Dali Museum - Figueres

Just an hour and a half north of Barcelona is a town called Figueres. This is where Salvidor Dali was born and is now home to the Dali Museum. I had been talking about going there since my arrival amd with only a few days left, it was finally time to go.

Of course, like with everything else, this was planned somewhat haphazardly. I knew that I was going to take a train from Passieg de Gracia to Figueres. However, I did not really know where the Passieg de Gracia train station was located. So I walked to where I thought it was, then turned back and found out it was right near where I was. Pretty stupid. With a 15 minute line to buy the ticket, I for sure thought that I was going to miss the train and half to wait another few hours. But somehow, I made it just in time and soon enough, I was in Figueres.

Without asking for directions, I start to walk away from the train station. Again, I don't really know where I am going, but I figure that I will just find it. Eventually I make it up to a street with many hotels and feel it must be close. But there are two many choices in direction, so I finally decide to ask someone. The next person I come across is a crazy old lady. But I trust her, and she points me in a direction that would turn out to be correct. Joy.



While waiting on the entrance line, I snapped some pictures of whatever seemed to interest me.











I finally make it inside and I tour around the museum for a few hours. The interior is cylindrical with openings into other rooms and staircases to go up and down. Somewhat confusing to follow, but I guess it fits with his style. There were many drawings which I had never seen before and which increased my liking of this artist.











And of course there were some great sculptures and paintings throughout.

















After the visit, it was time to head back to the train station and towards Barcelona. It was an uneventful trip followed by planning my evening.

My Barcelona Neighborhood

Actually... sidewalks, storefronts and beautiful women with curvaceous bodies are in every neighborhood in Barcelona.



That's the Arc de Triomf. Yes... Spain has one too. It is not nearly as large as the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, but is still quite beautiful. It is surrounded by great lampposts, buildings and old Spaniards playing Bocci.









Luckily this guy didn't look me right in the eyes... I think he might have tried to take a piece of my soul away.

Towards the end of this stretch of blacktop is Parc de la Ciutadella. It is a moderately sized park with many different areas to explore and lay out. At the far end is the zoo (which for one of the first times, I opted not to visit).









After the Park, you can hop on a bike and take a quick ten minute ride to the beach.



Just something beautiful to look at in the distance on the ride.



And the safest life guard stand I've witnessed. I hope that if I am drowning, this lifeguard doesn't break an ankle when he jumps down to save me.

And my pops wanted a picture of the Barcelona beach, so here it is...

Aug. 26 - Joan Miro and MNAC with Adriana

Again I have fallen behind. My apologies once more.

I visited the Fundació Joan Miró and the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) with Adriana. I have been hanging out with her for the past two weeks and there are only a few days before I leave Barcelona. She is funny and curses a lot, which I pleasantly enjoy.

Both are located at Montjuic. Both were below par. The Fundació Joan Miró was quite small and did not have his most beautiful works. It did however house one of my favorites. I believe as though he was really experimenting here.



It also contained this gem.



And there were a few that you are probably more familiar with. They did say there was a part of the museum that was closed... so I am just going to imagine that this is where the paintings I like are staying. Adriana and I moved through the museum pretty quickly, but we did have a fun time looking at Miro's paintings and guessing the titles. I believe one I came up with was, "Woman Waking Up Underneath a Nuclear Bomb Sunrise, Part II." It was pretty close.

MNAC housed some other less than stellar artwork. However, I did find a few I liked.











And I still do not understand why museums hang pieces of artwork that look like this.



Please comment if you know.

Although the museums were lame, I had a good time walking around with Adriana. Lots of laughs and lots of curses. Lovely.

Southern Spain Studies

My trip to the south of Spain really inspired me with a series of ideas. Paintings to come next.

A Walk Down from Casa Vicens

On my walk home from Casa Vicens... I decided to take pictures. There is so much detail and design on everything throughout Barcelona. It makes it really enjoyable to just walk around.

It feel as though I could have designed that building looking at how crooked it is.

1905... Great year.

(shot from the hip - I'm getting better)

Casa Vicens

Casa Vicens is a family residence in Barcelona (Catalonia), designed by Antoni Gaudí and built for industrialist Manuel Vicens. It was Gaudí's first important work.

Stole that from maps.google - but now you have a little history. This is in a neighborhood called Gràcia. Just another unique neighborhood in Barcelona. I did a bike ride up from my apartment (about 30 minutes). There were a lot of interesting buildings and people on my way up. So I think on the way down, I will walk and take some photos.

In the meantime, here are some views of Casa Vicens.















Again, you can see how nature influenced Gaudi and appears in all his work.



A little graffiti never hurt nobody... as Steve Kudirka would say.

Walking and Riding Around Barcelona

I've been walking and riding around Barcelona a lot these past few days... trying to take in as much as I can before I have to depart. I have a great liking for the Born District. It's a mess of tiny alleys that curve this way and that until they open up into one of many squares. I find that the sunlight penetrates the alleys in the most interesting ways. You can get lost in this area for awhile. During the evenings, you may find a lone guitar player huddled in the corner or a Pakistani guy offering you beer for one Euro.

Barcelona Apartment

This is Nika... I have been taking care of her while her mom is away. And below is the apartment in Barcelona I have been renting for the last month.



















Next I shall post some pictures of the things around my neighborhood.

Drawings from the South

These are a series of drawings that were influenced by my visit to the south of Spain.

All Caught Up... Almost. Back in Barcelona

I have posted all the events from the last few weeks. I still need to add some pictures and drawings, but that will come shortly. In the meantime, if you would like to see any of the pictures I have taken , I have posted them up on picasa - http://picasaweb.google.com/Sharackula/

I know it's a pain to have to go to another web page... so I apologize.

I am now back in Barcelona. It is hot. Paula left me the keys to her bicycle. It is an old pink one speed... awesome. It is really fun to ride around the streets of the city. I took it for a spin yesterday to the beach for part of the day. I was planning on going to Park Guell to do some drawing today, but its almost 100 degrees so I figure I'll save that for another day. And now I'm off.

At the Airport in Malaga 08.12.2009

I am at the airport. I have successfully changed my flight without having to pay a dime! I am very happy. I have been sitting here for the past five hours, catching up on the blog. Now I will have to add all the pictures which will take me a few days at least... but now we are all caught up. Yay!

Granada 08.11.2009

The streets in Granada are really narrow


The morning starts with rain. I figure this will be good for the heat factor.



I head towards la Alhambra - the old castle on the northeast hill of the city. I don't really know where it is exactly other than north of where I am staying, but I figure I'll take some pictures along the way and find it. I am told you can drink the water from the smaller fountains that are all around the city, so I check some for the quality and fill up my water bottle. I find a very narrow street full of stairs going upwards. I take them up. I take them further up. Then I take the alley to the right. Then I take some stairs down. And voilah, there is la Alhambra. It is an enormous structure that requires a steep hill to climb.















I make my way up there through a shadowed, tree lined path. There are parts that you can walk around for free and others you have to pay for with large lines. I was too late to get a ticket as I couldn't wait around all day. I take pictures of everything and wander around for quite awhile before I decided to head back down into the main part of town to catch the bus back to Nerja.













I get extremely lost on my way back down. There was a street everyone was walking down so I just followed. I don't know where this street would have lead had I continued on it. But at one point, I decided to take a left in the alley and up the stairs. I continue to make haphazard choices on my direction until I make it to a spot with a great view of the entire Alhambra. I snap some shots and continue on. This is where I get really lost. I am by what seems like an outlying road of the city. There is a sign that points to the left and says city center. But after that, there are no more signs. I am very high up overlooking all of Granada. Shit! My camera's battery is exhausted. No more pictures for today.







I take some steep stairs downwards and a few more random lefts and rights and I make it back to the main part of town. I am not sure where I am exactly, so I walk for a bit and then pull out the map. Yes... I had a map the whole time... but I don't think it would have done me any good earlier in the small streets. I find out where I am and make it to the bus stop I need to get to. There is a train at 2 and at 4 back to Nerja. I am not going to make the 2 o'clock so I walk a bit further to find something to drink and eat. I sit down at a bar, have a beer and a sandwich and draw the bartender.

When I finished drawing and prepared to leave, an old woman, maybe the bar's owner or the bartender's mom came over and started yelling at me. This is a first. I have no idea what she was saying. I told her my Spanish is not good enough to understand, give the bartender a euro, say thank you and leave. Very strange. I hang at the bus station for about an hour... draw an old lady across from me and take the next bus back to Nerja.



Once rested back at the house, I go visit the main part of Nerja, finally. It starts with a place called el Balcon de Europa. It is an area on the bluffs overlooking the ocean. To the right is Nerja, to the left is another town. Many people are down here - eating, drinking and just hanging out.



At first, I was proud of this picture because of the beautiful backside of the woman between the two children. But then I noticed the expression on the guy screen left... and that makes me pretty happy.



I sit there for awhile, watching the sun set, watching people and doing some tiny sketches of the mountains and towns.



As the sun goes down, I walk around the tiny streets of this area - filled with even more people eating and drinking. I make my way back towards Paola's and am hungry. I go to Frederico's restaurant for a pork sandwich. Paola meets me there. Her flight is the next day and I am going to go with her because I want to make it back to Barcelona a day earlier. I am told it will cost at least 100 Euros. I sure hope not..

