If you want the fastest local installation for this model, use standard pip packages.
Proceed by following the technical instructions below.
No manual effort needed; the setup auto-ingests the large data.
The program scans your VRAM and RAM to seamlessly apply optimal configurations.
🛠 Hash code: 0805a0113f9f9faee789c3a3ebaef23e — Last modification: 2026-07-04
Processor: Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 for basic 7B models
RAM: fast 5600MHz+ required to avoid memory bottlenecks
Disk Space: free: 80 GB on system drive for scratch space
Graphics: CUDA Compute Capability 8.0+ required for flash-attention
The Qwen3.6-27B-FP8 model represents a significant leap in large language models, combining a 27 billion parameter architecture with cutting‑edge FP8 quantization to deliver unprecedented efficiency. It supports an extended context window of up to 128 K tokens, enabling nuanced understanding of long documents and complex reasoning tasks. State‑of‑the‑art benchmarks show that the model rivals or exceeds previous 27B‑scale models while requiring roughly half the memory footprint during inference. The FP8 precision not only reduces storage requirements but also accelerates inference on modern GPU hardware, making real‑time applications more feasible for developers. A concise
summarizing key specifications is provided below for quick reference.
Overall, Qwen3.6-27B-FP8 offers a compelling blend of performance, efficiency, and scalability for both research and production environments.
Parameter
Value
Model Name
Qwen3.6-27B-FP8
Parameters
27 B
Quantization
FP8
Context Length
128K tokens
Memory Footprint (FP16)
~54 GB
Setup tool installing single-binary Llamafile servers for isolated corporate networks
Qwen3.6-27B-FP8 Locally via LM Studio Full Method FREE
Script downloading custom face-restoration models for local post-processing
Run Qwen3.6-27B-FP8 Locally via Ollama 2 Quantized GGUF 5-Minute Setup FREE
Downloader pulling vision-encoder model layers for local automated device checking hardware protocols
Launch Qwen3.6-27B-FP8 on AMD/Nvidia GPU One-Click Setup 2026/2027 Tutorial Windows FREE
Downloader pulling hyper-efficient model variants tailored for mobile application tests
Run Qwen3.6-27B-FP8 Offline on PC One-Click Setup No-Code Guide
Script downloading modern cross-encoder weights for refining local RAG pipeline operations
Qwen3.6-27B-FP8 Using Pinokio Windows FREE
Script fetching context-extended models with custom ROPE scaling
Zero-Click Run Qwen3.6-27B-FP8 via WebGPU (Browser) No Python Required For Beginners FREE
Processor: Intel i7 / Ryzen 7 for heavy Quantized models
RAM: 48 GB needed to prevent memory swapping to disk
Disk: 150+ GB for high-context vector database storage
GPU: 16 GB+ video memory highly recommended for exl2 / AWQ formats
Qwen3-VL-Embedding-2B is a compact yet powerful multimodal embedding model that processes text, images, and videos into a unified vector space. It leverages a vision-language transformer architecture with 2 billion parameters, delivering state‑of‑the‑art retrieval performance across diverse benchmarks. The model supports high‑resolution visual inputs and can handle up to 2048‑token text sequences, enabling flexible downstream tasks such as image search and cross‑modal retrieval. Its training pipeline incorporates large‑scale paired datasets, ensuring robust semantic alignment between modalities while maintaining computational efficiency. The resulting embeddings are widely adopted in production systems due to their fast inference and low memory footprint.
Spec
Value
Parameters
2 B
Embedding Dim
1024
Supported Modalities
Text, Image, Video
Max Text Tokens
2048
Max Image Resolution
1024×1024
Downloader pulling calibrated Whisper transcription models for SubtitleEdit
Qwen3-VL-Embedding-2B One-Click Setup FREE
Setup tool configuring MemGPT agent memory layers with local GGUF nodes
Launch Qwen3-VL-Embedding-2B on Your PC 5-Minute Setup
Downloader pulling micro-parameter language files for instantaneous automated notifications
How to Autostart Qwen3-VL-Embedding-2B with Native FP4 FREE
Script downloading specialized math reasoning checkpoints for scientists
Qwen3-VL-Embedding-2B on AMD/Nvidia GPU Full Method
Installer deploying local bark audio generation pipelines with custom speaker tokens arrays
How to Setup Qwen3-VL-Embedding-2B 100% Private PC Easy Build
Setup utility automating Hugging Face CLI model sync loops
How to Install Qwen3-VL-Embedding-2B Locally via LM Studio Uncensored Edition Dummy Proof Guide
For something like three or four years, Sheldon and I kept this blog up – writing posts at least weekly and telling people about how to take advantage of credit card rewards to “travel the free-way.” I think it goes without saying that we’ve fallen off for a bit. I wish I could say that I were reinvigorating the cause, but unfortunately too many other duties call at me to make this blog a priority again.
