Leonland > Travels2008-10-26T11:38:23ZPictures from Leon Barnard's adventures.tag:www.leonland.com,2010:/travels//2Movable TypeCopyright (c) 2008, LeonMilan2008-10-26T11:38:23Z2008-10-12T19:10:31Ztag:www.leonland.com,2008:/travels//2.4452008-10-12T19:10:31ZA quick trip to the surprisingly beautiful Milan.
Leonleonbarnard+leonland@gmail.comChapter 7
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Prague Zoo2008-10-25T19:32:51Z2008-08-17T09:36:21Ztag:www.leonland.com,2008:/travels//2.4362008-08-17T09:36:21ZPrague has a magnificent zoo!
Leonleonbarnard+leonland@gmail.comChapter 7
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Berlin2008-10-26T11:41:33Z2008-07-17T18:53:27Ztag:www.leonland.com,2008:/travels//2.4412008-07-17T18:53:27ZWe finally made it to Germany's cultural capital.
Leonleonbarnard+leonland@gmail.comChapter 7
Rick Steves' self-guided tour from his guidebook. We got a good tour of all the major sights and some of the gems that we otherwise would have missed (like the "Room of Slience"). I had been to Berlin 11 years earlier - it was unrecognizable because of all of the construction that had taken place during the last decade.
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Croatia2008-10-25T19:08:16Z2008-07-05T11:40:25Ztag:www.leonland.com,2008:/travels//2.4262008-07-05T11:40:25ZA fantastic trip to the breathtaking island of Hvar in Croatia.Leonleonbarnard+leonland@gmail.comChapter 7
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Bratislava and Vienna2008-10-26T14:34:39Z2008-04-09T14:14:12Ztag:www.leonland.com,2008:/travels//2.4472008-04-09T14:14:12ZVisiting friends in Bratislava and a side trip to nearby Vienna.Leonleonbarnard+leonland@gmail.comChapter 7
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Cesky Krumlov2008-03-02T17:03:42Z2008-01-22T15:51:50Ztag:www.leonland.com,2008:/travels//2.3782008-01-22T15:51:50ZA beautiful medieval town in the south of the Czech Republic. Definitely worth a visit.Leonleonbarnard+leonland@gmail.comChapter 7
Český Krumlov is a quaint, picturesque town in the southern part of the Bohemia region of the Czech Republic. If you ever visit Prague, I highly recommend taking a side trip here. It's about 3 1/2 to 4 hours away by bus or train and worth 24 - 36 hours of time. Although it would also be a great place to get away to for a week or more because of its tranquility (in the off-season, at least). In short, it feels like the setting for a medieval fairytale, thanks, in part, to it being restored and preserved by UNESCO. We visited there with my mom when she came to visit.
The central part of the old town.
Part of the Vltava river that separates the city center from the castle.
Some typical street views in the old town.
Lots of hotels and restaurants, although it was very quiet when we were there in January.
It's a really nice place to just wander around in. Lots of nooks and crannies to discover.
And sometimes views of the castle like this sneak up on you.
The castle is the main attraction here, it's really breathtaking.
Here's a picture of it from the hostel we stayed in.
It's also beautiful at night.
The way it's lit at night makes it really captivating.
You can walk around inside it, too.
The sights inside are interesting and sometimes unexpected.
And you can get some nice views of the rest of the city.
A close-up of some tourists snapping some photos of the city.
On the bridge between the castle and the city center.
A sign on the door of a toy/knick-knack shop.
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Denmark and Sweden2008-01-22T14:53:22Z2007-12-11T13:50:37Ztag:www.leonland.com,2007:/travels//2.3652007-12-11T13:50:37ZA fun jaunt to Denmark and Sweden, to explore the land of good design and to visit friends.
Leonleonbarnard+leonland@gmail.comChapter 7
visited Scandinavia with my Dad, I returned for a brief trip with my wife to see the sights and visit some friends who were living in Sweden. We spent about two days in Copenhagen and then took a train up to Gothenburg, Sweden to visit our friends.
