thomasjankowski.com

My first full day in Israel was spent away from Jerusalem because just about everything was closed due to shabbat. Some Dutch guys were talking about Bethlehem on Fri night and before we knew it, there was seven of us ready to disembark on a scorching Sat morning, armed with backpacks, tons of water, silly enthusiasm and lots of water. Bethlehem was not nearly as exciting as the road there - crossing into West Bank, and then coming down towards the bottom of the canyon, with landscapes both impressive and slightly daunting. The Palestinian refugee camp we went to next was an experience on its own, and thanks to Annika's connections, we actually got a fairly lengthy spiel from one of the guys who was born there. Interesting, but skewed to a small extent. Taking a taxi to Hebron was something else - the kid who drove us had a death wish, which was kind of exciting, and his car was nearly dead (ie overheating, engine wheezing, gearbox failing), which was well, a bit less interesting. But once in Hebron, walking around the market, visiting the mosque with the grave of Abraham and checking out very hostile looking Israeli settlements made it a pretty amazing and totally complete first day.

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Jerusalem, the city of war. How unbelievable it felt to walk among some of the roads I've read about in descriptions of sieges from centuries ago...
Of course, much has changed and aside from the old city and a few other monuments of time past, Jerusalem is starting to look more and more modern (but thankfully not as character-less as Tel Aviv). But the markets, the smells, the uneasy tension are all still there. The fact that the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock, two holy places of two almost diametrically opposed religions are within a few hundred meters of each other does not help (nor does the fact that the old city is literally swarming with heavily armed Israeli soldiers and militia). But there is a sense of grandeur emanating from almost every corner and whether it's yet another tiny street in the Muslim suuqs, or a heavily decorated church in the Armenian quarter, or a high mass taking place in the Christian section, or the incredible vistas accessible from the Jewish side - there's always something that might have you gasp one more time...

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On my last day, we still decided to attempt doing both Masada (a mountain in the desert with the ruins of an old monastery) and Ein Gedi (where there's public access to the beaches of the Dead Sea). A bit ambitious considering we were going in the direction opposite to Tel Aviv, where I was supposed to be after nightfall, but apparently doable (it was, but barely).
The bus trip to Masada is exactly the kind of experience one needs to take in the variety that is Israel. Coming from Tel Aviv, the landscape is mostly green. Jerusalem and area - rocky formations, but still a fair bit of shrubs, smaller trees, grass. Then there's the road to Masada - although much of it is next to the shores of the Dead Sea, it's unmistakably a stone desert, with lime-like mountains and some Bedouin encampments making up for most of the landscape. The Masada mountain itself is not very tall, but the walk is somewhat unpleasant due to the scorching temperatures, which were sitting somewhere in mid 40ties at the summit. The ruins are not very spectacular because it's hard to preserve anything done in lime - but the landscapes available from the top of the mountain make this a worthwhile expedition nonetheless. Finally there's the Dead Sea. On one hand it's a nuisance - feet start burning the moment you enter the beach because the sand and the rocks are unbelievably hot. Then it's crucial to not get a cut against one of the crystallized salt formations that decorate the very shoreline. Entering the soup-like, thick water is tricky too, as it's best to do so quickly, but without any splashing. And then, moving around is nearly impossible because the moment any water gets into one's eyes or mouth, it's hard to not want to exit right away. BUT, on the other hand, it's definitely a very unique experience and worth the hassle. Next time I'll try to listen to what some of the locals were suggesting - be there for the sunrise, when the views are the best, and it's still not as hot. Oh, and eggbeater is the best style for moving around easily, if you're one of the select few who know it ;)

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After refusing to see BC for years, out of fear that I'll instantly fall in love with the place, I finally caved in and went skiing to Whistler with a bunch of friends. Skiing was picture-perfect - amazing conditions, lot of sunshine, tons of fresh powder, and really good company. Upon returning, however, I have to concede that my initial predicament was a valid one - Vancouver seemed so superior to Toronto and I miss it wholeheartedly!

