Surfing The Web: Kissing Fanny, Ten U.S. Hikes, 32 Toronto Tips, Adelaide History

Say, What? The Art of Kissing Fanny!

One of my favourite blogs is the very eclectic Messy Nessy Chic. Vanessa, or ’Nessy’ as she refers to herself, is a young expat English woman now living in Paris. I don’t know how she does it, but her blog has one of the most interesting collections of stories and posts that I have ever encountered in my many years of trawling across the Internet. Every visit reveals a new gem that is sure to enlighten, amuse and entertain the reader.

A recent post; The Art of Kissing Fanny has to be read to be believed. It just goes to prove that there is a story behind everything—no matter how arcane or obscure.

There’s a curious expression used in Provence by pétanque players. “Embrasser Fanny” or to “kiss Fanny”, is a small recompense for making a fool of oneself to put it simply. But where does this mischievous phrase originate from? Fanny was a waitress at a local café in the Savoie region or Lyon– no one seems to agree. Watching the men playing pétanque (or boules) one day, she declared that she would allow any man who lost 13-0 in pétanque, to kiss her on the cheek.

Read the full article here...

Mount Katahdin. Photo: Alamy

Ten of The Best US Hiking Trails

Once, dear reader, I fantasized about walking across America, a ridiculous idea if ever I had one, if only because I was well into my late-50s when I was taken with the fantasy. Not that others haven't done exactly that before or since my imagination got the better of me. It's just that the cold hard reality of my aging bones have told me loud and clear, that "It ain't gonna happen, buddy!" Not in this lifetime, anyway. Still, I can dream, can't I? And this is as good a place as any to keep feeding that dream.

From a rocky wonderland with views of Las Vegas to the green ridges of the Appalachians, readers of the British newspaper, The Guardian share their favourite great walks. Among those recommended are walks through the New England mountains, Vermont’s 272 mile Long Trail, New Mexico’s Pecos Wilderness trails, and the Continental Divide Trail which runs through five states from New Mexico to Montana.

Read the full article here…

Toronto skyline

The Solo Traveler: 32 Tips for an Affordable Toronto

Among the many email newsletter I subscribe to (the basis of a blog entry themselves), is the very fine and comprehensive Solo Traveler site. The Canadian writer, Janis Waugh writes in her bio that she “…became a widow and empty-nester at about the same time.” In 2009, she began Solo Traveler and the site has quickly become one of the most popular sites for information and tips specifically aimed at people who travel solo—of which I am one. Of course, the information on the site is just as useful for couples, and families.

Completely at random, I have chosen to highlight the article, Affordable Toronto: 32 Free and Low-Cost Tips from her site, but seriously, take some time to browse through the hundreds of excellent feature articles awaiting you. There is surely something for everyone here.

Read the full article here…

Source: State Library of SA Searcy Collection RG 280/1/7/418

Then and Now: Eleven Rare Historic Photos of Adelaide

Since I was born and raised—and still live—in Adelaide, Australia, I thought these rare images from local history may be of interest. Besides, May is History Month in South Australia, so that is as good a reason as any to include this article. Among the images is the one I chose to illustrate this section, which shows two nurses, or “ministering angels” from approximately the year 1913 caring for two babies at the Adelaide Children’s Hospital (now renamed The Women's and Children’s Hospital).

I selected this image for a specific reason—namely, because I spent 14 years of my working life at the Children’s Hospital (as it was still called then), and despite the pain and suffering I saw there, those 14 years were among the most rewarding years of my life. As an aside, I have been fortunate enough to have only been admitted to hospital once in my 68 years—at the very same Adelaide Children’s Hospital—when I was admitted, at the age of five, to have my tonsils removed, an incident I still remember to this day.

Read the full article here…

P.S. I should also stress that apart from the 'pain and suffering', I also witnessed many moments that bordered on the miraculous, many of which were carried out by new generations of 'ministering angels', and medical personnel.

