Jennifer Baljko - on my way

On My Way

Where in the world is Jennifer? "On the road somewhere" is probably the right answer.

Here's a calendar of recent and upcoming trips plus travel tales, random ramblings and other observations about a life abroad.

For feature-length articles, photos and multimedia clips related to these trips or other comings and goings, please email me at jenn@jenniferbaljko.com.

2008 Anticipated Adventures: Germany; parts of Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary; Croatia; the Balearic Islands, and South America

2007 Wanderings: Barcelona and surroundings; Venice; Mongolia; Ecuador; New York, and Munich

2006 Wanderings: Barcelona and surroundings; Egypt; Pamplona; San Francisco; New York; Cairns; Papua New Guinea, and Croatia.

Comings and Goings:

Pamplona: Weighing Risk and Reward

In early July, locals and visitors will flock to Pamplona for the annual San Fermin Festival. They will sing, dance, party until dawn, and then in the early mornings, they will run with the bulls. Yes, the highlight of the fiesta is for folks to sprint through the streets as fast as they can, and hope that the very big, and very angry, bulls charging behind them won't trample or gorge them to death.

Frankly, I'm a bit concerned about that part. I found out a couple weeks ago that I will have the good fortune of being in Pamplona for part of the festival. I don't know if I'll actually find the courage to hurl myself in front of a 1,000 pound animal intent on getting me out of his way. First, I like my life - and limbs - just the way they are, thank you very much. And, second, I'm sure "running with bulls" is a clause in the dangerous activities section of my health insurance contract, you know, the section where they tell you they won't pay for injuries sustained as a result of your own irrationality or stupidity.

Then again, travel - and life - isn't always about being rational, cautious and following the safest route. Sometimes, the most rewarding experiences - the ones that bring you closer to the culture and the people you're there to see and to meet - come from taking a chance, maybe even risking a bit of personal security. Sure, there are things to factor in when you make these kinds of choices, and the most obvious calculation is determining whether the risk is worth the reward. I just wish bulls weren't part of equation.

Barcelona: Football, Europe Style

While the countdown for the World Cup ticks down and soccer enthusiasts around the globe anxiously wait for the games to begin in Germany, Barcelona football fans are already walking around with a glow on their faces.

A few weeks ago, the hometown favorite and one of the more well-known teams in soccer circles, beat England's Arsenal for the prestigious Champions League title. Fans packed auditoriums and bars around the city to watch the match, and when the final whistle blew and Barcelona was up 2-1, the celebration poured into the streets. At 1 a.m., more than 100,000 people, decked out in blue and red-striped shirts, flags and caps, were still partying near Plaça Catalunya and the Rambla, and the team's fight songs were chanted on the streets for days afterwards.

Growing up in the States, I never really understood what the worldwide obsession was with soccer. Now, living in Europe, it's hard to understand how people in the States could not be obsessed with the sport. There's a vitality to it, an energy that allows even the most common Joe to be part of the bigger team of life. Maybe, that's the team we should be cheering on anyway.

Barcelona: Castells and the Human Spirit

Castell season is underway, and it's time to watch the Catalans reach for the heavens. The castellers, or those who build human towers, always bring back memories of my first trip to Barcelona. I happened upon this bizarre display of human strength and dexterity while meandering through Barri Gòtic several years ago.

Even now, when I watch them climb to new heights, I'm reminded of how lucky I am to be able to travel, to turn the corner and find something totally unexpected. Like the castell tradition, travel is a testament to the human spirit, a spirit that wants to soar higher and try to touch the sky.

Barcelona: There's More Than Food at the Local Market

I love food. All kinds of food. But, what I am coming to love more are the places where I can buy food. In Barcelona, and around Spain and Europe in general, neighborhood markets have a culture all their own. And every one of them - there are 40 food markets alone in Barcelona plus another half dozen or so that sell only flowers, birds, books and other specialty items - moves at a slightly different tempo, filling in gaps of a daily routine.

Still a new-comer to the city, I am adjusting my no-nonsense American pace to fit into a life that moves differently than at home. I'm finding my rhythm somewhere between the stalls of fresh fish, fiery red peppers and dangling legs of Iberian ham.

Egypt: Life Beyond the Pyramids

Many people visiting Egypt opt to float down the Nile on a cruise boat or a felucca. But, we're not your "normal" travelers. We went by foot through the dusty streets of Kom Ombo, by third-class train to Edfu and by bike through the Valley of the Kings. We saw the things you would expect to see in Egypt, like the pyramids, Abu Simbel, the Temple of Isis at Philae, tons of hieroglyphics and other works of art that reflect the wonderful things humans can create. Stories about man's glorious victories and humbling defeats were on every wall.

While we marveled at the larger-than-life sites hugging the Nile, we discovered that the real stories were beyond the monuments. The stories were in the streets, being told by boys helping their fathers harvest garlic, by kids swimming in the tributaries, and by people working on the streets and in the markets.

We found more stories in the new library in Alexandria, built very close to the site of the ancient one. But, they still didn't compare to those lying on the shore of the Mediterranean. In Alexandria, where the river meets the sea, life moves at a different pace than in the desert or the delta. Fishing is a major source of income, and fleets of ships line the harbor. Fisherman haul in almost anything that swims, and deliver the goods by whatever means possible.

Even though we were a world away from the familiar, the comforts of home were never too far away. Things like Twinkies and some version of Coca-Cola seemed to be readily available. I suppose, regardless of where we come from or where we end up, we all want to enjoy the sweetness life has to offer, and crave a bit of friendship along the way.

Catalonia: The Calçotada

There are some Catalan traditions that are quickly growing on me. One of them is the calçotada. This get-your-hands-dirty-mega-feast features green onions, which are in season during the winter months and are larger than the ones you find at your local grocery store. The calçots are charred over vine embers and wrapped in newspaper. When they find their way to your table, the idea is to unpeel the black skins, dip the fleshy part into a nutty-tomato sauce and then, with your neck tipped back to the perfect angle, pop them into your mouth. Add some barbequed lamb, cava and a custard-filled dessert and you're sure to be waddling out the door.

Croatia: Living the Old-Fashioned Way

I'm in Croatia to brush up on my language skills and reap even more from my ancestral past. On the island of Ugljan, a stone's throw from Zadar on the central Dalmatian coast, I pick olives from trees planted by my great grandparents and live in the three-room house where my father and grandfather were born.

With the sound of waves and church bells whispering in my ears, a different kind of adrenalin runs through my veins. It's the kind of rush that comes from discovering something long embedded in your soul, but at the same time, is distinctively unfamiliar. What do I know about picking olives - me, a city-girl with urban DNA? Not much at all. What I do know, though, is that the rhythm of Croatian life has been passed down to me through the ages. Its pace forces me to get grit under my fingernails, push through the pain of working the land and, in the end, appreciate the reward of a life lived well, a reward that comes in the form of liquid gold straight off the olive press. Živjeli!