Life is a Journey

My primary source of exercise in the summer comes from walking. On the average weekday I tend to walk 6-8 miles a day, to and from work and another walk through town at lunch.

Along the way I see a lot of things I’d never notice if I was driving all that time. One guy sitting at a table in front of a cafe at all hours of the day, every day always eating something and talking to someone. A woman in the morning who hustles to work carrying three different bags of varying colors, wearing headphones and always looking hurried and unhappy. Another woman who rides her motorcycle to and from work each day, particularly noticeable to me because of the bright pink helmet she wears. I can always tell how early or late I am based on how far along I am when she passes me. The 9/11 conspiracy guy in front of the post office, draped in long streamers of fliers.

About once a week in the morning I see a friend of mine who works from home and travels all over the world, usually walking casually through town with a coffee in his hand, chilling out after a trip. We usually exchange brief greetings as I hurry past.

Occasionally there are things that stand out from the routine. The old man who’d parked too close to the curb so that his passenger door had scraped the parking meter. A pair of shoes abandoned in front of the furniture shop, giving the impression that someone had been knocked out of them. The woman sleeping on a stoop in front of her apartment door, wearing a set of oversized sweat clothes, with a cigarette hanging from her bottom lip. The police talking to a group of people on the other side of the street, sorting out a fight or a shoplifting.

All these fragments of a New England town that I see pieces of each day.

What has been striking me the most lately, however, is the rudeness of the drivers. As a driver I’ve certainly experienced it: being honked at for no apparent reason, having someone cut in front of me or tailgate me, people who don’t use their turn-signals or are driving absurdly slow or dangerously fast.

As a pedestrian, it's far more obvious. People stopping in the middle of the street to drop someone off or pick someone up, heedless of the people behind them who are forced to slam on their brakes and wait for them. Drivers honking at each other for perceived slights or offenses. Cutting each other off, rushing past people trying to cross the street, shouting out the window, making obscene gestures, repeated acts of cruelty and no consideration.

I don’t typically think much of people in general as it is, and I’ve certainly been annoyed by people as a driver myself but I’m kind of astonished at seeing how rude people are when they're isolated in their cars. Almost every time one driver honks at another it's without real cause, just an expression of anger and impatience.

Drivers can be real bastards.

I visited Germany for the first time in December of 2012 and I enjoyed the experience a great deal. My favorite part of the country was southern Germany, in the area surrounding Munich.

As it happens, in September when I’m planning to travel, Munich will be hosting the world famous Oktoberfest. Which would be really convenient if I had known for sure I was going to Munich this September several months ago (like, last year) and had made arrangements already to stay there. At this late date, there are no places to stay left.

So Munich is not an option for this trip unless I’m there for just a few hours. That’s okay, though. In December, Germany is cold and dark and leafless, filled with Christmas Markets and opportunities for Glühwein (mulled wine). It was pretty amazing, but it left me wondering what the towns and villages would be like in warmer weather when things are still green and colorful.

A trip to Germany this year would provide me such an opportunity. I have several options for getting there: I could fly directly to Frankfurt, or I could fly to Zurich in Switzerland. Either way, I could rent a car and then travel through southern Germany by auto, exploring the Black Forest, wine trail, Bavarian Alps and the various castles that can be found in that area. Short trips to Switzerland (especially if I’m flying into Zurich), France or even southwestern Austria would be possible.

I’d be inclined, actually, to make sure I visit Switzerland during such a trip at least for a day or two so that I get to add a new country to my list. Come to think of it, I could even make a point of seeing a little bit of the Czech Republic.

Another option would be to fly into Amsterdam and either rent a car there so that I drive through The Netherlands and Belgium, or just take the train. Either way a day and night in Amsterdam would be a decent way to overcome jet lag before doing any serious traveling.

The area of Germany I have in mind is relatively small but it’s got a great deal to see. The wine route I alluded to earlier, a scenic drive known as the Bertha Benz Memorial Route, commemorating the first automobile road trip, castles such as Neuschwanstein Castle, and various fall festivals. It would make a great return trip.

Prague is one of those cities that people who travel to Europe love to talk about. For years I’ve heard about how beautiful it is, filled with bridges and cathedrals, towers and domes. As one of the few old European cities that survived the World Wars relatively unscathed, a lot of its original history remains intact. Hell, it has a castle that was built in the 9th century. It’s also reputed to be relatively cheap to visit, as compared to London, Paris, or Rome. All strong points in its favor.

I’ve been meaning to visit Prague for years but just haven’t had the opportunity to do so. When I was in Austria a couple of years back it was much on my mind. If I’d had more time and money I would have made sure to spend a day or two there.

