Lyon/Paris, France

I spent ten days in France, traveling from Barcelona Sants train station to Gare de Lyon train station in Lyon. I had a transfer in Marseille, where I waited in what was probably the coldest train station around. It's pretty much open to the elements since it's glass building with zero heating. I bought a coffee and waited it out in the warm coffeeshop.

I arrived in Lyon around 7 p.m. I found a place to stay for three nights through AirBnB. $60 a night, and it got me my own bedroom in a host's apartment in Old Lyon. I told my host that I'd show up around 8, since he and his girlfriend were going out.

I went out and had some traditional French food - a chicken breast cooked in a cream cheese sauce, a mixed salad, and a pear tart. Along with a small glass of wine, it came to 19 Euros. Around 8, I took off for my host's apartment. The cobblestone streets are not only rough to walk on but when you drag your wheeled luggage across it, you end up waking the whole neighborhood!

I found my host's apartment building easily enough, but he didn't tell me which floor it was on. There was only one apartment per floor, so I knocked on almost every door in the building. I had a picture of my host and his girlfriend, so I showed it to whomever answered the door. I think I may have interrupted a rendezvous when the lady of the house called out through the door as if she were calling her man's name; she opened the door while hiding behind it as though she wasn't wearing much. Oops.

After 20 minutes of searching, I got the right apartment. Maxime and his girlfriend Charlene were friendly, and Maxime spoke enough English so that we could communicate. I promised that I'd try to stay out of their way, and went straight to bed.

I spent the next couple of days checking out the town. I felt really underdressed in my hiking boots, Columbia cargo pants, and North Face jacket. The French and Spanish dress really well; especially in France. I bought a new scarf just to feel like I was making an effort. There are some great places to shop, although they're a little pricey.

Lyon is considered the center of Gastronomy, according to one of the locals. There were patisseries and boulangeries all over Lyon, with the most beautiful pastries and breads on display. I picked up a couple of cookies and a coffee au lait to go, and headed off to the local square to people watch. Thankful that the shop keeper spoke some English.

I walked into a HUGE pro-family demonstration; the street procession went on for a couple of miles. Lots of signs with the traditional family logo (man, woman, child holding hands). Lots of police with Robocop protective gear on. One of them didn't like the fact that I took a picture of them in their uniforms. I did what I always do when I get caught - smile and wave.

The night before I left, I decided to go out salsa dancing since my hosts were having a soiree with two other couples. I stayed out long enough until I figured that their guests had gone home. However, they were still there at 1 a.m., so I excused myself to my room. As soon as I closed my door, one of the guests knocked on my door and asked me to join them. Cool. Several of the guests spoke English, so they asked a lot of questions about the U.S. (they think we're exotic) and our politics and viewpoints. They were all in their early to mid-20's, and I mentioned that they seemed pretty mature and knowledgeable, considering they had some pretty good political and world views.

And then they broke out the absinthe, and then started wrestling on the floor. Of course, any physical activity after drinking usually ends up in one thing - puking. Felt like I was in the Navy again.

Around 5 a.m., things started to wind down, and by 6 a.m., it was just me, Maxime, and Charlene. I was supposed to leave that day, but I needed another day to rest up. I spent the rest of the day sleeping and planning my next trip to Metz, France.

Fun time, Lyon.

Traveling Do's and Don'ts

One of my friends asked me about my itinerary and some do's and don'ts about traveling through Europe. Before I started out, I tried to research what items I needed to bring with me, like clothes, documents, electronics, etc. Here are a few things that I've learned:

Itinerary
Since I flew in on a military transport on a space available status, there were four major US bases I could have landed at: Spain, Italy, Germany, or Great Britain. I tried to develop a route through Europe for each of the areas I could land in. Regardless of where I would land, my route would take a circular direction through Europe, using the rail system.

I figured that any major city had sights to offer, so I didn't get too hung up on visiting a particular city. However, there were some landmarks that I had to see - the Eiffel Tower, the Louve, Big Ben, the American Cemetery in St. Avold, France, and the Sea Organ in Zadar. As I went along, friends would mention that I had to visit some of their favorite places - Barcelona, Lyon, Amsterdam. As long as it ran close to the train line, any city was a possibility.

Since I'm not on a timetable (other than my visa restriction of 90 days in the E.U.), I didn't feel like I needed to stick to a strict itinerary. If I like a particular city, I'll extend my stay in the hostel or hotel.

Transportation
I purchased a European Rail Global Flex Pass, which entitled me to ten days of travel within a two month period. It was discounted 20% since I purchased it off-season, so my travel had to be completed by March 31st. I purchased it online and received it within a week. It came with a train timetable for all of Europe, and a map of the European rail lines.

