I've started posting entries from my honeymoon journal, with links to photos. Check it out.
August 16, 2008
Peru Photos
Machu Picchu
Unfortunately, it's still a pretty poor country, especially outside of major cities. Evidence of the Spanish conquests, forced conversion to Christianity and centuries of forced labor is still clearly visible, and the bitterness, although tamed, remains ever-present.
Please enjoy the photos, but be aware of the history...
Posted by Geoff at 10:17 PM | Comments (0)
May 20, 2007
Brief visit
swan in afternoon sun
My parents spent their vacation this year on Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard. Nneka and I visited them briefly on for the weekend of May 5th. It was nice time walking on the beach, eating seafood, and spending time together. I also got a few photos, including this one:
Posted by Geoff at 3:11 AM | Comments (0)
February 13, 2007
San Francisco visit
Golden Gate Bridge
Wow! Nneka's been travelling quite a lot the past several months. She had to be in San Francisco this week, so I took the opportunity to visit her for the weekend. As it happens, the brand new son of my friends, Grant and Melissa, had just come home from the hospital that week, too. So we got to meet the little guy. Here are some photos from the trip.
little Mark Jerome
Nneka and I had a lovely time, even with the rain during most of Saturday. It was sunny but brisk on Sunday. We did lots of walking in this very walkable city.
Posted by Geoff at 11:57 AM | Comments (0)
January 15, 2007
Weekend in Paris
La Tour Eiffel
Nneka is on a business trip to Paris this month for two weeks in Paris, so I met here this weekend, departed Thursday evening and returned Monday afternoon. We had a lovely time, strolling around all the landmarks and eating lots of good French food, including what I consider the best appetizer I've ever had in my life: toasted spiced bread, with sliced pear and melted goat's cheese, drizzled with a caramel syrup of some kind. Absolutely heavenly.
We visited Notre Dame, Saint Sulpice, and several other famous old churches, the Effeil Tower (Tour Effeil), the Moulin Rouge (which we decided is too expensive to get the full experience of the dinner and show). We did a bit of window shopping in Ile Saint-Louis. I wanted to see the Catacombs, but I didn't have time. Perhaps next time.
Here are some more photos.
Posted by Geoff at 5:44 PM | Comments (1)
September 12, 2006
Honeymoon Photos
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
The photo of the day is of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia, to whet your appetite.
Posted by Geoff at 3:07 PM | Comments (1)
June 18, 2006
Day 1: 24 hours to Singapore
We departed in a rush for the airport on Sunday afternoon. Our bags were packed and we were excited. My parents, who were in town for the wedding, drove us to the airport, and after we hugged and said our goodbyes we were off! We made the short trip from Boston to New York's JFK airport, before changing airlines to fly to Singapore via Frankfort.
Flying Singapore Airlines was a treat. It's reputation for wonderful service was very much deserved. The staff was friendly, the meals delicious. Still, it was about eight hours to Frankfort and eleven more to Singapore. The trip was exhausting, and we managed to sleep only a bit, between having the backs of our seats (esp. Nneka's) kicked by a couple of bratty Malay kids (Nneka recognized their mother's language). Nneka's repeated dirty looks and comments to their mother seemed to help very little. (This could very easily lead to a rant regarding our disapproval of children aboard airplanes, so I'll cut myself off here...)
With the time zone changes, we finally arrive in Singapore on Tuesday at 6:35 am, where our journey really begins...
Posted by Geoff at 3:00 PM | Comments (0)
March 6, 2006
Iceland Photos and new photo web site
I've launched a new web site for my photos: http://gallery.unspeak.org. I'm trying out some software called Gallery 2, which will hopefully help me organize them better. I plan to start moving older albums to the new site. For now, there 269 photos from my "Golden Circle" tour of some Iceland's most interesting geological sites (Saturday, February 25th).
Check back often for new changes to the layout. The unspeak.org domain will become my primary site for creative projects. I will keep geoffhardy.com, but I haven't decided yet how I will use it. I'll keep you posted.
Posted by Geoff at 9:22 AM | Comments (2)
October 6, 2005
Cape Cod with my parents
This week, my parents were vacationing on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and I took the opportunity to introduce them to Nneka for the first time. They seemed to hit it off well, which is good news. We had a lovely weekend this past weekend (Oct 1 & 2). We enjoyed a couple of nice dinners together, and a trip to Provincetown. We also had a bit of adventure as I had (yet another) mishap with my car, and got stuck for 4 hours in the small town of Wellfleet (on the Cape).
Apparently, the radiator was blown. To make a long story short, I had leave my car on the Cape to be repaired, and Nneka and I had to stay an extra night with my parents. We both got to work late on Monday in my rental car.
Nneka and I went to the U2 concert together on Tuesday, and then I drove back to pick up my car and spend Wednesday and Thursday with my parents again on the Cape. I'll put some photos from our trip up here soon.
