Tech Tips

Traveling today is far different and much improved from the past, and the not very distant past. As of this writing, Wikipedia is only as old a high school sophomore, but with a mobile device can give the history/backstory of everything right now. Thanks to Google & Apple, we can know where we’re going and speak the language when we get there. That same gadget takes all my photos and videos, entertains me with books, music, social media, funny Youtube videos, and provides me a flashlight when I’m exploring some cave somewhere, and as you know, it is a phone (smart, so I don’t have to be)! The key is connectivity.

So here’s my first tip. Until some company games the international market, plan on chipping up in every country you go to. ATT & Verizon have plans, but they’re expensive. T-Mobile has something different, but you can be out of the US for months. So, with an unlocked smart phone you get a new SIM card (often in convenience stores, tabacs, even cafes) and occasionally “top up.” We did ‘3’ in the UK, Lycaphone in France, Orange in Spain, TIM in Italy, and something I can’t remember in Morocco. However, Vodaphone might have been a better choice for a Spain/Italy combo (but the market is in flux).

Being able to use GPS saves money in rental cars and is better than maps (and I love maps!) when you are wandering around some town. Google Translate has not only improved linguistically, it can be an on-site voice activated interpreter, and translates images – in many languages. And while I’m OK in describing the history of the places we’re going, having immediate access to the libraries of Congress & Alexandria (the internet) adds an education to every experience. (If I could just get Siri to sound like Bart Simpson, Deepak Chopra, or Snoop Dogg…?)

Wifi, however, is another issue ‘cause I can’t seem to put a SIM card in this ol’ MacBook Pro. Now, whenever we book an AirBnb or the occasional hotel, wifi is a priority. When we go to a cafe, we might pick the one that has free wifi (but not over ambiance of course). Unfortunately, much of the wifi is weak & slow. Bandwidth seems not a European priority. Mostly it’s not a problem if one is just surfing or emailing, but uploading videos can be a problem. (I now use Ookla to test speeds before bothering to try uploading a big file.) There are probably fixes I’m oblivious to, and certainly the situation will change, but here in early 2016 I’m late in posting blog vids ‘cause this wifi bites – or doesn’t byte enough. While I hate to admit knowing this, McDonald’s has free, passwordless wifi, and is especially good in France (what with the fries and all).

Another tech point is about the kids’ education. As I sit here now in Italy, the kids are with me at the kitchen table doing Khan Academy, officially enrolled in grade-level math courses (which requires a bit of wifi). They also use their iPads for writing reports on books read and countries visited. They use Pages or Keynote and send to us via email and/or Google Drive. Of course they use their iPads for games (after paying school dues), emailing with iCloud, and messaging/Facetiming friends, but they’ve also got into Garage Band, iMovie, Freerice, other apps, and some internet research. Still working on getting them to use iTunesU, and report on all the educational Youtubes I’ve sent them – it’s a process. Additionally, they have our old iPhone 4S’s to take pictures and stay in touch in the rare occasions they’re not with us.

ML uses her iPhone 6+ more than her Air for Facebook which she’s using to document our trip. I use my laptop to compile photos, videoclips, and slideshows for my blog, which is my version of documentation. While I brought a digital video camera with mini-tripod, I haven’t used it once. My 6phone is all that (mentioned above). So keeping everything charged is another consideration. Converters are necessary, but my Apple power cord handles 220 volts – so far. 12 volt plug ins are great in the car and necessary when using GPS on a long trip. We both use both devices for researching, booking, and documenting reservations for transportation, accommodations, and occasional tickets. And as we plan to soon make the jump from Europe to Asia, I’m booking a Genius Bar appointment at the Rome Apple store to make sure batteries, cords, storage, etc. are all up to speed.

There are several more details that are important here. For example, in the UK, ‘3’ gave the kids free SIMS so we could call them and they could have some data, nice. There may be other offers we’re not aware of, and as mentioned the phone business is a rapidly changing landscape. Also, storage is an issue. While ML & both bought extra iCloud storage ($2.99/mo.), I also brought two external hard drives to back stuff up (good, because one of them is giving me problems) and I keep one in my suitcase and the other in my backpack, just to be safe.

Well, that’s enough for one post, but it’s an important topic as it is about our connection to the world, our ability to do all kinds of important research, get/give an education, document everything in words and images, and get around. Just the hardware represents two laptops, two iPads, four iPhones, power cords, connection cords, earbuds, converters, hard drives, and an unused video camera. (Wish I had some Google glass.) Of course, a year from now it will probably all be different…

Conundra

We had been planning a trip like this for years. For three years I submitted Fulbright applications (First, I denied a 2nd round offer for my 3rd choice, then my 1st round 1st choice approval was cancelled by the federal budget sequestration of 2013, and then my Distinguished Award proposal for New Zealand was not approved.), but at the same time we saved money and prepared to do something like this no matter what. In the meantime, we explored other international programs, overseas jobs, and volunteering opportunities.

