Biking Western Pa
Cycling across the U.S. (East to west)?

Does anyone know where I can download maps with detailed directions to the Western Express Transamerica route. My plan is to go from PA to CA. I found a great online map below http://www.adventurecycling.org/store/index.cfm/category/17/western-express-route.cfm ….. but it cost about $ 112 U.S. dollars. Or maybe if anyone knows where I can download the google earth plot so you can use google earth? Any help or information would be much appreciated! Tim

Just type in "Google Earth" on google … But while 112 is the large amount of mass will not be able to use google when 're in the middle of nowhere. I would say that the map is an excellent investment. Maybe you can find one used, or maybe you can resell it later.

Biking Western Pa

French Kisses Love Paris

FRENCH KISSES AND LOVE PARIS

A laptop Travel

by

Emily Elaine Abonal

My first contact with the French in France or not met a boy named Julian when he was at the Country Club out by myself and sunburn because they have always done. I was still a teenager, and my mother SMS telling me that I met a cute French boy. Apparently, when I stopped sending text messages on his back and lost track of time, thought I spoke French old "man" and I thought I was kidnapped and sold somewhere. Seriously – she called the Police, the CNAP (patrol our local traffic) to nearby hospitals, and when I looked at my phone, I had 30 new messages and 20 missed calls. It was a quest for me sometimes.

Haha.

What was memorable and fun but I realized that, therefore, the French culture penetrates my life if I wanted to or not. I've always been curious about other cultures since I am an exchange student, but has always been more inclined to Spanish side of things. But in college and through the surf, I began to make friends in France each year – some familiar, others will never forget, and I will most always be friends. I took French classes at the Alliance when he was tired of guessing what they were talking about when they meet. I realized that, although, as I have said, Elaine calls me I sounded "cute" for them, I did not really take the measure during a conversation. I then went to learn the language, seen their movies, and had a small idea of what it was in France of people I knew. Then one day, IFS (Institute for Studies foreign) society to exchange students that I've ever been with, asked me to be a companion for summer school classes in France.

It's a dream come true. It was a dream Who Perform joins another. I was excited, scared, nervous all Chillax, and I felt I already knew a lot about the country, even before you go and yet I had no idea what to expect.

And it came unexpectedly. As soon as we landed at Charles de Gaulle, I felt strange to know that I was in a foreign land, and be at home same time. It must have been because I was in Europe before, or I was hanging out with my great Fricken foreign friends, or I was studying French for a couple of years. But I had a French audience, breathing its air, through all the sites and text messages to my friends – Ohlalaaaa … Finally, I was there.

I lived in a small town south of Paris called a couple Bondoufle forget ever. It was pretty crazy, but I love them anyway. Babeth was blonde, thin and smoking like a chimney, but the best food I ate cooked in my life. If I have the appreciation of French cooking or food is only good in general, would be a mistake. Every day for a month she cooked something different – to creamed spinach (creamed spinach) for the barbecue and béarnaise. We had an appetizer, salad, main meal, wine or pink (I think they tried to get drunk every day), strawberries and cream for dessert, chocolate and cheese – lots him. Every time! I am not exaggerating. I should have said "I Will Grosser (I'll grow here) "more times than I can remember. We sit for hours at a time over dinner, talking and watching television, and enjoy good food and company. My host father Roland, who has always called "My great" or "La Belle" was 62 years, but less than 60 years, I know. He was a retired rock star, with a delicious and study all the vintage guitars that do not know. It sang for me while strumming his old school this time Gibson and I thought, this is the coolest French in the world. He quickly made me feel like her own daughter and even at the age of 23, she kissed me four times a day: morning, before leaving the house when I got home and before going to bed. And I must say, they kiss on the cheek four times each time.

The school has been accompanying have French classes in the morning, Bondoufle, but in the afternoon, we had visitors in the city of Paris. With them, I saw the Mona Lisa at the Louvre climbed the Eiffel Tower, posed with the wax figures at the Museum Grévin walked our feet hurt at Versailles Palace, walks Crazy Horse at the Parc Asterix, France claimed to be a giant in miniature, ate at McDonald's on the Champs Elysees through the Arc de Triomphe, looking at the sculptures outside the gargoyle of Notre Dame, climbed the endless steps of the Sacred Heart, took a cruise on the Seine river, saw where the movie Amélie was shot, visited the graves of Father Cemitiere the chair purchased at H & M, and ate pancakes and drank coffee (French ugh!) Although I have been a few years older and there is no such thing as an age difference, I was out with friends. I mean, I was talking about life and love and relationships with a young woman of 15 years! I enoyed every second with them, even if it meant having to be a killjoy sometimes. There are things I learned always remember them.

