Destination Norway

With the lightning speed that I went from the Caribbean to Canada in i've hardly had time to take a breath. Next up is Norway. with a population of just under 5 million people and internet access running at about 81% I have just under 4 million people that can spirit me on my way to Oslo perhaps, or maybe Trondheim? That is the beauty of this staycation. I have no clue as to where I'm (not) heading next.

So the good people of Norway the onus is on you. Help me and visit this blog!

-Luke Sidewalker

Hello from Calgary

Well in a surprise turn of events I didn't even have time to publish my 'Destination Canada' post before I arrived in Calgary!

It is a fresh 43ºF right now and I'm fortunate enough to snag a deal at The Fairmont Palliser for $150 CAD a night.

Calgary is in the Western province of Alberta, and really started to grow as a city with the arrival of The Canadian-Pacific Railroad
in 1883, with further growth coinciding with the opening of the oilfields in the early 1900's.

I go for a walk around the city only to find I missed the famous Calgary Stampede Rodeo Show that was held in July, and has been an annual event since 1912. Calgary was also the location of the 1988 Winter Olympics and I visit Canada Olympic park to see the impressive ski jump and bobsleigh venues.

In the afternoon I visited the Glenbow Museum, founded by Eric Lafferty Harvie in the mid 1950's. It has 93,000 sq. feet packed with over 1,000,000 objects celebrating the lifestyle and culture of the 'West', I may have to come back after breakfast tomorrow to see them all!

For dinner I head over to the River Cafe in Prince's Island Park overlooking the Bow River, where I enjoyed the highly recommended Mushroom Dusted Olson's Bison Striploin!
I would have gone to see the local NHL team, the Calgary Flames, play; but once again the timing of my trip sunk that idea as they are out of season at the moment.

So it's back to the Fairmont Palliser to figure out how I'm going to get to Norway next...

Savings this leg:
Flights from St. Johns to Calgary: $835
Hotel in Calgary: $139


Savings so far:
Grand Total: $8,587

Countries visited (days taken):
Greenland (2), The Netherlands (8), Antigua & Barbuda (133), Canada (1)

Total days so far:
144

-Luke Sidewalker

Hello from St. Johns

Good morning from sunny St. Johns, Antigua where the temperature is currently a very pleasant 82ºF. Having taken so long to get here I waste no time and dump my bags at The Admirals Inn, then set of to explore the town.

First it's off to the Anglican Cathedral to thank my blessings of finally getting here after being stuck in Utrecht for 108 days! The cathedral is the third incarnation of such on the island, the previous two falling into disrepair.

Then it's off to board the catamaran of Treasure Island Cruises for a trip around the island stopping occasionally to snorkel. The trip also takes us to the historical site of Nelson's Dockyard a facility developed by the infamous Admiral Lord Nelson of the British Royal Navy in the late 1700's.

Returning back to dry land I pick up some conch fritters followed by some local lobster from a street vendor and wash it down with an exotic rum cocktail! I return back to the Inn, all this sea air has made me sleepy.

In the morning I'm off for a tour of the Recreation Ground. This is the cricket stadium in Antigua, unfortunately the season runs from January to July so I have just missed watching a live game. However cricket is a religion here and I witness impromptu games everywhere I go on the island.

Having taken so long to (not) get here it seems a shame to leave so quickly, but I'm heading to Canada next, and my global staycation waits for no man!

Savings this leg:
Flights from Amsterdam to St. Johns: $1,848
Hotel in St.John: $90
Catamaran Day Trip: $120

Savings so far:
Grand Total: $7,613

-Luke Sidewalker

Oh the irony!

My dear friends. Just when all hope had disappeared and I was left lamenting my over ambitious goals of a global staycation I got my hit from Antigua and Barbuda.

As we all know a watched pot never boils and so it was for me waiting for my hit from the A&B. I shall keep it brief tonight as it is late and will do the full post tomorrow.

This hit was laced with irony. It occurred on August 25th while I was actually away on a real vacation (see post: A W(h)ale of a Time), plus the person came to my blog from St. Johns, Antigua & Barbuda via Google. And what was the search they were looking for? Why it was 'Staycation in Antigua' of course!

Details to follow tomorrow.


-Luke Sidewalker

Help I'm Stranded

When I started this adventure I thought I'd have my struggles. I just never imagined it would be this early. Right now I'm thinking a global staycation may have been way too ambitious, perhaps I should have started out with a 50 State domestic staycation instead. I have almost exhausted all avenues to entice one of the many good people of Antigua and Barbuda to visit this site. I have tried a Facebook blitz, I have emailed local radio stations, I have implored you my faithful readers, but all to no avail. I will continue to try and get my hit from the Islands, mainly because it is costing me nothing to try, and right there you begin to see the real beauty and economic viability of a "staycation"!

Meanwhile my other struggles that I chronicle at The Legend of Luke Sidewalker have been moving forward at a delightful pace, and that blog has taken on a life of it's own.

-Luke Sidewalker

Near Miss

Well it is still taking an age to get my hit in Antigua and/or Barbuda. I came close the last couple of days with a hit from Grenada and a hit from Barbados, so I'm closing in on my target. At the start of this journey if you had said it would take me a few days to get a hit in Greenland and an eternity to get a hit from Antigua and Barbuda, I would have said you are crazy Passepartout, but the truth is often stranger than fiction. Lets hope I make it to the sunshine this week.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, please forward this blog address to anyone in Antigua and Barbuda, or anyone you think may know someone in Antigua and Barbuda.If can Antigua and Barbuda done I have Canada and Norway waiting anxiously in the wings! Many thanks.

-Luke Sidewalker

A long wait in Utrecht

The air seems to have been let out of the balloon. I have really been struggling to get my page view from Antigua and Barbuda. It appears I will have to come up with something out of the ordinary to get this location ticked off the list. I'm slightly disconcerted at having such difficulties so high up my list, but the tricks learned from this early set back can only help me at the bottom of my list. So come on Antigua and Barbuda, I know you are out there.

-Luke Sidewalker