I’m covering a good deal of ground on this trip by foot, but I’ll also be utilizing the mass transit systems of various countries: subways, busses, trains, planes, and even boats. One day I’ll rent a car because I’m going somewhere there is no public transportation — which is saying something in Europe!
I’m covering a lot of ground and never staying anywhere more than a couple nights, so I thought I’d tease some further clues about my destinations by giving you the longitude and latitude window I’ll be within.
I think the furthest west I’ll be (after crossing the Atlantic) is about 6.8 degrees west of the prime meridian in Greenwich. The furthest east will be about 14.5 degrees east longitude. Those don’t press too far against the east and west boundaries of Europe, but they are getting out there. At the eastern-most point I’ll see some ancient ruins from almost 2000 years ago.
To the north, I’ll make it past the 59th parallel, which is further north than Juneau, Alaska. I’ll say further that it’s not Norway or Sweden. And the most surprising thing about this location is that I’ll be visiting a site where Homo sapiens were known to live more than 5,000 years ago.
And to the south, I’ll be creeping just below the 34th parallel of north latitude, which is approximately the same latitude as Atlanta (Atlanta is also the airport I’m flying from and to in the US — though my arrival and departure in Europe is not the same city). Down at this furthest south point of my sojourn, I’ll see what may be the oldest Homo sapiens fossils — 300,000 years old. And… truth be told… it’s not in Europe. I’m sneaking off the continent just for a day — flying out early, and back in late.
Of course all of this is subject to change. Things happen on trips like this. I said in my first post that I hope I don’t get lost or injured or kidnapped. Today I found out that my employer is taking out an insurance policy for just such exigencies!