Marty and Brianne Gaal star in
Trippin06

The Year of Living Strangerously

European Tour - September 1 - September 30

Germany

Munich - Oktoberfest

Liters of beer for everyone! A lifelong dream realized Bottoms up! One of the beer tents we spent some time in Prost! Once you eat one of these pretzels, any other just doesn't cut it A very nice traditional outfit A really fun ride I snapped a picture while we were on the swings and this is what came out Glenn, Simona and Joy ahead of us This is more like it for Marty - a beer carousel Paulaner tent Crazy dad and cute kid in Bavarian outfits Nothing but smiles from this guy Another beer garden we hung out in for quite awhile Some yummy German food Lowenbrau tent So many pretzels, everywhere! And some more beer

Austria

Salzburg

Old town Salzburg with the castle on the hill At the top of the castle looking down on the town A different view from atop the castle Marty (left) on the phone with a client. Not a bad place to be doing some work. Mad Marty entering the marionette room Bri and Joy having fun Mirabelle Gardens, where some scenes of the Do-Re-Mi song were sung in The Sound of Music Von Trapp family house used in the movie Gazebo where Leisl had her first kiss after their song and dance. Can't go inside b/c some 80yr old broke her hip trying to reenact it. I just thought this looked really pretty Start/Finish line of many of the races at the UCI World Championships Marty wins a world championship! Time trial start Bri posing with a funny bicycle statue

Vienna

Schonbrunn Castle The castle grounds were beautiful Bri and Joy enjoying the sights in Vienna Can you see Marty? No! Watch the coffee! This guy was some sort of musician or something A lot of people hung out here at the Museums Quarter Some authentic Vienna brew

Hungary

Budapest (again)

Crossing the bridge into Buda Bullet holes on the outer wall of the castle Pest on the left, Buda on the right A rather grotesque statue Marty the hero Very famous bridge in Budapest, the Chain Bridge Budapest at night Heading to the castle, only slightly bigger than our own house This guy was taking money out of the fountain For some reason, a lot of women in Hungary dyed their hair a funny pinkish-red color At Heroes Square Another lady with the funny color hair. They were everywhere. Quite the impressive sampler The other Budweiser, not America's

Nyiregyhaza (and surrounding cities)

City of Tokaj Marty posing with the town drunk Descending into the wine cellar Deciding which wine to bring home with us Slovakia is just over those mountains A view of the countryside from the top of a very small mountain Small village Marty's dad grew up in Marty's dad's childhood house Hungarian woman who currently lived there Very friendly and talkative firefighter Marty with cute Aunt Klara Some Hungarian brew Marty and Bri are sure to gain 10 lbs each after this trip Standing outside some old tram with the cousins The coach watches the student take her shot The church Marty was baptized in a long time ago The University in Debrecen Downtown Debrecen, Hungary's second largest city Standing in front of some fountain for the early Hungarian settlers in front of some church Marty and his cousins in front of an 800 year old bridge Marty hanging with one of his ancestors

Budapest (and more to come above)

Danube River - splits Buda and Pest Hungarian Parliament Our contribution to the world - Burger King. McDonalds is a just a bit further. Out for a drink with cousin/tour guide, Sanyo Firefighter extraordinaire, Joy Albury

Germany

Hohentengen (just over the Switzerland border)

Going to the village wine festival At the local winery The Rhine River, border of Germany and Switzerland Running into Switzerland Countries apart

Spain

Somo

Coming down the mountain on an overcast day Marty with a tiny Joy in the background Another cute village we rode through Some goats hanging out on a couple of rocks Old building, not old guy The watering hole Just call him Marty-agile-Gaal I don't wanna jump! The cold water doesn't bother these two YEAAHHH!!! What she said!!! Courtyard in hotel from one of our windows Joy almost gets her own room tonight

