Leeds, England

(May 17 - May 31) Matt stayed up the entire red eye flight from New York to Manchester while I caught an hour of shut eye. Jay, my beloved former co-worker who abandoned the states for wedded bliss in Britian, picked us up in his little blue Ford Focus. I knew we were in a different land when I saw a girl smoking a cigarette in the coffee shop next to the arrivals and the fact that nearly all the cars are tiny. Not the gas guzzling monster trucks and cars on steriods like in the states. We picked one heck of a day to fly in because Jay and his bride of a year, Ali, were moving into their first home in the Moor Town area of Leeds. Matt caught winks of sleep between the movers hauling furniture into the various rooms of their multistory home. We opted to be zombies and avoid sleep to try to adjust to the time zone but it was hard as our eyes and bodies betrayed us. With bellies full of authentic Indian curries we gave up our battle and retreated to a fluffy feather downed bed.

The next couple days Matt and I attempted to help Ali & Jay unpack and organize their belongings. With experience in packing we know how difficult it is to make sense of all your precious home goods so we tried not to be too much of a nuisance. I got a good taste of suburban life in Leeds as Ali shuttled me to Marks & Spencer and Asda, the Walmart of the east, as well as to some other local spots. As Ali introduced me to all things in the land of commerce Jay's role became that of a guide to introduce us to English & European beers. Pubs nearly out number people here so there's no shortage of venues in which to sample brews.

One such place we tested out some pints was in a little medieval town called Lincoln. I may throw the term out medieval quite a bit on this tour of the UK. Just like it's difficult not to say things like, "Ya'll" when you're in the south, it just goes with the territory. In the heart of Lincoln on a little cobblestone road sandwhiched between exquisite stone buildings was a traditional British pub called the Wig & Mitre. The bar was like sitting in a quiet den or study with thick stone walls and leather & wood sitting chairs that beckoned one to sit, enjoy a smoke on a tobacco pipe and read Hemingway with a small glass of whiskey straight up. Matt & Jay ordered a couple of hand pumped pints slightly chilled but mostly warm. The golden beverage went down smoothly. Dinner was a set menu of bangers and mash that was amazing. It was our first true English meal. We ate down our meal while sun withered ladies puffed on cigarettes behind us.

On Sunday we went to Ali's parents house for traditional Sunday brunch. We feasted on roast beef, roast potatoes, roast veggies and yorkshire pudding. Her parents have a very lovely country cottage with a large wandering garden lush with life. Lunch was followed by four types of desserts and a cheese course. We were nearly sick by the time we left. That night we all rubbed our bellies and sank into the couch reading the times.

The Itinerary - A working guide

1. Fly from San Francisco to Norwalk, Connecticut - May 3-8
2. Fly from Connecticut to Burlington, Vermnot - May 8-11
3. Drive overland from Burlington to Searsport, Maine - May 11-14
3. Drive back to Burlington from Maine - May 14
4. Fly back to Connecticut - May 15
5. Fly from JFK to Leeds, UK via Manchester - May 17-31
6. Fly from Leeds to Amsterdam, Netherlands - May 31- June 3
7. Train from Amsterdam to Brugge, Beligum - June 3-6
8. Train from Brugge to Luxemburg - June 6-8
9. Train from Luxemburg to Gelsenkirchen, Germany (World Cup!) June 8-10
10. Train from Gelsenkirchen to Stuttgart (More World Cup) June 10-13
11. Fly from Frankfurt to Barcelona, Spain - June 14-18
12. Romp around Spain - More of June
13. Fly, boat or train to Italy - End of June / July
14. Fly, boat or vespa to Croatia - July/ August
15. Return to states for Claire's Wedding - August
16. Fly from L.A. to Thailand - End of August
17. Float from Thailand to Vietnam, Cambodia - Sept/Oct.
18. Over to Malaysia -Half of October
19. Fly to Mauritius - Half of November
20. Madagascar - A month from Nov. to December
21. Kenya - Half of December
22. Ethiopia - Half of Jan.
23. Egypt - 3-4 weeks in Jan-Feb.
24. Isreal - 2 weeks Feb.
25. Turkey - 2-3 weeks March
26. Greece - 2-3 weeks in March/April
27. Cheap flights through Europe to London to fly home, where ever that may be.