Frigiliana, and a Trip to Granada 08.10.2009

I don't wake up early and take the bus to Granada. I am beginning to stress out a bit and want to change my flight so that I can get back to Barcelona to make calls and handle the situation. But I know that this will cost money so I don't bother. I take an hour and a half walk into the hills just outside Nerja to a small village called Frigiliana,. It is a hard, arduous walk through the winding hills. It is very hot out and I am sweating a lot... but my mind doesn't wander to the bad stuff, so it is all good.









I make it to a crossroads with no sign. I choose right. Usually I am wrong in these situations, but not today. The town is wonderful. I stop for a Pepsi at a small hillside restaurant as I felt I needed some sugar. The view was beautiful.



I continued on into the bulk of the town. It is filled with white buildings with beautiful flower pots, small narrow roads leading up or down, restaurants, shops and small houses which had their doors open so you can peak in. I found an instant liking to this place. There was just something really quaint and natural about it.











After touring through it, I walked back around to see if there was a place to draw. Paola was going to pick me up in an hour or so. I found a step and an area that I was going to give a shot.





Paola and Julia pick me up a short time afterwards. We go for a cup of coffee. I still think about heading to Granada at some point and figure tomorrow morning would be best. Julia thinks it would be better if I went tonight, saw some of the nightlife and the Alhambra lit up at night and then enjoyed the morning there before it gets too hot. I think this sounds like a good idea. If I am going to take the two hour journey there, I might as well get a bit more out of it. I have no idea what I am going to do about lodging. I figure I'll just pack light and find a park to sleep in.

I am waiting at the bus station. A woman, slightly older than me comes up and asks if I speak Spanish. I say a little... but not really. She is going on and on about something I don't understand. She asks for a piece of paper and a pen. She writes a note down on it. I can't read her handwriting (or Spanish) and she asks me to put it on a parked gray car across the street. I don't understand why or why she couldn't ask someone else. She begs me. I tell her I don't know which car. She says she will show me. This is the point where I feel like someone is going to hit me over the head with a stick and steal my money. I look around constantly. She points out the car and I put the note on the windshield. She asks if she can buy me a beer. I say sure. We have a beer and I find out her name is Sara. She lives in Nerja and invites me over for lunch when I return from Granada. I say sure, take down her info and run across the street to catch my bus. I don't think I will call her when I get back.

The bus ride is beautiful. There are Moorish towers lining the beach cliffs and more little towns nestled in and out of the valleys. We pass a castle on top of a hill, with a little town huddled next to it. We then move inland for the boring part of the ride. I fall asleep until I make it to Granada.

I get off the bus and have no idea what I am going to do now. I see a sign for a hostel. I figure it would be best if I stayed at one. It doesn't cost much and I'll probably meet some travelers. I take a bus to the center of the town and follow the instructions to the hostel. As I am waiting to speak to the person, Yissim, I meet Olivier and Julien - two French travelers from Brittany. They both speak pretty good English and I continue to work on my Spanish with Julien who is fluent. I speak to Yissim, get my keys, put my stuff away and come back downstairs to join the guys. They are now joined by Jason, an American from Indiana. The four of us decide to head out for some beers and tapas.

In Granada, when you order a drink, you get a free tapas. I like this place already. We go from bar to bar, from tapas to tapas throughout the night. It was a fun evening, but I had to call it quits as I wanted to get up early the next day before the heat to walk around the town.

A Lunchtime Conversation with Paola's Mom and a Walk Aournd Town 08.09.2009

I slept late today. Paola had gone to visit a friend of hers at a nearby town so I was on my own. Paola's mom invites me to have lunch in the kitchen. She prepares for me some chicken with vegetables and bread. She sits down with me as I begin to eat and starts to converse with me. I try my hardest. She is able to explain things to me when I don't know what she is talking about until I understand. My Spanish to her probably sounds like a foreigner speaking bad English to me. I know it makes sense even though the verb forms aren't all there and some of the words don't quite make sense. But we talk throughout the meal, for about a half hour. My head hurt badly afterwards.

I then decided to grab a towel and my stuff. I was going to take a walk around Nerja and then hit up a different beach, maybe one that is less rocky than the other day. I don't find the main area of town but I walk around for a few hours before settling on the beach in front of a hotel. It is a very crowded and small beach, but the sand is nice as is the water. I spend a few hours there doing the normal sort of things before going back to the house.



On the way there, I stop at an internet cafe. I realize that I really don't have much money left in my bank account. I have enough to get me through my trip, but not enough to take care of some bills that are going to start recurring. I start to stress a little but I know I can figure this one out. I write a friend an email asking for a loan... but I feel like shit and apologize for asking.

I get back to the house, have a small dinner and do some writing. My mind is all over the place. I think about heading to Granada in the morning and go to sleep early.

My Crazy Trip to the South Begins 08.08.2009

I have second thoughts about booking this trip to stay with someone I barely know with her parents who don't speak English. But I think this is what traveling and having an adventure is all about. The flight from Barcelona to Malaga is an hour and a half. I make it down there around 9a and figure it is a bit too early to try and get in touch with Paola. I take a bus to the bus station just outside the city center and don't know where to go from here. I decide to try and take a walk into the main city center. I walk the wrong way for about an hour. I try to reach Paola. I try to take another walk to the city center, this time asking directions first. I succeed. They are setting up for the Fiera - a festival that occurs throughout the southern cities of Spain throughout the summer. It is a pretty small city, on the water and has a nice feel to the city streets.





I don't stay too long as I finally get in touch with Paola. She tells me to go to the station and take a bus to Nerja. The line to buy a ticket is 20 minutes and my bus leaves in 10. Luckily, buses are usually late. I board the bus to Nerja, which is going to take two hours. I do a little writing, some of the blogging I needed to catch up on and then a little nap.

I reach Nerja. Again, I don't know what to do next. It's okay though, there's a bar and a telephone right next to the bus stop. I sit down for a beer and finally get a hold of Paola who comes to meet me. She walks me down through the town and to her parent's house. I meet her mother. A very cute Spanish woman. I speak my best Spanish and try to understand the quickness at which she speaks. Paola and Adriana both told me that the people of Southern Spain are very kind and take you in. It is very true. Paola's mother made me some lunch and then we were off to meet one of Paola's friends, Julia.

No one in Southern Spain speaks English... or very few people. And their Spanish is extremely quick and filled with slur. It's already difficult for me and it becomes more difficult. But I tell Paola and Julia it is no matter to me if they speak Spanish. I am trying to pick up some words and figure things out while just taking in the new surrounding. The towns down here are all white washed buildings, nestled on little hills and cliffs by the water. After a cafe, we hit the beach.





It is very rocky. And Paola complained about the cleanliness of the water. It wasn't crystal clear turquoise blue, but it was very nice. And since it was a billion degrees outside, I went in multiple times.

After showering back at the house, we headed to a little bar and tapas place that Paola likes. She ordered shrimp. I don't eat shrimp, but it's okay as I am not totally hungry. We then go to her friend's restaurant. Frederico and his brother own a really nice place where they back their own bread. Frederico's wife, Helena, comes by and we all have wine together. I continue to try and converse with people in Spanish... and although I can't fully understand everything, we can somewhat converse. Frederico and Helena are going to a 60's style music party at their friend's villa in the hills of Punta Lara later in the evening and they invite us along.

The villa is beautiful. It is on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. There is a pool sparkling blue on the ledge. There are lovely looking women dressed in their best 60's outfits dancing, a DJ with a cane and plenty of boos. I figure I might as well get a little drunk and see what happens. I am introduced to the everyone as Paola's American friend that she met in Barcelona. I am able to speak some Spanish with a few people. And then I find out that multiple people can speak English. I meet many people who's names I can not remember and who I will probably never see again. It was a fun night and an experience at a place I will never forget.

Sleep.

Love with a Spaniard 08.07.2009

Adriana comes back to my apartment after Ryan's departure. We make love all day and hang out in bed together. She speaks to me in Spanish. It is hot. I think I have found a way to get my green card. We have dinner and I show her the Three Caballeros. She loves it. I try to get in touch with Paola multiple times as I am flying into Malaga tomorrow morning. I don't know where to go once I get there. I am slightly worried, but things have worked out for me throughout this trip, so I let it slide. Adriana stays over the night until I have to wake at 5a.

Ryan's Last Day and Night 08.06.2009

At the moment, I don't remember what we did during the day. That's what happens when you don't keep up with the blog Matt!

I am sure there was some drinking involved though because on a whim and slightly inebriated, I booked tickets to visit Paola in the South of Spain. I will be there from Saturday until Thursday. I love Barcelona, but I am very excited to see a different part of the country.

Tonight, we go out with Mai and Adriana. We meet them at the post office near the Born district. We start off at a small place Mai likes, but it is too hot so we move. Adriana needs to eat, so we drop into a tapas place for something along with a few beers. Then it is off to another bar where they serve this cider that Adriana keeps talking about. There is a special way to poor it into the cup over your shoulder. Ryan makes some good attempts and I think he has a job in Barcelona if he wants to come back.

We move on to a small bar/dance club where Mai's friend DJ'ed some really cool jazzy house stuff. I drew some pictures of the bartenders on napkins and we got a round of shots... boom. Did a little dancing and then it was time to move on again. I don't know why we left this place as it was full of women, good music and bartenders pouring us free shots... but c'est la vie(. The last place we visited was a disco that we visited earlier in the week. It was getting late at this point and Mai left as she had to work the next morning. Adriana, Ryan and I went back to his apartment to spend the rest of the evening drinking, listening to music and hanging out. Ryan has to leave the next day at around 11 or noon, so he heads off to bed. I stay up with Adriana and after a bit of talking, we start to make out. I keep telling her to come back to my place, but by the time she is ready to do that, Ryan is back awake - in somewhat of a drunken coma - and we hang out with him a bit more before his departure.

