Where do I begin.
Lets start from the beginning. No, not the book of genesis, not the Koran, nor the dead sea scrolls, not Hoboken (beginning of baseball), not the banks of the Mississippi (blues, Jazz), and certainly not upstate new York(Oreo jesus, Drunk Driving, Mail box bashing), but let’s bring it to 1994-95.
I packed up my 4 white t-shirts and my pair of jeans (I didn’t have to think of what to wear every morning), and left for Sevilla, Spain. The journey was just beginning, and I was excited. From that day forward I was meeting someone new and more important; I was learning something new every single day. At that point it was mostly vocabulary (a new language).
You realize when you are travelling that there is so much that we don’t know about other:, cultures, style, language, views (political or geographical), work habits, mannerisms, I could go on forever but wont. But the thing that makes this world of ours so full of energy, mystery, intrigue, lustful, inquisitive, etc.. are the people. We make this world of ours go round. We create its history, we harness the energies, we are the world (That phrase sounds familiar).
That year, 1994 (I began the Journey buying a car and travelling the US before Europe), would change my life forever……

My trip has been booked, and Im eager to leave. When I travel, I love to have an underlying theme, something that gives my travels a sense of purpose. On this trip , I hope to reflect on my last 5 years since I’ve been back from the old country. How am I today? Is my life fulfilling? Is it worth the grind of NYC? Am I on my Path or did I stray? Did I lose the Passion…..Here we go.
The Present:
Welcome to France:
I arrived in France on May26th. Of course, not to my surprise, I was meet with 15,000 men and women from the 3 major Unions, on strike and protesting the French govt. They were marching against a new referendum that would raise the retirement age from 62 to 63. The sindicatos (unions) were against this proposal, and actually they have a counter offer that would lower the retirement age to 60. You have to love the socialists.
France is amazing. I spent the last few days with my closest friends, travelling from Nice to a small town outside of Avignon. It s wine country (most of you know how much I drink wine :-( ). Of course , I completely over indulged on anything edible. I kept ordering tapas (3 items minimum), thinking that they finally would serve me a small portion (I’m used to Spain). Starters in France are much larger than a traditional tapas. Ah lets not forget about the cheese. Melted cheese on everything (It reminds me of a friend I have who puts Ketchup on everything). Wow! Of course the food is great. My two favorite things in Life. Salted butter and Melted cheese. I could eat sand if it was prepared with these two ingredients.

Day 5
Im not one for country living (ask my mother). My limit is 3 hours. Then I begin to sweat, break out, and wonder if there is a Duane Reade close by to bring me down (NY Methodone). Even points in Brooklyn give me the shakes if I’m too far out.

Our House in Le Thor, Avignon is in the middle of vineyard after vineyard. Beautiful, but I was scratching my arms after the first night. We then went to the city of Avignon. Whew. My color came back to my face. The city was great. I parked the car on the outskirts of town, and had a chance to walk through the old city. Like most old cities of Europe, It begins with the church, and grows outward. Unlike Spain, The cities and town’s of France are in impeccable shape. I have to hand it to the French. There is something to be said for having such great upkeep (this is when a great conversation ensues). Is it social services (are they that good). Is it Pride? Cultural? Does it spread to there everyday lives? How they act? Do they respect themselves? Others? Ahhhh its time for another Café au Lait, and to engage myself with these questions, gaze across the Plaza, and reflect. Hhmmmm.
I’ve always enjoyed Europe, especially Spain and Now France, because their lifestyle, culture, customs, daily routine, allows you to do the things you enjoy. You can cultivate your hobby’s, if you like to read, there is always time, write, talk, discuss, people watch, etc…

Spain…..
I am sitting on the Ave (high speed train), on the way to Sevilla. My last two nights have been amazing. The music, passion, the FOOD! I spent 5 hours eating caviar, oysters, clams, the best Jamon and drinking Vodka , and I must say im partial to the Spanish wines (if i do drink wine) , 4 bottles later :-). I spent the time with the Owner her co worker, and some friends who came by to say hello. A couple, she was Swedish, and her boyfriend was Colombian. Both Live and work in Madrid. I was fortunate to rekindle a friendship with an ex girlfriend (Sevillana) who joined us, 12.30 on a Thursday afternoon. By 6PM, we were singing Flamenco and looking to move the festivities to another place. We discussed politics, the work place, Yoga, Obama, and all in the middle of a Market in the square, and under the sun. A typical day in Spain (maybe that’s why the economy is down the tubes).

3 Minutes:
Wednesday evening I met my ex. We spent a great evening catching up. We haven’t seen eachother in 9 years. It was glorious evening. She is an actress, and also sings Flamenco. While walking home, she stopped on the corner, and sang me a song. Flamenco is truly an art form, a music filled with passion, anger, lust, and always tragic. She sang for the next three minutes, the most beautiful song, and when it was over a small gathering applauded, having stopped to listen. 3 Minutes I will never forget.

The Ave is coming to Sevilla. My closest friend is picking me up at the airport. I once owned an apartment in Seville, which I sold to him, and now I will be staying there as a guest. This is where it all began, and I’ve come full circle.
Let the Journey Continue…..