Traveling by train/ Carlos Pueblo

Traveling by train/ Carlos Pueblo

In two weeks, I shall return to visit Europe. I am considering again for a

trip by train. Eurail has a multi nations plan which I can select 4 nations

with a non-consecutive 9 days trip for about US$700, of course, I include

the additional tax when reserve the ticket. I evaluate the cost and the

feasibility during the four nations trip, Ireland, Germany, France, and Spain,

by comparing with those train trip which I have done in Taiwan, Japan, and

Spain.

$700 for 9 days train trip means that average trip must be about US$80 to

be called even, don’t you think? This is why I am thinking. Taiwan is a small

island nation with 11 thousand square miles in size, one high speed rail about

200 miles long on the west coastal line and a traditional rail system around

the island. I have done that across the island by rail twice, one trip is within 12

hours period in a day including two sit down lunch and dinner. I don’t believe

that I can pass US$80 a day train pass, instead, I practice with a senior discount

on each train trip in Taiwan to visit townships in short distance.

Traveling by train in Japan is amazing and fantastic. I have done it twice, one

week and two week passes, which have covered most cities in the nation. In

Japan, you can take high speed rail, Shinkansen across the nation, and along with

the traditional rail system. Once you get familiar with the JRPass, you can utilized

the availability of such rail system. Because I attempted to get even with my cost for

those two passes, I had reached north to Otaru, north of Sapporo in Hokkaido, and

south to Hakata/Fukuoka on the northern tip of Kyushu. Shinkansen is very fast with

frequent schedule which I can visit two cities in a day. With JRPass, you don’t pay

additional tax and reserve a ticket.

High speed rail in Spain called AVE is also very convenient as well, especially the

station is inside the traditional rail station, not as in Japan while there are two

stations separated except in Tokyo or Taipei of Taiwan. From Barcelona to Malaga,

a 6 hours AVE ride, is well above US$80 daily average cost that I feel better already.

For short distance ride, I must take a round trip visit in order to get that cost even

and it is due to that fact I miss Granada Moors Palace visit, Alhambra., therefore, I

must go back to Spain again. This time to Europe, I shall try local air flight and local

train in combination. I’ll travel between capital cities in air and  by local township

by train, a town at a time for 6 weeks.

   

坐火車/莊峻華

坐火車/莊峻華

再過兩週餘，我就要重訪歐洲，正在考慮，是否再坐火車？歐洲各

國，均有完善之鐵路網，我在考慮，是否合算？初步估計，兩個月

在愛爾蘭，德國，法國，和西班牙，乘坐九日火車，約要七百美金

，於是我開始比較坐火車旅行，在台灣，在日本，在美國，和在歐

洲。

我曾在台灣，坐火車兩次環繞台灣，一次從台北經花蓮，台東，高

雄，高鐵回台北，中間在花蓮下車買便當，台東車上吃便當，左營

餐廳坐下晚餐，約12小時完成。有次從台北搭火車到台中過夜，再

搭火車到虎尾，再到高雄，再到花蓮過夜，再回台北，如此約是一

週時間，台灣好像沒有短期週票販賣，但有敬老票折扣，現在回台灣

，不在坐火車，而是搭巴士，桃園機場直達台中，台中客運到虎尾，

回程從虎尾統聯客運到台北，完幾天後，再搭專門機場巴士到桃園。

日本鐵道，有週劵販賣，我買過一週和兩週，行程北達北海道小樽市

，南達福岡博多，日鐵新幹線班次很多，而且無需劃座，非常方便，

新幹線車站，在古老車站外，但接駁方便，重點是週劵上車，無需再

繳費。

西班牙坐火車，也很方便，也可以在國外買到優待劵，但最大折扣給

24歲以下者，每次上車需要繳約11歐元稅，快車約七歐元稅，如果

九日來回，需要再加兩百歐元稅，西班牙班次尚多，但不像日鐵，搭

日鐵，就像搭計程車一樣方便。

我在美國東部，坐過火車，從康乃迪克之新海文站，坐到新倫敦站，

這是美國官營火車，在東北部尚稱流行，也有一次，從巴地摩爾市，

誤搭火車到華府，很有趣，因為我弄錯火車為地下鐵。美國好像沒有

火車週劵販賣，火車票算是貴，而且不普遍，像休市好像就無火車，

這是美國第四大城市。

為了解決我的七百美金，歐洲火車旅費，我計劃搭飛機，使用一些哩

數機票，然後當地買票坐火車，如此可以停留在大都市，較長時間，

無需煩惱，撈不回週劵本錢。

First returning visit to Europe/ Carlos Pueblo

First returning visit to Europe/ Carlos Pueblo

I have just finished my last Europe trip journal and I have already been planning

