Family-visit/fulfilling a filial piety (by bringing a 67-y/o mother) trip to Greece by taking a 10-day paid leave (such an un-japanese like). Gained 6 kg over a mere 12 days of unconstrained gobbling. Not much of Athens, but turned out to be a fun hopping-around trip over Peloponnese peninsula.
Climate (Mid-Sept.): Sunscreen is must. Slightly less hot, thus less high-season than preceding months in Sept.
Folks: Friendly, hospitable and good with children (with no exception as far as I recall). There seem to be many (in proportion to the entire population of 10 M) people engaged in service/tourism industries, and the dystopian preconception of debt-crisis was almost non-existent in the eyes of a beach-hopping tourist.
Weight gain: Eating dairy products to the point of feeling bloated (a while after every meal) is surest way to gain the weight.
Delicacies:
Greek Yogurt: Thick and sticky and goes well without any sugar, but also goes pretty well with honey
Greek Salad: Initially palatable, yet slightly fed up with feta cheese at the end of trip
Tzatziki & Taramo Salata: Yogurt & Fish egg pastes as an appetizer
Seafood: Pricier but worth the higher cost
Moussaka: Greek Lasagna
9/5-6: Voula(nearby Athens), Glyfada
Glyfada townGlyfada beach
9/7-8: Gythio > Diros Cave
Random highway stopoverSupper at GythiHotel @ Gythiobeach @ GythioDiros CaveDiros CaveDiros CaveDiros Cave (Outside)
Monemvasia (from afar)Monemvasia (Entrance to the fortress)Monemvasia (inside the fortress)Monemvasia (lower town)Monemvasia (from Upper town)Monemvasia (wedding)Courteous instructionMonemvasia (lower town @ night)Ferry to ElafonisosFerry to Elafonisos (no beach pictures)
9/10-11: Kyparissi, Leonidio, Krioneri
Kyparissi cliffsKyparissi cliffsSmall town of KyparissiKyparissi beachKyparissiGoatsLeonidioLeonidioGoats againGoats again
Hotel @ NafplioNafplio streetMykinesMykinesMykinesNafplioNafplioNafplio
EpidavrosEpidavrosEpidavros
Corinth CanalCorinth Canal
9/14: Voula, Athens (solo)
Athens (Train St)Athens (graffiti)Athens marketAthens marketAthensAthens (Parthenon)AthensAthens (Lykavittos)Athens (Lykavittos)Athens (Lykavittos)Athens (Lykavittos)AthensAthensAthensTemple of ZeusTemple of Zeus
9/15: Voula, Chamolia (No picture)
9/16: Voula, Athens (with mother)
AcropolisAcropolisParthenonParthenonTemple of ZeusChanging of guardsLykavittosRoman AgoraAthensAncient AgoraAncient AgoraAthensLast shot in Voula
My previous overseas climbing trip to Frankenjura in July was so fun and fulfilling that it naturally led me (as a single dude with no partner/family obligations) to plan the next trip around year-end/new-year holidays. The last (and “1st” for me) solo trip was hippie and fun, but slightly inconvenient logistically and performance-wise (without having a car and accompanied partners). As much as the climbing trip to Barcelona sounded enticing, my Japanese psyche kept me from telling my boss (@ recently changed job) that I take a stretch of leave days before finishing my probation period. The cost of my indecision took me approx. 500 USD (escalation of flight tickets in the space of 1.5 months or so), but bandwagoning the trip with similarly spontaneous (2) folks expectedly turned out to be fun and memorable.
Whatever work-related memories have been obliterated right after a last-minute lousy handover to my boss on 25th (followed by Christmas party@office). During the flights to Barcelona, I watched “Crazy Rich Asians” (whose title seems to lack another adjective: “Chinese/Oriental”, for the sheer sake of political correctness in ethnic representations). The movie adeptly utilizes and defies stereotypes of “Chinese”, and as it features Singapore (where I stayed for an exchange program @ University), it was entertaining throughout the whole movie. Aside from that, the last strings of ups-and-downs are well composed and very moving (even though I seldom watch/enjoy romantic kinds).