On our way to the hotel, which was on the Stroget in Copenhagen, right in the middle of things.
Some nice light on our way to the Little Mermaid.
Taken from a similar spot as the previous photo. We didn't see much sunlight when we were there, but it was nice when we did.
Photos are discouraged in Christiania, so here's one of the entrance. It's pretty incredible that places like this exist. Dirt roads, spotty electricity, no rules (except no hard drugs). But it works.
The Danish Design Centre, across from Tivoli, was a definite highlight.
The Little Mermaid.
The colors of Nyhavn, an area of Copenhagen.
Sounds tasty...
"Christmas in Nyhavn."
A fun-looking ride at Tivoli.
Something festive at Tivoli.
A nice carousel at Tivoli.
After Copenhagen, we traveled to Hoganas, Sweden, to check out their world-famous ceramics.
We stopped at this stand for some meatballs on our walk to the Hoganas Keramik factory.
Next up was Gothenburg, a very livable city.
They showed this cool, but kind of weird, Christmas show on the wall of one of the buildings.
One of the highlights of Gothenburg was going to Liseberg Amusement Park, which was all decked-out for Christmas.
There, we had a traditional hot dog with mashed potatoes on it. Mmmm...
An ice bar, inside of Liseberg. We didn't want to fork over the $25 to enter. Looks neat, though!
You can kind of see the heavy-duty coats they give you so that you don't get too cold.
You can win a giant Toblerone bar if you get lucky on the roulette wheel.
Some nice views on the train back to Copenhagen to fly home.
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Prague Christmas Market2007-12-01T15:49:51Z2007-12-01T14:51:43Ztag:www.leonland.com,2007:/travels//2.3602007-12-01T14:51:43Z
The first day of the 2007 Prague Christmas Market (Vanocni Trhy). Festive and fun!Leonleonbarnard+leonland@gmail.comChapter 7 The trumpeting angels were the first sign that something special was going on.
I'll have to return in the evening to see them lit up.
It started today, so they were still putting the finishing touches on the tree.
"We have lights!"
The word was definitely out that the market had started - the place was packed.
They set up a nice viewing platform so that you could look down on everything.
The crowd watching the clock tower, preparing for the hourly display.
It's a great place to walk around if you're hungry, there's all kinds of tasty sweets, the most common being trdelnik, a cylinder of baked dough covered in sugar.
Mmmmm....
If only the did sell them in this size.
Something for the savory palate.
Nothing like a chorus to make it feel like Christmas.
Jan Hus, unveiled.]]>
Return to the Netherlands2007-11-07T23:31:57Z2007-10-28T22:23:28Ztag:www.leonland.com,2007:/travels//2.3572007-10-28T22:23:28Z
After living there for 6 months in 2000, I finally returned to visit some memorable places.Leonleonbarnard+leonland@gmail.comChapter 7
Chapter 2.
Visiting Amsterdam was always a treat for me when I lived in Veghel. It was about 2 1/2 hours away by bus and train. Our flight arrived in Amsterdam, so we spent a couple of days there before exploring the rest of the country. It was a delight, Amsterdam is a beautiful, dynamic city.
Many of the houses there are a bit off-kilter, making them even more interesting to look at.
The trams are nicer than when I lived there.
Vondelpark. An oasis.
You can probably guess where this was taken.
If you go, you should try the fries with mayo. Very tasty.
Lots of good cheese, too.
At Amsterdam Central Station, waiting to catch the train to Den Bosch.
A very pleasant, relaxing ride.
Getting oriented in Den Bosch.
Being at the train station here brought back lots of memories. I used to take a bus here from Veghel almost every time I wanted to explore somewhere new.
My first sight of Veghel, Castle Heeswijk, where I went to a party once.
Was this same map here 7 years ago? I think maybe it was.
The street I used to live on! Weird...
And a sculpture near the nicer houses in my neighborhood.
A cool sculpture in the center of Veghel. I think it has to do with the traditional Dutch system of bartering.
Another nice statue. This one also brought back a lot of memories.