It was a sad moment. I didn't want him to leave and I know he definitely didn't want to. It was really good having a travel buddy for a little while. I know I wanted to do this trip solo, and I am glad that I have for this long, but it was time to have someone I knew well and that speaks my language along for the ride. I will see him again in three weeks when I return. Holy shit... only three weeks left. Better make the best of it.

A Day at the Beach, La Padrera and Meeting Paola 08.05.2009

Today, Ryan and I decided to give sightseeing a bit of a break and to head to the beach at a reasonable hour. But first, we went to our favorite tapas restaurant, Ciudad Comida, for lunch. Then we were lucky enough to see this guy on our walk.



We also decided that today we were going to do a few cheesy tourist posed photos...





We relaxed on the beach for a few hours, each taking turns going into the water. We weren't going to trust the people around to watch our stuff after all the shit people have been talking about thievery. I did some drawings of the funny people I have been seeing around Barcelona as well as some chicks laying around on the beach. After enough sun, we decided to check out the club area at the other end of the beach. The same place we chilled at earlier in the week had a Brazilian Band playing some jazz. We sat on the deck for an hour, listening to them switch it back and forth between the jazz and cover band stuff. I think I heard the best version of Gin and Juice I have ever heard before.



Our Art Museum Pass allowed us access in la Padrera, which is one of Gaudi's buildings. We did a quick tour through there - They had prints of some of his plans for other structures as well as video featuring them and some erie music.





Then it was up the rooftop to see some of the sculptures up there as well as a view of the city from a higher level. Cool stuff.







Our evening consisted of returning to our local wine bar, Bitxo. Benedicta and Adriana were working and it was somewhat busy. Adriana had a friend at the other end of the bar whom Ryan met soon after, Paola Arenas. While he was talking to her, I sat and did a quick sketch of the bar.

I was called anti-social. But there really wasn't any room at the bar at that point. When things opened up, I decided to be social. The night there was dying down, and Paola, Ryan and I headed to another bar. Adriana was going to meet up with us after closing the bar out with Benedicta. We are told that Benedicta is somewhat loco (crazy) and will probably keep Adriana there all night.

The three of us go to a small bar just down the street. We get to know Paola a bit more. She is from Southern Spain, a little town called Nerja - which is 30 minutes from Malaga and 1 hour away from Granada. She tells us that Barcelona is not the real Spain and that we should visit the South. Ryan is bummed that he only has a few nights left in Spain... but I consider the thought as I would really like to see the South. We continue with random stories, some drinking, some dancing and there is still no sign of Adriana. Paola has to go as she leaves the next day to visit her family in Nerja. She invites me to come down and stay with her. I tell her I'll let her know. On our way past Bitxo, Adriana is finally finished. She wants to have a beer as she is annoyed with Benedicta. Ryan and I invite her up to Ryan's apartment since it is so close.

Adriana tells us the same thing about the South and Barcelona and that we have to visit. She too is from Southern Spain. Now I feel I really must go... but we'll see what I can pull since the funds are beginning to dwindle. Our night goes on for a bit more with the usual drunken talk and whatnot and ends with my vision seeing double.

Picasso Museum and A Night Out in the Born 08.04.2009

Today it is time to visit the Picasso Museum. Through Ryan's brilliant research, he finds an art pass that allows you entry into a few museums. We both pick one up on our way into the Picasso Museum. The exhibition there is a retrospective of the artist's life... starting from when he was a young boy through his later years. Most of his most known works were not on display as they are located in many museums around the world. But to see the start of his career as a classical painter and then moving into the style that he would eventually be known for is quite astonishing.

Ryan and I hadn't been able to get the Peter, Bjorn and John Song, "Blue Period Picasso" out of our heads since our arrival into Barcelona... and we finally got to see some.

Then we come into the room of a 56 piece series of reinterpreting and recreating Las Meninas by Velazquez. There was a great quote from Picasso about this work - "If anywhere were to try and copy Las Meninas in complete good faith, and for example got to a certain point - and if I were the copier - would say to myself, and if I just put this a little more to the right or left? I would try to do it in my own way, forgetting about Velazquez. The challenge would surely make me modify or change the light, due to having changed the position of a character. In this way, little by little, I would paint Meninas who would seem detestable to a pure copyist - they would not be what he thought he saw on Velazquez's canvas, but they would be my Meninas."

After the museum, we headed to the beach for a bit. We were getting good at this go to the beach in the afternoon thing.

Tonight, we decided to give a walk around the Born a try. We were just going to bar hop through the area and see what we find. What's great about this area, is that there are Pakistani guys walking around with cold fresh beers that they sell for one Euro. So in between our walk to the bar, we would buy a beer. Seemed like a brilliant idea at the time. We ran into one or two bar crawls, with mostly English speaking people, but I don't think their "leaders" liked us too much, so we didn't follow them for too long. I think our greatest find of the night was a bar called "Hook." Yes, like Hook from Peter Pan. It was a very quiche bar. It had pirate paraphernalia all over the place, a creepy looking Peter Pan mannequin hanging from the ceiling, a gay pirate bartender and a wall dedicated to Tina Turner.

I would say it was a bit of a disastrous night as we never really found a place we truly loved and were really drunk at the end of the night. We talked about going back to an apartment to draw, but both of us were too tired by the time we got home. Good day though.

Antoni Gaudi 07.03.2009

Antoni Gaudi, who was born in 1852 in Catalonia. Gaudi was the youngest of five children, and he had a difficult childhood due to suffering from rheumatism that caused him a great deal of pain. At a young age, he had a lot of time to observe and inspect nature, which helped him to develop his unique form of architecture.

I think I had a finger print on the lens on this day, so the pictures are not at the best quality. I will have to re-visit these sights as well as the 27 other buildings in the city.

We started our tour by walking to some of the nearby Gaudi buildings in my neighborhood - Casa Batlló and La Pedrera (Casa Mila). You can go into some of the buildings but the queues were extremely long.







We then headed to Park Guell.



Park Guell is located on the west side of the city and was created by Gaudi. When we first walked in, it was blazing hot and felt like a desert. There wasn't much shade but off in the distance we heard some jazz being played. We moved towards the music and found alittle spot with just enough trees to produce a cool shady area to sit and watch. There was a bass player and a saxophonist jamming. It was a nice break spot before heading into the bulk of the park.



We lead ourselves to a large square where there was more music, many people and some structures that Gaudi built in the park. We took a seat by the watering hole, had ourselves a beer and did a little sketching. Then it was off to explore these things a little more and a bit up close.







Gaudi lived in a house he built in the park at one stage of his life.









Then it was off to the caves. Gaudi spent a lot of time observing nature as a youth. You can see the influence it had in the forms throughout his work.









These buildings look like ginger bread houses and bring an instant smile when you see them. Right behind them is a great view of where we had just come from. I could come to this park every day and never get bored of the things you see. I am sure I will visit a few more times during my stay in Barcelona.









Afterwards, we again headed back to our apartments to get ready for the evening. We decided we were going to try out the clubs down at the far end of the beach. We walk down there and the whole area is crowded with people. We think to ourselves, this is a Monday night, is it always like this? I know Barcelona is a party town, but on a Monday night, it's pretty ridiculous. There is a stretch of about five or six clubs on the beach. We pick one and go in. We dance a bit, drink a bit and then feel it is time to leave. We talked about going somewhere else, but at this point, it was just better to get to bed.

Montjuic and el Poble Espanyol 08.02.2009

"Matt Ryan Barcelona is a movie that should not be made." 

This is the first thing that Ryan says to me on this day.  I guess he is not feeling well.  I am sure a little fresh air and walking around will help him out.  We are headed to Montjuic - translated as "Hill of the Jews" - on the south side of the city that is home to a few museums, the Olympic stadium and a place called Poble Espanyol, a place set up like a castle that houses artisans, architecture and food from all the different parts of spain.  

Ryan's brother enjoys artwork of Jesus Christ.  One of the first shops we found was filled with Jesus Christ paintings.  They were painted by an old Spanish guy that smokes a pipe.  Poor old bastard needed a new pipe as his was being held together with some sort of tape.  

We walked through the Poble Espanyol getting a bit lost and circling around a few too many times, but it was a interesting place to look around, so it was okay.  We saw a glass blower creating tiny figurines of bulls, cows and other animals.  I had never understood how glass was manipulated, but now it all makes sense.  

Next, we tried to figure out a way to get higher up on the mountain, to maybe catch a viewpoint of the entire city.  This is when we first noticed la Segrada Familia - Guadi's unfinished masterpiece.  It was a gigantic sculpture sitting in the middle of Barcelona, towering over anything near it (or come to think of it, towering over everything).  I look forward to checking it out up close.

We moved further up the mountain and came to a spot that looked like it would get us higher.  It was either stairs or the escalator.  The stairs had beautiful vases with flowing water so we opted for that.  I had the brilliant idea of running up them.  

My lungs really hated me when I got to the top.  The area opens into a giant square, with this alien structure sitting in the background.

Here is where we found the Olympic Stadium from the 1992 Summer games.  There was a track and field event about to start and for five Euros, we decided to sit in and check it out.  We saw some butch ladies throwing a ball.  It wasn't shot put, but the one where they spin in a circle a bunch of times and then fling away.  It was pretty funny to watch in person.  The cooler events, like sprint racing, javelin throwing and pole vaulting all started later in the evening but we opted out of staying that late.