Improvised guideposts @ Beijing Airport (Admittedly “Business” seems more classy)
It was 7:30AM and still totally dark when we landed Barcelona Airport. Headed straight to Hertz counter and by the time we went outside the car park with a compact Citroën’s C3 as our company vehicle for the trip, we were greeted with a typically and expectedly-Spanish warm sunny winter weather, which furthered our already hyped-up expectations toward our upcoming 8 days (how short!) trip.
Thought this much of clear sky would continue for the rest of the trip…
However, after circa 1 hour into the direction of Lleida (mountain side), it got inauspiciously foggy. Having made a shopping trip at Carrefour (for foods) and Wala (sports gear shop @ south of Lleida for procuring a gas can), it was still 14:30 by the time we bumped into the ginormous curtains of rock cliffs at Terradets.
Wala @ Lleida
Terradets (Paret de les Bruixes)
Despite slightly cold (4c) temp and ostensibly seeping rocks at the parking area, we hurried to the Bruixes wall (the approach to Bruixes is short: 10mins and obvious, once bolted ladder leading to the path is identified) purely out of excitement. As Bruixes wall gets in the sight our steps got quicker and each stride got longer till the joy culminated when we arrived at the bottom of the wall and realized it’s entirety.
Bruixes wall
The glory to go for 1st try was bestowed upon me by rock-scissors-paper result, but 7b (which seems to be a limited few of up-routes in this crag) is my OS grade in Japan, and OS trying without limber-up (moreover with the pressure to send/fall quickly by awaiting overly eager 2 climbers) added an extra hurdle (“excuse” in case of failed attempt) to me.
Route name at the bottom of each line (some are illegible)
Nonetheless, I managed to conquer the route with excessive over 20mins of clinging to the wall (which understandably should have irritated the ensuing 2 folks) and overly pumped-up arms. By the time all 3 of us did 1 round it was getting darker, so I finished with a drenched 6b+ as a cool down. The approach-back was a bit scary under the slippery surface (even with bolted ladders), so the caution is advised (especially when it gets dark).
From the parking (next to the bridge of the dam), it takes approx. 20km to reach the small town of Salàs de Pallars where we booked a reasonable accommodation just before leaving Japan. (There are a few bookable-via-web options at Cellers and more at Tremp, but we didn’t mind driving extra 10km or so just to save some cost.)
The hotel (Alberg la Solana) looks rather chic with its antique facade and facilities are sufficiently comfy and neat. Moreover, the uncle is very nice and mellow with his peaceful dog.
Jam Sesión @ Bruixes
どうやら行き当たりばったりなのは他2名も同様のだが(安堵)、シュラフ、テント無しで寒空の下宿無しとなるのは是非とも避けたいのは満場一致なので、成田にて出発直前にSalàs de Pallarsという岩場基部から30km程離れた宿を抑える。WiFiと暖房環境の乏しい8時間のトランジット@北京を経て、7時ではまだ夜明け前のEl Prat 空港に到着(所謂「日の出」は8:20頃)。左ハンドル、マニュアル運転、時折のラウンドアバウトに慣れてもらい、バルセロナからLleida(スペイン語ではLが重なると「J」の発音に近くなるため「ジェイダ」がしっくり来る)に向かう。
Wala @ LleidaParking/Approach Entry to Bruixes (From bolt ladder on the left wall)
Terradets界隈に入ると、これまた馬鹿でかい岩壁に期待を膨らませながら岩場基部の駐車場に着いたのが14:30頃。ボルトラダーから続く15分弱程のアプローチを経てBruixes壁(スペイン語で「魔女」の意)に到着。幸か不幸かOSジャンケンで勝ってしまったのでいきなり7b (Jam Sesión) に取り付く事に。20分以上の奮闘(と恐らくは後続2名の苛立ち)の末、無事OS。3人でロングルートを回すとトライ数も限られるため、びしょ濡れのダウンをもう一本だけ出して登攀終了。ウェブ検索で一番コスパが良さそうな基準で選んだAlberg la Solanaにて宿泊。1人(+1匹)で宿を切り盛りするお爺さんが親身でほっこりする。
Alberg la Solana @ Salàs de Pallars
12/28
The fog was much deeper than the day before and the temp in the car indicated 1c, but that didn’t stifle our eagerness to climb, so we were at the crag by around 9AM. Having carefully observed massive (sport-routes in Japan rarely exceed 25m) overhang lines (many of which are too hard for us), we selected to try Energia Positiva 7c+. The 35m line exemplifies what hyper-strenuous route takes to be. On the flip side though, each part is relatively manageable with occasional cruxes (though concentrated after mid-end sections) and rest points. Having anticipated this much long route requires sizable time to digest, especially taking turn with 3 persons, I gladly let go the privilege to crack the beta for the other 2 folks. Thanks to this sneaky tactic, I managed to send the route on the 2nd try (possibly clinging onto the line beyond 30mins), which was a sufficient accomplishment for me to end the day. It had been all foggy and the evening temp seemed to be around freezing point, so there were only 2 other parties at the crag during the day.
