Is this thing on....
Ok, this is more for me than anyone else, because it's been 17 days or so since I added anything, and more than a month since I added anything interesting, so I can't imagine anyone picking this up again.
The whirlwind Paris-Rome-Florence-Amsterdam trip is in the books. It's funny to be able to say, "It's nice to be back home in Manchester" since I'm really only 1 degree more comfortable here than any of those aformentioned cities.
The trip was great - we sold out every show and the crowds were real friendly. I think we'll get some bigger gigs in Paris next time we go back. And it looks like we're about to be huge in Belgium.
But, there was little internet access to be found, and even less time to use it. So, I couldn't even begin to try to write some stories about the trip while it was in progress. Piece by piece I'll upload some stories before heading to DC, where I'll have almost no internet access. My aunt doesn't have broadband, and few coffeehouses have free wi-fi, so i'm going to be on an webless island again. So, I should probablytake this chance to wish everyone a merry xmas.
But, let me throw out a few bullets while I sit here procrastinating:
- I love that all chairs outside French coffee houses face the street.
- The Louvre isn't just big, it's impressively enormous. Maybe my expectation was set low, but the thing takes up several city blocks. I don't know if you could walk through the whole thing in one day if the walls were bare and you were just looking for a restroom. Stopping to admire the art would just take all week. I didn't go in, but put it on my list of places I need to spend an 8-5 day in sometime.
- The Eiffel Tower is much more impressive at night than during the day.
- Everyone in Europe has a fake burberry scarf, umbrella or purse.
- In terms of conciously wanting to rip off tourists, there are no worse people in the world than Italians in Rome - even worse than Mexican street merchants. These are the least trustworthy people I have ever met. At least the Mexican street merchants and you have an understanding that this is a barter/haggle arrangement. For example, the italians cab drivers are just flat out liars and cheaters. Almost made me hate the whole city.
- But I love the fact that in Italy you can get a $1.00 cappucino made with cream so thick you have to eat the froth with a spoon.
- Some Florence street merchants are so congenial and funny that they are a joy to haggle with. It's great when your purchase also comes with a little entertainment rather than annoying bartering.
- There is something marvelously ironic about Amsterdam, where they have this efficient mass transit system that Seattle would be jealous of, and yet everyone is consistently stoned. Maybe Seattle's executives and politicians need to hop off the caffeine train and smoke a few joints so they can come up with some sort of logical transportation plan.
More to come as I get all packed up. Today's Sunday, and I leave Tuesday morning, so the next 36 hours are really an effort in fitting 8 suitcases full of garbage into 3 suitcases. I have a feeling some of my U.S. bought stuff is going to find a permanent home in a UK rubbish dump.
The whirlwind Paris-Rome-Florence-Amsterdam trip is in the books. It's funny to be able to say, "It's nice to be back home in Manchester" since I'm really only 1 degree more comfortable here than any of those aformentioned cities.
The trip was great - we sold out every show and the crowds were real friendly. I think we'll get some bigger gigs in Paris next time we go back. And it looks like we're about to be huge in Belgium.
But, there was little internet access to be found, and even less time to use it. So, I couldn't even begin to try to write some stories about the trip while it was in progress. Piece by piece I'll upload some stories before heading to DC, where I'll have almost no internet access. My aunt doesn't have broadband, and few coffeehouses have free wi-fi, so i'm going to be on an webless island again. So, I should probablytake this chance to wish everyone a merry xmas.
But, let me throw out a few bullets while I sit here procrastinating:
- I love that all chairs outside French coffee houses face the street.
- The Louvre isn't just big, it's impressively enormous. Maybe my expectation was set low, but the thing takes up several city blocks. I don't know if you could walk through the whole thing in one day if the walls were bare and you were just looking for a restroom. Stopping to admire the art would just take all week. I didn't go in, but put it on my list of places I need to spend an 8-5 day in sometime.
- The Eiffel Tower is much more impressive at night than during the day.
- Everyone in Europe has a fake burberry scarf, umbrella or purse.
- In terms of conciously wanting to rip off tourists, there are no worse people in the world than Italians in Rome - even worse than Mexican street merchants. These are the least trustworthy people I have ever met. At least the Mexican street merchants and you have an understanding that this is a barter/haggle arrangement. For example, the italians cab drivers are just flat out liars and cheaters. Almost made me hate the whole city.
- But I love the fact that in Italy you can get a $1.00 cappucino made with cream so thick you have to eat the froth with a spoon.
- Some Florence street merchants are so congenial and funny that they are a joy to haggle with. It's great when your purchase also comes with a little entertainment rather than annoying bartering.
- There is something marvelously ironic about Amsterdam, where they have this efficient mass transit system that Seattle would be jealous of, and yet everyone is consistently stoned. Maybe Seattle's executives and politicians need to hop off the caffeine train and smoke a few joints so they can come up with some sort of logical transportation plan.
More to come as I get all packed up. Today's Sunday, and I leave Tuesday morning, so the next 36 hours are really an effort in fitting 8 suitcases full of garbage into 3 suitcases. I have a feeling some of my U.S. bought stuff is going to find a permanent home in a UK rubbish dump.
posted by ABoyer at
4:46 AM
1 Comments:
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