The rail system seems intimidating when looking at the train guide. But once you get to train stations and see that they're laid out like an airport, things get more familiar. There are monitors with departure/arrival times, along with the platforms they're due to depart from or arrive. There are also kiosks where you can purchase tickets from, as well as plan out a trip. Things get to be intuitive once you start looking at the status monitors.

The Global Pass doesn't pay for the entire trip though. When reservations have to be made, which is on all of the trains that I took, there is an additional fee for the reservation. I've paid as little as 9 Euros, and as much as 90 Euros. It's also important to make reservations in advance. I made the mistake of waiting until the departure date to buy a ticket, and I ended up paying 50 Euros more than if I purchased it a couple of days in advance.

On the Global Pass, everytime that you make a new trip, you're to mark the date of travel in one of the ten date boxes on the pass. I'm guessing that's how the rail system tracks the ten travel days that you've purchased. I'll have to ask the next time I'm at the station, but I'm guessing that you're on the honor system. If you don't mark your travel dates, I'm thinking that they wouldn't know the difference.

Also, if you're traveling a long distance, check to see if a flight would be cheaper than a train ride. The train from London to Amsterdam was going to cost $185; I found a flight for $105.

Electronics
I wanted to use my T-Mobile phone while in Europe, so I went and purchased a $20 SIM card to use. When I called T-Mobile to unlock my phone, I was told that it wasn't eligible to be unlocked because I was still paying for it. However, T-Mobile offers coverage in Europe at no additional charge. Although its 3G coverage, I can still surf the Net and send/receive text messages for my usual payment. BTW, wireless coverage in Europe pretty much sucks. I'm guessing they don't have the fiber coverage that we have in the U.S., because the bandwidth is pretty bad.

I also purchased a voltage converter, thinking that I'd need it to charge my phone and tablet. Not needed; I noticed after I arrived that my phone's charger is rated at 110/220v, so all I needed was an adapter. The electrical outlets in
France and Spain are the same - two round prongs. The electrical outlets in the U.K. consist of three rectangular prongs. You can always pickup adapters at one of the many electronic stores in the cities. Note that if you want to use your 110VAC devices, you'll need a voltage converter with the corresponding adapters.

Cash
I've been using my debit and charge cards here without any problems. Some places have taken my American Express, others haven't. I also called my bank and charge cards and notified them that I'd be in Europe for an extended period so that they wouldn't put a freeze on them because of overseas activity.

The only drawback is the foreign transaction fees of 1% on transactions and ATM withdrawals. I've paid for all of my hostel stays and train tickets using my cards, and it's been convenient.

Clothing
The Europeans tend to dress stylishly. I felt underdressed walking around in my Columbia hiking pants and hiking boots. My American-style regular fit jeans was also a give-away. In all three countries I've traveled through (Spain, France, U.K.), the style seems to be the same - slim fit jeans ("skinny jeans"), and a layered look; collared shirt with a sweater, and a sports coat or stylish overcoat. And their clothes fit well; no baggy jeans, and they wear fitted shirts. Which is easy to do, when most people here seem to be very fit; not too many overweight folks here.

Many guys were also wearing ties or bow ties. Although the U.K. seemed to be more relaxed, the Spanish and French really know how to dress. I ended up buying a couple pairs of jeans and collared shirts to fit in a little better, especially since I noticed several women checking out my attire. My accent wasn't the only telltale that I'm an American.

Housing
I've been staying at hostels wherever I could find them. Some of them that I've stayed at were really comfortable; free breakfasts, comfortable rooms, and free wifi. I try to opt for the 4-bed rooms; any more beds than that, and you could find yourself in a roomful of party animals. I also try to find hostels with kitchens; it's another way to save some money by cooking your own meals. If I were traveling with a significant other, I'd opt for a hostel that offered a double-bed room, so that you'd have the privacy of a hotel room at 1/3 of the price.

In the cities where I haven't been able to find a hostel (Metz, Lyon), I've used AirBnB and Kayak to find a room to rent and a hotel room, respectively. I rented a room from a couple in Lyon; I stayed for three days. The 3rd night of my stay, they had a little party at the apartment that they invited me to. The party went until 6 a.m.; I ended up staying another night so that I could rest up from the festivities.

Language issues
Although my Spanish is limited, it has come in pretty handy. It was tough to find a local who spoke English in Spain, so I made the best of Google Translate using my smartphone. In France, if they didn't speak English, sometimes they spoke Spanish. All in all, I haven't had too many issues communicating.

