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diff --git a/_drafts/mr-worldwide-pt-1-europe.md b/_drafts/mr-worldwide-pt-1-europe.md index 950b646..53a6830 100644 --- a/_drafts/mr-worldwide-pt-1-europe.md +++ b/_drafts/mr-worldwide-pt-1-europe.md @@ -107,24 +107,24 @@ description: >- # Munich, Germany I arrived in Munich late at night on January 14th. My friend Caitlin met me at -the train station near her house and we walked over to it to drop my stuff off. -Jetlag hit me real good at this point, so I only barely remember her taking me -to a nearby biergarten to get some food and catch up. The next day we headed -down to the center of the city, and she showed me around the sights, like -Marienplatz and the Frauenkirche (one of many famous churches in Munich). +the train station, and walked me over to her house to drop my stuff off. Jetlag +hit me real good at this point, so I only barely remember her taking me to a +nearby biergarten to get some food and catch up. The next day we headed down to +the center of the city, and she showed me around the sights, like Marienplatz +and the Frauenkirche (one of many famous churches in Munich). {% include image.html dir="mr-worldwide" file="munich-victory-gate-2018.jpg" width=4048 descr="Siegestor (Victory Gate), Munich, 2018" %} -As we walked and ate our way through the day Caitlin told me all of the things -that are different in Europe, like how water is never free anywhere, nor are -public restrooms; like how many buildings which are still used and lived in are -older than our entire country; like how people use cash instead of card, and get -irritated if you make them break a large bill, or they just might not do it at -all; like how even in a large city like Munich everything can still be closed on -a Sunday. +As we walked and ate our way through the day Caitlin updated me on all of the +things that I should expect to be different in Europe, like how water is never +free anywhere, nor are public restrooms; like how many buildings which are still +used and lived in are older than our entire country; like how people use cash +instead of card, and get irritated if you make them break a large bill, or they +just might not do it at all; like how even in a large city like Munich +everything can still be closed on a Sunday. {% include image.html dir="mr-worldwide" file="munich-moosach-2018.jpg" width=3036 @@ -141,19 +141,21 @@ and people walked home from the train station after work without hurry. It was like the priorities of the whole culture were different in some fundamental way that I could never quite put a finger on. -Caitlin worked during the week and so I was set free into the City for a few +Caitlin worked during the week, and so I was set free into the City for a few days. I visited more churches, ate more food, hung out at the library figuring out the next steps of my travels, and just generally wandered around the city. One snowy day I had lunch with a distant relative on my mom's side, who is an artist in Munich. I met her at her studio, and from there we wandered around -various museums where she gave me essentially a private guided tour of the -exhibits. We talked about politics, with Trump being the main topic of course. -We talked about art, and school, and our different cultures. She told me that -Europe had always looked to the US as a kind of older brother, but now that -image was starting to fall apart, and I told her about the tiny house and -minimalism movement that is hopefully picking up steam in the US. (TODO finish -this paragraph). +various museums, where she gave me a private guided tour of the exhibits. We +talked about politics, and about how immigration is affecting it, and about +Trump (of course), and about art, and school, and our different cultures. She +told me that Europe had always looked to the U.S. as a kind of older brother, +but now that image was starting to fall apart, and I told her about the tiny +house and minimalism movement that is hopefully picking up steam in the U.S., +and about my friend who is living in a van and traveling around the country. I +learned a lot that day, and when I headed back to Caitlin's afterwards I felt +much more at home in the country and continent than I had before. A week after arriving it was time for me to continue on. One cold morning I hopped onto a bus, rode through a snowy Switzerland, and hopped off into a @@ -177,29 +179,29 @@ lavish and disparate. My hostel in Milan was called the Ostello Bello, and was probably the best one I could have gotten as my first hostel in Europe. The hostel's downstairs area was -a restaurant/bar, with tables reserved for hostel guests. Upon arriving they -immediately sat me down at one of those tables, where others were sitting, and -said "this is Brian, talk to him". They did this with every person who arrived, -as well as giving us free food and drinks, so that every night turned into a -small party. +a restaurant/bar, with some tables reserved for hostel guests. Upon