We headed back down the mountain and towards the beach for a little afternoon relaxation.  After dinner, we started to plan our next day - our personalized Gaudi tour.  Still being enthralled from our earlier visions of la Segrada Familia, we clicked on some night pictures.  It was awesome looking.  Even though we were quite tired, we figured what the hell, let's go check it out.  A quick subway ride later, we were standing in front of this immense cathedral.  It's been being built for a hundred and something years and will probably take a hundred more to finish it, if they ever do,  After a walk around and some attempted night pictures, it was time to call it a night.

Our First Walk Around Town 08.01.2009

After some slumber and breakfast, Ryan and I walk out of my apartment and to the right.  We don't bring our cameras out with us because we are told of how big a problem thievery is in Barcelona.  It was a bad choice as there was much to take pictures of, but on day one, we thought it would be a good idea to play it safe and get a feel for the city.

Just down the street is the Spanish Arc de Triumf.  It is a very wide road and leads into el parc de ciutadella.  The park is beautiful.  We wander through it for awhile and talk about going to the beach... but we don't know what direction it is in... so we just walk.  We end up in the Born - an area with tiny alleys cutting all around, filled with little bars, shops, churches and people.  We tour through this area for quite a bit and are both getting hungry.  But it's very hard to pick a place to eat when there are so many options.  Stupid us, we didn't bring any of the pieces of paper where we wrote down everyone's suggestions.  Eventually, we pick a tapas bar.  Their tapas are cheap and delicious.  We also get some directions to the beach and head that way after a few beers.

On our walk down to the beach, we find a band that looked like they were from a 19th century circus.  I will have to draw a picture of them and post if, because they were hilarious looking... as was there music.  It was really hard to get away from them actually.  But we did.  We finally make it to the beach.  It is packed with people (obviously Barcelona is a huge tourist destination).  We walk by a few beach bars and sit down at la Princessa for some Sangria and olives.  Ryan picks a great seat to sit in.  Right behind me is a stunning young women.  I obviously can't take too many looks, but I know Ryan is looking right past me as I talk to him and is staring at her.  But there's plenty of other things to look at from where I am.

We head back to our apartments and get ready for our evening.  Tonight we are go out with Mai from Bitxo.  So we head to the bar first for a glass of wine.  We say hello to our friend Benedicta and also meet another person working there, Adriana.  Adriana is from the south of Spain.  Eventually, Mai shows up and we go to a little dance hall in the Born.  We meet a bunch of her friends there and also make some new ones of our own.  This turns out to be another long night but eventually sleep sets in.

Matt Ryan Barcelona 07.31.2009

The movie begins at the airport in Budapest. As I board the plane, there is a very hefty man in front of me. I figure that with my luck, he is going to be sitting next to me. And of course, my luck came through. It was very uncomfortable. Before leaving the gate, I asked if I could check the plane for another seat. Towards the back of the plane was a completely open row. Phew.

We land, grab our luggage and head for a cab. We both immediately take in the look of the Spanish women. They are beautiful and they are everywhere. The ride from the airport to our rented apartments is only thirty minutes. Ryan is excited to be using his Spanish speaking abilities with whomever we have contact with. I ring up to Paula's apartment (the person I am renting from) on Ronda Sant Pere and her cleaning lady lets us in. Paula is out running errands but will be home shortly. The apartment is great. It is three bedrooms, two baths, kitchen, common room and office... all for me. The location is about 15 minutes walk to the beach, five minutes walk to the Born and las Ramblas, and has metro stations nearby to access all other parts of the city. I start thinking I could have stayed in Barcelona for the entire summer and I haven't really even seen any of it yet.

Paula arrives and shows me around the apartment, introduces me to her cat, Nika - split of a persian and siamese, and let's me know all the information I should have while she is away in Ibiza. She then walks us over to where Ryan's apartment is situated, which is just a 7 minute walk from where I am staying. He lives across the street from the Palau de Musica - which is a beautifully designed opera house.

His apartment is also very nice, a little smaller, but with two bedrooms and everything else you need... including two cats. Paula leaves us shortly there after and we plan to meet her later in the night at a bar. We settle in for a few moments and wait for a guy Sam to drop by - he's going to supply us with some herb for our stay. After getting some tips from Paula and Sam on where to venture, we take to the streets of the immediate area to find a small bar and maybe some tapas. We look in at a few places and decide to go into the first one we passed, el Bitxo (pronounced beet-cho). It is a small bar/restaurant in one of the alleys by Ryan's apartment and is not too crowded. We meet Mai and Joanna who are working at the bar. We also meet Benedicta, the bar's owner. They are all from Denmark and speak multiple languages. We have a few glasses of wine and chat with our new friends about our adventures and our plans for the week. They give us some more suggestions of places to try and visit. All of the sudden, we realize it is time to meet Paula.

We head back to my apartment for a drink or two and then go out to a small bar called Betty Ford. It is in las Ramblas and across the street from one of Gaudi's buildings, THE NAME - my first experience with the man's work in person. Afterwards, we go to a club on the water called Mondo to meet some of Paula's friends. It was a fun night of dancing and meeting Spaniards. It ended up turning into an even later night when I met Ana Felipa, who wanted to hang out with us after we left the club. She is crazy. And I am in love. We all stayed up at Ryan's talking about life, relationships and bullshit. A fun first night, but I don't think they can all go this long or else we'll never see the city.

Back to Budapest for One Last Night 07.30.2009

So of course we were out too late and that always makes a travel day somewhat of a struggle. We have to head back to Budapest from the lake by first going through Vienna. The journey is scheduled to take us 7 hours.

Things are going smoothly on the first train, except that Ryan thought it was a good idea to buy beers at 11 in the morning. They tasted horrible. We both gagged upon first sip. It wasn't until a few sips later that Ryan actually admitted it was a bad idea. Nothing really eventful occurs for the rest of the ride. There is beautiful scenery to look at on the way which is nice. We get off in Vienna and I find out what track our next train is going to be on. We have 27 minutes to kill. One of the most beautiful women I have ever seen walks past us. I couldn't help but look. Ryan thinks it is bad of me at first but then agrees that she should be stared at like that. I didn't have my camera at the ready - sorry.

We are on track 8. As the time gets nearer, we hear that a train is coming in and hear the word Budapest, but that's about all we can understand from the intercom. It's five minutes early, but we don't think anything of it. As we settle into some seats, I notice that this train is coming from Budapest and going to Munich. The doors are already closed and we are on the move - to Germany! I find out that the next station is only a few minutes away, 10 minutes which could have been 5 if the train driver was not such a rookie. I know that there are many trains running between Budapest and Vienna, so I am not too worried... but it sucks that our 7 hour trip is most likely going to be 9 or 10 at this point.

After getting things sorted out with the ticket people (train is in an hour and a half), we look for a bar... and boy did we find one. It was a little shit hole right down the street from the train station. The characters in their included some older folks that have probably been drinking in this bar for a long time. There are some amazing drawings on the wall one of the waitresses that works there. The juke box is dj-ing some wonderful stuff and there is a golden lab hanging out on the stairs. Back to the train station and the last leg of the trip.

After more uneventfulness... we get into Budapest. It is the last night I will spend there and there are a few people that I met that I wanted to say good bye too. We meet up at Szimpa.


I meet the "Brad Pitt" of couchsurfing - that's what someone in his group called him - pretty funny remark. And then after a few beers it was time for some sleep at a reasonable hour. We will wake early, pack and get the hell out of Budapest.

A Tour Around the Lake 07.29.2009

Today's program called for breakfast and then a tour on the lake with the electric motor boat. The electric motor boat is great - it can run for almost four hours before having to be recharged. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, the boat only goes about 5 mph (not sure what that converts to in knots). There are many interesting buildings around the lake - a castle, a church and some well designed architecture.












Afterwards it is back to the house for some relaxation before dinner. Tonight, we eat at the Lake Side. I have a thin steak with salad... yum. Ryan falls in love with a simple Austrian girl named Annita - she has funky shoes. Ryan is picking up German very quickly and uses it to make her blush. Then we take a sunset boat ride across the lake to hang out with one of Dita's friends who owns a nice hotel on the lake.







We meet some more interesting Austrians and again Ryan is asked to draw a million Shreks. Luckily he doesn't do this so much anymore since he's on another movie, so I am sure it is fun for him. Another friend of Dita's offers us a ride home on his motor boat. Unlike the other boat, this one can cruise and we are back to the lake house within minutes.

We head back to the Lake Side for some drinks, which Flo has agreed to pay for... nice guy. Ryan is back hanging with Annita, and two of the horse girls come by. But he is distracted and I can't handle the situation all by myself. Missed opportunity, oh well. It's getting late and we have to get up early to make a train back to Budapest. However, Flo invites us out to a club and this is where the night got interesting for Ryan... but I'll let him tell that part of the story.

A Trip to the Lake House 07.28.2009

The lake house is about two and half hours south of Vienna, thirty minutes from the Italian boarder. We pass through many green hill-scapes, some with little villages nestled in the valleys. The drive is beautiful even though Lukas drives us out there very quickly. I am sitting shot-gun, so it is my responsibility to look out for the police. But they make it very difficult in Austria. The cars are unmarked and are all different (could be an Audi A4 or perhaps a BMW 325i). I am supposed to look for a car that has two people in the front seat. Sure... so now every car we come up to, pass by or comes behind us - I am looking to see if there's two people. Sometimes, it's two old ladies - not cops I don't think. They also have hidden boxes with camera and radar. The most interesting one is a zone where the record your speed going in and going out and give you a ticket if you've gone through the zone too quickly. That one was up to Lukas.