Melbourne

Flinders Street Station by Adam J.W.C.

~ After an exhausting eight hour day wandering around central Melbourne – buying books and visiting the Melbourne Museum and the Australian Centre for The Moving Image (ACMI), I returned to my house sitting base in Fitzroy North, and pretty much collapsed from the effort.

It doesn’t bode well for the rest of my five week stay, but I’m sure I will adjust to the routine – as long as I don’t make the purchase of books a regular part of that routine. Personally, I thought my Training For Travel program of daily hour long walks would have prepared me better for the rigours of extended city walking, but of course, there is a big difference between walking for an hour, and being on my feet for at least seven of the eight hours I was out and about yesterday.

Right now, I am still in recovery mode. Thankfully, my feet are complaining less, and my back is a lot happier now that I am spending most of the day reading, writing, and relaxing. But watch out, body, tomorrow we hit the streets again. So suck it up, and make the most of your layover day. The adventure is only beginning.

Make Your Dream a Reality

Matt Green’s celebratory cake (see below)

In my first post for the year (Welcome to 2012), I mentioned that many people have found ways to indulge their love of travel, often for extended periods of time, and that if you are prepared to make the commitment and sacrifice, you too can travel sooner rather than later. What I didn't include in that post, however, were links to some of the many blogs and websites from these travellers. So today, I have decided to address that omission.

All the travellers highlighted have embarked on amazing personal journey's that often defy logic, logistics, money, and maybe even common sense. But as I also wrote in that entry:

“You will … encounter naysayers, sceptics, and critics who will argue that the world is filled with dangers lurking around every corner – as if watching an hour of the evening news doesn’t reinforce that time and time again.

Then there are others who argue that you need to knuckle down and focus on finding a life partner, or family, or career, or homebuilding, or making a fortune, or [add your own inner nagging voice].”

The intrepid travellers noted below, have all chosen to ignore the critics and live their dreams.

The World on Wheels…

Bearing the tag line: An ongoing adventure of travel and living while using a wheelchair, Tim and Darryl Musik’s website is a detailed record of the father and son’s travels across America and further afield. Tim has been disabled from birth. Darryl is his father and caregiver. Together they have embarked on journeys to Austria, Belgium, Dominican Republic, England, France/Monaco, Germany, Ireland, Mexico and throughout the United States.

Filled with numerous images and short, high quality videos, The World on Wheels is always positive, uplifting, and insightful. And it shows that confinement to a wheelchair is no excuse for staying home, when there is a world of wonders waiting to be discovered and experienced.

Feel The Earth…

Someone else who is exploring ‘the world on wheels’ is Keiichi Iwasaki. In April 2001, the Japanese national, then aged 28 decided to ride his bicycle across Japan. He had just 160 yen (around $2) in his pocket. His plan was to perform magic tricks wherever the opportunity presented itself, and to pay for his bike ride as he went. Keiichi not only completed his ride across Japan, but he enjoyed it so much he caught a ferry to South Korea and kept going. Ten years, thousands of miles and dozens of countries later, according to this September 2011 report on the National Geographic website, Keiichi is still riding – and still paying his way by performing magic tricks.

Along the way he has been robbed by pirates; arrested in India; nearly died after being attacked by a rabid dog in Tibet, and narrowly escaped marriage in Nepal! But he has also climbed both Mont Blanc and Mount Everest; used a rowboat to travel from the source of the Ganges River in India to the sea (a distance of over 800 miles), and also rowed across the Caspian Sea just because he wanted to see “…how big Caspian sea is?” It took him 25 days.

Dervla Murphy...

Irish author Dervla Murphy has written over twenty travel books, many documenting the details of her journeys by bicycle across an incredible range of countries. In 1963, at the age of 32, Dervla embarked on her first major bike ride – from Dunkirk, France to India, and wrote her first book Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle, about that ride. Still travelling at 80, she recently published her latest book, The Island That Dared: Journeys in Cuba.