arriving +they immediately sat me down at one of those tables, where others were sitting, +and said "this is Brian, talk to him". They did this with every person who +arrived, as well as giving us free food and drinks, so that every night turned +into a small party. It took a while for me to fully break out of my shell and get used to meeting people in hostels, but if it weren't for Ostello Bello it might not have -happened at all. Every night I got to hand out and make friends with people from +happened at all. Every night I got to hang out and make friends with people from South Korea, Scotland, Argentina, France, Switzerland, and locals from Milan too. So despite all the negative things I'm going to have to say about party hostels later, I'm grateful for Ostello Bello. -As far as Milan itself, the only thing which really impacted me was the Duomo. -And boy did it impact me, so much so that I visited it twice. It's the third -largest church in the world, but my experience of it was even better than when I -went to St. Peter's, the first largest. The interior is so cavernous that all -sounds echo virtually forever, creating a low hum which reminded me of the Hindu -Om. To think that the words of a book carried such force that, 2000 years later, -people were erecting and maintaining incredible structures like the Milan's -Duomo in their honor floored me. There's a lot of criticism which could and -should be leveled towards the Catholic Church, but damnit they know how to build -a building. +As far as Milan itself, the thing which impacted me the most was the Duomo. And +boy did it impact me, so much so that I visited it twice. It's the third largest +church in the world, but my experience of it was even better than when I would +go to St. Peter's, the first largest, later on. The interior is so cavernous +that all sounds echo virtually forever, creating a low hum which reminded me of +the Hindu Om. To think that the words of a book carried such force that, 2000 +years later, people were erecting and maintaining incredible structures like the +Milan's Duomo in their honor floored me. There's a lot of criticism which could +and should be leveled towards the Catholic Church, but damnit they know how to +build a building. {% include image.html dir="mr-worldwide" file="milan-duomo-2018-0.jpg" width=1292 @@ -219,31 +221,31 @@ a building. Besides the Duomo I also visited some museums and other sights, like the Sforza Castle, walking from one to the other as the days went on. Walking became a -frequent past-time for me during my traveling. Between Google Maps and an -external batter pack I always had with me there was never a worry about getting -lost, and with hostels generally being clustered near the sights it was rarely -more than a half-hour walk to any given thing I wanted to see. So I got used to -walking a lot, and taking public transit infrequently, and never once used a -taxi or rental car while in Europe. +frequent past-time for me during my traveling. Between Google Maps and the +external battery pack I always had with me, there was never a worry about +getting lost, and with hostels generally being clustered near the sights it was +rarely more than a half-hour walk to any given thing I wanted to see. So I got +used to walking a lot, and taking public transit infrequently, and never once +used a taxi or rental car while in Europe. Five days after arriving in Milan I left it, having made many friends and having learned a lot about Italy and Italians. I also learned I was spending too long at each city: It was almost 2 weeks into my 3 month-max trip (for visa -reasons), and I'd only been to two! From then on I kept to two or three days per -city, depending on how much I cared about it, with a couple of five day-ers when -I really needed a rest. +reasons), and I'd only been to two cities! From then on I kept to two or three +days per city, depending on how much I cared about it, with a couple of five +day-ers when I really needed a rest. ## Ravenna, Italy After the hecticness of Milan I needed something more quiet. Before leaving the -US a friend had told me about Ravenna, the once capital of the Western Roman +U.S. a friend had told me about Ravenna, the once capital of the Western Roman Empire and now small Italian city, where some of the world's oldest Christian structures still reside. Mosaics retain their original quality over time far better than many other mediums, and Ravenna was full of ones from as early as the 6th century. While not as glamorous and fast-paced as Milan, Ravenna really -hit me with the depth of its history. As someone from the US I'm not accustomed -to seeing anything built before 1500, and yet here were buildings in excellent -condition which were built a thousand years prior. +hit me with the depth of its history. As someone from the U.S., I'm not +accustomed to seeing anything built before 1500, and yet here were buildings in +excellent condition which were built a thousand years prior. {% include