Barcelona, Spain, 2007

I remember stumbling through the narrow streets of Barcelona. The air was thick and warm with a tinge of salt that I had not felt in months. The streets were a bit dirty, but no more so than any other city and the stones were rough around the edges. I often saw old men hunched into themselves humming as they played instruments on the floors of deserted alleyways. The sound would float up through the crevices of buildings and swirl out into the sky, diluted.

There were dancers in the streets and food venders. The walls were graffitied and encrusted in hidden gems. Buildings spiraled in concaved and protruding movements. Gardens climbed like castles. Birds flew overhead. Everything seemed made of sand. All was a dream.

Location: Barcelona, Spain (March 2007)

Signs and Open Skies

I spent two afternoons on parts of South Congress and both times saw this sign. I don't know exactly what it was about the sign that drew my attention, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. The second day, as I was walking down South Congress, I stood and stared at it for a while but still could not figure out what about the sign was so appealing. Alas, I still can't, but I love it.

Location: South Congress, Austin, TX, U.S.A.

A place I miss:

I used to sit in the grass in Green Park and watch the people go by. I'd fall into the green and lay there hearing the hush of leaves swaying, the fall of foot steps, and the chatter of voices and nature merging.

Location: Green Park, London, England

With the recent loss of my dearly beloved (and newly crashed) car, I've been harshly reunited with Bay Area public transit. This new development has been quite interesting as for the past two years I've mostly lugged myself from point A to point B via bridges and highways and through my own whims. Now though, I've been reminded of the extra time I'll need to take and the cash I'll need to spend to take BART or MUNI or a Ferry to the north bay. It isn't that a car is cheaper, quite the contrary, actually. It is that with cars everything is paid on card and you don't have to see the cash slowly melting out of your wallet like sugar in the rain.

Walking works. I've actually enjoyed walking more. What doesn't work is trying to walk to the North Bay (though possible) or East Bay (seemingly impossible).

I could take up my bike and use that to traverse around the city again. I could. The only problem with this is that the dark cold air of winter mornings and evenings stings with the feeling that maybe I should just stay inside, cuddle up beside the heater, and read a book. In the spring, summer, and autumn months I have no problem biking myself from spot to spot. As a matter of fact, I quite enjoy the feel of the wind on my face and my legs pumping the peddles up a hill. It is the dark that I hate to bike in. The loss of my car really came at the worse time. Adventures become longer (and not in the fun way), cash becomes shorter, and everything seems to end at midnight.

At least I can read a book on public transit.

Location: Bay Area, CA, U.S.A.

Cathedral of Junk, Austin, TX

There are some times when a place cannot be described in words.

There are other times when a place cannot even be described in pictures.

This is one of those times and one of those places.

This is me inside of the Cathedral of Junk.

Location: Cathedral of Junk, Austin, TX, U.S.A.

The South.

This is my favorite photo from Austin, Texas.

Location: Someone's Back Yard, Austin, TX, U.S.A.