Mini-traveling: Takayasuyama in Yao, Japan
Mini-traveling is when you go to an unknown place near your house at random. I went to a mountain called Takayasuyama near Osaka, Japan, and it was fantastic. [keep reading]
Ray Charles road trip in Florida and Georgia
Masayo and I drove through Greenville, Florida, where Ray Charles grew up, and Albany, Georgia, where he was born. There is a memorial in each town. I got an unfair speeding ticket between them, but loved the towns. [keep reading]
Bodø to Atlanta flight: End of an epic European journey
DAY 131 – The European trip over, Masayo and I flew from Bodø, Norway to Atlanta, Georgia on a series of three flights that took all day. My BG lingered in the 190s most of the day, but that's not bad for a day of no sleep and long flights and no exercise. [keep reading]
Mt. Rønvik and faint northern lights in Bodø, Norway
DAY 130 – On the last full day of a 131-day trip, we sat in the freezing February cold of a long pier in northern Norway and were rewarded, finally, with a tantalizing display of the Northern Lights. They were faint, but they were there. Our trip can end now! [keep reading]
Cooped up all day in a hotel in Bodø, Norway in February
DAY 129 – I woke up low and jumped around between low and high all day, but it was overall a very easy day. All we did was stay in the hotel and eat all day. Hey, everyone deserves a day off, even rambling travelers! [keep reading]
Chilly stroll around the town of Bodø, Norway in winter
DAY 128 – We spent today walking a little bit around Bodø, seeing the cathedral and the views over the water. I also managed to buy some Lantus pens without a doctor's visit from a sympathetic pharmacist. [keep reading]
Across Norway’s Arctic Circle in the middle of winter
DAY 127 – We took a 10-hour train from Trondheim up to Bodø, above the Arctic Circle, today. My BGs were too high most of the day, but the trip itself was remarkable -- deep snow and frozen rivers and unbelievable scenery almost the entire way. [keep reading]
The northernmost tram on Earth in Trondheim, Norway
DAY 126 – A trip on the world's most northern tram took us from Trondheim into the deep, snowy wilderness of Lian. A nap took my blood sugar to nearly 400 after dinner. Oops. [keep reading]
Trondheim is the most Norway place possible
DAY 125 – Today we walked around Trondheim, Norway a little, as Masayo shopped for yarn and we scoped out places to find a cheap (for Norway) dinner. In the evening a big snowstorm moved in before we attempted to catch the Northern Lights outside of town. [keep reading]
The ol’ Dubrovnik to Trondheim, Norway flight
DAY 124 – A day of airplanes led us from Croatia back to where the trip began — Scandinavia. This time it was Trondheim, Norway. My BGs were pretty good all day, considering the usual stress of flying. [keep reading]
A walk around the top of Dubrovnik’s Old Town walls
DAY 123 – You can walk around the top of the town walls in Dubrovnik and get views across Old Town and the Adriatic Sea. We did that, and my 5 BG checks weren't great but followed a weird pattern. [keep reading]
Leisurely day wandering Old Town Dubrovnik, Croatia
DAY 122 – After yesterday we wanted to relax, and just walked around Old Town in Dubrovnik a little, but mostly relaxed and finalized our plans for Norway. My BG was too high all day, perhaps a result of my not doing anything. [keep reading]
Hiking up Mount Srđ above Dubrovnik, Croatia
DAY 121 – What do you do when you're hiking in the middle of nowhere and are running out of low glucose food? You keep hiking, and cursing yourself for your poor preparation. [keep reading]
Jewel to jewel: Bus from Kotor to Dubrovnik, Croatia
DAY 120 – While planning our route out of Europe and back to the US, Masayo and I decided to first go back to Croatia to see Dubrovnik, which was close to where we were. It's a simple bus ride there, and my BG was pretty good most of the day. [keep reading]
Strolling the stunning alleys of Old Town Kotor, Montenegro
DAY 119 – After climbing the hill all afternoon yesterday, Masayo and I kept it quiet today. Kotor was quieter too; the wind was gone, and we walked around Old Town before having some more delicious fresh grilled fish (and wine). [keep reading]
Climbing up Kotor Fortress for Montenegro’s most famous view
DAY 118 – Day 118 was a good one: despite all the wine I had last night, I managed my BG through a long, steep climb up the hill to see the UNESCO-inscribed fortifications of Kotor. [keep reading]