Went to Hungary

The Family had a fairly good trip to Budapest. I'll hold off on calling it a vacation because there was really no relaxing..  95% our time was spent going between family members houses, depending where we were staying. 

Even when we went out to Lake Velence you still have to deal with worrying about people stealing shit or where Sam was running off to, or holding a conversation with your wifes cousin. 

And it was so fucking hot the whole time. and no one has a god damn fan blowing, anywhere. I think electricity is really damn expensive or something.

Anyway, Ill stretch this out into a few posts to capture parts of it. I did manage to keep a handwritten day by day journal upto date.  That works out well and is something I have done in the past.  Not only do i keep a written log of the day but I keep tickets, receipts and other small papers in with it as mementos. 

In the picture above is the Kiss (pronounced Ki-sch) residence, Wifes grandparents.  Their property (~45 ft x 250ft). called in the family 'The Garden' has everything. Very self sufficient.  Cherries, loads of grapes, apples, apples, peaches, cabbage, raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, garlic, onion, peppers, squash, kohlrabi, chickens, aloe, beans, and tons more.  It is jam packed with every bit of land growing something.  It the shit were to hit the fan, this is where you'd want to be, or at least have something equal.  The cellar under the house is a cold cellar.  Down here the wine and palinka is made and stored and the apples from last season were still perfect.  

And since you can access the wine right from the barrel in the cellar you might was well have some, even if it is only 8am.

Fall Vacation

In the Fall, particularly in September and October I like to use up my last vacation days. I enjoy these months because it gives me a week off during or after my birthday and also gives me plenty of time to make the winter preparations. Typically, preparing firewood and outdoor cleanup tasks.

Last night (Friday) to kick off my vacation I went on a bike ride after dark. I live in a rural part of Maine and the roads are totally dark. Street lights are usually only at intersections or tricky stretches. It makes the route seem completely different than during the day time in these ways:
(*)The pace feels faster, although I can't see my real-time speed (too dark) and my average is usually a bit lower;
(*)You can get a tunnel feel from the bike light;
(*)A short trip feels longer.

Last night my stats were: Average Speed 16.1 mph, Max Speed 35.5, 10.39 Miles, in 38 minutes and 27 seconds.
I really like riding at night. Done right, its totally safe.
If a post reader needs advice about road riding at night, just ask, I have suggestions.

St. Lucian Kids

I was looking though my vacation photos and found this great one I took at the airport during our departure of some local children. They were at the airport on a field trip. It wasn't until I got home and looked at the pic before I realized how good it came out. It helped they the kids were animated and quite frankly beautiful children.

Volcanic Vacation Geology

St. Lucia is located in the Lesser Antilles. The chain of islands (Cuba to Tobago-basically) are created from volcanic activity as a result of the Caribbean Plate subducting beneath the South and North American Plates.

'blah blah blah...were are the pics?'

In this picture, yours truly, is standing next to an excellent contact between what I believe to be an andesite conglomerate (tuff perhaps) overlain by a basaltic lava flow. Here is another picture of the same contact looking across the beach and at some nice resort rooms.

And here is some pillow lava at Pigeon Island's Fort Rodney at the north end of the island.

That's all the geology I cared to do on this trip. The sun, pool bar and food were too much of a distraction. Better luck next time.

Vacation Stuff:Part 2

When we arrived we learned that our room was upgraded. No reason. Just upgraded. Who am I to argue with that?

So we ended up with a room with a suite. Ill post a vid of it over on my you tube page shortly. But anyway, the room included room service and a mini bar.
You can see the Absolute, tanqueray, JD, Bounty rum, and bottle of red wine. In the 'fridge there was all the mixers, plus 3 Heineken, 3 Pitons, a bottle of champagne and water and tonic water.

Too much to drink so I focused my effort on the Jack Daniels. Well we hit the beers, wine and champagne too but by the end of our stay respectable dent in that bottle of JD.

How was my vacation?

AWESOME!!!

more posts coming, after I get my shit back in order.

(p.s. this picture is not faked in anyway. crazy I KNOW!)