There’s a Train Coming

WARNING: Spiritual stuff. Go to the jokes if this offends you.

It’s late Thursday night and I’m stuck staring at my monitor wondering what to share to my TGIF family. I originally planned to write about how well my mini-concert went last Sunday but I went to Facebook for the first time in years and I looked for photos of the event to share. And I couldn’t help but notice the old man wearing my clothes and playing my guitar. The stranger with the receding white hair was me.

I knew I was getting old but I didn’t think I was THAT old. I looked at pictures of friends and family and they all looked so much older. It’s true that most of us are transfixed on a picture of our 25 year-old self in our minds. Where did all the years of jumping tall buildings and running minute miles go? Are we living on borrowed time?

My college buddy, Bernie, and I grew up with folk rock, jazz singer, Kenny Rankin. We loved his voice and his guitar. We knew all his records but often we didn’t even try to understand what the lyrics meant. If I had known that Kenny was singing Christian music when I was yet an unbeliever, I would have tuned out. But as I’ve aged, I’ve learned to appreciate the hidden messages. One of Kenny’s Gospel songs is called “People Get Ready” and when I thought of getting old, this song played in my head. The lyrics are by the legendary Kurtis Mayfield.

PEOPLE GET READY
People get ready, there’s a train a-comin’
You don’t need no baggage, you just get on board
All you need is faith to hear the diesels hummin’
Don’t need no ticket, you just thank the Lord

So, people get ready for the train to Jordan
Picking up passengers coast to coast
Faith is the key, open the doors and board ’em
There’s hope for all among those loved the most

There ain’t no room for the hopeless sinner
Who would hurt all mankind just to save his own, believe me now
Have pity on those whose chances grow thinner
For there’s no hiding place against the kingdom’s throne

Kenny Rankin boarded his train in 2009. Bernie called me all the way from Virginia that day to tell me Kenny was no more. There would be no new records from him. It was a sad day. It was an ordinary sunny day but it was also a sad day. Or was it?

Kenny inspired a lot of musicians like Bernie and I. He never made it to number one but what he did, he did oh so well. The rest of us ordinary folk fall several notches lower than Kenny. And that’s okay. The wealth and the prestige that we collect in our life’s journey are just baggage that we will leave behind when we board our train. Like the song says: FAITH is the key to open the train doors. It isn’t about living long and achieving more. It’s who we trust and who will allow us to board the train.

But this is just me. TGIF people!

Raoul

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”
— 1 Thesolonians 4:13-14

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Peter Paul of S Pasadena, CA

Video of the week

FUNNY: Thanks to Peter Paul of South Pasadena. This flight attendant’s face says it all.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Rodney of Manitoba, B.C.

Thanks to Tom of Pasadena, CA

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre, CA

Thanks to Efren of Caloocan City, Philippines

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Looking at this photo you might wonder not only how you pronounce this word, but also what on earth it means. As kid growing up in London I remember hearing about a train station in Wales that was famous because it had the longest name of any station in the world.

Well, a few years ago I decided to get my first look at this place. If I was expecting a small station hidden away in the gorgeous greenery of wonderful Wales, I was in for a shock. As I drove into the village of Llanfair PG, one of the first sights I saw was a huge car park and an equally large building that turned out to be a gift shop. As I’d come here specifically to see THE sign, I ventured onto the platform of the railway station. And there IT was. As I was gazing at the puzzling long word before me, an elderly man approached, and asked in an accent I found hard to decipher (it was English, but spoken with a deep, rich, sonorous Welsh accent) “Tourist eh? Do you know what that means?” before I could respond, he said, “it means “The Church of Mary in the Hollow of the White Hazel near the fierce whirlpool and the church of Tysilio by the Red Cave.” Wow!

Back, waaaay back, in the 19^th century, hardly any tourist – or indeed ANYONE – ever visited this area of Wales. In order to change that situation, the town’s leaders and “Tourism Boosters” got together to thrash out creative ideas on how they could make their destination unique. These “forward thinking,” and for sure creative types, decided to promote their village with a really unique name.

