dunhuang

dunhuang and xinjiang have always been such evocative names - the former once regal and majestic and the latter an intoxicating mix of images: the old silk road, the boundless desert, bountiful fruits, colourful carpets, a whole other culture at the westernmost end of china.
we were received at the airport by a young chap and greeted at our arrival at the hotel with the still smoking husk of a short-circuited car. the triple (255) in a 2 star hotel was clean enough, though the bathroom was unaccountably dark and the hot/cold water controls were mislabelled.
found out that the young chap was the son of the sales manager of the hotel (bossDH2008@126.com). (no lift, no key either, of the holler-for-an-attendant variety.) he was studying tourism in lanzhou and came back home to help during the hols.
settled on a package for 500 rmb for the next 1.5 days to go to the mogao caves, mingshashan, yueyaquan, yumen gate and yang gate.
but first things first, lunch. went to a food court type place where we tried 浆水面 (3.5), cold noodles in a vinegary soup and introduced to 杏皮水 (apricot skin drink), the perfect antidote to the summer heat. 肉夹莫roujiamo (4 each) was freshly made and tasty.
ubiquitous: stuffed camels in all shades and sizes.
first stop was mogao caves, home of famed frescoes and sculptures, remarkably preserved and dating back to the 5th/6th centuries AD. the sheer detail and vividness of the colours was impressive, even in the 10 open-to-the-public caves we saw (100 rmb for a 2 hr tour.). (a few more restricted caves are accessible at the right price.) as the guide trained her torchlight in practiced swoops about the darkened caves, we caught glimpses of 飞天 (flying apsaras), buddhas, generals, sutras, and entire storylines. it was pointed out that the elegance and grace of the original sculptures eclipsed the pale repairs.
the viewing experience though left much to be desired. the place was packed with herds of about 20 people and shepherded from cave to cave by the site’s guides. given there was no strict route, u sometimes ended up with 2 groups in 1 cave with our guide trying to make herself heard and then rush on to the next cave before it got too crowded. kudos to our guide for fiercely bearing down on those who tried to sneak in a photograph or two. the closed in caves amplified chatter and made it hard to hear the guide at times. further irritated by presence of an annoying mother/father/child combo who were guilty of ugly behaviour, brattiness and bad fashion sense.
the site museum had some artefacts along with full-scale reproductions of a few caves. at least here there was peace and quiet, though there was no guide. still prefer the yungang grottoes, where the emphasis was on sculptures rather than frescoes.
back to hotel after that to escape from the scorching heat and searing light. we set off for yueyaquan/mingshashan at 6. any earlier and the sand would have been too hot to handle. yyq is an oasis in the desert, but it’s looking less impressive these days with the water level down to a measly 1m. oft-repeated fact: dunhuang gets 400-600mm of precipitation in a year; 2468mm lost to evaporation. the sand dunes made for a dramatic backdrop for the buildings though.
took off our shoes to trek uphill but quickly learnt that it takes more effort than u think. there was certainly a sense of achievement when i made it, crossing over from the slope in shadow to the ridge which straddled light and shade. there were lots of activities going on: camel rides, archery, sand dune sledding (didn’t get any momentum on my attempt), aerogliding. and the water truck spraying to the tune of ‘santa claus is coming to town.’ left at about sundown at 9.30 pm.
dinner with xiao hu and shen shifu. tried 驴肉黄面, donkey meat yellow noodles. the meat went well with a chilli sauce mixed with garlic and vinegar and the noodle were reminiscent of spaghetti. drank the plain and floury water in which the noodles were cooked in. the meal for 5 came to 73.
noodles are the key staple here and shen said that if they did not feel like cooking, they would buy half-processed noodles home as opposed to making them from scratch. shen farms cotton, with the cottonseed oil for their own consumption. had seen the neat rectangular plots ringed by stalks of corn coming in from the airport. he has 20 mu and harvests once a year, with an annual income of 40,000 rmb. (this can’t be right. maybe 4000 rmb?)

baiquanshan (hundred stream hill) in huairou county, aka the compensation trip

8 of the 11 on the previous outing made it back for more. checked out the website beforehand at baiquanshan.com actually, dontbelievethehype.com would have directed you to the same webpage. my expectations were reasonably modest after the prior jolly experience. at the very least, it would be a couple of hours of hiking out of beijing.
which is what we got, in spades. at first, it seemed to be a little different from the usual hiking trail that one finds in the outskirts of Beijing. a little more challenging as opposed to say, fragrant hill. but some things never change. there were helpful signs describing the rock formations, always a fun distraction. the chinese tourists were once again respectful, "hmm, it does kind of look like a turtle gazing at the moon." we improvised, "hmm, turtle gazing at the moon, while secretly relieving itself." "hey, this photo of the 'eagle' looks like the 'after' panel of a slimming ad."
the yuks and the sights dried up after a while as our guide took us on an unmarked trail towards the waterfall. it was uphill and rock/boulder strewn, which was somewhat less leisurely than we bargained for. we should have heeded the signs, or more accurately, non-signs. the meagre water features that we glimpsed along the way should have set off alarm bells. but we pressed on, secure in our naivete that our guide knew what he was doing. when he finally informed us, after doing a little forward scouting, that the waterfall had dried up, my first thought was !!$$#%%@ duped! hoodwinked! bamboozled!!
the crows mocked us every undignified step of the way down.
we were ravenous by the time we made it to the foot of the hill. what lunch lacked for in quality, they tried to make it up in quantity. the 8 of us were served over 15 dishes: cold cuts of beef and duck, peanuts, wild veg, century eggs, fish, potatos in sauce, shuizhu pork, gongbao chicken, bacon and peppers, regular veg, potato strips, tofu, pumpkin pancakes, fried rice and hot water masquerading as soup.

