#european bike trip

[goingplacesfarandnear]

Bruges to Amsterdam by BoatBikeTours: Antwerp, Medieval Jewel

Bruges to Amsterdam by BoatBikeTours: Antwerp, Medieval Jewel

Antwerp’s historic center, ringed with Guild Houses © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com Our BoatBikeTours route on Day 4 of our Bruges-Amsterdam bike tour into Antwerp would normally involve going through an interesting 500-meter long tunnel. But our leader, Arnold Thurko, tells us that the 1930s-vintage elevators broke…

[creative-anchorage]

If you were to imagine the first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the modern US, it would be difficult to conceive such a thing sprouting from the environs of Phoenix, Arizona. [...] But it is here that such a neighborhood, called Culdesac, [...] an unusual experiment has emerged that invites Americans to live in a way that is rare outside of fleeting experiences of college, Disneyland or trips to Europe: a walkable, human-scale community devoid of cars.

[...] The apartments are also mixed in with amenities, such as a grocery store, restaurant, yoga studio and bicycle shop, that are usually separated from housing by strict city zoning laws. ... “It’s positively European, somewhere between Mykonos and Ibiza,” said Jeff Speck, a city planner and urban designer who took a tour of Culdesac earlier this year. “It is amazing how much the urbanism improves, both in terms of experience and efficiency, when you don’t need to store automobiles.” ... [C]ar dependence has been reinforced by zoning laws that not only separate residential from commercial developments, but require copious parking spots added for every new construction. “The result is a nation in which we are all ruthlessly separated from most of our daily needs and also from each other,” Speck said.

Culdesac can be seen, then, as not only a model for more climate-friendly housing – transportation is the US’s largest source of planet-heating emissions and, studies have shown, suburban sprawl fuels more of the pollution causing the climate crisis – but as a way of somehow stitching back together communities that have become physically, socially and politically riven, lacking a “third place” to congregate other than dislocated homes and workplaces. ... Vanessa Fox, a 32-year-old who moved into Culdesac with her husky dog in May, had always wanted to live in a walkable place only to find such options unaffordable. For her, Culdesac provided a sense of community without having to rely on a car every time she left her apartment. “For some, cars equal freedom, but for me, it’s a restriction,” she said. “Freedom is being able to just simply walk out and access places.” ... Driving to places is so established as a basic norm that deviation from it can seem not only strange, as evidenced by a lack of pedestrian infrastructure that has contributed to a surge in people dying from being hit by cars in recent years, but even somewhat sinister. People walking late at night, particularly if they are Black, are regularly accosted by police – in June, the city of Kaplan, Louisiana, even introduced a curfew for people walking or riding bikes, but not for car drivers.

If neighborhoods like Culdesac are to become more commonplace, then, cities will not only have to alter their planning codes, but there will also have to be a cultural switch from the ideal of a large suburban home with an enormous car in the driveway. [...]

Johnson, who said he is planning to bring the Culdesac concept to other cities, is upbeat about this. “This is something that the majority of the US wants, so they can work all over the country,” he said. “We have heard from cities and residents all over the country that they want more of this, and this is something that we want to build more.”

[mikerickson]

Lifting my self-imposed embargo because I'm weird and don't like posting on social media when I'm on vacation.

I'm at a point in my life where I can financially justify at least one international vacation a year and figured I'd finally cross off the Great White North from the bucket list. I'd never been and Andrew hadn't been back in a very long time despite having dual citizenship. Anyways, just got back, and a bullet-point breakdown of the highlights is after the cut:

I wish every international flight was under two hours; EWR to YQB was almost comically fast.

Had my first French conversation with the very nice lady at the car rental counter for about ten minutes. She complemented my pronunciation and grammar, and wished me luck on the trip. Every French interaction after this point was a linguistic battle for my life that I lost (Toutes les Québecois parlent trop vite pour moi).

We had some time to kill before the hotel check-in so we went to a mall in the suburbs just so we'd have a food court with some options. Turns out shopping malls are not only alive and well but fucking thriving in Canada. I haven't seen a mall that packed with people outside of December since the nineties.

Quebec City was very dense with old architecture which made it feel very European. It was also apparently built on a fucking cliff with streets at 60 degree inclines, which also felt very European.

Took a tour of the Quebec Parliament building (beautiful structure), and apparently they used to be bicameral, but voted to abolish their Senate in the 60's and they were the last Canadian province to do so. What a concept.

It's one thing to know on paper that Canada has about 1/8th of the population of the US, but I was not prepared for just how empty the countryside felt. For someone like me, living in the northeast my whole life, the idea that cities in close proximity to each other not having continuous stretches of suburbs and other smaller cities connecting them was completely foreign.

On the highways I kept thinking I was speeding because I'd look down at the dashboard and see the number "100", but 100 km/h is only like 62 mph, which is nothing.

Similarly, I kept getting sticker shock every time I spent money, and kept having to remind myself that $1 CAD was like $0.73 USD while we were there.

It was really cool to see that the complex for the 1976 Montreal Olympics is still maintained and actively used (we stumbled upon a skateboarding competition and I did not feel cool enough to be in that crowd). Sometimes you hear horror stories about Olympic villages bankrupting cities and falling into disuse afterwards, but that's definitely not the case here.

