The Good Things

Sitting here in a new home base in Lisbon, in beautiful weather, I have unfortunately managed to hit a very unexpected and (for the moment) massive wall of traveler's blues - a road-weary feeling that hasn't occurred since a few dark and wet nights in Amsterdam last fall.

As such, some reflections seem necessary on what makes up the good life - ideas and items which I've either learned or had reinforced in the past year. I'll leave out the obvious (family, friends, charity) and the intimate.

Consume:

• fish
• stroopwafels

• (but stay away from fish-flavoured stroopwafels)
• wine
• Guinness
• real tea
• garlic
• Spanish coffee
• ginger
• pizza
• fennel
• less vitamins

Hang out with:

• dogs

Live near:

• beaches
• cities that have a Time Out magazine devoted to them (there are 56 of them)

Get on:

• a bike
• Skype
• a train

Make:

• more time
• less excuses
• an effort
• more meals with your partner

Visit:

• one new place per year, minimum
• old relatives
• neighbourhood shop owners
• urban parks

Watch:

• less reality TV
• The Daily Show
• gas prices less

See:

• Cirque du Soleil
• live music

Do:

• stay up till 5am very occasionally
• less texting
• more calling
• take pictures of your current hometown
• comment on your favourite blogs (the authors like hearing from you)
• learn other languages

Listen to:

• Thievery Corporation
• U2 (pre-mid-90s)
• Marvin Gaye
• iTunes Radio

Read:

• Alain de Botton's books
• www.theonion.com
• www.guardian.co.uk
• a book about your favorite city
• your Sunday paper
• www.mcsweeneys.net/links/lists

Last Post from Paris

Another Parisian visit is in the books, with the author's irrational and hopeless infatuation with the place showing no signs of abating.

Even with a ridiculous cough and ridiculouser fever - one which makes you make up new words - the city provided enough good meals and epic views to soothe the soul.

Meet Lois and Dick, from Dallas, Texas. They were visiting Paris for six days, had matching shirts, said they planned to spend at least two nights dancing the jitterbug, and are the couple that you want to be when you're older.

Crepe avec stewed apples, caramel ice cream, and calvados brandy.

Part of an exhibit devoted solely to rare trees

Notre Dame at night

The best spot on the continent

Ok, send me your alternatives and other suggestions, but for a personal favourite place on the planet I have to go with the Marie de Medicis fountain in Paris' Jardin du Luxembourg.

I'm guessing that Thomas Francini - the man who drew up the plans for it in the 1600's - could not have the imagined the happiness that his creation would elicit in a dorky Canadian tourist some 400 years later. But in case his descendants read random blogs about travel, thank you M. Francini. Sincerely.

The place is just steps away from busy St-Michel boulevard in the heart of Paris, but it is an almost silent urban oasis any time of day.

It is lined with chairs for anyone to sit down and eat lunch, read a book, draw, make out, take photos, contemplate life, meditate, or just plain sit and drink it in.

The first six photos here are all from the exact spot of the fountain itself, shot from various angles and one with a Hipstamatic lens; the others, from the Jardin du Luxembourg overall.

I also babbled on about this place almost a year ago in a similar post, so I will let the pictures speak for themselves from this point onwards.

Encore

Pleasure is the beginning and the goal of a happy life - Epicurus

Europe has reminders of this around every corner it seems, and Paris is the prime example. I'm here for a few days this week, and the city's ability to provide pleasure for the eyes, mouth, nose, and brain is endless.

Day 1 included a metro strike (having just left one in London too), visits with friends, a walk through the Marais, baguettes, cheese, and wine.

Day 2 involved more visits, and a trip to one of the best spots on earth, Shakespeare and Company bookstore. This was followed by a random stop in a small courtyard cafe, where an art exhibition essentially exploded around us.

Day 3 - a walk along Promenade Plantee, a long stretch of gardens across an old aqueduct and then to Parc Belleville, one of the best spots from which to see the city (and almost completely devoid of tourists), then an amazing burger in a tiny spot in one of Grand Boulevrds' passages, basically covered alleys with wine stores, restaurants and stylish folk.

Day 4 - still occurring.

Quelques images from the last few days.

A side view of Notre Dame

Part of the art exhibition

Arts et Metiers metro station

The view from Parc Belleville, environs 16h30

The view from Parc Belleville, environs 17h00

Atop the Bastille monument

Along Promenade Plantee

The stairs at Parc Belleville

On the Move

Greetings from Henley-on-Thames, an impossibly quaint town - a hamlet, if you will - on the river outside of London that has existed since the 12th century.

Pubs, hobby shops, small restaurants, rain, and good manners. I half expect the Bard himself to stroll by, or at the very least a distraught Elizabeth Hurley in need of consolation after another disastrous break-up.

Alas, it's back to my Guinness, my imagination and then maybe some apple crumble.

3,2,1...

...and it's hats off and a very difficult tot ziens Amsterdam.

Below, the final three days of Amsterdam compressed into a whole whack of photos. And a big thanks to the weather, for mostly cooperating.

Biking all over the city to soak it in, I hit classics like the Brouwerij t'IJ (open daily from 3pm-8pm only), went to a masterfully planned urban area called Westerpark, biked all over town, boogied a night away, strolled through de Pijp and stumbled through various goodbye beers.

You need years to uncover all this city has to offer. Open-air markets, over 1000 cafes, festival after festival, art, parks, and a seemingly endless selection of small spots to call your own and above all be yourself.

It was a fine way to bid farewell to my home of the past 11 months, or 2.5 months if you are reading this from the office of immigration. (i.e. I may be back very soon if work opportunities come to fruition).

It is cliched, yes, but the truth is that it's the people you meet that make it so difficult to leave. A public blog is not the place to really get into naming names, but it's been a very profound experience and I'm so grateful to have met dozens of cool, interesting, intelligent, passionate, kind, fun, and helpful people, a number of whom are now part of my life for good. My life has been enriched enormously.

To those who are thinking of making a similar leap: Go.

De Koffie Salon - Amsterdam's best coffee

The no-frills Brouwerij t'IJ - home brews of varying strength and cheap snacks

From the bench of Brouwerij t'IJ

A standard snack at t'IJ? Hardboiled eggs and salt.

Biking over the Amstel river

One of the many bars of de Pijp, a bustling residential neighbourhood

Loungin' in de Pijp

Westerpark, where nearby all the green space is a collection of theatres, cafes, and a great open-air market on Sundays

Dutch "poffertjes" - small pancakes, soon to be covered with butter and icing sugar