justjoshfunk1

Our Trip to Lake Como

2011-07-06T19:46:00.001-05:00

Hi Bloggy Friends,

In celebration of our three-day Fourth of July weekend, Alan, the puppies and I rented a cabin in Lake Como with our good friend Eric. Lake Como is a spiffy lake town on the northeastern border of Pennsylvania and New York. As you can see in the photos below, we spent our time grilling, swimming, reading and catching up on some much needed downtime. We totally need to do this more often.

MADRID: We art Spain's capital

2011-04-08T19:05:00.003-05:00

Hola Bloggy Friends,

Our last two days in Madrid have been filled with tours, parks, good food and lots and lots of art. I've said it before, but there's no overstating what a busy city this is. The streets are full (and loud) every night and, uncannily, there's a tour group lurking around every corner. I half expect someone to be leading a tour of our hotel room when we get home at night. It's a completely different feel than the other cities we visited, but we've done our best to dodge the crowds in the attempt to discover the best parts of this hustley-bustley city. And I think we've done a great job.

On Thursday, we took a tour of the Palacio Real de Madrid (the Royal Palace of Madrid). The 2000-room palace was built in 1738 by Philip V and is still used by the royal family today for occasional ceremonious functions. The tour was restricted to a fraction of the complex, including the throne room, dining room and the bedroom where King Charles III died. The best part, though, was the connecting armory where we saw the shield of Boabdil, the Moorish sultan who surrendered his throne to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabela in the late 1400s. The palace itself, though, was fairly lackluster. Sure, it was grand and decorated over-the-top with sparkly chandeliers, tapestries inspired by Raphael and plush antique furniture, but,it all felt a little obvious and uninspired. Even though all of our guidebooks call it a "must-see," we feel like it's skippable. The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C. is more impressive.

No trip to Madrid, however, can be complete without a visit to the Museo Reina Sofia, which is what we did on our last full day in the city. This modern, four-story art house is packed with some of the twentieth century's superstar artists. Arranged chronologically instead of by artist, the layout is refreshingly easy to swallow and it provides a fascinating look at how various historical events, like World Wars I and II and the Spanish Civil War, shaped the art of that generation. The museum's biggest draw is Picasso's Guernica, a bold statement against Franco after he allowed Hitler to test his bomber jets on the small town of Guernica — killing hundreds of unsuspecting citizens and animals. This is unlike anything of Picasso's I've seen — so violent and large enough to dwarf our little South Philly row home. It was an honor to see.

And while Guernica is the most famous, there are tons of iconic images throughout the museum, including an impressive collection of works by art icons like Joan Miró and Salvador Dalí. We exhausted ourselves taking in every straight line, distorted cube and surrealist landscape, but it was worth every second — definitely one of the highlights of our entire trip.

Speaking of the trip, our time in Spain has been magical. After two weeks exploring different cities, we feel that we've been able to envelop ourselves in the culture of this beautiful, proud country. We've learned so much about the history, had wonderful food and, above all, had the chance to spend this time together. It'll be an adjustment getting back to "regular life," but we're ready to be home to see our friends, talk to family and, of course, snuggle with our pets. We've missed their hearts so much.

I really appreciate you taking the time to share this experience with me. Chronicling my adventures is one of my truest pleasures, and I hope by reading them it will inspire you to get out and have some of your own. Have a muy bueno night and, once again, thanks for being a part of this with me.

Love, Josh

MADRID: A gulp of Goya

2011-04-07T02:52:00.003-05:00

Hola Bloggy Friends,

On the walk around central Madrid

To begin our first full day in Madrid, we had breakfast at the Mercado de San Miguel, the same indoor market we visited when we first arrived in Spain. We found a great little frozen yogurt shop that sells a variety of handmade cereals soaked in fresh, organic leche (milk). I had granola infused with dried strawberries and fresh raspberries from a fruit stand around the corner. It was delicious.

Even though we were stuffed, it was hard to tear ourselves away from the aisles upon aisles of delicious foods to gawk at inside the market. Eventually, though, we did find the exit and set out on a orienting tour of Madrid that was laid out in our guidebook. It took us from the busy city block called Puerta del Sol to the regal Palacio Real de Madrid (Royal Palace). Along the way we got a taste of the history of Madrid, while making a mental note about what streets will get us where.

Walking through the city in the light of day helped verify our impressions that Madrid is a sprawling, world class city that's clean and bustling, but it doesn't quite possess the intriguing, old world charm we found in Barcelona and Granada. The one thing it does have going for it, though, is one hell of an art collection.

The rest of our afternoon was spent at the Museo Nacional del Prado, a sprawling complex that houses paintings by Spain's (and the world's) masters. While we're both more drawn to modern art, there's no denying the treasures held within the Prado. In the span of five hours we spent quality time with centuries-old paintings like Velasquez's much-copied Las Meninas, Raphael's stunning Portrait of a Cardinal and Bosch's frightful Garden of Earthly Delights. The museum also houses one of the world's largest collections of Francisco De Goya. By looking at his works, we were able to trace his life from the dutiful paintings of the family of Spain's King Charles IV to his more rebellious Third of May, 1808 to his depressing black period, which includes the disturbing Saturno. It was a thrilling experience. I think it's worth the trip to Madrid in itself. Unfortunately, the guards were strict about not letting guests take pictures, but I did manage to snap this tilted one of Las Meninas.

For dinner we went to a restaurant recommended by our guidebook called La Bola, a traditionally decorated, atmospheric restaurant that's been family owned since 1870. For our main course we shared the Cocido Madrileño, their specialty stew that's served in several different parts: First they bring out a bowl of yellow broth laden with thin noodles; second, a terracotta-like dish filled with potatoes, garbanzo beans and lamb; and finally, a helping of boiled cabbage to top it off. In regular life, I'm not much of a meat eater but I've definitely enjoyed the walk on the "wild" side I've allowed myself on this trip. The stew was mmm-mmm good.

From there we took a late-night stroll to see what the Palacio Real de Madrid looks like lit up at night. This Versailles-inspired palace is the next stop on our Madrid itinerary. I'm anxious to see it, especially considering we missed Versailles on our trip to Paris last year. I hope you can stop back by to check it out!

Hasta luego,

Josh

P.S. I went into the Prado ready to take some snapshots, but, as you can see in the video below, the guard only allowed me a couple of seconds before she shut me down ...

MADRID: A broke-down bus ride

2011-04-06T02:25:00.003-05:00

Hola Bloggy Friends,

Are we there yet?

Our journey from Granada to Madrid was marred with another bout of travelers misfortune. On the recommendation of several guidebooks, we decided to take a bus to Spain's capital city. It was supposedly cheaper and quicker than the one slow-moving train that goes there. Sounds like a win-win, right?

Well, everything was going swimmingly until we stopped at a halfway point for lunch. When we loaded back onto the bus something went wrong and it wouldn't start again. Being the only English speakers among the group of travelers, we had trouble figuring out what we were supposed to do next. Our circumstances began to look rosier when someone told us that another bus was taking some of the passengers to "something, something America." Embarrassingly, our first instinct was, "Oh, it's a bus for Americans!" Come to find out, it was going to Madrid's Intercambiador de Avenida de América — a station we didn't have tickets to. I told Alan that it's just like a bunch of Americans to think a magical bus appeared across the parking lot just for us.

We ended up squatting at the rest area for an hour before another bus came to pick us up. After stopping several times along the way for a passenger who either had a bladder problem or explosive diarrhea, we finally made it to Madrid after a seven-hour trip. I have to say, though, that it didn't feel like it took that long. We made the most of our time by people watching, reading up on Madrid and playing mind-numbing games on our iPhones. In all honesty, with all the running around we've done, it's been one of the most restful days yet. There's a positive side to everything ...