Needless to say once the station’s name was widely publicized, tourists began their trek to this one-of-a-kind attraction. First in a trickle, then in the hundreds, and now in the thousands every year. There are 58 letters, but only 51 in the Welsh alphabet, as “CH” and “ll” count as single letters. If you want a permanent reminder of this unique place to show the folks back home, you can even get your passport stamped (as I did) in the gift shop – a place that sells just about everything connected to, well you know, the name of the station!

You’ll find this unique attraction on the Isle of Anglesey, located on the Menai Straight – right across from the imposing and very dramatic Britannia Bridge. For more information go online and type in “Welsh train station with long name,” and a whole host of nifty, interesting sites will appear. There are many wonderful things to see and do in Wales; the countryside is gorgeous and reminded me of Switzerland in many of the places I visited. For a unique way to enjoy this spectacular country, check out www.greatlittletrainsofwales.co.uk – Great Little Trains of Wales are a very special way of seeing some of the best scenery in the British Isles. All eleven are narrow gauge steam railways and some have a history spanning well over 100 years. They all have one wonderful thing in common: the charm of old-time steam trains with plenty of polished paintwork and brass.

Built in a time far less rushed than our own, most originally served to carry Welsh slate from the quarries to the sea. However, no two are the same and they all offer a unique experience of a bygone era. The special attraction of narrow gauge railways lies in their modest size compared with the main line ones, and their leisurely speed gives one time to take in some of the splendid scenery.

Contact John:

jd******@gm***.com

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First, why would anyone living in Los Angeles take the train to San Diego, I mean you can get there in about 2 hours on the Freeway, and second, was San Diego’s airport runway, and was it long enough for the long distance flight to London? A few years ago I was invited on a trip to London by way of San Diego, with the purpose of the journey being to experience (and write about)  British Airways service to London from that city.  More on THAT airport, in a moment or two.

As I live in Los Angeles, what is the most interesting way to get to San Diego? Well, I reasoned, THIS would be the ideal time to do something I’d THOUGHT about forever, but never made time to actually do. Take the train. My goodness, what a relaxing and enjoyable trip it was. I even wished it lasted much longer. I boarded in LA’s Union Station where, in its heyday, it was THE place for movie stars of the day, yes movie stars, to go back and forth across the country by train in luxury. Indeed, Union Station is a glorious reminder of the Golden Age of US railroad travel.

I rode in Amtrak’s Double Decker Business Class with large panoramic windows, making it a real joy to enjoy the scenery as we went on our way. On the First level there’s a special area to get coffee and cookies and other sweet pastries to tempt your palette. If work is your thing, there are electrical outlets for laptop computers, and lots of stretch out legroom.  I’d long since given up my Surfboard (!) but I could easily have taken it along, unboxed, as well as my bicycle, because Amtrak allows you to take both on the SURFLINER as carry-on luggage! Try THAT with an airline, and you’ll be on the receiving end of laughter and the word “No.” Amtrak obviously loves southern California lifestyles!

Some of the stations en route were so quaint and romantic, making me think of yesteryear when times were more peaceful and tranquil. A fact stunningly illustrated as the train lazily glided along the extensive beach part of the trip. Any closer and we’d have actually been on the beach!

I asked a fellow passenger – a lady on the other side of the car – the obvious question – why take the train? Part of the answer was in front of me, as she had her lap top out on the tray table and was busily typing away. She said “I take the train because it’s relaxing. It’s all peace and quiet. No worries about traffic.” Like me, she said she also loved the fact that much of the trip is right by the Pacific Ocean. In fact, when we arrived in San Diego, I wanted to instantly do the whole trip over again, as it’s so enjoyable.

OK, now to that amazing San Diego airport. The airport’s original name was San Diego Municipal Airport – Lindbergh Field, located on 661 acres, 3 miles northwest of downtown San Diego. The runway though, has a unique place in American aviation history. It is the busiest single-runway airport in the nation, at 9,401-feet long and 200-feet wide.