Searsport, ME

(May 11-14) On the day we picked up the rental car in Burlington to drive east to Maine it started raining. Little did we know that this rain cloud would be one of our companions on our trip around the world. The drive to Maine took about 6 hours from Vermont mostly through country roads that wound along rivers and creeks. We saw massive barns and electric green fields. Between some of historic little townships we passed through would be a hodge podge of mobile homes with add-ons to give the illusion of grand homes but had the look and feel of frankenstein gone amuck. How people live in little metal boxes in those kinds of winters is a mystery. I enjoyed the lazy ride out to Maine. We only stopped once or twice for snacks and potty breaks. By the time we reached Maine the rain pelted us again and lead us home to our hotel in Searsport at the Yardarm.

When we checked in we were told no one else from Ben & Ariel's wedding party had checked in. We foolishly thought we'd have a nice quiet night to recover from our cavortings in Vermont. Dinner was at a seafood restaurant with dark wood walls that made us feel like we were in someone's warm house. The views of the ocean we're grayed in by the rain and heavy fog. We both ordered lobster because as they say, "When in Rome!" The lobster was smoother than butter and it melted in our mouths. We left the restaurant content and full and drove back to the hotel to call it a night.

A hand written note on our door beckoned us to the Mermaid to meet up with the wedding party to have a beer. It was a cute little pub run by an 87 year old man and teenagers as green as the hills. A couple of drinks later we retired over to AJ Nickels, the site of the wedding festivities and home to nearly the entire wedding clans, for a nightcap. The hotel is a grand old Victorian mansion complete with parlor rooms, dining rooms, serving rooms, a bar, etc. I felt like I was in a life size replica of the boardgame clue. The bar was located in the center of this giant home and had beautifully handcratfted wood. The few of us lounging at the bar sloshed through the grass down to the location of the wedding ceremony along the coast line. The bride and groom had picked an enchanting place to get married. Matt and I finally threw in the towel and called it a night. It was the first and yet another string of late late nights celebrating life and friendship.

The next couple of days in Maine became a blur. It rained the day before the wedding so we hunkered down in our hotel room and caught up with the rest of our Peace Corps friends who arrived about mid-day. Nothing like reminicing over warm PBRs. Everytime our group gets together for a wedding there's always a new addition to the fold to coo coo over or as Ted likes to do teach them things like Poo Poo Train. Mostly we laugh at ourselves and at each other.

The rehearsal dinner was supposed to be a huge lobster bake and bonfire but that was thwarted by the nasty weather. We all cracked open some fresh Maine lobster under the white tent pitched on the lawn and then went back inside to the formal dining room for a candlelite singalong. Prior to the festivities kicking off for the night the bride's mother along with some others performed some wonderfully fun and entertaining dances surrounding love and mother-in-laws.

After the pre-wedding party died down we retreated to the Carriage house with the groom and his groomsmen for more merry making. No sooner had the cases of beer arrived before we were kicked out on our tushies. The Carriage house weren't prepared to join us in our jubilation. Matt and I walked back over to the Nickels to get our car and found it stuck deeply in the mud. So deep in fact that half a dozen men couldn't help rescue it from it's sunken state. We abandoned the car and walked the quarter mile back to the Yardarm. Our room became the epicenter of party. We had cold beer and music so it was the perfect combination to lure the lushes over. I finally fell on my sword at about 3 am.

The day of the wedding the weather was less of a foe. It was still chilly and overcast but at least if wasn't raining. Matt and I bypassed a trip up the coast with our friends and opted to recover our car from the slurry of mud. One attempt by Ben's dad to pull it out snapped the nylon line in two. We eventually were aided by the staff at the Nickels who towed our rental, with front wheel drive, out of the mud with a small bright orange tractor. I watched as made fish tailed the car through the slick mud. Those watching were sure he was going to get stuck again. With our car safely out of danger we parked it back at the Yardarm and rested up for the night's festivities.

Being the fifth of our eight weddings the ceremony went as ceremonies do. It was lovely along the coast with the tide low revealing the mossy rocks below the surf. The sky was streaked with clouds that made for a dramatic sky. I opted for fashion instead of warmth and was nearly purple by the end of the vows. It was a mixture of Jewish and Celtic traditions and ministered by one our of old Peace Corps alums. The bride and groom could not have glowed more. The celebration lasted into the twilight of the night with the post-party taking shape in our hotel room again. Usually at weddings I tend to stick to those I know or whom I feel comfortable with but I found myself coming out of my shell abit and mingling with Ariel's and Ben's friends and family.