Posted by Geoff at 10:00 PM | Comments (0)
September 8, 2005
Vacation photos: Minneapolis, San Francisco, Maine, Jamaica
I've posted some vacation photos from this summer here. Enjoy!
Posted by Geoff at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)
September 5, 2005
Jamaica, fun? Ya, mon.
Nneka and I arrived home tonight from a four-day weekend trip to Jamaica. It's getting late, so I'll just post a couple of photos for now and write more later. The first is of a sunset view from our room's balcony. The second is us standing on our balcony in front with the beach and golf course in the background. Click on either of the photos to see it full size.
Posted by Geoff at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)
August 21, 2005
Quaint Kennebunkport
Despite some bad luck with the car this afternoon, Nneka and I did have a great time. We enjoyed spending time together, hiking and exploring the small towns in Maine, including today's stop in Kennebunkport. The sun finally came out this afternoon, and we took photos (I will post soon), ate some ice cream and walked around to the various little shops around town.
Posted by Geoff at 10:00 PM | Comments (0)
Not again...
Nneka and I were having a nice weekend in Maine -- except for an incident Sunday afternoon. We were taking a leisurely drive home and decided to stop at the L.L.Bean flagship store in Freeport. The weather was nice and it was a zoo there. We were looking for parking in the overcrowded lots in Freeport, when Nneka had quite a scare. Someone in an SUV backed into my car's passenger-side door, damaging it badly enough it won't open from the outside and the window doesn't open or close properly on its own.
The woman was apologetic (but seemed a little too nonchalant about the whole thing). I was very upset, having just gotten my car back after being stolen and then in the shop nearly a month. The other driver called the police, and an officer showed up shortly thereafter. We exchanged information and I reported it to my insurance company while we were standing there. We eventually went our separate ways, but we didn't even go into the L.L.Bean store, we were so upset by the circumstances.
What a frustrating summer with this car...
Posted by Geoff at 3:15 PM | Comments (1)
August 20, 2005
Hiking in Boothbay and Camden, Maine
Nneka and I went hiking today in Boothbay and in Camden, Maine, which is in an area known for its hiking trails. We didn't do anything too ambitious, but we did a fairly short but steep climb up Mount Battie, which is well-loved for it's view of the Camden and the Penobscot Bay. Unfortunately, it was too foggy to see much of anything from the summit.
We enjoyed the hike -- well, until the very end, when Nneka slipped and hurt her hand. Thankfully, the injury appears to minor -- probably just a bruise. We also got to try out some new hiking gear, including day packs with hydration packs.
This evening, we drove back from Camden to the Inn, where we were treated to wine and cheese on the porch. We then ate dinner at The Daily Catch restaurant in Boothbay. The calamari appetizer was good, as was the Pinot Noir I ordered. The food wasn't as good as The Thistle Inn, but it was fun nonetheless.
We were tired from the hiking and went to sleep a bit earlier tonight.
Posted by Geoff at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)
August 19, 2005
Desintation: Boothbay, Maine
We started the weekend with a bit of rough traffic heading north Friday afternoon, but we made it to the Hodgdon Island Inn that evening. The couple that runs the inn was very friendly. They welcomed us in, helped us with our luggage and gave us restaurant recommendations.
We ate at the restaurant at the Thistle Inn. We both ordered seafood paella and some wine. And for dessert, we shared a slice of fresh blueberry pie made from local blueberries. Yum!
Posted by Geoff at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)
Relaxing in Maine
Nneka and I are leaving this afternoon for a weekend excursion to midcoast Maine. We're staying at the Hodgdon Island Inn, a bed and breakfast, formerly a sea captain's home, overlooking a seaside cove (see photo left).
We hope to do a little hiking either in the mountains near Rockland or in the nearby nature preserve. I'm sure we'll have a lovely time. I'll post pictures here when I return.
Posted by Geoff at 9:55 AM | Comments (0)
August 10, 2005
More vacation entries...
I'm still back-filling my vacation entries. I've set the dates appropriately. You can use the calendar to the right to go back to older entries. I'll also post updates to the main page with links to the entries as I put them up.
Here's a list of back-filled entries so far:
- July 7, 2005: First blood
- July 8, 2005: A better, fresher burger... and they did it first
- July 8, 2005: living after midnight
- July 10, 2005: bring the noise
- July 15, 2005: Dude where's my car?
Posted by Geoff at 9:40 AM | Comments (0)
July 10, 2005
bring the noise
Sunday night until pretty late, the Z man and I whipped out the electric guitars and jammed long and loud. We rocked to such 80s jems as "Living after Midnight" and "Welcome to the Jungle". We even wrote a new rock ballad. It was awesome. Z and I rock. :)
Victims included the Z's neighbors and Kristy, who we called and woke up on a work night to serenade with Judas Priest. Shockingly, she was happy to hear from us. The woman's a saint, Z! And a metal chick at heart. Heheh.
It was great to hang out and jam again, Z. We must rock again soon!