Then, in August of 2014 my father died a week after his 90th birthday and by fall we had moved my mother up to Santa Cruz to be near my sister and I. About that time my aunt died as well, at 95. In a matter of a few months, we had to move out a lifetime of stuff from our family home in Riverside, and my Aunt Lourene’s abbreviated collection from her little apartment in Alhambra. The process of going through drawers, cupboards, closets, boxes of stuff, photo albums, and rooms of furniture was a lesson. A lesson in nostalgia, reminiscence, and all those things that may have personal value or merely monetary value, all those things you can’t take with you. I’m a bit of a collector, that is packrat, memorabilia aficionado, thrift store hound, family archivist, sentimentalist/hoarder, and so the process was replete with physical and metaphysical angst.

In addition to the stuff, we inherited some money, but now of the mind that experiences are more important than things, we opted for a trip around the world. Good for us, great for our children. However, a new set of conundra confronts one: where and why? The “how” is the money, and my brother’s sage advice was to pick a budget and stick to it. Budgeting is a post in/of itself, and is an object lesson in lifestyles, priorities, and possibilities. Who doesn’t like nice things, but we don’t need them, often don’t want them, and again, you can’t take ‘em with you – into eternity or just around the world. So our lifestyle, travel-style, would be humble. Our priorities included showing the kids cool parts of the world, learning, doing some good, and staying safe enough to make it home.

The where and why gets more complicated. I’ve come to learn that planning a circumnavigation is an excruciating exercise in deciding where you’re not going to go. Other sites & blogs mention the reality that you can’t go everywhere, no matter how much time or money you have, so where is it, and where is it not? Every decision evokes an opportunity cost and some kind of rationale. Money can be part of both of those, limiting transportation and accommodation options. Safety, especially with kids, limits certain regions. Making up for yanking them out of school for a year necessitated showing our children some of classic sites (and having them write about them). Inspired by John Marshall’s book, “Wide Open World,” we wanted to do some volunteering. Having traveled a fair amount already, we wanted to see some places we’d never been. Still the decision-making process is difficult.

Before making excuses, let me say that the places we won’t go this time, we’ll try for a next time. So, we ruled out South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa, and Russia/China. Safety issues dictated some of this, altho’ we’d considered Turkey and Israel (but the news there recently has not been good). And we have visited Morocco, so that was at least some of Africa and gave us a taste of the Arabic world. Also, spending quality time – which is simply more time – is important, and we’ve realised that already we’re too much “on the go.” We settled on mostly Europe and Asia, with an emphasis on Spain and India. This blog tells the details, but in my next post I’ll elaborate on particulars and travel tips…

Thus begins a series on the whats, wheres, whys, and hows of our travels. (The title is a reference to Aristotle’s lyceum and his alleged propensity for walking while talking. I hope to share what we’ve learned, walk the talk, and vice versa.)

Geneses

Once upon a time, the biblical term “sabbatical” was used for the idea of teachers taking time off, usually to travel and do research. For us, it was called a “leave of absence,” in popular culture maybe a “gap year,” there are terms like “on & off ramping,” but “career break” may be the easiest way to describe what Mary Lynn and I have done in taking this school year to go traveling with our children.

The historical and familial precedent is important. My father also applied for but did not receive a Fulbright back in the 1950’s, nonetheless they went to Europe before he and Mom had us kids. Later in 1973, he took another sabbatical and our whole family (three children) to Europe. At 13, I went to school in England, and we also traveled through Britain, France, and Switzerland. That epic experience, along with annual summer camping trips, imprinted the wanderlust on us all. (As I write this my brother and his family are living in New Zealand, my sister and her family are traveling in Costa Rica, and we are in Spain.)

My parents told me about educational travel and as a junior in college I went on the UC Education Abroad Program to France & Togo, West Africa. Since then, I’ve been throughout Mexico and the Caribbean, through Europe several times, lived in Japan, traveled to China, the Philippines, and Southeast Asia, and visited Brazil and Cuba on special tours. I believe that among the few essential things to do in our one and only life on Earth – the now proverbial bucket list – exploring the world is near the top.

Thus having started on September 1st 2015, we are now almost half done with our plan for a ten month trip around the world. We planned Europe for the first half and Asia/Oceania for the second. We successfully enrolled our kids in school in Spain for awhile, and are visiting various hot spots. At the beginning of next month (and our second half) we fly to India for at least two months, followed by other parts of Asia & Australia, etc. before heading home at the end of June 2016. In addition to imprinting our own children with a wanderlust and an international education, we hope to enjoy an adventure and complete a few of our own projects before returning to what already was a pretty good life…

The Peripatetic School

Went to Pisa, like many a tourist, just to see the leaning tower. Nice combination of buildings, but didn’t find much more to recommend the town. Cathedral was free, tower was pricey, pizza was sketch. Best moments were quick chats with the Senegalese guy who was trying to make a Euro directing folks to empty parking spaces (there were many in the off-season, so not a good gig). Leaving and returning to our car, I got to practice my French enough to share our appreciation of Leopold Senghor, the first president of his country, and a wonderful poet. Our friend gave little bracelets to the kids, but unfortunately none of the following pix are of him…

 

 

San Gimignano is beautiful hilltop village featuring several towers, and we can see them on the horizon to the south of our villa outside Certaldo. After spending most of the day in Siena, we came to San Gimignano via an old fortress. Here are some pix…

First, the fortress…

 

San Gimignano is similar in layout to Certaldo Alto, but larger with several towers and more beige than red. We had a nice but quick stroll through town, then caught the sunset from a turret on a wall.