Even so, I’m compelled to write a bit – partially out of selfishness and partially out of selflessness. How can that be? Let me explain. Chase recently sent me a referral link for the business travel rewards credit card that I use – the Chase Ink Business Preferred Card. It seems they will offer me 20k points for each referral, up to a maximum of 5. I already passed along the link to a friend, so, selfishly, I’m hoping to round up 4 more and top up my Ultimate Rewards balance. That’s the selfish part.
Now the selfless part. I can’t tell you how many friends we inspired to jump on this bandwagon over the years and to my knowledge, none of them has filed for bankruptcy under a mountain of credit card, and dozens of them have taken incredible vacations – paid for in large part with points, not money. It’s a beautiful thing.
It’s also beautiful that at the moment this business travel rewards credit card is offering 100,000 points if you can spend $15k in the first three months. I realize that not everyone will have that much in typical expenses, but many business owners do, and it would make all the sense in the world to use those typical expenses to get the enormous bonus and start trip planning.
If the big up-front bonus on this card were the only attraction, it would still be worth it, but the card also offers 3x points “for each $1 of the first $150,000 spent each account anniversary year on combined purchases in the following rewards categories: shipping; social media and search engine advertising; travel; internet, cable, and phone services.” Click here for more details on these categories. If your business spends substantial amounts on these categories, this is the one and only credit card you should ever use.
The fine print? This card does have a $95 annual fee that is not waived the first year. But it also has a very unique benefit – cellphone protection up to $600 for theft or damage to any phone paid for with the card. It also has the Auto rental CDW coverage, so you can decline any coverage offered by the rental company. (Remind me to tell you sometime how that saved me from a $780 bill for a dent I put in a rental car when I backed into a baluster on a rainy evening in Slovenia).
Ok. Enough about the card – you can look at the benefits and decide for yourself, but let me start in on the fun part and tell you about what I’d suggest you do with your points hoard once its been accumulated. Let’s assume that $5000 of the $15,000 you spend in the first three months got you 3x points so once you’ve met the requirement, you have 125,000 Ultimate Rewards points burning a hole in your rewardpocket.
So let’s just assume that you are turning 40 years old in 2021 and your spouse has told you, “Let’s go anywhere you want to go.” Sadly you reply, we can’t go anywhere I want to go, we are in a COVID-world, so we can only go the places they will let us go. So then you start your wanderlusting the same place I have for the past 9 months – the the US News and World Report page, “Where can Americans Travel Right Now?”
The good news is that this list is actually starting look more robust now, and let’s say you home in on three options: The warm and incomparable islands of French Polynesia, the lush and rich cultural wonderland of Ireland, or the historic and fascinating city of Istanbul.
One of the best features of these points is that you can use them either as “cash” to book through their travel booking portal or transfer them to partners – including United, Air France KLM, Southwest, IHG, Marriott, Hyatt, and others. This allows you to be wise and use them efficiently. What does that mean? When used as cash through their portal, an Ultimate Reward point is essentially worth 1.25 cents. Sometimes you’re better off to transfer them to the airline, sometimes you’re better off to use the points. I just used United as an example and flying from Boise, here’s how it works out:
2 passengers
Airline Points
Cash Cost
UR for Cash
Boise-Tahiti (PPT)
140,000
$1,636
130,880
Boise-Ireland (DUB)
120,000
$1,710
136,800
Boise-Istanbul (IST)
132,000
$2,232
178,560
Bang for your points buck
So you can see that in this case it would be better to use the Ultimate Rewards as cash when booking to Tahiti, but take fewer UR to transfer them to the United to book both Ireland and Istanbul. Keep in mind that moving the UR to airline points, you may need to pay a small booking fee (usually less than $100). Also, if you’re really only at 125k UR, you may need to build up a few more or in some cases you can buy the small remaining points you need. In any case, it’s easy to see how this one card bonus can get you and your partner half-way around the world in any direction.