We make it to the lake and it is beautiful. The water is a bluish-green and is so clean that you can drink from it. We settle in and wait for Lukas' girlfriend, Isabelle, to arrive.







After hanging out down at the lake house for a few hours, we all go up to Isabelle's parent's main house (which is just a short drive into the hills). Her parents, Dita and Ernstl are extremely nice.



They take us out to dinner at a place called 151. The decor here is amazing. They basically find all different types of chairs, tables and decorations and mash them all up together in the restaurant. The food was delicious and for some reason, the waiter brought us a free bottle of wine at the end of the night... my German isn't so good, just like all the other languages I speak.







We go for a night cap at a small restaurant on the lake, called Lake Side. Lukas drops the "Shrek" card to some of the people there, including the owner, Florian (Flo). The people at the lake are very kind to us and Ryan is now asked to draw a million Shreks and Donkeys for the rest of the week. Luckily, my slow drawing style gives me the inability to handle such requests.

At one point, three lovely women arrive via boat. Ryan gets in an introduction as I am busy chatting with some other people. The three girls ride horses professionally and are at the lake for a competition coming up that weekend. They head out and we ask that they meet us here tomorrow night. We'll see what happens.

A Long Night Out in Vienna 07.27.2009

We were attending a going away celebration for one of Lukas' friends, Dominick, who is moving to New York City to work at the UN for a few years. There was a long, uncomfortable 20 minute bus ride out of the city center and into the vineyard hills. The restaurant, Willkommen am Weinhof Zimmermann, was set up on the hill top. We were the first to arrive and waited about an hour before others started to show. Lukas was getting worried as the sun was going down and he thought that people might not see him with his sunglasses on. Lukas is very proud of his sunglasses.

Ryan and I meet a bunch of people rather quickly. The usual conversations at the start and then into some random bullshit. After starving for about 3 hours, we finally make it inside to order some food. There is a buffet set up with different fresh meats, cheeses and salads. I get a stuffed pepper, potatoes and pork. Ryan is told to get a thick creamy looking substance to dip bread into. Ryan gives it a try and asks Lukas what it is. Essentially, it's raw fat. It was quite delicious, but a bit too heavy and I am assuming unhealthy. We hang out until the restaurant closes down. I thought we were going to go home and get some rest, but we headed back into the city center with the group for one more drink... which obviously turned into five more drinks. We went to a bar called, American Bar, which didn't have anything really to do with America. I was told it is a popular place and made very good mixed cocktails. It was very tiny, but the drinks were good indeed. We decide to leave, but the group wants to keep celebrating. We try to go to a bar, it's closed. Then Lukas gets hungry and there's nothing that can stop him from finding food. We make it to a sausage stand (one of many that are situated throughout the city). The group is down to about 8 people at this point and we snack on some sausages and order some beers. Mind you, it is about 4a at this point. We meet a German computer engineer who ends up buying us a round of beer. We chat about his old days designing games for the Commodore 64... I really couldn't understand a thing he was saying... but I gave him a lot of head nods and okays. Before the sun comes up, we make it home. Tomorrow, we are going to Lukas' girlfriend's parent's lake house.

A Walk Around Vienna

We wake up at a reasonable hour on Monday morning. Lukas takes us to a central market area, called naschmarkt, where you can get any type of food you want. I begin to take in what the surrounding buildings and people look like. Vienna has one of the highest qualities of life - very clean, well maintained, low murder rate, etc. After a vegetable sandwich, Lukas tours us around.













We toured through the city for hours. We walked through the Spanische Hofreitschule which is where the Lippizaner horses train - these are the beautiful white dancing stallions.





After going through the immense buildings, we decided it was time to sit down and have a drink. But first, Ryan and I thought we would stop in a nearby butterfly house.



The tour of the city continued... seeing many cool looking buildings.





Lukas then brought us to a museum, the Belvedere. It houses work by two artists I didn't know much about but now have a large appreciation for - Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. Go check out their work on google or something. When then headed back to Lukas' apartment to get ready for our evening. We were going to a dinner party for a friend of his up in the wine vineyards just outside of the city's center.

To Austria to Meet Ryan Crego and Lukas Zinnagl

I know I have not written for awhile, but I blame that on Ryan Crego. He arrived a week ago and has been tough to find some time to write. But I shall start with my trip to Austria to meet him. One note... I am having a little trouble with my computer, so there will be no pictures until I get that sorted out.

It is Sunday morning, July 26th. I am supposed to wake up at 10a and meet some friends from Budapest who offered to drive me out to Vienna - which is where I will meet up with Ryan Crego. For some reason, I don´t hear my alarm go off or their text messages until 1p. I guess I needed some sleep. After ruining the idea of driving out, I now have to take the train. I am meeting a friend of Ryan´s, Lukas, whom I met once years ago at a DreamWorks lunch. I find that the next train I can take is at 3p which will get me into Vienna at 6p. Perfect.

As I am sitting in a train compartment by myself, I realize that I do not have Lukas´ phone number with me. I panic for a moment, but figure that he will call me at some point if I don´t hear from him. The only problem is that the phone I was given can only receive SMS (that´s what they call text messages in Europe). I´ll have to find an internet cafe at some point. No problem.

I am soon joined by Mr. Ming. He is a Korean man in his early 40´s who is training a group of younger Korean men and women about train tracks, or something along those lines. We are then joined by Alberto and Manuel, two gentlemen from Spain. We are off to Vienna. We all chat, the normal stuff that is talked about between people that don´t know each other. But then there is a problem. The guy that checks the tickets, the comptroller maybe, tells Manuel that he is going to have to get off at the next stop since he did not fill in the date properly on his Eurorail ticket. He has to get off at the next stop, but he can fill in the date properly and then board the next train in two hours. It seemed pretty stupid to me. But after we all tried to save Manuel, he was gone.

During the last hour, I decided to take a walk up and down the train. I made it to the dining car and met Mike, a serviceman from Babylon, Long Island (10 minutes from where I grew up), who was now stationed in Germany. And I met Valerie, a German girl who was traveling for 17 hours by train from Turkey. I ended up chatting with her until we got to Vienna. At which point we both had to run to our respective compartments to grab our bags. Then it was good bye to her and off to find Lukas.

I wandered out of the train station and within a few minutes I found a tourist information bar. I walked in, got a map, a beer and a computer with internet. I made contact with Lukas and he told me where to meet him.

Took the metro a few stops from where I was and Lukas was waiting for me at the station. We walk for five minutes and arrive at his flat. It was an absolutely stunning duplex. Dark wood floors from Indonesia mixed with white furniture and cabinets, two bedrooms, a beautiful master bathroom and two balconies both facing towards the vineyards off in the distance.







Lukas and I didn´t know each other too well, so we had a few hours to kill before picking up Ryan to shoot the shit. After a few hours, I know that Lukas is a great guy... very intelligent, has great taste in music and can wear sunglasses like no one else I know. We head to the airport around 9p. Upon getting there, I am informed that the Vienna airport has the longest time between landing and picking up your baggage. I get a beer. Twenty five minutes later, a lost Ryan Crego comes out of the doors looking around. Lukas and I both smile and are excited. For Lukas, it has been four years since he last seeing Ryan... for me, it´s been two and a half months... but he looked just as beautiful as when I left.

In the car we go back to Lukas´. They catch up, there are laughs gallore and we chill at Lukas´place for awhile before heading out to a place called Museum Quarter in the center of the city. We meet a few of Lukas´friends whom he works with. Lukas is doctor turned internet entrepreneur. They are all young, creative and successful folks - quite good company to hang with. I meet a girl named Alex whom I took a quick liking too. Later, I find out that she has a fascination with vampires. Marriage material?

We head back to Lukas´flat afterwards and have a night cap on one of his balconies... catching up, having laughs and taking in this wonderful city.

Then it´s time for bed before the sun rises. Or did it rise? Ryan and I are sharing a room on the second floor of the flat. We couldn´t help but talk for about an hour before actually heading to bed. Welcome Ryan. It is great to have you here.

A Visit to Prague

This journey started on Friday, July 17th. I am going to group the entire trip into this one post. Pictures to come soon...

So after being dis-invited on the sailboat trip to Croatia... I decided I wanted to still get out of Budapest and go somewhere. Prague was an obvious choice as it is where I wanted to initially live this month. I sent out a bunch of couchsurfing requests earlier in the week with a bunch of negative response. Then I checked on the internet for "cheap rent Prague." I found a last minute deal for a studio apartment for $40US a night. They didn't have the studio available for the day I was planning on arriving or the day I was planning on leaving, but three nights in the middle. I figured I would be able to find someone to stay with for the other two.

Renaud told me he knew a girl there, Iva, and he gave me her contact information. I wrote her asking if she would be around and when she replied positively, I bought a bus ticket for Friday morning. A roundtrip ticket from Budapest to Prague cost 8000 forhints, or $40US. Bus is obviously the cheapest way to travel.

Day 1 - Budapest to Prague

The bus ride was not too joyful and took 6 hours. I had two seats to myself which was nice, but because of the bumpiness, I couldn't take advantage of the free time to draw. Instead, I watched the shitty movies that were on the screens (in Hungarian). The two I watched included National Treasure - which I am sure was just as bad in English, and some other treasure hunting movie with Matthew McConnehy (CHECK SPELLING). However bad they were, they at least got me to Prague.

