The cure for February (pt. I)
Looking at the most recent entries of some of my favorite people, it becomes well evident that, well, it is the month of February. Oh beautiful, wretched order of rage which is the second month of the year, why do you haunt us so? I'd just like to inform all those who are waiting its end next Sunday that I have found a solution to the cancer of February: it is having two weeks of vacation half-way through the month. Really takes the edge off...
Well, part one of vacation went quite well. Didn't end up scampering around just as much as I had originally planned, stayed in La France instead=better. Made it down to Aix-en-Provience by around midnight, my train ended up delayed for some strange reason. Very rare with the TGVs. Meh. Chilled out in Aix, had a day of walking around, chillin' with Maggie, cooking and having a burger in this English pub with her room mate, Sarah. Had a nice time until the music event of the evening brought in a lot of kids who moved like a swarm of ants: consuming any sense of calm that might have glazed the room. Four pints and 45 minutes of poorly done acoustic music later we went outside and listened to the one good musician for the evening, so it ended up alright. Left the bar and went over to her friend, Louise's house. Ended up pretty blazed and giving her a hard time for being from England, supposedly really being into music and not knowing who Joy Division and Bauhaus were. Then I watched the first half of Holy Mountain.
Elected to miss my train and just snag the bus down to Marseille. Good idea. Made it down there round noon, wandered around, hiked up to Notre Dame de la Garde, beautiful view, had a late lunch at a café in the sun. Met up with Beth, which was a little strange at first, as we hadn't seen each other in three years and I was staying with her. Went back to her place, and then found a really cool café. Best café I've seen in France yet, reminded me a bit of Stella's, a bit of Anna Banana's, but with an old record-store feel in addition to a touch of Austin, which made things interesting. Went to the calanques the next day= beautiful cliffs off of the Mediterranean. Hiked through some forests, wonderful. Chilled out and took a bike ride along the coast the next day.
Marseille was really something. I've never seen such a cool aesthetic in a city: the bar sector had tremendous amount of some of the coolest graffiti I've ever seen, there was an interesting incongruence with the layout of the streets and buildings and it reminded me a bit of my favorite parts of California, pieces of Seattle--all with a lovely little French touch. Next to the vertacomicoriens, by far the coolest French people I've met yet. It was a blast just interacting with them. I think I'd much rather be there than Paris for a year, with the ocean, forests, really funny and chill people and a much bigger underground culture. Oh well, just another place on my 'places to live' list.
Got back to Paris around midnight and ended up going out with Salimata and Léos to a couple of bars in the 19th (between Oberkampf et République) till about 3, made some late night food, wrapped up a movie I started on the way back and in bed by 6. All in all: vacation pt. I went well. Now it's back home for the weekend and part of Monday and then off to London and Amsterdam.
Well, part one of vacation went quite well. Didn't end up scampering around just as much as I had originally planned, stayed in La France instead=better. Made it down to Aix-en-Provience by around midnight, my train ended up delayed for some strange reason. Very rare with the TGVs. Meh. Chilled out in Aix, had a day of walking around, chillin' with Maggie, cooking and having a burger in this English pub with her room mate, Sarah. Had a nice time until the music event of the evening brought in a lot of kids who moved like a swarm of ants: consuming any sense of calm that might have glazed the room. Four pints and 45 minutes of poorly done acoustic music later we went outside and listened to the one good musician for the evening, so it ended up alright. Left the bar and went over to her friend, Louise's house. Ended up pretty blazed and giving her a hard time for being from England, supposedly really being into music and not knowing who Joy Division and Bauhaus were. Then I watched the first half of Holy Mountain.
Elected to miss my train and just snag the bus down to Marseille. Good idea. Made it down there round noon, wandered around, hiked up to Notre Dame de la Garde, beautiful view, had a late lunch at a café in the sun. Met up with Beth, which was a little strange at first, as we hadn't seen each other in three years and I was staying with her. Went back to her place, and then found a really cool café. Best café I've seen in France yet, reminded me a bit of Stella's, a bit of Anna Banana's, but with an old record-store feel in addition to a touch of Austin, which made things interesting. Went to the calanques the next day= beautiful cliffs off of the Mediterranean. Hiked through some forests, wonderful. Chilled out and took a bike ride along the coast the next day.
Marseille was really something. I've never seen such a cool aesthetic in a city: the bar sector had tremendous amount of some of the coolest graffiti I've ever seen, there was an interesting incongruence with the layout of the streets and buildings and it reminded me a bit of my favorite parts of California, pieces of Seattle--all with a lovely little French touch. Next to the vertacomicoriens, by far the coolest French people I've met yet. It was a blast just interacting with them. I think I'd much rather be there than Paris for a year, with the ocean, forests, really funny and chill people and a much bigger underground culture. Oh well, just another place on my 'places to live' list.
Got back to Paris around midnight and ended up going out with Salimata and Léos to a couple of bars in the 19th (between Oberkampf et République) till about 3, made some late night food, wrapped up a movie I started on the way back and in bed by 6. All in all: vacation pt. I went well. Now it's back home for the weekend and part of Monday and then off to London and Amsterdam.