It's never to early to panic, I always say. I now have about three weeks to pack up my belongings and put them into storage, write a book outline/sample chapter (not related to the trip), and get myself packed and ready for the trip. This weekend, in fact, I've finally given away the old Corvus Concept and some spare CompuPro computer boards and thrown away about 50 pounds of files relating to my work with the Alternative Energy News back in Santa Cruz ten, fifteen years ago (not everything, just the extraneous, out-of-date files)
For the moment, Jovica and I are trying to work out how to fit in:
- Cologne (If I don't see the cathedral here, I will have serious explaining to do, but even so, we may head East and save this for another trip.)
- Salzburg (starting a trip off with Mozart can only be good)
- Vienna (we may make some "Klangbogen" Fest, but what is a "Klangbogen"?)
- Prague (whew! we could do a whole list of things to see here. I hope it doesn't feel too Westernized, but even so, between seeing the sights and visiting the synagogue where Rabbi Loew allegedly created the Golem, we'll be here for days, I think. But what is the music scene like?)
- Cracow (nope, not going to do the Concentration Camp tour thing. I'm glad Auschwitz is still there as a memorial, and I'm damn glad there still isn't a shopping center there, but I don't think I need to see it)
- Budapest (so many friends have been there and had a good time that I'm starting to look forward to this. For a while it was on the list just because it felt like it should be)
- Transylvania--Cluj, Timosaura. Some trepidation, but there is good history here (Yes, we know that ol' Vlad the Impaler was really over in Moldavia or somewhere). I wish recent history had been kinder.
- The former Yugoslavia--Oh yeah, this is Jovica's home territory, so we'll stop off in Belgrade, then on to Sarajevo while I check out the possibility of coming back and staying for a while, then maybe what's left of Mostar on our way to Dubrovnik, down to Montenegro.
- Tirana--To visit a place that has been closed to just about everyone during my lifetime could be very exciting. I know virtually nothing about Albania. I would know more.
- Frankfurt--will try to catch the Frankfurt book fair before heading back to the States (unless I decide to stay in europe, in which case, all bets are off). And, of course, this is very close to the Klingspoor Foundry museum which would make a very satisfying, typographic end to the trip. The Klingspoor Foundry was home to Rudolf Koch, designer of Kabel, Koch Antiqua, Neuland, et al. Hermann Zapf lives nearby, although I'm not sure he would be pleased to have a groupy drop by.
At the moment, it looks as though I'll try to travel relatively light:
For writing, I hope to have either a used Apple powerbook, or perhaps a new 190CS, if I can find one in time. That's as much money as I can comfortably (even a bit uncomfortably) tie up in a computer. I'm not sure what software I'll have beyond BBEdit, the usual online kit, and the image editor that comes with the Digital Camera.
Camera: Right now, I'm trying out a Kodak DC20. It's their bottom of the line digital camera. I like its small size, and the image editing software is pretty decent, but we're talking 8 images before I need to download and erase (heaven help me if I lose a critical cable, or the computer gets stolen). I'm not much of a photographer, so that feels about right. The big question is whether or not the camera is good enough. So, here are three images. First, above, my cousin, Linda, under reasonably optimal conditions and being relatively close, and then a picture of my house from across the street in a car, then our mascot at work, indoors, "Mr. Happy Guy.". (I apologize for the inline JPEGs--this software doesn't support GIFs. If people complain, I'll find a Mac utility to do conversions for the in-line stuff.) What do you think?
The next critical item is a modem. I'm kind of waiting to see which laptop I get before I make a final decision. I am leaning towards the TDK International, but there is a new International modem due out in a week that can also do cellular here in the States. And it costs a bit less. And I don't know that an "International" modem does squat for me in Eastern Europe. Germany, France, Western Europe, sure. But Bosnia?
And the final piece I'm worrying about is the connectors. I have some leads, but anyone who has traveled in the area and has advice--your e-mail would be much appreciated.
Okay, back to packing....
Europe '96 | Ivritype | My WELL pages
Page maintained by Ari Davidow, ari@ivritype.com / Last revised 7/28/96.