Hang with me – we are just getting to the fun part. What would you do in each of these epic locations?
Tahiti
Tahiti is easy – you spend every moment in one of these over-the-water bungalows. When you have a place like this, you have absolutely no reason to go anywhere else. Just stay here. All day, every day, until you have to leave.
Ireland
In Ireland you start by testing out your left-side-of-the-road driving skills. You’ll have to pay extra for a rental car that has an automatic transmission, so skimp and test your left-hand shifting skills, as well. Because Northern Ireland is part of the UK, you may need to skip that part while Coronavirus rules the world. No worry. Here’s an itinerary that will knock your Irish socks off. Keep in mind that it is extraordinarily tight – I don’t like the idea of crossing the pond for anything less than 10 days, so keep in mind that you could absolutely expand it – this is just an absolute minimum.
Day 1
Hop in the car and make your way to Castle Leslie – a magnificent castle estate where you can live like an Earl (what, even, is an Earl?). Take a traditional Irish breakfast in a spectacular setting or explore the grounds on foot or on horseback. The nearby town of Glaslough is idyllic – particularly Ambledown Cottage.
Castle Leslie the day we arrived
Day 2
Enjoy the morning on the castle grounds, but by lunchtime, make the 3 hour drive to Galway. When I was there, I stayed nearby in Peter’s Castle – one of the most incredible overnight experiences I’ve ever had. Not for luxury, but rather for authenticity – Peter is a stone mason and has been rebuilding the castle from ruins for two decades.
Peter and his castle
Day 3
Stroll the streets of Galway, but leave enough time to drive to the Cliffs of Moher and then on to Killarney.
The Cliffs of Moher
Day 4
Drive the “Ring of Kerry” taking special care to see the sheepdog demonstration, marvel at the lushness and check out the Muckross House – an old hunting lodge on the edge of Killarney National Park.
Watching the dogs work purely on the sound of different whistles was a fascinating thing to behold.
Day 5
No visit to Ireland would be complete without the chance to kiss the Blarney stone at Blarney Castle in Cork. Kiss it like you mean it and take your gift of gab onto the “Rock of Cashel” then crashel for the night somewhere near Kilkenny.
The Blarney Stone is actually a part of the castle – you have to hang upside down to kiss it.
Day 6
En route back to Dublin, stop in at Powerscourt Gardens for an impressive display of floral and botanical beauty.
Various specimens of beauty
Day 7
You can’t miss seeing Trinity College and the Book of Kells, among many other wonders of Dublin.
Trinity College
Istanbul
Start by watching the Netflix 6-episode series on Mehmet the Conquerer’s siege of then Constantinople – a radical hingepoint in religious world history. You may think – could I really spend an entire week in a single city? I’ll interrupt your thoughts to answer – yes, absolutely!
Day 1
Stay in the core of the historic city – near the Hagia Sophia. You’ll be shocked at what sumptuous lodging you can get for very little money – here’s a place that looks pretty nice and has rave reviews that would only set you back $550 for a week stay. From there you can attack all the sites – starting, of course, with the Hagia Sophia herself. Southern Spain and the city of Istanbul are some of the best remnants of a melded Christian and Muslim history, and no other place in the world embodies that more than this cathedral…err…mosque.
Marble details in the Hagia Sophia
Also, don’t miss the Basilica Cistern, particularly if you’re a Dan Brown fan and you enjoyed “Origin.” It’s definitely the most fascinated you’ll ever be by a water-storage system, not that there’s much competition. I’m underselling it, but that’s okay, just trust me.