The Brits have been really responsive when they hear my American accent. Once they hear it, they'll start chatting me up. I've been enjoying the experience. The French were really great too. A wine shop owner gave me a really nice wine opener as a gift, after I told him that I was visiting from California. It was a much different experience than I expected.

I hope that this will explain some of the issues that I encountered, and that it will help you plan your own trip.

Salsa Dancing in Europe

One of my goals during my travel to Europe was to experience salsa dancing through the various countries. I was a little concerned that their style would be ON2, aka NY style. The dance steps start on a different beat; although the dance patterns and moves are the same, they occur on a different count. I only know how to dance ON1, aka LA style.

The first city that I was able to go out dancing was Sevilla. After not having danced in almost two weeks (I'm usually out dancing 3-4 nights a week back in San Diego), I was more than ready to go. Walking into the club felt so familiar and comfortable, especially after two weeks in a country where I felt so out of my comfort zone. My Spanish isn't all that great, so I've missed out on interacting with other people.

I went dancing on a Wednesday night, which must have been a quiet night. There were some good dancers and they all danced ON1, so I had a good time. I even made a couple of acquaintances while I was there. The following night was the night where all the great dancers showed up. Amazing moves! The club was crowded with some of the best salsa dancers I've ever seen; I thought that LA and SD dancers were great, but the Spanish make us look like beginners. Plus, the Spanish women were absolutely gorgeous! Most of them looked like they stepped out of a glamour magazine, so just being able to watch the dancing was enough entertainment. They've got a style of bachata that is so much more sensual than the way I've seen it danced before; lots of body rolls, and the women have this way of flipping their long hair to one side that makes your jaw drop. I tried to take some video, but it was too dark in the club.

I wasn't sure what kind of clothing to wear to the European salsa clubs, so I brought the usual - casual tee shirt and jeans.  Observing the Spanish style of dress on streets, I thought that I'd be underdressed. No problem; the guys over here wear the same thing while out dancing.

I missed out on the dancing in Madrid and Barcelona, since I had visited in the middle of week. My next opportunity to dance was in Lyon, France. There were a couple of clubs that offered dancing, so I set out for them. The first one that I walked into doubled as a restaurant. They were playing some great salsa music when I walked in, so I got a little excited about. Then, I noticed that there was no dancing going on. I asked the bartender about it, and he said that they no longer offered dancing. Bummed.

I walked a few blocks to the Cubana Cafe, hoping for the best. I walked in, and there were three people on the dance floor; one couple and one guy dancing by himself, doing some kind of zumba moves. I watched this for an hour, mainly because I had nothing else going on. The DJ wasn't playing anything that you could dance to, at least nothing with a salsa beat. I made it an early night and went home.

I went back the following night, only because my hosts were having a little soiree (being French, that's what they called it) and I didn't want to intrude. The music was better, thanks to a new DJ. I hung out, watching to see who knew how to dance. The night before, I tried to chat up the bouncer in English and Spanish, but he didn't speak either. This night, he came walking up to me where I was sitting, with a really attractive girl in tow (I swear she could pass for Penelope Cruz's sister). He introduced me to her in French, knowing that I was looking for someone to dance with. It turned out that she was Spanish, and in town for a conference. Finally, someone that knew how to dance!

My last night out was in London. I was hoping that the Brits had more to offer than the French, and I wasn't disappointed. The Wine Tun in London had some decent dancers with a similar style to San Diego's dancers. I stayed until I was danced out; I had been fighting a cold for past several days, so my stamina was a little low. Unfortunately, I stayed late enough to miss the last train back to the hostel, but that's another adventure.

My next stop is Amsterdam, where I've been told they've got some great salsa clubs. Looking forward to it!

Seville

After a few days in Rota, I decided to start heading north. I figured that I´d head towards a city that had a train station so that I could start using my Eurail pass. Seville is about an hour from Rota, so I took a bus ride up ($15). I checked into a hostel right in the middle of Seville, close to restaurants and some sights worth seeing. I´ve decided to stay for a week, mainly because there´s supposed to be an active salsa dancing scene here. I´ve been told that they dance on-1, (LA style, as opposed to on-2, NY style), so I should have a good time here.

The jet lag is catching up with me, so I went to bed early my first night in the hostel. After ten hours of sleep, I was ready for a good workout. The hostel has a partnership with a local gym, so I was able to take a yoga class in the morning. Even though my Spanish is barely acceptable, I was able to follow instructions fairly well. Afterwards, the hostel offered a free Spanish style breakfast, which is usually toast and a marmalade of some type or toast with ham and cheese.

