The Next Chapter

Mitch and Josh left today destined for Calgary by way of Athens and London. I'd like to say that I was resolute and strong with no sadness for their departure and only exhilaration for what comes next but I promised myself I'd be honest in this blog so the truth was that I was struck by a great amount of sadness and shed more than a few tears.

The past three weeks were have been extraordinary and filled with fun and immeasurable laughs. Who could ask for more than getting to gallivant around Europe with two of your best friends? I didn't expect to be so struck by their departure but there I was - my parting image to the boys being one of tears and snot.

And while that instant was filled with sadness I believe it's only sad because of the unknown of the future. Our pasts are relative, known. They are the yardstick by which we go on to measure our future instances. There is nothing scary about the past and what has already transpired; but the future... what lies ahead in our world and our lives is the adventure still unknown. We cannot smile, laugh or even weep over moments yet to unfold and while I hope and have confidence that my future will contain adventure and joy rather than grief in that moment - that instant in my life - I largely felt sadness to see my friends ride off into their futures while I stood in quiet anticipation of mine.

Commenting

Hi everyone,

Just as an aside post, I've received a lot of notes from people about having trouble commenting on the blog. I've changed the settings so I think it should be easier so if you want to comment please feel free to give it another shot.

Cheers,

Andrew

Viva Barcelona!

Update: This post is new and improved with photos!

Preface: I'm sorry there are no pictures to accompany this post but my internet connection kept timing out before they would upload and between the options of finishing this post and hurling Josh's laptop into the Aegean Sea I opted to finish the post so please use your imaginations and if one day I find high speed internet on the continent of Europe I'll be sure to upload lots of pics. And now, the post....

From the instant you arrive in Barcelona you pick up on an energy from this city that is unlike any other place. This city runs deep without a doubt and it quickly became my favourite stop of the trip thus far.

With so many sights to explore in and around Barcelona we did our best to see what was important to each of us. The first day was unintentionally Gaudi-oriented when we went and saw La Padrera and La Sagrada Familia. If you've never heard of Gaudi you're not alone but you're missing out. My advice is that rather than Google or Wikipedia the man book a trip to Barcelona as nothing he created in his lifetime is as impressive than when you see it in person.


While I loved La Padrera, the Sagrada Familia is the most incredible edifice I've ever seen. Nothing I could write here nor any picture I could post would do justice to the sheer wonder and beauty that is this 8th wonder of the world in the making. The Temple - as it's known - has been under construction for over 100 years and they currently estimate it will take another 20 to complete and you can bet I'll be there again to see this magnificent structure completed.


The following day we split off to do different things and I took in the Picasso Museum first while the boys did what one does on La Rambla (i.e. ramble). The Picasso Museum was extraordinary and a great way to understand what a truly prolific and evolutionary artist he was. The Museum is structured to guide you through his different periods and gives you insight into the various influences that inspired/encouraged Picasso's evolution from his early classic style to his dramatic cubism.

I took in the waterfront, La Rambla, Parc de Ciutadella and - before my feet totally gave out on me - Parc de Monjuic. We reunited for dinner and some time out on the town in Eixample which is a very cool neighbourhood near the University with lots of great architecture, restaurants and bars.

The next day was spent it Sitges (will be it's own post so stay tuned) but overall Barcelona left a lasting impression. Above all one must be impressed with the extraordinary public works of La Rambla, the beautiful parks and above all Gaudi's masterpiece La Sagrada Familia.

Since visiting The Temple there hasn't been a day I haven't reflected on it's magnificance. I'm not a religious person by nature but this building truly is a monument to faith; and I am not just Gaudi's devoute Catholicism. This building is a monument to man's faith in oneself. How else could anyone designed such an enormous undertaking is he did not believe inherantly in his own abilities, those around him and in the very project itself? When you comprehend the sheer scale of this 150 year project I could only think of a man in 1883 designing a building of uncomperable scale and detail knowing full well he'd never see it's completion but yet having the faith to dedicate the last 40 years of his life to this project in the belief that it will be finished even without him.

Although they're very different personalities, I keep drawing a connection between Gaudi and Picasso in my mind. What impressed me the most after visiting the Picasso Museum was his courage and faith in himself to consistantly reinvent his style and push the boundaries of the comfort zone of his work. His work was always acclaimed and well received and he likely would have done very well as an artist sticking with his early style that was in the vein of the Old Masters. You could say that his faith in his underlying talents gave him the courage to reinvent his style and push the boundaries of the art world.

While it's nice to put these men on a pedastal of courage and leaders in their field I couldn't help but wonder if during their lives they had their doubts; moments where they second-guessed not just their projects but themselves and their steadfastness to complete them. It seems all too likely and it gives me hope that regardless of the times when we don't necessarily believe in ourselves or what we are doing that hopefully it leads to something remarkable and lasting that gives others cause to reflect on their own faith in themselves.

Paris - The City of Lines

So perhaps it was a bit of the Amster-hangover or perhaps the inclement weather but ultimately we weren't big fans of the city of lights. While she has her highlights and certainly her own vibe, Paris did not win the affections of these three fellas.

We took the train from Amsterdam and missed our connection in Brussels thanks to Miss Information at the Amsterdam train station. It did all work out and I encourage future travellers that when in doubt look distressed and people will usually let you at least sit on the floor of a train even if there are no seats remaining.

Anywho, we arrived, checked into our 'hotel' and promptly went out to see the majors: Arch de Triumph, le Tour Eiffel et les Champs Elysees.