The day after the wedding we brunched and said our goodbyes. We took an alternative route along the coast with a lunch stop in Portland. We had set our destination on White River Junction but due to the heavy rains and extreme flooding we had to redirect our route. The drive around Lake Winnepasake was breath taking. The creeks and rivers along the roads were bubbling with water. Eight hours later we finally made it safely back to Vermont. Monday we flew back down to Connecticut our last stop before leaving the continent. It was one hell of a trip on the East Coast. I was so beat from all the reunions of friends I actually looked forward to catching some sleep on the long flight to Manchester.

Burlington, VT

(May 8-11) Zack, Matt's buddy from highschool, flew us up to Burlington, Vermont for our first trip to the northeast. It was an easy hour long flight on Jetblue and we landed in Burlington with sweeping views of the green hills and dense woods. Matt and I had a couple of hours to kill until Zack got off work at the airport. We plopped ourselves down in the bar and ordered a couple of local Vermont brews. One beer lead into another and we found ourselves in need of a game to play. I had cards and Matt had some one dollar bills so we decided to play a friendly game of Texas Hold'em between us. The bartender quickly reprimanded us for gambling in the bar so we used beer bottle caps as chips and played a few hands until the bar closed down. Afterwards we amuzed ourselves with some old fashioned video games until Zack rescued us. Burlington's Airport is quite nice and modern. It even has an observation tower that I pretended I was a flight controller and radioed the planes in.

When Zack got off we squeezed into his little red truck and drove about 10 minutes to Winooski where he owns a house with his brother Josh, a friend Josh from Eureka and another roommate named none other than Zack. Zack has an enormous Tibetan Mastif dog which resembles a bear more than anything else. Because we'd met Bromius as a puppy he didn't remember us so we had to be extremely cautious around the family pet. I made the mistake of making eye contact and nearly wet myself when the dog went from eating to pouncing in mere seconds. Zack built a fence in the kitchen to separate the dog from the rest of the house when new visitors come by. Hair balls that look like tumble weeds blow around the house. No matter how fast you clean the dog sheds gigantic hairs.

Zack is a man that knows two things well, food and beer and we were delighted to have him as a host and a guide. What Matt and I quickly learned in Burlington was the vastness of quality brews. Our first meal was in downtown Burlington at the Pub. We sampled a few pints over burgers, my favorite being a maple beer. From there we hopped around to another bar with slightly fancier drinks before heading home with some road sodas.

The walk into Burlington from Winooski requried us to trapse along a railroad track and over a railroad bridge. I was not so sure footed walking between the big wood planks above the river where looking down it felt liked you'd fall into a cold black abyss. Zack could practically skip across, I was worried my legs would get stuck between one of the gaps. By the end of our stay I could master walking at a pace slightly above those in a walker.

Zack took us on a drive out to Shelburne farms, a large working farm, just outside Burlington. There's an amazing grande farmhouse that looks better suited for the alps than Vermont. We wandered around the grounds petting some of the animals and discovering how maple is tapped from the trees to make syrup. Later in the afternoon we picked up one of the Josh's and went hiking up on Bolton. The boys had picked a picturesque spot along a flowing river that had small waterfalls and smooth watering holes. I even saw a fly fisherman in the distance at the beginning of our hike. Vermont is just starting to come alive with life and that was clearly evident to us hiking through the woods with ferns and fiddleheads sprouting up everywhere. At one point after safely trekking along the planned paths we decided we wanted something alittle more unconventional and decided to forge our own paths. This lead to two things, lots of brush and hordes of bugs. As soon as we'd stop a steep ascent uphill bugs would swarm our heads with a fury. I would try to be Zen with the bugs yet they would whirl and swirl around me invading my personal space. The ground is so moist in Vermont that it feels as though you are walking on a wet earthy sponge. We hiked until the sun was setting in vibrant purples.

