Eric H. Doss

All About Lobster

20/11/2015 By Eric H. Doss Leave a Comment

So, it’s been a few months since we visited Boston, but since then I’ve been kicking around the idea of a post about lobster. But, what finally pushed me to write was not the lobster in Boston. Instead, it was our trip across Nova Scotia and Maine that inspired me to talk about one of my favorite shellfish.

Maybe favorite is a little quick to judge. Though I love lobster, after being in Massachusetts for about 4 months, what I really miss, and what I think is my favorite seafood, are South Carolina shrimp. But, lobster can be a close second.

History and Types of Lobster

So, we’re talking about American Lobsters here, not Spiny, or Reef lobsters. All are great, I hear, but hard to find. You’ve probably heard that lobster was once viewed as the food of the poor, and that lobster was fed to inmates and servants. While that’s totally true, you need to also know that, when served to prisoners and servants, lobster was frequently cooked dead, not alive, or was ground and cooked together, shells, gills, and all. So, not quite the tail and drawn butter presentation we admire.

Next, you need to know that there are two types of lobster available live. When talking about American lobsters, lobsters are graded by the age of their shell. Soft Shell lobsters have recently shed their shells. They have the mildest taste. Hard Shell lobsters are once who have shed their shell this year, but have had enough time for their shells to harden. If you are on the East Coast, these are likely the only lobsters you’ll be able to buy, as transporting soft shells is difficult. These taste the most like lobster, which I enjoy, but might be a more powerful taste than some enjoy.

The traditional way to cook lobster is to boil it, open the shell, and serve beside drawn butter. Nothing wrong with this presentation, at all. It highlights the amazing sweetness of the lobster and is very simple. But, there are so many better ways to eat lobster.

First, you can deep-fry the lobster tail. Not much to say about this, other than it is freaking amazing. It keeps the lobster tail moist and flavorful, but helps with tenderness. Tails are desirable, but they’re not as tender as some people expect. Frying helps.

My personal favorite, though, is to grill lobster. I think this is even easier than boiling and certainly more flavorful.

First, you need to have a great fire, preferably with a good coals and a little flame. You can, of course, do this on a charcoal grill, or even a gas grill, but the flavor will be so much better on a fire. During our trip to Cape Breton and Maine, we stopped at Sorrento Lobster, Inc. and picked up two soft shell and two hard shell lobsters. Well, we sprung a radiator hose leak and were delayed a bit, so Sorrento was an unplanned stop, but… If you’re in the area, Sorrento Lobster is awesome. It’s a huge warehouse that does wholesale lobster sales, but if you show up, they’ll sell you a few for your table.

We left Sorrento and doubled back to the Mountain View Campground in Sullivan, ME for the night. Not lobster related, but man, the sunset here was one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.

Once I had the fire built, I killed the lobster with a knife to the head, which is pretty quick and effective. Before putting them on the grate, I covered them with a little olive oil, but no other seasoning or preparation. Chances are the lobsters will fight a little when you put them on the heat: don’t worry, this is a normal muscular response. The lobsters aren’t suffering.

It only takes a few minutes to cook over a good fire: be careful not to overcook the lobster or you’ll have tough claws and tail. I pulled them off after about 7 minutes and they were perfect. My apologies for the smoky picture, but you get the idea.

Of course, not everyone wants to cook their own lobster. While traveling, we had some great lobster dinners. The first was at the Harbour Restaurant in Cheticamp, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Great atmosphere here, and live Acadian music some nights. I recommend the Fisherman’s Best of Both Dinner that includes lobster and snow crab.

We also had a great meal at the Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound, in Trenton, ME. Nothing fancy here, but you walk inside, pick out your lobster, and they’ll bag it and cook it outside in a huge pot filled with seawater. Amazingly tender lobster and a really authentic Maine experience.

If you’re in Boston, my favorite lobster restaurant is James Hook and Company. As with most lobster restaurants, you’re not paying for the decor. James Hook is in a small building in a parking lot, with a dining area where you can watch Bostonians and tourists wander by. Last time we visited, we had a few lobster rolls, some lobster mac and cheese, and the Lobsta Bisque. All very good, but the Mac and Cheese was the least favorite. James Hook stuffs the mac and cheese with lobster meat, so not to worry about too much macaroni, but overall we enjoyed the simple presentation of the roll and the bisque.

