I Love

...Lisbon! 

What a great fucking place. As soon as I came up into the air from the metro I knew it.

Since....

After Amsterdam began to get chilly and the rain wasn't abating, it became clear that I should head South. 

So I got a deal on a train ticket from Rotterdam to Lisbon and took a series of trains nonstop.

24 hours later....

Happiness!

First thing I did after finding the hostel was have a nice long conversation with the first two people I met about the existence or non existence of God...followed by a trip to the beach on a warm sunny day. Doesn't get much better than that.

I made some good friends here.

Jade and me :)

Elevador de Santa Justa

The view from atop the Santa Justa 

Lisbon is built a lot like San Francisco. And even has the same bridge
(although called the 25 de Abril instead of Golden Gate)

Lisbon is massive. It also has a really interesting night life. People just hang out in the streets and parks and drink. And I mean hoards of people. It looks like a demonstration. A demonstration of massive drunkenness.

 All those hills can be punishing while exploring the city on foot. But it is interesting how your mind is made to think of the layout like looking at the 3D map

Obligatory fountain photo

Purple morning glories run rampant. I love!

This was a good show I saw. A combination of drone electric guitar and vocals. Super mellow. Followed by American style blues. Home sweet home.

Jade! Met her at the hostel in Lisbon. There are LOTS of Aussies traveling, but she is the raddest. We said our goodbyes when it was time for me to move on, not knowing if we'd ever meet again. Because that is the way of the road. Though after parting ways in Lisbon the adventure would continue.... 

This is Joanna and I enjoy the way in which I met her.  Couldn't find my hostel when I got to Lisbon. The directions from the website stated that after exiting the metro and leaving the square, I was supposed to turn down a series of streets and find a big old yellow house with one palm tree. Found it, and circled it for quite some time but to no avail. Later I learned that the hostel was another yellow house with one palm tree at the bottom of the hill as opposed to the top.  It was here that I was greeted by the whoosh of Joanna throwing the door open after I spent an annoying period of time not being able to open it, and also ringing the very irritating doorbell. Working customer service for years has afforded me a certain understanding of how annoying people being can get. She was working the front desk. It was her last day. She was being fired and was grumpy about it. I loved her right away. Unemployment runs rampant here in Portugal. Like myself it can bring one to quite an identity crisis. We had a nice long talk about the existence or nonexistence of God.

The street art here could be a little on the dark side. I'm all about it.

In addition to a metro, train, and bus system, Lisbon also still runs old school cable cars. Another  way in which Lisbon is San Francisco's sister city. I've been spoiled by public transportation!

I do so love this place.

Sounds travels only so far here because of the way the city is constructed. In hills and layers. In the section below this picture there is a drum jam band playing, and further on are three guys singing and playing guitar classic Portuguese style. Additionally, there are pockets of other musicians playing all around. Beautiful to hear, and all loud enough. But the sounds don't run into each other. 

A construction site. Love it. Don't know why.

Good to see the people have something to say about an empty building going to waste

...And the journey shall continue....

A'dam

 After a week of speed walking through crowds on the massive subway system, I took the train from Paris to Amsterdam.

Going for a stroll here was quite the different and much appreciated experience. The canals make it pretty easy to navigate, and all the water everywhere serves to mellow out the vibe.

No pictures of my own of the red light districts, but those were probably the most surreal experiences. 

This photo is courtesy of another blog dedicated to the topic

This was truly a lovely place. Outdoor and flea markets, good food for cheap, bike traffic.... 

This is a bike park at the main strain station.  Aside from 4 levels, there was also a sidewalk that extended for about another block behind me and on under an overpass...all full of parked bicycles. Riding a bike in amsterdam was like having a small open car. The traffic is thick, and I spent most of my time following what the person in front of me was doing...and acting like I knew what I was doing.

This coffee shop became my usual haunt for the time time I spent in Amsterdam.  "Coffee shops" here serve coffee and other various beverages, as well as a variety of weed and hash. The concept of a menu for such things was such a novelty for me. I appreciated the experience very much.  It was fun to get to know the guy behind the counter, and have conversations with people that came in. 

 a little structure outside of an apartment complex....the glass of which reminded me of perspective. Art and artists have a much different place in Europe and the people have a much different perspective concerning such things...

While here, I had the pleasure of visiting the Andenken Gallery, formerly in Denver, and talking with the owner for a bit. He was kind enough to offer me a bike and have me over for dinner with his wife and child.

Below are some photos from inside and around the warehouse areas of the gallery...

After a few days in Amsterdam I took the train a little further back West in Holland to Rotterdam. While on the train I had passed an amazing mural on the side of a building, and I had to go back and see it in person.....

Saw some pretty great art.

It rained a lot while I was here. Once it began to get colder I decided to continue my voyage further South....

Le sigh......

Paris was the very first destination on an open ended trip into complete chaos and freedom

Ah, the catacombs were first on my list. A fun and creepy little piece of history to experience...

Had to go to the Louvre of course...

Here's some weird shit I saw there:

Most of the reason I started with and wanted to see Paris was for the art. Mostly of the underground variety which I never quite experienced. Couldn't find anyone who was willing to be a cataphile with me.

But I had fun hanging out with the spray painting guys I met in an abandoned section of the rail tracks.... 

To most people with whom I discuss this I am some kind of horrible blasphemer....

But I don't have to like Paris just because I'm supposed to.

A big smelly city. Though not without its respective charm. 

~fin~