The next day we did all things Vermont. We sampled local cheeses, apple cider and made a visit to the Ben & Jerry's factory to try some Dublin Mudslide. We'd been blessed with good weather up in Vermont. High puffy white clouds with a cooling breeze and deep blue skies. Zack found us a disc-golf course near the Ben & Jerry's factory so we had a nice afternoon of chasing our terrible throws through mushy fields, trees and along the creekside. That evening was spent at the Monkey Bar playing a friendly game of Hold'em with Zack's buddies. We didn't turn in any night we were there until after 2 am. Anyone that knows me knows that I can't keep my eyes open past 9pm.

We both fell in love with Vermont and especially Burlington. I think our biggest problem on our trip will be resolving our feelings for all the places that capture our hearts. The winters would freeze our timid bones so that may be a deal braker upon our return to civilization. Being reunited with Zack was a tremedous lift to our spirits, not that we need a lift. Him and all of his roommates are just good good people. Maybe that's why Burlington felt like a home away from home for us.

Norwalk, CT

(May 3-8) Our flight came in late into JFK and Nathan, Matt's brother, and his wife Christine picked us and trollied us back to Norwalk, Connecticut. With his tail wagging and his tounge panting Jack, their black lab, welcomed us to their quaint Victorian Farmhouse built in the 1880s. We spent the next few days catching up on sleep and situating our affairs. The weather was splendid and Spring has opened up her colors with so many wonderful blossoms. The lilacs in Nathan & Christine's yard were so fragrant. Christine introduced us to A&S Deli a delicious Italian Deli that the West Coast has yet to rival. I sunk my teeth into a sopprasata, a spicey cured ham, and fresh mozzarella with balsamic vinegar. Over the course of the next few days Matt and I were lured back to A&S. My addiction to pork has reached new heights with the introduction of pancetta, procuito and now sopprasata. The pigs in Spain shutter when they think of my iminent arrival.

Friday Matt and I ventured via train into NYC. We emerged from underneath the earth to Grand Central Station. Our first pit stop off the train was to B&H Photo to acquire some back up for our photo gear. B&H is the Mecca of photographers. The only way to describe it is to image Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory with grown men instead of Umpa Lumpas. We bustled around running a few errands before finally settling back in Bryant Park. Heat radiated off the concrete as the yellow globe and blue skies danced over our heads. Scattered throughout the park were small green metal patio chairs and tables. All walks of life were sitting, sleeping, and reading in the park. It was magnificent to people watch. Nathan & Christine took the train into the city to join us for dinner. Being Cinco de Mayo we had no chance of sitting let alone standing in a Mexican restaurant in their old haunting grounds in the West Village off Jane Street. Instead we sat at the corner table of an Italian restaurant called Barbuto with open air seating. It turned out to be a prime location because it was our first of several star sightings for the trip. I had scallops with gigante beans all of which melted in my mouth. Matt went for the baked sea bass that had a crisp savory crust. Dinner was followed by a pitcher of margaritas. I fall in love with New York City everytime I step foot there. I could walk the streets for hours browsing the shops and restaurants. We all had heavy heads on the hour long train ride home after such a colorful night in NYC.

The weekend was filled with leisurely walks through the park, a movie and Stew Leonards. Stew Leonards is dubbed the Disneyland of Dairy boosting a Ripley's record for largest dairy in the world. I was drawn into the Stew Leonard fold by the petting zoo outside, the dancing & singing muppets throughout the store enticing you to purchase dairy, bananas and just about anything else under the sun, grown from the land or hoofed and slaughtered in the meat aisle. You don't walk up and down aisles like a typical store, instead you weave through a maze of products. It was a slice of Americana served by motorized motown-jiving milk jugs.

The Goodbye

(April 30) Bleary eyed, Claire drove us to the San Diego airport at 6 am to catch our 7:45 flight up to Oakland. Nissa, my first college roommate, and Lily, our smallest sidekick, chauffered us up to the wedding of Carrie & boy Aaron up in the Berkeley hills at Tilden Park in the Brazilian Room. The day could not have been more picture perfect and I went nuts snapping shots. I felt as though we were in Narnia with talking trees and nymphs because the forest just felt so alive up there. The bride was stunning in a sleak dress and the groom was beaming with joy. It was an added bonus to have my sister Erin, my brother Tim and Cah all there to soak in the beauty with (Matt too was there, of course).