The Basilica Cisctern
Day 2
Since I was a child I dreamt of visiting the Grand Bazaar – more than 4,000 shops occupying 61 streets. It did not disappoint. Get lost in this place and don’t come out until you’ve had your fill of Turkish Delight (a tasty sweet delicacy), ornate hand-loomed rugs, and any number of other wonders.
Me at the Grand Bazaar
Top this day off with a visit to the Blue Mosque, another iconic landmark.
The Blue Mosque
Day 3
Wander the cobbled path of Isitikal Street to Galata Tower and then onto Galata Bridge. Getting to the bridge isn’t so much about seeing it, as it is seeing the city from there as a vantage point.
Day 4
You’ve seen the marvels of the Grand Bazaar, now make your way to the Spice Bazaar. Close your eyes and experience it purely with your nose. Imagine that visitors to this city have been doing the same thing for thousands of years.
Clearly a pre-COVID pic
Later that night, see the spiritual ritual at the Hodjapasha Cultural Center.
Day 5
This is as much a dare as it is a suggestion. I dare you to take on the experience of having a Turkish Bath. Although, I’m not sure they are doing these during COVID 19-21+ because it is likely one of the most intimate things I have ever done and certainly the most intimate I have ever been with another man. Basically they get you naked and sweating under intense heat, and then they proceed to beat the living hell out of you. It’s literally like UFC but there’s no tapping out. Tap all you want, but the big hairy guy will not stop twisting you and beating you into submission. The honest truth is that you will feel amazing after it’s over, but give yourself a day to recover.
Day 6
The reason that Byzantium/Constantinople/Istanbul has become what it is today is of course because of its strategic location on the Bosphorus strait, between the Mediterranean (or technically the Sea of Marmara) and the Black Sea. Today you should take a cruise and see the seas as well as the Beylerbeyi Palace.
Photo from Viator.com
Day 7
Let’s make this day all about food. By now you will likely have your favorites and they will be many. When a place becomes such an intersection of varying cultures, it has a way of propagating the best combinations of each in the form of a most delicious array of options – pastries, meats, spicy-soupy vegetable concoctions, seafoods, and more. Take it all in without regrets.
This is the first of a two-part series I’m doing on my experience as a delegate from the American Council of Young Political Leaders to Vietnam and Malaysia. ACYPL is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization, internationally recognized as the pre-eminent catalyst for introducing rising political and policy professionals to international affairs and to each other. Their mission is to promote mutual understanding, respect and friendship and cultivate long lasting relationships among next generation leaders in the US and around the world. More at www.ACYPL.org.
A reporter from the US-Vietnam Society captured a moment in our visit to the Friendship Village in Hanoi. The Friendship Village is a home which was founded by a former United States service member for children and veterans who’ve suffered from the horrible effects of Agent Orange – a toxic herbicidal chemical that was spread all over the country to defoliate the jungle during the Vietnam War.
I was cheek to cheek with a former member of the Viet Cong Army. He’s pulled me in for such a tight embrace that I, although quite the touchy-feely kind, couldn’t help but be a little bit awkward. We had just exchanged recommendations that he eat more Idaho potatoes, and that I eat more Vietnamese rice before he took me in heartily in a half hug/half headlock.
It’s possible that this man could have had relatives of mine in his sights when he was in his twenties, but today, 42 years after American military and diplomatic forces were evacuated in Operation Frequent Wind, we are friends, and he is as happy to see me as I am him. It’s palpable evidence of what the Department of State told us before our departure – that 84% of Vietnamese have a favorable view of the United States.
For all but six years of the 20th Century, the s-shaped, coastal country of Vietnam found itself at war. They are a people who understand the value of peace because they have seen the tragedy of war. At least 19 of those years – from 1956 to 1975 – can be attributed to the United States. Anyone who has visited the Museum of War Remnants in the former Saigon has seen the records and can attest to the atrocities that took place – the long-standing effects of wartime bombings and Agent Orange in particular. It was undoubtedly an ugly period in history.
I have no intention of adjudicating the past, but only appraising and understanding the present. Our meetings and experiences in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City allowed me to do exactly that.