Paella de Arroz Negro

Because it was much later than we anticipated arriving, we decided to put off our orientation tour until the next day. Instead we had a filling dinner at Museo del Vino that consisted of ensalada del casa (salad of the house), paella de arroz negro (black rice paella with clams, shrimp and squid) and a nice bottle of Tempranillo.

Stuffed, we took an after-dinner stroll around Puerta del Sol, the neighborhood we're staying in. Our first impression of Madrid is that it's a lively, more modern city — with full sidewalks even on a Tuesday night and newer facades compared to the historic ones we've grown accustomed to seeing. We noted that we didn't even pass one church, which is bizarre coming from towns with a basilica on every corner. There's still a lot to see, though. And we're looking forward to taking as much of it in as possible. Our first-day itinerary includes an orientation walk and a tour of the Museo del Prado, one of Europe's finest collections of art dating from the twelfth to nineteenth centuries. We're most excited to see what's considered to be one of the greatest paintings in the world — one that I mentioned earlier — Velázquez's Los Meninas.

Hasta luego,

Josh

Our much-needed Tempranillo

GRANADA: Our tales of the Alhambra

2011-04-05T02:26:00.004-05:00

Buenos Dias Bloggy Friends,

Yesterday was one of those days when everything seemed to line up right. We awoke from a peaceful snooze, had a delicious desayuno (breakfast) in a Parisian-style cafe on Gran Via and spent the afternoon skimming markets for items to make a picnic at Alhambra — our planned full-day destination.

Alhambra, an expansive area of castles, fortresses and gardens, sits on a hill high above Granada. Moorish sultans built the complex in the fourteenth century and it's where they held court until defeated by the Christian forces of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel in the late 1400s. At that point, the victorious royal couple moved in, incorporating a few frills of their own.

To get there, most people take a bus from Granada's Old Town, but we thought we'd get more out of the experience by hiking up. Surprisingly, the trek — a path shaded by trees and flanked with shrubs — was quick and fairly simple to make. Once through the gates, we began our tour with a stroll through the lush gardens, an old Moorish bath and Alcazaba, a gutted fort with stunning lookout points. Running throughout most of the grounds is a complicated series of waterways that supply agua to Alhambra's numerous fountains. This constant sound of trickling water provides calming ambient noise as you wind your way through well-manicured hedges and lattices cloaked with fragrant flowers. It was dreamy.

Court of Myrtles in Palacios Nazaries

When it was time to rest our busy feet, we unpacked our picnic on a brick wall shielded by a row of bushes. Our humble feast included grapes, kumquats, a bocadillo (bread topped with tomato and cheese), a sampling of jamón ibérico (ham from a pig fed nothing but acorns) and, of course, a bottle of vino rioja. It was a welcome respite from a full afternoon of foot-on-pavement and the obnoxious horde of tour groups we had to keep dodging. And, by avoiding the over-priced Alhambra cafés, it saved us a few euros, too!

The final and best part of our Alhambra experience was Palacios Nazaries — the grand Moorish palace that was eventually occupied by Ferdinand and Isabel. While the latter definitely made structural changes to suit their fancy, the Islamic influence — evident in the arched entryways, ornate stucco ceilings and slick, colorfully-tiled walls — is undeniable. Here we wandered through the maze of airy rooms, passing by the spot where Columbus propositioned Isabel to fund his adventure across the Atlantic, and several outdoor gardens made up of reflective pools and abundant plant life. Alan, in particular, had a serious moment surrounded by a garden of shrubs shaped to create a maze of geometric patterns. It was sweet.

Feeling a little romantic after the experience, we strolled hand in hand down the hill back toward Granada, where we popped into a bar for wine and tapas. Today we catch a bus back to our starting point, Madrid, where we'll stay until Saturday. It's hard to believe we still have a whole other city to explore; it feels like we've been away forever. Like our previous trips, though, we really start to hit our stride during the second week. So mosey on back to see what Spain's capital city has in store for us!

Hasta luego,

Josh

GRANDA: Savoring culture shock

2011-04-04T03:13:00.002-05:00

Hola Bloggy Friends,

Patting pussies

Our Granada arrival was tons more pleasant than the last experience. We left Caravaca early in the morning, cruised down a sleepy highway and dropped the car off near the airport so we wouldn't chance crazy city driving again. It worked like a champ.

Our first stop was Macià Basilios, our hotel located within a monastery of the same name. From there we set out to explore Granada's Old Town. Right off the bat, we could feel the city's vibrant energy. The streets were bustling with carousers, and the cafés and public plazas were alive with squatters, street performers and waiters rushing plates of tapas from one crowded table to the next. Coming from lazy Caravaca, we were practically drooling over the excitement.

On our first day was all about orienting ourselves. We perused Alcaiceria (pronounced al-kay-thay-REE-ah), a tight alley of shops that was once a Moorish silk market; popped inside the impressive Granada Cathedral; and dodged aggressive gypsy ladies trying to sell us expensive sprigs of rosemary. For me, the most intriguing thing about Granada is the city's strong Moroccan influence. If you wander only a few yards from the main thoroughfare, you can easily imagine that you've been transported to North Africa, with incense wafting through the air, locals donning flowy harem pants and eateries decorated like the inside of Genie's bottle. The culture shock is exhilarating. We celebrated with dinner at an authentic Moroccan restaurant called Arrayanes and sipped exotic teas in Tetería La Kasbah.

Isabel's crown and scepter

Our second day started with one of the highlights of my trip so far: a tour of the tomb of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand in Capilla Real. Being one myself, I love a good queen, but I wasn't expecting to be as captivated by this experience. The hourlong visit not only afforded us access to their giant tombs but peeks at their caskets underneath, Isabel's crown, scepter and prayer book, and 30 or so pieces of her private art collection. For a female-oriented history buff like me, it's mind blowing to realize Queen Isabel actually toted this stuff around. And as morbid as it sounds, seeing her coffin made me feel all giddy inside.

Later, we set out on an exhaustive tour of what lies beyond Granada's main hub. First, we strolled through the Albaicín neighborhood, a bohemian district that's characterized by hilly cobblestone streets, hippie-run cafés and stellar views of downtown Granada and the Alhambra (we'll get to that later). Even further beyond that, Sacromonte is a still-thriving gypsy community with narrow alleys of sometimes-tattered, pueblo-style housing and restaurants run by feisty women who would do anything short of wrestling you to make you come in for dinner. High above the city, Sacromonte is known for the caves that can be seen dotting the surrounding hillside. For centuries, these little holes-in-the-hills have played home to homeless gypsies, wayfaring travelers and lots of feral cats. Meow.

Though it definitely encapsulates some European characteristics (think a mish-mash of Paris and the Haight-Ashbury), we feel like we've ventured into a magical little world that can't be found anywhere else on the continent. Dark-skinned Africans walking alongside pale-but-black-footed hippies; square, urban families sauntering past hecklers manning the fragrant Moroccan markets; and traditionally-draped Muslim men chatting with exasperated gypsy ladies who can't seem to pawn off that last handful of rosemary: These are the characteristics that make Granada my favorite stop so far — and we haven't even stepped foot on the Alhambra yet ... Stay tuned!

Love, Josh

SPANISH ROAD TRIP: Caravaca de la Cruz

2011-04-02T06:32:00.003-05:00

Buenos Dias Bloggy Friends,

Getting oriented

For the next leg of our trip we wanted to experience a different side of Spain, so we jutted westward to Caravaca de la Cruz, a small mountain-hugged town located in the Murcia Region. The drive in was gorgeous — with grassy mountain ranges and orange plantations sprouting up all around us — but our arrival into Caravaca was a disaster. Like in Barcelona, I took a wrong turn that led us into an area of narrow streets full of cafés and locals walking their donkeys. There we were, bopping our big ass car over cobblestones, trying our best to squeeze around corners that would suffocate a Smart Car. I was about an inch from throwing my trembling hands up and abandoning the vehicle on the spot.