San Vicente de la Barquera

Marty riding through one of the little village streets A very old church run by monks Another view Amazing it didn't come crumbling down with this guy in front of it Nice beach in background Goofing around and enjoying the day Cliffs into the ocean We're finally getting some pics together since we have Joy with us Marty proposing to Bri (again) Bri and Joy with another cool view Castle in a little village called Comillas Hotel Miramar in San Vicente Some spectators for the Vuelta There was a breakaway of about 12 riders Team CSC was leading the peleton Some of the peleton So fast they're blurry, even slowing down to go around a corner Discovery team car And now we can get back to lunch

Santillana del Mar

Our hotel in Santillana Walking into the little village Main Street! Joy toughing it out on the steep grades The beach at Saunces

London

Right off the train and here's Victoria Station Marty and Rich in front of Buckingham Palace Palace guard - we actually saw him cough Another view of the palace. The queen was allegedly there that day. Entrance to Hyde Park Another view of the park London's famous double decker busses Another guard we ran into - he had no sense of humor! Had to pay $0.50 to use the bathroom here Look kids! Big Ben! Trafalgar Square Tower of London Tower Bridge - where London Bridge used to be Shhhh, don't tell anyone, but there's a secret nuclear bunker that way

US Tour - July 5 - Mid August

Bahamas

Part of the waterpark at Atlantis Stingrays and sharks in one of the many aquariums Nice beach - Bri got stung by a jellyfish here At the golf course next to Atlantis The real golfers And the cart girls Marty got caught in the largest sand trap and water hazard of the day Hanging out in the casino bar Lilian, Bri & Anna outside of Atlantis Marty hand picking the fish he wanted for dinner Gaal family portrait

Savannah, Georgia (and one last beer sampler!)

Moonriver Brew Pub And here it is. Would you expect anything less?

Closing on our house in NC

No longer homeless, the travelers bought a nice house in Cary, NC

Philly and Jersery

You can't go to Philly without getting a cheesesteak You'd better speak in English when you order at either of these places John and Marty catching some fish in Atlantic City AC put up some windmills right on the water. Its always nice seeing alternative energy sources. Two man row at the South Jersey lifeguard races Marty and his FSU swim coach, Sid Cassidy Marty and the great Tom Buck Ocean City lifeguards at their lifeguard reunion. Don't ask.

Michigan - Steelhead 1/2 Ironman Post Race BBQ

Our gracious hosts, Doug and Donna Having fun at the bbq Marty with some Michigan Outlaws, Doug & Ken

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

Why did the bison cross the road? To lie around while stupid tourists take his picture Marty in his 4th national park in less than a month And Bri Theodore Roosevelt National Park Cute little prairie dog Marty heckled this little guy for a good 5 minutes

Glacier National Park

Avalanche Creek A photo op with a deer Bri playing 'Where's Waldo?' Marty in front of Avalanche Lake and mountains with waterfalls The friendly deer Posing in a dead tree Marty practicing his streamline Bri playing in the water The happy travelers

Kalispell, Montana

Barley's Brewhouse in Kalispell, Montana You knew this picture was coming Bri's favorite was their seasonal Huckleberry & Honey

Montana Bike Tour (July 22 - July 28)

Eating breakfast before the 75 mile ride. Notice how many campers are in the field behind me. We're in Idaho! Idaho. No, you da ho! And back in Montana Crossing the continental divide The lonely road next to Big Hole Battlefield. We were completely surrounded by mountains. Getting through a cattle drive Taking a break so Marty can flex Ghost town Bannack Hotel The bar is still the same The Ghost Town's schoolhouse A great descent into Dillon Welcome to Ennis, Montana! That fisherman caught a Marty Pushing the cows out in the great wide open Modern day cowboys Montana is beautiful Another view of one America's least populated states Bri spelunking One of the cyclists sliding in the cave One of the rooms in Lewis & Clark's Caverns The caverns were pretty amazing One of the many columns in the cavern Have we said how pretty Montana is? Mountains in view One of our cycling roads We had just gotten done climbing a pretty steep pass and now descending into Ennis

