*Prinzipalmarkt, with St. Lamberti-Kirche in the background*

Münster, Deutschland

December 6, 2019

Welcome to Münster, the land of cheesy goodness and beer. It was another weekend with nothing planned, so we decided to take a drive to Germany. I looked at a list of the 10 best cities in Western Germany and landed on Münster. We booked a hotel in the old town area, hopped in the car, and made the quick 2 hour drive from Utrecht. After dropping off our bags at the hotel (H4 Hotel Münster, a very nice hotel that doesn’t cost much) we wandered out into the night on a schnitzel hunt. A quick Google search landed us at Grosser Kiepenkerl, a semi-posh restaurant with delicious classic German fare.

The schnitzel was amazing, and we tried two different kinds. Grosser Kiepenkerl is definitely a good spot to go if you ever make it to Münster. After dinner we walked over to St.-Paulus-Dom to see it lit up at night and headed for some drinks. We ended up at a beautiful old pub called Gaststätte Töddenhoek. There were delicious beers and plenty of locals sitting around large tables playing coin games. Overall it is a great German pub, covered in old wooden carvings and Christmas decorations. We didn’t know how to play the coin games, so we just made up our own and played with coasters! It was a great night.

*Schnitzel with Mushroom Sauce from Grosser Kiepenkerl*

St. Lamberti-Kirche

Carriage

Elephant Lounge Sign

Side Doors to Überwasserkirche

Überwasserkirche

Old Statue

Beautiful Churches are all over the city. These are just a few that we walked by.

The next morning we went out for our usual wanderings. We visited several churches, drank some really good coffee, and walked along the small streams and rivers. Münster has plenty of green paths that wander through the city center. One minute you could find yourself beside a row of stores and pubs, the next you are surrounded by trees and water. The city has a very relaxed, non-rushed vibe.

St. Lamberti-Kirche

Überwasserkirche

Münstersche Aa

Petrikirche

Sand

Dancing

Überwasserkirche over Bistum Münster

St.-Paulus-Dom Cemetary

Of course we had to check out a few Catholic services in German. I have no idea what was being said, but people seemed to enjoy it. Afterwards, we took a tour of the cemetery and looked at the cool statues. After refueling with more coffee, we headed towards the water.

*A dock on the much wider portion of the Münstersche Aa*

St.-Paulus-Dom

Bran Stark

Münstersche Aa

Dock on Münstersche Aa

University of Münster

Tower

If you go to Münster, make sure to stroll around the Münstersche Aa. Technically it is a river, but at one point it is large enough to be called a lake. There is a walking/biking path that goes all along the circumference, and its a great walk. And if you are looking for a peaceful German city to relax in, I would highly recommend Münster.

*Half Dome ever looming over Yosemite Valley, June 2018*

Sierra Nevada, California

November 22, 2019

In the summer of 2018, I left the sun-soaked shores of Southern California and moved across the country back to North Carolina. After scarfing down one last Grand Slam at the Denny’s in Encinitas, I began the seven hour drive to one of the most beautiful and iconic National Parks on the planet: Yosemite.

Rather than taking the 405 through the heart of Los Angeles, I decided to head East a little ways and go around (LA traffic is the worst). This decision took me up Route 395 in between Death Valley and Sequoia National Forest, and boy was it a great decision. Once you get north of the small city of Ridgecrest, continuous mountain ranges line both sides of the road. I probably stopped at least 10 times to walk around and gawk. And to take pictures.

Sierra Nevada

Sierra Nevada in Shadow

Big Pine

The most important stop of the drive was at the Hi Country Market and Hardware Store in Big Pine. If I was going to spend the night camping in the Yosemite Valley (and later Yellowstone, Craters of the Moon National Park, and The Black Hills) I’d need supplies. The friendly cashier in the store mentioned I should stop at Mono Lake on the way into Yosemite. I had never heard of Mono Lake, but she said it was right beside the eastern entrance to the park which is exactly where i was heading. So after loading up on ice, firewood, hotdogs, and beer I continued on up Route 395 towards Yosemite, and Mono Lake.

*An island of Tufas in Mono Lake, California. June 2018.*

Mono Lake is a highly carbonic lake in the Mono Basin east of Yosemite. With no outlet to the ocean, dissolved solids from rainwater runoff accumulate in the lake making it 2.5 times saltier and 100 times as alkaline as the ocean. Towers called “Tufas” line the edge of the lake to mark where springs brought calcium ions up from the ground and combined with the carbonates concentrated in the lake water, creating rock. These towers were underwater in the early 1900’s, but humans decided to divert some of the lake’s tributaries towards Los Angeles, causing the lake level to drop by almost 50 feet in a few decades (see also: The Salton Sea). Good job humans.

