'Round the World with an Italian Supermodel

Great stuff…..

Short clip of road/scenery around here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMZvR9JkZug&feature=youtu.be

So I went from a really terrible internet connection that would struggle at 2mbps to a smoking fast one that's pullin' 52mbps. Stoked, I opened Aperture to upload a lot of the photos I've dreaded uploading to Smugmug due to the slug-speed connection. Then Aperture took every single one of my 34,985 photos and duplicated them in every album I have, crippling my ECU in the process with 700,000 duplicate photos. The ...... fairy has been busy as hell with me as of late.

More from Esco:


Got up to the abandoned church and immediately thought of "choose your own adventure"

It's getting dark and looks like acid rain. A wrong decision can lead to disaster--or even death! You can
A) Seek cover in the Church of Anguish
B) Follow the sounds of groaning coming from the hills to its source
C) Sit down and eat some salami while you regain strength
D) Cry out for help hoping a friendly townsperson will come to greet you

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd8GraGpaWE

I chose A. I'll have to say that I felt strangely more relaxed and at home than I'd felt in a long time. It was as if I'd traveled back in time to an uninhabited doppelgänger planet of Earth, like in an old Star Trek episode. Only I wasn't paranoid that a monstrous alien was watching my every move. It was nearly completely silent. Then while walking along the ridge, looked down to see if I could see my bike and....



I saw that guy down there just standing there and instantly felt creeped out or violated....no one was supposed to be here! After the initial 'wtf' moment, I noticed he was in a motorcycle riding suit. COOL!

I sauntered down and had a good conversation with him. Like me, he'd been riding by and saw the ruins and decided to wander up. He'd left his bike a (BMW R1200 I think it was) down with his buddies on the street and was surprised I rode up the dry creek bed. He was from England and had put on some serious miles with his pals.



Snapped a pic, had a few more words, then we headed our separate ways. Cool dude....and great to run into another English speaking native (who was not a reptilian alien looking for a fight).


Proper ADV Salute with an improperly focused camera:


No chicken strips here:

And then I found a garage for my bike, a pillow for my head and black and blue meat for my empty stomach. Not in that order.

So I woke up thinking of Esco. I looked out my window across the city of Pamplona and decided I was goin' back.




























While up at the top of the city eating lunch again I was surprised. I heard someone shifting in the rubble and turned around to find a curious...get this...INHABITANT. He left as fast as he arrived, and we had difficulty communicating, but he apparently lived there. One of the luckiest men in Spain, if you ask me. If I was him I think I'd buy a mean mountain goat and train it to memorably headbutt tresspassers like myself.

I offered to split my lunch, but he declined and wandered off, leaving an unobstructed view of the valley.



Hey, I can see my bike from here!

Ariel bombardment? great photos and subject matter, I can see why the Spaniards liked So Cal so much.

centeroff said:

Ariel bombardment? great photos and subject matter, I can see why the Spaniards liked So Cal so much.

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Esco was flooded in the 60s--not by natural causes, though. The gov't made a dam. Not sure what happened in between then and now, but it's pretty fookin' cool.

You were able to capture that sometimes ruins are more amazing than the buildings before. Great pics D.

b9009b said:

You were able to capture that sometimes ruins are more amazing than the buildings before. Great pics D.

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I always think ruins are far more intriguing, which is why one of my favorite cities so far (besides Esco) is Detroit. But even standing under 20,000 lbs of crumbling stone, Esco is still quite a bit safer.

After saying goodbye to Esco:





...I headed back to my hotel for a store bought meal. Some fairly amazing shrimp, garlic and couscous (had to cut up a plastic cup to use as a food shovel).



Next morning I headed out along the coast towards Oviedo, capital of Asturias.

bottom 2 pics. I could pitch a tent and live there forever.

For those who didn't follow along on the Coast to Coast trip: ten minutes into the swim portion of Ironman Cozumel 2010, I had the first symptom that led to the diagnosis of a brain tumor (severe vertigo). Being surrounded by 1500 athletes mercilessly fighting for the same spot in open water is not exactly the best situation to lose all sense of gravity. Being swam over is perhaps the one thing that allowed me to figure out the direction of 'up'. In any case, my point is that I went from Ironman (I still finished the race) to an invalid who could barely stand. IN 30 DAYS.



On Feb. 9th, 2011, exactly four years ago, I awoke from surgery clap) with a couple new holes in my head. I've been through quite a bit since then--and a lot of you have been along for the ride. The good parts, at least. I don't talk too much about the unfortunate physical and mental side-effects I still deal with. And I don't intend to now. But I will say that when every day is a struggle, you take nothing for granted, especially life itself.

So boys and girls, just a gentle reminder: do what you love, because there might not be a tomorrow; and hug who you love, because they might not be either.

Happy four year birthday to me.

Dennis, good stuff man! Glad to have you here still.

Happy 4 year Bday to you Dennis! All of your posts and pics and then this one made me remember this.

The human body has limitations. The human spirit is boundless.
Dean Karnazes

Wow that's one hell of a shaving nick!!
Glad you here entertaining us with your creativity

Happy birthday ironman

AntiHero said:

So boys and girls, just a gentle reminder: do what you love, because there might not be a tomorrow; and hug who you love, because they might not be either.

Happy four year birthday to me.

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I'm happy for you Dennis and happy for your 4th year anniversary.

People often need a catalyst in their life to trigger change and the pursuit of things they simply love.

All too easy to become a prisoner of circumstance and commitment.

Thank you Dennis for your wise words, they came at the right time for me.

Xbox said:

I'm happy for you Dennis and happy for your 4th year anniversary.

People often need a catalyst in their life to trigger change and the pursuit of things they simply love.

All too easy to become a prisoner of circumstance and commitment.

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To be fair, I kind of always did my own thing. Pre-brain tumor I was often considered selfish, reckless, impetuous. Post brain tumor I'm 'living life'....wait....girls still think I'm selfish. I guess sometimes you just can't win.

But yes....all too easy to become a prisoner. Commitments involve a price that's determined by the amount of life sacrificed for it. And this I am very sensitive to. Now more than ever.

Gecko: Whatever it is you're thinking: DO IT. You'll regret not.

Wise words my Brother!

AntiHero said:

Gecko: Whatever it is you're thinking: DO IT. You'll regret not.

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+1


the only things you will regret in life when your heart is in its last beats:
the things you haven't done!