When in Rome...

My lovely girlfriend Jin decided to visit me for a couple weeks. It had been 2 and half months since I'd seen her. More than enough time had gone by. We planned to go to Paris for 3 days and then spend the rest in Spain and Barcelona. So here we are getting ready to go to Paris.


When we arrived in Paris there was nobody checking passports. We just walked outside and got a taxi. I actually printed my ticket from a kiosk in Germany and never once did I even remove my passport. We took the taxi to our hotel near the red light district. Jin found the hotel. It was a nice classic Parisian joint with all the fixins. It was the Eldorado hotel.



There was a cute little garden outside and a restaurant attached. We had to walk through the kitchen to get to our ground level floor just outside the garden. We decided to have dinner at the restaurant. It turned out to be the best food we had the whole time in Paris. We got in late and decided to tuck in early for the big day ahead.


In the morning we decided to have the "breakfast," which was included. What they meant to say was a baugette with assorted marmalades. I mean just a baugette. Nothing toasted, no eggs, just the bread. I saw people walking around Paris with just a baugette under their arms tearing off a piece here and there. Straight up. Just eating a baugette. The stereotype is true. Tell your friends.



The trains were on strike so we decided to take the walking tour of Paris. Our first stop was the Arc de triomphe. We walked down champs elysees for awhile and had a 6 euro shitty coffee. While we were in the cafe we watched to labor workers on their break smoke about 6 cigarettes or so and just put them out and the bottom of their shoe and drop it on the ground. Apparently that's how Paris rolls.


So just to make sure if you're going to Paris bring a baugette and put your cigarettes out on the floor no matter where you are.


From there we deiced to see what the Eiffel Tower looked like. We walked up the steps of a museum/theatre/university thing to get a better look at it.


We walked through the park and waited for a bus that went towards Notre Dame. Most of the buses weren't running either so we caught which ever one was. Notre Dame was beautiful and probably the most excellent 'site' we saw in Paris. Inside the cathedrale was even more breathtaking. I had seen pictures in art history class with the flying buttresses and what not, but it was truly magnificent in person.


From here we stopped off at the Lourve. We decided we didn't really care much to walk through it though. I did although want to see where Tom Hanks had stolen the secret treasure or whatever happened in there!




So it had been a long day and we went down to the metro to see how bad it was. We waited about 10 minutes for a train to come by. Sure enough the train came rolling in with people smushed up against the windows. The doors opened. No one got off. Some people pushed their way on. I looked at Jin and we both thought, I don't want to do that. The doors closed and I swear there was one guy essentially horizontal to the ground with his ipod in one hand and face pressed firmly against the glass.

We walked some more and got a cab back to the hotel. Later that night we went to the Bastille to check out some French Hipster bars. They were pretty cool, but Paris doesn't apparently drink like Germany. The places were fairly empty and they closed at 2. I know you can find clubs and what not open later and it was a Wednesday, but so far Germany doesn't really care what time or what day of the week it is to drink.


The next day we moved our luggage to a hotel in the Bastille. This hotel was more of the 'let's just get it over with' types. Luckily it was located next to all the cool bars and shops. We took it easy that day just walking around seeing what there was to see.


Around our hotel were many little cafes with happy hour special. I had found a few I wanted to go back to and they ended up being quite fun. I remember the bartender at one bar was really happy it was Friday. I ordered mojitos for me and Jin and watched all the Parisians mingle. Across the street from that place was another place going off.

I don't really remember much of what it looked like, but I do remember going downstairs to find a bathroom and instead finding a basement with a 60s style French Mod band playing. It was like a train tunnel with a bar one end and the stage on the other. I think the place was called "Pink's" or at least there was a flyer there that said so and I wanted it to be called Pink's.


The next morning we headed out of Paris to catch our flight to Barcelona. I don't remember when it became hard for my to fly. You would think things would get easier as you get older. I had never had a problem with flying, but now days I just always wonder. Maybe it's just the cheap Euro hopper flights I've been taking lately.


Barcelona is nice. We rented a 3 room apartment for 3 days in the old fisherman's quarters. The place was nice and cozy. Perfect for a little get away. We were just meters from the ocean and the weather couldn't have been better for late October. Reminded me of LA.




