Closures modified my plan along the way, but the beauty of the open areas made up for it. I eventually found my way back, after a visit to the neptune fountain, and decided making it in time to climb the stairs of the Eiffel Tower overrode the desire to pay full palace entry simply to see the Hall of Mirrors.

So I walked to the RER, bought a day pass, and rode line C directly to the tower, where I bought a drink and some fig newtons (everyone is always carrying some sort of snack, be it a baggette or something else.) Climbing the tower, I began to appreciate the amount of iron/steel that went into its construction. That and the heigh: unlike mostly all monuments seen until this point, the Eiffel Tower actually looked smaller in photos than real life. What a massive undertaking! Massive and completely elegant.

So I climbed and shot photos and waited in lines, and fully enjoyed the view from the top. What a view.. and so very, very tall.

And that was it. That’s how I ended my time in Europe.

- Well, of course I returned to Fabrice’s to pack my things, and am writing this as I lay awake on the floor in a corner of the airport (I rightfully decided to make the 2hr journey tonight rather than in the morning = early vs. late). But c’est finis; there is nothing left to say at this point… like the sun poking through the parisian clouds over the metropolis below, my time here has been full of special moments and unforgettable memories. When (not if) I return, I can only hope it is with someone I’ll be able to share it with.

One of my last French encounters was with a woman and her daughter on the train as I made my way towards the airport – When asking about my country and city of origin, the mother remarked how her daughter, who was planning on transferring to UBC next year, had been telling her earlier that day about the weather in Vancouver.. when I said our summers are warm, and our beaches are wonderful, she was completely surprised.

An excellent goodbye, and a perfect segue.

Vancouver, Home, here I come.

We metroed around to see one of the 19th century (well, 1900-1904) metro entrances, and lounged in the Montemarte park overlooking the city. Before saying goodbye, we had dinner at Chartiers, as recommended by Rus. I saw so many more things during and after, that I cannot remember them all.. so now I sit on the pedestrian bridge enjoying my 2nd last European sunset. Wow. It sounds so final that way. And I suppose it should.. I cannot stay here forever… but with a blanket, some bread, and a bottle of wine, it sure wouldn’t be hard.

Further down, people were cooling off by dipping their toes in a fountain, while a few waded around in it – which seems to be common around here; when I arrived at the Louvre, after passing some very unique metro stations, people were again playing with their feet in the water.

The Louvre itself was massive. I spent probably 4 hours inside viewing Italian art, Egyptian artifacts, and sculptures of all sorts, and of course the Mona Lisa and others, but that was less than half the museum. But I was tired and my camera was dead, so after a quick stroll through the park, I found myself a bench on the Seine.

Sun reflecting off the water and bouncing off the Musée d’Orsay, through the green leaves of the trees, and blinds my eyes.. yet I am content. Eva Cassidy serenades me with Fields of Gold on my phone, as bikers and runners pass by.

The one single thing that could make this moment better would be having someone to share it with. Paris, over any of the other cities I’ve visited this summer, or perhaps ever, is certainly the most romantic. It has an indescribable beauty, rooted in history, and demonstrated in the buildings and parks; the streets and the river; and everything in between. Simply stunning… I could sit in this spot forever (although relaxing outside the Louvre, waving my hand through the cool water was quite good as well).

As much as I miss home, I now know 3 days was not enough. I will miss you, Paris.

When the bus reached the centre, I still had a few hours before Fabrice (another new couchsurfing friend) would be at home, so I walked up the street and shot the Arch de Triomph from all sides before heading back to find the RER (though not before watching tourists try to run through the traffic to reach the arch.. “woohoo!” they exclaimed, arms high in the air)

A train and bus ride later, Fabrice prepared a quick and simple quiche for us before taking me on a drive through the country in his Peugot convertible. The late sun was in our eyes, but it was a glorious evening so I wasn’t about to complain. He passed through small, old towns, and drove along narrow streets lined with small French mansions, in between sunny stretches of grain fields and hay bales.

Before returning home, we made one final detour to Versailles where he pointed out the Palace, and the gates to the gardens, and one of his favorite parks. What an introduction to Paris.

I know things tourists don’t know, and I saw areas no guidebooks can describe. I ate true spanish food, and made really awesome spanish friends, while learning about Catalan and their own unique lives. I visited the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion, and the Olympic center on Montjuïc, and witnessed an impromptu family parade through one of the narrow Gothic streets. What an amazing time this has been, in one of the best cities in the world. I came for the sun and to witness the transformation of this rising city, and wow.. I’m in Barcelona!!