As an ex-airline employee (I was Manager of PR for Continental Airlines) I was mesmerized by the fact that San Diego’s Lindbergh Field has a shorter runway than many other airports in the US who have long distance flights to Europe. So, I wanted to experience it firsthand. As we waited to take off it seemed to me that the aircraft revved up its engines to an extraordinarily high RPM degree that I’d never known before. Indeed, when the pilot released the aircraft’s brakes, I felt as if I was on a “thrill ride” at Disneyland: it was if we’d been shot out of a canon because the acceleration was so intense and instant, as the aircraft thundered down the runway. It was, I thought, just like a thoroughbred racing car at peak performance. Yes, of course we made it, but it was – at least for me – a huge thrill as we lifted off the runway almost within its final few feet.

The post The MOST Relaxing Way to San Diego – By Train appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Courtesy Catherine Smith

People rarely rave about the meals they eat at gas stations, but that is not the case in Franklin, North Carolina. Hungry diners – locals and tourists alike – happily line up in the Hot Spot gas station parking lot, waiting for a table at Caffe Rel, a European bistro offering a one-of-a-kind culinary experience.

Once inside, guests are comfortably seated, surrounded by an eclectic display of art. A dessert counter filled with triple layer cakes, dessert tortes, and other sweet treats reminds diners to save room. The wait staff, dressed in freshly pressed white dress shirts, serve up a variety of dishes you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in the area, let alone at these prices.

But from the outside, Caffe Rel is unassuming; just another gas station restaurant, except for the sign that reads, “It’s about the food.” If you didn’t know it was the area’s top-rated restaurant on Yelp, TripAdvisor and Facebook, you probably wouldn’t think twice about stopping in, but that’s exactly how owner and chef Richard E. Long likes it. In the fifteen years they’ve been in business, he has never done any advertising, believing his food will speak for itself.

Chef Richard is the last guy you would expect to be running a restaurant out of a gas station. His extensive resume of close to 50 years is mostly filled with time spent managing kitchens in five star hotels, restaurants and private clubs. He got his start working under chef Otto Indemauer III at the Hershey Resort in Pennsylvania, and after seven years, went on to complete his training at the Greenbrier Resort’s exclusive culinary training program.

He took classes at Le Cordon Bleu and had the opportunity, as part of the Greenbrier team, to cook for political heads, like Secretary of State Alexander Haig, and even the Iranian hostages after their return home in 1981.

And it is for each one of these highly esteemed reasons that he intentionally chose to end up in Franklin, a small rural mountain town of about 4,000 residents, running a restaurant out of a gas station.

In 2003, after more than 30 years in the industry, chef Richard chose to leave his six-figure salary and highly respected position to open his own restaurant. He selected the local Hot Spot’s vacant restaurant space simply because it was the exact opposite of what he was leaving behind.

“I wanted to drop the pretension and cook for real people who appreciate good food at a fair price. I was tired of all the nonsense and tired of the average guy not being able to take his family out for a meal without going bankrupt.” To chef Richard, the food is more important than anything. He explains, “It’s about the food, like the sign says. I want to serve food to people who have never eaten my type of dishes.”

Menu

Cultural Mistakes to Avoid Traveling Abroad

Tipping, touching, and pointing can get travelers in trouble very quickly

Courtesy Joe Cortez

One of the biggest mistakes rookie travelers make is assuming that cultural norms around the world are very much aligned with their home country. As a result, new adventurers often end up in trouble with the locals simply due to the fact that they did not understand that a simple gesture – like a handshake, a tip, or even pointing – is looked down upon.

Before traveling, it is important to understand what behaviors are considered acceptable, and which are considered rude, unwarranted, or unwanted. By understanding these common cultural mistakes, travelers can make sure their next international interaction does not start a conflict.

Understand the tipping rules in your destination country

In North America, tipping is seen as a customary gesture to wait for staff at restaurants and bars. In fact, it is considered rude and unorthodox to refuse a server a tip, even if their service skills were less than acceptable. What about the rest of the world?