Near the edge of the lake is a sign that encourages you to dip your fingers in the water and rub them together to feel the water. So I did. It feels different, like a low-viscosity lubricant. Slippery. The same sign also invites you to have a taste. So I did. The water is salty (obviously) and bitter, but not altogether unpleasant (just don’t gulp it). You could definitely float on this lake easily. But I didn’t. I had camping to do, and the light was quickly fading.

*Tufas on the shores of Mono Lake with lenticular clouds in the distance.*

As the sun went down, I made my way West, into Yosemite National Park.

Yosemite is one of the most breathtaking places on Earth. One of my favorite photographers, Ansel Adams, shot some of the most iconic and well-recognized photographs here. If you haven’t been, you should make it a priority.

It took me more than two hours to get from Mono Lake to the Upper Pines campground, so it was well after dark before I arrived. My brother was waiting by the fire and we sat around catching up on things. A quick aside: most large national park campgrounds with bear populations have big metal boxes for you to lock up all of your food. If you keep it in your car, a bear might smash your window to get it. If you keep it in your tent… don’t do that. I had stashed my food and beer in the box when I arrived, so after my tent was all set up I grabbed a beer from the box, pushing the door shut without locking it, and returned to the fire. No less than 3 minutes later we heard a noise from the direction of the lock box. We turned around to see a small coyote darting away across the meadow with my entire bag of Cheetos. Lesson learned.

The next day I left my brother and went to explore. I wandered along the meadows and banks of the Merced River which meanders through the Yosemite Valley, staring up at the towering canyon walls on either side. I hiked to the base of Bridalveil Fall. And finally, I drove all the way up the canyon to Glacier Point to one of the most iconic views in the world.

Half Dome

Bridalveil Fall

Lone Tree

Squirrel

Yosemite Valley

Stellar's Jay

Half Dome Looming

Forset and Stone

It took about an hour and a half to get all the way to Glacier Point. A portion of that time was spent sitting in one of about 6 rows of cars, waiting for our turn to head up. Only a certain number of cars are allowed on the mountain road at a time, so if you have the opportunity (and don’t feel the urge to pull over every half mile to take pictures like I do) you should just take the bus. Either way, it’s worth your time.

*Panorama of the Yosemite Valley on the way up to Glacier Point.*

Deadpool

Deadpool likes Glacier Point.

Nap Time

In the sunshine.

There is a small cafe with food up top, and I grabbed a pair of hotdogs and set off to find a spot away from the crowds. Jumping a barrier (if you are a National Parks Service employee, I definitely did not do this), I walked a little ways down the rock face and found a tiny cave with an amazing view (The Half Dome pictures from above, the Forest and Stone picture, and Deadpool glamour shot all came from this single spot). Stellar Jays flitted through the air alongside raptors. Squirrels eyed me curiously. And the hotdogs were surprisingly tasty. Not a bad day.

But I had miles to go before I reached North Carolina. My goal for the night was to make it to Reno. So I exited the park the way I had come in, to the East, by way of California State Route 120. The views on the drive out of the park were almost as spectacular as the Yosemite Valley itself. If you haven’t taken this route, I highly recommend it.

Tioga Lake

Snow in the Shadows

The Golden Hour

After exiting the park and turning North, I pulled over for one last parting view of Mono Lake at sunset. Onwards, to Reno. To adventure. And walking, exhausted and smelling of campfire and sweat, into my casino-hotel room to find it already occupied. But that’s a story for another post.

*Darkness falls on Mono Lake. June 2018*

Leiden, Nederland

November 7, 2019

Welcome to Leiden. I had been trying for over a month to coordinate a trip to Rotterdam and using my friend Carolien as a guide. We finally found a day on the weekend that we both had available and the weather was nice and decided that would be the day. But as you can see from the title of this post, we ended up in Leiden instead.

There is a direct route from Utrecht to Rotterdam by train, but on the weekend we chose the way was shut due to maintenance on the tracks in Gouda. For no particular reason, we settled on Leiden. Leiden is a smallish city in The Netherlands northeast of The Hague.

Hartebrugkerk

Gemeente Leiden

Neiuwe Rijn

Evangelisch-Lutherse Kerk

Leiden is a very interesting city. The Hooglandse Church is built with a variety of different bricks, making for very appealing visuals. The nearby hill is topped by an old stone circular wall that offers excellent views of the city from all angles. We even stopped in an old record shop for a quick browse. If you are in need of a peaceful city with some amazing architecture, look no further than Leiden.

Hooglandse Kerk

Zijlpoort

Abandoned

Kerkbrug

*On the Docks of the Herengracht. October, 2019*

Haarlem, Nederland

November 7, 2019

Pick a number, end up in Haarlem.