Since this was a last minute trip, I really didn't do any planning for it. Thus, I had no idea where I was when I arrived at the bus station, named Florenc. I wandered around for a bit, looking at maps and then boarded a subway. There was a little picture of a church at the stop IP Pavlova (CHECK MAP) and I thought that this would be a good place to get off and walk around. I was very wrong. I had passed the center of Prague by a 40 minute walk. But I walked it. I started by walking over what seemed to be an unending bridge. There were some pretty cool views of the city from out here though.

Eventually I made it to an area that looked more populated and city like. I found a cafe that had Wi-Fi and dropped in for a beer and a location check. At this point, I wasn't very far off from the city center. After one more beer and some serious map study, I decided to venture off.

I found the my way towards the center very easily. It is filled with tourists, shops, great looking buildings and amazing churches. I went through side streets and small alleys and eventually found myself at the Old Town Square. There were two buildings here that I knew I was going to come back to draw; Tyn Church and the Old Town Hall.

Both of them had amazing roofs. At this point, I think it is quite obvious that I have an obsession for the rooftops of buildings. I did a little more exploring and figured it was time to get in touch with Iva. I still needed a place to stay for the night as I didn't get the keys to the apartment until the next morning.

The phone Renaud lent me can only receive text messages at this point and I am not going to put any more minutes on it. So yes, Jason Savage, things can be a little difficult, or not as convenient, but if there is a will there is a way. So I found another cafe that had internet and I sat down for a cola. I did some skype texting and Iva told me that she had left town to visit her parents but that I could stay at her place with her boyfriend, Mattieu. Of course, another Frenchman - I can't get away from these guys. I think the French are still trying to "conquer" Europe by spreading out to every country around. No matter, Mattieu agreed to take me in for the night and I should meet him at a bar near the Namaste Miru metro stop.

I get off the train and have no idea where to go. I search for some internet to no avail. But I get a text of directions where to go. I meet Mattieu and Jose (his Spanish friend, no shit, right?) at a bar. The Czech bar maids are dimes (for those of you that don't know, a dime is a 10). We exchange the bullshit meeting stuff and head off to his apartment. I can finally drop off my heavy travelers bag and we are off to eat. Beer-Chili Goulash is what I order. Along with bread dumplings. This is a heavy meal and it is delicious. I think I love goulash. And I think we need to learn how to make bread dumplings in the states.

Afterwards, Mattieu took me to a bar that he usually starts his night off with. There are a ton of young English speakers and it is hot and musty. After a crowd of people leave, we decide to do the same. He takes me to a small club that is playing some good house music and the mixing is not bad either. People are dancing and having a good time. We drink. We drink a lot. I meet some friends of his that show up, Sabastian, French, and some other french guy who's name I can't remember. But I wish I did. This guy was classic. He was probably in his mid-40's, short and balding and has two lovely Czech girls with him that are towering. I find out he has a wife and kids and he is telling me how bad of a person he is by the end of the night. I make him feel better by reminding him of the two girls he is with. What a scumbag. We hang for awhile, I dance with a Czech girl that ditches me later in the night for some tool. No big deal. Game over, we head back to Mattieu's apartment as the sun comes up. Sleep.


Day 2 - Prague

I need to be at the apartment on Navratilova Street by 12:30p to meet Frank. I figure I will walk there from Mattieu's. After ten minutes of walking in the wrong direction, I know that I am going to be late in meeting Frank. I pick up my step. My bag is heavy. I think I am going to be about 15 minutes late. I pass the first cafe I stopped in on yesterday. I think I am going to be 20 minutes late. I decide to try and run. The zippers on my bag open. Shit! I close them on the sides instead of on the top. I run again. My map skills might need some work. I make it. Somehow, I am only 5 minutes late, phew.

Frank shows me how the apartment works. Lightswitch. Kitchen. Bathroom. Bed. Desk. TV. Remote. Internet code: 0123456789. Keys. Leave keys on table when leave. Sorry, English no good. Bye.

I lay my stuff down and jump into a much needed shower. I unpack my stuff and settle in. I check the TV for... I don't know what for, everything is in Czech. Except CNN International, and Jon Stewart is on. Fuck yeah! After a wonderful episode that I read about on Huffington Post, I figure I should explore the city some more. However, it has started raining like a bitch. I am hungry, so I take a quick walk around my new neighborhood (for the next few days) and look for something eat. I find a little restaurant that looks good. Goulash time! Just kidding... I get a chicken dish that is quite tasty. It's raining harder now. I go back to my apartment and grab my camera and Ipod. I am going to venture out in the rain, get lost and try and take some photos. I walk through different streets along the center of town and by accident make it to the Charles Bridge. It is a beautiful bridge with many sculptures and whatnot - it is a shame though that half the bridge is under construction. There is a bit of congestion that I don't feel like dealing with, so I walk back. I head through some other small streets and alleys and eventually back to my apartment. I am tired of walking for today. I take a two hour nap and get a text from Mattieu. He wants me to meet him at Cafe Ujezd at 9p.

I take a tram three stops from my apartment over the river to the Ujezd stop. Mattieu told me that the cafe would be just outside the stop. It is not. I walk up the street and down the street. Then I walk across some other streets. I get to a place that I think is it but I don't see him inside. I didn't bring my phone with me so I don't even have his number to call him. I take the tram three stops back to my apartment. I call Mattieu from skype. He tells me to head back and just call him once I get to the stop. Okay. I take the tram three stops back to the Ujezd stop. I had spotted a public phone earlier, so I brought some change. I stick a coin in and it gets stuck. Phonel-ess again. Shit! I see a girl walking down the street texting someone. I stop her. "I know this is a weird request, but can I borrow your phone for a quick call?" She thinks about it. She thinks about it for a really long time. She obviously doesn't trust me. I tell her my story. I give her my phone as collateral. It's a local number, so she finally agrees. Two second call, Mattieu comes outside. It was the bar I had thought was the one, but they were in an upstairs area that I didn't know about. I'm such a dope.

I meet three more French men, a Hungarian girl, two Czech girls and an American from Oregon. The Frenchmen are speaking French to each other and obviously I go for the American conversation. Shaun Speciale is his name... awesome name. He has been living in Prague for three years after a trip where he met his Hungarian girlfriend who got a job in Prague. He's a pretty nice guy and gives me some ideas of what to do in my following days.

After a few beers at Cafe Ujezd, the group is down to three; Mattieu, Pascal and myself. We head to a nearby music club. They call them music clubs, not night clubs because that would mean stripper land. The place is not too happening. We head back across the river and go to another music club. This place is okay for now. The music is all over the place and the DJ is terrible. But there is a fun crowd of people so we stay. We stay for awhile. There is a great Czech couple that absolutely loves hip hop and dancing in general. I have a dance off with the guy. The girl is impressed. The night goes on and there are some good looking girls. Unfortunately, with my luck, they are all with lame guys. The Czech couple get in a fight. The girl keeps looking over at me. Mattieu tells me to just keep looking at her. Czech girls will cheat on their boyfriends. I think, this is great... hopefully I can get beat up too. But she keeps looking over, and I am drunk, so I figure why not. The boyfriend leaves. I bet he is standing outside waiting for me to leave with her. Ten minutes go by... he comes back in and rips her away. Hope gone. There are just the cute girls with lame guys at this point, so I think it is time to go. After a slice of pizza, a cherry coke and a chicken sandwich, I head to bed in my nice, comfortable apartment.


Day 3 - Prague

I woke up late today. But no matter... obviously I needed the sleep. I was ready to do some drawing today. So after a long shower, I headed back to Old Town Square to visit my friends with the awesome roof tops. I wanted to sit at one of the outdoor cafes, but they all had umbrellas over the tables and did not offer a good view of the roofs. There was also a giant Harry-Chrisna (SPELLING) party going on in the square. Definitely time to put the headphones in. I found a step to sit on opposite the Tyn Church and decided to do a small quick study... something to do larger format when I have the comfort of a desk. But I was happy with the small sketch.

Then I decided to do another quick study of the Old Town Hall. This time, I was able to sit at a cafe to draw it.

Then it was time to eat. So naturally, I selected the goulash. It was quite delicious. This order came with bacon-breaded dumplings. You all know I love me some swine. After finishing the two drawings, the waiters and owner were quite impressed. So I asked them if I could trade them my drawings for my meal and beers. They agreed. Ah... old time battering in Old Town Square. I'll just have to redraw them again anyways. There's never anything wrong with practice.

I headed back to the apartment afterwards for some relaxation. I had contacted a Czech girl through the internet to see if she wanted to meet up for a walk or a drink. I met Gabriela Hornakova at a bar down the street from me. She is from a small town on the Czech-Poland boarder but has lived in Prague for the past five years. She lives in Zizkov or Vinohrady (can't remember which one). Both are very cool areas outside the city center with plenty of bars, clubs, restaurants and culture. She knew all of the city very well.

Gabriela took me to a small cafe near the river. We had a few drinks and exchanged pleasantries. She teaches English at a Secondary school and is also a painter. We talked about art, film, music and she answered all my curious questioning about life in Prague. She was quite nice and offered to guide me to some other cool things around the city. We parted ways around 11p and I was again tired from my day, so it was rest time.


