Posted on 11/11/2016 2:31:30 PM PST by Springfield Reformer
Interesting angle on the bunkers. The local characters are fun too. Thanks. BTW, for the record, I’d have been destroyed in either Foosball or pool. Symptom of a misspent life, I guess. :)
Ok....bikini top? :^)
You’re welcome, SR. Let me know if you want more details. I could probably go all night.
If your kid is landing in a hostel, it probably won’t have central air. Not even a window shaker. In winter, he’d better curl up close to the radiator. Yes, they still have them.
Even modern homes have the plumbing on the outside, that is, the pipes aren’t routed through the walls like they are here. And you can forget finding a typical shower in any bathroom. The Brits don’t seem to care for them.
If your kid is a bit odd looking, or dresses strangely, he won’t turn a single head.
Every small town has a High Street. Think Main Street in America.
If he wants to know the temp outdoors, he’d better know Celsius. They don’t use Fahrenheit.
If he walks through a church yard, he’s liable to see gravestones so old, the engravings have eroded away.
And don’t let the poor kid wind up on the last train out of London on a Saturday night. He’ll likely wind up sharing a compartment with the sort of yobs who will try something. Can be hair raising.
England, 12 times. France, 70+. Switzerland, 2.
Lots of other countries (31 total), but sadly no Italy yet.
Download Google Earth Pro. I use it for my writing. In many cities one can actually walk down streets and see shops. You may find it very helpful. It would alos be helpful in determining distance and time travelled etc... Even if you don’t use it in your writing, it provides an fascinating look at other countries and their towns.
Ya but, the funny thing about that, which nobody tells you, is that once you are halfway across that street you must then look to the LEFT!
“...the funny thing about that, which nobody tells you, is that once you are halfway across that street you must then look to the LEFT!”
Ha! Too true.
I solved it by reverting to my childhood habit of looking both ways. Saved my hide a time or two.
you’re welcome— Well that’s it- sensory descriptions are like painting a scene- you need to describe everything in a scene with colors tints tones shades light etc- for painting- them ore sensory info you give, the more layers you lay in, the more the scene builds- although temperance is needed to keep from being overdone- forced- When i write- i can see my scenes- and describe them from one end of the alley to the other- I can hear the sounds, smell the odors- feel the brick, the rough concrete or cobble rocks under the soles- hear the bottle being knocked over by a rodent- see the rain puddles in the cobble- smell the urine both animal and human in the alley- the drug needles littering hte alley- empty vials- wine bottles- etc- smell the raw garbage emanating from the dumpster- hear the flies- see the maggots swarming the discarded steak- writhing- crawling- see the bird fluttering at the windows sill as it attacks it’s reflection- etc etc- these are all the different pigment hues for the painting- i lay in each description to paint the scene from oen end to the other=- The heart racing, sweat dripping down the face- afraid the pursuers will hear the heart pounding- or hear me trying to catch my breath as i’m hunkered behind the dumpster- while they stand at the end of the alley arguing about which way I could have gone- then the gasp as one walks into the alley- the bird above lets out a screeching sound causing me to jump- nearly revealing my position- the bad guy pausing- afraid to venture further upon hearing the bird- big tough guy afraid of a blue jay-
ok- got carried away- good luck with your book-
bttt
As for help w/ your story, i do not have any personal experience with those places.
Americans get nailed by passing traffic in the UK far too frequently. We just don’t grasp how deeply ingrained looking left, then right is until the traffic is reversed. But, the sheer mayhem and borderline terror of encountering and navigating a large roundabout while driving a right-hand drive car for the first time, well, that’s crossing a street with backwards traffic times ten, with no lines. Seems like sheer mayhem. We’re accustomed to rules and marked lanes, there it’s a free for all, fit your car into whatever space there is and jockey for position. Country lanes lined by hedges are another thrill, you never know when you’ll run up on a herd of livestock, or a speed demon barrelling down the lane in the opposite direction toward you, and the hedges block visibility, it can be almost like a tunnel at times.
I was at the Eagle’s nest in 1981. It was impressive. I took a picture from just about the same spot. The salt mines were interesting too.
I know a young man who backpacked through Europe in the summer of 2014. I can get you in contact with him if interested.
No problem. I’m finally off political probation here, so that’s over at least.
Also, I’m totally absorbed in trying to get my story done, so I haven’t had time to get into debates. Though I will say this. The story has it’s genesis in the FR religion forum debates. By a scientifically feasible means (in theory), a 2nd Century Roman arrives in modern times. As I originally imagined it, after some exciting but lightweight introductions, our time traveler has a number of conversations with modern scholars, giving a first-person perspective on several topics we have debated here.
Then one evening I tried using the story to entertain my 6 year old granddaughter. Of course, she’s not interested at all in heady conversations about advanced theological topics. She wanted fun and adventure. So I started to wrap some of that into the telling and boom, it took off into this high concept story that has fun, adventure, romance, drama, a dash of quantum physics, and an occasional 2nd Century Roman perspective on a wide range of topics, not just theology.
So you see, even though I haven’t been ‘here’ in the usual sense, I never really left. I just changed the ‘where’ and the ‘how’ of my posts. Sort of.
Where am I at right now? About 80,000 words. Still choreographing the grand finale, the wind-up and execution of an old-school gladiatorial duel upon which the fate of the modern world hangs. When the first draft is done, there’s another couple of months of 2nd & 3rd draft edits, then on to hunting down an agent. I have some wispy leads, but I’m not putting it out there till I’m really happy with it. My granddaughter wants to see the movie. I’d hate to disappoint her. :)
Anyway, good to hear from you.
Peace,
SR
Hi RLH! Long time no talk. Been working on the book (see above post to Daniel). And yes, absolutely, anyone with any direct experience backpacking in Europe is someone I’d like to meet. I have some experience of my own. I went to Israel on my own as a young man, worked for a short time on a kibbutz, and that experience has really helped my story-telling. But to get it up to the next level, I really need those specifically European experiences. Recency is also a factor. I made my trek in the ‘70’s. Different times.
So sure, I’d love to make contact with your friend.
Peace,
SR
RC, hi! Yes, we humans are so ingrained in our cultural habits, aren’t we? Fortunately for my heroine, she doesn’t have to drive anything. At least not yet. She has to ride a bike in France, though, and I suppose that could be interesting for the reasons you suggest. The bit about the hedges on country lanes feeling like a tunnel is very interesting. And sometimes being a novice passenger in a scary driving situation can be fun too. Thanks for the tips!
Peace,
SR
Lived in Switzerland for a decade, let me know what you wish to know.
Hi! Sure. What happens in Switzerland is our heroine travels to Lucerne by train. During the trip there, she has an emotional catharsis seeing the little Swiss mountain villages along the way, which remind her of snow globe scenes, which reminds her of happier times. It’s a long story. I got the snow globe reminder thing from another friend who recently visited Switzerland, but it’s vague, lacking detail. I hunger after detail.
Anyhoo, once in Lucerne, she is pursued by a mystery man who corners her, but .. well now we’re getting to spoilers. Let’s just say it’s a high-energy encounter. Any unique on-the-ground details you have about Lucerne the city, or the accelerator complex, would be helpful. Also anything about the border with Italy. Thanks in advance. :)
Peace,
SR
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