will have to think very carefully when the next fun trip to the outskirts comes along.

longji, hongxi

set off at 7 for the longji terraced plantations. 11 of us in a jinbei minivan. the driver was a bit of a speedfreak, good thing he was limited by the van. this was pretty much the bunch of people who had booked their vacations through ctrip.com, including the guy who puked on the plane and the chinese guy with green eyes.
longji was a 2 hour hike which covered 2 viewing spots. the best time to visit is when the terraces are filled with water, which was of course, not at the present moment. reminded of the terraced plantations in ubud. though not sure if ubud could claim to being over 600 years old. and for those who preferred not to walk, palanquins(!) were an option.
lunch was very good: glutinous rice with nuts and mushrooms cooked slowly in bamboo tubes, steamed country chicken in a delicious broth, lup cheong with bamboo shoots and wild veggies. also tried the rice wine, which was more tart and alcoholic compared to the yunnan version.

there was too much time to kill before our flight at 8.45 pm. our driver enthusiastically recommended this rubber dinghy water adventure at 180 rmb a pop. coming right after lunch, no one was interested. the alternative of hongxi (red stream) was proposed instead. it was 45 rmb for the entrance fee and it turned out to be a pleasant and cooling walk alongside rapids with a magnificent waterfall to boot. it was all the more enjoyable for being totally unexpected and unplanned. it didn't seem to be a major stop for tourists in general so we had the place largely to ourselves.

despite the long-held aversion to travelling during the golden weeks, the trip was not as bad as i'd imagined in terms of crowds. tour groups were far more noticeable in guilin as they traipsed from one "must-see" to another but yangshuo was largely free of them. it seemed that guilin catered more to domestic tourists while yangshuo was geared towards the westerner backpacker crowd. sure xijie was crowded but it was also nice to have a bustling street to wander along with gelato stalls and cool dark cafes to pop into for a respite from the heat.
time to start thinking about the next trip.

yangshuo

we set off at 7 plus to rent bikes. 20 rmb a day with a 100 rmb deposit per bike. half my money's getting tied up in deposits! (including for the rooms at didu.) it apparently costs 5 rmb a day in the off-peak season. breakfast at meiyou cafe and then off to moon hill. route was easy enough and scenery along the way was pleasant. the verdant landscape bounteous with karst peaks, undulating agreeably in every direction, and reflected in the padi fields and the streams and rivers. even cycling, there were persistent locals paddling alongside, promoting various holiday activities. the hike up the hill was not too bad. one determined peddler hiked along. reached the top to find a group of french tourists enjoying the view, and fending off an entourage of peddlers.
felt good to have a head-start on the other tourists (american, british, french, german, hk and fr guangdong) who were starting to stream in when we returned to the foot of the hill. tried looking for the backroads for that true rural experience, but it was too far, too hot and my butt was too sore. it was back to yangshuo town proper (according to the signboard) for our cheapest meal yet: guilin noodles at 2 rmb a bowl. it was sold by weight, and you ladled your own soup and added your own garnishing (chilli, pickled vegetables and radish).

decided not to bike back from the end point of the bamboo raft trip, which we booked from uncle sam's travel at 150 rmb per raft (for 2 pax). people there were pleasant and seemed honest as well. had told us that there was no need to hire a guide to get to moon hill.
took a local bus (4 rmb) to jinlong bridge, the start point of the yulong river bamboo raft punt. [check out www.panoramas.dk/fullscreen3/f14.html for a panoramic view of yulong river.] quite happy to do this in the afternoon since most people did this in the morning. had the river pretty much to ourselves save for the odd raft or two, once with a man raking up seaweed from the river. the sun wasn't a problem as the rafts were thoughtfully affixed with umbrella shades. it was a leisurely 2-hour drift, with gorgeous views of the hills reflected in the water. could also see cyclists and villages along the way. have to be prepared to get a little wet though. ended up on motorbikes in order to get back to xijie. bilked for 10 rmb a bike and we were dropped off quite a ways from xijie. though it did mean we had the chance to walk past the fruit market.

made it back in time for our 6pm rendezvous with the roast chicken (40 rmb) that we ordered the day before. it was pretty good but have to admit that the gimmick of limiting supply was a good one. also had pizza, fries and chocolate cake from cafe china. it started pouring halfway through dinner. had to get back to the hotel by 7 to catch the transport for the impressions of liu sanjie show.
warning: rant ahead.
because of the rain, the decision to go ahead with the show wasn't made till very late and we left the hotel at 7.50.
the entire thing was a bloody mess. first off, because of counterfeiting problems, we had to wait for a tour guide to exchange our receipts for actual tickets at a booth. said booth was surrounded by frustrated agents talking loudly and gesticulating wildly. once i got my ticket, had to make my way to the entrance, conveniently located 15 minutes away via a barely lit pedestrian path, save for the occasional flash of lightning. it was also chock-a-block with vehicles which meant that one had to walk off the path and in the mud. by the time i actually reached the venue, it was 8.30 and the show had already been playing for 20 minutes. laid the raincoat provided on the wet seat, hoisted the umbrella overhead and grimly prepared to watch the show. think at one point there was a scuffle in the vip seats and shouting ensued. chose not to focus and pretended that it was part of the show. or maybe it was part of the show. who could tell over the rain?? traffic situation after the show was another mess. with a second performance, there were vehicles both leaving and moving towards the venue. except that at one point, the road was only wide enough for one vehicle to pass. was ripped off 10 rmb for a ride in a mini-van back to xijie with a few other disgruntled out-of-towners.
the show itself was impressive as sheer spectacle. the setting of the looming hills, the immense water stage, the huge cast and the clever use of lighting was surprisingly effective. though whenever the spotlights came on, one was distracted by how heavy the rain the was. some of the effect was rather incongruous though. when the women removed their robes and danced in their skintight skintone suits, the show took an unexpected turn into the burlesque. when the performers emerged from the pitch dark with their silvery glittering costumes, the first though that popped into my head was "pirates of the caribbean." then as the line grew longer and longer, it turned into a line of ghosts, kings and ancestors.

