well...transitioning from the new world to the old world and back to the new has been interesting these past weeks.
regenerating always occurs with and for me after rambling from country to country.
the recent adventure included encounters in five - the netherlands, belgium, france, spain and germany.
but the trip began at home in the adolescent USA. from dago to NYC was an exciting flight - that first one in anticipation of the rest of one's holiday and all that awaits...
manhattan was busy being hurried, boisterous and full of the bawdy characters that i have known and come to love. jon and i stayed with our friends, joe and tom, in jersey city and their dog, bear. what a visit! what a couple! what a pleasure it was and is to be in their company.
the next day saw the village, my traditional stop at the algonquin for a cosmopolitan - or three - and a nice chat with matilda, dinner in hoboken and more fun with dear friends before a night's rest and morning journey to jon's childhood homebase, arlington, VA. i have heard many stories about places and moments in arlington. to actually see these homes where my partner grew up, to visit 'the broiler' where he folded many a pizza box, and to drive the roads where he and his bike cruised, and sometimes met the pavement, put me even closer to him.
washington d.c. greeted us with a beautiful day on the mall, an henri rousseau exhibition at the national gallery east, and 'the US vs. John Lennon'. the capital of the USA is a pretty powerful place, but in my heart i felt it to be a melancholy occasion. exasperaton and exhaustion seemed to be in my mind, the verge of abandonment on my agenda. oh beautiful for spacious what!
jon and i ended our evening with lobster and wine at the ebbitt grill before returning to the days inn on columbia pike. the next day would see us returning to new amsterdam to catch a plane to old amsterdam. and i couldn't wait!
my legs are long - too long to be comfortable in economy class on a jet to europe. arrival in holland was on a damp tuesday morning. our hotel let us have our room right away fortunately. once we freshened up it was time to hit the leidseplein and the bulldog cafe. ah amsterdam...i smoked, i drank tonz o' coffee and indulged in smoking areas that are normally off my map and out of reach. it was lovely, really lovely.
the canals are legendary. but you have to be there, of course, to appreciate how exquisite it is to stroll along side these waterways and take in the sights. gorgeous people, storybook architecture, and the smell and feel of an old country. a place that has withstood history and histrionics.
i met jon's friend, bill, and have developed an immense affection for him. he charmed me right off the bat with his renaming of jack russell terriers. 'why jack russells? why not chuck mansons?" you had to be there...but i will forever refer to these canines as chuck mansons.
our second night in amsterdam saw bill, layne and jon's big adventure...it started out at conscious dreams and took flight at the park hotel. the quoter for the night was bill's. jon played 'tomorrow never knows' and after it was over bill gleefully exclaimed that the experience of listening to that song was right up there with looking in the mirror....you get the gist of the matter. a great cozy night among crazy friends.
our last evening in amsterdam - part one - found us at 'curry night'. bill and our new friend carrie prepared some of the most intoxicating indian fare i have ever eaten. it was my favourite meal of the trip. no, really it was that delicious! several friends of carrie and benji came around for the food, drink and fun.
the seven month old cat, pearl, was particularly fascinated with jon playing his guitar in the kitchen as carrie and bill cooked.
the train ride to paris was charming. four hours of riding in very comfortable settings with plenty of room for too long legs.
we stayed near the moulin rouge. new ground for me. rue pigalle.
boulangeries and cafés with REAL onion soup. daring, enchanting, dreamy paris. i shall always love this city. with all the steeped pomposity and arrogance of centuries, i shall always love this city. maybe not so much for my partner, but i KNOW he did enjoy the art.
i'll leave you with a taste of the musée d'orsay, and a look at one of auguste's. sigh...
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