In certain parts of the world, it is not only unwarranted to give a tip, but can be considered rude. In Italy, the tip is always included as part of the bill, and leaving extra can sometimes be looked at as an insult. In parts of China and Japan, offering a tip can be considered a rude gesture to the staff, though some major cities are becoming accustomed to accepting gratuities from tourists. In New Zealand, tips are not expected, and should only be given when someone has gone out of their way to assist.

Before visiting a destination, be sure to understand the tipping culture at your destination. If there is any doubt about the culture, err on the side of adding extra for only excellent service.

Be careful with the hand signs you make while abroad

Depending on where a traveler ends up, even making the simplest hand gestures can result in big trouble for a traveler. Many know which gestures are unwelcome in North America – but what about the rest of the world?

The customs for hand signs vary around the world, but the consensus is clear: any pointing gesture at a person or a gesture using the back of one’s hand could be considered rude or vulgar. Around the world, pointing at someone is still considered to be rude and potentially threatening body language. In Western Europe (especially Ireland and the United Kingdom), giving a backward “peace sign” isn’t considered hip – it’s considered the same as extending a middle finger. Other potentially rude gestures include the “OK” sign, and a thumbs up.

When using hand signs around the world, the more open and vague, the better. Instead of pointing, offer an arm motion to show where something is or what direction to go in. When it comes to hand signs, it may be better to avoid them entirely.

Don’t touch the locals (unless you know them well)

By-in-large, Americans are also known as a very affectionate lot. In addition to pointing and tipping, Americans are known for touching – even when the locals are uncomfortable with it. In Europe (and other parts of the world), touching is generally reserved for close friends and family – not strangers.

In a study done by researchers at the University of Oxford and Aalto University, over 1,300 Europeans responded with the areas of the body they would not be comfortable making contact. Across the respondents, the message was clear: touching was tolerable from family members, but nearly forbidden from strangers. If a touch is absolutely necessary, opt for a handshake, unless the other party initiates.

A word of caution for those who seem too eager to greet their new American friends: in many cases, would-be assailants could be using a physical greeting to attack an unknowing target. A hug can be an easy way for a thief to pickpocket a victim, or even begin a violent attack. If someone seems too affectionate, it may be time to get away.

Cultural differences don’t have to endanger a traveler’s experience while they are abroad. By knowing how to act while in another country, travelers can make sure they get the most out of their next adventure without offending the locals.

Beginner’s Guide to Train Holidays: Swiss Glacier Express

There is something glamorous about taking a train holiday. You’re traveling the world, but you also get the chance to relax and enjoy the journey. Sip tea, listen to live music, enjoy a five-star meal, all while the gorgeous scenery provided by Mother Nature glides past. The Swiss Glacier Express is all that and more.

The world is a big place, filled with so many beautiful things. Picking how you spend your first train holiday may seem overwhelming at first. With all the wonders to see through the window panes of your train, how can you choose between them? Switzerland is an excellent choice for first time train travelers looking to see the world, with a few less carbon emissions.

Swiss Glacier Express Train Options

Glacier Express Train is Eco-Smart

When it comes to traveling in order to reduce your carbon footprint, taking a train is a great idea. Avoiding the airport all together, the Glacier Express offers options where you can travel in and out of Switzerland without ever setting foot on a plane!

Full Ride on the Glacier Express Train

Your breathtaking and awe-inspiring train holiday with the Glacier Express can be as long or as short as you’d like. There are an array of options including meals, hotel stays, various destinations, and travel extensions. Whether you stay on the Glacier Express the whole way through, or choose other travel options, there are packages to suit your travel needs. The length of the Glacier Express starts at either Zermatt, or St. Moritz. Take your time as you enjoy the full ride from terminus station to the other.