Montreal is apparently known for their local bagel culture, but their bagels have enormous holes in the middle of them, so you have less cross-sectional area for spreads and they don't really work for sandwiches. My faith in NJ/NY bagel superiority remains intact.

Every city we went to had dedicated bike lane infrastructure and young families with kids, but Montreal definitely had the most of both. Tons of parks, too. Simultaneously felt like a larger and smaller city than I was expecting.

Poutine is okay, but I wasn't prepared for the cheese to squeak when you bite into it. Very odd sensation.

The main Parliament building for the federal government in Ottawa (Centre Block) is stunning, but closed; apparently it's been under renovation since 2019 and isn't expected to be reopened until 2032! In the meantime, we took a tour of where the lower House of Commons is currently meeting. We learned that their electoral districts are routinely re-drafted by a non-partisan committee and that they occasionally add new seats to the legislature to account for changes in population. I had to seethe jealously in silence for the rest of the tour.

Also toured their Supreme Court building (way more Art Deco than I was expecting). We learned that there's currently a vacancy because a Justice recently retired because they're required to step down when they turn 75. I had to seethe jealously in silence for the rest of the tour.

Every single city had automatic/self-serve parking garages where you didn't have to interact with a human (which I was very thankful for), but in Ottawa they have this little jingle that the machine sings at you when you take your ticket, which I found very amusing.

On the drive to Toronto we took a quick detour into the Thousand Islands (yes, like the salad dressing) and visited Boldt Castle, which is technically in New York state. After seeing it in practice, the idea of living on your own private island is more appealing than ever.

Toronto feels like an exercise in what happens when a nation's largest city is allowed to grow without being hemmed in by ridiculous geography. As someone who grew up in NYC, this is another concept foreign to me. The GPS did get very tripped up navigating a particularly gnarly interchange however.

Toured the Ontario Legislative Assembly (yet another beautiful building). At this point we were really good at asking tour guides stuff like, "so if happens, do you guys have a plan?" To which they would reply, "well, no, but let's just hope that never happens!"

I now understand why the Great Lakes are effectively freshwater inland seas; you really cannot see the other shore, and Lake Ontario isn't even the biggest one!

YYC to EWR was under an hour. That's definitely going to spoil me for future trips going forward.

[protect-daniel-james]

i’m sending you a character (he is a *character*) - 🧛‍♂️ pls?

My favorite blorbo of them all :3

favorite thing about them

Oh boy where do I even start:

he's a hard worker and deserves all the success and opportunities he gets. he worked hard to get from humble beginnings to managing some of the big European clubs, coming from "nowhere", with barely any playing heritage

he's extremely polite and humble, doesn't whine and moan about decisions going against his teams or referees not siding with his team, or his team struggling with injuries

but most of all his LOVE FOR FOOTBALL oh my god do I even have to say that? the man absolutely LIVES for football, when you hear him talk about it, you can see how his little eyes just lit up, how excited he gets... I bet his heart beats faster, and maybe he gets a lil' hard as well - football, football, football, it's always football. I wish I could see inside his brain but I assume it's literally 100 % football 24/7, it's always on his mind - and it's just such a pure love and adoration, he doesn't care about fancy expensive players and watching the most promising stars - he just loves the concept??? man has been turning up to the most random matches in Carabao Cup and the Spanish Cup and just watching whatever team he could (he even went to see the Legia Warsaw Women's team play when he was in Warsaw?), he just needs football, it's absolutely his drug. I bet he gets high off it, and his perception of the world changes, he feels calmer when he's at a game of football... He loves a big match of big clubs just as much as a local Gipuzkoan derby or something. He loves how football can be literally a multibillion thing, just as well as a nice local pastime in the countryside...

I just genuinely believe he's a good person who tries his best to be able to look at himself and say "I tried my best".

least favorite thing about them

The fucking hair gel, no doubt.

favorite line

"I like the smell of the pitch, it produces a sort of comfort within me." I think this is honestly such a cute sentiment that captures the carnal nature of his love for the game...

"In England that identification with your team brings the game alive. It’s deeper there, like a church. I was born in San Sebastián and my team is Real Sociedad. That feeling is in my heart and that’s what you find in England. It’s marvellous, the loveliest thing there is.” - this was the ending of an interview with him, and I absolutely loved it. The loveliest thing there is.

Also, his villainous arc:

brOTP

I don't even think Unai has any bros :') No, honestly, I think Klopp kinda likes him (as you would like a sickly wet skrunkly cat), and Marcelino probably does as well, as does Andoni Iraola. I can see all of them looking at Unai with a combination of admiration and pity. I think it would be lovely if he and Andoni could go on a biking trip together.

