight flights when possible. If there is no way around an overnight flight, I book a hotel to check into as soon as I arrive. Even if it means paying for an extra night. In dozens of overnight flights, I have slept on just a few of them. 

What is your best travel tip?  

The Thursday Ramble: Cameras - would I Leica?

His parents were buying a new Leica. 

It is no secret that I enjoy good cameras. I have owned a long list of them, starting as a teenager - and I keep saying this will be the last one that I buy - and then buying another. Back in the 1970s I started with Canon, my oldest brother bought a Canon FTb in Asia in 1971 or 1972, and my father seized it in exchange for money he had spent bailing Dale out of a couple of tight spots in the preceding couple of years. I don't know as Dale intended that camera to be repayment.  Dad gave me the camera a few years before he died. I gave it back to Dale after Dad died. Closing the circle. 

I used the FTb a fair amount, and bought a couple of lenses for it. When it came time to buy my first good camera, I bought a Konica from a local shop in Florida. It was inferior to the Canon, I was never happy with it. About 18 months later, I sold it to a classmate (who dropped it down a flight of stairs a few days later,) and used my summer working on the farm money, to buy a Canon F1. The F1 at the time, this was the fall of 1975, was the top of the line professional camera in Canon's line up. It was an amazing camera, built out of brass and titanium, it was rugged, reliable, and fast.  I added more lenses. 

A year later I added a couple of medium format cameras to the bag, a Yashica 124G twin lens - a Japanese copy of a Rolleiflex.  And then a Pentax 67. This was a massive single lens reflex camera that produced 2.25 by 2.75 negatives (6 by 7 centimeters.) 

The real workhorse was the F1. It's only drawback was weight, it was very heavy and the high quality glass lenses were very heavy. A decade later I had a few really profitable years, and found a reliable used camera dealer in Maitland Florida.  I added to the collection a Canon AE1 Program with a motor drive, and a couple more lenses. The AE1 went to Europe with me in 1990 and 1991. I was young and fit, and part packmule.  

Sometime in the late 90's I traded all of the Canon gear on a Nikon N65. I had stopped using the Canons because I didn't want to haul around the gear. I still have the Nikon. I haven't used it in 20 years, but I still have it. At the time, the Canons were just a bag of old gear, the F1 was about 20 years old. Cameras had become much lighter and more compact, and also did more. Instead of the motor drive being a half kilo add-on that took a handful of AA batteries, the motor was built in, and driven off of two tiny batteries that lasted for months. If I had held onto the Canons they would be worth more today, but I don't regret trading them on a camera that I actually used, used a lot. 

I have never owned a Leica, I probably never will. They make some of the worlds finest film and digital cameras, but the price is frightening. And I could take better photos with what I have, a better camera won't make me a better photographer. Still they are fun to look at. 

Leica has retail stores in major cities. There is one here in Washington DC, on the recent trip I was in two stores, Milan and Vienna. The stores sell Leica cameras and lenses, and the two I was in also feature coffee bars and small galleries. I love looking at the works of great photographers. And the shops drip with elegance as they should when the prices start in the thousands and go up. I am glad I stopped in. Would I ever own one? If I won the lottery (unlikely as I don't buy tickets) I might, but I would probably buy a Hasselblad and then complain about how heavy and bulky it is. But their top of the line is now 100MP, with amazing lenses.  

My World of Wonders: June 17, 2026

 

Where have I been this week? Down to the Alexandria waterfront to tour three "Tall Ships." The grocery store, they gym, a walk to Wegmans, the indoor pool, the outdoor pool, the farmers market, out to lunch on King Street. 

What have I been up to in the kitchen? Hmm, a pork spanish rice dish, tortellini and salad, roast pork tenderloin with cheesy mashed potatoes and green beans - nothing terribly exciting. I started my second batch of dill pickles for the summer. 

Who have I talked with this week? Amy, Kevin, Jon, Giuseppe, Ruth, Paul, Renee, My Sweet Bear. 

When is the next adventure? Mid-July a few days to visit family. 

What is on the easel? A large canvas primed in blue, the theme for August show is "Explosion of Color." I need to create something. 