Posted by Geoff at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)
July 8, 2005
living after midnight
Friday night, my buddy, Eric Z (or just "Z") and I got together for dinner at a great Thai restaurant in his neighborhood, followed by beers and some live music at Slim's in SOMA (South Of MArket). It was a pretty good show, and a great venue with a good beer selection.
Next, we headed for Annie's Cocktail Lounge, which is a block from Z's place, where we met Annie (yes, there is an Annie, and she is very cool) and had a few more beers and closed the place down.
By the time we got back to Z's place, I was in no shape to drive back to Belmont, so Z offered his air bed and the living room floor. We jammed a little bit on the acoustic guitar before hitting the sack. Fun night. Thanks, Z!
Posted by Geoff at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)
A better, fresher burger... and they did it first
After a day running a few errands with Grant and doing a bit of shopping at Fry's Electronics (the largest electronics store I've ever been in, btw), I had my first In-N-Out burger. In-N-Out, for those of you not in the know, is a California institution since 1948. In Grant's words, "it's probably the McDonald's used to be." They still have the same simple menu they've always had: Burger, Cheeseburger, and Double-Double, plus fries, shakes and soda. That's it. No chicken nuggets, no salads. If you don't like burgers, don't come here. The best part everything is always made fresh. Grant couldn't believe I'd never been to In-N-Out. I always thought it would be like McDonald's or Burger King -- your standard fast food joint -- cheap, but greasy and not particularly good. Boy was I wrong. In-N-Out is noticeably fresher and it doesn't give you that "greasy lump" feeling for the next hour like I feel when I eat at McDonald's. I'm sold. Thanks to Grant for showing me the light.
Posted by Geoff at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)
July 7, 2005
First blood
This morning we got up again and tried to get in a ride before noon. Unfortunately, I had been having trouble with the shifters on my rental the day before. I discovered it was worse than I thought: the chain was threaded incorrectly and the derailleurs needed major adjustments. Not being experts at this sort of thing, Grant and I took about an hour to get it running smoothly -- pretty annoying, but hey, I only paid $25 for the rental. (The going rate in the bay area is about $45 or more).
We got in another beautiful ride through the Belmont hills, but not without incident. I drew my first blood on a spill down a steep decline. Fortunately, I landed in some soft grass, but I think I hit my knee on the handlebar or headset when I flipped over. It was a nasty scrape, but it didn't hurt too much. I think I also had a mild allergic reaction to whatever scratched my left forearm (only minor scratches, but turned bright red).
I finished the ride, but it wasn't as fun going down this time. We went a different route this time and it was hard work twisting back and forth down the steep part of the descent. Still enjoyable, but yesterday we rode much faster through the dense foliage on either side and overhead, because it was less steep and much less difficult.
Posted by Geoff at 3:00 PM | Comments (0)
Eat dirt (and stones and brush)
After a great week in Minneapolis visiting family and friends, I arrived in San Francisco Tuesday at 11:45pm to begin the second leg of my vacation. My friends, Grant and Mel, graciously offered a place to stay in their apartment in Belmont, CA, about 20 min from the airport. I started my first morning here by sleeping late, then practiced a little yoga. Grant showed one of his latest toys, the Line-6 Guitar Port, a cool guitar amp modeler with an Internet interface.
This afternoon, after a false start (he needed a new tire tube), Grant showed me one of the cooler things about his neighborhood -- the great mountain biking trails practically in his backyard. For the first time, I tried real off-road riding on a rented bike, and I had a blast! A few falls, skids and many minor scratches later, we finished my first 6 mile loop in about an hour and a half. I think we'll do it again tomorrow. Perhaps with a camera this time -- the views are breath-taking.
More later. It's getting pretty late tonight.
Posted by Geoff at 12:52 AM | Comments (1)
July 2, 2005
Currently In Minneapolis...
I haven't given an update in a while. I'm currently on vacation in Minneapolis through the Fourth of July weekend. Then I'll be flying to San Francisco for a week to visit my friends Grant, Melissa, and Eric.
I've had a great time so far. My flight in was an hour late due to weather, but so was my connecting flight, so I made it. Fortunately, Avis was still open so I could pick up my rental car. They had a special deal on a Sebring convertible when I got there -- totally worth the extra money!
I also rented a bicycle for two days and went on three rides this week -- a total of 65 miles. The hot weather broke this week, and it's been beautiful -- in the lower to mid 70s! It's the first road bike I've ridden since I was a kid. Boy, they've come a long way. It was so fun, it clinched my decision to buy one for myself this year! 
I went strawberry picking with my mom and my sister, Cristina, on Thursday. On Friday, I spent the day with my dad. We cooked together and went for a drive in the convertible. We also went to Cristina's house for dinner. She cooked Kung Pao chicken and egg rolls for us -- delicious! She also baked a strawberry rhubarb pie with the freshly picked strawberries from Thursday. Yum!
More to come on Fourth of July barbecues. I'll put photos up soon as well...
Posted by Geoff at 10:25 AM | Comments (0)