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Woke up one Friday and decided to get out for a bit. A few hours later I was on a plane to Peru. While I didn't get to see much aside from Lima, that in itself was well worth it since South America is so differently from elsewhere. I love the idea behind Larco Mar - can't imagine too many 'civilized' places from where watching a sunset could be more enjoyable. And paragliding around the cliffs definitely puts things in a different..uhm... perspective :)

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Athens was both delightful and surprising. While Akropolis and both Agora sites are exactly what one could expect, Athens itself is rather cramped and dirty. Even now, in low season, the city is packed with tourists and overpriced. Smog covers most of the city and there's a general feeling of dirt.
The archeological sites do make up for other shortcomings, as does the excellent metro system and an easy connection to the airport. I'm still glad to have started with, rather than finished with this city though.

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Santorini / Thira was definitely our most favourite place. The island is extremely varied, vulcanic on one end, green on the other, with some places at sea level, and others at an altitude of at least a few hundred metres. Oia, in the north, provides spectacular views, whereas Perissa, in the south, provides direct access to the beach. Prices are more than reasonable, and people more than happy. The port is far from anywhere major, but there are buses coming and leaving all day long. It may also be a good idea to rent a car directly from the port. Lastly.... I'll be back to this place sooner or later!

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Naxos turned out to be quite a lovely island. Varied terrain, plenty of beaches, and reasonable prices make this a worthy place to visit. The island itself is rather large and to explore it fully one would need at least a week.... but the further away one gets from the main town / port, the more 'Greek' does the scenery become. Also, many of the local beaches are very close to the town, which means that it's possible to hit a beach within minutes of leaving one's place.

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Mykonos was a bit of a surpise. More pricey than the rest of the islands we've visited (for no apparent reason), it still proved worth seeing. It's easy to traverse it end-to-end, and the beaches vary quite a bit, which makes driving around even more appealing. While the beaches around Psauros have a steep cover charge (12E), everywhere else is free. Also, despite the fact that this island was extremely windy, the varied terrain makes it fairly easy to find places shielded from the wind.

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This trip felt almost completely out of the blue and out of character. I don't do tropics, and after Nassau, I've even more reason to be sure of that. It was "lovely" to the extent of simply being too boring. No place to rent out sailing, biking, or motorcycling equipment. And Nassau is dead most of the time, unless one of the major cruise-liners comes in. What might make this place fun is bringing a kayak/yacht and a bike and touring the islands, but that would require a lot of time. Otherwise, this is *the* place for peaceful coctails, lots of sun, and overall low key chilling.

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This was the second time around for me in La Rochelle, and whereas the 'awe' effect was gone as everything was now more or less familiar, I still must say that this is one of my most favourite coastal cities. This time I was also accompanied by Clara, and we almost ended up having to hitch our way back as it was a Sunday and train service was extremely spotty. Luckily, we made it back on time, extremely happy as this time La Rochelle was literally covered in sunshine. But as you'll see, it's quite odd, beautiful sunshine along with extremely evil-looking rainclouds.

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This album does not need any descriptions I hope. Last time I did not have my camera and it was gorgeous. This time I packed it as the first thing and lo and behold, it's grey, cloudy and freeeeeeezing! Murphy's Law once again :)
Anyway, this is all shot in one day, between 10:00-17:00, I ran through everywhere I remembered worth running. I regret not being there at night to take some pics of Pl Pigalle, but oh well. On the upside, I finally found the place by Sacre Coeur from where you get that particular view on rue Montmartre - stairs and lanterns....

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One hell of an expensive trip, and a bit too long of a time. Still, I think the experience was worth it. This is truly a wonderful city, with its maze of canals, narrow cobblestone streets, buildings and roads built along arcs (which gets annoying when trying to get one's bearings). The culture is unlike anything one sees elsewhere - on some intersections one can see a XVI cent. monument, a 40 yr old "coffee-shop" with marihuana fumes reaching a good hundred feet away, a gothic church, and some cozy red lights with inconspicuous, half-naked women in them...
The museums were also quite a treat, although in most places they would not allow photos at all, even without flashes. Surprising, and more strict than Rome!