A quick shower, and I went out for some sightseeing. I took a walk around the Plaza de Espana, which houses many government offices. The architecture here is beautiful!

After sightseeing, I had a tapas lunch of mixed salad and what the waiter told me were empanadas. I expected a pastry filled with meat, but he brought out setas empanadas, which turned out to be huge, fried mushroom caps with a side of tartar sauce. Not what I expected, but still delicious.

After a siesta (I´m getting used to that idea), I went to find some salsa dancing. After walking for a half hour I found the place that I was looking for, only to find that tonight was lessons only; no social dancing. I was told to come back on Wednesday. I guess I´ll have to wait to get my salsa fix until then.

Tech issues

Before I left the US, I had contacted T-Mobile about my phone service. I was thinking that I'd have to purchase a SIM card to use here in Europe. T-Mobile's Global Service is pretty good, and it includes unlimited texting and web service. Although I usually kept data roaming off while in the US, I had to enable it once I got over here. It's really convenient to be able to keep in touch with the family back home.

I've been keeping in touch with the family via text and Skype, along with Facebook updates. However, during my downtime in my room I wanted to catch up on my Netflix and Hulu shows, as well as listen to Pandora. Since those services won't work outside of the US, I had to find a work around. Fortunately, both my phone and my tablet have VPN capabilities. I purchased an account with www.hidemyass.com, which gave me a US based VPN IP address so that Netflix and other media services would think that I'm located in the continental US. Success!

T-Mobile's Global service only applied to my phone, however. Although my tablet (Nexus 7) has it's own SIM card, it's not covered under a "Simple Plan" which provides global service. So I'm able to use it on a WiFi network only. Out of range of a WiFi signal, I've had to enable the Hotspot on my phone and connect my tablet to it.

Rota, Spain

I've finally arrived in Rota, Spain. I managed to catch a C17 out of Norfolk after two days of waiting. It was an early morning showtime for the flight - 0200. Since I had checked out of my room on base at 1000, I wandered around base and hung out until showtime. By the time we took off around 0500, I was wiped out. Sitting in a jump seat isn't conducive to taking a nap, but somehow I managed to squeeze in a couple of hours of sleep during the 7.5 hour flight.

We landed around 6 p.m. After walking to the base main gate, I was informed by the Spanish Marines there that I needed to get a base pass if I wanted to return on base. While getting the pass, I was told that I also had to get my passport stamped at the police station the next day. There's a 90 day limit without a visa; I initially thought that it was 90 days per country, but it's actually a 90 day limit within the European Union. And that's 90 days within a 180 period, so I'll have to spend time in a non-EU country (England, Croatia, etc) if I plan to stay over here past 90 days. The timer will reset at the 180 day mark.

I ended up at a hostel in Old Rota, Hostal Sixto. It was more like a hotel than a hostel, and priced like one. Private room and bath cost me $58/night. I decided to stay for three nights so that I could catch up with some family here and recover from my jet lag.

I took a walk around town to grab a bite to eat and get re-familiarized; I had been out here with the family in 2004 to visit. I love the plazas and the narrow streets around here! Went to a tapas bar for a sandwich and beer, and attempted to brush up on my limited Spanish. I noticed that food and drinks are inexpensive compared to the States; although the beers are smaller (around 8 oz), they were only 1.20 euros ($1.60).

I headed back to the hostel and chatted with the owner, who is Italian. She doesn't speak much English, but her Spanish is excellent. Her parents live in the hostel too, and her mom had baked some panna de nonna, which she explained is "grandmother's cake". Delicious with coffee!

Space A Travel preparations

Being a retired military member, I'm eligible to fly on a space available, no charge basis on military aircraft flying out of most military bases in the U.S. and Overseas. Since retirees fall low on priority list, planning and patience are key to flying space available (Space-A).

I started planning my trip a couple of months in advance by submitting my desired destinations to the air bases that I thought would have flights going to the east coast, and eventually to Europe. I used the website www.takeahop.net to submit my requests, and eventually downloaded their MilSpaceA app so that I could submit requests on the go. The earlier signup dates take priority over later signup dates, so it helped that I sent my information and destinations over a month in advance.

Flying Space A is a challenge, since a traveler's presence is required two hours before departure time and seats are not guaranteed. It helps to pack lightly, especially since there are weight restrictions on luggage and you often have a long walk from the terminal to base lodging.