Oh, the People You’ll Meet…

19/10/2015 By Eric H. Doss Leave a Comment

On our first RV trip, we were blown away by the kindness of other RVers. In fact, the opportunity to meet interesting and unique people was one of the influences that lead to us buying an RV. Not only was the RV consistent with our philosophy on travel, but we knew it would give us an opportunity to meet an interesting array of people.

We recently returned from a month-long trip in Harvey the RV, including time visiting family and friends in South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, and New York, before heading to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. It will probably take me months to get all the details of that trip written, but I wanted to share the highlights of the trip. Not the highlights of the Cabot Trail, or visiting Cheticamp and Ingonish, or the great seafood, or the amazing hiking, or the visit to the Larch factory, but the highlights of the people you’ll meet.

Fellow South Carolinians:

We arrived at Cheticamp Campground very late on our first day, so it was the next morning before we met any neighbors. Wallace did his part, flying out of the RV first thing in the morning, no leash or collar, and heading to meet another dog a few sites over. Thankfully, the dog was mostly friendly and the owners much more so. Robert and Kathy are probably 60, maybe 65. Both recently retired and from Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, just outside Charleston and close to our (now former) home of Beaufort. In retirement, they have decided to downsize and have sold their house and are moving to Asheville, North Carolina, but not before taking a few months to explore. They have a wonderful A-Frame popup that has a surprising amount of room.

After a day or two, Robert and Kathy departed Cheticamp and we said our goodbyes. They were heading across the island to Ingonish, our next destination, but the timing was off and we knew we wouldn’t see them again. So, goodbyes and best wishes exchanged, they headed out.

Imagine our surprise ten days later when, as we broke camp in Camden, and who do we run into but Robert and Kathy. We had a great chat, found out they didn’t love Ingonish as much as we did, and were having a great time heading south and back to Asheville. Of course, running into them didn’t come as a huge surprise…

Bruce:

We met Bruce on our second or third day in Cheticamp. We headed out to the lighthouse on La Pointe and noticed a VW minibus parked on the side of the road. We stopped and chatted for a few minutes, learned a bit about Bruce, the driver. Bruce is from California and had been traveling for a few months across the US and Canada. We recommended the campground to him and hoped to catch up with him later. Unfortunately, Bruce slipped in and out of the campground pretty quickly, so we never had a chance to chat.

Fast forward another week or so, and Heather and I pulled into the Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound to grab lunch after a day in Acadia National Park. As I get the RV parked on the shoulder, I hear a frantic honking and a VW bus swerves to the side of the road and parks in front of us. My first thought was, “Great, now we have some lunatic who doesn’t like my parking…” but I noticed a familiar logo on the spare tire. Of course, it was Bruce… We spent a few minutes chatting on the side of the road, Bruce shared his blog with us so we could follow his trip, and we headed inside for a great meal.

I’ll have to write again later this week with the story of Margie and Larry and Greg and Jackie, two couples that we also met while on the road. Larry and Margie are longtime GMC owners and have an identical coach to ours, while Greg and Jackie are Cape Bretoners who we met in Ingonish. Greg is a commercial fisherman and was camping at Broad Cove with Jackie as a staycation after the fishing season. Look for the updates soon!

Monuments and Memories in Budapest, Hungary

06/07/2015 By Eric H. Doss Leave a Comment

Our full trip to Budapest and the rural areas of Hungary is a story for another time, but I wanted to share some images and thoughts from our trip through Memento Park.

My first recommendation is for you to pick up Rick Steves’ Budapest Guide Book. Steves is a wonderful writer and digs into such depth in his books that you can frequently skip the paid tours and self-guide. We decided to skip the guide and depend instead on Rick’s step-by-step instructions for getting the most from Memento Park.

Memento Park

When the Communist regime began to fall apart in 1989, Budapest officials immediately started to remove the statues and plaques that memorialized Communist leaders such as Lenin and Marx. I’m a bit surprised that the officials had enough foresight to hold on to many of these statues instead of destroying them. These mementos (see what I did there?) were moved to a park above Pest and organized into a moving, awe-inducing statement on communism. I would never do the full tour justice by trying to retell it here, so I won’t, but I will let you know that everything about the park is deliberate. Whatever you are looking at, even if it looks like an afterthought or a mistake, is designed to look exactly as it does and generally has a deeper meaning.