And then, when we thought it couldn’t get worse, we came to a café with tables and chairs lined up out front. Poor Alan had to walk in and beg the waitress, who didn’t speak a lick of English, to move the tables so we could get past. Thankfully, she obliged and we finally made our way to a normal street where we parked that son of a bitch in the first spot we could find.

At the Basilica

Feeling a little defeated, we made our way to Hotel Central where we unloaded our belongings and set out to see what Caravaca de la Cruz was all about. What we found is that it’s an extremely religious town, built around the Basilica of the Santisima y Vera Cruz, which houses the almighty Caravaca Cross. It is purported that this bejeweled relic — delivered to the city by angels — is made from the cross on which Christ was crucified. Surrounding the church is a labyrinth of tiny, terra-cotta-roofed homes, a dozen or so other churches and a main drag called Gran Via where the locals go to mingle.

For the two nights we were there, we spent our time roaming alleyways, touring churches and, of course, sampling the food and wine of the region. What stood out for us were the desserts. Alan particularly loved the Yemas, a local delicacy made from egg yolks and served dipped in chocolate or caramel. We’ve definitely eaten well since we’ve been away and, yes, Bill, we drank enough wine and espresso to make you take a second look.

Popping a squat

For us, Caravaca de la Cruz is about as off-the-beaten-path as it gets. Besides religious-types who come to worship at the cross, there doesn’t seem to be much of a tourist presence, so no one speaks English. We had to rely on what little Spanish we know and universal hand gestures, which made for more than a few uncomfortable situations. And because it’s such a teeny, everybody-knows-everybody town, we felt like we stuck out like sore thumbs. By the end of the trip, though, we started to see familiar faces and began to feel like a part of the goings on. A few people even stopped ask how we were doing ... at least I think that's what they were asking.

While I’m glad we had a chance to experience this aspect of Spanish living, I have to admit that I’m more than ready to move on to a more thriving, cultured metropolis. Granada, here we come!

Adios!

Josh

SPANISH ROAD TRIP: Montserrat and Peníscola

2011-03-31T04:22:00.002-05:00

Hi Bloggy Friends,

Trying to figure out the car thing

On our last morning in Barcelona we took a train to Estació Sants to pick up our rental car: a very European Citroën Picasso. I thought the bells and whistles of vehicle operation would be similar to what it is in the U.S., but I was a wrong. Sure, you still have to push the gas and keep your hands at 10 and 2, but instead of “D” for “Drive” there’s an “A” for I have no idea what; to start the car you have to have the gearshift in neutral and press the gas; and to park you have to push a “P” button in the middle of the dashboard. It took us a minute to get all of that figured out, but the real challenge was still before us. Driving within the city limits was a mess. We missed turns, got caught in detours and were told by our GPS to turn the wrong way down a one-way street. Thankfully, though, we did make it out in once piece — unless you count my poor shattered nerves. Once we got on the interstate, though, the experience was no different than being in the States.

La Moreneta

Our first stop was Montserrat, a Benedictine monastery built on the side of a monstrous serrated mountain — hence the name. There we toured a glitzy chapel and touched the orb of the Black Virgin (La Moreneta), a wooden statue believed to have been carved by St. Peter and later discovered in a nearby cave by shepherd children. It was a beautiful day and the views from the smooth-sided mountain were spectacular and a little frightening, considering we were 2,400 feet in the air. This place is definitely not for those afraid of heights. The only way to get to the top is to drive on a shockingly narrow series of switchbacks or catch a ride on a funicular. We chose the former.

On the beach in Peníscola

From Montserrat we drove two hours down the Mediterranean coast to a seaside resort town called Peníscola (pronounced pay-niece-co-lah), where we parked and crashed for two nights in a room at Hotel Marina. The main attraction in Peníscola is a giant fortress built by Pope Benedict XIII (aka Papa Luna) in the fourteenth century. Surrounding the stone structure is a shore town full of restaurants, cafes, bars and rental properties run by the few locals that live in the area. This is definitely a town that exists on tourism dollars — full of hotels and shops geared for travelers. Apparently we just missed the wave of vacationers, though, because many businesses were closed or busy preparing for the imminent wave of tourists coming for Easter. On the downside, this meant that it was harder to find good restaurants. But on the upside we practically had the whole town to ourselves, which may sound snoozy to some but we thoroughly enjoyed the break from lines and crowds.

We spent our time site-seeing the palace and learning about the history of the craggy peninsula on which it sits. We had dinner in the few restaurants that were open and spent leisurely time strolling and lying on the empty beach. Peníscola is unlike any other European experience I’ve had — being a small, little-known beach town. The weather was sunny and oh-so-clear, so the views of the blue ocean stretching before us were out of this world. It was a pit stop well worth it.

Have a great night.

Love, Josh

BARCELONA: Feeling Gaudi

2011-03-29T04:19:00.003-05:00

Hola Bloggy Friends,

On the roof of Casa Milà

Picasso isn't the only great artist celebrated in Barcelona. In fact, compared to architectural visionary Antoni Gaudi, his presence is minimal. Gaudi, whose name the English word "gaudy" originates from, made a name for himself designing outlandish structures throughout the city that are made up of whimsical shapes and forms that may look like tacky multicolored ice cream cones, but in fact, are scientifically thought out and shockingly ahead of his time.

To see for ourselves what all the hoopla is about, we devoted our final full day in Barcelona to a tour of some of his most famous works — most of which are situated in the busy Eixample (pronounced eye-sham-plah) neighborhood. We started at the guidebook-recommended Casa Milà, an eccentric apartment building that was built between 1905 and 1912. The tour included a peek into one of the large, tastefully decorated apartments, cave-like attic and peculiar rooftop decorated with what appears to be Stormtrooper heads on spikes and huge dollops of soft serve. What we learned along the way, though, was that Gaudi drew his inspiration from nature – particularly things from the sea like conch shells and sand dollars. It was tacky as all get out, but fascinating, nonetheless.

Sagrada Familia's sanctuary

From there we headed to one of Barcelona's top destinations, looming Sagrada Familia. We've seen a lot of churches on our trips to Europe, but I can honestly say none of them compare to this one. Still incomplete, Sagrada Familia is Gaudi's shining achievement, looking like a church from outer space. The outside is flanked with Modernist figures telling the story of Jesus's life, from Nativity to Passion. The sanctuary is insanely futuristic, with slick columns reaching hundreds of feet in the air and vibrant stain glass windows punctuating the space with lasers of color. I felt like I was walking around in a space ship. With it's unconventional, playful design, it's unlike anything I've ever seen but hoped could be. If you come to Barcelona and only have one thing to do, this is it. Hands down. I have a tip for you, though: buy tickets online HERE. You can pick them up at one of several ServiCaixa stations located all over the city. Believe me, you'll love zooming by the line to get in. We didn't have to wait one second.

Already won over by Gaudi's genius, we decided to cap the day off in Parc Güell, a 30-acre garden that he envisioned to be an otherworldly gated community for Barcelona's elite. And while the upscale housing project was never fully recognized, the hilly landscape is still speckled with ceramic fountains and benches, intriguing pathways of jagged stone columns and houses that look like they were made out of gingerbread. It's a grassy wonderland that reminds me of a magical version of San Francisco's Twin Peaks. Feeling adventurous, we hiked to the park's highest point where we watched the sun set behind the best views of Barcelona we've seen so far.