The fog and cold temperature even furthered (lowest: -2c!!) and convinced me (with previous day’s exhaustion) to take a rest. I requested to have me dropped off at the town of Tremp, but it didn’t take more than 15mins of freezing wandering before I started to regret. It was more of seeking around AC/insulation-equipped shelters rather than sightseeing, but the rest day was well deserved and appropriate. After the climbing of the rest of party, we headed to “Siurana Camping”. As we didn’t make a booking in advance and it was after 10PM by the time we got the camping, we were almost left stranded under the freezing Siurana, but barely admitted in the “Communal room” where there are approx. 10 beds inside a cabin (with a stove).
Umami @ TrempCitadel sitting on top of the city of BalaguerYellow ribbons are ubiquitous (in the context of Catalan Independence)
Siurana
12/30 (Can Melafots & Ca La Isabel)
Breakfasting outside was more bearable than I had imagined and the gradually rising sunshine helped a lot. “Can Melafots” is within 10mins walk from the camp and populated with many climbers (and general tourists alike) assumingely thanks to the south-facing warm location and relatively climbable line-ups. In contrast to Bruixes’ juggy tufas, Siurana is generally characterized by smaller and non-juggy crimps. Despite having some hard time to adjust with smaller holds and the initial bouldery moves (due to the cliff formation of the crag that has overhangs in the beginning), enjoyed some nice and technical routes.
Camping Siurana
またまた氷点下付近の寒空の下、Siuranaでは野外で朝食。寒いが日が射して来ると温かい。今パーティの単独ドライバー様はレストのため、残り2名で歩いていける Can Melafots へ。昨晩は夜間で只管に蛇行する山道に食傷気味だったが、壮大なシウラナ全容が見えていれば、道中も楽しかったであろうに。Can Melafotsは陽が一日中当たり、易しいグレードも豊富なので人気エリアの模様。岩壁の形状のため出だしのハング核心が多く、ホールドもガバばかりではないので、個人の登攀としては終始しどろもどろだったが、年末休みと重なってか観光客も数多く通る脇で、Bruixesとは打って変わって一日中半袖でいたい位のポカポカ陽気を楽しんだ。
Can Melafots @ Siurana
”Communal room” @ Camping Siurana
12/31 (El Pati, El Cargol & Esperó Primavera)
Combining a mandatory (as a climber) visit to La Rambla, we climbed at the crags nearby El Pati. However, my climbing pathos/eyes didn’t seem to be matured enough to be able to identify the La Rambla line. Each of us tried long routes, nearing 40m scale at El Cargol and Esperó Primavera area. Though these areas are adjacently located and there are many options, but many of manageable (around 7c or lower) are constantly populated with climbers all day long (possibly due to the soaring lines and vibes enabled by long routes). As I might have eaten too much liver pate (which I usually enjoy during overseas tours because of rare availability in Japan) at the dinner, I was too drowsy (with a slight feeling to throw up) to stay awake to celebrate the countdown, but the rest of my party didn’t bother to stay awake either.