Going for a ride between Cody and Yellowstone

Bri riding away from Marty again Marty riding with great scenery Marty taking a breather We took a break to check out the Buffalo Bill Dam Here's a dam picture

Grand Teton National Park

Driving from Dubois to Grand Teton We stopped for pictures during our jog Jenny Lake with the Grand Tetons in the background Marty taking a breather at 7,000 feet River coming down the mountain into Jenny Lake You couldn't help but take great pictures here Mama bear Baby bear Driving to Cody, Wyoming

Driving from Cheyenne to Dubois

A butte in the distance We saw lots of windmills in Wyoming It really was a pretty drive Marty and the canyon

Fort Collins, Colorado - New Belgium Brewery

New Belgium has great beer We took our own tour of the brewery New Belgium brews We couldn't go without getting a sampler! Maybe we sampled too much...

Boulder, Colorado

Another view of the Boulder Flatirons Bri with downtown Boulder in the background Snow on the mountains Enjoying the view

Denver Danskin Triathlon

Here comes the sun - bright and early outside of Denver Walking to the swim start Running to transition. Yeah, the other two didn't wear wetsuits! Running to the finish... ...in second place My little bike injury

Boulder, Colorado

One of the cottages next to us here at Chautauqua Chautauqua is right at the base of the Boulder Flatirons Boulder Beer Company - Colorado's oldest microbrew Marty outside the front door Parking lot in front of the pub You have to get the sampler! Sampler #2 at BJ's Pizza & Brewery Bri's dessert at BJ's - a pizzookie!

Stroke & Stride (Boulder, Colorado)

The Boulder Stroke & Stride: Old-school racing The swim was in the Boulder Reservoir Running to start the 2nd loop of the swim Heading out onto the run Marty passing someone from the shorter race, heading towards the finish

Pike's Peak (Colorado)

We looked, but did not see him I can't breathe! View from the top These guys ran to the top These guys drove to the top The long and winding road Beautiful lake, great for fishing

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Our run got cut short because of the storms Downtown Colorado Springs Phantom Canyon Brewery in downtown Another sampler! Getting ready for a ride at Garden of the Gods This 700 ton rock has been balancing like this for thousands of years. Hopefully it doesn't fall today! Some more scenery at Garden of the Gods Marty posing in front of some more beautiful nature Bri's turn to pose

Denver, Colorado

First stop, the Big Horn Brewery Bri enjoying a nice cold one Marty's first sampler in Colorado

Heading to Kansas City for USAT Nationals

That's Marty in the blue bottoms/white top. Nice rolling hills at Nationals. Marty driving us through Kentucky Fields and fields of the most un-nutritious vegetable - corn The awesome Kansas City Transition area the morning of Nationals Marty thought he had a slow leak in his back tire so the nice mechanics changed it quickly even though transition was closing Bri getting her award with the top age groupers in the 25-29 year old category

New Zealand May 22 - May 28

Skydiving in Queenstown on Bri's birthday

Here we go! This is awesome! My tandem master and videographer sang Happy Birthday while we fell Falling to the ground at 200km/hr Grabbing on to my videographers hand Whoooooooooooo!!!! Even at 12,000 feet I can still flex Its Supermen! Grabbing on to my videographers hand Coming in for the landing

Driving to Queenstown

The drive to Queenstown was amazing! Some more beautiful scenery Even idiots like us can't help but take great pictures More beauty Don't mind the cows in the middle of the road Scenery was nice, bathrooms not so much

Franz Josef

Little town of Franz Josef Franz Josef glacier Up close and personal with our first glacier Bri and Shana walking towards the glacier You'd better be careful if you want to bike around here!