image.html dir="mr-worldwide" file="ravenna-mosaic-2018-0.jpg" width=4048 @@ -256,34 +258,33 @@ condition which were built a thousand years prior. float="right" %} -Another thing which took some time to get accustomed to was using cash. By this -point in the trip it had become somewhat second-nature, but only by way of many -mishaps previously. In the US using cash is usually a backup option, with -credit/debit cards ruling supreme. ATMs never give out bills bigger than $20, -and no establishment would ever complain about having to break a $20 except for -maybe the smallest purchases. In Europe the ATMs (or cash machines, whatever) -almost always give out €50 bills, which absolutely no one wants to break except -big chain stores. I still remember the exact location of an ATM in Munich which -gave me €10 bills, it was that exciting of a find, and I went out of my way to -go back to it more than once. +Something else which took some time to get accustomed to was using cash (what a +segway!). By this point in the trip it had become somewhat second-nature, but +only by way of many mishaps previously. In the U.S. using cash is usually a +backup option, with credit/debit cards ruling supreme. ATMs never give out bills +bigger than $20, and no establishment would ever complain about having to break +a $20 except for maybe the smallest purchases. In Europe the ATMs (or cash +machines, whatever) almost always give out €50 bills, which absolutely no one +wants to break except big chain stores. It's a giant pain. I still remember the +exact location of an ATM in Munich which gave me €10 bills, it was that exciting +of a find, and I went out of my way to go back to it more than once. So in addition to needing to keep an eye on your cash and get more out periodically, you also need to keep an eye out for places which will break your -bills and plan accordingly. Before leaving the US I had gotten a debit card with -free international ATM withdrawls at any ATM, so finding places to get cash out -wasn't a problem, but breaking it always was. +bills, and plan accordingly. Before leaving the U.S. I had gotten a debit card +with free international ATM withdrawls at any ATM, so finding places to get cash +out wasn't a problem, but breaking it always was. -By the time I got back to the US, I missed doing everything in cash, and even +But by the time I got back home, I missed doing everything in cash, and even kept doing it for a while in spite of my culture. While having to find places to break fifties was a pain, a little friction to making random purchases wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Instead of impulsively buying whatever was in front of me, I was incentivized to wait until a better opportunity arrose, generally by waiting until I could buy multiple things at the same time, which generally -meant buying more efficiently because I was actually putting thought into it. -Also, by always paying in cash, I had a better sense of how much I was actually -spending day-to-day. In the US we abhor inconvenience, but in my opinion our -reluctance to use cash is a good example of how that abhorance can be to our own -detriment. +meant buying more efficiently because I was putting thought into it. Also, by +always paying in cash, I had a better sense of how much I was actually spending +day-to-day. In the U.S. we abhor inconvenience, but in my opinion our reluctance +to use cash is a good example of how that abhorance can be to our own detriment. ## Florence, Italy @@ -291,18 +292,18 @@ The train from Ravenna to Florence (or, as Italians spell it, _Firenze_) was uneventful. Finding the best route between cities turned out to be pretty straightforward. There's an app called GoEuro which helps compare different methods like bus, train, plane, and taxi/ride-sharing. There's another app -called Rome2Trio which does roughly the same thing. There's a bus company called -FlexBus which I used quite a bit; their prices are good, their buses are new, -and the UI of their site was made in the last decade. +called Rome2Trio which does roughly the same thing. And there's a bus company +called FlexBus which I used quite a bit; their prices are good, their buses are +new, and the UI of their site was made in the last decade. Florence was by far my favorite city in Italy. On the one hand it was very trourist-friendly, and on the other it still retained the feeling of being a historic city. I split my time there between visiting museums and churches and -finding the best cheapest spots to eat. Before leaving the US a friend had told -me to avoid any restaurant in Europe that has pictures on its menu; they're -targeted at tourists and priced accordingly. My strategy for finding food -involved marking off hole-in-the-wall spots in my maps app whenever I came -across them during the day. +finding the best/cheapest spots to eat. Before leaving home, a friend had told +me to avoid any restaurants with pictures on their menu; they're targeted at +tourists and