lijiang, yangshuo

took a while to find our boat at the pier, sorry, luxury cruise liner. apparently, we were the only cheapskates with the 10 rmb lunchbox option. this was duly emphasised by the waitress who showed us a menu. our refusal to order food at inflated prices didn't endear us to her. "it's just rice with an egg and vegetables you know." "and no, the bottled mineral water isn't for your kind."
the journey was pleasant enough. got terribly sunburnt from spending most of it on the upper viewing deck. best tracks that came up on the ipod: radiohead's everything in its right place, pet shop boys' liberation, beta band's dr baker.

took 4 hours to reach yangshuo. didu (imperial city hotel) was located at the end of xijie (west street) that was conveniently close to the pier. xijie itself was reminiscent of lijiang (yunnan). the tourist hordes are here, and they're here to stay. except that it's packed into one street here: cafes, bars, rooms, restaurants with western food, artists painting your likeness on t-shirts, t-shirts with catchy and/or rude phrases, ethnic clothing, contemporary clothing and scarves and bags, tablecloths, a silversmith, foodstuff, silk blankets, tour agents, foreign language (ie english) schools, men selling flutes playing folk songs, carving on grains of rice, yak bones and egg shells, paintings, naxi knickknacks.
dinner was at peng dajie's for the local specialty: fish cooked in beer. sauce was hearty and yummy. also shuidoufu niang and a mountain of kangkong. a very reasonable 110 rmb for the meal. this was just a street away from xijie but number of laowai eating there: zero.
back to the hotel by 7.30 pm for the cormorant fishing viewing experience. [we were charged 50 rmb a head; it's double that if you don't look chinese.] the birds were attached to the boat by string and would constantly dive for fish. once in a while, the fisherman would lift a bird out of the water with a paddle and reach into its throat for the catch. also noteworthy for the huge swarm of mozzies buzzing around the naked light on the fishing boat. we watched from an adjacent vessel, feeding the mozzies which fed the fish which fed the birds which fed the fishermen. ah, the circle of life.
back to xijie after about 30 minutes. more packed than ever. glimpses of fireworks in the night sky.

guilin

despite best efforts at "free and independent" travel, still end up relying on agents for all kinds of ticketing and arrangements. on the transfer from the airport to the hotel, a guide briefed us on the dire ticket situation, pretty much for any and every activity. jolted by mild panic, we ended up booking the lijiang (river) cruise tickets as well as the day trip to longji on 6/5 with her. [the 2 lijiang cruise ticket options were: i) 430 rmb for foreign tourist treatment, including transport to the port and ii) 370 rmb for cruise plus yangshuo half-day tour. good thing this chinese couple wanted option (ii) without the tour. which turned out to be available, "but only because we're a large reputable agency," for 250 rmb and 30 rmb handling, ie rip-off, fee.]

the golden elephant hotel was conveniently located near a bus stop and a stretch of restaurants as well as opposite eponymous attraction, elephant hill. first things first, lunch: steamed catfish, baiguo duck soup, wild vegetables and guilin noodles. they certainly like their food fresh here. both the fish as well as the duck that was to travel down our gullets were handpicked and weighed. quite a few of the restaurants had these animals out front: ducks, chickens, fish, snakes, turtles, rabbits and bamboo rats. meal was rather pricey at 240 rmb for 3. i blame the duck.

the tourist attractions were a disappointment. best things about the seven star limestone cave was the 20 degree temperature. so who first came up with the descriptions for the limestone formations anyway? this has now passed into orthodoxy, the practised patter of the guides. surely there must be heretical texts out there: beneath the bounteous banyan, the dominatrix stands, ready to flick the whip on the cowering slave before her.
decided to skip elephant hill. if the entire attraction can be summed up in 2 words...
headed to fubo hill, which was ridiculously packed for a dubious attraction.
the free tourist bus 58 attracts the locals as well but isn't all that frequent. regular buses ply the same routes for 1 rmb a pop.

back to that same stretch of restaurants for dinner. curiously enough, it was the same shrink-wrapped crockery that we encountered at lunch. a crockery monopoly?? we had fish head tofu soup, tofu skin and cabbage stems, yam with fatty meat, and some snail-like creature. none of which required on-the-spot, before-our-eyes slaughtering, so it cost only about half what we paid for lunch. walked about after dinner but there was nothing particularly interesting. lots of neon lights, including a flashy flashing one for the hospital.

shanhaiguan and meng jiangnv temple (qinhuangdao, hebei)