Buona nit, time for Paris tomorrow (though really, i’d be just as happy to stay here with Jordi and his scottish roomie Ed.. there’s so much still to learn, and many more things to see). So adios Barcelona, thank you for treating me so well.

Closer to the forum area, the cityscape became very modern. Beautiful new glass towers of all sorts of shapes and sizes, and parks upon parks with sculptures and greenery. For a moment it felt very much like Vancouver; until I found the Hilton and adjacent shopping centre. But soon after, the Herzog building was mine. Unfortunately my camera battery died pretty quickly, however I did manage to get a few good shots (though not many of the outside, because a big concert was happening past the building, so there were fences and security all around)

Satisfied with my visit, I walked back along the beach to the Villa Olympica and into the park before visiting the Arc de Triomf again and heading home. I was home early this day, because David, who will host me on his couch on my last couple days here, invited me for dinner with his current surfers – A man from Turkey, one from France, and another from Thailand. They each made a dish from their home countries, except for the Turk because he could not find the ingredients here. I explained that because a ‘traditional’ Canadian dish is really just an assortment from other cultures, and designated myself the official dish-washer. It was a good plan, and it was great food, great company, and a very late night.

That was yesterday. Today I went to explore Gaudi’s Parc Güell north of the city center. I debated taking the metro, but decided to walk because by walking I can still see the city (even if it was a 3km walk uphill). The park itself was much larger than I had anticipated. It felt sort of like a Gaudi Disneyland, with interesting monuments and architectural details around every corner. It was an incredibly beautiful park, and a lookout at the top provided my first full view of most of barcelona. When I was ready to go, I shot my last photos, bought some water, and walked back down a different street towards the Arc. It was a great walk, and I returned ready to pack up and move on to my next destination.

Which is where I am currently – finally in the Gothic Quarter! Needing an extra place to sleep for a night, I found Jordi on the internet, of all places, and soon discovered that he was also couchsurfing supporter. A fellow artist and architecture enthusiast, he toured me through the gothic downtown, and showed me his favorite spots and piazzas, including the Santa Maria del Pino – my first Spanish church visit. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t walked through this part of town yet, and I now have a much different sense of Barcelona.. The narrow streets were very familiar and comfortable after my time in Italy, and there was such a different level of activity. People everywhere, doing whatever it is people do, but at a more relatable level… they’re real people here, not just tourists coming to shop, or posh Barcelonians going to/from the beach.

We then picked up a few groceries and headed back to his place, still in the old downtown, and prepared my first Spanish omelet, which we enjoyed on the small porch over the alley below. It was a great way to end my best day in Barcelona yet, and I’m sure I’ve found a new friend for years to come.

I confess, because I’m so not used to Spanish, I ate at McDonalds and KFC… they were also cheap, so there was other reasoning behind the choice! Plus they helped me feel slightly at home (the weird thing is the only time I stepped into a McDonalds in Italy was for the cheap ice cream and milkshakes in Milano)

Overall it was a pretty full day, but not without it’s breaks. There are benches everywhere here… usually with people sitting at them. It is certainly an outdoor culture, so everyone spends their time in the parks, at the beach, or any number of benches along the streets or passeigs. So today I am at the beach under the perfect Spanish sun. The report said 26 or 27 with variable clouds, and mixed with the occasional ocean breeze, it’s exactly what I wanted. Here’s looking forward to tomorrow’s burn! (to be continued..)

I caught the 17:00 bus from Milano to Bergamo, and watched as the Italian cityscape turned into countryside, and into small northern towns. We reached the airport an hour and a bit later, and I checked my bag and passed through security (where I forgot my swiss army knife in my carry-on, but it wasn’t too big of an issue – the security guard even explained how I could go back to check-in and talk to the people there so I could keep it, but it wasn’t worth the hassle and tight scheduling after my arrival). Once it was time to board, the other passengers and myself descended from the airport and walked across the tarmac towards the jet, with the low evening sun creating wonderful orange highlights on faces and planes and everything else in the area. The mountains to the north were very much the same as at home, and it was comforting.

The flight itself was about an hour and 15 minutes, and I managed to get a window seat near the back of the plane (unassigned seating) – which meant that the wing was perfectly blocking the sun for most of the trip, resulting in a fantastic view of the world below and the colourful horizon. There were no clouds the entire trip, only a faint evening mist.. at times I wasn’t sure where we were, as we only passed over water for perhaps the final 20 minutes.