The 180 mile (289.68 km) journey averages around 24 mph (38 kph), so taking in the sights won’t be difficult! The soaring peaks of the Swiss Alps will great you through the extraordinarily large viewing windows on the Glacier Express. This full ride lasts approximately eight hours, as you cross 291 bridges, 91 tunnels, cross river valleys, explore mountain passes, and see all that Switzerland has to offer!

Extended Journeys and the Matterhorn

Swiss Alps Matterhorn

Spend days three and four taking in the grandeur of the Matterhorn. Your package for your holiday can even include a trip on the Gornergratbahn, Europe’s highest open-air cog railway. There have been plenty of studies that show taking a single, extended holiday each year can help to reduce harmful emissions. By reducing the amount of times you travel, you can help the environment. Days five, six, and seven will be traveling on the Glacier Express all the way to St. Moritz. By extending your holiday, you will get to experience these amazing additions to your vacation.

Skiing in St. Moritz!

This region is well known for the amazing ski resorts and hotels. Take on the slopes yourself by traveling during ski season and extending your train holiday with a longer stop in St. Moritz.

Rail Passes

You can purchase a deal that also includes rail passes on different trains to Lake Geneva or Chamonix. These trips would be great extensions at the beginning of your Matterhorn journey in Zermatt.

Swiss Alps Hotels

Booking with a company that takes your personal preferences into account allows for you to choose your own hotels. Choosing green hotels while you travel will help to eliminate your impact on the environment while you travel!

Tickets

Your packages can also include ticket upgrades. You can choose to travel in first class while on the Glacier Express to experience five-star dining, extra space, a luxurious bar car, and exciting stories and informative anecdotes from the on board staff. A longer holiday made for really immersing yourself in the beautiful Swiss Alps!

Magical Journeys of Switzerland

Start your five-day holiday by entering Switzerland via Zurich. Then you’ll board a train to the sweet Alpine town of Chur. You don’t have to fly into Zurich however, you can choose to save on emissions and take a full day to ride the train from London to Chur! Once there, you’ll spend the night in the hotel of your choosing, then board the Bernina Express towards Tirano, Italy. Spend the day exploring Tirano before heading back to Chur and boarding the Glacier Express! The Glacier express will take you from Chur to Brig, where you’ll spend another amazing night before boarding the Jungfrau Mountain Railway.While riding the Jungfrau, you will pass the awe-inspiring Aletsch glacier before heading on into Interlaken.

For the Love of Trains Glacier Express Train is Amazing

The Glacier Express can take you through the world and help you experience it in new ways! Whether you use it as a means to get to another destinations, or travel along its entire route, the Glacier Express is an amazing way to see the beautiful Swiss Alps!

Nude Resort Etiquette Rules You Need to Know

Courtesy Patricia Magaña

Aside from a few key considerations, nude resort etiquette is general resort etiquette. There’s also the fact that most everyone is naked. Skip the potential awkwardness at a clothing-optional experience and go with an open mind, plus these helpful tips.

Don’t Stare

Nude resort newbies may experience initial shock at the sight of a sea of nakedness. It’s fine to look. What is not OK, however, is to stare. You’ll quickly get the hang of it, but if you’re not used to engaging in eye-contact and conversation with someone who’s totally exposed, wear sunglasses whenever appropriate.

Get Nude

While there are no clothes cops patrolling clothing-optional resorts or beaches, it’s somewhat of a gimme that guests who booked the experience are there to be fully clothes-free. When booking a nude resort, be open to embracing new and unexpected occurrences, but feel free to ease into clothing freedom with beach cover-ups.

Use a Towel When Sitting

Nude resort etiquette calls for guests to sit on a towel. Resorts will have them at the ready, but bringing your own beach towel is a great way to easily identify your seat. Grabbing someone else’s towel by mistake isn’t something you want to do at a clothing-optional beach.

Don’t Take Photos Without Consent

Clothing-optional resorts take great care to ensure their patrons feel safe and comfortable. As such, many have strict policies around photography, some going so far as completely banning smartphones. Seize the opportunity to unplug, relax, and make new friends. If you’re not used to being without your phone, bring a great book to read.