the uncomfortably cold night was followed by a breakfast buffet (extra of course) that consisted largely of cold unappetising dishes.
our local guide was a bubbly girl jia fang, or party A in a legal document as she cheerfully informed us. we learnt from her the Big Fat Hairy Deal fact that qinhuangdao is only one of two cities named after royalty, the other being st petersburg. it was transformed from a sleepy fishing village when qinshihuang ventured here to perform some rites or other. as we travelled through the city, there was little to attract the eye, except for this: the "age of burning lives" bar. so that's what we all were, mere fodder for this age, so why not down some alcohol and burn brighter and faster?
shanhaihuan, where the great wall meets the sea, was the main attraction for the day. the specific spot is named laolongtou (old dragon head). shanhaiguan was a veritable fortress, with walls within walls and filled with traps for potential attackers. it also houses the "tianxiadiyiguan" (first pass under heaven) calligraphy, or rather the 5 versions of it. the effect though, was more akin to that of a fun-fair that's gone to seed. the game booths had stuffed toy prizes that looked as though they would rather be someplace else. the section of the reconstructed wall where one could walk upon was lined with souvenir stalls stocked with site-specific memorabilia and russian bric-a-brac. baboushka dolls anyone? the other attraction, in the loosest sense of the word, was the meng jiangnv temple. it was admirable how an entire attraction could be spun around meng's tragic tale, but even haw par villa offered more kicks. hellish dioramas beat scenes from a virtuous love story every time. given that the temple merited the top AAAA national rating, what i would dearly love to see is a single A-rated tourist attraction. how about a C-rated one? perhaps this would apply to sites with nary an attraction but lots of souvenir stalls and game booths. wait a minute.
the highlight of the day was a seafood meal we had all been looking forward to: fish, cockles, crabs, and pipixia, some variety of shrimp which was in season.
headed back to beijing after shanhaiguan, with a final change of vehicles since van no. 3 did not meet the exhaust standards and could not enter within the third ring road area. xiaosha from the travel agency and her boss were there at the handover. more profuse apologies. after picking up the expenses for the ropeway (130 rmb a head) and the meals on sunday (30/4, 20 rmb a head), we were offered (group of 11) a free trip to an attraction in the outskirts of Beijing.

panshan (tianjin)

it began badly.
an hour plus after leaving beijing, smoke started to emerge from the hood of the van. we pulled over on the side of the highway and waited for a replacement vehicle to arrive. and waited. and waited. 3.5h passed before it came. the souring mood was not helped by the vehicle which arrived - cramped and stained, and as it turned out, slow and driven by thugs.
we reached our first stop panshan (mount pan) in time for lunch. qianlong claimed that had he known about panshan, he would not have gone south of the yangtze river. guess the experience is different if you're looking at scenery from royal comfort; no wonder emperors always picked the least accessible spots to gush about. most of the original architecture was destroyed during the war with the japanese and the madness that was the cultural revolution did the rest.
the sights were what they were - calligraphy of leaders inscribed on the rock walls, man-made set-pieces for photo-taking, temples with the acrid tang of smoky incense. we made it to the peak around sunset, thanks to the tireless urging of our guide. due to the unexpected delay, we were moving against the flow of human traffic for much of the way up and were pretty much the last group on the peak. the serenity and the sunset were a welcome bonus. as we made our way down from the top, the workers who lived there were already settling down for their evening meal. we reached the second stage of the ropeway at about 8 and found that it had stopped running. the prospect of stumbling down the mountainside in the dark was not attractive, but would have capped the day off splendidly. alas, after some time, they managed to rustle up the duty personnel and reactivated the ropeway for our group to travel to the foot of the mountain.
to find our luggage taken hostage. some payment problem which had yet to be settled with the thugs who drove van no. 2, so they refused to open the door. nothing to do but stand in the dark, hungry and tired, and think warm and delicious murderous thoughts. it took about 30 minutes before a phonecall by our guide to someone further up the authority chain did the trick. van no. 3's driver turned out to be a qinhuangdao old hand and more importantly, not a thug.
by the time we reached qinhuangdao and sat down to order in a restaurant, it was past midnight. the first round of order of 11 bowls of noodles fell through when we were informed that there were no more noodles. nor dumplings. nor eggs!? they had seafood though. so we left, hungry and tired and pissed-off. good thing for 24h porridge places where we finally managed to eat.
the hotel (ocean hotel), located next to a picturesque commercial container port, was large but worn, with an air of neglect palpable in the lobby. disappointment seeped in like dankness into the lobby sofas. the room contained dubious sheets, a stained tub and a shower curtain that was really a living breathing creature.

for s

you will forget
(as babies are wont to)
the day we spent in play
of picking things up and throwing them
(how quick you were to learn!
to your nanny's subsequent dismay)
of the walk in the woods
and the leaves and twigs
i picked for you
again and again
of how you ambled over
to lay your head on my shoulder
but you were merely
wiping your mouth
on my new shirt sleeve
you wily rascal!
laughing delightedly as you ambled
away

nyc, philly, boston, providence
5-19/11/04

nyc
shows
bug: didn't know much abt the play before watching it but it did, as NYT's ben brantley promised, make one itch. (wasn't expecting the onstage nudity either.) it starts with a meeting between a woman living in a motel and a younger drifter(?). she's got issues with an ex-abusive husband who won't leave her alone and the heartbreak of losing her child in a mall years ago; he's something of a mystery. then the descent into madness and paranoia begins, slowly but inexorably. and teasingly. part of the fun is that you're never quite sure if you believe in what's happening and you're constantly looking to her reaction as a cue, whether she believes in what he's saying. until the finale, which makes you wonder if you should be trusting her all this while and how did the hell did we get here from where we started?

700 sundays: billy crystal's autobiographical one-man show. pleasant evening listening to the funnyman tell stories from his childhood mixed in with short clips and slides. warm and fuzzy feelings surging everywhere. but it was nice that he didn't have a traumatic childhood and that the tapestry of a happy life can be entertaining. must have missed quite a few of the jewish references though.

democracy: michael frayn's latest play set in a period of germany that i know very little about (which is not to say that i know much abt any period of german history). while the historical context is fascinating, the focus of the show is on brandt and his trusted assistant, in reality an east german spy. the irony being that the east germans wanted willy to remain in power and bring about reconciliation but instead brought about his downfall. brandt remains an enigmatic figure and you never really get a sense of what's driving him. and while the term 'democracy' is tossed about, with bits about the difficulty of reconciling the irreconcilable and that its not a democracy its 60 million of them, it's not really about heeding the wishes of the masses, it's all about politicking. certain lines of unflattering dialog re willy brandt's election had an unexpected resonance given the recent re-election of bush. very nicely staged so that half the time, the audience is peering up at brandt, like the adoring masses guillaume is constantly referring to. also perfectly poised for that one dramatic moment late in the second half.