 

Here’s a weird finding! Go back to the fortress pix and find the girl mannequin in blue in a cavernous cryptish niche with dangling glass bulb things. It was an obscure little corner of an obscure ancient building. Funny little art thing, I thought. But then in San Gimignano there she was again, this time in a yellow dress. Turns out Kiki Smith is a well known artist, but I haven’t figured out how many of these installations there are (this is the one in San Gimignano).

 

Here’s a slide show of just some of the works in Firenze’s great museum:

One day while staying outside Certaldo, we drove to Siena and bought the all inclusive ticket to the cathedral, the baptistry, the crypt, the library, and the museum. Included was a visit to the top of a wall which overlooks the whole city – it was spectacular. Afterward, we had some great pizza at the Piazza del Campo (you know, when go back for seconds). Some pix.

First, the cathedral of Siena…

 

The Library with illuminated music manuscripts adjacent to the cathedral, and some relics (bones of saints) in gilded displays, etc…

 

Then, the spectacular views of Siena, the museum, and more…

 

More from the museum, down in the crypt, and parts of the baptistry…

 

Around Siena, a view of the view wall from below, and some panos (a note: I’ve had the kids appear in two sides of a picture, as in the first pano below, but in the last one they walked along as I panned producing a particularly weird effect)…

 

After a day relaxing outside Certaldo, we ventured into to Florence/Firenze. Like much of this trip, there were decisions about what not to do – because what you do do you want to do right. (Sounds wrong, but not.) Anyway, please do the video – it’s right on!

So we went to Il Duomo, aka the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower…

 

Then to the Uffizi (separate post when I can get enough wifi to load my slideshow), after which we strolled around a bit, checked the Ponte Vecchio, and made the hike to the Hertz office (next time: tram from station).

 

Of course there is much more in Florence, and we regret only spending one day here (it is much cleaner and more dialled-in than I remember from being here before), but sometimes less is more – especially when there is so much!

After two nights in Venice, we took the train to the village of Certaldo, just beyond Florence, where we are spending a week in an AirBnb – our Tuscan farmhouse. In fact, it was originally an abbey that dates back to 1300s – a two-story villa with a courtyard, turret and tower. It became a farmhouse complete with presses & cellars, and is surrounded by chianti vineyards and olive groves. Over the years, the property and even the original house were divided and subdivided, so there are other people in other wings of the building, and other houses adjacent. Nonetheless, it is quiet and charming with a few antiques and an amazing view of Certaldo Alto.

Certaldo is the town where Giovanni Boccaccio, author of the Decameron, lived and died – when not hanging out in Firenze. The town square, a couple streets, and more than a few monuments and businesses are named after Boccaccio. It is our fancy that this old abbey/farmhouse could be the place where three men and seven women spent a couple weeks avoiding the plague and telling tales.

The best part might have been our host Giacomo, who is as warm and caring as he is tall. His wonderful hospitality began when he met us at the train station and drove us here. In addition to showing us all the fully-equipped features of the place (woodshed, fireplace, complete kitchen amenities, etc.), he gave us a local bottle of wine and a bag of breakfast pastries for the morning. Then, he drove us back into town, up to Certaldo Alto, where we explored a bit before getting ourselves back to the house (after some pizza at what seemed like the most popular place in town).

Here are a few pix from Venice to Certaldo. First some art glass in Venice…

A yacht and our train in Venice…

Our first visit to Certaldo Alto (the old town) and some visitas from it…

 

Certaldo Alto from our villa and the kids walking toward it…

Some clips of travel, by boat & by train…

 

Updates forthcoming…

We spent only two nights in Venice and during our one full day we played a game of “let’s get lost,” in which we all followed one kid at a time wandering through the streets and alleyways for a half hour or so. Extra time and treats were given for finding cool piazzas, churches, historical monuments, and any nice photo ops – which were many. Even the adults got a turn, steering our family across the Rialto bridge and through a couple more sestrieres, and by mid-afternoon we had worked our way all the way across town. So we took a water taxi back, then wandered along the Riva degli Schiavoni until the sun set over the Canale Della Giudecca. This serpentine walk involved several stops to eat, rest, and warm up.

The day before we’d taken a water bus from the train station along the Grand Canal to the Rialto then walked a more circuitous route than necessary with all our luggage. We unloaded, then visited St. Mark’s square in the evening. The morning we left, we took another water bus from St. Mark’s back to the train station, which is a different route from Giudecca to Canale de Santa Chiara back to the Grand Canal. So, here’s video slideshow depicting our wanderings…