We rented a scooter and took that thing all over the place. From Montjuic to eixample to where ever. That was probably the most fun part of the trip. Having my girl behind me on top of 125-cc's of pleasure. Oh yeah. But for real, scooters are really fun and I think I'm going to buy one when I get back to LA. They're nice for just around town stuff and they get a million miles to the gallon.



We took it relatively easy in Barcelona. With the beach and the palm trees, the ambience just told us to relax. So we did. We didn't quite find the night life until later that week, but that was ok. I was just happy to ride around on a moped and have a place to call our own. It was nice just going home to an apartment and imagining what life in BCN would be like.



It's a young crowd with lots of cool ideas. There was a start up innovative idea everywhere you turned. And things were cheap! On the beach were these train car like containers that opened up onto the boardwalk as a little bar. It looked simpler than anything to make and run. Inside the scooter store were these over sized bean bag pillows you could just hang out on. Every building had some crazy architecture to it and some law of industrial design had been implied. Pretty much if you want a business that has men riding around on unicycles on the beach selling ice cream cones, then you should do it in Barcelona.


We had 3 days in the apartment and then 3 more days of doing whatever we wanted. We hadn't got any hotels and I wanted to rent a car and drive up to the Pyrenees Mountains to see the beautiful foliage of the season. I knew it was the off season, but nonetheless the mountains are forever calling me.


Driving through Spain was quite a trip. From Barcelona we drove up North toward the French border about 500km. Along the way we stopped off in some small Spanish towns just to see what they were like. Nothing could prepare me for what I even think I was supposed to see. I mean a small Spanish town in the middle of no where. Go ahead imagine it.



What really got me were all the ruins. You would see the skeleton of an old town on the side of a mountain. Maybe a river had dried up. Maybe the leader was really stubborn and didn't settle his town by the river at all and everyone was like, well whatever let's just stop traveling. Who knows.

We ended up driving all the way up to a ski town called Formigal. It was getting late and I didn't know what to do, but I just wanted to keep driving for some reason. Jin thought otherwise and I probably should have listened to her, but I just wanted to get to my preordained destination in my head. Guy style. Once we got up to Formigal, of course it was a ski town, but a ski town in late October. There was no body there and it was kinda spooky. I mean what's going on Big Bear in October? Not a whole lot I imagine. So we went back down to Sabinanago and got a pretty decent hotel.

The next morning we were greeted with the sun and the vibrant colors of the trees. Luckily the only station that we could get throughout the whole trek was classical and it fit with the changing scenery.


How were the roads you ask? Amazing, especially in a 1.2L 60hp Polo. Oh yeah. Straight sex that thing.


We found the Ordesa National Park just outside a small city Torla. Jin mentioned an old man walking in every little city we passed through. There would maybe be some cows or sheep and and old man. No one else but the old man. It's like he came with the city.


At the national park we walked along a trail for awhile, but being unsure of our next move we didn't stay long. I wish we would've stayed longer now, but it just wasn't as easy as driving up to Yosemite and getting a cabin or something. Most places were closed and there was absolutely nobody in any city. I know this might sound exciting and just what a secluded adventure should be. But after 3 months of living outside of the US and not being able to speak Spanish or any other language for that matter, and not really having any means of reading anything to figure out where to go or what to do, can make it a little hard to have a preemptive spontaneous vacation.




Visit the Flickr Site
for more pictures of Ordesa, there are too many.

Nevertheless we saw some beautiful country side. Based on my fear of not knowing where to stay and not having the proper equipment to have a mountainy adventure we decided to head back in towards the Mediterranean. The drive back down wasn't so bad, but it was getting dark and we didn't have any reservations so we decided to stop in Taragonna just outside BCN to see what was going on there.


The city had some of the world's most well preserved artifacts of the Roman Empire. It was crazy to see some things that had lasted for over 2000 years. And to imagine inhumane structure of the empire. We didn't stay long and headed up the coast to BCN.

Luckily on our drive up the coast we decided to stop off at a random beach area called Sitges. It turned out to be the location of St. Sebation Beaches. We had some of the best food, I thought, in Spain here and the waiter was funny and knew I was from LA. I was like, huh? But anyway I thought the little town was really pretty and this was one of my favorite places throughout the trip. I don't know what it was, but I remember it just happened. Jin and I were hungry, she looked at the map and said ok here's an average sized dot. I looked up and the exit was there and said ok.


