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Wanderlust
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Travelling and photography. Two things that simply go together. Like Ying and Yang, at least for people like me. Although: I sometimes found it exhausting or even annoying when you had to pause in the middle of a beautiful moment because someone was holding a camera in front of you. But when I look at the old photos my father took of us today, I am grateful that these moments existed. The experiences of yesteryear are almost tangible again in front of me.
Here is also a passionate travel photographer:
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Jurgen, what a great song and video too. I didn’t know Ringo was such a passionate travel photographer. Seeing those photos, one thing that really strikes out is that with Ringo, George, John and Paul, underneath the music and the fame, they were really good friends first and last.
I can relate to the value of travel photography. In fact all my photography and video clips I’ve taken over the past 20 years have become a treasure trove of memories of travels and special moments, and some of them the only thing I have that is tangible I can hold on to of people I miss and those precious moments from the past with them.
Another thing I started to do is keeping a travel journal. Sometime ago I read about how some people capture a moment in time expressed through descriptive words, like how a writer in a novel describes a scene or plot in great vivid detail that paints an imaginative picture in your mind. I try to do that of moments in time of my travels. Years later when I read them, it provides another dimension kind of like photos and videos, but a narrative image in words of what I was seeing and feeling when I was traveling.
Over the past 15 years I’ve kept quite a few journals, that I occasionally enjoy going back and reading. They cover everything from travels to daily life. For example I find interesting some of the things I wrote back in March/April of 2020 as Covid hit and we were all hoarding toilet paper, and it felt like an unfolding new dystopian world as countries started to shut down flights and borders…
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Thanks for your answer Jung. A travel journal is a great thing. During my journeys, I have always resolved to record my experiences, at least in bullet points. But as is often the case on vacation: Too busy, too lazy, too busy being lazy. 🙂
All the more admirable that you have collected so many travel memoirs (probably stylish with a fountain pen?). I’m sure it’s a lot of fun to re-read the thoughts you had on a certain trip after many years. But I didn’t stay completely without travel memories: I photographed slides for many years. I’ve always found these large, luminous images very intriguing. And some time after I switched to digital photography, I also started filming. I edit all the footage into a mix of photos, video clips, animated maps and cutscenes. This is then set to sound and accompanied by music. Brought into this form, you can then share your vacation experiences also very nice with friends.
PS: I know, the Ballpoint Pen Day is over and I somehow did not find a nice post until just now: Capturing Travel Experiences with an Ink Pen. A lovely (even though time-consuming method) alternative to photograph.
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Thanks Jurgen, enjoyed seeing that little sketch take shape. I wish I had more drawing talent, but I really admire those who can. It also fascinates me how a person’s hand written scribble like a signature or written note or letter can become so valuable. It goes back to the ancient cave drawings, Greek Roman stone tablets with letters carved into them, or letters drawn on leather hide, though it may be more for archeological significance, nevertheless the mundane hand stroke with lead or ink holds a lasting value. Imagine an autograph or a sketch on a napkin by John Lennon, or Paul McCartney (remember MLT gift at the Christmas Advent of McCartney’s signature) is so special precious.
Historian scholars often rely on ancient/historic journals, diaries, letters of every day individuals (diary of Anne Frank being the most famous of them) during a certain time in history to piece together a historic event or biography of a famous person or music group. I hope one day, one my journals found in some lost boxes buried away deep in a basement in an antique shop can become useful for some historian after I am long gone. I try to use acid free papers and well made journals these days so one of my ramblings in a journal might possibly survive into the distant future. LOL.
Some amazing pencil and ballpoint drawing by Mona and Lisa respectively. Their talent knows no bounds.
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With us, travelogues and travel diaries are currently very popular Jung. Maybe you don’t have to wait for your travel journals to be found in some boxes someday. I know you already have some plans for your retirement. Here’s another one: why don’t you publish your travel journals (self-publish)? You have a beautiful way of writing and a very interesting biography. Best conditions. I will be one of the first to read your travel journals.
Speaking of photography and art, while off topic a bit, I have found an interesting account of John Lennon’s art:
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Not to be untoward to John, but it is a good thing that he stuck with music.
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Hi Christopher,
sorry for replying so late, but I’m having technical problems with my PC. I agree with you: I am glad that John Lennon chose a career as a musician and not as a painter. Although: his drawings are not bad at all. Some of his sketches remind me a little bit of Picasso 🙂 (but compare for yourself)
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Juergen,
i still wonder when or if you ever sleep but this is a great topic.