guantanamo: outrage, an absolute outrage. damning indictment of american arrogance. the most disturbing example of US unilateralism. it's hard to think of this as "a play" or "entertainment," it's powerful testimony that should just be heard. the staging was simply to present the testimonies in an overlapping fashion, with different voices weaving in and out, all demanding to be heard. there were caged cells to the left and right of the stage and beds in the middle, with chairs interspersed among the beds for the actors/witnesses. the prisoners were onstage, in the cells and on the beds, before the audience entered and remained as the audience left. they're not going anywhere.
the next day, i'm off shopping and being entertained again. maybe modern life is rubbish, the juxtaposition of the profound and the profane, the tragic and the comic, the important and the trivial, everything has equal weight.

nine parts of desire: heather raffo in a one-woman show playing nine different (mostly Iraqi) characters including the artist in exile, the woman in the marketplace, the American girl watching the war unfold on TV, the woman in the bomb shelter, and a more mythical timeless old woman. what emerges is not just about the horrors of saddam and the war, but also what it means to be an Iraqi woman. the universal themes of love and hope and fears are given a very specific context here.

pacific overtures: forced opening up of japan in the 1850s, american imperialism in all but name. staging was admirably restrained. this was no longer an (essentially) all-male cast from the original broadway production, though male actors still played the key female roles. a little rough around the edges given it's still in previews but hey, sondheim's sondheim. this is not one of his more accessible scores but the genius and wit of his words are a reliable pleasure. even though i know the score, this was the first time i had seen an actual production. thought that "someone in a tree" didn't work out well. the staging was clumsy and it came across quite laboured.
they had a chinese (or kanji) translation of pacific overtures but that meant Pacific (as in Ocean) Overtures (as in pieces of music). taken in context, the phrase actually means "peaceful gestures." Sondheim no doubt picked Pacific Overtures for its different meanings (see "Company") but such shading just goes out the window in a translation.
best wordless (but not soundless) performance: actress playing the shogun's wife (in "chrysanthemum tea").

the producers: well-staged, but kept thinking that nathan lane would have been perfect in this. and that matthew broderick and lane probably had better chemistry together. (broderick and lane are slated for a broadway remake of the odd couple next year.) an equal-opportunity offender with no stereotype left unskewered, though horny old ladies are probably not a common target. wore a bit thin though, which made it seem too long, especially towards the end.

wonderful town: brooke shields was good, gamely taking on a comic character who's unable to get a date(!). but it's hard to watch a musical from the 1950s and think, were things ever this innocent or was escapism at its height then?

matthew sweet concert: found myself standing behind twitchy-gal who elicited quite a few "what's-goin-on?" raised eyebrows with her dancing style. after safely manoeuvring past her and her flailing limbs, found myself behind, damnit, twitchy guy! otherwise, it was quite a pleasant evening. his set list included girlfriend, i've been waiting, sick of myself and time capsule. no where u get love, devil with the green eyes etc. quite a bit of material from the new disc living thins and his previous japan-only release kimi ga suki. his new stuff was fine, but he's definitely moved on from the immediate poppiness of girlfriend. still, it's always fun to go to a live gig, the songs always sound so much more muscular (must have something to do with the sound system blaring away at ground-thumping volume). also nice to see sweet jamming with velvet crush, clearly relaxed and enjoying himself.
opening act christatic(?) did a passable imitation of synth-pop a la the cure circa friday i'm in love. lead singer was pretty spot-on vocally for robert smith. they even had a track called tuesday i'm alive(?).

museums
cooper hewitt national design museum: anni albers' admirable philosophy that a good designer should disappear into the work. ha! tell that to karl lagerfeld, whose (relatively) cheap designs for h&m sparked off a buying frenzy for those who can't afford chanel. ok, i browsed, but didn't find anything i liked. on another note, the museum shop is filled with lovely and expensive things, but managed to escape unscathed.
more enamoured of josef albers' pieces with the strong use of colours and repeated patterns.
the "design (does not equal) art" exhibition was also interesting, exploring the forced(?) demarcation between art and design and questions of usefulness/functionality/intent.

guggenheim had the fascinating aztec empire exhibition on. gorgeous craftsmanship, utterly alien culture that seems hard and cruel with its demand for blood sacrifice and yet capable of producing a sculpture of a dog begging, as if in play. half the time though, trying to keep ahead of the flocks of school kids swooping from key exhibit to key exhibit (ie blocking my view).

food
managed to check out a few places on p's list of recommendations.
city bakery: hot chocolate was good as was the berry tart, but the homemade marshmallows were exquisite.
gam mee ok: rice and noodles in soup, perfect for a rainy afternoon. made me wonder how much salt usu goes into one's soup...
honmura an: the cold uni soba was yummy, but marred by clumpy noodles. think the noodles in hot soup might have been a better choice.
also ate at:
sushi samba (87 7th avenue, near 'bug') - funky jap-Brazilian place with fun cocktails (sambatini) and decent sushi, with prices to match.
shabu tatsu (10th, btw 1st and 2nd) - excellent claypot eel rice and shabu shabu.
isabella's (359 columbus avenue, corner of 77th) - packed for weekend brunch, good food at reasonable prices.
the cottage (33 irving place) - had a $16 prixe-fixe menu, which one would normally balk at for non-gourmet chinese food but they have cleverly paired each of the two courses with a glass of wine. get a headstart on getting buzzed before heading for a concert at irving plaza.
time out had some good recommendations for mid-town, important for that meal before a show:
la bonne soupe (55th btw 5th and 6th) - the mushroom barley soup with bits of lamb was yummy. set comes with enough stuff to make a light meal.
h.k. (hell's kitchen, at 39th and 9th) - again, yummy mushroom soup, consomme this time. trout was nicely grilled, but just too much of it and too lightly seasoned for so much of it.
made it to one prixe-fixe lunch at aureole (61st btw park and madison). excellent deal for a 3-course meal but not blown away like i was expecting to be. highlight was pear tart.