OTP

Unai x Football is the one ship to rule them all. I love the potential of Unai x Mikel, because for Unai, Mikel is...the one to be jealous of, the one who got what he himself did not, and looks so good as well - Unai must feel such a strong emotion about this all, I can imagine him wanting to just.....tear Mikel apart, maybe physically, maybe sexually, maybe psychologically torture him, maybe suck his blood to have at least something from the perfection that Mikel is to him. But also, he's terrified of his not-very-christian thoughts (well, at least if he's not a vampire), and he has to turn them into something better.

nOTP

I don't think I have any tbh! There's not many ships for Unai, and I actually quite like all the potential in those I have seen around AO3... Including Unai x other managers, Unai x players, Unai x club owners... I think the humble, polite way he presents himself, combined with the dark, vampire-like elements of him (the cruel smile he's capable of, the way his mind can calculate) make him perfect for all sorts of ships and set-ups. Although I love skrunkly blorbo wet cat (or bat) Unai who struggles and panics and breaks down and gets humiliated and loves it the most.

random headcanon

He's struggling with taking care of himself :') I know he said in an interview he's a decent cook (decent enough to invite friends over for dinner), but I just love the idea of him being extremely incompetent with taking care of himself (like, resting when sick, cooking proper meals, drinking enough water) - he's just BUSY with FOOTBALL, okay. That's why having someone like Klopp or Ange taking care of him also works well for a ship. And that's why I don't believe him and Mikel would survive for long together.

unpopular opinion

He's cute!!! I don't think that's a particularly unpopular opinion in our little corner of the internet lol, but ... when he loses the hair gel, he looks incredibly soft and sweet!

song i associate with them

En algún lugar by Duncan Dhu. Canonically Unai's favorite band of his youth - I think it captures beautifully the Emery sadness and everything it's about. Also, Txoria txori, because he and his brothers actually sang it in Hondarribia when Unai received some award at the townhall. Once again, perfect for the Emery sadness - the longing, the devotion, the hidden, repressed true self.

favorite picture of them

God, it's difficult to choose one! But I think one of his youth pics full of Emery sadness gotta do:

Just, there's this sadness about him...like, he's doing the one thing he loves the most, Football, and yet he's scared...afraid that he will not be enough. He just wants to be enough.

[brimstone-cowboy]

Tagged by @evenom for oc interview

I’m tagging @aurpiment @spacepunksupreme @calico-honey @fightthesun and anyone else who wants to participate

Name: Danielle Hansen

Nickname: Danny

Gender: Butch straying towards crossdresser

Star sign: Leo

Height: 5’7 and 5’8 in boots

Orientation: Stone butch lesbian

Nationality/Ethnicity: White European descent American original from Idaho but moves around a lot in her life

Fave fruit: Loves a mulberry, loves a hedge fruit

Fave season: Autumn or Winter she likes layers

Fave flower: Bird’s foot trefoil

Fave scent: cigarette smoke in cold air

Coffee, tea, or HC: Coffee with milk but never sugar

Average hours of sleep: Oughhh bad, not good

Dog or cat person: Wouldn’t pick one over the other but loves the big dog her foster family has

Dream trip: She’s done a bit of travelling from Idaho to California and then to the Midwest but maybe somewhere like Yellowstone or more generally they’d love to go on a big road trip around the country on their bike

Favorite fictional character: Hawkeye Pierce :)

Number of blankets they sleep with: Runs very warm so usually just a good duvet and maybe one quilt when she moves to the Midwest

Random fact: Vaguely into sadism but a little shy

[ffloorageorge]

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[umichenginabroad]

Reflections

Well, it's goodbye. I’m not sure how I felt leaving Sydney. I know there was sadness in my taxi to the airport, intense nostalgia as I walked through the terminal and got to my flight and gratitude as the plane took off and the coastline that had been home for the past four months faded behind me. 

My travels have nearly had the opposite effect I was expecting. Getting home with my family and into my bed will feel amazing. But, since leaving, I obsess over the next trip and scheming ways to budget the time and money to make it a reality. Truly, “the more I see, the less I know,” and the more I want to know. I’m in London now and then Edinburgh, then a two-week bike ride through Spain, and finally a week in Morocco before heading home. *Phew*. We’ll see how long that love for travel lasts.

Reflecting on my first blog and the expectations I had going into this semester, I realized how different the experience was. First off, I unexpectedly left with a little bit of Aussie slang, like “air-con” instead of “AC” or “mate” instead of “bro” or “NAUR” instead of “no.” That last one was a joke. Going into the semester, I was expecting a completely foreign city with its unique way of life and everything. However, Sydney didn’t feel too dissimilar to major cities in the states. It hardly felt like a different part of the world within a few weeks, which was great for adjusting. 

I was surprised to discover how challenging the classes were. The class expectations and projects frequently felt higher than I had known at Michigan. If it weren’t for the fact I only needed to pass these classes, I don’t think I could’ve gone on any of the international trips, save New Zealand. Do not underestimate the intensity of classes here. 

Before arriving, I was expecting a European-adjacent culture. This assumption was partly true regarding the largely relaxed and outdoorsy population. However, Sydney could have had better food. When eating out, we endured more mediocre meals than memorable ones. In general, stick to the Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Asian food places. People in Sydney are also generally very active morning people. If we had stayed in Sydney and connected more with locals, those enviable habits may have rubbed off. 