With no plans for the weekend, I decided to hop on a train. Armed with my trusty OV-Chipkaart, I headed to the central station. I picked a track at random and boarded the next train. After passing through Amsterdam, I arrived in Haarlem and jumped off, my camera in tow.

*Sint Bavo Kerk ("Saint Bavo Church") from the Grote Markt, Haarlem's Central Square.*

A beautiful Dutch city, Haarlem sits about 20km (12.4mi) west of central Amsterdam. The only attraction I knew of in Haarlem was the large church in the middle of the old city. It was hard to miss. the church is tall and beautiful. Inside the spectacular organ was playing. The grote markt outside was bustling, and a very nice contrast to the towering old building.

After visiting the church and the market, I wandered around the canals. The buildings lining the canals are colorful and interesting. I even found a sailboat. After wandering for several hours, I finished the trip off with some bitterballen and a crazy strong smoked Russian Imperial Stout at the Jopen brewery on the west side of the old town (at the recommendation of my friend Carolien). A solid end to a random Saturday in the Netherlands.

Hope you enjoyed this small tour of Haarlem.

Brugge, België

November 2, 2019

When I moved to Europe several months ago, I already had my first road trip in mind. Bruges. It’s in Belgium. Back in college, my roommates and I watched “In Bruges” basically on repeat for months on end. The Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson film is dark, hilarious, and endlessly quotable. In fact, my entire reason for my visit was to take a picture of the famous belfry and send it to my former roommate with the caption “Bruges is a shithole” (A line from the aforementioned film spoken by a pouty Colin Farrell). But it isn’t. Bruges is a beautiful city, a perfectly preserved medieval city center that feels like a living fairy tale.

*The 116m high tower of Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Church of Our Lady). c.13th-15th century*

I decided my first adventure after moving to Europe would be to visit Bruges. After making the sub 3-hour drive down from Utrecht, I checked into my room at the Grand Hotel Casselbergh in the heart of the old town. The Casselbergh itself is a wonder, and sits adjacent to “The Burg”, an historic square that features the Town Hall and The Church of the Holy Blood. Even better, the famous Belfry is just down the road. After dropping my bag I grabbed a quick dinner across the street at the Restaurant Diligence, a nice brown pub with a fine Belgian beer selection and a traditional Belgian menu.

After dinner, I headed to The Burg, planning to make my way through quickly on my way to the famous Markt where the Belfry stands. As I stepped into the square, I was greeted by an array of rainbow colored lights and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” filling the large open space. I had stumbled right into the middle of Benenwerk.

*A Bruges Tripel and pre-dinner snack at Restaurant Diligence*

*Benenwerk festival at Stadsbestuur Brugge (Bruges City Hall)*

Benenwerk (roughly translated, “Leg Work”) is a yearly festival in Bruges where dance floors are built all across the old city with live music and DJs. 80’s music in The Burg, Disco by the Belfry, and even dance classes in the old Markt. It was amazing.

City Hall in Blue

City Hall being lit during Benenwerk 2019

City Hall

Bruges City Hall, lit in red during Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”

Beer Bus

Beer Bus in The burg

Bruges Belfry

The infamous Bruges belfry. Its all windy stairs and that. I’m not bein funny.

Belfry Dance Class

Dance lessons being given under the Belfry for Benenwerk 2019

Benenwerk 2019 in Bruges, Belgium.

The next morning I went on a nice walk around the city. In general, I like to pick something interesting and walk towards it, stopping for anything interesting I may find along the way. When I’m hungry, I find food. When I’m thirsty, I find drink. This usually works out very well, but there are some exceptions. Climbing to the top of the Belfry required waiting in a long line. So it isn’t a perfect way to explore, but I enjoy it.

As with every medieval Western European city, there are plenty of beautiful buildings. Bruges also has plenty of canals, in the same vein of many of the Dutch cities I have since explored. It should be noted that Bruges is in West Flanders, a region of the Flemish portion of Belgium with deep Dutch roots (they speak Dutch as well).

Quick notes from the day of walking:

Sansveria Bagelsalon serves excellent brunch and coffee. I had a large, delicious breakfast bagel with bacon, egg, cheese and avocado. The bagel was ridiculously fresh and the coffee was great. It’s an easy walk from the middle of the old part of the city.
The Church of Our Lady is breathtaking. You can walk most of the way around it and the Bonifacious Bridge is right behind the church, crossing the canal. You can enjoy the shade and watch people cram onto the bridge for pictures.
The Markt is a must visit. Every building is interesting, including the Belfry.

Sint-Salvatorskathedraal

Onze Lieve Vrouw Brugge

Bruges Canal

*The Obelisk in the middle of the Markt. The Belfry in the background.*

All in all, Bruges was well worth a three hour drive and then some. I will visit again soon. Like or comment below if you have any questions.