shopping
spent oodles despite not going to woodbury commons. hit filene's basement in boston and assorted stores. surprisingly, a trip to the old navy store (33rd btw 6th and 7th) turned out to be most fruitful. sheer size of the place plus the discounts on relatively low prices meant that the price was right. maybe should stop thinking of old navy as the ugly stepsister of gap and banana republic.
best place for basics: american apparel, though you pay a premium for the sweatshop-free, made in downtown LA clothing.
greatest disappointment: urban outfitters, have the clothes gotten worse or have they always been this ugly?

and no, it wasn't all about watching shows, shopping and eating. spent a sunday at the n's entertaining s and ok, being fed very well (barbecued lamb for lunch, seafood pasta for dinner). most excellent. also met up with jc classmate e and jap classmate m both currently studying in new york.

philly
brasserie perrier: opened by le bec fin's chef. had the french onion soup and the salmon, which was cooked just nice. unfortunately, the food was on the salty side.
genji: moved to center city (sansom, btw 17th and 18th). had sushi and the green tea ice cream, but found it disappointing. even though it's moved downtown, the feel of the place remained decidedly un-posh, largely to do with the waiter, who seemed to have wandered over from chinatown.
bumped into an IR prof while getting coffee and met with another by appointment. the latter of course, my classics prof, rather than say, econ or IR. strange going back to penn and not being a student but a visitor in transit. miss the exhilaration of undergrad life, but that experience can't really be replicated can it? well, what can one do but eat a greek lady hoagie again.

boston
shopping, ethiopian food and the freedom trail in half a day.

providence: couldn't believe that the shops closed at 6 pm on sunday. didn't they know that's precisely when out-of-towners on a one-day stopover might want to shop? (actually, think the shops closed at 6 in philly as well. maybe just never went shopping b4 on sunday evenings.) and no fire-on-on-the-water either. winter's not a good excuse. the brown campus was quite pretty if, like the little of providence that i saw, just as quiet.

so i'm back and the first thing that strikes me on reaching home is that hey, they've gotten new uniforms. so my place feels more like a hotel than before with all these familiar faces in their bellhop uniforms.

liz phair: selling out or moving up? no problems with her seeking out success. but it just seems a little, well, desperate. can't imagine that would ever be a term to describe a woman who wrote the lyrics to whiplash. there, the lyrics were confessional, honest and sexy. check out the great supernova. but on 'why can't i,' the lead-off single from her new album, the chorus is just disappointingly banal. and the stanzas have some head-scratchingly bizarre lyrics. and what's with the vocoder effects??
liz, you sure can but is anyone gonna give a damn?

so the story begins...

madrid

woke up with alarm. had also gotten wake-up call. couldn’t get cab on the roads and had to run back to the hotel to get reception to call for one. guessed he had asked if i wanted to call, rather than if i had called.
train ride was fine, MI2 showing. no breakfast served! stewardess came by with sweets though. huh.
happily left backpack in the automatic consigna at atocha station. breakfast of oj, coffee and croissant (glazed, which made it surprisingly palatable). at metro, bought two additional single tix, not realising there was a time limit to them.
train was very crowded. swung backpack to the front of my body. found compartments unzipped, but fortunately, nothing taken. handphone at bottom of front pouch and the camera was buried in the main compartment. first stop was kukuxumusu shop. got t-shirts for w, f, mug for j and keychains for m and r. good place for souvenirs.
no english books on gaudi but found a photobook at FNAC. (damnit! got one in spanish by mistake! other one for k.)
last stop was el corte ingles supermarket. bought nestle chocolates (gaudi inspired shapes) and nuts for dad.
back to atocha RENFE stop to pick up backpack and head for airport. on metro, guy blatantly unzipped front pouch of my haversack. just zipped it up and glared at him. felt totally victimized.
short line at AirFrance check-in counter. learnt madrid-paris flight delayed. had to be rerouted. eventually ended up on lufthansa madrid-frankfurt-sing, landing at 5pm.
had spaghetti bolognese at airport cafeteria. surprisingly palatable.
bought more chocolates (made in spain) from duty free. almost bought bull fight watch from museum shop for €16.
at frankfurt, couldn’t even move from one section of the terminal to another to shop. crap. back to kavalier and clay, which i finally finished on the plane.
lufthansa was quite crap. no individual entertainment system. ‘hearts in atlantis’ showing. no choice for food either. good thing i was tired and actually slept quite a bit.