The going-out scene is a mixed bag, but there are some memorable gems that I’m going to miss. For those planning on coming, Sheaf Wednesday, in the beginning, is a great time and way to meet other kids abroad. Ivy is the quintessential club on Thursday; it has several floors of pounding dance EDM and everything that goes along with that. Scary Canary is a smaller but memorable club that became the group's favorite. The mediocre but worth checking out places were Argyle and Cliff Dive. And finally, the worst for last and by a mile is Coogee Pav on Sundays. This place was not our scene. Before I rip into it, it is lovely, and the drinks are good, with a beautiful overlook of the beach. That being said, it is stuffy, has mediocre music, the drinks are extremely expensive, and most of the people there were kind of uppity 30-year-olds. 

As sad as I am to leave Sydney, the sense of loss from leaving my group of five, who had become like family over the past semester, lingers. We lived, ate, traveled, laughed, cried, and sometimes fought, but it was all done together. I’m not sure how other people lived their semester, but I lived it nearly exclusively with these lemmings: Joe, Sam, Michelle, and Viv. 

I remember reading Anika’s and others’ blogs reflecting on their time abroad. They mentioned how hard it was to leave their Australian friends behind, but for better or worse, I didn’t make any significant Aussie mates. However, I wouldn’t change this reality for anything. Every hour not spent holed up in the library was somehow spent with these four. I’ll take making a few lifelong friends over dozens of temporary abroad ones any day. So, despite having nothing to do if the other four were busy or having to cook for four distinct tastes (Michelle and the others), I couldn’t feel more love for these four and my innumerable memories with them. Studying abroad would never have been the same without you all. 

During my last night in Sydney, I stayed up with my friends, clinging to the hours and minutes slipping away before I had to leave. “I don’t think we could have done it [study abroad] differently,” said Vivi. Our prioritization of traveling allowed us to explore this part of the world, but it kept us out of Sydney for weeks when I’m sure others were forging local ties. We took every long weekend (or regular) to visit the areas around Sydney, such as down south for Surf Camp or the Blue Mountains. We made excessive use of the time off from school, the welcome week of T1 (New Zealand), spring break (Vietnam), and finals study week (Thailand). 

The loss of leaving the dynamic unique to this past semester is bittersweet. Of course, we will see each other again, in different combinations and parts of the world, and "we'll always have Sydney" (to reminisce). These friends will stay in touch with each other, but without a doubt, it is the end of an era I will never forget and the start of the rest of our lives. 

As always, thank you for reading! 

If you are considering this incredible place for your study abroad and have further questions about any part of this experience, feel free to email me at togrant@umich.edu or text me at +1 (202)841-5597. I still have budgeting sheets and trip itineraries that may come in handy. 

Take care, everyone,

Grant Touchette

Aerospace Engineering

University of New South Wales in Sydney

[martinesabroad]

Ryman's one year round-up

Ok, overall this year was pretty awesome, we had some crazy adventures! Even though some of it wasn’t the top thing I had on my list of things I wanted to do, We made some great memories and accomplished a lot as a family.

Coming into this year, I was nervous, and I did not know what to expect coming into a foreign country.

I was worried that I would not fit in, and I would be an outcast all year. And to make matters worse,  I WAS SICK ON THE FIRST FREAKING WEEK OF SCHOOL!!! (I had covid-19 for those who are wondering) even though I got an extra week of summer out of it, I still wished I went on the first day, so I could be caught up in the assignments, and things I needed to get done.

So the friday before the second week of school, I came with both of my parents  and met everybody. Soon after, I met one of my best friends to this day, Lucas. Me and him have the same sense of humor, like the same sports, play the same games, and like the same movies.

One of my favorite adventures we had this year was my class field trip to lake bohinj, slovenia. We stayed In a hotel for 2 nights, and everybody got to pick a roommate or roommates. I chose Lucas and Lucas chose me (obviously) And for the next 3 days we got to bike, swim, kayak, hike, eat, play, and have the time of our lives with each other.

I Loved this year because anywhere we went, You couldnt compare to the U.S. Like for example, We went ziplining in the countryside of slovenia as a family. One zipline we went on was 80 meters up and 70 meters long. When you were zooming along, you could see peaceful lakes, rivers,waterfalls, forest, beautiful trees, and a peaceful village.

Now, After living in europe for a year, I can finally be the one to say that that is a CLASSIC european adventure. From the tropical, palm tree filled, crystal clear waters of croatia, to beautiful slovenian forests, I loved all of it. Though at the moment, I really want to go home. I think part of it is because my best friend of all time just left from his visit, and me and him had such a good time together. Its sad to see someone or people go back to a place that is your home too, after a very fun, long stay with them.

But other than that this year was awesome and we lived the european dream for 1 year, going on 2.

To all reading this in portland right now, I miss all of you and cant wait to see you guys again. Thanks for reading and have a great day. 

[goingplacesfarandnear]

Idyllic Trip: Biking and Boating from Bruges to Amsterdam

Idyllic Trip: Biking and Boating from Bruges to Amsterdam

Biking onto our ship, the Princesse Royal at Tholen, after riding 23 miles from Kreekkrak, which will sail on to Dordrecht on the BoatBikeTours eight-day trip from Bruges to Amsterdam © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com I have been wanting to do this bike tour from Bruges to Amsterdam (or reverse) for years, and like so…

[alexbkrieger13]

https://www.dn.se/sport/magdalena-eriksson-fick-baras-av-planen-av-pappa-bjorn-formade-mig-till-en-lagspelare/

Magdalena Eriksson was carried off the pitch by dad Björn: "Shaped me into a team player"

She is mentioned as a future national team captain and has been praised for her leadership qualities.