So naturally, Prague is high on my list of potential places to visit. But Prague is just one city in a country that I’ve never seen. The Czech Republic is actually a pretty interesting country all around. As compared to Slovakia (which not so long ago was a part of the country, known as Czechoslovakia) the country is known for its atheism, which intrigues me. It’s also still using it’s own currency, the koruna. Following World War II, it was pretty much forced into a Communist party system, heavily influenced by the Soviets until 1989 when they managed to peacefully depose the government. Four years later it split with Slovakia and formed the republic that’s still in place today. I find all that rather impressive.

The Czech Republic is also the location of Bohemia, which is where bohemian originates. I’d had no idea. Of course, it turns out that “bohemian” is just a broad stereotype that doesn’t particularly apply but the whole thing is fascinating to me.

The country is filled with historic towns and cities that seem to have a lot to see and experience. And it turns out that there are a tremendous number of castles and other remnants of ancient architecture waiting to be experienced. It’s also well known to have an excellent hiking trail system, considered to be one of the best in Europe.

The rail system seems to be a decent way to visit other cities from Prague itself, though I think I might be more inclined to see about renting a car so I could explore the country and parts of Slovakia. The only concern about that is that the toll roads in those countries are managed not by booths or toll areas but by stickers. Presumably the car I rented in the Czech Republic would have the toll sticker already (and roll the cost into the rental fee) but then I'd have to get another one when driving into Slovakia. It's not expensive, just something I'd have to be aware of.

On a totally separate note, I’ve seen several references to the beer being the cheapest drink you can order. Even cheaper than water.

So it has a lot to commend to it. It’s proximity to Slovakia is also a draw for me. I got to spend one brief afternoon in Slovakia in 2012 but I got completely lost and didn’t see any of the things I’d hoped to see. A trip to the Czech Republic would be a second opportunity to get it right.

Switzerland is largely known for being a country nestled right smack in the middle of the Alps. Naturally, this is the main reason I want to go there. I love mountainous country and though I’ve seen the Alps briefly from the air when flying past them, I’ve never had the chance to actually visit in them.

If you look at any picture of Switzerland you’ll likely be amazed by beautiful skies, lakes and mountain peaks. It’s obviously a stunningly beautiful country. On top of that, while most of Europe was being destroyed in the World Wars, Switzerland’s policy of careful neutrality kept it perfectly intact. So what history is to be found there is going to be quite well intact as well. It’s weathered the financial crises of the last few years better than almost anywhere else in Europe, has very low unemployment and an extremely well organized society. In my research on this potential trip, Switzerland is the only place where I’ve read about the importance of obeying the road laws when driving.

It is, however, one of the most expensive places to visit. The exchange rate isn’t too bad but the goods and services are all pretty pricy, which could be problematic.

Of course, I want to visit the main cities: Bern, Geneva, and Zurich. Sort of coincidentally, this year’s Grey’s Anatomy included a few “scenes” from Zurich which were, though likely completely fake, nevertheless so beautiful it made me want to get on a plane and go there immediately. Unlike Spain, I’d easily be able to drive through the entire country and visit all the cities without any difficulty, as well as a number of other scenic hot spots. It takes very little time to travel from the southwestern end to opposite corner. I might even have the time to check out Liechtenstein.

As appealing as all that sounds, there’s actually one more thing that intrigues me more than anything else. Switzerland’s orderly efficiency also extends to its hiking trails, a system that from all accounts is pretty much unrivaled in all the world. I love to walk and I quite enjoy hiking, at least on a light level of difficulty, and the notion of exploring the Swiss countryside by foot is incredibly appealing, not just because it’s beautiful but because it’s so nicely organized.

I freely admit that I’m not a particularly rough character. Sure I can and do walk for miles. I’ve climbed a few local New Hampshire peaks and I am not afraid to tackle challenging environments from time to time. But I also like my comforts. Hiking the Appalachian Trail sounds like an incredible experience but the truth is I’d never actually do it because A: The idea of hauling a heavy, cumbersome pack for weeks sounds remarkably unpleasant and B: I like to sleep in real beds with a real roof over me.

This is where Switzerland’s clockwork organizational style works tremendously in my favor. It’s actually possible to hike for days through the countryside and mountains ending each day in an inn or hotel. Even better than that, there’s a system in place that allows the hiker to transport their baggage from one destination to the next, leaving me free to carry only the bare essentials.

That sounds absolutely wonderful.

It’s not ideal, as organizing and planning such an event would be a challenge of its own. There are services that’ll take care of everything for you, booking hotels and providing maps and travel arrangements. But they’re incredibly expensive.

If Switzerland turns out to be my destination this year, however, I’ll probably do a little bit of everything. I probably won’t hike for days at a time but I expect I’d rent a car to drive across country and do some short hikes along the way. I might even figure out a way to do one full day hike from one town or village to another. No matter what I ended up doing it’d make for an incredible trip.