cordoba

palm sunday.
walked to plaza de la corredera. cleaner, plainer version of plaza mayor. thank goodness one café was open. had coffee and toast, half a dozen bottles of different spreads (pates etc) for choice.
essentially walked to parks and read ‘kavalier and clay.’ then noticed stream of people moving in one direction. tired of having city to myself, followed cordobans in their Sunday best, with babies in prams and toddlers in hand. vendors had sprouted, selling candy floss, nuts, sweets, toys, snacks, balloons. decided to have lunch first. went to el pisto and had moriles (local wine), rabo de toro (oxtail stew, very tender) and callos (tripe). latter not quite to my taste. walked out to find procession passing. procession of the virgin mary; penitents in their pointed hoods each carrying a large candle, children would go up to them and collect the wax in cups or adding to their balls of wax; music played by a marching band, not funereal, but processional. can only imagine how hot it must be for those in the procession. went on a couple of blocks to catch the beginning of the procession. first the drummers, then christ on a donkey, hoisted by men. some carried dried fronds of palm from which they distributed individual leaves to those in the crowd. the cross itself was composed of knots of palm leaves. fewer very young children involved in this procession except for one i saw in a pram.
fled to a table in the shade and had 2 Nesteas. sufficiently cooled after a while to head back. preparations for semana santa in full swing. but this seems more intimate, with much fewer tourists around. wandered out again at 6plus. route of procession close by. different coloured costumes with different tableaux of the life of christ with different marys resplendent in different coloured capes, but always in tears. smell of incense in the smoky air. stood near middle aged couple who said hi to quite a few people who passed by, some stayed. watched till about 8 plus, then proceeded for final dinner in spain. went into meson el tablon cos it had a few people in it and offered a menu for €9. had paella and chicken. dessert was walls ice-cream. procession was now passing right outside the street.

cordoba

bus #3 to estacion de autobus. long lines for tix, good thing had bought earlier. monitors showing departure/arrivals not working, annoying.
spanish version of miss congeniality on the bus ride, followed by music. grimly determined to keep people ‘entertained.’
took cab to romero barros. tried hostal maestre first (2 star pensione), 1 double room for €32. possible. nothing at hostal los arcos. tried hotel mastre, pleasantly surprised to get room for €20. first time with tv and separate en suite toilet and shower. very happy.
made way to mezquita (‘grandest and most beautiful mosque ever constructed by the moors in spain) as it would be closed tomorrow. gorgeous columned, horseshoe-arched interior. surviving mihrab was richly exquisite. ironic it is now a cathedral which people flock to for its moorish roots. wish the building had survived in its entirety.
meson san basilio (RG) for lunch. menu for €9.01. the local wine montilla-moniles quite good. salmorejo was like eating (hardboiled) eggs and jamon in a creamy sauce. lomo (pork loin) was nicely done and tender.
wandered about the juderia, old jewish quarter, primarily to check out the synagogue, which, as promised, was tiny. at least they’re not charging for entry.
decided to walk down main streets. place eerily quiet and deserted. was everyone out of town? shops mostly closed but found a springfield that was open. alas, nada to buy. found el corte ingles, which was also open. got battery for camera. meagre if eclectic selection for dvds. back to hotel to rest before heading out for el pisto.
too tired to move. eventually decided to try RG recommendation cheap halal eatery nearby and turn in early. couldn’t find place. took a while as the road was closed. no longer selling had, had arabic coffee though. ended up at restaurant jaular. worst rip-off meal thus far. plato combinado of plain omelette, calamares and salad (lettuce and carrot strips) was €6.05. meal with drink was almost price of menu del dia at €7.85.
[in room 0, right next to the road.]

granada

woke up at 10am, left hostal at abt 11.30. headed for breakfast across the street. g\ham and cheese croissant, oj and coffee for €6. quite expensive but croissant quite good, certainly most substantial breakfast yet. sat on terrace, quickly found it was unbearably hot. probably got burnt.
went on LP route of albaicin, old moorish quarter. the arab baths were an unexpected delight. through someone’s courtyard, they were a surprisingly large oasis of dimmed coolness. the ceiling had cut-outs in the shapes of circles and stars, perhaps an easy way of telling the time when indulging at the baths.
wound our way through to san nicolas square which offered excellent views of the alhambra with the sierra nevada in the background. making our way down, passed through calle caldereria, a little morocco with teahouses and lamps, tea, jewellery etc for sale.
lunch at via colon. menu for €7.50. fideuas (noodle paella) as first course but seems quite different from dryer valencian version. hake main course was quite horrible. ended with ok coffee cake and second café con leche of the day.
went back to hostal to settle bills. €2 for rent of safe for 1 day. receptionist is this woman studying political science and english language as well. looking forward to her 3 days of holiday during which she will eat, sleep, eat etc.
went to train station to get tix. read small print in timetable after purchase to discover 25% discount for AVE fare for transfers to international flights. had to go back to get the discount, which was, happily, granted.
walked about, got ice-cream, bought washington irving’s tales of the alhambra.
dinner at 9. sherry and tapas at bodegas castenada. gambes (prawns, free, probably why it was not on the menu), and montinados with pork and with salmon and avocado. latter quite good. place even more packed than previous night. popped over to antigua BC next. coke this time around, montado with jamon iberico (tastier, less tough than serrano) and baked potato. free tapas plate had chips, cheese and slice of chorizo. place swelled with entry of group of eu students studying spanish(?). took group photo for them.

granada

bloody cold in the morning. had to make sure we got to alhambra in time for our 10:30 entrance to the palacios nazaries. it was exquisite. the fine detail, the delicacy and beauty of repetition. the honeycomb structure, the pursuit of tranquil and meditative perfection. hard to find with other tourists and school groups around. took forever for composed shots to be clear of people and then that didn’t always happen. in the meanwhile, making a nuisance of oneself.
the alcazaba was just plain and stolid after the nazaries. generalife would have been at its best in summer but hedges still pleasant. unfortunately, parts under restoration. couldn’t find royal baths to my chagrin. decided to make for pl. san miguel bajo for lunch. took bus but dropped at wrong stop. promptly got lost in the maze of streets. glad we made it within lunchtime. had grilled sole at RG recommended mason yunque. fish just grilled with olive oil and garlic and sprinkled with lemon juice. excellent.
weather just ridiculously hot form morning low. had ice cream after which came in a scooped out orange.
back to hostal austria to shift to room with shower and toilet. for the first time ever!
wandered about town, bought 2 more rolls of film at el corte ingles. had chocolate and strawberry gelato. sent off k’s postcard.
dinner at restaurant leon (RG). consomme rather strange, breaded pork chop not bad. fruit of the season was an orange.
back to alhambra for the night visit. another €7. it’s great as night cos so few people go. can enjoy the intricacies at a leisurely pace unless of course you’re busy snapping away.
nose acting up all night. looking forward to popping another anti-histamine for a good night’s sleep.