Day 4 - Prague

I ventured over the river today and did a hike into the hills of the Little Quarter. Here lies the castle and the St. Vitus Church. It was another excruciating day of exercise. Walking around mostly on flat ground does not help me on the random day I decide to climb a mountain (or a large hill I should say). But the walk was good for the views.

After making it to the top of the hill, I wanted to get over to the castle and the church. I followed a path that I assumed would lead me there. After about 30 minutes, it did. I was pleased with my navigation for the day. Before making it to the castle, there was a great village in the hills. Cobblestone streets, narrow alleys and little pubs. I enjoyed this area very much. It was like something out of a fairy tale. I stopped into a pub for a refreshment (beer) and to do some sketching of some stuff I had seen along the way. It started to rain a little when I left, but nothing terrible. I found my way out of the village and realized I was quite a ways from home. I sucked it up for a long walk but enjoyed looking back at where I had just come from.

I met up with Mattieu later in the evening for some pool. I am horrible at pool. I lost 5 out of 7 games. Oh well. It was a fun way to kill the night. Off to bed once again.


Day 5 - Prague

I had to leave my apartment today. I had made arrangements to stay with Gabriella for the night. Very nice girl, coming to my rescue - but that's what couchsurfing is all about. I met up with her in the morning to drop my stuff off. She told me about some stuff in the area she lives in and that I could meet up with her later in the day as she had some things to do. First, I found a place to eat. It was a nice restaurant that served some good goulash (I told you I liked this shit). It was crowded, so I had to sit at the bar. I worked on a little drawing while drinking some beer and again made friends with the wait staff. I didn't bother bartering at all this time as the meal was quite inexpensive and I liked my drawing.

Afterwards, I walked around the streets of the neighborhood. I found a gigantic cemetery to go through. I quite enjoy walking amongst dead people. Then I went back to Gabriella's apartment - she had given me a spare set of keys. I chilled there for a bit, finished up some work and read part of One Hundred Years of Solitude. When she arrived home, she told me about a beer garden at the top of a park near her place. She was going to Yoga, but would take me there and then meet me afterwards. For all her kindness, I thought it would be nice to draw her a picture. So I worked on it until she picked me up. We grabbed dinner and a bottle of red wine afterwards. I completed the drawing at her place before going to bed. I have a 7a bus tomorrow back to Budapest.

I was trying desperately to find a place to stay in Berlin as I was thinking about taking the bus there. But I could not find one suitable enough and I did need to get back to Budapest to clean up and get some fresh clothes. So off to Budapest it shall be.


Day 6 - Prague to Budapest

I am on the bus back to Budapest. They are showing the same shitty movies. I am writing this blog and am now done. I will back in Budapest in four hours. Then it will be off to Szimpla for a beer with Kriszta. Joy.

Letter To and From Dorothy Bany

This is a letter I sent to a person that dis-invited me last minute from a Croatia outing and then ignored my requests to return a piece of personal property and money.


Dorothy,

I hope you and everyone else had an enjoyable time on the sail boat last week.

I wanted to talk to you about the way you handled the situation before leaving. I apologize for being upset, but I think you need to understand it from my point of view.

First off, you knew from the beginning of the day that I would not be going yet elected to wait until the end of the day to tell me. Not only that, but you had me wait around all day for your return. At first, you told me that you would be home around 5p - so I waited around at the apartment. After no word from you, I got in touch with you and I was told that you were going out to dinner at 9p and that you would come by afterwards. It was not until after midnight that you finally showed up. There was not even an apology for wasting my day.

When I said that I could have made other plans had you told me earlier, your response was, come on, it's already Monday. However, I made arrangements to go to Prague the following week. If you could have been honest with me earlier in the day, I could have made the arrangements for the week instead of going on the sail boat. I did in fact change the dates, but it cost me extra money that I would not have had to spend. I also missed out on a good deal on an apartment to rent... again, money I would not have had to spend. Do you understand the gravity of the situation?

Had I never been invited on this boat trip at all, I could have made arrangements months ago to go to Florence or Berlin. But the idea of being on a sail boat and seeing Croatia seemed so appealing. So again, your last minute dis-invitation screwed things up. But I can forgive you for that. I just felt that the way in which you handled it was immature and quite rude.

Furthermore, the situation with the bag I lent Rigel. Again, if you had been honest earlier in the day, you would have known to bring it with you at midnight. It should have been brought anyways, but obviously Rigel didn't care to think about it or thank me for lending it to him. When I asked for you to bring it to me the next morning (because I knew I was going to change my Prague plans and needed it), you said that you would come by at 7a. I woke up at 7a. You did not show and did not have the decency to call so that I could go back to bed without thinking about it.

I find these acts selfish and I felt very mistreated.

So... when you have time, I would please like you to return my bag. I would also like the 100 Euros I am owed for paying for two of the tickets to Balaton Sound.

Text me when you will come by.

Thanks,
Matt


Here is her return letter after I called her out for not returning my belongings, money or even responding to my previous letter.


Dearest Matthew,

that was the last straw! your behavior today is unexusable- where the fuck do you get off acting like such a rude spoiled brat! i have been NOTHING but nice to you. my friends and i have bent over backwards since your arrival in europe and extended to you numerous (undeserved) favors while you are repeatedly ungrateful.
i'm sorry that you have issues and are socially inept and that no one wants you around. but that's not my fault.
i apologized for croatia, which i did even though i didn't have to because i honestly felt bad but croatia is nothing that was OWED to you, it was an opportunity and that's it, and as easily as it came, it went, and to act so fucking butt hurt and inmature about it is pathetic! u never ONCE tried to make yourself part of the group or want this trip for anything more than selfish reasons, you simply wanted to use me for the opportunity, which is pretty low. all you do is talk about what you can get out of people and act shadey, cheap and scandelous. Thank you for proving to me that you definitely are not someone that i would ever want to share such an experience with- i am ass happy you were disinvited because you would have been nothing but a buzzkill if you would have gone- you didn't deserve to be around us which you proved at the balaton- WHICH might i add you didn't pay a goddamn CENT for. all you do is take take take, i've never met someone that is such a USER. i hope for your sake you'll learn to be a little less of a bastard and warmer to the people around you.
as far as your 10 cent salvation army reject bag- i have absolutely NO itention of keeping it. unlike you, i WORK and i'm sorry if my first priority this week wasn't your lame as bag- patience is a virtue my sad friend, learn it.
as far as your 100 euro you can chop that up for balaton and amsterdam expenses that your cheap ass never contributed for- your free ride is over!

yours truly,

Dorothy

Vampyr City

(smaller version)



(larger version)

Spilled a dark beer all over this drawing and my entire sketchbook. Yippee!

Prague Sketches

Tyn Church




Old Town Hall


Both of these buildings are situated in the Old Town Square.

Some Furnishings

Lake Balaton

Lake Balaton is a little over an hour car drive (southwest) from Budapest. It is the largest lake in Central Europe. This is where many people escape on the weekends to beat the landlocked lifestyle. The lake has a surface area of 592 km², with a length of 77 km and a width ranging from 4 to 14 km. The part of the lake we were at had a depth of about 3 feet.

There is a music festival called Balaton Sound happening and we (Dorothy, Zsofi and her dog, Funny, Temea, and some Amsterdam guys) take the train to get there. This takes about two and half hours. Shitty. And on an old train with no air conditioning. Being hungover from the night before doesn't help. But we eventually make it to Zamaldy - our stop. We are going to meet Csaba and Bianca who have rented a house by the lake and near the festival. Unfortunately, there are no cabs around. We take a short walk and find one. He has a passion for hating dogs. He will not take us, no matter what.




We start to walk again. A white van pulls in front of us with a guy and a girl in it. Zsofi stops them and asks if they will give us a ride to the house. We offer to pay them money and after a few moments conversation, the van pulls off to the side of the road. Yes! Hitchhiking. The Amsterdam guys get in the back of the van, which is separated by some metal bars that looked like a cage from the rest of the vehicle. Dorothy, Zsofi and I get in the backseat. I feel like we are about to go to an abandoned barn and they are going to lock us in with a bunch of other Americans.



We eventually make it to the house... phew. It's a good hang out spot. There are about ten of us there. I meet Csaba (pronounced Chubba) and Bianca and a few of their friends from Switzerland, the UK and Germany. It's a real mix of people here. We spend a few hours hanging at the house and the little "beach" area which is a two minute walk.



Then it is time to get walking to Balaton Sound. The walk is about thirty minutes long and their is some cool stuff to look at - like little mountain towns and old communist war machines.





The music festival was like that of any other music, except with Hungarians and on a gigantic lake - which allowed for some nice scenery as the sun was going down. It was crowded, loud, filled with many stages playing different electronic music and had areas set up to eat and drink.





The festival was fun. After about 8 hours of hanging, drinking and dancing it was time to walk back to the house... if only I knew exactly where that was.

Rainbows

They call for rain almost every other day in Budapest. Sometimes, it comes down like a bitch out of nowhere. When you are safe in your apartment, it creates some beautiful imagery.



I enjoy the darkness of the background with the sun blasting the buildings just afterwards. I also really like the crane that shows up in most of my pictures taken from my window. They did not tell me they were building a new subway stop across the street from me. No wonder my rent is only 250 Euros for the month.

Buda Castle with Kriszta

I found Kriszta on couchsurfing. Besides being very cute, she is into film, house music and traveling... so I figured we would get along. She grew up in Budapest and I wanted some inside knowledge on food and cool places to go.