Government
Being politically-minded, a brief review of a country’s governmental structure is a precursor to any of my travels. Vietnam’s golden star atop a red flag does little to hide its unabashed proclamation that it is one of only four remaining countries which whole-heartedly claim a Communist government. In Hanoi, this is abundantly clear as the only buildings of substance appear to be government buildings – the most prominent of which looks like colossal spaceship and houses the 500 member Vietnamese National Assembly, which governs the One-Party Socialist Republic.
Inside the National Assembly building
Among the most curious insights was to find that many of the representatives do not hail from the provinces they represent, but are assigned to represent particular areas. It’s strange, but then again, so also is a completely one-party system, government-controlled media, and deceptive air-quality monitors.
The latter of these only makes in more ironic that the concerns expressed to us included Climate Change – particularly the impact of melting ice caps and the consequent salinization of the Mekong River delta. Also, as if speaking from talking points, in every meeting our hosts each acknowledged the much-trumped trade deficit with the US and noted their disapproval of the US withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and their frustration with China’s incursion in the South China Sea.
Economy
I found it most interesting that one of the individuals with whom we met told us that the Vietnamese Communist party acknowledges the failure of socialist economic policy. They realize that it did nothing to unleash the productivity of their people – evidenced, perhaps by the fact that with 96 million people, Vietnam clocks in at the 15th largest country by population, yet only the 47th largest economy. As a result, in 1985, they began opening to a mixed economy. It is a transition, however, which remains materially undone as 99 of the 100 largest companies are still state-owned.
That said, in the skyscrapers and neon lights of Ho Chi Minh City, you can begin to see how the transition may fare out in the coming decades. In 2008 there were 4 buildings over 30 stories tall. Today there are 47. If Vietnam’s economy has grown at a 7% clip in the past decade, most of that has to be attributed to what is happening in the former Saigon. We saw a vibrant co-working tech laboratory and heard pitches from hungry entrepreneurs seeking venture capital. It’s a stark contrast to the rest of the country where 49% of the population make their living from agriculture.
One of the most captivating stories in the global economy in years to come may be the triumph of capitalism in Vietnam.
Religion
Vietnam is consistently in the bottom 10 in various metrics of theism or religiosity. The one temple we toured? The Temple of Literature – a relic of Chinese Confucianism. Aside from that, the only other evidence we saw of any religious conviction was a tired, old Catholic cathedral – an import from French colonialism.
The Temple of Literature
In one of our meetings, a gentleman explained that what Buddhism is practiced is differentiated from North to South. In the South, Theravada Buddhism places emphasis on individual enlightenment, while in the North, Mahayana Buddhism emphasizes collective enlightenment. In the days before Communism replaced religion, perhaps this factored into the divide between the country.
Culture
I don’t know so much where this observation belongs as that it does belong – Vietnam, as much as any place I have ever been, is a motorcycle mecca. Or, more appropriately, a scooter scrum. Aerial videos of the streets of Hanoi must closely approximate schools of fish, with cars and scooters moving with little regard or lanes or signals, yet somehow functionally choreographed. Oddly enough, our driver was pulled over at one point because traffic cameras captured evidence of him crossing a lane line. The officer directed him to park facing oncoming traffic while he logged the infraction. Puzzling.
The food in Vietnam was delicious, with my only complaint being the preponderance of bones. What it lacked in preparation, though, was more than made up for in flavor. Almost nothing is served as an individual plate, but rather placed in the center of tables to be eaten family-style. Of course our favorite was the Pho. A rich broth is the base, to which rice noodles, meat, and fresh vegetables are heaped in abundance. For some of us, tabletop peppers and sauces enhanced the spiciness to the detriment of our taste buds. One particular member of the delegation made such a habit of spicing up his soup that we called him the Pho King, man.
History
Beneath the aforementioned behemoth Assembly building were found the ruins of former ruling dynasties. Today they are enclosed in a very modern museum which we were among the first to see.
The most fascinating historical story we heard was beautifully depicted in an iridescent mother-of-pearl mural at the Vietnam Women’s Union. The story is told of the Trưng sisters, two young girls who led an uprising against Chinese overlords. It’s symbolic of the constant struggle for independence of the Vietnamese.