to my first returning visit for next month for two months. My plan is taking off on

the 16^th of September to London for 10 days, transferring to Frankfurt, Germany

for 12 days, then Paris, France for two weeks, and then Spain for the rest of time

remaining for the Transatlantic Cruise from Barcelona to Houston. My precondition

is a successful cataract procedure a week later. The returning flight will be in June

of 2016 due to the same re-position ship from Houston to Barcelona in April, 2016.

I shall flight from Frankfort to Houston directly.

I feel that Europe is very interesting which helps me understand the world. When I

was writing my journal, I did check some reference including some old movies. It is

like a history review or listening to a story. President Obama mentioned something

about the Islam in the middle east, Africa, and Moors Cordoba during his speeches

at Cairo University, Kenya, Ethiopia, and American University in D.C. He encourages

the Muslim nations to open up to the current world and still maintain their tradition

value like Japan and South Korea.

What his talking about is the world divide of 1492 when Philip and Isabella expelled

the Granada Moors to end the Islam Golden Era, Muslim nations seem never be

recover from such set back even to nowadays. Isabella financed Columbus journey

to discover America started a new Spanish Golden Era which derived some current days

history of Britain, France, and Germany. Current Spanish King, Felipe VI, carries her

husband’s name, Felipe of Aragon.  Obama did mention that Moors Cordoba medical

school. Before 1492, a branch of Muslim from Damascus, the 2^nd Caliphate Umayya,

through North Africa had ruled Spain and Southern Europe for 800 years left lots of Castles.

This group called the Moors were purged by the 3^rd Caliphate Uthman in Bagdad. This is

the famous of Arabian night originated. His dynasty also encountered a war with the

great Dong Dynasty of China in India, one Caliphate even sent 4000 Muslim army to

China to help Dong Emperor to conquer a famous An-Shih rebellion. Their later generation

becomes the current day Chinese Muslim.

I also want to mention an old group of nomad in old China, Dong Dynasty at that time

called Uyghur which still keeps the same name at present. This group went west to current

day Turkey built Ottoman Empire. This group had been converted to Muslim and ended

the famous Byzantine, Eastern Roman Empire. Current Chinese regime has a Uyghur

separation problem also involved current day Turkey. Uyghur and Turks are the same race.

Europe also has an interesting story of the Huns which were from current day of North China

, north of the great wall of China. Attila of the Huns almost reached Rome while that Ottoman

Had reached to the city wall of Vienna. 