I meet her outside the Oktagon Tram Stop. We exchange greetings and then she takes me to the Buda Castle, which through my many walks over the weeks I never ventured to.




This was the home to the Hungarian Kings starting in the mid 13th century. The scale of the castle is very large. It reminds you that Hungary was part of grand empire. Once inside, there is a little village of restaurants and shops. Some few people also rent apartments here. I think Kriszta said that they are the still living descendants of the royal family. There were some really great statues and views from inside the castle.














And of course a cool street lamp.




After walking through the castle, I told Kriszta that I wanted some Hungarian food. I asked her to take me to a place that she normally frequents. She asked if I minded that she wasn't going to eat anything. I was pretty hungry at this point, so it did not matter. She took me to a restaurant called, (insert name here when you find out). Kriszta told me what she normally orders, so I did the same, along with a bowl of gulasch. Our server did a double take when I ordered. I guess it was a lot of food. Both the soup and the meal were delicious. I knew that I was not going to have to eat again for the rest of the day.

We went our separate ways afterwards. Kriszta is a bit younger than I, but she was extremely intelligent and probably knew more about film than I do. I hope to see her again before departing Budapest.

Always Trouble with the Cops

This event occurred last Friday.

I meet up with Renaud and his friend John Baptiste (JB - how French, yeah?). We are boarding a local bus to get from their apartment to the bar Derkert (not sure of the spelling) where we will battle each other in table tennis for a few hours before the weekend starts.

A note about the local transport:
The trams and buses that run through town do not have people checking to see if you have a ticket. So many people essentially ride these local transportation devices for free. The metro is the only one you have to always have a punched ticket for (more on that in a moment). As part of my travels, I want to immerse myself in the different cultures of the cities I visit. So I adapt to this idea. Even if you have a ticket, you have to pass it through the ticket puncher when you board. Every once in a while, I had heard that "transportation police" board the tram or bus and check to see if people have ran through ticket through the puncher. I learn that if this happens, you should just walk to the other end of the tram or get off the bus. Supposedly, they don't have any real authority. So I try to always carry an unpunched ticket with me thinking that if I ever got caught, I would just make up some story. Well... that time came last Friday.

The transportation police sneakk on without my knowing. Fuck. Not paying attention while high. JB shows his monthly pass, Renaud shows his punched ticket (which was bullshit... it was punched earlier in the day and had a rip and they let him go). While this was going on, JB passed me his ticket book. My plan to always have an unpunched ticket failed. I am caught. When the bus stops, I am escorted off by two Hungarian transportation police officers. Renaud and JB walk off the bus and walk away from the situation. At first, the transit police are saying things to me in Hungarian, which sounds a lot like yelling and unhappiness. I say I don't understand. They turn to their best English...

Male Hungarian Police (MHP): This ticket no good.
Female Hungarian Police (FHP): No... no good.
Me: What do you mean it's not good, it's a ticket.
WHP: No good. It's no punched.
Me: What's punched? I don't know anything about this.
WHP: (after looking at the punched ticket in the front of the book) This one punch... this no punch.

I get a phone call at this point from Renaud.

Renaud: DO NOT give them any information or any money. Just keep talking to them in English. Tell them you don't have any money or any documentation on you. We'll be down the street.
Me: Okay...

Back to the Hungarians.

Me: I didn't know you had to punch it. I just got here today. I met up with these friends, they gave me this book of tickets and I followed them on the bus.
MHP: Why you no punch?
Me: I just got here. I didn't know you had to punch the ticket. Where I come from, if you have a ticket, then you are good.
WHP: What is good?!
MHP: 12,000 forints. (<--- that's about $60 US)
Me: I don't have that on me. I don't have anything on me. I just got into town and met up with my friends. We were going to get something to eat and to play Table Tennis. (Having been here a week, I figure that there English is shit and they probably won't understand most of what I say... especially since I am speaking pretty quickly).
WHP: You no have anything on you?
Me: No. I don't have anything on me.
MHP: Can you pay 6,000 forints.
Me: No. I haven't been to the change thing yet... I only got myself to my apartment, dropped my stuff off and came to meet these guys.
WHP: They not good friends. Why they no tell you to punch ticket?
Me: I don't know. I am new to this town. I didn't know the rules. Can't this be a warning? I am here for a month. I'll get the ticket punched next time.
MHP: So you can't pay 6,000 forints? (They are both pretty annoyed at me at this point.)
Me: I'm sorry... I don't have anything on me. I didn't know the rules. Usually people get a warning for that. I am poor like everyone else here... can't you just give me a warning?
MHP: Get out of here. Just go.

I walk away at this point. I can't help but smirk a little bit to myself. My plan worked. A quick unplanned story and an easy out. I don't want to continue to have to worry about shit like this, so I will probably get my ticket punched every other time and work on paying attention more.

But at this point... I have now been stopped by French customs, got kicked out of a party by the Amsterdam police and pulled aside by the Hungarian transit police. That's three for three with the coppers in the the three cities I have been to. Up next is Croatia and Prague. Let's see what type of damage I can do there...

Vampyr Tower

Szimpla

Szimpla is a beer garden/bar that is down the street from my apartment. It is one of the best bars in Budapest to hang out in and has quickly become the place I will frequent most during my stay. During the day, no one is there and they have free Wi-Fi. The dark delicious beer costs 550 forints, or 2.25 US dollar. And then around 6p or 7p, more and more people start to roll in. Below are some drawings and tonals I have produced while sitting at Szimpla over the last few days.

Budapest Steeples

Gentlemins

Budapest Building Studies - Tonals

Budapest Building Studies

Street Lamps - Budapest

Szechenyi Bath and Spa

Yesterday I started off my day with a relaxing visit to one of the Turkish style bath houses which there are a plethora of in Budapest. The one I went to is called the Szechenyi Bathhouse and is located in the City Park. The entrance room is great. The ceiling and walls are lined with aquatic god artwork.










As I was trying to figure out where to go to pay, I stumbled upon this great statue. It represents the great sea-horseman battle over the baby boy... who they obviously handle with care.






After I figured out where to pay, they directed me to the men's changing room. I put my stuff in a locker and they didn't really tell me what to do next. So I went back upstairs and found a door that lead to the indoor spa area. It was really beautiful design combined with the fattest and ugliest people that Hungary has to offer - it was quite the dichotomy (not sure if I can use that word in this way... but I love it, and have never used it before in writing).






I finally found my way to the outdoor pools.




Two of the pools are heated through the thermal water from underground. Even though it is hot in Budapest, the pools are not overwhelmingly hot. And the center pool is colder. People just lounge in these areas all day. You can get drinks at a bar. Old men play chess in and out of the pools. You can swim laps in the cooler pool. I wish I had taken more pictures of the people, but I felt like they were eyeing me. But there seriously were some of the oldest, fattest and ugliest people hanging out here during the day. I heard it might be different in the evening hours... so I will have to visit another one and see. But it was still a very relaxing start to the day.

Then I went to a great bar called Szimpla. Ahhh... not working is so great.

Budapest Up on High

I decided it was time to take a hike up into the mountains of Buda. As I approached the hike... I saw a neat looking castle. I later found out that this is a central Post Office - nice design.








After only 25 minutes, you get a beautiful view of the entire city. My body and lungs were pathetically not ready for the hike. It's not that it was even that difficult, but I really haven't done much working out other than walking and drinking. I probably should have had a bottle of water with me prior to starting the climb... but when I finally made it up to the top, I didn't think of anything except how beautiful it was. That's a lie. I was hot, sweaty, my lungs burned, I was huffing and puffing and really, I could not think of anything except putting liquid into my body. Luckily there were drink carts not far away.








After taking in the view, catching my breath and relaxing on a bench for 10 minutes, I continued walking around. I was at a place called the Citadel - which is an old fortress built in the mid 19th century. It has a large statue that you can see from almost anywhere in Budapest which is the Hungarian Statue of Liberty - symbolizing their liberation from Nazi rule.




At this point, I had seen everything I wanted to see from the high vantage point and started to make my decent. I couldn't help but take some more pictures of some of Budapest's beautiful architecture.










After a minimally short walk through the streets of Budapest, I made it back to my apartment for some much needed rest.

Rainy Days in Budapest and Afterwards

The rain really creates some nice lighting along the streets. And girls wearing short blue dresses creates nice compositions.

It has been raining in the afternoons the last few days - almost like tropical island weather in a way. But it really has allowed for some fun picture taking. Especially capturing people when it really comes down hard. The people of Budapest are so poor that they don't even own umbrellas. Instead, they have developed this move of bending over to curtail the wetness.




Or they find the nearest wall and cling on for life... hoping that the small overhang will keep them dry.




After the rain stopped... I thought I would just stroll around and see what things looked like. The sky was creating a nice light and I needed to test my point and shoot camera to see if it would capture it.












And the morning afterwards... lovely.

Yesterday's Drawings and Meeting Eva

I sat at a bar to watch the Wimbledon Men's Finals yesterday and did these drawings in between points and odd games. I was trying to incorporate some of the designs I have been seeing on my walks around town.

This is where I also met Eva. She was my server, and since I was one of the only people in the bar, we talked for a bit. Eva is cute and shy. I have found that many of the Hungarian women are shy about their English. They say they only speak it a little or that they are not very good at it. However, I just kept trying and found that she has conversational English skills and enjoys speaking it but just does not practice enough. So later this week, we are going to go out together around Budapest and practice. We'll see how the language barrier works.

Street Lamps - Budapest

These were inspired by the street lamps I have been seeing around Budapest.