I initially thought about taking a camping backpack to Europe, but decided that I'd look too much like a tourist. I opted for a mid-sized luggage case with wheels, and packed the following:

-Two extra pair of underwear and socks, not including the ones I'm wearing.
-A Northface waterproof, windproof jacket with zipout liner.
-Two pairs of Columbia hiking pants (wearing one pair) and one pair of nice jeans. I like the hiking pants because they're lightweight and dry quickly when wet.
-In addition to the Asolo hiking boots that I prefer to wear when sightseeing, I packed one pair of casual shoes and one pair of running shoes.
-One lightweight sports jacket.
-One buttondown shirt and 4 casual wear tee shirts in different colors (I prefer V-neck Calvin Kleins).
-One lightweight V-neck pullover sweater.
-Microfiber travel towel.
-One baselayer shirt and pants (I'm expecting cold weather, otherwise I wouldn't have packed these).
-One pair of pajamas (I stay in hostels most of the time, and many dorms are coed).
-One pair of shower shoes.
-One pair of running shorts and lightweight workout shirt.
-One large and one medium Eagle Creek compression bags (helps to compress all of my clothes).
-One molly bag (for store/grocery runs, misc shopping).
-One voltage converter (220v/110v) with adapters.
-A Garmin Trex 30 GPS
-Galaxy S4 with charger
-Nexus 7 tablet
-One pair Yurbuds earphones
-Several packets of Starbucks Via.
-Steripen traveler (just in case bottled water isn't available).
-Various travel-sized toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, two Tide laundry travel packets, floss, soap, shampoo, deodorant, Q-tips, mouthwash, several pocket sized Kleenex packets, Febreze, hand sanitizer).
-Padlock with key.
-Nikon Coolpix L620 camera.
-Messenger bag.

It seems like a lot, but I do plan on traveling for an extended period (>1 month). I placed my electronics into the messenger bag along with my travel documents (passport, Eurail pass, train timetables, etc) and a few toiletries, and the bag weighed in at seven pounds. My luggage with everything else weighed in at 39 pounds, just under the 40 lb limit for one of the flights that I took. Since box lunches are no longer available for purchase, I'll pack some jerky or protein bars into my jacket as a mini meal.

I hope that this list will help you decide to pack for your future trips.

Starting Over....

I retired last year, December 2012. I had hoped to hike the California Coastal Trail, beginning in February 2013. Unfortunately, life had some twists for me, and I was only able to hike from the Mexico border up to Camp Pendleton. For six months, I went on road trips and spent my time between San Diego and Murrieta, CA. I had a great time during those six months, especially while salsa dancing in San Antonio, Dallas, Chicago, Albuquerque, and Phoenix. But I really wanted to go on the road full time.

On a brief visit home, I found out that my previous employer needed some help, so I offered to temporarily take my old job back. After six months, my contract is up and I'm ready to go!

I'll be heading for an extended visit to Europe, taking a military Space Available hop out of a nearby military base. Since this will be an open ended visit (stay until I'm homesick/tired), I've had to do some thinking about my preparations:

Passport:

I went to the State Department's website (http://travel.state.gov/passport/renew/renew_833.html) and downloaded Form DS-82. I decided against paying an additional $60 for expedited service, since I had a full month before I planned on travelling. Although the website states that your passport would be renewed within 4-6 weeks via regular service, I received mine in 3 weeks. BTW, the Application Status link at http://travel.state.gov/passport/status/status_2567.html wasn't providing the status of my application after a week, so I called the office to see what was going on with my renewal. I was told that the link hadn't been working in awhile! BTW, I had my passport photos (2 needed) taken at FedEx Office for $16. AAA will take the same photos for $8.

International Driver's permit:

Although I probably won't need it, I decided to get an International Driver's Permit from AAA (http://www.aaa.com/vacation/idpf.html). I've rented a car in Germany before without it, but I plan on visiting quite a few countries, and may decide to rent somewhere out of the way. Just in case.

Eurail Global Flex pass

I've decided to do most of my travel via rail. Since I really have no idea about where I'll be starting my trip (it all depends on where the military flight will drop me off), I'll take trains wherever I decide to go. I decided on a Global Flex pass, since it covers 23 countries throughout Europe. I purchased a 10-day pass, good for two months. The pass came in today, along with a Eurail map and a timetable book. Between the map and timetable book, I shouldn't have any problems planning my trip when I get there.

Car storage

I already have my personal belongings in storage, and decided to store my car in the same location. Once I move the car into storage, I'll file a Planned Non-Operate (PNO) certificate with the DMV. I'll provide a copy to my car insurance; they'll remove the liability insurance from my insurance bill until I take my car out of storage again. 

On my next post, I'll cover what I'll be taking along with me.