Pro Tip: Bring a Beach Bag

The obligatory towel, sunglasses, sun lotion, a cover-up, and anything else you’d walk around a clothed resort with is also essential at a nude resort. Even when wearing nothing, there’s still a lot you’ll need — including a beach bag to carry it all in.

Branding for a Changing World

Courtesy Gary Szenderski, Book of Szen

Ever wonder what happens behind the scenes of a great brand? Have you thought it must be some kind of “secret sauce” or unique algorithm that makes it so great? What about your own brand? Are you sure how to take advantage of what makes it special? You have questions. We have answers. Join me beginning April 1st as we explore the science and art of branding.

The UCI course is online and runs for 6 consecutive weeks. There are no prerequisites for the class which includes 5 live weekly ZOOM meetings. Join students from around the world and have an opportunity to learn how to take your own personal brand or the company you’re working for to the next level. Class size is limited. For more information

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Some of the areas that slipped leisurely by, reminded me of a Scottish Moor, where rocks are strewn here and there, as if thrown around higgledy piggeldy by some giant mad at the world – then, as all that seemed to disappear in a momentous moment, I got the feeling that it was as if this was a play with multi on stage sets that had constant scene changes – and you wonder how they do it so fast. To validate that, in the next second I saw a herd of sleepy looking brown cows grazing in a field so fresh, green and serene, I felt sure it must have been either a make believe movie set, or that it had been painted on by some great Italian artist. I’d hardly been able to digest all this peaceful serenity, when my eyes became riveted to the sight of seemingly countless rushing, crashing streams and waterfalls that dot the mountain scenery.

The hilly, towering craggy peaks in the background were, the day I did it, ablaze with whiter than white snow sparkling like a thousand one and diamonds in the morning sunlight. While all this stunning scenery DOES indeed captivate the senses, the other fact that amazes virtually everyone who enjoys this incredible train trip, is that as steep as it is, there are no rack and pinion sections of the track. Brilliant Swiss railroad engineers designed it so skillfully that this type of track was not needed. You appreciate that fact when you arrive at the 7,400 foot level and the train comes to a halt at the Alp Gum station. Should you wish to do something really refreshing, get off and engage in some challenging and really exciting hiking.

As the train departs the Alp Gum station, at a snail’s pace so you can appreciate your gorgeous surroundings, the train enters a sort of forest like portion of the trip that convinces you that you’re in the heart of the countryside, and yet moments before you were enjoying the snow laden mountains. …then, minutes later you are still in the mountains, but now gazing down at rushing streams, greener than green forests, and a nature tranquility than you thought only existed in your dreams.

The train then descends into the Poschiavo Valley, where sweeping vistas of lakes, snow and verdantly green and virgin looking forests – gripped my visual senses – and I wondered how Mother Nature was able to come up with so many amazing sights. Certainly the most eye popping, is when the train twists and turns and doubles back on itself, as it traverses the Brusio Viaduct – a superb place for photo buffs to photograph this amazing train many times over.

Just make sure you are in one of the Bernina Express last, back-of-the-train carriages, so you’ll be able to photograph the train as it doubles back on itself. Also, and this is VERY important, be sure you’re in one of the carriages that allow you to open the window, as many trains in Europe have sealed, totally closed shut windows. See all this magic yourself at www.rhb.ch or just click on Google and type in Bernina Express for a variety of websites about this Swiss super train.

As awesome as this part of the journey is, perhaps an even more “Seeing IS Believing” Experience on this, the most extraordinary portion of this remarkable train trip, is when you near the Italian town of Tirano and find the train that, only moments before, was gliding over smooth mountain slopes and glacier like scenery, is now part of the heart stopping traffic, as the train in all its majesty, tiptoes down this town’s small, winding streets. Riveting and totally amazing!

When the train finally arrives in the Italian town of Tirano, you are suddenly confronted with the reality that the train ride of your lifetime, has ended. If you never take another trip anywhere, I urge you to visit Switzerland and enjoy this most fantastic of all trains.

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