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Le Mont Dore is a tiny little down in Puy-de-Dome, or what's rather known by its topographical name, Massif Central. Le Mont Dore along with Super Besse and a few other mountains are a part of Massif du Sancy, the most popular skiing destination in Massif Central. Anyway, we got a few days of decent skiing in this beautiful little corner of France, along with a very picturesque hike, a pound of wonderful local cheese, and thanks to my students - a very pleasant ride to and from Le Mont Dore!

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Biarritz, located in the South West corner of France, is in my opinion a much better choice than the famous San Sebastian located just across the border. A lovely little Basque city, with plenty of tiny shops, a small and cozy downtown, and a variety of amazing places to eat - it will definitely sit well with most people. The beaches are spectacular and the waves to die for; my only suggestion is to book early as once the season starts this place gets really busy. We've come back here a few times as it's highly addictive and in a way even more appealing than Nice/Marseille - it's got a certain wild aspect to it that the Mediterranean simply lacks.

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Royan was one of the closest towns to where I was living with its own little beach, a dock, and well.... very little history and a particularly fiendish looking church (looks like one of the spires out of Tolkien....) Anyway, as I felt an odd longing to see the sea and get some fun sailing in, Allyson decided to tag along and well, we had a hell of a fun day, despite most of the things not working out exactly as planned. I must say that while Royan does not compare to La Rochelle, Biarritz or any of the Mediterranean towns, it is still a nice refuge and I suspect that they don't get too many tourists (although there are many smaller beaches, camping grounds and villas in the vicinity that do attract tourists who then swarm in Royan once a week for a fancy dinner).

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Marseille was almost exactly as expected, less the numerous cranes and various construction zones - it seems that as with any other presentable seaside property, this city's destiny is expensive condos. I still saw, felt, and smelled parts of Marseille that date back to Napoleon... but will my children?

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La Rochelle is an odd city. It's got a tiny downtown area concentrated around its Vieux Port district. At the same time, the city occupies quite a bit of land and has at least three major ports. My brief conclusion was that this city has more to offer than its beautiful downtown - although even that alone could have been enough to win me over had I stayed longer.

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Angouleme is so annoying when it comes to walking or biking because of its position - atop countless steep hills. However, more happens here than in the departmental city of Poitiers, the downtown cafes are always welcoming, the murky river is close enough for a pleasant walk and the train station is close enough to get out once in a while. In other words.... this place can grow on you unnoticably.

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The sad thing about traversing Rome is that it actually is true what they say, that one should take at least a week to explore this city . Aside from the insane queues to some of the most frequented places, a lot of other places are closed at random hours and on random days. So the three days were not enough, but they were a sort of a good beginning - enough to lick the surface and see what most tourists see (and a tad more), but not enough to really bite in :)

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In Milano there really is not much to see outside. The Duomo is amazing and would take many hours to check out thoroughly. But aside from that, the best part of the city are its museums - some of which disallow cameras entirely, and some of which are free on certain days. The Planetario is spectacular, though the shows are narrated entirely in Italian, whereas the Museof of Natural History has quite a geological collection (slightly unexpected for Milano). By the way, if you have 3000-5000 euros to blow on something decent, bring it. You'll blow it in one day on one or two streets without a problem.

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Well, I must say it is incomparably wonderful to be able to head down to the beach in mid November at 6pm for a quick, refreshing swim in very salty water after a full day of exploring and sweating on the overheated subway system.
The thing about Barcelona is that there is a lot to do, but much of it is almost hidden away and must be found out by looking at guides, posters in the subways, etc. Going out at night with friends from random hostels is a good idea, so a change of decent clothing is worth bringing along.

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