It had been hard for me to let go and just experience things. I had been planning everything. From the hotels to the sites to everything, and I had forgotten how to just let the journey lead you. I finally reached this realization as I started to not care what Sitges had at all and just give it a chance. Of course maybe it was beautiful but it was also because I let go.

We arrived at our super posh hotel that I had reserved for the last two nights in BCN. Not only was it brand new and designery, but it was affordable too! In this regard, I like to plan things like this. It was called the Prestige Congressional and they have different hotels in a couple cities around Spain. The had taken the approach of Blue Ocean Strategy and made everything user friendly. They even had a Segway in the lobby you could take with you or rent.



From here we took it pretty easy. We found a fun little Japanese Udon restaurant playing a funny Japanese movie about cooking noodles. I forget the name but Jin knows it.


The next days I got a little sick from all the traveling and just watched Premier league soccer at the Hotel. We went out for one last stint in the Born area. On our last day we finally found some cool bars and restaurants. The other places we found were cool too, but I guess the 'area' in born is the place to be. We ate at a little diner that was trying to emulate itself around a classic American Diner. I didn't realize this until I read the walls and thought it just looked like it would be a cool restaurant in Silverlake. The food was excellent and it made Jin and I want our own little cafe. So in effect we would model our diner after the one we found in Spain. Which was inspired from something the owner saw in America. So it would be the American diner translated through Spain and then back to America. No one would ever know.

Super Bowl of Drinking

So there's a little thing called Oktoberfest which goes on in Munich every year around this time. Some tourists are spending 3 to 500 euros a night for lodging, which they probably booked last year, just to be here and see what the real Germany is all about, ha ha . And here I am writing a blog about it in my paid for apartment the night before a national German holiday. Maybe I should go check it out? Well, a bunch of us from work decided to check it out last week Wednesday, and for that reason alone is why I'm a little apprehensive to going back. It's a very serious tumultuous occasion where the weak are left for dead and for those who can handle it well, they basically get really really really drunk.


We arrived at the fest around 6:30 or so and needless to say, it was pretty much impossible to get into any tents. We walked through a couple that were way too packed and then back out into the freezing rain. We finally got into the Schotten Hammel where we met up with the rest of our co-workers.


On the Oktoberfest website it says that the tent we were in has a seating capacity for 6000 people. Considering I didn't see anyone actually sitting in their seats makes me think that the capacity number supplied from the website is merely a suggestion of how many people might want to sit after a multitude of beer and something like 1700 chickens.


Neil, Curtis and Clive, respectively from left to right, enjoying the festivities singing along with the um-pa-pa band's rendition of "Summer of '69."


This is Ron getting all rowdy. He's pretty much the best person at RTT when it comes to pretty much anything. Throughout the night I think, with his help, we managed to break a couple a glasses while toasting. But of course this is just part of what happens during these two weeks in Munich.


While riding the subway to the Oktoberfest, also known as Wiesen, there were a couple "dudes" standing next to us drinking beers. One of them dropped his beer from standing height and the pressure from it being full allowed it to shoot straight up out the top of the bottle and all over some little kid. The kid started crying and the mom was wiping off the beer. Everyone became silent and Ron simply said, "Yeah, but ok whatever this is Wiesen!! These things happen. No problem."


Another fun fact about the two weeks, during which all of Bavaria basically shuts down and goes into a frenzy, is that the street is covered in glass and all the people are wearing lederhosen. I mean it just goes on all day long no matter where you are. I see this guy with a short sleeve wool v-neck style shirt, the beer stained lederhosen with arctic rated wool mountain climbing socks and boots, pull his blackberry out of his flap and walk over to his S-class Mercedes to put something away. I say to myself, "something just does not look right about that," and continue on through my Disney Land experience of what is now Germany.

I was standing on the benches along with everyone else dancing and toasting to the songs. I kept putting my arm around this guy in jubilation. I figured he probably didn't go out much and this was his chance to leave the depths of his IT job and really do it up. Nice mustache.


Needless to say, a couple of us were done counting which liter of beer we were on and sometimes it doesn't make it into the mouth. This is just what happens during a festival of libations or what I like to call Wednesday. Clive in the corner with the evil grin.