重遊歐洲/莊峻華

重遊歐洲/莊峻華

剛寫完春遊歐洲後，又開始準備，重遊歐洲，我的想法是，九月中旬，

搭機前往德國，其間路過倫敦十日，再飛抵法蘭克佛市，再德國停留

12日後，飛往巴黎，兩週後越界到西班牙，在巴塞隆納候船，郵輪渡

過大西洋，兩週餘抵達休市海港，萬事俱備，只欠東風，再過一週，我

有一白內障小手術，需要一切順利。回程機票，訂在明年六月，四月中

，搭原船回歐洲，在歐洲逛上六週後，從法蘭克佛飛回休市。

我覺得歐洲很有趣，幫忙我了解世界。回家後，開始寫遊記，其間參考

一些資訊，也看些古老影片，好像聽故事，讀歷史一般之心情，歐巴瑪

總統，七年來發表一些演講，在開羅大學，在伊索比亞，在肯亞，最近

在華府美國大學，不斷提到回教文明，提到摩爾王朝，提到西班牙可多

巴之摩爾醫學院，鼓勵回教徒要有自信，接受近代文明，並非拋棄固有

文化，他特別舉日本和南韓為例。

總統講的是，1492年，這一年，天主教之兩國親王，征服摩爾王朝，結

束八百年回教統治，開始西班牙黃金時期，菲律普之太座，伊莎培拉女王

，資助哥倫布，發現新大陸，她之後代，今皇菲律普六世，仍舊住在馬德               

里，掛其夫婿大名。之前八百年，默汗默德第二代傳人，首都設在今日敘

利亞之大馬士革，被今日伊拉克巴格達之，第三代回教傳人驅逐，他的後

人，沿著北非摩洛哥，渡海到西班牙，葡萄牙，南義大利，和南法國。歐

巴瑪提到摩洛哥王國，是外交承認美國之第一國，我尚未考證之中之法國。

也在故事中，衍生出一些常識，天荒夜譚，就是來自這第三代，回教王朝，

當然和近代伊朗之祖先大食有關，其實跟中國回教徒也有關，這位回教國

王，答應唐明皇之懇求，派遣四千回教軍隊，經過中亞洲絲路到中國，協

助平定安祿山和史思明之亂，這四千回兵，就在中國定居，影響到回紇之

信仰，回紇和當今新疆之維吾爾族，和當今之土耳其國有關，都是在這次

旅行西班牙後，才豁然開朗。

其實歷史影片中，提到為何伊莎培拉要資助哥倫布？因為中東和南亞，已

經被奧圖曼，剛才提到之回紇，維吾爾，土耳其人擋住，奧圖曼甚至兵臨

維也納城下，奧圖曼統治南歐六百年，這是我也想參觀之歐洲。再此段歷

史之前，也有一段匈奴之故事，中歐之阿替拉大王，曾經征服今日之德國，

之前在中國漢朝前，大單于匈奴和中國人對峙幾千年。

旅行歐洲，再讀歷史，觀看今日國際政治，包括台灣和中國，真是萬千感

慨，我真需要煩惱時事歷史？

Doing the yard work/ Carlos Pueblo

Doing the yard work/ Carlos Pueblo

I usually do not do yard work at home such as mowing and watering the grass.

We have hired landscaper to maintain regular chore while auto sprinkler system

does the watering. Amy loves yard work, for example, purchasing different kinds

soils for the garden and sweeping the fallen leaves in the fall. I would come in to

help to trim the bushes, cutting down the dead trees and branches.

Recently, I find that I can do some yard work after the regular morning walk because

the outside weather is about right, 85 degree, before hitting 100 degree in the

afternoon., therefore, I replace two broken sprinkler connection. Once no leak on the

system, we can avoid the drying and hot weather. The chore has been delayed due to

wrong parts of the plastic screwing tube.

On the east side of the garage, there are four trees with shapes which are required

regular trimming in order to maintain good appearance. Three of them have been

over grown  and are too high for Amy to reach. I have been in and out of the back

door and felt that I should do something about it. After fixing the sprinkler system

and I felt some achievement and continue to do some yard work by going up to the

ladder. We do have a battery power trimmer for the job.

My landscaper noticed that I was working on a tree stump and advised me to forget it

because of hard work, I used an ax and hand saw. He would help me to finish the job

with his auto chain saw. It is 10 inches in diameter at the bottom and 5 inches in the

middle. This is a Nerium Oleander tree with beautiful pink flower in the spring. Last

year I cut down several dead branches to save the tree bottom up to 9 feet high, yet

the tree did try to regrow in vain. It has been a dry summer and the mushroom on the

trunk became dry. I decided to cut it down even with a hand saw.

Finally, the dead branches hanging on two tall trees, I also decided to bring them done.

One in the back yard, I could use a trim pole to get it down; another one on the sweet

gum in the front yard, I had to climb up hand saw it down. Usually we can hire the tree

people to do the job; however, the cost is not cheap at all.