My honest advice when it comes to the Eiffel Tower is do not go up it unless you absolutely, positively have a deep yearning to do so and if that's the case make a reservation in advance (especially if you're proposing). Personally, I found the base impressive and breathtaking but the hour wait at the base to ride to the second floor to get in another 45 minute line to ride to the summit was not my cup of tea for a good view. Sacre Cour has brilliant views of the city as well but you won't lose 2 hours of your life to an unforgiving line where it is unlikely you'll hear a word of French (they know better).

The following day I was recovering from a poor run-in with beef bourguignon the night before and I hung back for a couple more hours of lying down while the boys hit the Louvre. It's free the first Sunday of every month and while the line may seem ominous as opposed to le line d'Eiffel this one actually moves (especially if you have a bottle of wine in your hand that you need to finish before you reach the front).

When I was able to pull myself back together I ventured out on my own and took in Notre Dame and some of the beautiful areas in the 1st and 2nd arrondissements. Notre Dame was quite beautiful and stunning and made me think a fair amount about St. Paul's in London as they're an interesting contrast. Nonetheless, the day was mostly wandering, drinking and eating and for me this was the highlight of the trip to Paris.

I doubt it's a coincidence that there were a limited number of Parisians in any of the queues we experienced during our time in Paris. If I were to go back again I would focus more time on the cafe and park culture and less on the major sites. Yes they are beautiful and stunning and make sure you take them in but surely the joy of Paris is just to be in such a historic city. Etre was the first verb I ever learned to conjugate en francais and. The simple act of just being can sometimes be lost during a whirlwind trip such as ours but at least for one day I felt a bit closer to saying je suis Parisian (although don't worry - I didn't buy a beret).

P.s. If you're ever trying to take a group jumping picture in front of a major monument, choose your photographer wisely. Young girls with fancy cameras do not mean they know how to use them, it just means they have a fancy camera.

P.p.s. I was pleasantly surprised at my ability to communicate in Franglais. Kudos to my French teachers and cereal boxes of the past that taught me more or less how to stumble through a sentance, locate a gym, read a menu and choose my wine - actually that thanks goes to my parents ;-)

And Then There Was Amsterdam (I Think)

Ok I have to start by giving a piece of advice to anyone who has never been to Amsterdam but intends to visit: the very first thing you'll do upon exiting the train station is almost be killed by someone on a bike and then someone on a scooter and finally by a tram. Provided you survive this shouldn't be something you worry about but just be aware this is how the Dutch identify the tourists (beyond backpacks, Canadian flags and skate shoes).

Now that we've got that out of the way I must say that I friggin LOVED Amsterdam. On our first day I was a bit on the fence but this city is spectacular in so many ways that go beyond the classic view of a city that is laissez-faire about sex & drugs.

A big part of planning our trip was centered around being their for Queen's Day; this is a national festival to celebrate the Queen's Birthday and holy hanna was it something else but before that we spent a fair bit of time exploring the city including two extraordinary sites: Anne Frank's House and the Van Gogh Museum.

I'd never drawn many parallels between these two famous Dutch figures but the common threads seem to suggest something powerful about Dutch culture. Both left behind striking works of self-reflection that over time have become incredibly culturally significant and perhaps more importantly both were highly self-critical of themselves. I wouldn't say that either site was depressing for this reason but personally it left me pondering the things we create in our lifetime and their relevance after we're gone. More often than not we are always our harshest critics but perhaps so long as what we contribute to our world around us is important to us in due time others around us will begin to see that importance as well.

London Calling!

London was a phenomenal leg to the trip. On day 2 we boys were left to our own devices so we promptly grabbed our matching North Face jackets, purchased our double decker tourist bus tickets and put a giant stamp saying tourist across our foreheads.

But honest to god if you want to come to London and see all the sites this a great way to do it. From Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben/Parliament, Tower Bridge, etc. we left no tourist trap unturned!

After exhausting ourselves and taking no less than 50 pictures of Big Ben we met up with Chad, Cam and Emily on Brick Lane for a traditional English meal of some of the best damn curry I have ever tasted. More than the actual eating, the joy of a meal on Brick Lane is the experience of choosing your restaurant. With no exaggeration there`s probably 50 Indian Restaurants and each is guarenteed to have two things: a guy out front hawking his restaurant with the "best deal in town" and a sign indicating their chef was voted the best on Brick Lane within the last 2 years.
The brilliance of their best deal proposition is that everyone has the exact same deal: 2 courses for 10 pounds and two pints. Their aggressiveness depends on the company your keep but for Cam, Josh, Mitch and I walking down the street (4 relatively big lads who likely have a pechant for curry and booze) you would have thought we were made of gold. Ultimately we chose Aladin (a favourite of Mr. Cameron`s) and we were not disappointed.

The last day in London brought us a treat straight from Newfoundland when Mindy joined us for the day. We wandered around Camden and it's remarkable Market, got free ice cream at Ben and Jerry's and then went up to Primrose Hill for the best view of the city before meeting up with Cam and Richie for dinner. It was a great day that we capped off with a super fun night at a bunch of bars in Soho before flying off to Amsterdam in the morning.
P.s. French keyboards have the Q where the A is supposed to be - I am positive that this is just to infuriate English users when they visit

Oh la la

Mon dieu! My appologies for the grande delay in le blogging but internet access is surprisingly hard to come by on le droit side of the Atlantic. Enjoy the follozing posts and potentially pictures (I`m working on it as we type/read); oh and I`m also struggling with un keyboard en français which is nothing like it`s North American brethren. Au revoir!