Paris, the French capital and one of the most visited cities in the world, is known as the city of lights and romance, where Victor Hugo wrote his masterpiece, and the best place to find museums with the most famous works of art in history. But we know that. Of course, everyone knows where Paris is and always will be impressed throughout the architecture and history we can find in this city. However, culture and people really really fell in love with and joined to it and therefore " which I fully agree with Ernest Hemingway, when he said that "if you lived in Paris as a young man, so whatever the will always have with you, for Paris is a feast. "

Paris was full of life and believed that nothing could happen. A drunkard releasing sonnets great when my friends and I were eating our sandwiches by the St. Michel Fountain. Shares Calle surprise or events within subway, even though the Parisians were too busy to care, I was captivated. The unnamed artist, has worked extensively on what is happen. People were running inside and outside the subway – by way of outputs (exits) without even blinking, while others grope awkwardly in their pocket cards. I have also never been a city as diverse before, and if I know that France has all these immigration issues to address, I found it interesting to eat foods in Arabic or listen to African music in Europe West. It made me feel as if they were so out of place. Several times, however, strangers have asked me where I was, And no one did so. They wondered if I was Hawaiian or Tahitian, and I always had to explain that, "I Philippines (I'm Filipino). "

Back in the Philippines, initially thought the French were so different, it would not be able to relate them. Some are too snobbish, too cultured, too passionate about politics. But the more I hung out with my friends at home, the more I realized they were really the same. They enjoy taking photos as much as we (when they are abroad at least). They also like chisme (gossip), have their humor, and sometimes to get the most Baduy (Corny) jokes that I give. We laugh at each other and ourselves. We talked about things Silly sometimes life and growth and age.

In France, living with a French family and be with my friends in their element, I see that things were somewhat different. A LITTLE. (A little). They loved to talk politics about (well, I was there during the elections), prefers to speak French, English, and have always sticks everywhere they go – whether in the car, walking in the streets, or bicycle. They put the bread in the top right of the table (no, no plate), the like their croissants, and repeated Bof! O Ba Yes, oh course. I bought are still pout when they do not know what to say or say, and even taste acquired by the smell of cigarette smoke. I also realized that many French people say they do not like Americans very much, and yet almost all TV in my room I saw was American films and television shows that were dubbed into French. (On the other hand, as everyone does.)

I felt more alive when I was in Paris with my friends. Then I felt as if I were a local – one of them – I absolutely soaked beautiful language and culture – the joy of living. I felt he speaks, he breathed, lived and dreamed with it. Sometimes at the same time, I felt like I was a different person and just live the present moment. I was so happy to feel young and beautiful to be alive, spoken French, to be in Paris. I loved out and walk in the streets of Paris (in the streets of Paris) with them because I had pictures of graffiti art instead of the usual image Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame. Or we went to Starbucks – that Starbuck called – although I would say, "Ohhh … is Helen What Not Coffee "(Oh, Elaine, is not the coffee!) With them, I got lost in the streets, got the wrong place at the basement saw the other tourists took in the sun or walking in the rain, he discovered that the Leffe beer, and tastes, and even had a little Drunk.

In this city, I noticed that one of life and the greatest pleasures of travel is to reconnect with old friends, especially those who have not seen for a long time. You see the friendship over time zones, distance and differences. I saw one of my best friends; met someone whose heart was once broken, a coffee with one who broke my own, have lunch with a friend who took the train to London just spent the evening with me, I made new friends, and maybe fall in love with someone. People came out of their way just for me just to see and catch up a bit. He had friends who have done a little part of the meeting could recall the good times and the Philippines that I too could have an evening memorable in France. Others found it funny and entertaining as I love being cold just so I can use my shield small and cute. Someone taken to the Eiffel Tower at night, because I really wanted to see her, and then back to see him shine. The moments and memories with people like this are I forget ever.

One thing I have learned to travel or have friends in the country you visit, is that stereotypes are not mean nothing. They said that the French are snobs and no matter if you're lost, but people were nice to me even when I was lost and confused and ask for directions (and no, I ask for help was not just a cute single man). Sometimes I talking to random people and I saw that if you smile, really smile. My family prepared to host some of my birthday (my birthday) and is a sweet and memorable that I had. I cared for and treated me so well then the hospitality and love that is seeking back in my day in France is much more to lose everything.

Everything feels like a dream today, a good night's sleep. I look at my pictures and I wonder if I'm really the girl in the photos. I await the day when I can come back and visit.

Someone special told me that for every trip to continue, no matter how long we stay in a place where he learned to love, when time ago we had too short. It is true. Therefore it is important to benefit – to smile and be grateful for every second. Enjoy every experience. Discuss with people. Take photos. Observe. Viewed through the window. Eat everything and anything – or do not bother me hungry. Kiss. Falling in love. Hold hands. Laugh.

Who knows? One day, everything that could have a trip of three pages trying to explain what he had lived, but knowing that you've seen more photos I've taken, met more people that you mentioned, and more experienced than I can remember. As for me, all I hope this I just wrote is that I always remember what it was, for the first time, falling in love with, and perhaps in Paris.

Copyright © Elaine Emily Abonal elaineabonal@yahoo.com

August 2007

"Overseas is a place where we stayed until the end, followed by impulse, and we are open as in love." – Pico Iyer

About the Author

Someone else has the cabin fever yet?

For those of you who live in cold climates of winter I reached the cabin fever motorcycles yet? I put mine in storage in October, but we had a ridiculous time here (Western PA), with up snow to 65 degree days. I'm eager to go, and we still only 3 months! I love traveling, but I'm not hardcore enough to leave in the cold. Also, I do not want all that salt on my bike, and in some places still use ash on the road too. So how do you end?

I am lucky I am in California close to the sea:)

Road bike tunnel ride in beautiful western PA

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