Cairns (Great Barrier Reef) May 15 - May 18

The 3 stooges on the docks of Cairns This is before Bri started dry heaving over the side of the boat Our snorkeling area Marty and Shana braving sharks and crocs in an attempt to find Nemo Marty having some chow on the boat View of the park in Cairns from a street cafe Great free pool right in downtown Waterfalls in the rainforest A lot of their beaches are closed in the summertime because of crocodiles This dude fishes everyday from this dock. He's caught 21 sharks just in the month of May This is known as shark alley. That island is rented out for $27,000 a day to people like Keanu Reeves.

Melbourne Area, April 13 - Apr 21

The 12 Apostles

The beach area in Port Campbell The cliffs nearby looked pretty scary Nothing was going to stop us from getting to see the 12 Apostles today - not rain, or bad fashion sense We liked the unstable cliff picture Here are some of the apostles Marty and some more apostles Marty had to take pit stop on the way back to Sydney

Great Ocean Road Towns

The start of the Great Ocean Road Just another boring view The view from our balcony in Lorne The water here had a fantastic color Taking a break on the bike ride Dude, this is like, totally rockin' This little pond is called a billabong We followed a real nice trail to some waterfalls Pretty nice waterfall World travelers

Driving into Melbourne and the triathlon in Geelong

We stopped in this town called Lakes Entrance for some grub on our way into Melbourne Marty all bundled up before the race This is not porn. Just typical pro triathlete attire.

Heading into Eden, AUS

This is the nice lookout where we ran away from the cafe because of way too pricey sandwiches Narooma's priceless view from the local eatery Going for a spin along Eden's beach Eden is primarily a fishing village Eden's very cute downtown Marty and Big Tom hanging out Bri trying to give Big Tom some sugar

Back in Sydney, Mar 3 - Apr 13

Marty totally shreds the kiddie pool

Must be triple overhead Wow, this is amazing stuff, call Surfer Magazine Hah hah hah, Wipeout Waiting for the Sun

Biggest Surf in 30 Years hits Sydney

A brave soul tackles one of the breaks in Collaroy basin A jetski plays around in the basin The scale of this picture is hard to transmit online, these guys were about 1/2 mile out to sea getting towed onto huge waves by jetskis The little speck is a guy, this wave might classify as 4-5 meters in height Bri and sampson check out the break in Long Reef Collaroy Point and our pool

Riding to West Head
The first thing we saw was this enormous lizard. Nice view. And another. Marty loves the arm coolers I ordered for him There's nothing more attractive then a sweaty biker chick Lots of boats out there - do these people work?! haha That's Palm Beach, where rich people like Nicole Kidman own homes

Sydney Aquarium
On the ferry with the Sydney Opera House and skyline in the background Marty has the Sydney Harbor Bridge in his background The tourists made it to their destination! Alligators bottom teeth align directly back into their mouth. This is a crocodile. This was taken in the Great Barrier Reef section A black and white Nemo rubbing up against an anemone These penguins are just like the ones we saw up close and personal down in Tasmania That would be a seal No, the sharks and the seals were not in the same tank This is actually the biggest stingray ever. It was laying on top of the glass tube above us. You can see his mouth and gills. One final look at the Opera House on our way back on the ferry

Tasmania, Australia - Feb 19 thru Mar 3


Day 10 - Deloraine to Hobart
Gordo and Monica riding into the sunrise at the start of their day We had to basically ride up that mountain to get to the plateau View from the top We made it! The delicious reward for all the hard work

Day 9 - Cradle Mountain to Deloraine
We started the day with a run at Cradle Mountain Beautiful views surrounded us Perfect mirror image Bri and Monica You couldn't help but take great pictures These three met up with Bri in Paradise Paradise consisted of 3 houses

Day 8 Bike Tour - Launceston to Cradle Mountain with a stop at the Wildlife Park
We're already higher than the clouds! Another hill, but what a view Outside the wildlife park Tasmanian Devil Here's another devil. Still not sure what the person was on who drew the one for looney tunes. Koala sleeping in the tree There were a ton of kangaroos and wallabies hopping around A live wombat! Gordo and Monica rode much much longer than Marty and Bri did