Senses overloaded and feet achy, we bussed back to our hood for dinner. We stopped in a vegan cafe called Cat Bar where we munched on homemade veggie burgers while finalizing plans for the next leg of our trip — a five-day road trip to Granada!

See you along the way, amigos.

Love, Josh

BARCELONA: Absorbing the city's spirit

2011-03-28T05:33:00.004-05:00

Hola Bloggy Amigos,

Infanta Margarita María

Today we decided to get to know our neighborhood better by sticking to the side streets that zigzag around us. Our first stop was one of my favorite experiences so far, the Museo Picasso. This modern complex within an old stone building houses an impressive collection of the artist's work from his early teens through the 1970s. There's nothing super famous here, but it's fascinating to see the talent he had as a young person living in Spain, and witness his progression to Cubism in the early part of the century. Our favorite part was his comprehensive studies of Velázquez's Las Meninas. This included around 20 mostly colorful, abstract interpretations of the famous painting. I loved seeing the characters all cubed up; he spent a lot of time on the girl in the center (pictured right), particularly.

Arc de Triumf

Running in conjunction with the permanent exhibit was "Vinye tes al Front," a gallery of artist sketches made in response to the wave of dictatorship plaguing World War II Europe. The pieces — mostly cartoon caricatures of Fascist rulers — tied in with Picasso's Guernica and Dream and Lie of Franco. Made up of disfigured horse heads, twisted, agonized faces and dismembered body parts, both pieces grotesquely represent his feelings about the death and destruction that was happening in Fascist Spain. To drive the feeling home, there were photographs depicting bloated animal carcasses, widows crying over dead husbands and bloody children lined up in rows, all victims of a recent air raid. It's frightening to realize something like that happened less than a century ago.

In our short time here, we've already seen that Barcelona is still rife with remnants of Franco's rule — both in the war-torn facades and, more refreshingly, symbols of Barcelona's rebellious spirit that helped bring that asshole down. The rest of the afternoon included a stroll through the Gothic Santa Maria del Mar church and Parc Ciutadella where we posed under one of those symbols of freedom, the Arc de Triumf. Viva España!

Love, Josh

Picasso's Las Meninas

BARCELONA: Braving the tourist meccas

2011-03-27T05:35:00.005-05:00

Hola Bloggy Friends,

Our Spanish window

This morning we started our day with the customary bowl of oatmeal and yogurt, and a steamy cup of coffee. We love having a kitchen to be able to avoid the cost of buying breakfast every day. Thankfully, it's equipped with all the dishes, silverware and coffee-making apparatuses we need.

With the help of our guide book, we decided to take a tour of the Barri Gòtic, or the Gothic section of Barcelona. This included the busy city square, Plaça de Catalunya, and a stroll down Avinguda Portal de el'Angel — both too touristy for my taste. The highlight, for me, was a tour of the ornate Catedral de Barcelona, which was built around the sarcophagus of Barcelona's patron saint, Eulalia, a thirteen-year-old girl who was tortured and murdered by Romans because of her Christian beliefs. This is also the site where six Native Americans were baptized when they came to Spain with Christopher Columbus.

In Buenas Migas

After stopping for a mid-day snack and wine at Focacceria Buenas Migas, we braved the Ramblas, a 1.2 kilometer stretch of street littered with clothing stores, patisseries and souvenir shops. Talk about touristy. Every guide book and video says this is the place to go in Barcelona, but I thought it was downright terrible. With tour groups shoving past us, street performers yapping for our attention and little old ladies reaching for a euro, it reminded me of my least favorite part of every major city – think Times Square, Fisherman's Wharf or the Champs-Élysées.You kind of have to do it at least once, though. Right?

One respite from the cheesiness was an open-air market called La Boqueria. If you're counting size, this thing makes Philly's Reading Terminal look puny. It seemed like there was a dozen of every kind of store — from bakeries, to delis to produce stands. It was so colorful and fascinating to see, and the food looked fantastic. Too bad we were still full from lunch.

At Somorrostro

To get far away from Barcelona's tourist haven, we took a cab to the upper peaks of Montjuïc, where we drooled over the view of Barcelona from the Castell de Montjuïc, an ominous fortress built to stifle citizen revolts in the 17th and 18th centuries, and it served as an execution spot during Franco's reign. Afterwards, we worked our way down the garden-laden hill to see an awe-inspiring water and light show at Font Màgica. It was an ideal spot to watch the sun disappear before returning home to ready ourselves for din-din.

We went to a restaurant called Somorrostro in the beach side Barceloneta neighborhood. We thought we'd be cool and arrive late like the locals, but when we got there everyone was finishing up and we ended up closing the place down! Our meal was delicious, and quite fancy without having to pay froofy prices. Alan had a duck dish surrounded by a variety of complementary compotes and sauces, and I had a white fish served on a trio of flavorful rices. The food we've had so far has been fantastic, and the wine even better. I'll have to start keeping an eye out for Spanish wines when I get back home.

Besides sounding grumpy about some of the touristy places we saw today, I really am smitten with Barcelona. It's like God took the best grit of Rome, mixed in a little elegance from Paris and added a bucketful of Spanish flair. We're so excited to see what's next.

Have a great day, Bloggy Friends. I'll chat with you mañana.

Josh

TRIP TO SPAIN: Flying and arriving

2011-03-26T05:51:00.000-05:00

Buenos Noches, Bloggy Friends,

We made it to Madrid safe and sound this morning at 7 a.m. The plane ride was nice, especially considering I was woozed up on a cocktail of Adavan, three glasses of wine and Ambien. Not surprisingly, I got off the plane feeling a little off-kilter — kind of like if you had a wine hangover and decided to go for a spin on the Tilt-a-Whirl. I managed to stay on my own two feet, though, as we made the trek through Madrid's modern airport to customs.

From MAD, we hopped on a snazzy-looking yellow bus that took us to the Atocha train station in the Barrio de las Letras area of Madrid. Once we oriented ourselves within the station and put our luggage in lockers, we went out to do some exploring before our 1:30 p.m. train to Barcelona.

Our first taste of Madrid was lovely. We curved through narrow alleyways, perusing some of the modern shops situated within ornate, old-world looking facades. The area was buzzing with a mish-mash of toursists and locals alike, and we did our best to absorb the exciting street culture. We stopped for a light lunch in a cafe serving huevos (eggs), which is exactly what I wanted to soak up the queasiness in my tummy. It helped a little.

When the time came, we went back to the station to catch our high speed AVE train to Barcelona. The ride was heavenly. There was much more leg room than what we had on our cramped U.S. Airways flight, and I took advantage of my leftover Ambien wooze to catch a quick siesta.

Once in Barcelona, where the gorgeous Gothic architecture had me breathless from the word go, we headed straight to our apartment in the eclectic El Born neighborhood. Rented on AirBnB, our flat is a striking artist's studio with paintings lining the room and a whole wall adorned with refurbished shutters. We're in a great area, too, surrounded by a ton of hip restaurants, bakeries and cafes. The guys we rent from have studios all over the city. If you come and want to look them up, you can contact them at Aleluya Barcelona.

For our first night we had tapas at a restaurant called Bastaix and attended an art exhibit opening in a studio under our flat. Barcelonians are famous for being night owls but after a full day of jet settin', we're too pooped to hang with the locals tonight. Thanks for stopping by to see how we're doing so far. Be sure to check my Facebook page for more photos.

