Wiggy
Noel Wigdor Joined: December 30th 2005
Logged in: January 10th 2012
Logged in: January 10th 2012
My next trip will be to Eastern Europe, likely, although I'm leaning towards Asia more and more.
Travel Blog Posts
Argo the Bulldog
"Hey Noel, you coming?" It was six a.m. and I couldn't be more tired. We had gone moose hunting the night before (that is, we drove from the Thunder Bay airport to Karen's cottage at sundown) after a flight from Toronto. I summoned every bit of enthusiasm I had for my reply. Finding none, I faked it. "Yep, coming!". I bit my lip to wake myself up (god knows I wasn't getting my Grande non-fat frappuccino on this particular morning) and threw on layer after layer of t-shirt to fight the chill. The lake had a thin layer of mist and was, by my standards, quite still. "It's usually quite still" said Adam, making me feel all the more a city boy, like holding my fishing rod like a teacup wasn't enough. "But we should still ... read more
Delphine in front of Hungarian Parliament
Delphine, her mother, and I found ourselves sipping tea after lunch in my living room, hunting for cheap flights to anywhere. The tactic was simple. Go to easyjet.com, select "Lyon" (or Paris, or Geneva) as a departure point, and go through the list of possible destinations looking for a place neither Delphine nor I had ever been. "Seen it", Delphine would say, brushing Prague off like a fly. "Too cold. Besides, I've been there." I'd say, striking Edinburgh off the list. "Et Budapest?" Martine, Delphine's mom, threw into the mix. We checked the upcoming weather for Budapest. Cool but clear. Train tickets to Geneva to get on the flight? Cheap and plenty. Click, click, nod. We're set. "So, what is there to do in Budapest?" * * * It turned out there was a lot. We ... read more
Bee on flower, Passau
Hearing thunder while in a tent usually means a ruined trip. But spirits were very high among the four of us, despite the ominous rumblings of the coming storm. We were set to start our ten-day bike trip the next day. We were in Passau, Germany, full of grins and camping equipment. It was my better-half, Delphine, her friend Laure, her boyfriend Christoph, and myself. Our goal was to make it to Vienna in ten days by bike, 320-odd kilometres, without being soaked to misery. And we made it, too, on schedule and without having to spend more than one occasion biking in the pouring rain. "YEEEEHAAAAWWW" I yelled, struggling to see through my rain-spattered glasses. Chris, close behind, was half-nervous and half-amused by the ride through the heaviest rain I've seen in years. The restaurant ... read more
Lazy moped
"So you're heading to Amsterdam, are ya?" I asked. And of course, you can guess what I did next. I was already going to be in Paris for Delphine's big exam anyway, I realized, so what's a three-hour train ride to the canal-opolis? So off I went, meeting my two good Canadian friends for a great visit. This time we spent more time off the beaten track, renting bicycles to check out the outskirts of the city being a good example. We had a great time, especially since - for the first time ever - Amsterdam welcomed me with great weather. Next, Brussels for a night - just for a taste. I pint of Chimay Blue for 2 euros ? YES PLEASE. It was a good night. The city didn't grab me immediately, but I hesitate ... read more
Boat on Jericho beach, Vancouver
Sometimes travel is a seamless joy. Other times it is jumbled mess of frustrations. But yet other times it is a mix of the two, like my last three weeks in Canada. It was a jumbled mess of joy. The idea was to spend a few weeks visiting with family and friends, as well as two cities of significance to me. I would end up spending about nine days in Toronto and twelve on the west coast, with a aeroplan-funded flight to usher me in-between. It would turn out, though, that what I really needed was about a month in each city to avoid the awkward "GREAT to see you ! It's been sooooo long ! Okay then, same time next year ?"s with friends and family. The trip was a classic case of biting off ... read more
Statue in Nice
Not for me, though. The rest was for Delphine who had just finished the hardest set of exams in her life. If passed she will be half way through the "Concours" (or, as I call it, the "ConKillMeNow") that will permit her to be a professor of English literature in France. If not passed - well, let's just not go there. So we took off for Menton, a small, ancient town nestled on the Mediterranean only a few short kilometres from the Italian border. We rented a charming little apartment with a jaw-dropping view of the sea and the historic part of the city. We were both immediately smitten with the town: narrow, ancient pathways, gelato and pizza par tout, sailboats and sunsets... what's not to like ? Our week can best be summed up by ... read more
Isle of Skye
Well, the rumours are true. I landed in Edinburgh two weeks ago and have completely fallen for the wonderful sides of Scotland - and been turned off by the bad. Edinburgh is wonderful. It's ancient, clean, affordable (thank YOU global economic collapse!), and really a good time. I can even understand the local accent - a rarity in these parts. The downside is one common to the UK + Ireland: bad food, too much alcohol, and just a general lack of....hmm....the 'finer' things. Don't get me wrong, you can find them - Edinburgh has a fantastic botanical garden and Glasgow has some wonderful museums. I guess they're just less emphasized than things like X-Factor, mini-skirts and fast food. The warmth of the people, the lovely landscape, and the charm of Edinburgh have definitely left the balance ... read more
Wet girl
Life in Lisbon is lovely. I rolled in at about 2 pm with even less of a plan (or a clue) than usual. I had no map, no hostel res, no cash, and no idea how to say even 'thanks' in Portuguese. I was a sorry case. But, after an ATM, an espresso, and a borderline sexual harassment by some crazy lady at the bus station (I was REALLY sad not to know how to say 'thanks' then!), I felt like I was turning things around. I found a map and got on the metro heading towards what I figured was the center of town, looking for a hostel for a four night stay before flying back to Lyon. The gods were smiling on me that day, giving me the gift of the last bed in ... read more
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About two weeks ago I railed out of France at 200+ KM/Hour towards the Spanish border using my second much-discounted Eurail pass. Three hours later I was in Barcelona without an expectation in the world except that I would be rusty at Spanish (learning French seems to have shoved much of the Spanish out of my head). But the good news is that foreigners struggling at Spanish is not something new for Barcelonians (note: the natives speak Catalan; also note: the natives are buried under Americans and Australians, for the most part, so Spanish is refreshing to their ears after so much English around). The city earned its reputation as a lovely, relaxed place, with Tapas bars and a hot sun making for lazy siesta-filled afternoons and fun-filled nights. I spent five nights in Barcelona, taking ... read more
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This time, I did it a bit differently. Usually, I show up at a new place and sort of float around the country until the options dry up or I get sick of staying in dorm rooms. But with Ireland I wanted to do it differently, and I did. I guess I felt like since I got my Irish citizenship I owed it to my 'motherland' to pay her an extended visit. And so I decided to sublet a place in Dublin for the month of September and see where it would take me. After two days in the city I had found my place, a Georgian-style place shared with an Italian (Alberto) and a Frenchman (Fabien). It was a great setup. Delphine came for a few days, which was nice, but because of the shortness ... read more