Day 7 Bike Tour - Day Off in Launceston
Cataract Gorge - right in the middle of the city with pathways around it Some kids playing in the water. They must not realize how cold it is. Marty on the lookout

Day 6 Bike Tour - St. Helens to Launceston
Today was tough with hills and cold and rain Bri riding up one of the many unforgiving hills More scenery Marty taught this wombat to play dead

Day 5 Bike Tour - Coles Bay to St. Helens
Today was Bri's longest day - 75 miles! Here she is climbing Elephant Pass Here's the view on top of Elephant Pass We stopped for pancakes on the top of the pass Funny sign in their parking lot View from our hotel in St. Helens

Day 4 Bike Tour - A Day Off in Coles Bay
Getting ready for a kayak ride Marty and Michael smiling for the camera in the kayak The start of our hike before we got over the saddle and saw Wineglass Bay On the lookout with Wineglass Bay in the background And here's the view without us messing up the foreground Some people hiking across the beach and then back over the mountain This place was very remote and it was awesome to see something so beautiful and undisturbed We saw several wallabies during the hike Coming back down the mountain

Day 3 Bike Tour - Swansea to Coles Bay
Riding towards Coles Bay Hazard Mountain Range, the backdrop of Coles Bay Honeymoon Beach Our accomodations in Coles Bay - our first ever hostel!

Day 2 Bike Tour - Orford to Swansea
Marty, Gordo and Monica started the morning with a swim in the lake behind our hotel Here they are making their way out On the road to our next stop, the little town of Swansea This spiky bridge was made by prisoners a really long time ago. They're not sure why the spikes are there. Gordo pretending to cook And the real cook, our guide Michael Bri and Monica waiting for the yummy food

Day 1 Bike Tour - Hobart to Orford
Waiting to start the tour Our traveling partners - one of the fittest couples on the planet I think we did bust our gall on this hill! Some of the scenery - and it only got better

Hobart, Tasmania (triathlon and town)
Scenic view of the swim course at the Hobart Triathlon The transition was in a big wharf shed Marty on one of the many turnarounds on the bike Gordo on the run Marty on the run Salamanca Street - lots of neat cafes and shops Nice shopping area - they're not all backwards down here in Tassie ;) Bri striking a pose on one of the docks

New South Wales, Australia - Jan 22 thru Feb 19



Foreshore Triathlon
Transition area pre-race at the New Castle Foreshore Triathlon One of the U-turns on the bike - kind of tight! The bikes are set and ready to go Post race pictures are always so lovely Bri picking up her 2nd place age-group award. A fluffy red Foreshore Triathlon towel Marty was 3rd in his age-group Marty made Bri take this picture from the car window. Not bad scenery around here.

An evening run in Collaroy
A nice trail that heads to the top of the cliff Here's the view from the top And a view back down the other side Bri checking out some sort of Aboriginal whale artwork, we think Lifeguard boat training on Collaroy Beach

Collaroy - our new-temporary home
Its just a 5 minute walk to the beach Steps to the beach The ocean pool in Collaroy Another view of the pool There's Marty gliding through the water Looking south - you can run to the top of this cliff and get some more spectacular views. Looking north over the pool, to some cliffs off in the distance This guy can never get enough of swimming Cute little playground near the beach

Cole Classic 2K Swim at Manly Beach
Walking down to Manly Beach, giving our best imitation of Reservoir Dogs There are kids surf clubs at every beach where they do lifeguard and lifesaving competitions each weekend The pedestrian mall in Manly There were a ton of people at the beach, hanging out, surfing, or getting ready for the swim Here is the start/finish corral. There was also a 1K and 10K swim going on. One of the first waves heading out into the surf Bri can't wait to get this started! A face only a mother and wife could love!