Adios,

Josh

TRIP TO SPAIN: The Prelude

2011-03-23T09:00:00.001-05:00

Hola Bloggy Friends,

Tomorrow, Alan and I are taking off for a two-week trip to Spain. Our plan is to fly into Madrid, immediately train to Barcelona, drive down the Mediterranean coast — stopping for a few days in Peñíscola, Caravaca De La Cruz and Granada, respectively — and finally make our way back to Madrid. We're super excited for this trip because we've planned several first-time experiences:

This is the first time we've been to Europe in March/April
This is the first time we've rented a car and driven in Europe
This is the first time we've kept our itinerary within one country
And, at 16 days, it's the longest stretch of time we've vacationed there

To get prepared, we've done online research, read guidebooks (thanks, Laurie Buler Nunez) and watched a few travel vids. In fact, we did so much planning in the beginning that we haven't thought much about it in the past few weeks — unless you count the occasional "I can't wait to eat a churros!"

But now the day is upon us, and we're chomping at the bit to take off. While we're gone I'll keep my blog updated with photos and write-ups about what we're up to, so feel free to stop by for a peep. From now on, I plan to use this space to write about the trips we take. These are the experiences that bring me some of my biggest joys, and being able to share them makes it that much more meaningful. I would also love to hear from you if you have recommendations about what we should do while we're in Spain. We've done a lot of reading, but nothing compares to getting advice from someone who's been there and done that.

Thanks for stopping by today. I'll see you in España!

Buenos días,
Señor Josh

Day Trip to Gettysburg

2010-07-29T11:53:00.005-05:00

Hi Bloggy Friends,

This weekend Alan and I drove to Gettysburg to meet our friends Bill and Gary. They drove up from Washington D.C. so we could all spend the day celebrating Bill's birthday (July 27). Our plan was to spread a blanket and have a lovely picnic in the park, but a storm moved in almost as soon as we were about to take our first bites. And it wasn't just any storm, either. The rain gushed down and the wind whipped our prissy asses all over that battlefield. We even began to contemplate a tornado plan, you know, just in case.

Needless to say, we had to move the festivities inside Gary's Volvo, which would have been extremely roomy if we didn't have to share the space with an oversized picnic basket, a cooler and Bill's monstrous hat, which, minus the net, must have been made to fend off bees in the buzziest of honey hives.

It was all good, though, because we were in the presence of good friends, a couple of bottles of wine and an impressive spread of grub. Bill and Gary brought homemade samosas, a bowl of hummus and a container full of blueberries and strawberries. We contributed homemade salmon salad, rice crackers and a variety of crudités for the hummus.

In the midst of wine-induced giddiness we realized the rain had subsided considerably. So Gary, who had not been drinking, threw the car in drive and carted us around the grounds. When the rain completely stopped we parked to see some of it on foot. Gary, who is very well versed in history, led us on an informative tour of landmarks like the National Cemetery where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg address, Seminary Ridge, Little Round Top and Devil's Den, where our birthday girl ran into a conundrum climbing out of the rocks (see video).

When the sun began to set we walked into the town of Gettysburg to have dinner at a quaint Revolutionary-era restaurant called Dobbin's Tavern. It's a delightful old eatery that's ripe with history. Over dinner we learned that it was a spot on the Underground Railroad. Click on the link if you're interested in learning more.

I hope you have a great night. Happy Birthday, Bill. I love you!

Love, Josh

Movie Queue: Silkwood (1983)

2010-07-26T11:08:00.002-05:00

Hi Bloggy Friends,

I had a full circle moment when I finished watching Silkwood, the fifth or sixth movie in my slow going Meryl Streep Movie Marathon. Without realizing it until the end, the final scene is one that I sometimes recall from my childhood. I caught a glimpse of it one night when I crawled into the living room past my bedtime to sneak some grown up TV time with my mom.

The film, which is based on a true story, gets off to a great start. I screamed out loud when the opening credits revealed that Cher was in it, too. Cher and Meryl in the same movie? There had to be a gay behind this one. Anyway...

Karen Silkwood (Mama Meryl) lives with her boyfriend Drew (Kurt Russell) and her lesbian bestie Dolly (Cher). Everyday they squeeze into their jalopy to commute to Kerr-McGee, the Oklahoma plutonium plant where they are employed. At work she flirts and cuts up with her hick colleagues, goes home at night to puff a reefer and the next morning she playfully bitches about what a slob lesbo Dolly is. The genuine and humorous character interaction is one of my favorite parts of the film.

Things start to go sour, though, when people at the plant begin getting ill from the chemicals they're handling. My mood went from amused to disturbed when tainted employees were ushered down the hall like crazy people to be scrubbed until their skin was red as Christmas. At this point a fire is lit under Karen's ass as she becomes passionately involved with a scheme to expose the company's careless ways. She better watch her back, though, because those skeevy higher-ups don't mess around.

I was really into the film until Karen started sneaking around the plant and flying to Washington D.C. to tell her secrets to big time reporters. Of course, this is pertinent to the plot but this is when it seemed to drag on without getting down to the point. Plus, the character interaction was so enjoyable that it was a buzz kill to see things turn so serious. Meryl can't go wrong, though. Her hillbilly accent is right on point (take a hint Sandra Bullock) and she looks fabulous in her reddish-brown mullet that would today seem oh so hip.

Cher is great too. She was actually nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance. Her accent is believable and, come on, she's just fun to watch. My favorite part is when she takes up with a moody girlfriend played by none other than Diana Scarwid. That's right, homos, that's the same actress who played Christina in Mommie Dearest. I tell you, the gays made this movie.

I recommended this film if you are a homosexual (especially lesbian), liked Norma Rae starring Sally Field or Erin Brockovich starring Julia "teeth" Roberts.

I would not recommend it if you have A.D.D. or if you're wigged out by creepy shower scenes.

Thanks for stopping by to read my first movie review column. If you've seen something recently, new or old, and want to share your thoughts, feel free to email me a brief review of your own. I'll post it on my blog and share it with the world on Facebook and Twitter. I'd love to hear what you have to say.

Have a great night.

Love, Josh

Page Turners: The House of Mirth (1905)

2010-07-23T10:43:00.003-05:00

For the past year I've been working my way up Modern Library's list of 100 Best Novels. It's been a great way to catch up on of the classics I've always wanted to read, but never quite got around to. I thought it would be fun to share my experience with you by offering a smidgen of a review in a column I'll call Page Turners. Below you'll discover my first installment. Thanks for stopping by!

Hi Bloggy Friends,

I recently finished reading The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, a novel about the inner-workings of high society life in turn-of-the century New York. In it she brings to life a time when grown women received an allowance (if they were lucky) and the closest thing to email was a calling card left at the door with someone's maid.

The protagonist, Lily Bart, reminds me of a slightly modernized, extremely Yankee-fied Scarlett O'Hara. She's a sympathetic, yet calculated individual who knows how to work a crowd. But unlike her uppity friends, she can't hold onto a penny to save her life. Instead, she flits from upstate summer home to Fifth Avenue, utilizing only her God-given good looks and unflappable charm to ride the coattails of New York's powerful and privileged.

Edith Wharton

Her main goal? To procure everlasting security and position in the generous embrace of an affluent husband. At first it seems indubitable that things will go her way, but as the story twists and turns she makes unwise decisions, finding herself in the midst of a sultry scandal that just may ruin her forever.

To me, Wharton's grandiose use of language causes the text to lull in spots. Perhaps it's my attention span, but when she gets too wordy I tend to drift. I've found this show of vocabulary is common among writers of that time period. The story is more than redeemed, however, in her riveting use of dialogue. There were moments of conversation that transported me to the dimly lit parlors and stately gardens where much of the story takes place. I was on the edge of my pillow as Lily charmed her way around one intensely uncomfortable situation to the next. Her allure explodes from the text. Just like many of the men she encounters, you'll end up falling head over heels in love.

I recommended this book if you enjoyed A Room with a View by E.M. Forster or The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington.