priced accordingly. So my strategy for finding food involved +marking off hole-in-the-wall spots in my maps app whenever I came across them +during the day, and returning later when I was hungry {% include image.html dir="mr-worldwide" file="florence-2018-0.jpg" width=4048 @@ -361,7 +362,7 @@ through Spain. ## Rome, Italy -Rome surprised me when I got there, though to be honest it's not clear what my +Rome surprised me when I got there, though, to be honest, it's not clear what my expectations actually were. The city center, aka the tourist center, is absolutely _massive_, and all of it is completely tourist-centric. Living in Rome must feel like living inside of Disney World. The city no longer exists for @@ -372,14 +373,13 @@ tour agencies, bike rentals, "experience" vendors (helicopter rides over the Colosseum! Oh my!), shitty jewelry stores, and so much more, all aimed at someone who has too much money and not enough time to spend it all. -My hostel was one of the cheapest I could find, but since I was only staying -two full days I figured it'd be fine. Seeing all the sights of Rome in only two -days is not recommended, but I did the best I could. The first day I went -straight to the Vatican, getting there as early as possible to try -(unsuccessfully) to beat the line. St. Peters is the largest church in the -world, but being rushed I wasn't able to enjoy it like Milan's Duomo, and a lot -of it was closed off unless you wanted to pay more. I wasn't able to spend -enough time in it to enjoy it. +My hostel was one of the cheapest I could find, but I was only staying two full +days so it was fine. Seeing all of the sights of Rome in only two days is not +recommended. The first day I went straight to the Vatican, getting there as +early as possible to try (unsuccessfully) to beat the line. St. Peters is the +largest church in the world, but being rushed I wasn't able to enjoy it like +Milan's Duomo, and a lot of it was closed off unless you wanted to pay more. I +wasn't able to spend enough time in it to enjoy it. {% include image.html dir="mr-worldwide" file="rome-2018-3.jpg" width=4048 @@ -387,14 +387,13 @@ enough time in it to enjoy it. %} The Vatican museum was more enjoyable than I thought it would be. For starters -it's huge, with tons and tons of things to see, including, obviously, the -Sistene Chapel. I took my time wandering around. After the museum I left the -Vatican and wandered over to some other sights, like the Castel Sant'Angelo and -the Pantheon. As the day wore on, and more and more tourists started pouring -out, everything became impossibly crowded. It was difficult to really enjoy -anything, what with everyone taking their phones out to capture anything and -everything the guidebook said to, without really taking the time to take in the -thing itself. +it's huge, with tons and tons of things to see, including the Sistene Chapel. I +took my time wandering around. After the museum I left the Vatican and wandered +over to some other sights, like the Castel Sant'Angelo and the Pantheon. As the +day wore on, and more and more tourists started pouring out, everything became +impossibly crowded. It was difficult to really enjoy anything, what with +everyone taking their phones out to capture anything and everything the +guidebook said to, without really taking the time to take in the thing itself. {% include image.html dir="mr-worldwide" file="rome-2018-2.jpg" width=4048 @@ -405,40 +404,40 @@ This was something I began to struggle with while I was in Rome. It wasn't always clear to me _why_ these people cared about these sights, with myself being included. My pessimistic self would say that people just want the social media points gained by a nice selfie in front of Trevi Fountain, and that the -tourism explosion which has started in the last decade is driven by narcissism. -My charitable self might say that everyone understands that the journey matters -more than the destination, and that seeing the sights isn't really the point, -but rather prefer the adventure taken with friends and/or family, and so they -snap a quick picture and continue on with their good time. +tourism explosion which has started in the last decade is driven by that +narcissism. My more charitable self might say that everyone understands that the +journey matters more than the destination, and that seeing the sights isn't +really the point, but rather prefer the adventure taken with friends and/or +family, and so they snap a quick picture and continue on with their good time. The reason people travel and visit tourist spots is really only their business, and I can't be one to judge. It just seems unfortunate to take an entire city, arguably the most important city in written history, and turn it into a theme park for the sake of people who don't actually care all too much about it. I carried this realization with me for the rest of my trip, that tourism is a -deal-with-the-devil, taking the money of people who, ostensibly, find some place -interesting, in exchange for driving away the original inhabitants of that place -who made it interesting in the first place. +deal-with-the-devil; it takes the money of people who, ostensibly, find some +place interesting, in exchange for driving away the original inhabitants of that +place who made it interesting in the first place. Later on I would learn that the creep of tourism and the dreaded plague of "gentrification" were spoken of as the same thing in popular destinations. The problem of wealthy people driving out the inhabitants of a city in order to take -part in the city culture the original inhabitants created is a global one, and -one I'm certainly a part of. I moved to Denver because I liked the culture of -that city, and was fortunate enough to be able to afford to do so, but then left -only three years later, and was now doing the same in even shorter time periods -in cities the world over. +part in the city culture, which the original inhabitants created, is a global +one, and one I'm certainly a part of. I moved to Denver because I liked the +culture of that city, and was fortunate enough to be able to afford to do so, +but then left only three years later, and was now doing the same in even shorter +time periods in cities the world over. I obviously didn't stop being a tourist after Rome, but I made a conscious attempt to be a better one. I put down the guidebook (or, in my case, the guide app) and tried to explore more naturally, taking in each sight as I found it, and learning as much about it as I could. Rather than trying to see a little of -everything I find something which really called out to me and focus on that. -It's a tough predicament to be in; it's important to go out and see the world, -to meet people from all different cultures and see all the ways they live, but -doing so is, often, detrimental to those cultures. It was tough to find a -balance I was comfortable with, and I'm still not sure a "correct" balance -actually exists. +everything, I would find something which really called out to me and focus on +that. It's a tough predicament to be in; it's important to go out and see the +world, to meet people from all different cultures and see all the ways they +live, but doing so is, often, detrimental to those cultures. It was tough to +find a balance I was comfortable with, and I'm still not sure a "correct" +balance actually exists. <div style="text-align: center;"> {% include image.html @@ -496,7 +495,7 @@ constructed using private funds and donations since then. </div> The outside presents two faces, one a mishmash of sculpture which resembles -melting ice-cream and the other highly geometrical, both filled with biblical +melting ice-cream, and the other highly geometrical, both filled with biblical scenes and small details. Neither really prepares you for what the inside will be like. @@ -524,32 +523,33 @@ I'd been in a lot of churches and cathedrals up till this point. Even when they were as mind blowing as Milan's Duomo, they all followed a similar pattern: gothic, brooding, ornate, almost dark in a way. -La Sagrada Familia is none of those things; it shirks the gothic style almost +La Sagrada Familia is none of those things. It shirks the gothic style almost completely, instead adopting one inspired by natural shapes and patterns. It feels more like being under a canopy of trees than being in a building. There's light, and color, and organic shapes, like the tree-trunk-like columns and the -flower ceiling. And yet there's also a geometric patterness to everything, which -hints at an order and intent for everything in sight, so your eye is drawn in -to investigate every detail without needing ornamentation to grab it. +flower ceiling. And yet there's also a geometric pattern-ness to everything, +which hints at an order and intent for everything in sight, so your eye is drawn +in to investigate every detail without needing ornamentation to grab it. It's lucky that I hadn't made any other plans for that day, because I spent nearly two hours at that church, walking around, taking it all in, sitting and contemplating, holding back tears a lot of the time, not being successful at it the rest. This might have been the first building I'd ever felt gratitude -for. Where the traditional catholic building has as a foundation a call to +for. Where the traditional catholic building has, as a foundation, a call to authority, this one had a call to nature and humanity. And rather than being the crackpot dream of a single person, it had been carried on and supported and built by many others long after he had died. It was a reflection of an ongoing change in a society which I was grateful to see. -I left Barcelona with a new understanding of churches, and what they represent, -even for someone who's not catholic, and even for someone who's not christian. -They're a space that's been set aside with the fundamental purpose of sitting -quietly and thinking about things larger than oneself. Thinking about one's -place in society, or in nature, or in the universe, and thinking about how that -affects one's actions. Every society on earth has these spaces, though they go -by different names, and have lots of different decorations. Each one carries a -message about what that society has ascribed importance to. +I left Barcelona with a new understanding of churches, and what they might +represent, even for someone who's not catholic. They're a space that's been set +aside with the fundamental purpose of sitting quietly and thinking about things +larger than oneself. Thinking about one's place in society, or in nature, or in +the universe, and thinking about how that affects one's actions. Every society +on earth has these spaces, though they go by different names, and have lots of +different decorations. Each one of these spaces carries a message about what +that society has ascribed importance to, and the message La Sagrada Familia +carried with it was refreshing. ## Madrid, Spain @@ -575,7 +575,8 @@ Mostly, we walked around and talked. We talked about colonialism, and oppression and guilt, and about the Spanish Civil War and fascism, and about Catalan and its desire for independence, about capitalism, and the pain it causes, and about tourism and gentrification, and about royalty and aristocracy, and about -language and culture. +language and culture. Like in Munich, I learned a lot, and felt a lot closer to +Spain than I had when I arrived. I only spent one full day in Madrid, and afterwards took a bus, continuing south, down to Córdoba. @@ -583,9 +584,9 @@ south, down to Córdoba. ## Córdoba, Spain It was on the bus to Córdoba that I remembered to actually book a place to stay -there. I quickly grabbed an AirBnB in town, though as it turned out messed it up -so that when it didn't go through. So there was an hour there, waiting at -the Córdoba bus station, where I was trully homeless. I spent it booking another +there. I quickly grabbed an AirBnB in town, though, as it turned out, messed it +up and it didn't get reserved. So there was an hour there, waiting at the +Córdoba bus station, where I was trully homeless. I spent it booking another AirBnB, properly this time, and eating some bread and cheese from my backpack, and watching some birds fight over a loaf someone else had dropped. @@ -613,14 +614,15 @@ at got this, most didn't. If someone feels comfortable in a hostel they'll open up on their own, and naturally want to meet the people around them, go out partying, and have cool experiences. Or not. They'll do whatever the fuck they want to. But if a hostel -is too focused on being cool and hip and showing off how good its vibes are it's -neglecting the basics, and there is no partying and the vibes aren't good. +is too focused on being cool and hip and showing off how good its vibes are, +it's neglecting the basics, and then there's no partying, and the vibes aren't +good. So I was tired of party hostels, as I began calling them, having just been in -one in Barcelona a few days prior, and grabbed instead spent the night in what -turned out to be a brutally cold old building which had neither heat, sealed -windows, or cooking device with which to make a hot meal. So that's what I get -for being a snob, I guess. +one in Barcelona a few days prior, and instead spent the night in what turned +out to be a brutally cold old building which had neither heat, sealed windows, +or cooking device with which to make a hot meal. Which is what I get for being +a snob, I guess. In the morning I visted the Mosque/Cathedral of Córdoba. This site has had the odd history of having originally been a church, having then been converted to a @@ -633,7 +635,7 @@ neglected to take any pictures of. ## Granada, Spain This was probably one of the most interesting places I visited while traveling. -It was once one of the most important Moorish cities in Spain, then briefly +Granada was once one of the most important Moorish cities in Spain, then briefly became a Jewish state, and then the seat of the Nasrid dynasty (the last Muslim dynasty in Spain), and then eventually went back to being a part of the Catholic empire. During this time it also had a large influx of Romani, and out of this @@ -653,21 +655,20 @@ homes. My hostel was in one of these caves. %} The hostel was small and quiet, overlooking both the Alhambra (the castle on a -hill, built by the Nasrids) and the rest of the city, and the guys running it -were chill. One was Scottish, but he had come to Granada to live and study -flamenco, and it was obvious from how he spoke about it that he was completely -in love with the art and the people. On one night they took me out to a "real -gypsy bar", as they called it. +hill, built by the Nasrids) and the rest of the city. The guys running it +were chill; the owner was Dutch, and the other was Scottish. The Scott had come +to Granada to live and study flamenco, and it was obvious from how he spoke +about it that he was completely in love with the art and the