Advaitin - Charles Griffin

Once upon a time soldier, Peace Corps volunteer in India, Navy reservist, Army civilian employee, dependent Air Force husband, writer, photographer and freelancer. Mostly retired, but available for fun jobs. I've lived in or visited Korea, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Hong Kong, Mexico, Germany, Benelux, France, Spain, Jamaica and other Caribbean islands. Of course most states, but can call North Carolina, Texas and Florida as virtual homes. For fun, I shoot scenics, flora and fauna--and my grandkids. In my work, I was more a journalist-photographer rather than a photojournalist. Often hired to do one or the other but ending up doing both. I've always said that writing is work and shooting is fun. In the digital age, it's become more so. Now resident in Daytona Beach, Florida, but still traveling.

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Joined on: April 3rd 2009
Last Login: July 15th 2009

Blog Entries: 14
Photos: 147

TB Code: [blogger=116088]
Status: BLOGGER

Blogs & Travel Journals

by Advaitin, order by Date newest first.

By Advaitin
June 5th 2009

To London, Scotland and home Europe » United Kingdom » Scotland » Loch Ness

The cliffs of Dover

Time to catch up. Time to finish this blog. Better late than never. The trip is over and we're finally home. What are my impressions and what are my favorite memories? Taking the train from Paris to Calais, seeing that many places remain as they have always been, somewhat quaint and worth a second look, if the opportunity ever arises to come this way again. It is an experience worth doing, no matter what the weather ( except for fog, of course), because you can see chalk cliffs as you are departing and again when you approach the English coast. Neither [View Full Entry]

By Advaitin
May 30th 2009

Paris to London Europe » United Kingdom » England » Greater London » London City

A better view
Paris, near Gare du Nord, "You Are Here" oficial graffitti

Paris is Paris But London was sunny Five days in Paris. One bad choice at lunch one day. Otherwise Paris was what we expect. Consistently good coffee, a wide choice of foods and great people watching or dog watching in some cases. Parisians love their dogs. And the dogs are welcome almost everywhere. Since the laws were changed regarding picking up after your dog, there is far less merde on the sidewalks, but it isn’t entirely merde-free—probably night-time walkers letting their pets go where they will. But the animals are so well-behaved and comfortable in their city l [View Full Entry]

By Advaitin
May 24th 2009

From Rome and Naples to Milan and Paris Europe » France » Île-de-France » Paris

An Italian Lizard

24 May 2009 Time to do a little catch up. We are in Paris. Our hotel, the former Chateau Landon Mercure, is now the All Seasons Hotel. It overlooks the Gare de l’Est railway station. Last night we could see the Eiffel tower light up from our window and the dome and spire of Sacre Coeur on Montmartre. Unfortunately the bed was a queen-size and canoed, so we are waiting for another room with twin beds to open as I write. We may not have so nice a view this evening. Keeping a blog means setting time aside to write. Unforeseen [View Full Entry]

By Advaitin
May 18th 2009

Arrivederci Roma Europe » Italy » Lazio » Rome

The most powerful place in the world--circa 79 BC
The Roman Forum from Palatine Hill

18 May 2009 If the bells of Roma are distinctive, the sirens of Rome may be said to be more representative of what one’s memory will be after visiting today. Between police and ambulances Rome sings a cacophonous lullaby far into the night—sometimes all night. A sound machine is the best money a long-term traveler can spend! Since last I wrote I’ve had a chance to walk the Appian Way—for a short distance. There are new ruts and old ruts in roads around the world, then there are truly ancient ruts, like those you find on the flat stones of Appia [View Full Entry]

By Advaitin
May 16th 2009

Day trips from Rome--Tivoli and Florence Europe » Italy » Lazio » Rome

Tivoli--the temple of Diana

One thing about Rome is the noise. From earliest morning till late evening, Rome has a constant background of noise, heavy engines, rolling wheels, roaring mufflers and shifting gears. If there is one thing the city could benefit from it would be cutting off all motor traffic to the major areas of the city. We saw yesterday in Florence, much of the tourist district benefited from restricted traffic. In fact, a truck was making the rounds of the tourist district, collecting unattended bikes and motorscooters. Apparently, if a car went into the tourist zone without permission, it is fined abo [View Full Entry]

By Advaitin
May 12th 2009

Rome ain't all that! Europe » Italy » Lazio » Rome

The Hotel Saturnia
The small street doesn't allow for an easy shot of the hotel front. But it is a a friendly place to stay.

11 May 2009 It's a good thing this blog is obscure because I'm about to violate all the rules of travel writers with regard to Rome. From the moment I first came in contact with experienced travelers in Europe, and especially in the writings of Rick Steves, I'd been led to believe that Rome was to be the ultimate experience. Quoting Rick when he was commenting on Roman traffic, "Chaos, bella chaos." A smartly dressed young Roman gentleman once told me, while we were drinking coffee in a plaza in Barcelona, that everything was better in Roma, especially the coffee. Now, [View Full Entry]

By Advaitin
May 9th 2009

Barcelona to Rome Europe » Italy » Lazio » Rome

Ariadna and Gabriella
Mother and baby, our hostess at Anita's B&B

9 May 2009 It is 12—noon in Rome on Via Ruinaglia. The bells of Santa Maria Maggiore, just up the street from Hotel Saturnia, are ringing. This is Rome. So, what happened since the last blog. We landed without any major hangups in Barcelona, but not with walking distance of the public transport, so we took a taxi to our favorite spot, Anita’s Bed and Breakfast, high up the side of Mount Tibidabo above the city. Since our hostess, Adriana, had delivered a fine baby girl on Monday, we were met by Anna, the mother of Adriana and grandmother of little [View Full Entry]

By Advaitin
April 29th 2009

Malaga, Alhambra and Valencia Spain Europe » Spain » Valencian Community » Valencia

Alhambra 1

29 April 2009 After so many sea days, with a whole day between Tenerife and Agadir, it was surprising how rushed we feel to have Malaga, Valencia and Barcelona fall on consecutive days. It was especially so because we had scheduled tour to the Alhambra palaces above Granada, Spain, which took the whole of the day while we were docked at Malaga. That meant that all we saw of the city of Malaga was what we could see from the bus. However, the trip to the Alhambra, which took two hours, was very interesting, showing us the fields and groves of [View Full Entry]

By Advaitin
April 28th 2009

Canary Islands to Agadir Africa » Morocco

Football in Santa Cruz
Children at a pickup game in the street after school.

27 April 2009 After two ports of call, Tenerife, in the Canary Islands and Agadir in Morocco and after days without good internet access, I’ll have to basically compare the two experiences. Santa Cruz city in Tenerife was a surprise. I had been expecting isolated islands to be more quaint and somewhat behind the times. Nothing could have been more unexpected than to find a modern cosmopolitan city with every convenience, including a state of the art tram system. This may be because the islands have become a popular destination for English and German tourists and expatriates (ret [View Full Entry]

By Advaitin
April 23rd 2009

At sea, mid-Atlantic, East-bound Oceans and Seas

short putts
Golfers can compete in a sort putt contest

23 April 2009 Tomorrow the Canary Islands, but time to talk about being on board a cruise ship. It’s a curious mixture of spa and resort combined with goods hawking and special services that cost extra. I presume an art buyer went out and chose the pieces they keep trying to auction off. If so, he or she has vastly different taste than I, but people attend these auctions and buy stuff—so what do I know. A haircut and beard trim runs $40, including a gratuity, better known as the tip, that you are more or less forced to pay. This [View Full Entry]

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Advaitin - Charles Griffin

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