Before the European Championships in England, Chelsea star Magdalena Eriksson is back where it all began, at Enskede IP in Stockholm.

We meet right where she as a child once had to be carried off the field by dad Björn - because she refused a change.

- He really shaped me into a team player. Because he did not allow that kind of thing, says the defender.

Magdalena Eriksson comes by bike to Enskede IP, one minute before the scheduled time.

It is the first day of summer vacation for children and young people in her childhood neighborhood, and on the small artificial turf right at the entrance, some boys are lazing around with a ball.

- This was gravel when I was little, and there was also gravel, says the national team star and points to a larger area a little further away.

She laughs and remembers that day when her father - who was her football coach until her early teens - had to step onto the pitch, lift her up and simply carry her from there.

- I remember it so clearly. It must have been five people, I do not remember exactly how old I was, but I got a real scolding after that, says Magdalena Eriksson about the event that father Björn Eriksson previously recounted for Expressen .

- He really shaped me into a team player and a little leader, because he did not allow that kind of thing. He would never allow that just because I might be the best on the team, I would play all the time. I think it has shaped me very much, not to be treated like a star.

But do you feel like a star now?

- No, not really, the 28-year-old answers and laughs again.

Not even when you step into the biggest arenas?

- I would not want to see myself individually as a star but I feel that I play in two incredibly good teams. And I think that's so damn fun. That you have ended up in two such fantastic teams as Sweden and Chelsea is a huge luxury, something I often think about and am very proud of.

In the middle of the last European Championship, 2017, she was presented as a new player in the English top team Chelsea. At that time, Magdalena Eriksson was team captain in Linköping, Olympic silver medalist and Swedish Championship gold winner. But when the national team fell to the Netherlands in the quarterfinals, she sat on the bench.

During the past five years, her own curve and Sweden's development have gone hand in hand - upwards.

Sweden is world number two after the World Cup bronze 2019 and Olympic silver last year, and "Magda" - Diamond Ball winner 2020, team captain in Chelsea and four-time English league champion - is given in the eleven when the European Championships for Sweden begin against the Netherlands on Saturday.

- In five years, you have experienced so much, says the midfielder about the trip.

- The whole challenge of moving abroad and getting into a completely new environment with very tough competition and taking a place there. But so is my role in the national team. In 2017, I was someone who was just happy to be with, hung around behind the scenes, while now it is very important that I am one of those who step forward and dare to take responsibility for the team.

How does it feel to know that you have a crucial role to play?

- I like it. I like to feel that I have an important role. I have no idea about playing time because it is extremely tough competition, but I know that I am an important character in the team, in the tactical talk and in helping the younger girls who have not been around for so long about how to think when you will play in front of a large audience, all with the media and so on.

Faithful servant Caroline Seger remains in the national team, but many predict Eriksson as a future national team captain, including her coach at Chelsea, Emma Hayes.

- If it happens, it happens. But that will not change anything. Because I already feel that I have a strong leadership position in the team. But it is clear that it would be a very fantastic honor.

She has taken her back on Seger, goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl and the older guard in Swedish women's football not only as an important player and leader on the field, but also as a voice in gender equality issues, the fight for women's football status, human rights and everyone's equal value.

For some athletes, sport is just a sport. For Magdalena Eriksson, who in addition to football studied political science, something more.

- I have always tried to be clear about where I stand and with what values ​​I have, and with taking a fight for people who may not have a platform or voice in the same way. I feel a little that it is my responsibility, she says.

How much have you been inspired by those who have gone before you in these matters?

- A lot. They have had to take the fight even before you got any kind of backing, when people were still looking down on women's football. I came in now that you have wind in the sails, then it is always easier to speak for something. But I follow in their path, which they have trodden for me.

Growing up in Enskede IK, with a large girls' section in football, she did not experience any major differences between girls and boys in the venture, she says.

- But when I got older… I remember a pre-season when I played with Djurgården's women's team (2012) when we had to run intervals in the forest all of January because we had no plan to train on. It was something you only accepted then. But now that I think back on it, I think "god, it's a month of my football practice that has been spent just running around instead of just training and getting better". When I think back on such situations, I can get very angry and frustrated.

Is it never hard to have to answer questions other than the purely football-related ones?

- Not really. I think it's interesting to have a bigger perspective, it's always been that way for me.

- But then it is clear that sometimes when you stand the day before a very important match and get questions about everything other than to play, then you sometimes start to think "what is this?", But then you understand that right now it is needed . And if I do this now, in the same way that Seger and Hedvig have done it for me, hopefully (nine years younger EC colleague) Hanna Bennison in five to six years can stand and just talk football, not have to talk about inequality or inequality .

Yes, she has made herself known for commenting on issues and would like more athletes to do the same.