Ginormous swing at El PatiLa Rambla @ El Pati
La Ramblaの有るEl Patiに参拝させて貰う事に。然しながら、ライン読解力の無さのためか聞いてみてもLa Rambla のラインが良く分からなかった。。付近のEl Cargol と Esperó Primavera エリアにてロングラインを楽しんだ1日。長いスポートルートは日本では中々お目にかかれない事もあってか無条件で楽しく心地よい。恐らくレバーとフォアグラペイストの食べ過ぎで胃もたれが酷かった事もあり、大晦日らしいお祝いやカウントダウンは特に行わず早めの就寝。
La Morena del Montsant (40m) @ El Cargol
Margalef (Racó de les Espadelles)
2019/1/1
Left Siurana Camping for Margalef in the morning, which took around 1 hour winding drive via the town of Cornudella de Montsant (where a mountain shop: Goma Ⅱ is located).
Goma Ⅱ @ Cornudella de Montsant
It is possible to drive back and forth between Siurana and Margalef, but the abundance of accommodations at Margalef (though not many seem to be bookable online) dictated us to find some place to stay at Margalef (as the remaining last 3 days was planned to be spent here). As expected, it didn’t take much time to bump into Refugi de Margalef (El Racó de la Finestra) and booking on the spot has secured the shelter for the rest of our stay in Spain. (To be precise, this Refugi turned out to be very comfy with a very reasonable price and generous facilities)
Refugi de Margalef (El Racó de la Finestra)
Now that we got unencumbered by the possibility to spend a night in the refrigerated car, we headed straight to; Racó de les Espadelles, the biggest area (during winter time when another big “Racó de la Finestra” is in shade) in the crag where we eventually ended up spending the remaining 3 days. From the town to the parking, the hill-climb by car (approx. 2.4 km after the noticeable recycle bins at the skirt of mountain) is pretty steep, winding and narrow (to have a 2-way passage, so it should be safe to assume the path is practically one-way in accordance with the rest of climbers’ flow: up-morning, down-evening) . To our fortune, our apparently feebly powered car (Citroën C3) managed not to get stuck there, but the caution is advised especially during early morning and late evening when the path could potentially get icy.
Parking for Racó de les Espadelles
The approach to Racó de les Espadelles is obvious and short (less than 10 mins until the left-edge of the area) with a bit of fix-roped slope. As obviously noticeable by exterior, the rocks here feature juggy and in-cut pockets that almost-literally bite deep into your skins. Finger skins deserve care and preservation if climbing over consecutive days is planned. Maligna 7c line was very enticing with juggy roof climbing but seems to require plenty time and dedication for me to send during this trip (so gave up after the 1st try). Nonetheless enjoyed the edgy pocket holds combined with steeply hanged walls. Dining space at Refugi de Margalef was in a festive vibe with climbers from various countries clustering around in the same room.
La gomorra @Racó de les Espadelles
これまた元旦らしさは皆無で淡々と朝飯を食べ、転戦先のMargalefに向かう。Siuranaからは山道を1時間程でSiuranaから通えない事もないが、Margalef自体にも宿は充実している。道中のCornudella de Montsantという小さな町ではGoma Ⅱという登山用品店が便利らしいが年始休暇で休業中であった。Refugi de Margalef (El Racó de la Finestra) という宿の空き状況を確認し、宿事情が片付いた (Margalefが今ツアー最後の訪問地のため) 所で、岩場に向かう。
Curtain of countless rocks at Margalef
冬場に登れるセクターとしては最大級の Racó de les Espadellesに向かう (冬場で無ければ日陰主体の Racó de la Finestraも大きいエリアの模様)。アプローチは急登が2.5 km程続き、朝夕は氷点下まで冷えるためレンタカーで登る場合は慎重に行った方が吉。岩壁は見た目より更にガバで掛りの良いポケットだらけの強傾斜が多く、これでもか！という位掛りの良いホールドが散在している。とはいっても高グレードは傾斜が強く引付け&ロックパワーが生半可では余り勝負出来ない。かっちょいー Maligna 7c を触ってみるものの、泥沼の消耗戦が予見されたので、早々に撤退。指皮消耗が余りに激しそうなので、残り2日の岩場滞在中にレストを入れるか入れまいか、悩みながら、ポケットガバをならしつつ触る。Refugi de Margalef の宿はキッチン、WiFi、暖房、シャワー環境諸々充実しており、各国のクライマーで賑わっていた。
Crowded dining @ Refugi de Margalef
1/2
Blessing of sunny weather over the last few days at Siurana and Margalef had totally lowered our guard and the foggy and freezing morning inauspiciously reminded us of the hard-cold valleys at Bruixes. Nevertheless, having been pressed by the time constraint of remaining 2 days of climbing, we were at the foggy crag by 9AM. It was when I almost decided to take a rest day before the sky cleared up around 11AM. The accumulating fatigue and worn fingertips didn’t necessarily encourage me to try hard routes, so I enjoyed relatively manageable OS tries. Though our last supper during this tour would be the next dinner, but the departure to airport would be early in the subsequent morning, so we cooked a sumptuous dinner to celebrate the end of a short but cherish-able tour.
