Where to begin? We have only been here for a few hours, but already it has felt like a carnival of wonders. Even without trying, we found ourselves stumbling over some of the greatest hits of Rome. We’re staying in the Piazza della Repubblica area, so we started off our adventures with visits to the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain.
We each threw a coin over our shoulder into the Trevi Fountain, thus assuring that we will return to Rome some day. It was just like in the movie “Roman Holiday”. Even in March, however, these places are awash with tourists…and pickpockets! We have some theft-deterrent techniques in place to minimize the risk.
Trevi Fountain (Rome)
After this year’s brutal winter, the relatively warm (18’C) temperatures today meant that we could not resist the temptation of true Italian gelato. We’ve had it twice already! As we expect to have similar sunny weather all week, I also see much more gelato in the forecast.
We had a wonderful dinner (with no “coperto”!) in a neighbourhood pizzeria on the Via Flavia. I really enjoyed my ricotta-filled ravioli in a cream sauce with walnuts, speck (Italian bacon) and shaved Reggiano Parmigiano cheese. Louise’s gnocchi was spot-on too. I would happily go back to the same restaurant tomorrow, but there were so many other appealing restaurants on the same street that we might just try each one. They all fit our “dining ideals”: patronized by locals, reasonably priced, and offering more than just the standard types of pizza, pasta and desserts.
It hasn’t warmed up much in Chicago, but I had a great day nonetheless.
Partial view from the stage of the Chicago Theatre.
First up was a guided tour of the Chicago Theatre – you may recognize its marquee from the musical “Chicago”. It is easily the most opulent theatre I have ever seen. No detail was too small to ignore. And big…it seats over 3500 people comfortably! We were able to go onstage and even backstage, where we saw the dressing room of the stars.
Backstage autograph at the Chicago Theatre.
We also saw an incredible assortment of autographs that were written on the walls. I could have stayed for hours, just looking at all of the famous names who have performed (and autographed) at the Chicago Theatre.
Backstage autographs at the Chicago Theatre
I really hope to see a concert here someday.
I then (finally) visited the Lincoln Park Zoo. It’s free but it has a great assortment of creatures…many of whom are housed indoors for the winter, so I could escape the still-cold wind. The animals appeared well cared for; I didn’t see any signs of distress.
Amur Tiger at the Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago)
This might have been the first time I saw lions, tigers and polar bears. If it wasn’t, it certainly was the first time that I took pictures of them.
But even the smaller creatures were fascinating. It was especially cool to watch a pack of wolves. They look so much like large dogs, but they don’t exhibit the same behaviour when they interact with humans.
Meerkats at the Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago)
And then there were the meerkats: they have a way of looking right at you, as if they understand what you are thinking.
After leaving the zoo, I wandered past the famous Second City comedy facility. Even though it was less than 3 hours until showtime, they still had tickets for tonight’s mainstage production…so I bought one! I’m really glad that I took advantage of this opportunity – the show was a whole lot of fun and it lasted for 3 hours. The first two sets were mostly sketches, while the final set was mostly improv.
It was a special treat to see the show at the true home of Second City…and to realize how many great comedians have come from this organization. It seems like every famous comedian has been at Second City at one time or another; I couldn’t begin to list all of them.
I’m feeling pretty comfortable with Chicago and I really enjoyed today’s activities. But I need to get back to Kingston – on Saturday, Louise and I are heading to a special (and warmer) destination!
Chicago is known as the “Windy City”, although apparently this is because of its history of political bombast rather than the breezes off Lake Michigan.
“The Bean” in winter, downtown Chicago
Whatever the reason, it is brutally cold here in the winter. I had intended to visit the Lincoln Park Zoo today but it was just too frigid. Changing on the fly, I spent a few hours at the Museum of Science and Industry instead. We had intended to visit it last summer but never quite made it. I think we were a little apprehensive about visiting the South Side of Chicago. It doesn’t have a great reputation – its dangers even became the subject of a hit record (“Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”, by Jim Croce). In any case, today I made the trek to the South Side and the area immediately around the Museum was fine.
Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago
It’s huge – there is a jet inside – and well suited for the young (and young at heart). As my academic career veered away from most sciences after high school, it was very interesting to see which sciences appealed and which ones still didn’t interest me as much. If time spent at the various exhibits is any indication, I’m still keen on genetics, chemistry, transportation and avalanches (though not all at once). Physics, electricity, biology…not so much!
Feeling nostalgic, I then returned to my favourite Chicago record store (Reckless Records on North Michigan Avenue). It’s a good store with very helpful and knowledgeable staff, but it was made especially memorable by the fact that I met John Densmore (drummer for the Doors) there last summer. He wasn’t there today.
Rama Noodles – with an exceptional “Ring Of Broccoli”
Just two doors down from the store, I had a spicy and very warming Thai dinner of Tom Kha Gai and Rama Noodles. I also had some good news today – I managed to get a full refund of my “non-refundable, non-cancellable” prepaid hotel payment in Memphis! Quiet diplomacy doesn’t always work, but it seemed to be the right approach in this case.
Now it’s time to check the weather forecast and see if the zoo might be an option tomorrow!
“For reasons I cannot explain, there’s a part of me that wants to see Graceland…” – Paul Simon, “Graceland” (1986)
“Graceland” is one of my favourite albums of all time. Alas, I am not going to see Graceland itself…at least not for a while. Yes, I had booked a trip to Memphis, Tennessee and fully expected to be posting a blog entry from Memphis this evening. However, when I arrived in Chicago, I learned that my connecting flight to Memphis had been cancelled due to poor weather in Tennessee. I also learned that there was no way to get to Memphis for the next two days. For a three day trip, this was discouraging news!
I had hoped to see the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, the Memphis Rock and Soul Museum, Sun Studios, Graceland, and a handful of other musical and historic landmarks (including the National Civil Rights Museum, located at the site of Martin Luther King’s assassination). I was also looking forward to the cuisine, including some authentic Memphis barbecue.
It would be easy to feel bitter, especially given the financial hit I’m likely taking on the hotels. However, part of travel is remaining flexible and rolling with the punches. I’ve decided to stay in Chicago for three days and see what Louise and I missed when we visited in the summer of 2013. Tonight, I’m going to create an “instant tourism itinerary” for the next couple of days. No Memphis barbecue…but maybe some Chicago-style deep-dish pizza? No Memphis soul, but maybe some Chicago blues? Check back soon and see how it all works out!
Thanks to everyone who has been checking out the blog so far. If you like, there is now a place in the margin of this blog where you can sign up to receive e-mail notifications of any new posts.
Only a few days until departure! In the meantime, Ian B. has posted some interesting questions on my “About Me” page….and here are my responses.
• Do you think you will be staying in more hotels or hostels?
The Orient Hotel in Victoria, Prince Edward Island, Canada (2009)
I hope to stay mostly in locally-owned accommodations that have some character. This translates to a lot of simple hotels, B&Bs and “pensions”. Hostels are always an option, especially in remote areas, although I’m not keen on large dormitories.
• Once you are in a country, how do you like to travel around most? Trains? Buses? Walking? Hitch-hiking and depending on the kindness of strangers?
For travel between places, I prefer trains because it is a lot easier to walk around during long trips (and to keep track of luggage). However, for short distances, I like to walk as much as possible. You see so much more of your surroundings when you walk.
• Do you stick closely to your itinerary or give yourself leeway to get taken off course as you are exploring?
There are certain “can’t miss” sights and experiences that I want to make sure I see . However, I try to stay in most places long enough to have some free time to explore and see what happens. The weather often plays a role in this, but I also make decisions based on what I think has been missing from the trip so far. This leads to your next question…
• What do you think you will visit more: cathedrals or soccer stadia?
Brazil v. Sweden (Stockholm, 2012)
It will probably be about equal in the end! I think the key is to have balance. Too much of a good thing can lessen the magic.