In a high-profile column last autumn, Magdalena Eriksson called on players in the men's national team to take a clearer position in the debate on the men's upcoming World Cup in Qatar - and met both rice and praise.

Praise, for raising the issue of human rights and the ability of athletes to make an impact. Rice, from among others the men's team captain Victor Nilsson Lindelöf, who already thought he was clear with his opinion.

- I do not want to force anyone into something, but I do not think you understand what it means until you take this step out and say something, take a stand. It would have meant a lot, to very many, says Eriksson.

It was in British I-News that she wrote that as a gay woman she would never want to go to Qatar, where homosexuality is punishable.

The midfielder profile lives together with the Danish national team star Pernille Harder. Before the European Championships, the couple has, among other things, graced the cover of a special issue of the fashion magazine Elle.

Do you feel that you make a difference personally?

- I still think so, without putting myself on a far too high pedestal. Above all, what Pernille and I do for the LGBTQ community. There I can feel immediately that we make a difference, because you have heard so many stories from our followers about how much it means to see us, that they are inspired by the fact that we are open with our love for each other.

However, the aftermath of this autumn's acclaimed chronicle was also about where the resources come from in her own club. During the spring, the issue has come even more into the spotlight, and here is the background:

For 19 years, the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich pumped money into Chelsea. But the billionaire is closely linked to Vladimir Putin's Russia, and after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he has been forced to relinquish ownership due to sanctions.

Magdalena Eriksson has been criticized for ducking the issue. When we meet, however, the otherwise outspoken Swede has been stopped by Chelsea from speaking out.

- It is definitely not my choice, she clarifies and adds that she received "a little scolding from Chelsea" because she talked about the club in an interview with SVT .

- But I am very clear about where I stand.

The whole of football is currently at a crossroads, according to the national team defender in general. This also applies to structures and sponsors within the European and international federations, Uefa and Fifa.

- I really hope that football chooses the "clean" way in the future.

The major investments in women's teams in Europe's heavyweight clubs are one of the major changes in the sport since the last European Championships.

Another is the increased visibility and exposure - also for better or worse.

Midback veteran Nilla Fischer told DN as early as 2015 how she, as a woman on a male-dominated stage , lives with net hatred. At the same time, threats and hatred in recent years have also become a major issue for the men's national team, but then often linked to specific match situations.

Have you been affected yourself?

- I would not call it net hatred but I also think it is because you are a bit injured, says Magdalena Eriksson.

- I know that I will receive comments that it is wrong to be gay, that it is contrary to human nature and such. If it's online hate, then I've got it. But if someone were to criticize me as a football player, I would take on more than if someone thinks it's disgusting that I'm gay, because I'm so confident with that part and I know exactly where I stand.

She goes on to say whether a football player today needs to be equipped for net hatred:

- It is something I have mentally prepared myself for, thinking that I may have to deal with now during the European Championships.

- I think that the more media attention we get, the more we are seen everywhere, the more individual mistakes and such pieces can also get more criticism. Should we not perform as we want in the European Championships, we must be prepared for criticism, with good reason. We should be able to handle that. But hatred and threats, death threats, racism and homophobia - we will report that.

This summer's European Championships in England are expected to be the biggest championships in women's football ever.

Tickets for the final at Wembley sold out in an hour.

For the Swedish part, the goal is clearer than ever: It will be gold.

- But I do not like to talk so much about the end goal or to float away, because for me it is obvious and it has always been, says "Magda".

She sits on a worn wooden bench at Enskede IP and remembers all the training hours of her childhood:

- I was never the most technical in our team or the one who could do the nicest tricks. But I have always loved to train, I love to get better, I love to develop and I simply love football. I think that's what has taken me far.

[miamignonette]

Honestly, I'd say most Europeans don't actually mind Americans (for the most part). We actually really like American tourists if they just:

a) actually understand which country/city they're in and know a little bit about its culture (because each country has a very distinct culture, and some things are acceptable in one country but not the other)

b) are not excessively loud or too overly excited in public (like, of course, you are allowed to get excited, but Americans get very loud about it usually lmao)

c) remember not to stop in the middle of sidewalks in the cities and not to stand in the bike lanes (in the countries that have bike lanes, of course)

d) learn how to at least say something like "Hi" or "Thank you" in the country's main language/s (a French waiter will like you a thousand times more if you greet them with a "Bonjour" or "Bonsoir". I mean, they might still be rude, but they'll probably be less rude)

Those are just a few tips from me, and I live in a major European city that gets a lot of American tourists, so I figure I have some credibility when it comes to this 😅

I hope you have lots of fun on your trip 🫶

oooooh ok thank you so much for the tips!! i’m a really quiet person so hopefully i won’t have too much trouble fitting in overall 🤞 and yeah my dad has been to france before (one of the places we’re visiting) and he’s told me that it’s best to at least greet people in french, but i’m going to try learning some more french for good measure :)

[thefinalsnart]

SNART !!! did we lose the dgm wiki? thats just rude how will my adhd dgm ass surVIVE !!! anyways, i saw ur post and i am here to shARE some thors as the keyword dgm summoned me !!!! 🫡🧡 (also i just found the wiki. the just sont have reevers anymore? scoff!!!!)

