Tagged With: military
2015 Giro stage 20 Colle delle Finestre
I was on my own for the penultimate Giro stage today. While the 199 km stage had a summit finish, the highlight would inevitably be the Colle delle Finestre so that was my destination. It took me a bit under 2 hours to hike to the summit. Normally if I was planning a 4 … Continue reading
2014 Tour of Alberta stage 3
While waiting for the first of the riders to sign on, race announcer Dave Towle called up Canadian former cyclist Gord Fraser for a chat. Andrea and I flipped and flopped about which one of two spots we wanted to be in for the sign on but we decided to stay put when we … Continue reading
Ypres, Belgium
With the Tour de France starting in Ypres (or Ieper, if you prefer the Flemish), this seemed like a good opportunity to write about some of the ways World War I is remembered here. Back in April, I visited In Flanders Fields, a museum dedicated to documenting the experiences of the soldiers and civilians. … Continue reading
4 minute guide to Malta
I'd like to deviate from the Tour de France for a minute (actually, 4!). I'm starting to put together a series of 4 minute guides to some of my favorite places, so I hope you enjoy this one on Malta! Don't worry, there will be more Tour postings to come!
Valletta, Malta
Malta’s capital city, Valletta, is laid out grid style on a small and hilly peninsula. If the hills don’t bring San Francisco to mind, then you’re obviously not on foot. Walking through the streets, the first thing I noticed were the ubiquitous window boxes. I usually try to pick up a few words of … Continue reading
3 Cities, Malta
Across the Grand Harbour from Malta's capital are the 3 small cities of Senglea, Vittoriosa, and Cospicua (also known as Isla, Birgu, and Bormla respectively) on 3 neighboring peninsulas. Like many Maltese towns, you'll never get lost strolling through the gridded streets since here you're guaranteed to hit the Mediterranean before too long. … Continue reading
Mellieha & Mosta, Malta
Mellieha is a relatively young city by Maltese standards. Located at the northern end of the island of Malta, the area was sparsely populated for hundreds of years due to its vulnerability to pirate attacks. Under the British, settlement was encouraged in the mid 19th century and town Mellieha is home to around 8,000 people. … Continue reading
Carthage, Tunisia
It's incredible how many layers of history are found in Carthage. It was originally founded by the Phoenicians in the 9th century BC and flourished as an important trading post due to its prime location on the Mediterranean beginning in the 6th century BC. During the Punic wars, the Romans eventually destroyed and conquered Carthage … Continue reading
Marine Corps ball
November marked the 237th anniversary of the founding of the US Marine Corps. Squadrons across the world celebrate by throwing a birthday ball. Josh made an appointment for me to get my hair and make up done at a Japanese salon. I generally don't like make up and this was probably the 4th time … Continue reading
Luxembourg
I’ve heard Luxembourg described as a fairy tale city and it’s not hard to see why. With castles, ruins, and lots of nature, the capital of this small country is gorgeous. I spent most of my two sunny days there walking for miles. I popped in to a small museum that had a great … Continue reading