Though we weren’t able to visit, perhaps the most intriguing building in Hanoi is the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh. Minh was the father of Vietnamese independence and the founder of the Vietnamese Communist Party. In a paradoxical final tribute to the victory of the will of the State over the will of the individual, his embalmed body lies there on display in a glass casket, despite his personal desire that he be cremated.
Impressions
I can’t help but consider Vietnam in the context of the brutal war we fought with them. Fittingly, I had a long layover in Washington DC on my return trip and took the opportunity to visit the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial on the Capitol Mall. Even the memorial itself is half-hearted tribute – partially buried, there’s a reason it’s called a memorial, not a monument. It was America’s longest war, and yet its most forgettable.
In proclaiming independence for his people in 1945, Ho Chi Minh used the most perfect example he could find – he drew from the words of Thomas Jefferson.
Communists and capitalists are both motivated by prosperity. Liberals and conservatives share a craving for freedom. Christians and Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, we all pray for peace. We are not all that different. The gravest errors of human judgement occur when we see differences before we see our similarities.
If the object of this endeavor – an exchange between young political leaders of our country and others – was to “promote mutual understanding, respect, and friendship.” Then I believe we achieved our objective. Despite vastly dissimilar political systems, I have a greater understanding of and an appreciation for the country of Vietnam and her people.
Of all the special moments, I treasure most the bond I forged with a young boy in the Friendship Village. Though deaf from birth defects as a result of his ancestor’s exposure to Agent Orange, he was as expressive with his eyes and smile as anyone with full use of all their faculties. When I think of Vietnam, I will think of him.
You don’t need reasons to travel. Your own desire is reason enough, but I spent some time reflecting on some of what travel has provoked for me and I felt like it was worth sharing.
To Laugh
It was a guys’ trip. We had spent the morning climbing to the rim of the Volcan Santa Ana, the tallest of the chain of volcanoes in El Salvador, among which was perched the airy home and picturesque property where we were now resting.
We were peacefully enjoying the scenery when Lionel, the smiling, pudgy-faced son of the property’s caretaker, interrupted our repose with the roar of a chainsaw. As a 3-year-old, he wasn’t really entrusted with that kind of power tool, but it didn’t stop him from make-believing.
His lips generated the most realistic sonic recreation, and it was clear that he was no amateur, having followed his father around the property to perform maintenance for the better part of his 3 years. At first we were amused, but by the time we realized his sound effects went so far as to mimic the noise of cutting through a branch, we were in stitches.
Lionel and his motormouth chainsaw in El Salvador gave us reason to laugh.
To Cry
The San Blas Islands on the Caribbean side of Panama are the home to the Kuna-Yala indian people. I’d managed to get my entire family to this dreamy archipelago of white sand and palm-dotted islands and we spent two days exploring the crystal blue waters.
Most of the islands are completely uninhabited, yet those which are, are densely populated. So on the last day there, on our return trip to the mainland, we stopped off to see a reed-and-palm metropolis.
In the alleyway, our kids were greeted by colorful-bead-covered children and were giddy to reveal that they’d brought a game of Candyland to play and give away. It was plopped atop a makeshift table and instantly there were childish squeals of delight as they played the one game they could without the possibility of communication.
Meanwhile, I was fixated on a leopard skin which was drying outside one of the huts. I approached the woman inside and asked her who had killed the animal (in Spanish). She responded that it was her brother-in-law, who had shot it with an arrow on the mainland.
Our conversation carried on until I noticed that there was a boy, lying atop a tablecloth on the bed behind her, with an ugly swollen arm under which was some kind of pail filled with roots and water. I asked what had happened and she explained that he’d been playing and broken his arm. For two weeks, she had been treating him by dousing the arm with this root-water concoction. He smiled at me and then grimaced with pain. I was instantly overcome with emotion.
I couldn’t help but cry there with that little boy in the Kuna-Yala hut in the San Blas Islands.
My son, Miles, with a Kuna Yala indian boy
To Gasp
You’ve heard that life is measured not by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of times you’ve had your breath taken away. I can tell you about a place which is guaranteed to do just that.
The sun burned down as we passed through the town of Interlaken – between two beautiful lakes in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. Ahead were the snowy peaks of the Swiss Alps, and there was nothing disappointing about their grandeur.