Thanks
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Thanks Tom. I’ll just answer your question with the title of a Neil Young album:: “Rust never sleeps”. And the older I get, the rustier I get 🙂
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Traveling by air is a great thing. For a long time, people used railroads to travel long distances comfortably and safely. But the pioneering work that went into making these journeys possible is long forgotten today. What effort and strain the workers endured to advance the railroad line feet by feet, mile by mile. From today’s point of view unbelievable.
Is there a railroad route that might interest you one day? Perhaps because of the beautiful scenery or simply to travel directly to the heart of the great metropolises, without having to pass through crowded streets, without tedious search for a parking space. Which dream routes, by train would you like to experience one day?
Discover the magnificent landscapes of the American West with the “California Zephyr” or rather travel through the heart of the Rocky Mountains with the “Western Way”? Maybe take the “Orient Express” from Vienna to Constantinople or explore the wonderful world of the Swiss Alps on the “Glacier Express”?
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Some stations in major world cities still exude a charm reminiscent of the glamor and the spirit of the golden age of the railroad.
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Juergen,
it seems you have done as much traveling as anyone. Nice job.
I wonder if you land-locked people tend to travel more.
I hope to take the train all the way across Canada someday.
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Canada by train? That sounds like an exciting idea Tom. Do you already have an idea how the route should go? Maybe you’ll get some hot insider tips from Jung and Jacki 🙂
PS: I don’t know if we land-locked people travel more than other people. Maybe. No sea, no mountains, no lakes, many people in a narrow space. Yes, maybe that is the reason.
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In 1989 I took a train trip from Los Angeles to Chicago. It was my first cross-country trek by land, and I absolutely loved it! A hotel on wheels, with incredible scenery, especially out west.
Like Tom, I hope to do that trans-Canada railway ride someday.
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Hi David. I have taken a closer look at the “Los Angeles – Chicago” route once. It looks very interesting and exciting. Once from west to east. Did you travel with the “Southwest Chief” (Amtrak) or is the route operated by different rail companies? Does the railway line have a similar course to „Route 66“?
If I should ever win the lottery or rob a bank (whichever comes first), it would be my dream to travel through Southeast Asia on this train. The only downside: on board it is very dignified and formal (with my trekking sandals they probably just leave me standing at the station).
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Hey, Juergen!
Yes, Southwest Chief was the name. (I had actually forgotten.) It’s not exactly the same as Route 66, but it’s pretty close to the same path. I changed trains in Chicago and took another one home to Kentucky.
Union Station in Chicago really made an impression on me. Everyone knows about Grand Central in New York, but I thought Union was equally grandiose.
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Hi David,
New York Central Station is certainly known worldwide. Not least through many TV reports and movies. But Union Station in Chicago is also very impressive. I just looked at photos of this station and I must say I am very intrigued. It’s a monumental building. Almost like a palamentary building or a museum. Thank you for pointing it out. It seems that the great train stations of the world are the castles and cathedrals of modern times. They are supposed to be cultural landmarks of their respective countries and combine aesthetics and archetectonic masterpieces. Demonstrating economic power and conveying a lasting memory to the traveler. A declaration of love for technical progress:
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Juergen, you brighten up our weekends. (That’s when i catch up).
There is a well-known tourist train across Canada from Vancouver to Montreal.
That’s what David H. is talking about.
I think i shared a URL of a movie about the Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin making that trip with Jung & Jacki.
When Neil Young met Jimmy Buffett it was described as Mr. Afternoon Margueritas meets Mr. straight shots of tequila at midnight.
Let me let Buffett answer to “Rust Never Sleeps”…
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A very nice song, Tom. The lyric is really funny. Yes, I’m growing older but not up (and that’s a good thing, the little boy in me is still very active). A beautiful line of John Lennon’s lyrics comes to mind: „…Woman, I know you understand the little child inside the man…“
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Tom, I just checked Wikipedia and found that the route was changed in 1990, and now the eastern terminus is Toronto rather than Montreal, so the train doesn’t pass through Quebec at all anymore. Here are the old (red) and new (blue) routes:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_(train)#/media/File:TheCanadian_RouteMap.png
I had to re-read your sentence a couple of times: I thought you were saying that Jung, Jacki, Janis, and the Dead were all on that train together!
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I can’t believe they shortened the Trans-Canada trip.
I though it was “all the way to Gaspe” like Gordon Lightfoot said.
I wonder if Quebec was getting slapped for striving for independence.
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The timing would make sense, but Wikipedia says it was just budget cuts.