庭院雜務/莊峻華

庭院雜務/莊峻華

平常我不作庭院雜務，聘人割草，解除一大宗；自動噴水，紓解乾旱；

為樹叢修枝，手鋸枯木。

歐洲旅行時，休市大雨成災，自此後不再有雨，夏日炙熱，庭院益顯

乾枯，於是隔日自動噴水前後院，自動噴水設備，常為割草機壓斷，

愛美只好關閉兩區噴水，改成灑水，夏日酷熱費時，非常不便，我買

之零件塑膠接頭，呎吋正確，但裝不上地下塑膠管，我正納悶，鄰居

割草師傅見狀，願意幫忙，要價十元，回家後，愛美始曰，師傅忙碌，

忘記該事，一日我剛好順道大賣店，買上幾條塑膠接頭，果然呎吋吻

合，庭院恢復自動噴水。

昨日鋸下一棵枯株，就是去年病死之夾竹桃，枯株上已經開始漲靈芝，

靈芝又被枯乾，非常不雅觀，車庫扭轉彈簧換好後，打開車庫大門，取

出手鋸，坐在小板凳上，鐵杵磨針，果然鋸下九呎高枯木，再手鋸分成

兩段。遺下樹頭約一呎高，我又磨斧，開始劈柴，割草師傅曰，太辛苦

矣，他有電鋸，果然方便，樹頭直徑十吋，腰桿直徑五吋。

庭院有樹叢，樹叢平日需修剪，如人理髮，若是低者，自動修剪機，容

易運轉，稍高者，需用站梯，若高達車庫屋頂，則需用架梯依在屋簷，

有一日發心幫忙，爬上架梯，為樹理髮。

美國鄰居講究者，聘請整樹者，就是定期修剪樹幹枯枝，我一直不習慣

也不喜歡。鋸下枯枝後，真是一不做，二不休，不及裝上新購鋸枝桿，

使用舊桿，鈎下提燈花樹枯枝，提燈花是我所定名，因其花似手提燈籠，

此數高達二樓屋頂，平訴我們就是等後枯枝，被地心引力落下，明日網

球局畢，我將取梯到前院，鋸下一香楓枯枝。

今年春初鋪草，幾乎失敗，因為大雨淹水，鄰居樹倒越界，又久旱無雨，

新草存活者渺，我準備明年春天，再鋪一次。

Repairing garage torsion springs/Carlos Pueblo

Repairing garage torsion springs/Carlos Pueblo

One day several months ago, the garage door could not be lift, neither electrically

nor manually. Finally, I found out one of the torsion springs was broken. You tube

provides many do it by yourself films, I therefore watched several before I left for

Europe and I was confident that I should be able to replace it by myself. I also learned

how to measure three numbers of the spring, line diameter, inner diameter, and the

length of the spring. After coming back home, I began to prepare the tools according to

the film, a pair of vice grits , 7/16 and 9/16 ranch, a stand ladder can hold at least 280 lbs.

and a pair of safety glasses, moving light stand etc. Almost all my friends and relative

discouraged me when they heard my attempt because of injury might occur. I thought

the principle of the torsion spring was potential energy, a very interesting physics, as long

as I watched closely to release or tie up the spring, I should be alright. Ming Chia referred

me to his mechanic for the job and indicated that the cost was not that much.

This Senior Jose came from Mexico in 1978 when he was 16 with his sister. Now he is a

garage door expert specially for commercial garage door, repairing and installation. From

the way his talking and doing the job, I know that he is very successful, it is a successful

immigrant story. He has a house on a two acres lot which I envy very much. When he releases

the spring tension, he would hold that 9/16 ranch on the screw tie and roll the rod. This makes

the safety for no accident outburst. The difficult part was releasing one set of spring rod lock

on one side due to tie nod at the installation and  limited room for the electrical ranch due to

add on sheet rock from the previous owner. He brought in a pair of my springs size, 2.18 inches

line diameter, 2 inches inner diameter, and 25 inches length. I asked him how long would this new

pairs last, he was not quite sure because nowadays the material were all recycled. He is successful

therefore, he has his own opinion towards he world, capitalism. IRS, social security, and immigration

etc. which were all very interesting and that was why a 20 minutes job took 3 hours to complete.

I know the springs keep the energy by stored tension, preciously 28 turns for a 7 feet high door.

when you lift the heavy door by a little tough, the door would go up and down automatically and

easily which is an amazing mechanical engineering. He can tell where to re-adjust the turn to make

the door up and down properly and this is why the auto door opener motor is small power required.

We used to have a different kind of garage door at the old Traviata property and different kinds of

problem, either the opener or the small wheel out of track. It was a chain kind of garage opener

because my painter built a garage not high enough to install the torsion spring type opener. I still

remembered the hardship to close or open the old garage door during the winter.