What will keep me busy this week? The current art gallery show comes down on Wednesday morning, the new show goes up on Friday and Opens Saturday afternoon. I have two paintings and six photos ready for this show.  I have printed the wall tags, and I am working with the graphic artist to finalize the program.  The PowerPoint for the opening reception is almost finished. Joan and Pratibha are curating the show after this one. I am organizing two more in the fall,  Still Life and Real Life, and Landscapes and Dreamscapes.  

Travel Tuesday: Milan Duomo Up On The Roof

We started our tour of the Cathederal in Milan, up on the roof.  We had booked tickets ahead of time, you go to the entrance at the right rear of the church, and the elevator takes you swiftly to the top. The stone work is simply amazing. 

 

Monday Moods: Things that work

We had been having intermittent problems with the washing machine not wanting to start, for probably a year. Most of the time it would start, then it wouldn't.  The advice was unplug it, and plug it back in. That worked, until it didn't. Then the advice was leave it unplugged for five minutes, that worked, until it didn't. Finally after being asked to repeat that process, a technician was sent out to look at it. The technician repeated the unplug and stare at it routine, consulted with the manuals and announced it needed a new circuit board and door latch mechanism. The repair estimate was nearly half the price of a new machine. And I was so frustrated with the old one, I said, "no - thank you." I wanted to say "fuck no" but I am too polite to say what I am really thinking sometimes.  

A quick trip to Lowes, we had narrowed the choice down to two options, and they had both on display, side by side, and both on sale for the same price. We went with the LG, it was delivered a few days later. The simple joy of things that work. Everytime, at the push of a button. 

I had not really allowed myself to acknowledge how stressed I was about the intermittent problems with the washer. A low level underlying stress, for months. Hesitancy to run a load of laundry. Angst over will it start on the first try or will I have to fiddle with it to get it to work today. That had been going on for months.  That is gone. A little concern the first few times I pushed the buttons on the new machine, but it works. There is nothing to stress over. Life as it should be. 

For those wondering, the washer dryer is in the kitchen. The condo is relatively small (a little over 1,100 square feet, about 100 square meters.) In nearly all of the floorplans the apartments came with a stacked washer dryer in the kitchen. Unusual in the USA, convenient as could be.  The integrated washer/dryer stacks work very well, and fit the space nicely. 

The Sunday Five: Politics

Graffiti near the Vatican in Rome. 

I rarely talk about politics on my blog. I have strong feelings, but try to keep this blog a happy place. On the occasion of a cage-fight on the White House lawn for HWSNBN's birthday, I am making an exception (what a national embarrassment.)  

The Cage Fight Structure on the White House Lawn for this clown show.
So much for dignity and respect. 

1: Did you vote in the last election? 

2: Have you ever regretted a vote? 

3: Have you written (or emailed) your political representatives? 

4: Will you vote in the next election? 

5: Today is "his" 80th Birthday, what is your wish for him? 

My answers: 

1: Did you vote in the last election?  Yes

2: Have you ever regretted a vote? Yes, a couple of times. 

3: Have you written (or emailed) your political representatives? Yes, not often enough. 

4: Will you vote in the next election? Yes, please join me. 

5: Today is "his" 80th Birthday, what is your wish for him? Two million people crowding the streets of DC cheering his name, it will likely happen at his funeral. 

Please share your answers in the comments. 

The Saturday Morning Post: Creativity as Meditation

This was carved out of a single block of pink marble, I can only imagine the years of concentration that went into this. 

At times we create in a mad flurry of activity, working fast, as it is described being in flow. But more often, we create slowly, focussing on the details, working slowly, make minor changes, improvements. I have read that the Mona Lisa took years to create. It had been paid for, and had to be delivered.  

An interesting article linked by Angus in Scotland a few months ago, talks about a shop in Japan that creates tea caddies, boxes to store tea in. They are made one at a time, slowly, all by hand, as close to perfect as can be done. It list three essential steps: 

    1: Slow down

    2: Focus on something worthy

    3: Try to get a little better each day. 

A great article, a good reminder to focus on developing the craft of creativity. It describes the creative process as an active meditation. When I am painting, I lose track of time, and forget the clutter in my mind.