ANYWAYS johnny with a southern accent that he kinda tries to shake off bcos he becomes so self conscious at the order !!! they tease him about the way he pronounces things but when he manages to hide his accent they all go "wait :( johnny what r u doing :(" and promptly apologize way too much, trying to compensate for making him feel bad. in truth, he didnt mask it bcos of their teasing, but simply bcos he was kinda alone w the accent and it bothered him personally JSJSJSJ

also reever is both head of the science division but his most important (important!!!! 😤) job is head of the spider-and-other-bugs extermination division! hes seen Some Shit in australia and is therefor rarely ever bothered by the silly little european bugs. he always lets them out with a glass and a paper and a nonchalant air that annoys everyone bcos that waS A GIANT SPIDER W EGGS MY DUDE! but he simply goes on w his day, arriving when called. lavi once called him bcos of a toad in the library, which no one ever lets him live down. lavi defends himself by saying he couldnt see what it was between the books, except that it was slimy and breathing! 🫡

i watch some tiktoks (</3) with this german couple about stereotypes of german people and i swear. half the time i just see link and giggle, kicking my feet. theyre so hilarious, its like 'going on a biking trip' and hes SO overly prepared with stuff and the partner wants to have nice chats while they bike in the scenery :) and he just goes 'i am trying to keep my speed and breathing steady. we can look at the scenery in silence' AND JUST. SKSKSKSK some of them doesnt fit him as well obviously, but its my main form of entertainment when i want to think of link in Situations. i think their handle is Liam Carpenter if tiktoks youe thing!!!!!!

i hope ur ride is bearable and thinking of dgm makes it worthwile !!!!! 🥰

- @alienaiver ✨

My heart skipped a beat that Reever’s wiki page was gone, but I was able to find it 🫡 he is still with us!! But it can be hell to find pages on fandom wikis sometimes if only I had the skills and knowledge to make an independent dgm wiki… life could be dream…

JOHNNY 😭 He is so sweet, I would cry if I heard him trying to hide his accent… I can see him with a Southern or Appalachian accent for sure, I’m thinking like. The voices Justin and Griffin McElroy do in The Adventure Zone: Amnesty.

Also I realized… I can just look up where people with the last name Gill are from in the US? It’s just a headcanon but I got curious and—

It seems before and close to the start of D Gray Man, most people in the US with the last name Gill were from the South! The data is agreeing with you, Johnny just might be a southern boy. 🤠 Thinking about it, his name does have a southern ring to it, it sounds right in the accent. I can also see Johnny saying things like “bless your heart,” or “over yonder,” “fixin.” Different southern slang. I think it fits.

SHDHSHSH REEVER IS ON CREEPY CRAWLIES DUTY 🫡 GOOD LUCK BROTHER!! But knowing Reever I think he’d be so sweet to those bugs… carefully cupping and releasing them… usually he’s nonchalant but once in a while he’ll be like “what a beauty,” like Steve Irwin and no one understands why because he’ll be holding a GINORMOUS SPIDER. I love him.

I ACTUALLY KNOW EXACTLY WHO YOUR TALKING ABOUT SHDHDHCHDH. I too watch Liam’s videos on occasion to put Link in the Situations in my head AHSHSHDHD. You’re right I don’t think all of em fit Link but it’s still so fun to watch and think about!

Apologies for answering this over a week later, but thank you for chatting with me about dgm Nohr !!! it is always the best 💕💖💕

[mahayanapilgrim]

Oct 24 is the birthday anniversary of writer and explorer Alexandra David-Néel, born in Saint-Mandé, France, in 1868. "She had an unhappy childhood, the only child of bitter parents who fought all the time. She tried running away over and over, starting when she was two years old. As a teenager, she traveled by herself through European countries, including a bike trip across Spain.

When she was 21, she inherited money from her parents, and she used it all to go to Sri Lanka. She worked as an opera singer for a while to finance her travels. She was especially interested in Buddhism. She disguised herself as a Tibetan woman and managed to get into the city of Lhasa, which at that time was off-limits to foreigners. She became fluent in Tibetan, met the Dalai Lama, practiced meditation and yoga, and trekked through the Himalayas, where she survived by eating the leather off her boots and once saved herself in a snowstorm with a meditation that increases body temperature. She became a Tantric lama in Tibet when she was 52 years old. And she wrote about it all. Her most famous book is Magic and Mystery in Tibet

(1929), in which she wrote:

'Then it was springtime in the cloudy Himalayas. Nine hundred feet below my cave, rhododendrons blossomed. I climbed barren mountain-tops. Long tramps led me to desolate valleys studded with translucent lakes...Solitude, solitude!..Mind and senses develop their sensibility in this contemplative life made up of continual observations and reflections. Does one become a visionary or, rather, is it not that one has been blind until then?'

She died in 1969, at the age of 101, a few months after renewing her passport. She was a big influence on the Beat writers, especially Allen Ginsberg, who converted to Buddhism after reading some of her teachings." - The Writer's Almanac, October 24, 2019

[bcacstuff]

Still think Sam will spend a lot of time UK/EUR before OL shoots in Aug. He's been following several European bike enthusiasts, 2 Frenxh women in particular. MIK3 needs to help intro BOMB and a tour of the Fraser French historical lands is the ticket. Plus GMTs new wife coukd serve as co-exec producer with her new husband. Road trip around 🇫🇷 is the most logical next step.