So like any good fair, there are roller coasters. This was the last image of the night as I gave up on any reason and decided to go on this crazy thing. This was one of the more tame rides. Down the way is a machine called the vomit-torium which flips you up, down, over and back again, and when the ride is over they hose it down. Wow.


I think I might have to go back sometime this week before it is over. It's just really really crazy and there's a lot of people, including the ones your with, to handle. I don't have a problem handling myself, but to relate it to something your parents always told you about driving; "We're not worried about you, we're just worried about all the other crazy driver's out there on the road." Ahhh, I get it now, thanks Mom.

Pragin it 22.09

So I'm not really sure how to do the Prague blog. The best way to see what went down and most of the pictures in Prague is to view them on the flickr site. In the top right corner you'll find a link to that page. So let's see here...

The El Dude Brothers decided it was time to check out a little neighboring country no longer called Czechlovokia. We peaced out of work early, I mean no we left at the normal time, got on a short flight and ended up in Prague. In Prague you pay for everything with 2000 Crown bills. As you can see here, Curtis isn't even balling anymore. Fool only has like 1400 crowns left, shhieet sahn, what happened?


The first night we got there, we decided that it was time to drink Absinthe. It's a special drink native to the Czech Republic. Some of you may be familiar with it. We found a nice bar and had our fill. The sequence of pictures speaks for itself.












I can't really explain that last picture, but basically it's a Fiero in Prauge. Yup. So here's the next morning. We decided it was time to go back to Germany and we left. Well we thought about it, but we didn't and decided to see what else there was to see in Prague.


So our pocket books had taken a hit from the night before, I was down about 1,300 crowns, which is like 3 euro. Well more like 40, but because the numbers were so different, I just thought everything was free. I would go buy a coke and they would be like 35 crowns please, and I'd be like, HA! sure! whatever! phsstt....that's like 10 cents! This is what i did the whole time even though it was really not that much cheaper, it was only a different number.


We walked around a little, got a bite to eat at a cafe, and took a ride on this skoda safari deal through the city. The guy was pretty nice, letting us know right away that he was from here but had lived in Australia most of his life and was only here now because his mother had cancer. He said this all in the first sentence of meeting him with a smile. I thought, wow, uh....ok.


We got in the old Skoda and had a pretty amazing tour of the city, and by amazing I mean a tour with a racist guy from the Czech Republic who lived in Australia but was only here because his mother had cancer. As we drove around the city he politely hollered at all the girls and called the Italians, 'Spaghetti' and the Asians, 'Chopsticks.' We were all looking at each other like, "is this really happening?"

We went to a lot of great sites and were given a lot of information on the history of the city, and by great I mean this picture of me next to peeing statues, and by a lot of information I mean no information.


We went in circles for a while and ended up back where we started. We gave the guy a million dollars, (5 cents), and we were on our way to buy gelatto. On the way to buying gelatto a couple of big girls saw my shirt that said Chicago and asked us if we were from, well, Chicago. I said no, but I grew up in Kalamazoo and they said they had just moved to Prauge. Not visiting, but had bought a one way ticket to live in Prauge. I thought wow, that's just not normal, but whatever. They had apparently been kicked out of the hostel they were staying in, the one we were in actually, and I assume were looking for another place to crash. They ended up being pretty funny and I enjoyed hearing people from the midwest talk with their honesty and jokes and what not.

We went on the top of this tower and took a shot of the city.


I felt like this cathedral was also quite amazing.


The sunset was also not bad.


The next day I walked around by myself and had a little Prauge adventure. I was able to go at my own speed and appreciate things a little more. I ate a sausage and had a beer for about 12 cents. The first rule about eating sausage in Prauge is that its best not to think about what's inside. The second rule is, well, there is no second rule, but you get the point.


As I was leaving the city I noticed this guy begging for money. So many people just walking buy with their cameras and fanny packs and what not. So many people from so many different places with money and homes and a life. This one had been kneeling on the ground in that position for the 10 minutes I waited around here. Cars would drive by and he wouldn't move. I felt it took a lot more to make this statement than merely sitting on the street and panhandling. I'm usually one to ignore people asking for money. His form of expression was simple and it got through to me. I gave him some change and he didn't move. Unfortunaltely for him, I can't expect the average passerby to relate to his business plan the way it had so heavily affected me.