Random Bike Ride, aka, The Joys Of Not Working In A Cube
Marty looking like an athlete That's Bri standing there This is probably the only flat section we rode on We're King of the Mountain! The next few pictures are just some of the scenery The next few pictures are just some of the scenery The next few pictures are just some of the scenery The next few pictures are just some of the scenery

Bronwyn's Birthday
Happy Birthday, Bron! Some of the guests having some barbeque John's sister, Katie, and husband Justin Our wonderful hosts who have put up with us without a complaint. At least not to our faces. Bri playing with the loveable Samson

Iceberg Swim
Bondi Beach Breakfast in Australia is usually called brekkie. We ate brekkie at a beachside cafe this morning The beach pool at Bondi Beach The pool is filled with ocean water and is pretty darn chilly for us wimpy Floridians The little black specks in the background are surfers. There were a ton of them in the water. The first relay of the day was the Beach Ball Relay Here's Marty in the paddle board relay And here's John

First couple of days in Sydney
Narambeen Beach Looking the other direction on Narambeen World Travelers One of our gracious hosts Some wildlife in their backyard Some more wildlife

Philippines - Jan 10 thru Jan 21



Cebu
Dad and Lilian chillin at Marriot's pool bar At the Spanish Fort At the Spanish Fort Taoist Temple City view from the temple Marty and Bri trying to attain holiness Marty loves to take pictures A life goal Bri went all the way to the Philippines to eat at Kenny Roger's Roasters. Just kidding.

Forest Camp
Bri on the swinging bridge Marty and his Apu Just some of the river And some more Marty and Bri professing their undying love to each other again Jack fruit is a yummy fruit over here that has a bit of a banana taste Bri reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Visting Bayawan
Marty, Lilian's brother, and Dad overlooking the city Another view Squatter houses on the boulevard in Bayawan Cock fighting is very big in the Philippines. Think Marty can take him? Bri playing with the 1.5 month old puppy and mom at Lilian's parents house

Apo Island
Bri and the lost island The first boat that didn't want to work Apo Island from a distance And up close We finally make it! Just a random rock formation Heading to lunch And here we are eating. Nice ocean breeze. Nice speedo Mr. wish-you-weren't-in-the-background-of-our-picture! We had to walk through two rock formations to get to the village from lunch. That's one of our boat crew lying next to me. Apo Island village Marty and his goofy hats The gang on Apo Island. Bri didn't pee her shorts, her bathing suit was still wet. You can read this one for yourself Marty walked around like this all day

Killer Dogs
The one on the left is Igor, aka Vicious Bastard, to the right is Kutya, (the nice one).

Island Trip
This is the little boat we took to get to the bigger boat. Lilian and Dad on their way to the big boat. Negros Oriental (where we are staying) from the boat. Enjoying the day Some of the friends that went with us Marty and Bri on the South China Sea The other island we went to - gorgeous! The island kids had a great time jumping off of the boat Dad smirking and Bri sitting on the side of the pontoon These motorbikes are the typical mode of transportation. They create a lot of pollution.

Our first run straight up the side of the mountain
We went for a run straight up a mountain. It was a killer. The view while we were running. Here is Dork 1 Here is Dork 2 The run was hard, so we took lots of breaks. The run was hard, so we took lots of breaks.

The Market
We went to a market to get a taste of real village life You could buy anything here Bri, Mr. Gaal and Lilian At the end of the market was a beautiful beach Some boats at the beach

The beautiful house
Driveway leading to the house Front view of house Back view of house View from backyard Pool.Duh. The dining room and sitting room area. Marty doing what he does so we can take this trip!

Hong Kong - Jan 6 thru Jan 10

Do you think someone has penis envy? Please don't bite my finger, Mr. Koi Would be a great view if not for all the pollution! Going up to Victoria Peak in the trolley Walking on pebbles is apparently good for your health Another view of the town The view from our roof Take the pic! I'm freezing! Kind of like New York, with mountains Mass transit actually works well and is clean here We didn't get out of the hotel until 8:45pm, a bit jetlagged We flew halfway around the world to go to a bar we could have gone to down at the local mall, apparently