… 25,000 miles—from Berlin to Antarctica—without any money!
Join Michael Wigge as he immerses himself into fascinating subcultures, rides with Amish farmers in old-fashioned buggies, sleeps on the street with the homeless, and, with the help from alternative lifestylers, learns to nourish himself with flowers.
Wigge had only 3 concerns during his travels: How do I get some food? How will I get to my next destination? Where can I sleep?…all without money!
This unusual travel diary combines adventure with humor and contains surprising revelations about when money is really needed—and when it’s not. A must-read for every travel and adventure fan!
With a Mind to Kill is the 3rd Bond book by Anthony Horowitz — the only author approved by Ian Fleming’s estate to continue the 007 series.
It is M’s funeral. One man is missing from the graveside: the traitor who pulled the trigger and who is now in custody, accused of M’s murder – James Bond.
Behind the Iron Curtain, a group of former Smersh agents want to use the British spy in an operation that will change the balance of world power. Bond is smuggled into the lion’s den – but whose orders is he following, and will he obey them when the moment of truth arrives?
Horowitz is a good writer and the plot is as absurd as Fleming.
In this one the master spy is resigned to retire — IF he survives this one final assignment.
When Ted Lasso first emerged as a sleeper hit in the summer of 2020, it was the gentle hug audiences needed in the middle of pandemic lockdown, a familiar fish-out-of-water tale about a nice man infecting the cynical world around him with his niceness. …
This website just added an option to write sections using artificial intelligence.
The sections in green are AI.
Why should I use an AI assistant to write on this website?
Using an AI assistant to write on this website has some advantages. Firstly, it can help you save time by completing certain writing tasks quickly and efficiently. Secondly, an AI assistant can offer suggestions on how to improve your writing, including grammar and spelling. Additionally, it can help you generate ideas and provide content recommendations based on your preferences. Overall, an AI assistant can help make your writing process easier and more efficient.
The use of an AI assistant has some potential disadvantages:
Lack of creativity: while AI tools can be very useful in performing repetitive tasks, they may not be able to generate truly creative or innovative ideas.
Errors and inaccuracies: AI tools can make mistakes, especially if they are not properly configured or used incorrectly.
Dependence on technology: Relying too much on AI tools can result in reduced human skills and abilities.
Need for human input: AI tools are most effective when they are used in conjunction with human input, so it may be necessary to have someone monitor and adjust the output generated by the AI assistant.
Death at La Fenice (1992), the first novel by American academic and crime-writer Donna Leon, started the internationally best-selling Commissario Brunetti mystery series, set in Venice, Italy.
I read it while in Tuscany.
Slow paced. Brunetti flawed. I’m enjoying the books. Five, so far. And I’ll read more.
Death at La Fenice (1992)
Death in a Strange Country (1993)
The Anonymous Venetian / Dressed for Death (1994)
Venetian Reckoning / Death and Judgment (1995)
Acqua Alta / Death in High Water (1996)
A world-famous German opera conductor has died at La Fenice, and Commissario (Detective) Guido Brunetti pursues what appears to be a murder investigation without leads.
Ultimately, I had to quit after day 3 because of illness.
Drinking from the same hoses and standing pipes as every other cyclist, I suffered some sort of stomach problem. Diarrhea. Threw up on my shoes, at one point.
Didn’t eat for about 36 hours.
BUT if not sick I might have still quit after Siena. Completing about 190km of the 472 total.
For one thing, the afternoon lightning storms were terrifying. Even the most experienced riders hunker down in lightning. Two were killed in Tuscany as I post — both hit by falling trees.
The rain turned some trails into impassable mud baths. … Though it did soften up some other trails.
My bike is excellent for normal bikepacking — but the Tuscany Trail was far more technical than I’d expected. A mountain bike with very little weight attached is what most experience riders were rocking.
I was envious of the electric mountain bikes.
My bike was the 2nd most inappropriate rig. Worse was a 2-person tandem. Husband and wife. I wished them luck.
I was cycling with ALL my gear for a months long trip.
On one of the many downhill, rocky trails a screw came loose on my front pannier rack. So my front saddle bags were rocking side-to-side.
In Siena I took as much off the bike as possible (see photo below) and went to find luggage storage.
IF you Google “siena luggage storage” you’ll find a wealth of options.
All lies. In Siena there are only tobacco shops who hold a few bags as side income. And they only open randomly. Not Sundays. … And this was Sunday.
WHY doesn’t Siena have 24-hour lockers like most Italian tourist cities.
My theory since age-17 is that Italy is hopeless for tourists.
Nothing works. Nothing is open when you need it.
A long history of government inefficiency and corruption makes it this way.
Note that Germany and Switzerland next door are two of the most efficient nations.
There are no real enforced rules in Italy. Yet every time a tourist turns around somebody is yelling at you for violating an unnecessary rule. Yeesh.
When tourists complain, it’s explained that Italians don’t care about entrepreneurship nor efficiency because they value lifestyle over money. I don’t buy it.
Chain-smoking and sipping tiny espressos is not a healthy lifestyle.
I’d definitely return to Tuscany for cycling. But not likely the most famous ride ➙ the Tuscany Trail.
For one thing, it’s mainly a ca$h grab by organizers. They spend very little and pocket over 100 € / person. Normally capped at 3000, in 2023 they went up to about 4700 bikes. Too many for these trails and small towns.
Better, for example. is the Ganza Gravel event. October is much better weather than June. Cyclists have 3-4 different routes to choose from. Folks get together for meals in the evenings. There might even be a food festival at the end.
For those who are not really cyclists, the supported electric bike tours looked very good to me. Not inexpensive.
Rick McCharles 