Since the ceremonies started before noon I managed to maintain a constant buzz throughout the day. A bit delirious from the early flight and the previous days festivities by the time night fall rolled around I was slap happy. Poor Ariana had to bare the brunt my maniacal laugh but since we're family she's used to me laughing uncontrollably at times.

The next morning Matt was the task master and said if I finished my "chores" I could go out and play. For those of you who don't know Matt as I do he is incredibly organized. He has lists and lists of lists. Recently I just learned that there's even lists in his head that don't make it to paper he just keeps a running tally. It is because of his lists and his unfailing work ethic that this trip is even possible.

Well he gave me the good ahead mid-afternoon after scavenging spots in Erin's closet to store the useless crap we couldn't or didn't drag up north. Nissa and Lily speed out to SF in the mother of all minivans and we made a bee line for the beach at Crissy Field. San Francisco was beaming with sunshine and nary a cloud or a fog bank could be seen. The beach at Crissy field is one that dogs roam freely and occassionally for those basking in the sun a stray ball or a wet dog finds its way on your blanket. Erin taught Lily how to make drip castles and I gossiped until I was blue in the face with Nissa.

It's been tough deciding where I want and need to eat from before I leave this culinary melting pot of a city. An old stand-by or a marvelous new hot spot? We all decided on Khan Toke Thai Restaurant on 24th and Geary. The food is flavorful and you sit on either cushions or sunken down tables. It was the ideal setting to lounge at after a gorgeous day at the beach. Seanyboy came down later in the evening after Nissa and Lily made their way back to the East Bay. Tired as I was he motivated us to see some sights of Frisco. We got blown around up at Twin Peaks and warmed up with Irish Coffee's at the Buena Vista.

Our final day in San Francisco was spent wandering around the botanical gardens. That plus lunch with Karen and Nicklaus, at date with hair stylist extrodinaire Anthony, pedicure and then dinner with Jeff, that catalyst that was there when it all began for Matt and I back in Chemistry Lab our freshman year of college at USF. I thought I would want to party like a rock star my final night but the truth of it was that I was tired. Tired of having to say goodbye to people I love. Tired of packing and repacking. Tired of waiting to take this trip. But I'm not really ready to leave it all either.

Nissa and my best little friend Lily saw us off at SFO. We waited by the fish tanks eating giant raisins. Lily was the straw that broke me and I finally let the flood of tears of all that I held back come flooding out. My eyes dripped nearly the entire flight out to JFK. I'm elated to go on this trip it's just that the sacrifices are often hard to accept. May 3, 2006 and we officially said goodbye to San Francisco and hello to the world. I hope it's ready for us.

San Diego

On April 26 my sister Claire picked us up at the San Diego airport in her shinny silver Passat with her friend Krissy in the passenger seat. The wind was brisk and the skies were metallic blue. Anytime I step off the plane in San Diego I crave fresh fish tacos and Claire was right on que with delivering the best that SD had to offer. We went to a fish market and devoured a couple of tacos each. With full bellies we drove a half an hour north to Oceanside to Claire's new digs. Zoey the jumping jelly bean of a dog greeted us with leaps and bounds. Claire's house is as big as it is comfortable and we felt right at home in the Granny room.

Our visit to San Diego was to see our friends, Pete & Jenny, tie the knot and to spend time with Claire and her beau PJ. Pete had rented a couple of beach pads in Pacific Beach for the wedding so on Wednesday night Matt and I borrowed Claire's ride and drove down to spend some quality time with the bride and groom before the madness of wedding took reign over everything else. We spent a couple of hours reconnecting and then drove back up to Oceanside. Claire had the fire pit blazing in the backyard complete with Tiki torches. We lounged comfortably next to the fire with vino. Our second night in town a hold'em tourney was arranged by PJ with some of his buddies. Neither of us were able to go the distance to claim the pot. Besides we didn't want to be rude and take money from our hosts.

My old college roommates and good friends, Eric & Nina, drove down from Santa Monica with little Isaiah, our godson, to crash with us for the wedding. Isaiah is a gorgeously smart boy with endless energy to play sports. He's as imaginative as he is adorable. From little Orphan Annie to PJ to a baby squirrel to a hockey player and to a surfer on the beach he loves to pretend he's anyone and everyone. Pete and Jenny's wedding was on the bay side of the beach in Pacific Beach. The clouds parted just in time to illuminate the bare footed couple during their vows. The simple ceremony was still powerful enough to evoke tears from me. True to form Pete and Jenny knew had to throw a party and everything from the beer to the Mexican buffet was rocking.

