Tag Archives: hike

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Travel kit

The recent trip to Italy is the first vacation trip where I have packed a Life Straw. I have three water filter systems in my camping gear and used one on the Hoh River last summer.

A Life Straw is not on the usual tourist packing lists, but the disasters are feeling too close. Not that a life straw would have helped when dams burst or with an earthquake. If one is lucky enough to survive, then the Life Straw might be helpful.

I also had an emergency blanket, my medical license and band-aids. I should have brought adhesive tape, which is much better for blisters, but I didn’t. I bought some. I put the adhesive tape over a blister and then left it. It stays nicely through showers.

I had a mini tool on my key chain and wanted a knife, but that’s tricky with all those airplanes. My daughter had medicines, including benadryl and acetaminophen and ibuprofen. She is in Europe for a while yet.

My son and a friend were once sent home from Sunday church group for lighting a sock on fire. Except that they had failed. “They should not have matches.” said the director. “They have matches and jack knives.” “Emergency preparedness.” I said. “After all, we may have that earthquake some day.” “No,” said the director. I told my son he could walk, since it’s about half a mile. It was raining. “Bored with the church group?” I said, when he got home. “Mom, we were trying to light a wet sock on fire in the old fountain that doesn’t work. Outside in the rain. We couldn’t even light it.” “Adults are a bit sensitive about teens with matches since the local store burned.” “Yeah,” said my son. “Tell me about it. We were bored.”

We are in an earthquake zone. I wouldn’t need the Life Straw if I am down on the beach under the cliffs, because they are sand and mud and they will come down. There is some luck involved, but it doesn’t stop me from walking the beaches.

Prayers for all of the disaster zones and everyone who has lost friends and family and homes and community.

Our Rotary groups buy a Shelterbox every year, which are sent all over the world with kits to help 20 people. A tent, cooking supplies for the area, water filter and even a few crayons and coloring for kids.

I am not feeling complacent about travel.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: complacent.

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Student travel

I traveled around Italy for two weeks with my daughter. We had backpacks and we planned it as we went. We usually had a place to stay two days ahead or a little more and both had return tickets. Hers is changable, mine was not unless I got sick. Then the insurance should kick in.

The last time I traveled in Italy was with two cousins in 1980. We traveled from January to March, with a Eurorail pass, and tried to do $20 per day. We did not like Italy very much because we felt terribly hassled by men. They yelled things at us, invited us into their cars, felt us up on buses and in general were awful. We were dressed in jeans, hiking boots, down jackets and frame packs. This made us obviously from the US or Canada, but we certainly were NOT dressed in a “suggestive” manner. We were very relieved when we got to Greece and there was less harassment.

I did not think I would be hassled since I am 43 years older. We were not hassled and I really did not see that behavior happening. I did see some outfits that I would consider rather sexy on young women in the hostels, but mostly people were in summer clothes. Narrow tank top straps, mini skirts and short shorts were frowned on in a number of the Catholic churches, and my daughter borrowed a large scarf from me as a skirt a couple of times. I liked Italy much much more this time. Thank you!

It was interesting to travel with a backpack in Europe again. There are other grey haired people in the hostels, though the closer to the tourist areas we were, the younger the clientele. I liked my pack better than a roller bag because honestly, there were stairs everywhere. At first both my feet and my quadriceps complained about the amount of walking and walking with a backback, but I got stronger. I woke up with terribly sore quads every day the first week.

My daughter wanted an open schedule. We had the first two night’s stay set up but no more than that. We took turns finding places to stay, getting tickets for big things like the Vatican Museum, and getting bus and train tickets. Google maps is quite amazing. We could put in our destination and it would tell us which bus and which stop and trains and metros. Back in 1980 we pored over maps, so that is a big change.

When I got off my last plane, I put the pack on and thought, either it is lighter or I am stronger. Both, I think, because I had eaten all the food while on the airplanes. Food is heavy!

I want to travel again next year, though I don’t know where. I have a long list of ideas.

Here is my daughter’s neat pack:

And my messier one:

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Layers of history

We wandered Rome today, to the Pantheon first and the through layers of ruins to the Colosseum. It is so amazing to see and read about buildings from 2000 years ago or 1000 years ago. It appears it’s peculiarly difficult to dig the new metro line without unearthing more ruins.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: peculiar.

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Favorite

I used to have a favorite agate, chalcedony nodule
found on the beaches here, during Covid. Surprising me.
I did not expect anything and only long to find something
to sustain me, just a little. I find a stone shaped heart, agate hard
and not clear. Not chalcedony, murky with impurities.
Yet the stone sustains me and I keep walking.
Even when I see that the impurities are on the outside too.
Camouflage, refusing to be washed clean, refusing change.

That one is lost, back in its’ native mud and sand. Someday
it may be polished clear, but it shrinks as it is tossed
among the other stones. It is running out of time and surface area.
It may not be heart shaped any more. My favorite now is clear,
a rich red with tiny streamers of darker red inside. I carry it with me,
I carry it in my heart. It is more nearly shaped like a heart,
a real heart, then the conventional one that is lost.

Be warned, then, that that one may be on the beaches here.
Or it could be that it has already been picked up
and taken, the finder hoping to wash it clean and see
the clear beauty as the light shines through.
Transparency is rare. I walk a mile of beach to find even one
clear stone. Don’t be fooled by that one: the dirt is embedded.
I won’t say never, but the chances of transparency and love
shrinks as it is worn away by the restless tides
and crashing against all the other rocks.

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Chalcedony

Many of my trinkets are rocks. Agates or calcedny nodules or lots of others. Fossil snails and fossil clams.

This agate initially looks better on the ground.

But wait, let’s turn it.

Half clear and half clouded. I found this one on Marrowstone Island.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: trinket.