For example, when you arrive at the park, you’ll see a large beautiful entrance made of brick. However, the doors are locked and you must look around for a small side door. Once inside, you will notice that the beautiful entrance is just a facade. The message is that communism was simply a facade and, in spite of the beautiful appeal, the benefits of communism was mostly closed to the average person.

To get to Memento Park, you should take the Number 150 bus to Memento Park. The stop is labeled, but it’s always best to ask the bus driver or another passenger to make sure you don’t go on the Number 150 bus tour of the city. There are also private bus options, but public transit in Budapest is pretty solid, so we never saw the need to use anything else.

One of the first things we saw at the park was a striking example of communist art, a large statue of the idealized Soviet worker. Hindsight being 20/20, I think communist art is almost farcical, but can easily understand the power of these large, imposing statues, especially to a generation of people scarred by war and upheaval.

It is important to have some understanding of what these statues symbolize. If you look at these statues, you will easily understand the power of the art, but you will miss the beauty of the details. For example, the statue below, featuring Bela Kun, is full of motion and urgency. You can easily imagine a voice, calling out over the soldiers, the rattling of shield and sword, or the firm strike of boots on the ground.

Bela Kun was a Hungarian communist leader. This statue shows Kun overseeing the transition of the Magyar people through the decades. You see Kun standing in a podium speaking, but may not immediately notice the lightpost to his right. For many people, the lightpost might just seem like a detail, but in Hungarian symbolism the lightpost symbolizes execution, which was Kun’s fate in 1938.

There are so many intriguing statues that I simply cannot include them all here, but if you’re going to be in Budapest, you should make time to visit the park. Expect to take about 1.5 hours to fully view the entire park.

Other monuments and symbols

While Memento Park is large and moving, the most striking memorial I noticed in Budapest was “Shoes on the Danube Bank”, a memorial created to commemorate the death of Jews shot by the Arrow Cross, a fascist militia, in 1944. The story is as simple as it is horrifying. The Arrow Cross rounded up Jews, took them to the edge of the Danube River, and shot them, their bodies falling a few feet to the water below.

As we wandered around Buda before heading to the Hungarian parliament, we stumbled upon this statue:

Of course, the fall of communism and the retreat of Soviet forces from Hungary are recent and important memories for the average Hungarian, so it’s perhaps unsurprising to find the Reagan statue. Though, admittedly, a bit surreal to happen upon a lifesize statute in a nondescript park.

Terror Museum

We also visited the House of Terror, a museum that commemorates the terror experienced by Hungarians during the fascist and communist governments. The museum was opened in 2000 and is housed in a building used by both fascists and communists to detain, interrogate, and kill opponents of the regimes. Outside the museum, you will find a number of pictures of the victims of each regime.

You could easily spend half a day inside the museum. The floors are well organized and should be visited in the order recommended by the tour booklet. The House of Terror is open everyday, except Monday, from 10am to 6pm and admission is 2000 HUF, or about $9.

All of this heavy history had us a bit depressed, or at least in a solemn mood, so we then headed over to the Great Market Hall to look around and grab a quick meal. In our experience, every country and every culture has a meal based on great fried dough, and the Magyars are no exception. Called langos, this meal is a plate sized portion of yeasty fried dough topped with anything you might imagine. In my case, I chose one with a thin layer of cream cheese and topped with almost every veggie you can imagine, including corn, peppers, onions, olives, and a feta-like cheese.

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, Oranienburg, Germany

04/07/2015 By Eric H. Doss Leave a Comment

We left Berlin early in the morning and caught the train up to Oranienburg, a small town about 30 minutes out of Berlin and the home of the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. You may be aware that there were numerous types of camps, including forced labor camps, transit camps, and extermination camps. The extermination camps, camps designed purely, or primarily, to murder people were built outside Germany, in occupied Poland. If you’re interested in learning more about the types of camps, the Wikipedia article is very helpful. Now, you shouldn’t be confused about the nature of concentration camps; almost all of them had facilities to kill and dispose of bodies, but the extermination camps were designed primarily to accomplish Hitler’s Final Solution, the complete annihilation of the Jewish People.

Sachsenhausen was located in the same town, Oranienburg, as the headquarters of the Nazi concentration camps and was also used to train SS officers for service in other camps. There were many famous prisoners housed at Sachsenhausen, including Martin Niemöller, a Lutheran pastor and anti-Nazi theologian who is best known for his work “First they came…”

It seemed fitting that the morning was overcast and a bit rainy as we made our way from the train station to the entrance of the concentration camp. Leaving the train station, you should head towards Bernauer Strasse. Turn right on Bernauer Strasse and walk less than half of a mile to turn left on Strasse der Einheit. This is a neighborhood street, which makes the presence of the concentration camp even more surreal. You’ll walk a bit more than a quarter of a mile before turning right on Strasse der Nationen. The road will wind around to the left, maybe a quarter of a mile down, and before the turn, you’ll see the entrance to Sachsenhausen.