Because we can't hang with the late night party scene like we used to we cut out alittle early. A 5:30 am wake up call beckoned us for a flight back to Oakland for wedding #2 of the weekend. When it rains it pours hearts of gooey love because people around us get sick with love constantly and tie the knot like its going out of style.

The Move

On April 18 we packed up what we thought was all of our stuff in an U-Haul and trekked it up to Eureka to store at Matt's parents house. With the truck only a third full it appeared as though had succeded in sheding most of our worldy posessions. Matt manuevered the U-Haul trailing behind me in Ariana's Volvo S40. We took two cars since the U-Haul was only a one-way drop and Ariana had faith in me to navigate her precious Blue Lightening for the long drive up north. We had sold our Subaru a week earlier to a young law student so once again we were back to our car-less roots in SF. It was the perfect time of year to drive through the wine country and to wind through the redwoods because everywhere you looked fresh green grass sprouted from the hillsides. We made a pitstop about halfway in Hopland at the Blue Bird Cafe for BTLs and burgers. We refueled the gas guzzling U-Haul and Ari's race car and continued on up. I couldn't get over how many people actually drive at the speed limit or below 65 mph. I'm no road warrior but I at least like to drive with some purpose. We finally made it up to Eureka about 6 hours later.

Matt was a tetris master strategically packing nearly all of the boxes into his childhood room closet. Leave no trace was our motto. His parents, Marilyn and George, and aunt and uncle, Patricia and Jim, spoiled us with delicious meals, toasty chocolate croissants, G&T's and strong coffee. One of my favorite nights was up in Trinidad at Moonstone Beach Restaurant. We sat overlooking the ocean watching the sun dip behind the haze far off the coast. With magnificently large redwoods trees lush with fern coverings practically dancing along the beach it's hard to say that's theres a place on earth more magical or spectacular than in Humbolt County. For Matt and for myself it gave us a great sense of peace to walk among the redwoods one last time and to have the family up there all to ourselves. It was a brief trip that left little time for games, although the padres did manage to swindle about 4 bucks from Matt and I in a friendly hold'em game.

(April 21) The condition by which we agreed to Ariana's car was that we had to drive it all the way back to SF. The only hiccup was that it was our time to spend with my mom, Carol aka Cah, Cahberger or just the Berger, back in Rohnert Park. We made a formula one pit stop to drop off our bags at Cah's and then drove the final hour to SF. An even quicker turnaround there we were on a express bus back up to RP. Dinner was at none other than El Favorito, Cah's favorito Mexican restaurant. We then spent time with my brother Sean, his wife Lori and their two boys, Ty & Brady.

We had a busy calendar of activities but most importantly the baptism of one of my oldest and dearest friends Devin and Karen's son Nicklaus. Just east of Santa Rosa is a retirement community called Oakmont with lavish golf courses and a small Catholic Church where the baptism took place. It was a special little ceremony for wee little Nicklaus and he was serene in white. Later in the evening after the reception for Nicklaus my highschool girlfriends gathered as the men folk played poker. It was a bit of a trip to go from girlie slumber parties to mini-daycare with 8 kids and 7 women. Time is masterfully sneaky the way it robs you of youth even when you still feel and are young. It is wonderful to see those you've shared your most intimate secrets through the years with whisper with the same tenderness sweet words into the ears of their children.

After all of the babies and toddlers were put down for the night, I joined the boys in some poker. Being one of only a handful of that highschool crew without kids I felt I had to represent the "non-saggers" if you will. It was worth the trip out to Cotati to steal some cash out of the pockets of Petaluma's finest. The next day with my adreline still pumping from my winnings Matt and I met up with Karen for a walk around Spring Lake up in Santa Rosa. We solved most of the worlds problems in the time it took to walk up, down and around the lake. Afterwards Cah made some mouth watering salmon for dinner.

It was a whirlwind of familyand friend goodbyes. The reality of the trip still manages to elude me. All these places that I have called home still feel like home. I guess that it is a good thing knowing that those places will always be there. Finally Cah drove us back down on Monday (April 24) to our apartment for the final clean-out, the home stretch.