Tag Archives: travel

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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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Evil squirrels falling change

The Ragtag Daily Prompt is change. Lots of that here, since I was gone for two weeks!

  1. The evil squirrel has destroyed the third bird feeder. I was not home to chase it out of the yard yelling and it shredded the latest feeder. I am going to try one of those feeders that shuts when the squirrels weight lands on it. More expensive, but nearly equal to the three I’ve had chewed up!
  2. I left in summer and return to fall. Leaves are down, colors are turning, it is cooler in the morning and evening. We had a high of 64 F yesterday. That feels cool after northern Italy.
  3. I am stronger and slimmer. Carrying a loaded pack daily or every other day really made a difference! I was not sure my right shoulder would hold out, but it did, just. I went through PT earlier this year. I am doing my exercises again.
  4. I had some wonderful time with my daughter. Not that that’s a change, but she is stronger too!

Sol Duc tongue out.

Looking big-eyed, like a Keen painting.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: change.

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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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Marble triangles

I took this on August 31, the intricate and beautiful and a bit overwhelming marble floor of the Basilica di San Marco in Venice, Italy. They do not stop at triangles.

That’s just the floor. It is mind boggling.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: triangle.

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Comfortable with angles

I am thinking about monsters
That I am comfortable with the monsters
in my dreams
but terrified by the angels.
Though I type angles.

But I also dream that all the angels fall
all are made to fall
they fall down then back up
when they fall down they burn
if they fall here
burn in the atmosphere
then they are red or black and burnt
and we think they are devils: monsters.

If angels are monsters
and monsters are angels
and they go back and forth
and I type angles
because everyone makes mistakes
even angels
and to make something perfect
is an offense to the Beloved
because only the Beloved is perfect
and ineffable.

Still the angels.
I am afraid.
So was Mary, sore afraid.
Monsters are easy: at worst they can kill me
and they never have
in my dreams.
And they are sad and alone and weep.
I comfort them. Which makes them afraid,
because they are not used to being loved.
I wonder if I frighten them
like the angels frighten me.

And then I can understand
a little
of why the angels frighten me so much.
I too am not used
to feeling loved.

written September 13, 2023

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: bread winner. But I can’t eat gluten any more and my lungs are too vulnerable for the work I love. So how bread and how winner? Maybe the angels and angles and monsters will tell me.

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Wing brush

I fly home tomorrow. Meanwhile we have split up and I wandered around Venice much of today. I caught the pigeon in flight in this street. If I stretch out my arms I can brush both sides.

Baggage reorganized and no souvenirs except photographs and memories. Food to get me through flights, too! It has been a delight to travel with family and without oxygen.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: brush.