If you want to plan your tour of the camp, you can go to the Sachsenhausen website and select the maps option at the top left. I’d give you a direct link, but the site doesn’t provide direct URLs.

As you’ll find at every concentration and extermination camp, the propaganda slogan “Arbeit Macht Frei” (Work makes you free) is prominent on some of the gates around the camp.

The camp had been partially destroyed towards the end of the war, but the camp was later used by Soviets as a special camp for political prisoners during the occupation of post-war Germany. Many of the original structures remain, however, including the barracks seen here that were part of the Sonderlager, a special camp for trouble prisoners or prisoners who attempted to escape from here or other camps.

The barracks for prisoners were made of wood and were less protective from the elements. Inside one of the open prisoner barracks, we discovered Martin Niemöller’s cell:

Continuing to wander around the grounds without a guide, we found a watchtower used to supervise the prisoners:

As we continued our tour, I was unnerved by the lack of evidence of the horrors of the camp. Coming through the gate and wandering around, it was clear this was a prison camp, but the true horrors of the camp were not immediately visible. However, as we continued away from the entrance, we soon discovered the darker history of the camp.

Sachsenhausen was not, as I mentioned earlier, a death camp. However, the camp was used for killing prisoners, first in an execution trench where prisoners were shot or hanged. It is estimated that over 30,000 prisoners were murdered here, including 100 Dutch resistance fighters.

Leaving the execution trench and walking back towards the entrance of the camp, we discovered the remains of the crematory and gas chambers. Originally installed in 1943, the chambers and crematory is largely gone, but enough of the structures remain to understand the horrible nature of this camp.

As we prepared to leave to catch our train back to Berlin and on to Nuremberg, we passed a moving tribute to the murdered prisoners.

Review of Sleuth Camera Bag from Timbuk2

30/06/2015 By Eric H. Doss Leave a Comment

Earlier this year, I picked up a brand new camera bag. I’m a very very amateur photographer, but I love my Canon 60D and want to make sure it lasts for quite a while. Previously, I used my Timbuk2 Messenger Bag with the Snoop insert, but decided I needed something a little more comfortable. The Messenger is really a great bag, but best for short trips and limited walking. So, I picked up the Sleuth Camera Bag, also from Timbuk2 and have used it everyday since then.

The Sleuth is a great bag and is designed to help you hide your camera, or at least not draw attention to that fact that you’re carrying an expensive camera. I’ve had no trouble fitting my 60D, a charger, my 75-300mm lens, and the Nifty Fifty in the allotted camera space. The inside space of the camera compartment has the same padding that the Snoop insert has which allows you to configure the compartments in any way you choose. In addition to the adjustable pockets, there is a mesh pocket that holds memory cards and other thin accessories.

In addition to the large camera compartment, the camera features a laptop sleeve that holds a small laptop. You shouldn’t have any trouble adding a small tablet or even an Apple MacBook Air. According to the online sizing chart, you can hold up to an 17″ MacBook, but, I’ll have to take their word for it.

The main pocket has the same organizer that Timbuk2 uses in many of their bags, with plenty of room for pens, small pads, and other essentials. I’ve used the main pocket to carry up to 10 books, and while it’s quite heavy with all this, the books fit. The main pocket has enough room to carry a few days of clothing, if you pack lightly, and your toiletries.

On the front of the bag, you’ve got two small pockets that can carry a wallet, cell phone, and similar accessories. If you’re ready to blow your cover, the bag has built in tripod straps that secure your gear to the outside of the bag.

The straps are quite adjustable and feature a chest strap to stabilize the bag. On the right strap, you’ll find a beer bottle opener, which is a nice touch after a long day of walking and touring. The back of the bag is well padded and helps reduce strain and fatigue.

If you’re in the market for a new camera bag that’s functional, useful, and discreet, you should check out the Timbuk2 Sleuth.