people. On one +night they took me out to a "real gypsy bar", as they called it. The flamenco artists in town, the singers and guitarists and dancers, make a living performing for tourists, but this bar is, according to my guides, where -they would go after the shows to hang out. There was no music in the bar, -but, as the night went on, three or four cliques formed up naturally, each -around a guitar player and singer, with dancers circling around, the rest -clapping to an indecipherable rhythm. The Scott knew the names of a few of the -people playing, and told me that it was at gatherings like this that the -musicians tried out new things and pushed the art further. It was the "real" -flamenco. +they go after the shows to hang out. There was no music in the bar, but, as the +night went on, three or four cliques formed up naturally, each around a guitar +player and singer, with dancers circling around, the rest clapping to an +indecipherable rhythm. The Scott knew the names of a few of the people playing, +and told me that it was at gatherings like this that the musicians tried out new +things and pushed the art further. It was the "real" flamenco. After that we got kebab and went back to the cave. @@ -684,12 +685,13 @@ I went back to the peace and quiet of Sacromonte. descr="Sacromonte and the valley below. Granada, 2018" %} -Being uphill, difficult to access by car, it was in many ways warded off from -the wave of tourism which has swept the world and sucked the heart out of many -cities. Only those willing to carry their bags 20 minutes uphill could disturb -it. I found the absolute best spot possible, with benches overlooking the -Alhambra and the city and the sunset, sitting and drawing for hours, and was -only disturbed by one or two couples sharing the view in all that time. +Being uphill and difficult to access by car, the Sacromonte was, in many ways, +warded off from the wave of tourism which has swept the world and sucked the +heart out of its cities. Only those willing to carry their bags 20 minutes +uphill could disturb it. I found the absolute best spot possible, with benches +overlooking the Alhambra and the city and the sunset, sitting and drawing for +hours, and was only disturbed by one or two couples sharing the view in all that +time. I had originally planned to head back to Munich after Granada, but after talking with a lot of people who told me I _had_ to go to Portugal, I booked a bus to @@ -721,7 +723,7 @@ quiet and cozy. %} Another part of what made Lisbon stand out to me was the hostel I stayed in, and -the people I met there. The hostel was _cozy_. There was a small dining area +the people I met there. The hostel was _homey_. There was a small dining area with a single long table, a small living room with couches and chairs arranges in a circle, a decked out kitchen that anyone could use, and free sangria every evening. Rather than focus on partying and yolo and whatever, the @@ -732,10 +734,10 @@ amazing time. While I was there, a museum had an exhibit devoted to M.C. Escher, the Dutch artist known for his tesselations, fractals, and generally paradoxical work. -Escher had always been an artist I was aware of, and then I read the book -_Gödel, Escher, Bach_ by Douglas Hofstadter and became even more interested. So -I couldn't pass up the chance to see his work in person. And boy, did it leave -an impression on me. +Escher had always been an artist I was aware of, and a year prior to this I had +read the book _Gödel, Escher, Bach_ by Douglas Hofstadter and become even more +interested. So I couldn't pass up the chance to see his work in person. And boy, +did it leave an impression on me. Having traveled to Córdoba and Granada in his early twenties, Escher was impressed by the Moorish architecture, specifically the tesselating tile @@ -763,10 +765,16 @@ tesselations of my own, trying to find the tricks that Escher found which let him make such complex images. I would find some, but certainly Escher still has the leg up on me. -Having traveled most of Southern Europe at this point I flew back to homebase, -Munich, to recuperate and take figure out what my next steps would be. I left -Lisbon promising myself that I'd be back, even considering finding a way to live -there one day. While my life plans have since changed, it's not something I've -totally ruled out. +Having traveled most of Southwest Europe at this point I flew back to homebase, +Munich, to recuperate and figure out what my next steps would be. I left Lisbon +promising myself that I'd be back, even considering finding a way to live there +one day. While my life plans have since changed, it's not something I've totally +ruled out. [google-lisbon]: https://econews.pt/2018/01/29/from-google-to-amazon-technological-companies-are-moving-to-portugal-why/ + +## To be continued + +In my next post of this series I'll tell the story of the second, and longest, +leg of my European tour, where I go to Belgium, the UK, Scandinavia, Prague, and +Berlin! |