The church in the center of town.
The buses are nicer, one of the few things that seems to have changed since I lived there!
Next up was Eindhoven, where I also used to spend a lot of time. It was the other city that had a train station that I could get to by bus.
Dino's, where I used to meet up with other expats on Friday nights. It recently closed down, how sad.
Once, I visited Culemborg, a small city just south of Utrecht, while I lived there and had always wanted to return.
We were there on a Sunday morning and the city center was dead quiet. The view from the one restaurant that was open then.
Waiting for the train to Utrecht.
Utrecht is a lively city in the middle of the country that's home to the largest university in the Netherlands. Even on a Sunday there were quite a few people about (although you can't tell from this photo).
I never got to try any of the many restaurants along the main canal that runs through Utrecht. Maybe on my next visit!
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"Squirrel Mountain"2007-11-01T17:10:54Z2007-10-20T20:56:25Ztag:www.leonland.com,2007:/travels//2.3542007-10-20T20:56:25Z
A great autumn hike followed by sausages and marshmallows over the fire in a rural area outside of Prague . Leonleonbarnard+leonland@gmail.comChapter 7
Preparing for the journey, enjoying some Czech "energy drinks".
We walked along some railroad tracks to get to the start of the trail.
"Hey, stop taking pictures and catch up!"
Stopping to take in some of the beauty.
Now who's lagging behind...?
Such a perfect time of year for this hike.
Great colors.
A river of moss.
The view from the top.
The hike wasn't incredibly rigorous, but we definitely worked up an appetite. Maybe it was because I was so hungry, but the sausages were amazing.
The gang enjoying some hard-earned treats.
Caught "spying".
We showed our Czech friends how to properly roast marshmallows. Most agreed that they were quite tasty.
Some typical Czech cottages that we passed on the way back. Many Czechs still go to places like these on the weekends to get away. These became popular during communism when people weren't allowed to leave the country.
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Krakow2007-10-24T15:03:04Z2007-09-30T23:23:10Ztag:www.leonland.com,2007:/travels//2.3532007-09-30T23:23:10Z
My first adventure outside of Prague. A weekend trip to Krakow with some of my co-workers.Leonleonbarnard+leonland@gmail.comChapter 7
After recovering from the overnight train ride, we did a bit of sight-seeing. Our first stop was Wawel Castle.
Some intricate detail from the impressive cathedral.
A view of the Wisla river from the castle.
Next was Grand Square ("Rynek Glowny"), one of the largest central squares in Europe.
Cloth Hall in Grand Square.
More Grand Square. The basilica of the Virgin Mary's.
Some detail from Cloth Hall.
A bit more touristy than I expected.
Waiting for the train home after an overnight stop-over in Ostrava. ]]>
Banksy2007-03-08T04:17:44Z2006-09-17T03:44:49Ztag:www.leonland.com,2006:/travels//2.3142006-09-17T03:44:49Z
Banksy hits L.A. What does the painted live elephant represent, again?Leonleonbarnard+leonland@gmail.comChapter 6
the place to be that weekend. Hipsters galore, celebrities, and, um, me. Was Banksy himself there? He's never been seen in public, so I guess there's no way to know for sure. The painted elephant was certainly a sight, but I enjoyed his paintings the most.
The flyer for the show gave no exact address, but the big, painted truck (and the droves of hipsters) made it pretty clear where to go once you got close.
The most interesting sight, a live, painted elephant.
He got kind of boring to watch after a while.
I really liked most of his stuff. A nice mix of serious and whimsical.
Some of his smaller paintings.
This was painted on the back of a van that was in the middle of one of the two main rooms.
One of the few 3-D pieces.
The second room had some really great paintings.
"Applause."
"I can't believe you morons actually buy this shit."
Pretty powerful, huh?
"Punk's Not Dead", "Thug For Life."
"Sale Ends Today."
I love this one.
"I learnt a very important lesson from this woman. Moisturise everyday."