Piccolo Nido: Great, Authentic Italian Food in Boston

21/06/2015 By Eric H. Doss Leave a Comment

Earlier this month, Heather and I traveled to Massachusetts for a long weekend and arranged one full day in Boston. Heather visited Boston about a decade ago, but this was my first trip. Our schedule only gave us one night in Boston, so time was of the essence.

We debated a number of possible dinner options, hoping to take advantage of the different variety of seafood available up north. However, we spent the afternoon doing “The Dark Side of Boston” tour and found ourselves quite hungry at the end of the tour. Our tour guide recommended Piccolo Nido, a small Italian spot close to the end of our tour. Our guide explained that Piccolo Nido wasn’t terribly fancy, but the food was excellent. Plus, they make their own pasta. SOLD!

We started with the antipasti Piccolo Nido, an excellent selection of meats, cheeses, and olives. As we settled in with our antipasti, our server, Miguel, stopped in a few times to check on us and we started a conversation about his home in Southern Italy, about Boston, and about Piccolo Nido. Miguel shared stories of his hometown and his time in Boston, our conversation turned to the restaurant. Our server explained that the owner of the restaurant, Pino, is quite a character. The stories flowed from his memory and quenched our thirst for an authentic connection to this place and to this restaurant.

As our plates of gnocchi, topped with a light tomato sauce arrived, Pino arrived. There’s no easy way to explain Pino… He is, simply, a character. As we enjoyed the pillowy gnocchi, delicate and fresh, Pino joined us. With no other diners in the restaurant, we had Pino’s undivided attention. Pino explained that he’s a bit of a shaman, gifted with some sort of a sixth sense and the ability to foretell the future.

As Pino continued to regale us with this stories, our main course arrived. The veal marsala was perfect. Thin veal cutlets, perfectly flattened and tender, browned in a simple wine sauce with fresh mushrooms exploded with flavor. Such a simple dish, you might imagine, but the complexity of a simple dish done well is astounding.

As Miguel cleared our secondi plates, Pino started into the story of how he helped the Boston Red Sox win the World Series. Pino, it seems, predicted the 2007 win and blessed the Red Sox before the series. However, the Sox never returned to thank Pino for his blessing, and their 2007 success disappeared. No matter how strong their team, they just couldn’t clinch the win after 2007. In 2013, Pino and the Red Sox reconciled and Pino again blessed the team, removing the malocchio (Italian for evil eye) and allowing the Sox to win the series again in 2013.

Pino’s predictive and protective services aren’t available only for baseball fans. The Bruins and many other teams visit Piccolo Nido before important games to receive a blessing from Pino.

And, just in case the story seems a bit far-fetched, Pino proudly displayed his official World Series ring, the only ring given to an Italian-born individual:

Pino Irano with his World Series Ring

And, in case you can’t see that in detail:

It’s real!

So, if you find yourself in Boston, you need to stop by Piccolo Nido. If you arrive and there are tables open, don’t ask if you need a reservation. Trust me, just don’t ask. And tell Pino that Eric and Heather said hello!

So, We Bought an RV…

11/01/2015 By Eric H. Doss Leave a Comment

So…

Last summer, Heather and I borrowed a RV from a close friend and headed west for a little adventure. The Rialta is built on a Eurovan chassis and, at 22 feet, is a small, nimble vehicle, perfect for first timers. So, we left Beaufort, Heather and I and Wallace the terrier, on a two-week journey to the Great Lakes. We figured either we’d kill each other or we’d love the RV life.

Well, we’re all still alive and the trip was amazing. We visited the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, the UP of Michigan and the Quincy Mine (where my grandfather taught mining classes for Michigan Tech), and even fit in a stop at New River Gorge for some hiking on the way home. Most of all, we loved the people we met RVing. You would be hard pressed to find better folks than RV’ers. Everyone we met had stories of their first RV trips, how they caught the RV bug, their favorite campgrounds, and more.

We returned to Beaufort and batted around the idea of buying a RV, starting by looking at Rialtas, but the prices, even on a twenty year old vehicle, were just too much for our budget. So, we started combing eBay and other websites, looking for something we liked that was in our budget. We began to toss around the idea of a vintage motorhome, something with a retro look and, maybe more importantly, within our limited budget.

Fast forward a few months and I came across two vintage RVs in Beaufort, just off the bike trail I frequently use. Heather and I made a trip out one Saturday to find out some details about the rigs and if, just maybe, they were for sale. Well, a quick trip turned into an hour and a half lesson on the GMC Motorhome. We met Paul, a retired aircraft mechanic who was restoring one of the RVs. He was more than happy to show us around the rig, though it wasn’t for sale, and give us a ton of tips on finding the right GMC. Remember what I said about RV people being kind? Paul was no exception.