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I remember when I moved out to the suburbs years ago, one of the things I enjoyed and became a part of the day I looked forward to was the commuter train ride (Westcoast Express) to and from work. It wasn’t just any commuter train as it had the best bathrooms any train or cruise ship could have and coffee/snack shop, and at one point they even offered various computer based training modules on a variety of self help topics so people could make the best use of the 90 mins to 30 mins commute back and forth to work. I often listened to music and blissed out looking at the scenery along the water into downtown, “Nothing Is In Vain” comes to mind with my imagination floating over the tops of mountains. I remember some days when the train pulled in to downtown, I wished it could continue along further down the coast that day into Seattle and beyond. There is a passenger train that runs Vancouver to Seattle, and all the way down to Los Angeles.
About 10 or 15 years ago a good friend of mine bought a Via Rail 1 month coach pass for about $600 CAD back then. You could travel by rail all throughout Canada, and the pass was good for the US as well. I think that would be an awesome way to travel and see the both Canada and the US. I don’t know if that package is still available. If anyone does decide to do the Trans Canada rail from Vancouver through Toronto/Montreal all the way out to Halifax and Moncton (eastern Canada), there is also a spur that goes from Winnipeg up to Churchill Manitoba on the frozen Hudson’s Bay, the Polar Bear Capital of the world. At certain times of the year polar bears congregate in Churchill waiting for the bay to freeze so they can go out onto the ice. My friend did that trip as well along Via Rail in the winter. Be sure to dress warm.
The Rocky Mountaineer with the glass dome cars is also a real great train ride from Vancouver to Banff and Jasper Alberta. Via Rail does pretty much the same track through the Rocky Mountains proceeding east to the rest of the country along the prairies to Toronto, where you can transfer to another train that goes out to eastern Canada.
During the covid lock downs MJ and I binge watched some travel excursions by this youtuber, and in this video you can experience a bit of the most northerly Canadian train rides up to Churchill Manitoba where polar bears frequent main street.
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Wow Jung. What a detailed description. Thanks. I also commuted to work by train for years. Well, the route cannot be described as beautiful. Rather interesting. There isn’t much to see from the landscape, since the Ruhr area (where I live) is very densely populated. A city merges into the next city. As soon as you have left a station, the train is already pulling into the next one. First and foremost there are cities and houses to see. In between a few fields or meadows. That’s it already. Our local trains are rather simple and functional. Not a trace of comfort. In the music video “While my guitar gently weeps” by Mona and Lisa, Cologne Central Station and a typical regional train are briefly shown. Cologne, Dusseldorf and Duisburg. I traveled there a lot and often by train.
Thanks also for the nice travel video. I love looking at travelogues like this. That leaves you wanting more .
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Thanks so much for posting that video, Jung! Since I was a kid I’ve stared at maps of Canada and wondered what all that empty space actually looked like from the ground. Now I can visualize a little piece of it.
Another train trip through a desolate area that I’ve dreamed about for a few years is on the Ghan, which runs north-south through the middle of Australia, between Adelaide on the south coast and Darwin on the north coast. If I ever win the lottery, that’s one thing I’d like to do.
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Hi David, Australia always fascinated me and would love to do that Ghan train too. Australia being such an isolated continent is so different with unique wildlife. The different luxury rooms on that train looks very unique and elegant. Thanks for sharing that video.
Since we’ve covered travel by plane, trains, and road trips, I should mentions cruises. I would love to do an Antarctica cruise to see that vast desolate frozen desert and meet some Emperor Penguins. I’ve always been fascinated there are no polar bears in Antarctica and no penguins in the Arctic.
Here is an excerpt from one of my Alaska cruises, not quite the Arctic but gave me a good taste.
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Yes, Antarctica would be the ultimate travel destination! My daughter and her boyfriend actually did an Antarctica cruise a couple of years ago, departing from the southern tip of South America. She shared so many fascinating pictures and pieces of information with me. Did you know there’s a functioning post office in Antarctica? It basically serves the tourists on the cruise ships, giving them a chance to buy and/or send postcards and other souvenirs from the continent itself.
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Thanks Jung and David. A nice transition to another exciting travel experience: Travel by ship. In the past, this was more of a necessity, the only way to change continents. Today pure luxury. Traveling from port to port with your own bed. Sometimes, however, together with up to 6600 bed neighbors… . Quite a lot going on.
In the competition for the favor of the guests, an ambitious contest arose between the shipping companies: Which passenger ship could cover the transatlantic route the fastest? “The Blue Riband of the Atlantic” was then awarded as a prize. One such ship that received these award in 1936 was the ship „Queen Mary“. Launched in the year 1934 in Liverpool it had place for up to 2280 passengers on board. The ship was even sung about in songs composed especially for it:
(I’d like to take a river cruise someday. Lying on the sun deck and watching the scenery go by).
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The official signature tune of R.M.S Queen Mary
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Sting, real name Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, was born on October 2nd, 1951 in Newcastle. Like Liverpool, this city was heavily influenced by the shipbuilding industry.
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