I do not recommend this book if you despise looking up words in the dictionary as you read or if you prefer fairy tale endings...

Have a great night.

Josh

Thanks for stopping by to read my first review. Last night I began reading Main Street by Sinclair Lewis, so come back in a few several weeks to see my thoughts on that. Oh, and if you've read or seen something recently and have a desire to share with the world, feel free to send me a review. I'll post it on my blog and blast it on Facebook and Twitter. It'll be a nice way to bond with other readers and to compile a hefty list for the literarily curious to stop by and read. You can email me at justjoshfunk1@gmail.com. Thanks!

Trip to Brussels, Pt. 3: The Grand Finale

2010-07-13T16:24:00.000-05:00

Hi Bloggy Friends. This is the last of my "Trip to Europe" posts. Thank you so much for coming by to read and watch the videos I've put together. Going back over the footage has been tons of fun for me. I hope you've enjoyed the retrospective. So, without further adieu, here's la grande finale:

Hi Bloggy Friends,

Well, as much as I hate to type it, this is our last full day in Europe. We're not going to sit around moping about it all day, though. We still have so much more of Brussels to see.

As I mentioned before, this is a bustling, industrial city. The charm isn't as easily found in ornate architecture and lush gardens, but in the grimy neighborhoods that are home to people from all over the world. Much of the diversity has to do with the fact that Brussels is the capital of the European Union.

We began our excursion heading uphill from the Grand Place toward Little Africa. On the way we picked up a few souvenirs at a lively street market that had everything from paintings to jewelry and everyday figurines to exotic African trinkets. It looked like someone had wandered into some of the world's best granny attics and poured all the awesomeness on the street for us to buy. Most of the items were available at a pretty decent price. I wish we had more room in our suitcases.

Continuing uphill our surroundings turned from gritty to regal as we strolled into the vicinity of the Place Royale. Here we acted like fools, skipping freely around the ridiculously immense Palace of Justice and devoured a Belgian waffle in the Parc de Bruxelles. Instead of getting a touristy waffle with whipped cream and strawberries piled on top, we opted for a plain one. It was a deliciously gratifying choice; so warm, gooey and sweet. Kind of like a funnel cake but less lard-y. We've eaten really well here.

We spent a few more hours checking out sites like Notre Dame du Sablon Church and the Place du Petit Sablon, which is a garden surrounded by ten statues of Brusselian scientists, poets and other intellectuals from the 16th century. Alan's favorite was the sculpture of Gerardus Mercator, a Belgian mapmaker who he says "devised a map that would accurately display the spherical Earth on a 2D piece of paper." I didn't have a particular favorite, but I thought the park was lovely.

We had dinner at a Thai restaurant in a trendy, gayish part of town called Place Saint-Gèry. We also spent some time at a festive street party that resembled Philadelphia's artsy First Friday events in Old City. We stopped into some of the stores, but we mostly played the role of spectators. It was refreshing to see a hint of something that connects Europe with the place we call home.

It was late before we finally forced ourselves to wander back to the apartment to pack and ready ourselves for the return home. I'm SO not ready to leave.

Love, Josh

Trip to Brussels, Pt. 2: Day Tripping "in Bruges"

2010-07-10T11:39:00.003-05:00

Hi Bloggy Friends,

We only have a few days in Brussels but today we decided to follow the advice of our guide books and take a day trip to Bruges (pronounced brooj). Located within an hour's train ride from Brussels, Bruges is a small, medieval town in northwest Belgium. When we arrived we threw open our map and set out to see as much of the city on foot as we could in one little ol' day.

Our first impression of Bruges is that it's a city driven by tourism. It's beautiful and genuine in so many ways, but there's a tinge of kitcsh that reminds me of Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. That may sound atrocious to some of you, but we did our best to bypass the cookie cutter chocolate, lace and frites shops to discover what happens in Bruges when all the sightseers go home.

Acting on the lessons we learned in Amsterdam, Alan and I began by taking side streets. On our way we visited some of the more frequented places, like the serene Béguinage, the Church of Our Lady and the Basilica of the Holy Blood, where we placed our hands and said a prayer over a vile that supposedly contained Jesus' blood. But the true magic began to unfold when we were at a distance from the heart of the city.

Out in the residential area of Bruges I was mesmerized by the beautiful homes lining the endless system of canals. These were some of the most beautiful sights I'd seen so far on our trip. We crossed stone bridges, skipped down cobblestone paths and sneaked a smooch or six on park benches hidden in layers of trees and flowers and sunshine. It was heartwarming. We found the magic.

For dinner we stopped in a tiny neighborhood pub where we had wine, fish and pasta. From there we sauntered back to the train station and caught the last train to Brussels - with about two bag fulls of that cookie cutter chocolate in tote, no less (wink).

Have a great night. Stop by soon for a full report of our very last day in Europe. Boohoo.

Love, Josh

Trip to Brussels, Pt. 1: A "Grand" Arrival

2010-07-05T15:05:00.000-05:00

Hi Bloggy Friends,

This morning we tore ourselves out of bed early enough to catch a mid-afternoon train to Brussels. With our Euro-Pass in tote, we effortlessly hopped on a car and were at our destination in less than three hours.

We didn't have luck finding an apartment in Brussels, so we decided on a chic, modernly-decorated hostel called 2Go4 (lobby pictured left). We didn't know what to expect moving into a boisterous hostel, but we were fortunately able to snag a private studio located on the top floor away from the dormitories. It's decorated with fun, colorful furniture and the ceiling slopes triangularly. Thankfully, there are windows on the roof, which, when opened, provide a more open, airy ambiance. We love it.

Our living quarters are situated in the heart of downtown Brussels, which makes it easy to see most sites on foot. The first item on our agenda was to try a Belgian beer. Being nescient about the world of suds, I did some research on the subject prior to arriving. That's how I discovered lambic. For those of you who don't know, lambics are fermented with different fruits to give them a lighter, less beer-y taste. They come in a variety of flavors, such as framboise (rasberry), cassis (black currant) and pêche (peach). I tried a kriek, which was blended with cherries. The taste was light, almost champagne-like, and intensely flavorful. I loved it, but I can see how true beer drinkers may not consider it a "real" beer. Oh well, it's the best I could do.

Located within a hop, skip and a jump of the bar was the Grand Place (pictured right), a luxurious, old world oasis that is perhaps Brussels' number one tourist stop . It was truly grand in every sense of the word. Looming all around us were immense, intricately-designed structures, like the Town Hall and the Breadhouse. Situated in-between were smaller Guildhalls, which house posh chocolate stores, frilly lace shops and bustling restaurants. It was a breathtaking experience.

Keeping with our sightseeing tour, we headed toward the little peeing statue called Manneken Pis. If we didn't know to look out for it, we probably would have passed right by. The no-frills fountain is located discreetly on a random street corner, but it's one of the city's most sought out attractions. On occasion, the little man is dressed in costumes sent from all over the world. Unfortunately, he was stark naked when we saw him but he's been costumed in all kinds of threads - once even decked out as the King himself, Elvis Pis-ley.

We had dinner at a fabulous Ethiopian restaurant called Kokob (pictured left) and stopped by one of the chocolate stores in the Grand Place before turning in for the night. We're excited to see what else Brussels has in store. Our first impression is that it is a grittier, more industrialized city than Paris or Amsterdam. Besides the vicinity immediately surrounding the Grand Place, the architecture is largely more contemporary and less ornate than what we've seen so far. I'm anxious to take in the new perspective.

Have a great night. I'll chat with you soon.

Love, Josh

Trip to Amsterdam: A Perfect Last Day

2010-07-01T15:37:00.003-05:00

Hello Bloggy Friends,

Since our first day here, Amsterdam has continued to grow on me. By now I'm head over heels in love and I'm not ready to leave.