Before we even pulled out of the parking lot, it was clear that if we bought an RV, it was going to be a GMC.

We had a few false starts, including a trip to Tallahassee to see a beautiful GMC, though it required too much work to be the right one.

On the way home from that trip, we discovered a great GMC close to Nashville, where Heather’s parents live. With a trip coming up, we made plans to see the Nashville rig.

I didn’t get more than halfway down my checklist before I realized we would be hard pressed to find a better deal. A quick trip to the bank to get some cash, a few signatures, and Heather and I were the proud owners of “The Pickle”:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Overall, Harvey, as we’ve re-christened him, is in good shape. The interior has been updated and while it is not exactly what we would do ourselves, it is well done and quite functional.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We have a few problems to sort out, including a permanent solution to a transmission fluid leak that I developed on the way home from Nashville. The previous owner was transparent about the issues the vehicle has, including a nonfunctional furnace, broken dash AC, some issues with the air suspension, and a few other smaller problems. We’re planning on heading off for a “shakedown cruise” in the next few weeks, as soon as the weather is a bit better and we have some free time. I’m sure the list of repairs will only grow…

Entering and Leaving Israel and Palestine

03/07/2014 By Eric H. Doss Leave a Comment

We recently returned from a 10 day trip to Israel and Palestine. This was our second trip to the Holy Land, our first being in 2005. What set this trip apart was the size of the group we led; a total of 29 people of all ages, from their early 30s to almost 80. Thankfully, we had a very uneventful entrance and exit, but it is not always that way. Entering Israel is almost as easy as any European country, but leaving can be more…complicated.

Entering Israel

Most importantly, if you’re coming from the US, UK, and many European countries, you will not need a visa. Of course, you should check the requirements to be sure. This article assumes that you are entering and leaving through Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Entering and leaving via Jordan and the Allenby Bridge can be more complicated and is a topic for a different article.

One thing you’ll notice throughout your experiences with Israeli border security and immigration folks is that they are very professional, but polite. That is, they strive to be polite, but are clearly on a mission. Entering Israel isn’t much different from entering a European country: you arrive and proceed to passport control. The officials will ask you if you’ve visited before, the purpose of your trip, and possibly details of your lodging accommodations. It never hurts to mention, if it’s true, that you’re there for a pilgrimage. One member of our group did have a little difficulty because of a misunderstanding about where we were staying. Politeness and persistence will pay off, as will having the contact information for your hotel or guesthouse.

On our first visit, Israel still stamped passports, but would stamp a card instead if you asked. This may seem odd, but many middle eastern countries will not allow you to enter if you have an Israeli stamp in your passport and the Israelis are well aware of this. Now, the passport control folks printed a small card that you keep in your passport. I recommend taping this into your passport so you don’t lose it. You’ll need this slip to exit.

Once you clear passport control, you head out to grab your bags from the luggage carousel and then proceed to customs. If you have nothing to declare, that’s it for you. You’ll be able to walk out of the international terminal and to your transportation.

Traveling between Israel and Palestine

Border crossings between Israel and Palestine are complicated. For ease of understanding, just imagine that the crossings between Israel and Palestine are international borders. Some technically are and some are not. But, for the sake of simplicity, just imagine. The situation at crossings is fluid and can change multiple times during the day. Generally, you will have less trouble entering Palestine (the West Bank), than returning to Israel. On our last trip, we entered Bethlehem via Checkpoint 300 without issue. We were traveling via bus and the border guards let us right in. However, when we tried to leave that night, Checkpoint 300 was backed up because of increased security. We tried another crossing and it was closed to buses, so we had to travel to another crossing before finding our way out that night.

When we traveled to the Dead Sea, we had almost no security scrutiny when we left Israel, but upon returning later that day, our bus was boarded by two IDF soldiers. They were polite and moved quickly, but it can be surprising to find two armed soldiers on your bus. After sweeping the bus, they checked the luggage area underneath and allowed us to enter.

If you are traveling by foot, you’ll likely find the entry and exit process very simple. I walked to Bethlehem one night with a friend and we had trouble even finding the guards inside Checkpoint 300. When we did, they seemed quite uninterested in us, both going and coming, and basically waved us through. Sometimes it pays to have a US passport.