I will say that going to a soccer game is a great way to truly experience a local culture (and be entertained at the same time). I’ll try to see as many games as I can, although most teams play only once a week and it can be hard to coordinate that with my travel schedule.
• Do you like to try out new tastes in each stop or hunt down familiar flavours?
I definitely prefer to try out new tastes that are specific to the region I’m in. However, there are certain limits: mayonnaise and tripe (together or alone), for example, are out of the question.
• When you need to ask a local a question, are you the kind of traveller who would rather risk offence by asking (perhaps poorly) in the country’s native language or risk offence by asking in a lingua franca? (English, French etc.)
If the local language is French or German, I will try my best to ask in that language. If it is another language, I will learn about 10 key phrases in that language before I arrive…including “Do you speak English?” I think it’s important to at least try to speak the local language, however poorly, when you first approach someone in another country.
• Do you think you will go into a McDonald’s just once to try one of the unusual items they have on the menu in other countries?
It is a possibility, although it’s more likely that I would go to a restaurant chain that we don’t have in Canada. Going to a local chain might also prove to be helpful later in that trip!
OK, I admit it. I am a travel geek and have recorded every trip I have ever taken. I know how many countries I have visited and how many times I’ve been to each of those countries. In fact, because of the vastness (and proximity) of Canada and the United States, I have recorded the same information for all of the provinces, territories and states of those two countries. Alas, if this becomes the basis of your travel planning, it becomes a “checklist” approach to travel…and I am trying to avoid falling into that trap.
Having said that, I’m not going to throw out my travel records. Tallying up the number of countries visited is an interesting, though easily manipulated, way to measure how much one has traveled. Although my travel decisions will (hopefully) not be guided by these statistics, I will continue updating my lifetime travel stats as the year progresses. And yes, when the 12 months are over, I will probably calculate how many countries I visited during this special year.
I will also admit that one of the destinations under consideration for my travel year is Saskatchewan: the only Canadian province/territory that I have never visited. But I won’t go just to check it off the list…there must still be something special for me to see or do that justifies a visit. Will it make the cut? Stay tuned and see!
For many years, I’ve had a list of places I’d like to visit during a year of travel. However, even though a year sounds like a long time, I quickly began to realize that there simply wouldn’t be enough time to see every place on that list. It also was important for me to truly experience each place, rather than race from city to city and from country to country. Other considerations included climate, prices, visa requirements, safety, and some important family events that I didn’t want to miss. Logistically, this has turned out to be more complicated than any project I have ever undertaken…but the complications have also made it an extremely rewarding exercise.
As of today, I have booked five trips and have a pretty good idea about several more. Nothing beats the feeling of committing to a destination and knowing that imagination is about to become reality.
So what’s the itinerary so far? As excited as I am about sharing my plans, I’ve decided not to set them out here in advance. I’d like to share the thrill of discovery with you…and I can’t properly do that if you already know where I’m going!
Some of my destinations will be on the wish lists of many other people. There will also be places that few travellers ever visit, much less *plan* to visit. These less-heralded destinations are often the best, as they don’t carry the burden of unrealistic expectations. They also tend to have fewer tourist traps and other barriers to genuinely experiencing the local way of life. Regardless of where I go, I hope that my blog postings reflect the thrill and privilege of being “someplace else”.
After working as a lawyer for 15 years, I decided to devote an entire year to a lifelong passion: travel. This blog will record my adventures and hopefully enable you to share some of the wonder and excitement that I experience while traveling.
The first couple of posts will talk about my itinerary and about some travel traps that I want to avoid. After that, I intend to post in more or less “real time” while I am on the road. Stay tuned… and feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments!
UPDATE (January 11, 2016)
After finishing my year of travel, I posted a number of “year-end” entries and decided to continue the blog in its current form. I now write about my ongoing journeys as well as other travel-related topics. However, as I resumed working after the end of my travel year, I now also include some “flashback” posts from pre-2014 trips.
The copyright for all content on this blog site is owned by Pierre Vanderhout.