But why ride when you can walk?

The Longest Way…

German born, Christoph Rehage set out on November 9th, 2007 – his 26th birthday – to walk from the Chinese capital Beijing to Bad Nenndorf in Germany. One year and 4600+ kilometres later he ended his walk – still in China – at Urümqi, a couple hundred kilometres shy of the border with Kyrgyzstan. Although he didn’t complete his walk, Cristoph (who now studies in Berlin), writes that “…getting as far as I got was an experience for which I am very grateful.”

His website, The Longest Way, documents his walk in great detail, with this time lapse film of the journey receiving over a million hits.

I’m Just Walkin’ (USA)…

Someone who did complete his walk across America was Matt Green, who walked from Rockaway Beach, Long Island, to Rockaway Beach, Oregon, crossing New York state, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and finally Oregon. After roughly five months, 3,000 miles, and 1500 blog entries, Matt said:

“A couple years ago I started a walking group called Hey, I’m Walkin’ Here! in New York City, and my love for walking really blossomed over the course of our adventures. Moving through the world at three miles an hour, you can fully take in your surroundings. There’s nothing separating you from your environment. You notice things that go completely undetected by people zooming by in cars. It’s such a rich experience: you can see, hear, and smell everything around you, and even touch and taste things if you feel like it.”

Having completed his walk across America, Matt began 2012 with the goal of walking every street across the five boroughs of New York City. As you would expect, he is documenting this challenge on his website I’m Just Walkin’ (NYC)…

Want more? Check out this list of people who have also walked across the United States.

Going Slowly...

Tara Alan & Tyler Kellen set up Going Slowly in February 2008, to document their bicycle tour around the world. That epic ride may be over – but the website acts as a permanent scrapbook of their many adventures together.

Without Wings…

Also going slowly are Anna Rice and Alex Hayton. Anna and Alex are currently undertaking a year long round the world journey by rail, road, ship and whatever other forms of transport they can arrange – short of flying. They have decided to embrace the concept of slow travel with all its joys and challenges, aiming to eat and sleep locally, and travel with as small a carbon footprint as possible.

Ok, I know I have chosen some pretty extreme examples, and I don’t expect you to walk or ride in the footsteps of the people mentioned. But the point of this entry is to push home the message that anything is possible if you are prepared to make the commitment and sacrifice to see your travel dreams come to fruition.

Folks, if it was easy – everyone would be doing it!

It isn’t easy, but as the examples above show, it is doable. So remember…

“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!”
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Monday Movie – The Longest Way

Christoph Rehage set out on November 9th, 2007 – his 26th birthday – to walk from the Chinese capital Beijing to Bad Nenndorf in Germany. One year (November 13, 2008) and 4646 kilometres later he ended his walk – still in China – at Urümqi, a couple hundred kilometres shy of the border with Kyrgyzstan.

His website, The Longest Way, documents his walk in great detail, and the film he put together of the walk (embedded below), has received over 1.1 million hits on YouTube.

Christoph states that although you can see images of him sitting on a plane or riding in a boat in the video, those were shot during breaks from walking, “…either to sort out bureaucracy issues or to take care of some personal things.”

A year in the planning, Cristoph writes of the walk that “…getting as far as I got was an experience for which I am very grateful.”

It is interesting to see Rehage’s transformation from a “clean cut, beardless, lean, mean, fighting machine,” into the weather beaten, long-haired, bearded, adventurer he became by the time he ended his mammoth walk.

Christoph Rehage now studies in Berlin, and has no plans to embark on other extended walks. He is however, writing a book about his walk, and while I assume its initial publication will be in German, I would be great to see it translated into English.

Until then, enjoy Rehage’s year-long walk and growing beard via this time lapse video.

More information

Homepage: www.thelongestway.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CRehage
Music: The Kingpins, and Zhu Fengbo.