Leaving Israel

Just as traveling between Israel and Palestine is pretty unpredictable, so too is leaving Israel via Ben Gurion Airport. Generally, you’re going to want to get there early. I recommend three hours before your flight. You’ll quickly notice that security here is very different than in the States.

First, you’ll likely be questioned before you even exit your vehicle. As with all government and military officials, answer politely, efficiently, and skip the schtick. More importantly, answer completely, but do not offer a lot of additional information. If they want to know more about your trip, don’t worry, they’ll ask. The more information you give, the more interested they’re going to be in your travel.

When you get to the airport, you’ll notice that the ticket agents are beyond security. You’ll find out what departure hall you’re going to (A, B, C, or D) and head over to the security line. Your carry on and checked baggage will be scanned right away, while it’s still in your possession and your passport will get a barcode sticker. This sticker will determine what your next step is. Some people will be allowed to proceed to the ticket counters, while others will have been selected for additional screening. Of course, I was selected.

Picking up my bag from the scanning machine, I headed over to the inspection counter. After a short wait, a young woman waved me over and told me to open my bag on the table. She carefully searched my entire bag, pulling a lot of gear out, examining some things, asking a lot of questions about my trip and the items in my luggage, and apologizing for the depth of the search. To her credit, even though the search was invasive, she was very nice and we chatted a bit about her wanting to visit the US and how she was saving money to do so. During this time, she asked a number of questions about my travels, who packed my bags, if anyone had handled my bags, and some general questions about my trip.

Once the inspection was over, she helped me repack my bag and guided me to the ticket counter. The upside of this level of security was that I was escorted to the front of the ticket line. I actually headed to the station manager’s counter where he quickly printed my tickets, checked my bag, and had me on my way. The security agent was responsible for escorting me to this point and making sure I kept moving, so with her job done, she wished me a safe trip and I headed into the next layer of security. For some people, however, this isn’t the end of security. On our first trip, we then had to go to a private screening area where we were carefully inspected, subjected to more questions, and even had to partially disrobe for security screening.

From here, you’d recognize the security procedures. Stand in line, go through the x-ray machine, open your carry-on, answer more questions, and then you’re done. This process was a little slower and less efficient than the first layer of security, but still not as inefficient as you’re likely used to in the States.

A final note, as you board the plane, there is another small security check. Generally, this is just a quick glance at you and your bag, but you’ll have to toss any beverages you have, so be prepared.

Day Hike in the Cinque Terre

30/06/2014 By Eric H. Doss Leave a Comment

Sometimes, less is more. In 2013, we visited Italy for about two weeks, part of the time in Verona and part of the time in the Italian Alps. One day, we drove down to the Cinque Terre to visit some family and decided to take a quick hike from Vernazza to Monterosso. Of course, the hike was a bit longer than we expected, and I probably wouldn’t recommend wearing Rainbow Sandals, but whatever. The trail between Monterosso and Vernazza is the hardest of them all, but rewards hikers with a spectacular view that is certainly worth your efforts.

If you’re interested in hiking in the Cinque Terre, you should make sure to check out the trail status before you plan your hike. The Italian government is making many updates and restorations to the trails and it’s possible that the trails between cities may be closed. I recommend checking WikiTravel’s page on hiking in the Cinque Terre, but you may want to check with the government too.

We had a great lunch in Levanto and grabbed a train in to Vernazza. The summer is the busiest time of the year, so the trains were packed. And, of course, the train station was being renovated, so there were only a few egress options. Instead of getting bent out of shape, we hung out for a bit and let the crowds die down.

Now, it’s important to know that the Cinque Terre towns are really small. They’re generally only one street, maybe a couple, but when the trains arrive, you’re dealing with crowded streets. No need to rush, everyone is going the same place, everyone is hot, and everyone wants to see everything, so just relax and enjoy the trip.

We headed down the main street in Vernazza and enjoyed a little gelato before finding the start of the trail. As with all streets in Italy, you’re going to struggle to find the start of the trail. You’ll end up heading towards the water, and then if you look to your right, you’ll see stairs that lead up to the hills. It’s easiest to keep your eyes open for people coming into Vernazza from Monterosso. The first bit of the trail has a lot of elevation gain, but it’ll level out after a bit and you’ll be rewarded with some amazing views.

The shot above was taken just as we climbed out of Vernazza, looking back to the town and the cathedral. The trailhead starts just to the left of the cathedral, between the houses.