Cooking facilities enrich the dining @ Refugi de Margalef
1/3 – 1/4
The absence of fog in the morning assured us to go ahead to the crag and utilize the last day. The OS tries continued, but with more emphasis on grasping jugs to the point of self-inflicting the laceration on my fingers to satisfy my masochistic climber’s psyche. The 5th day of climbing in a row was more doable than I had imagined but the worn-out fingertips make it harder to grip edgy holds. Leaving aside the desire to abandon the flight ticket and just extend the stay, we mournfully left the crag to prepare the early departure to El Prat Airport in the next morning.
Some people are really hardcoreLa Mainadera @ Margalef
Tarragona Climbs & Lleida ClimbSiurana GuidebookMargalef Guidebook (2019 Edition was available on Jan-1st!)
Since “Tarragona Climbs” & “Lleida Climbs” cover a varieties of crags in the region, these are more suited for hopping around multiple crags. For huge crags, such as Siurana and Margalef (that has 82 areas!), the dedicated guidebooks cover more routes and information on each area (sun/shade, recommended season etc.)
The trip was characterized by family&friend rendezvous-cum-arty&sporty extravaganza-cum-constant muscle sore on my right foot from Day 2.
The multi-faceted city is charming enough to keep me roaming around for hours without dampening my enthusiasm, and comfortably bustling in a way that is not too haphazard.
The privilege of being able to chat with folks with national rugby uniform was another coincidental appeal of the city that I wouldn’t have in any other time.
RWC 2015 @ Twickenham
However, 1) Splurge on one-off events, 2) JPY (very weak at the moment) conversion benchmark ingrained in my mind and 3) exorbitant general price level in London, have all made it imperative for my penny-pinching psyche to skimp on every other spending opportunities imaginable.
As for Cambridge, there wasn’t much too see other than the University as duly expected. However, since the university is immense in terms of its history and impact on the city, I could have enjoyed longer than a half day. The solemnity of architecture and history combined with snobbishness & courteousness of people seem to serve the integrated landscape of the city.
Cambridge
All in all, thanks to the one-off events that I would not get to encounter every so often; family&friend gathering, Rugby World Cup, Les Miserables and concert of Radwimps (my favorite Japanese band), this money hemorrhage trip has offered me way beyond what I had to pay.
10/16 (Fri):
20-minutes packing seems to have equipped me just right amount of stuff that I need, as with all other previous last-minute trip preparations.
After a 2-hour layover at Istanbul, the arrival at an unidentifiable airport (in England) made me realize how naive I was to assume that budget airlines are allowed to land on a periphery of a major airport (as opposed to an airport in the middle of nowhere). No offence to Stansted, though..
Despite the lack of prior research (which I usually do), spontaneous roam-around from Liverpool Street has given me a glimpse of bits and pieces of London.
City of London
Bank of EnglandSt. Paul’s CathedralCovent Garden
Moomin Shop @ Covent GardenChina Town
Ending the first night with Les Miserables was categorically stunning, and it is by no means an overstatement. I would particularly recommend for those who are not keen in musical to watch the show .