To kick off our final day we headed out on bike in search of another food dish that came highly recommended: pannekoeken (pronounced pan-a-koo-ken). Pannekoeken is essentially a cross between a pancake and a crêpe. It can be prepared savory or sweet and is usually enjoyed in the morning. The restaurant we chose was unfortunately presided over by a pushy waiter, but the person in the kitchen was on their A-game. Our food was scrumptious. We each took the savory route, choosing a pannekoeken with eggs and ham. As you can probably tell in the picture to the left, it was an indulgently heavy meal, but perfect for the strenuous day we had ahead of us.

After some planning, Alan and I decided to take a bike trip outside of the city. Our first thought was Haarlem, but our landlord Daniel suggested we take a quicker, more pleasant route to a village called Durgerdam.

Durgerdam is a tiny seaside town that consists of a single mile-long street littered with adorable Dutch homes. We took that street past the town, which turned into a bike lane running parallel to the water. We rode for miles breathing in the fresh, salty air and listening to the mass of sea-dwelling birds flying all around. It was great.

On our way back to the city we took a detour through a peaceful village named Ransdorp. The people living here have it made, with canals flowing past their charming homes and a sense of separation from the hectic world. I wanted to sit there for hours, just soaking in the serenity. Sigh...

By the time we rolled back into the city we had worked up quite an appetite. We decided to walk to the Jordaan to try a soul food restaurant called Harlem Cafè. I had a flavorful veggie wrap thing-y and Alan had a big ol' plate of ribs. It was fantastic.

Amsterdam has been my favorite part of the trip so far. Our stay here was enhanced by an element of relaxation that we didn't choose to adopt to in Paris. Instead of running around like crazy trying to take in sites, we chose to sleep in, get lost on side streets, and take daytrips to get a feel for what's happening outside the city. That made for a perfect experience that will undoubtedly influence the way I travel for the rest of my life.

I hope you have a great night. Thanks for stopping by to read about Amsterdam. We still have one leg of the trip left - Belgium! We'll meet you there.

Love, Josh

Trip to Amsterdam: The Jordaan, Yo!

2010-06-28T09:49:00.002-05:00

Hi Bloggy Friends,

We awoke this morning to torrential downpours and the weather report said it was going to last all day. It wasn't the most ideal of situations, but we couldn't sit around the apartment twiddling our American thumbs. So we threw on our rain jackets, grabbed a couple of complimentary umbrellas and hit the puddly street.

Our plan was to spend the afternoon indoors touring the Van Gogh museum. When we arrived, however, we realized every other tourist in Amsterdam had the same idea. The line was wrapped around the building like four times. It took us a split second to decide we'd be moving on. I'm not huge on impressionism anyway. Sorry, Vincent.

Ironically, our decision to ditch the museum coincided with a break in the clouds. Suddenly the sky opened up and the rain went away.....

With dryness and sunshine abound, we opened our guide book and headed for the Jordaan, which is perhaps the hippest, most artsy district in the city. Some of you readers may recognize the Jordaan from the Diary of Anne Frank. The home Ms. Frank and her family sought refuge in during World War II is located here. We saw it from a distance, along with the huge line streaming out from the front door. Needless to say, we didn't visit. Instead, we weaved our way through the streets checking out swanky clothing boutiques, a couple of galleries and a few well-placed monuments, including the Homomonument.

Strolling along the side streets and beautiful canals, we peered into the open-windowed homes of typical dutch families, who appear to be blissfully ensconced in a life of leisure, modern practicality and really, really good taste. I was inspired by their slick, minimal approach to decorating. I passed one window that particularly touched me. It was splashed with one of my favorite quotes from Jack Kerouac's On the Road:

"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow Roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars, and in the middle, you see the blue center-light pop, and everybody goes, "ahh..."

When the sun went down we had rijsttafel at a restaurant called Padi. Rijstaffel was recommended to us by everyone and their mother. It's a traditional Indonesian dish that resembles something you'd get at an Indian or Eritrean restaurant. We loved it. Thank you everyone and your mother!

Later we walked to the Red Light District. Part of me didn't believe I'd really see women wooing the crowd from behind red lit windows, but that's exactly what was going on. They'd be in their tiny spaces pretending to be fixing their hair, dancing to music or just pressed to the glass making cat calls and jiggling door handles to get people's attention. It was unnerving to catch eye contact with them. I didn't know what to do except smile and mouth, "hey girl." Of course, none of them figured I'd be shelling out money for a rendezvous, but I think some may have winked at Alan.

I was a little surprised to see that there were no men. Daniel, our landlord, explained to me that some entrepreneurs tried it a few years back but it didn't pan out successfully. I did, however, see a couple of trannies and drag queens.

And on that note, I bid you farewell for the evening. Thanks for stopping by to share one of my favorite days in Amsterdam so far. I'll chat with you soon.

Love, Josh

Trip to Amsterdam: Doin' It Dutch Style!

2010-06-24T15:14:00.002-05:00

Hi Bloggy Friends,

It didn't take us long to realize that the preferred mode of transportation in Amsterdam is the bicycle. Every street, whether major or not, is equipped with bicycle lanes, which makes getting around in the city on two wheels safe and completely practical. For two ignorant pedestrians like us, though, it's a little tricky. After nearly being plowed over a couple of times, we've had to learn to look both ways twice when crossing every street. The bike lane comes first and then the road for cars. I need to drill that into my brain.

In our normal lives Alan and I aren't bike riders. Philadelphia just isn't as bike friendly as I need it to be. We couldn't come to Amsterdam, though, and not try out this efficient system for ourselves. Thankfully, our landlord Daniel (who is the nicest guy ever) has two bikes that he rents out to his tenants. So, this morning we plopped ourselves up on those bad boys and hit the bike lanes to explore more of the city center.

Despite the fact I haven't ridden a bike in years, I picked it up rather quickly. Alan will kill me for saying this, but he needs a lot more practice. Thankfully, beautiful Oosterpark is located between our apartment and the downtown area, so we had a chance to pedal around there to become more acquainted with our wheels. I'm already in love.

Once downtown we found a nice spot to park and chain before heading to a neat outdoor market. There we found a few doo-dads for our home and similar goodies for family and friends. Then we browsed along some of the busy streets and wandered past the tulips at the famous flower market before stopping off at a herring stand where we each tried fresh herring with pickles and onions. It was good.

At this point our curiosity got the best of us. While checking out some street performers in a lively square called Leidseplein, we ducked into a cafè called The Bulldog to see what all the fuss was about. Come on, you're not living unless you see stuff like this for yourself. This particular spot is like the Starbucks of cafès in Amsterdam. There are several of them littered about the city, but this one is cool because it was once a police station. Sure enough, people were sitting around smoking pot and eating something commonly known as a "space cake," which is essentially a pot brownie. They also sold bottled marijuana drinks, energy enhancers and something called herbal extacy. It was pretty cool to see it so freely used and sold.

The rest of the evening entailed more browsing, dinner at a yummy Caribbean restaurant and a stop in a gay-owned cafè called Downtown - just for the sake of comparison!

We rode home that night in a torrential downpour. Needless to say, we were super soggy when we finally reached the apartment. Splish, splash.

Have a great night.

Love, Josh

Trip to Amsterdam: Seeing the Queen!

2010-06-23T12:49:00.000-05:00

I hope all is well where you are. I just returned from a trip to see my family in Kentucky. While there I was able to spend quality time with my parents, siblings, grandparents, cousins, aunts and of course my darling little niece Kennedi. It couldn't have been a more perfect visit. But I'm back now and have a few more videos and journal entries from our European trip to share. I hope you enjoy. Here's Amsterdam....