MIK3!!! OMG, we haven't seen anything about releasing MIK2 at this point! Only the 'soon-ish' and 'it's ready'.

And no, if, and that's a big IF, there's going to be filming of MIK3 I don't think France. Either it'll be the US, or, as S expressed a number of times before, he'd like to do it in India or somewhere in Asia. But I think we've yet to see the release of MIK2 before MIK3 gets even approved.

BTW. Again, his followings and where they are located doesn't say much about his whereabouts or where he might go. He has also been following bike accounts in Amsterdam and other places.

[weirdthoughtsandideas]

So I decided to take out my roller skates now that it’s practically summer in the north.

And the biggest obstacle there is I’ve found with roller skating, is crossing the street.

First of all, every crossing of the street has these stones at every end of the crossing. These stones are your biggest enemies and is the number 1 cause of tripping. I mean these if you didn’t know:

There’s also crossings like this:

You’re rolling straight down. And then there’s a little dig down so you can easily get down. BUT…

As you notice, it’s covered in gravel. Easy to slip in, especially if you’re coming in fast. And the cars here are coming rather fast too. Of course they are the ones responsible to stop at a crossing, but if you’re coming in too fast they may not react in time.

My town is a bike town. It’s very accessible to bikes everywhere and I have been able to use the bike lanes when roller skating. The only problem is that… roller skates are not like bikes.

A bike has breaks you can hit easily. Of course you can stop movement on roller skates, but it’s much harder and tbh needs a lot of practice.

Also, my town has a classic european build with lots of stone roads. It leads to stuff like this

A bike can easily get past this stone part and continue. With roller skates? You can’t skate on stone roads. Or, well, you can, but it’s very wobbly. I’m not saying it’s impossible to get past with roller skates, but it takes skills and also to be prepared to leap. And leaping means you also need to do that without risking to fall.

Anyway I had to take off my skates because I felt it was too unsafe and then I had to carry them super far because there was no good place to put them on again.

I’m just gonna say, european towns are not designed for roller skates. You can easily skate on bike lanes and roads if you look out for cars, but then it’s gonna be harder than for a bike when you are crossing streets or even stopping.

Also Europe, especially in the north, you can also skate during like 5 months of the year. Maybe only 3 in some places. So it’s really just a summer activity.

”Isn’t there any roller skate rinks?” There is. But they are not at all common. Ice rinks we have all year around, we have ice rink arenas and in winter you can ice skate outside. But roller skate rinks… the one closest to me is like 3-4 hours away. So skating outside is kinda the only option.

[winnieyaaang]

Last blog, January 23: Reflect on your time in Europe. What was your favorite structure, and why? What was your favorite country, and why? What was your favorite city, and why? Finally, look back on your personal goals for the trip. Did you meet them? Be specific with your evidence & anecdotes.

My favorite structure is La Sagrada Familia, the most famous landmark of Barcelona. It is one of the most iconic examples of Gaudi's unique style. The use of lights and colors in La Sagrada Familia's interiors has left me with a deep impression. The large, vibrant stained-glass windows paint the basilica's interior with beautiful colors. La Sagrada Familia has been under construction for 140 years, which makes this structure unbelievable. I love to learn about how the death of Gaudi and the Spanish Civil war impacted the construction of La Sagrada Familia.

Barcelona is my favorite city because of its stunning architecture, great urban design, and diverse culture. First, Barcelona has a mix of gothic and modern architecture, such as Catedra de Barcelona, Park Guell, and La Pedrera – Casa Mila. Gaudi's unique style and designs amazed me. Most of his works are located in Barcelona, including my favorite structure La Sagrada Familia. Second, Barcelona appears to be very walkable with supper islands – nine-block grids that reclaim streets from cars and turn them into the pedestrian island for walking. Barcelona is a transit-oriented city with a well-developed public transport network, including metro, trams, and buses. The city also has extensive and well-laid-out bike lanes. Third, Barcelona has a surprisingly large Chinese population, with many amazing Chinese restaurants. I had authentic Chinese food and great boba tea in the city. I walked past two Chinese markets that sell Asian food and snacks on my walk near the hotel. I also constantly hear people speaking Chinese on the street of Barcelona. These all reflect that there is great cultural diversity in Barcelona. 

Even though we were only in Spain for four days, Spain is my favorite country. I enjoyed every moment in Spain and was astonished by its structures, history, culture, and food. I had a wonderful experience walking on the street of Barcelona to explore the city in my free time.

I met all my personal goals for this trip. First, I learned much about modern urban design and how European cities balance cars and walking traffic through my time in Nice and Barcelona. Second, after researching and learning about Villa Savoye and its architect Le Corbusier, I finally visited the villa and presented at the site. Third, I went to many famous structures that I have dreamed of visiting for a long time, such as the Colosseum, St Peter's Basilica, and La Pedrera – Casa Mila. Lastly, I had great cultural experiences in every city we have been to and learned so much about each city's unique history, traditions, and customs.