Queen’s TheatreInside Queen’s Theatre (No video/photo accepted during the show)
Opting to walk for 40 mins to save the money, I disturbed the sleep of my brother-in-law (who is studying/interviewing in London), my sister, roommate and roommate’s wife by ringing the doorbell at 23:20 (which is moderately annoying, but the fact that it was a Friday night shall deserve some annoyance discount)
Stansted Airport – Liverpool Street St – Royal Exchange – Bank of England – Millennium Bridge – St. Paul’s Cathedral – “Temple” – Kings College London – Somerset House – Covent Garden – China Town – “Les Miserables” @ Queen’s Theatre – stay nearby Regents Park
10/17 (Sat):
Officially took a moment of reunion with my sister and her husband in the late morning. Though my sister lives in Barcelona at the moment, it was worthwhile to suggest this family rendezvous for this occasion. Ensuing the late morning catchup, we went out to London Business School in the vicinity till St John’s Wood where posh residences cluster and we had an English Breakfast as a brunch.
St John’s Wood
After a tube (or metro/subway/whatever transport with rails underneath that non-London people prefer to call) ride to Green Park, we had a slow cozy stroll, covering major tourist spots into the busier part of the city.
Pond in Hyde ParkStreet leading to Buckingham PalaceTrafalgar SquareBig Ben
As per my strong request, we stopped by at a random pub to watch RWC: South Africa vs Wales. Deservingly, Wales seemed to have garnered a larger local support, but the cheering for SA was also present in the pub. In contrast to somewhat declining interests of my company, the match (South Africa vs Wales: 23 to 19) has multiplied my enthusiasm as well as the sense of regret for not being in the Twickenham Stadium (especially despite being in London).
South Africa vs Wales @ Pub
Together with a friend of the husband, we had a lobster munching dinner near Royal Exchange, and that was superb too. After the dinner we moved to SOHO to join the birthday party of another friend of his. Despite my initial attempts for being a decent human being, it didn’t take long to re-confirm my social ineptness and abscond from the bar.
London Business School – St John’s Wood – Green Park – Hyde Park – Buckingham Palace – St James’s Park – Big Ben – 10 Downing Street – Trafalgar Square – Covent Garden – RWC watching @ The Coal Hole – Millennium Bridge – St. Paul’s Cathedral – Burger & Lobster near Royal Exchange – Bar @ SOHO
10/18 (Sun):
Due to some morning ruckus caused by a call from Doha, I wasn’t able to see off my sister who was leaving in the morning, but that’s fine. As our family’s diaspora living style is likely to continue for a foreseeable future, we do seem to take if for granted that we would re-group again, wherever it might be.
Even though the RWC match in the previous day has cemented my determination to go watch at Twickenham, the exorbitant price on the official site: 215 £ had been deterring me from making up the final mind, and made me constantly re-visit the website for every 5 minutes to see if the lower-priced tickets got available. My stinginess has finally paid off and I managed to secure a 150 £ ticket, saving by 65 £. However, later I found out that last-minute ticket sellers were abound near the Twickenham, desperately seeking to sell the tickets for 50£ (Granted, the seat might not offer the nicest view, but I shouldn’t have asked the price out of curiosity).
The high sentiment on the upcoming match was palpable at Richmond St, which is still approx. 2km away from the stadium. After watching the first half of Argentina vs Ireland at a Fanzone (public viewing space for RWC) in Richmond, I hopped on a free shuttle bus to Twickenham.
Scottish (Gaelic) Kilt @ RWC 2015 Fanzone
Despite being 1.5 hours before the match, the stream of people to the stadium was unceasing from Twickenham St.
Twickenham Stadium
Having undecided which team to root for, I asked to have my face painted with Japanese flag at a random booth that was giving a free face painting.
The seat of my last-minute purchased ticket barely allowed me a comfortable view (likewise, the people seated in my row seem to be all the last minute purchasers.), but I was just euphoric to be able to feel the rising sensation of the stadium right on the spot.
The initial 5 -10 minutes gave me the apprehensive hunch that the match would be dominated by Wallabies’ relentless forwards, but Scotland demonstrated the consistent defense, and managed to turn the tide, ending the first half with a few points lead against Australia.