Goedemiddag Bloggy Friends,

Our first day in Amsterdam was exciting but sleepy. We had to wake up at 5:40 in the morning to catch our 6:25 Thalys train, which at the speed of 300 km/h got us to our destination before we had a chance to catch some extra snoozies. The efficiency of the rail system continues to blow my mind. America needs to take a hint. Are you listening transportation czar?

The first thing on our Dutch agenda was to catch a bus to our apartment located in an area just south of the city's center. We booked this room on the same site we found our Paris flat, so upon arrival we were surprised to find that we don't have our own apartment but we're actually renting a room out of someone's house. It's not an ideal situation for either of us, but the owner seems like a very nice man. Plus, the room is immaculately clean and well decorated (think IKEA showroom). We'll see how this works out.

Despite imminent feelings of exhaustion, we couldn't wait to take in more of the city. To orient ourselves better we set out on foot toward the train station, which we thought would be a perfect place to begin a walking tour of the city center (Centrum). From there we traipsed down Damrak, a popular street packed with tourists. We took in a few of the sites, but were relieved when the street finally spilled into the more open area of Dam Square. It was here that we were ogling several important sites, like the Royal Palace and the National Monument, before noticing a crowd gathered behind New Church. Upon closer inspection we noticed a motorcade parked outside the door, so we began to ask people what was going on. No one had a direct answer, but most suspected a member of the royal family was inside....

Neither of us have ever seen royalty in our lives, so we decided to wait around to see who came out. Worst case scenario it would be some fuddy duddy prince or long lost royal cousin that no one has heard of, but then again, it could be the Queen. A gay can only hope, right?

Well, we waited around for about 15 minutes before cops started mounting their motorcycles and guards began shuffling around the door. Finally it popped open and out came a rosy little lady that looked like she was dressed for Millionaire's Row at the Kentucky Derby. It was Queen Beatrix! Everyone around began to clap politely as she scanned the audience with her perky eyes and fanned then with her dainty queen's wave. It was a surreal moment that was cut short by her quick escape into the regal black car that swiftly carted her away. Score one for the gays!

For the rest of the evening we continued to browse around. Everything in the center seems so touristy, but I later found out that it's actually an area where locals come to do most of their mingling in the clothing stores, groceries and (ahem) cafès. We had dinner at a seemingly popular noodle bar called Wagamama. It was good but I was becoming too sleepy to care. When we paid our check we began the lethargic walk home. Once there we crawled into our beds before the sun had a chance to say tot zeins, Amsterdam.

Have a great day. I'll chat with you soon.

Love, Josh

Trip to Paris: Versailles Gone Awry

2010-06-12T17:47:00.000-05:00

Bonjour Bloggy Friends,

This morning I hopped out of bed with an extra bop in my step. I couldn't wait to see Versailles. This is our very last day in Paris, so we thought it would be nice to get out of the city to get a feel for the French countryside. We finished our breakfast, freshened up and jumped the train to the nearest RER station that would transport us to our palatial destination.

While standing in line for our tickets, however, the attendant announced that Versailles was closed for the day. She gave no reason. It was just flat out closed. We stood dumbfounded for a moment, but when we finally pulled ourselves together we quickly decided on "Plan B" - a tour of the famed Père Lachaise Cemetery.

Ok, I know visiting a cemetery doesn't sound like an ideal second choice to Versailles, but this place is unbelievable. Not only are there hundreds of gloriously famous people buried here, but the size of the cemetery and architectural intricacy of some of the tombstones is astounding. We cruised by Maria Callas' plot in the crematorium, Oscar Wilde's massive tombstone covered in lipstick kisses, Edith Piaf's discreet family plot and of course Jim Morrison's grave, which is so popular that it has to be blocked off by guards and gates.

Fortunately, it was a rainy day so the cemetery wasn't nearly as crowded as it could have been. Yea, we had to walk around under umbrellas and raincoats, but what better way to spend the afternoon in the cemetery? It got even better when we pulled out the lunch we planned to eat in Marie Antoinette's garden in Versailles. Yep, we plopped ourselves on a bench near Morrison's grave, pulled out some bread and cheese and opened a bottle of wine. It would have been absolutely perfect if I didn't have to balance the handle of my umbrella between my ear and shoulder as I ate and sipped my wine.

Later that evening we met my old friend Thomas (pronounced Toomah) for dinner in the Marais. For two summers in the late 90s he lived with my family and I as a foreign exchange student. We lost touch for many years but finally reconnected through Facebook. That's how I was able to let him know that I'd be in Paris if he wanted to meet up. He took us to a quintessential French restaurant called Cafè Rouge. I can't hardly remember what I ate because I was so consumed with catching up with him after all these years. I'm happy to see that he's living a wonderful life in Paris. He has a fantastic job near the Champs Élyseés and just bought a new flat outside of the city. He'll be moving there with his girlfriend soon.

It was also fun to drill him on the Parisian culture, which Alan and I have been trying to wrap our brains around the whole time. It comes to find out life isn't much different for young, working class Parisians as it is for us - at least in his experience. He says he doesn't take two hour lunches, he picks up his groceries in one quick stop and he doesn't drink nearly as much wine and coffee throughout the day as we had figured.

It was great to catch up with Thomas, but we had to cut the evening short because our train to Amsterdam leaves in the morning at 6:25 a.m. Stay tuned...

Love, Josh

Trip to Paris: Marie Antoinette & Getting Dissed by Mona Lisa

2010-06-10T17:37:00.002-05:00

Bonjour Bloggy Friends,

Today we walked to the Île de la Cité, an island on the Seine that is home to Notre Dame and other famous sites. We returned there to get a look inside chapel Saint-Chapel, which was built by Louis IX specifically as a showcase for his latest purchase, the Crown of Thorns. The structure is almost completely made up of tall stain glass windows (pictured) decorated with scenes from the Bible. Though the sanctuary is quite magnificent, it only took a fraction of the time to build than Notre Dame because the king was in a hurry to put his famous relic on display. I thought it was gorgeous but much of the aura was lost due to construction being done on one whole side of the chapel. Instead of windows we were forced to look at a tower of cruddy scaffolding. These things happen.

Our next stop was the big momma of art museums, the Louvre. On the way, however, we meandered into the Conciergerie. The big draw for me here was that this is where one of my favorite historical figures, Marie Antoinette, was held captive before her execution. The place was pretty cheesy - with dummies representing Antoinette and other captives in fake prison cells - but moving moments weren't completely lacking. The walls of one room were adorned with names of the more than 1200 victims of the guillotine during the French Revolution. It was neat to scroll through to find Marie and Louis' quietly among them (pictured right). I also enjoyed standing in the actual spot of the famous queen's cell, which has sense been turned into a tasteful memorial with plaques and paintings and such.

Finally at the Louve, we took an obligatory photo in front of the pyramid and grabbed our Rick Steves guide book to seek out the essentials. My favorites were the vivacious Venus de Milo statue, the glorious Winged Victory of Samothrace and DaVinci's La Belle Ferronnière (pictured left). My grandmother had a copy of the latter hanging in her home when I was a kid, so it brought back nice memories. When we finally made it to the Mona Lisa I had to admit I was pretty disappointed. Not only was she surrounded by eighteen layers of onlookers but she was encased in a hazy plastic case that made getting a good snapshot impossible. I guess that's what happens when you're one of the most gawked at paintings on the planet. What a diva.

That evening we had a nice Thai dinner in the Marais before heading home for a little R&R. We have big plans to see Versailles tomorrow, so we wanted to be nice and rested. Stay tuned...

I"ll chat with you soon.

Love, Josh