Tag: experiences

Morocco Meanderings

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Can I live in this photo?

The final destination on my December mileage run was exotic Morocco. Think mosques and markets, merguez and tagines, deserts and beaches. An extra bonus for me was the chance to speak French, which is one of the official languages.

I violated rule #2 on this trip. I city hopped. I only spent two nights in each of Casablanca, Rabat, and Marakech. Here’s how each city treated me:

  • Casablanca – easing in
  • Rabat – spoiled in a Riad
  • Marrakech – marooned in the medina

Casablanca

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The walls of the medina

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Rainy Rio

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Gratuitous rainforest mammal. (Good name for a band)

My mission in Rio was simple: escape winter. The plan was formed after enduring the piercing, freezing wind of Nurnberg in October. As the chill followed me to Berlin and Prag, I booked the first leg of my mileage run as a summer week on Copacabana beach. I was also looking forward to:

  • Sunny beaches
  • Cristo Redentor and Pao de Azucar hill
  • Pao de Queijo
  • Brazilian Portuguese

Sunny Beaches

I had visions of myself becoming lean and bronzed, erasing my ghostly beer belly. (Though I would probably clear out the beach for the first afternoon.) Between relaxing walks in the sand, I would visit the majestic Cristo Redentor sculpture Pao de Azucar hill. From these iconic vantage points, I would take gorgeous photos of the translucent turquoise ocean and the green offshore islands dramatically lit with soft morning light or striking ruby sunsets.

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It’s Copacabana beach, after all.

And then the clouds engulfed everything.

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Mileage Run

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I got a crazy idea last month. I decided to do a mileage run. I’m going to fly 40,000 miles in December. The goal is to keep my Platinum status, which requires 50,000 miles for the year.

Of course, I’ve already flown 50,000 miles this year. (That’s like flying around the world…twice.) But 10,000 of those miles counted for status. The rest were award tickets. Those tickets gave me luxurious first-class experiences, but they didn’t count toward frequent flyer status.

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In this week’s post:

  • My take on Platinum Status
  • What it takes
  • Where I’m going

Platinum Status

I almost regret ever getting status. Before having it, I just flew where I needed to when I needed to. And I just took whichever airline was cheapest. But now I’m hooked. I limit my search to American Airlines, without ever looking at the other sites. Maybe that’s a good thing. Too much choice often paralyzes people.

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Unexpected Wonder

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I came to Torino because I was bored of Milano. I fell in love with the place.

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Torino (Turin) sits 80 miles to the west of Milano, in the hills of the Piedmont region. Like all respectable cities, it’s located on a river. This one is the river Po. Every time I see the name I think of Kung Fu Panda.

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In addition to the river, Torino has beautiful architecture. It also has amazing food, and of course great cappuccinos. A local said Torino has everything you could want, except the ocean.

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Debrief of the Italy Mission

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That title sounds so spy-like. Debrief of the Italy Mission. I bet debriefings are incredibly boring – listening to someone drone on about all the mundane details of hours stuck in the surveillance van with bad takeout food and…wait, do my blog posts sound like that?

Here are the results of three months in Italy in a surveillance van

  1. I can impress a taxi driver
  2. I wish I’d started school earlier
  3. I slacked off
  4. I earned an art history degree

Impressing a taxi driver

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I chalk up taxi fares to the “language practice” budget.

Everyone knows that the best judge of language level is a taxi driver. And I passed with flying colors. He couldn’t believe I’d only been studying for two months. We talked about my year of travel, the Italian economy, and how to learn a language. I sounded confident, my accent was good, and most of the words came naturally.

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The Interwebs Sent Me Around the World

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“Rome, if you want to…”

What makes a guy decide to travel the world for a year to learn three languages? Doesn’t everyone know that you can’t learn even a single language in a year?! Three is impossible! And you’ll be completely alone because you can’t make friends until you’re fluent. And your career! You’ll get passed over for promotions and probably never recover all that earning potential. It’s madness, I tell you! Madness!

Maybe all of my friends thought that way. At least they were kind enough to substitute something ambiguous like “it will be the trip of a lifetime” (which could be good or bad). When they said I had to do it while I could, I don’t know if they meant it was actually a good idea, or just something they knew I had to get out of my system.

Today I’m going to give credit (or blame) to some writers on the interwebs who inspired and educated me for this trip:

How weird is it that I’ve never met any of them? Or maybe it’s weird that I actually emailed with a couple of them. (I even wrote a guest post for one of them a long time ago.)

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Rugby, Butcher Shops, and Wine Growlers

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Medieval Rugby guard

In case there was any doubt, I’m really enjoying this trip. Every day I have a new adventure, some big some small. On Tuesday I had three adventures in the same day. (So maybe I’m having trouble staying on a publishing schedule…)

Here were my adventures:

  • Calcio Storico – traditional Italian rugby-style football
  • Macellaio – visit to the butcher shop
  • Wine growlers – refillable bottles to protect the environment and enable alcoholism

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One Last Time At

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Clos LaChance Winery

Clos LaChance Winery

In seven days I leave California. For 15 years I’ve been visiting the bay area, and I’ve called it home for the last five. Every year I’ve found a new restaurant or destination to savor. And soon I will have my last time at each of them. If I haven’t already.

Here are a few that mean the most to me.

Saddle Rack country dance club in Fremont

I found this place about a year ago. It’s my Friday night destination. I burn some calories. I show off my dance moves. I learn new ones. I practice flirting. I’ve made friends. I’ve gone on dates with some of them. My last visit will be next Friday.

Clos LaChance winery in San Martin

I’ve been a member for a year. The setting is gorgeous, the wine is delicious, and the staff is delightful. Bring a picnic of fine cheeses, olives, and salami to pair with the wine and share over conversation with a group of friends outdoors. Every time has been amazing. My last visit: this past Monday.

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