Cliffs began to rise all around us, yet the road we followed stayed relatively flat as we reached the green-carpeted Lauterbrunnen Valley. We drove until we could no longer resist the urge to free ourselves from the confines of the car, and when we did, it was the most magically breathtaking moment. More than 70 waterfalls spill edoff these sharp ridges, some splashing to the ground, some completely disintegrating into mist. An alpenhorn rang in the distance, echoing off the walls.
Like no place else on earth, the Lauterbrunnen Valley will take your breath away.
The Lauterbrunnen Valley will take your breath away
To Love
My wife and I tend not to celebrate anniversaries on our anniversary date. It’s mid summer, and I’m content to spend my summer weekends in Idaho, but shortly after our 10th anniversary, I booked us a trip to Italy. The entire trip was full of romantic moments – the echo of clicking heels on vacant alleyways in Venice, cloud-gazing in the sloped Piazza del Campo in Siena, a morning meal on a picnic table outside a Tuscan farmhouse, but none of these were quite as love-provoking as the seaside walk in the Cinque Terre town of Riomaggiore.
We found a bench where we could sit and talk. We reflected on a decade of memories and admired the pastel hues of the buildings hanging on the cliffside while waves crashed against the rocks. Dozens of locks adorned with hearts and initials clung to a wire fence, where other lovers had “locked their love” in this perfect place.
When our conversation reached an emotional climax, I arose and revealed a lock of my own, which I attached to the fence and locked with a key. Then I promptly flung it into the ocean and turned back to find myself in the loving embrace of my soulmate.
It was a passionate moment, wrought by the romantic setting of Riomaggiore.
We locked our love in Riomaggiore
To Give (and to Receive)
In the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, I joined a relief effort that would radically change my perception on life.
We flew into the Dominican Republic, loaded a van with construction equipment, food, and other needed supplies, and drove across the border. As we entered, I found the strangest juxtaposition of emotions – raw, real suffering – people hurting, scared, worried, and yet there was an undercurrent of hope, excitement, and even joy.
We spent 11 days helping rebuild, reinforcing failing structures, providing materials to schools and orphanages, feeding people who were starving, but more importantly than all that, making friends.
To this day I carry strong friendships with people in Haiti – people who have truly endured an incomprehensible level of suffering. I’d like to think that I helped them – that leaving literally empty-handed, having given everything I had to people who needed it far more than I, was a gift to them, yet it was a gift to me.
I had an opportunity to give in Haiti and it became an opportunity to receive.
This darling girl was entralled with her coloring book
To Connect
The excitement and adventure of travel can enhance a relationship like nothing else. Nicole and I had traveled mostly alone with a few exceptions for a number of years. We had extended plenty of invitations but synchronizing schedules can be challenging and we never had been able to make it work.
After reading a post on another popular travel blog, I started researching sites to visit Ireland. After researching sites to visit in Ireland, I was ready to book. We extended an invitation to a number of friends before reaching out to Marshall and Angie. Within minutes, Marshall had responded, “we’re in” and it felt like the start of something great.
Our flight arrangements differed, so they had already been in Dublin for a day when we arrived. We picked them up at their hotel and set off to Galway. Over the next nine days in conversations at quaint pubs, through drizzling rain in castle ruins, and beside peat-moss fires in adorable cottages, our casual friendship grew into deep connection.
In the homeland of W. B. Yeats, we recognized the authenticity of his belief that, “There are no strangers, only friends who’ve never met.”
Friends in Ireland
To Taste
If you had told me that the most delicious thing that I would ever taste would be in Germany, I’d have scoffed at you… and yet it’s true.
Our itinerary that day took us from the historic Roman Irish Baths in Freidrichsbad through the Black Forest to the cuckoo clock capital of Triberg. After wandering through the misty fog that hung over the Mummelsee lake, our journey took us along winding roads through tiny towns until we found the Black Forest Open Air Museum – a sort of living history display of the buildings and lifestyle of the people of the Black Forest throughout the ages.
When we’d had our fill of the crafty architecture and the quaint farm culture, we wandered out to a roadside restaurant where we could get our fill of the traditional Black Forest cake we’d heard so much about. Sadly, it was only mediocre, but one among us (my wife, to be exact) had the sensibility to order the apple crumble cake.