Inspired by their tenacious play against the odds, I took a Scottish side by this time.
As with any other audience of the match (probably regardless of location and team to cheer for) , I was glued to the 2nd half with the mix of frenzied excitement and slight foreboding. Notwithstanding the final result (Australia vs Scotland: 35 to 34), the match had a series of climaxes and it was indeed valuable to feel the vibe at the stadium. Sincere kudos to Scotland and Australia.
10/19 (Mon):
Another day of touring around London, but this time by myself. It seems to have become my self-imposed duty to see as many touristy spots as possible during the stay.
London National Gallery
Clueless mobs (myself included) magnetized to Van Gogh’s SunflowerLondon EyeBorough Market
Tower of London(“Castle” seems more legit description)Feline Statues @ Tower of London
Cultural facets and changing landscape of London kept me going, but I grew tired by the evening after the day-long wandering. The additional 2 hour long queuing and waiting for the concert didn’t make things better, to say the least, but as soon as the band appeared my exhaustion had totally vanished.
Radwimps @ London (2015)1st time real live (for me) became a blastSince No photo was allowed, these are the sneak-shots (of course no video was taken)
Though I wished to have witnessed the greater proportion of non-Asian audience representation (which would have been the proof that the band has a broader range of universal appeal), the live was a total blast.
Piccadilly Circus – National Gallery – Waterloo – London Eye – National Theatre – Borough Market – London Bridge – Monument (of Great Fire of London in 1666) – Tower of London – Tower Bridge – Angel (N1 Center)
10/20 (Tue):
After the morning dash to Baker Street, involving sister’s husband and inadvertently robbing 4.8 £ as a tube fare to Liverpool Street, I safely arrived Cambridge around the noon.
CambridgeCambridge
The city resides in a University, and because of the abundant history and implications of the university, the city is generous in exhibiting its solemnity and pomposity (as demonstrated in the open permission to let visitors into many colleges and facilities of the university).
Polar Museum @ CambridgeTutankhamun (or whoever Egyptian Pharaoh) @ Fitzwiliam MuseumUniversity of CambridgeCambridge
Cambridge Rugby Union Football Club (RUFC)Cambridge RUFC
Notwithstanding the noticeable lack of enthusiasm for reunion with me, my last mission of visiting a 2 decades-long (rounded up) friend of mine from elementary school has been accomplished.
Corpus Clock, which was unveiled by Stephen Hawking
Random Vegitarian Supper
Liverpool Street St – Stansted Airport – Cambridge – Polar Museum – Fitzwilliam Museum – Cambridge Rugby Football Club – King’s College – Clare College – Trinity College – St. James’s College – – Stansted Airport
10/21 (Wed) – 10/22 (Thu):
My longest layover spent at Sabiha Gokcen airport. Purchased “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell, and finished two-third of the book. It was that long, and I’m a quite slow reader.
“Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell @ Sabiha Gokcen airport
4 clusters of bananas: 1.3 £ (the very first thing I purchased in England out of modest starvation and frugality)
National Express Bus (Stansted Airport – Liverpool St) : 8 £
Les Miserables @ Dress Circle: 97.5 £ (plus 10 £ as a booking fee. Box office tickets are cheaper, but with a limited availability.)
English breakfast @ posh cafe in St John’s Wood: 10 £
Lobster @ Burger & Lobster: 20 £
RWC Category B ticket: 150 £ at official site
RWC Category D (lowest) ticket: 50 £ at the last minute sale around the stadium (official price: 90 £)
Rent in 2LK apartment near Baker St: 2,000 £/Month (which necessitates room-sharing for young inhabitants)
Utility for such flat:200£/Month
Radwimps Concert (which could also be abbreviated as RWC): 35 £
National Express Bus (Liverpool St – Cambridge): 12 £ (which could be as low as 6 £)
Chicken Burger + Chips : 5 £
Train (Cambridge – Stansted): 12.7 £
“Blink”: 27.5 Turkish Lira (approx. 10 USD)
Fast food meal @ Sabiha Gokcen: 20 TL (approx. 7 USD)