We landed, the people cheered (as seems customary on euro flights), and once again we walked across the tarmac to the terminal, where the bags came quickly. The Girona airport is basically RyanAir only, so it was very small and very efficient. I bought a bus ticket to get to the city, grabbed a map, found the bus, threw my bag in the luggage compartment, and found a seat. A few minutes later, just after 22:00, I was finally on my way to Barcelona.

We reached the center around 23:30. I had read of a few places where the bus may drop us off, but being my independent self, I decided I didn’t want to ask anyone. Bag on my back, I started walking. I walked some more. I knew the direction of the water, so I knew I had to go that way – the metro closed at midnight, and I would have had to transfer a few times, so I was quite sure I wouldn’t have time.. plus walking would let me get a good look at the city at night, to see how different it would be during the day.

A few looks at the map, and about 50min and a blister later, I finally reached the hostel (via a rather direct route…. large city). I was happy the attendant was expecting me – my original check-in time was estimated at 15:00, and I later emailed to say 22:00.. but 30min after midnight is quite different. He explained a few things, and showed me my room, where I met a girl from California who had been studying in Germany for a year, and two others from one of the Carolinas who were on a short euro vacation. Later, a Kiwi living in London showed up, and said first off that yes, he knows of the Flight of the Concords (a faux band / tv series that a bunch of us from Gruppo5 had watched while in Italy). We all had some laughs, and finally went to sleep.. looking forward to a good breakfast and my first look at Barcelona in the daylight.

I’m so glad I came, and I’m very happy I chose this place to stay (the breakfast was great indeed, and the people are very easy to talk to and get to know, even if 3 of my 4 roommates left this morning). I’m not sure what my plan will be for the rest of the day, but a walk to the beach sounds just about right. Buenas Dias! (Tiff+Dillon, remind me how to speak Spanish! Everything comes out Italian now!)

We watched the complete and wonderful photo and video summary of our trip, and the special feature, ‘death bus’.. nicely capped by a round of hugs, and the signing of Brads guitar (the one he bought in Roma). Although I missed my hug from Rus, he made a point of coming to get one, and to remind me that gruppo cinque was my group.. I was the center around which people were selected, and I was successful in my role. He thanked me, whole-heartedly, and I was grateful. Reflecting back, at times it felt as though I did not belong to any group within the group – I’m solitary by nature, but when all others seemed to pair up, it was noticeable and maybe a little saddening.

What Rus reminded me in saying this, was that in not belonging anywhere, I belonged everywhere.. able to bond the smaller groups and maintain the cohesive spirit. I sought out the lonely ones, or the ones I had not talked with/walked with recently, and made a point of seeing how they were doing. I suppose it’s one of my gifts I was unable to define before coming to this place with this group of talented students and friends.

I will remember these days. I will remember all that I saw, and all that I learned. I must remember my time in Milano, and Firenze, and Chianti/Dolciano and Roma. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity comes only once, and this was it. ItaliaDesign 2008, GruppoCinque.

Grazie mille, Arrivederci, e Buona Notte.
rbo

Today we rented some cars and drove up to Omegna to visit Bialetti and Alessi. Rus had been trying for years to have an interview / factory tour with Bialetti, and this year we finally had the opportunity. The drive itself was up through tunnel after tunnel with lush greenery and foggy rain the entire way.

Once we arrived in Omegna, a small factory town at the foot of the alps, we learned that they could not do it earlier because the factory was undergoing machinery changes. The women were very kind, and they allowed us to take photos throughout the entire factory. When we reached the packing area, I was taken back to my time at Dickson’s last summer (and empathized with the workers packing and stacking the boxes, also because their jobs are soon to be replaced by machines)

The best part was after our lunch (at a place they recommended). When we returned, they had gift bags for each of us, which included a small moka express.. it is only for 1 cup, and they seem quite cheap, but they were free nonetheless, and simply added to the overall feeling of welcoming. To top it off, the sun had come out by that time, and we could see the snow from the Alps peeking out above the valley. We said goodbye, and it time for Alessi.

Every year, Rus has gone up to the Alessi factory. Sometimes for a factory tour, other times for interviews in the Museo Alessi (an archive of all the prototypes and other items from Alessi’s past). For us, it was only a visit to the store.. but it was a good visit! We probably bought too much, but with smiles on our faces we packed into the cars and began to drive back. As we turned onto the highway, the mountains in the distance glowed under some of the most beautiful lighting I have ever seen – complete with soft blue clouds in the sky above and bright rays of sunlight filling the space below. It was wonderful.

.. and so was the orange juice squeezed from my very own Philippe Starck ‘rocket’ juicer..