"I want to meet my true love for cheap casual sex."]]>
L.A. Tofu Festival2006-08-20T08:11:38Z2006-08-14T04:09:43Ztag:www.leonland.com,2006:/travels//2.2722006-08-14T04:09:43Z
Yet another L.A. food festival. Some tasty eats and a tofu eating contest!Leonleonbarnard+leonland@gmail.comChapter 6
Tofu as far as the eye can see.
Which do you prefer: Soft, Medium Firm, Firm, or Extra Firm?
Taiko drumming on the entertainment stage.
More entertainment. The Music of Korea Ensemble of UCLA.
This dude was diggin' it.
Our first tofu treat, some kind of fried tofu patty with ponzu sauce.
Salmon-topped tofu.
The dessert version of the previous dish, covered in strawberries and almond crisps.
The Tofu Eating Contest. The first 3 contestants to finish a 14-oz block of tofu in each round get to move on to the finals. This was last year's winner, showing that he's swallowed all this tofu.
This guy finished soon after.
Getting ready for the finals.
It's on. Oh yeah, they're not allowed to use their hands.
We have a winner. He finished in something like 26 seconds. Wow.
Last year's champion comes up short.
Enjoying his new-found celebrity.]]>
Road Trip from L.A. to Eugene, OR2006-09-27T01:16:18Z2006-07-31T19:03:18Ztag:www.leonland.com,2006:/travels//2.2882006-07-31T19:03:18Z
1100 miles in three days, traveling with a good friend of mine.Leonleonbarnard+leonland@gmail.comChapter 6
20676 miles on the odometer in Pasadena, just as we left my street.
Our first stop, the beach town of Carpinteria, about 90 miles northwest.
It was a beautiful, sunny day and everyone was out for a day at the beach.
Big news in Santa Barbara county, a performance by KISS.
Our next stop was lunch at a well-known taco spot in Santa Barbara, La Super-Rica.
Lots of choices.
Hand-made tortillas and fresh-grilled meats and veggies. Quality.
Nothing fancy, just some of the tastiest meat you've ever had.
A brief tourist tour through Santa Barbara. The Santa Barbara courthouse.
The ocean view from Highway 101 just north of Santa Barbara.
A short stop in San Luis Obispo. Leon's books!
Bubblegum Alley in SLO. Cool and gross at the same time.
That's (eww) a lot of gum.
A town that time forgot somewhere around Salinas.
The fog told us we were arriving in San Francisco.
So did the crazy street signs. "Help! The directions say 'turn left'!"
Music Mecca. Amoeba on Haight.
They've got an "Experimental" category in their cassettes section!. Chances are that you'll find what you're looking for here.
Looking for the Japanese relase of that Donna Summer album? You can find it here.
Looking South from the San Rafael bridge, coming back from Marin.
The next day. Somewhere near Chico after leaving Grass Valley.
Dunsmuir, CA. Not much there, but pretty good burgers at Burger Barn.
Driving, just south of Weed, CA.
Mount Shasta, in the distance.
Near the Oregon border (I think).
Welcome to Oregon!
A nice rest at Emigrant Lake near Ashland, OR.
Safe and sound in Eugene, 1100+ miles later.
I took a walk around Eugene the next day. Some interesting truck trailers on a rail car.
The river that runs through Eugene. ]]>
California Strawberry Festival2006-07-07T21:33:09Z2006-05-21T06:33:39Ztag:www.leonland.com,2006:/travels//2.2632006-05-21T06:33:39Z
An unplanned trip to the annual Strawberry Festival in Oxnard, California.Leonleonbarnard+leonland@gmail.comChapter 6
One of the first things we saw, a giant sign for strawberry pizza. It sounded too intriguing to resist.
It turned out to be not quite as interesting as we had hoped, but it was quite tasty. In fact, we got another slice on our way out. We figured that a strawberry smoothie was the right beverage to have with it.
Sweetened-out, we bypassed strawberry nachos...
...and chocolate-dipped strawberries...
...and headed for some strawberry beer (and a tri-tip sandwich with garlic fries).
Cheers!
The itinerary for the day in the Strawberry Promenade.
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