While we were “meh-ing” over the chocolate cherry combo, she was “mmmm-ing” over the pastry apple combo, and it only took me one bite to find out why. Tender, flaky crust and crumbles, tart apple filling, it was the epitome of sweet and salty and the definition of moist. I ordered my own. Savored it. Then ordered another and savored it, too.
In the Black Forest, we discovered an incomparably delicious taste.
Deliriously delicious apple crumble pie
To Relax
Life is hustle is bustle, and travel can be, too. But once in a while you need to make some time to relax, to re-frame, and to refresh your outlook on life. One way to do that is by reconnecting with nature, and that’s precisely what I found in the jungle of the Dominican Republic.
My first day there was actually chock full of adventure – an insanely exhilarating zipline and a rope swing directly into a waterfall pool really took it out of me, but by the time that was over, I was ready to take it easy.
I was staying at the Dominican Tree House Village, a heavenly retreat from everyday life. I watched a couple doing yoga, which was actually more relaxing than doing it myself since I’m not all that flexible. I wandered through the grounds, admiring colorful flowers, hearing the trickle of a stream, all the while following a hummingbird. And though the daylight gave me so much to peacefully enjoy, it was the nighttime that inspired me.
As I laid down to sleep, I couldn’t help but hear the cacophony of sounds – so loud in some ways, yet so serene in others. Tree frogs chirped, exotic birds called, and crickets creaked.
It was a symphony in the Dominican jungle, and I melted into my comfortable bed and truly relaxed.
To Conquer
To the roof of Africa. That was our objective as we set out from the humid jungle of the lowest slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, where monkeys swing on vines and dense underbrush crowds the trail.
It was 2010 and a group of co-workers and I set out to conquer Africa’s tallest point. Over the days we climbed, the landscape gradually thinned along with the air as we trudged through every climate zone.
What started as a challenge became a trial and what was a trial, became a struggle. It demanded everything we had, breaking us down with steep inclines and intolerably disgusting pink african hot dogs. Yet then it rewarded us with the most marvelous sunsets and above-the-clouds vistas.
Mount Kilimanjaro allowed us to conquer – to feel like victors.
A Kilimanjaro Sunset
To Hope
My oldest son has little appreciation for one of my passions – sports, so when I caught a glimmer of his interest in another of my passions – politics, I seized on it and planned us a father/son trip to Washington DC.
We visited the office of Governor Dirk Kempthorne, a former US Senator, Idaho Governor, and Secretary of the Interior, who had held Westley when he was only three months old and now found him sufficiently bright to sit beside him and converse.
We toured the US Capitol building, the Supreme Court, and other iconic sites before departing the city to our countries earlier roots in the Virginia countryside. We strolled through the rooms of Thomas Jefferson’s home and the streets of Williamsburg, and it was there that I felt the surge of hope. Westley, just ten years old, plopped himself down aside a seated statue of Jefferson, presumptive of his own equality to this man who was the author of human equality.
I sat and stared, in awe of my son and his swagger, and hoped for the best for him there in the streets of Williamsburg.
Being politically-minded, a brief review of a country’s governmental structure is a precursor to any of my travels. Vietnam’s golden star atop a red flag does little to hide its unabashed proclamation that it is one of only four remaining countries which whole-heartedly claim a Communist government. In Hanoi, this is abundantly clear as the only buildings of substance appear to be government buildings – the most prominent of which looks like colossal spaceship and houses the 500 member Vietnamese National Assembly, which governs the One-Party Socialist Republic.
The food in Vietnam was delicious, with my only complaint being the preponderance of bones. What it lacked in preparation, though, was more than made up for in flavor. Almost nothing is served as an individual plate, but rather placed in the center of tables to be eaten family-style. Of course our favorite was the Pho. A rich broth is the base, to which rice noodles, meat, and fresh vegetables are heaped in abundance. For some of us, tabletop peppers and sauces enhanced the spiciness to the detriment of our taste buds. One particular member of the delegation made such a habit of spicing up his soup that we called him the Pho King, man.