As we continued along, we stopped frequently to look back over the amazing little town that we’d just left.

Here’s a better view of the hike out of Vernazza.

We continued on a bit and came across this guy, living La Dolce Vita at the highest point on the trail.

I love how the locals take care of this cat, making sure he has food, and a safe place to sleep that’ll keep him dry.

As we continued, the terrain changed. We got the elevation gains out of the way and enjoyed the rest of the views, the Med on our left, and a long trail in front of us. As we crested the hill and started down towards Monterosso, the path became steep again, but heading down now. As we started to see more people, we knew we were closer to Monterosso and we started to notice small farms and vineyards.

What a hard life it must be to swim in a pool overlooking the Med.

As we finished up our hike, Monterosso came into view. By this time, the day was quite hot and a bit of haze had set in, so pardon the pictures here, but I think you can understand the sheer beauty of the place, even with the bad pictures.

Though most of our trip was in different parts of Italy, we loved our day trip to the Cinque Terre. If you’re looking to visit, you can save quite a bit of money by staying outside the five towns, choosing to stay in Levanto or La Spezia. Both towns are amazing, right on the water, and much less expensive than the Cinque Terre towns. Of course, you’ll be able to get into the Cinque Terre easily, via train. I wouldn’t recommend driving in. It’s possible, sometimes, but you’re going to hate life if you bring a car.

A Quick Trip to Bainbridge Island

29/06/2014 By Eric H. Doss Leave a Comment

We’ve recently returned from a long weekend trip to Seattle. Actually, the trip was to Seattle, then to Spokane, a stopover on the way back at Lake Chelan, and then a few more days in Seattle.

One of the tricks we normally use to get some extra time when traveling for a short trip is to take the redeye home. This doesn’t always seem like the best idea when I wake up as the plane touches down in Atlanta, but redeye flights are normally less crowded, you have a better chance to upgrade, and if you’re crossing the country, a decent time to sleep. Now, none of that seemed to work out for us this trip, but that’s just a little detail. The important thing is that we had all day to explore Seattle instead of spending the day in airports.

So, to maximize our time, we grabbed the 3:45pm ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island. The ferry is only $8 per person, round trip. Queuing up for the ferry is similar to boarding an Amtrak; you’re held behind a gate until just a few minutes before the ferry leaves, so there’s a mad scramble when the gates open. Here’s a tip: Head up to top deck, facing Bainbridge to get the best view. If you’re lucky enough to have a beautiful night, as we did, you can head over to the port (left) side and watch for Mt. Rainier on your way out to the island.

Leaving Seattle, heading to Bainbridge Island on the WSDOT ferry, Takoma.

When you arrive on Bainbridge, you’ll disembark and head up to the ferry terminal. Take a left out of the front door and walk around the edge of the parking lot where cars line up to get on the ferry. You’ll pass a few small businesses on your right and there’s a little incline, but keep going. You’ll come to a large intersection where you’ll see the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art in front of you. Take a left here onto Winslow Way. If you have time you can stop in to see interesting exhibits of local artists and themes from the area, including from the broader region of the Puget Sound.

Continue down Winslow Way towards town and take time to visit some of the small and interesting stores along the way. There’s a great store, The Traveler, that has great luggage, maps, clothing, and more. Keep going down Winslow Way and you’ll come to Hitchcock’s. Now, we were there in May and had a wonderful time, great service, amazing food, and a great day to sit outside. Recently, I’ve noticed a number of bad reviews on different sites, so I can’t tell you what’s going on there, but I will assure you that we had an amazing evening.

We started out with some of the Cocktail Hour oysters, only $1 each. I think we knocked out about 24 of those, then about half dozen or so of the other kinds, just to round out the oyster tasting. Pay special attention to the finishes on the oysters, one with tomato was a little strong. Though I normally defer to the chef, I really like simple oysters, so I’d stick to the mignonette sauce, or something else that allows the oyster to speak for itself. We then enjoyed a great terrine, followed by simple green salads with a rich and fatty blue cheese dressing. I chose a simple pork dish with local veggies and Heather enjoyed a perfectly cooked halibut entree. A nice sticky toffee pudding finished the night and we headed back to the ferry terminal to catch our ride back.

I’ll admit, it was a little bit of a struggle to get to the island, enjoy ourselves, have a nice relaxed dinner, get back across the water and make it to the airport in time. But, honestly, totally worth it.