granada

went for a walk to see the castillo at sagunto. walls quite extensive but had neither time nor energy to explore further.
over 7 hours spent on bus from valencia to granada. strange to see valencia back to normal with regular traffic instead of massive crowds. cars on roads instead of people. how strange.
good first impression of granada. positively tranquil after madness of valencia. purchasing of bus ticket for cordoba was relatively painless, as was search for accomms. hostal austria had rooms, but without en suite bano for first night (€33 to 40).
dinner was across the street at antigua bodegas castaneda. mushroom stew not to my liking but pimientos stuffed with cod was good, as was rioja (local wine).

valencia

felt like i hardly slept. could feel springs of bed; radio blared on at 8am; random crackers punctured the morning calm. bathroom door not lockable; hot water temperamental but at least there was. got into town and better view of las mascaletas this time round.
decided to head for beach, las arenas (LP), for lunch. metro horribly crowded; tram surprisingly new and train-like. restaurants on the sea front doing a roaring business. thankful to finally get a table at a restaurant as most had stopped seating. had the menu (no choice) at €21 a head: calamares, little fried fish, pimientos (peppers), sepia (cuttlefish) and paella. ok, would’ve been better if hot instead of lukewarm. waitress harried but quite cheerful and kept up a bit of running commentary in spanish ‘here’s a spoon for you. and one for you.’ lunched from 4.30 to 6pm. from 30 degrees C, the weather was turned a little chilly. beach not very crowded but certainly more people on it than in tossa.
stood for over 3 hours to maintain position at front of barricade to watch the burning of the fallas on the plaza ayuntamiento. quite annoying the way everything was played out for the tv cameras and not to the crowd. could hardly see the burning of the ninot (small model beside the falla) at 11pm.
interviewed by radio valencia while standing at barricade. asked question in spanish even after i said no hable espanol. mercifully switched to english and asked how i found las fallas. assuming he was referring to the burning, said that i was really looking forward to it. must have thought i was an idiot.
spectacular fireworks at 1am. best view ever, riot of colours exploding right over our heads and you could literally feel the explosions. then finally the setting off of the firecrackers and the burning of the last fallas. they had been burnt at their various locations from midnight (the nit de foc) accompanied by bursts of fireworks. ‘city on fire!’ it was quite a sight watching the towering fallas burn, feeling the heat and seeing the columns of embers flaring in the dark sky. everything was over by 1.30am. grabbed a chocolate before catching the last train (2.20am) back to sagunto. just one more night in this crappy room.

valencia

incessant kissers. incessant smokers.
8am eurobus from barcelona to valencia for the fiesta de las fallas. slept cos i was feeling so tired. arrived at bus station to find lockers sole accepta pesetas, which had already been phased out. went down to train station by bus to find line in front of fully occupied lockers. getting desperate. went, tried to, for 2pm las mascaletas, heard rather than saw most of it. whole city crammed into the plaza ayuntamiento and stood still for the entire 5min of fireworks display. first time watching fireworks by day, smoke trails almost more of an impact than the coloured lights.
took train to sagunto, no consigna. last hope was for lodging. RG mention hostal carlos was first stop. place was full but they did have a room elsewhere (round the corner). turned out to be a dingy double room located above an eatery blaring some radio station. it was €25 a night. we took it gratefully.
took train back into valencia. finally had time to eat. indifferent bocadillo at cafe olympika. joined with the crowds in watching the procession of falleros offering flowers to la virgen. promptly got separated from wy. wandered about a bit, managed to see the front of la virgen, with flowers still being slotted into the frame. bought the las fallas handkerchief for €3. incredibly enough, managed to run into wy again. plan now was train station every hour on the hour if we got separated.
tried horchatas, something like soya bean drink, with an unmistakeable taste of nuts.
wandered about the old town from falla to falla. moving with the thronging crowd. questionable tapas for dinner (sepia and seafood salad.) bad food day indeed.
decided that plaza ayuntamiento wasn’t filling up so followed in direction everyone seemed to be going – towards the river. fireworks took place promptly at 1.30am for a good twenty minutes. view not too bad except when obscured by irritating kissing couples. with the show over, crowds emptied out and the trains were packed at 3 in the morning. couldn’t deal with showering in ‘the shining’ hotel and went to bed in jeans and shirt.

barcelona

dogs everywhere, which means dog poo all over as well.
gwyneth paltrow’s mug is ubiquitous in print ads for el corte ingles’ spring campaign.
the kids are sooo cute, more so than adults.
set off at 11.30 \am for catalunya stop, wanted to walk down las ramblas. could see that it was filled with strollers. from north to south, first the profusion of pet shops (hamsters, rabbits, birds, fish, chickens?!), then florists with the bursts of bright colours, then a stretch of eateries mercifully free of rowdy brits, then the portrait painters and artists and finally, the weekend market for peddlers of wares from rings to bags to incense holders to stained glass. ended up having breakfast at il caffe di roma. wanted to go to café l’opera, but it turned out to be the address for a couple of shops.
went back and got wy and we left for the harbour area at abt 1 pm. promenade by the sae was pleasant enough but unspectacular. gloomy weather didn’t help. faced with high prices, decided to rush to l’hostal de rita for lunch, just making it in time (about 3.45pm). had squid rings, cod in garlic sauce and biscuit ice-cream in chocolate sauce. fish was good.
started to drizzle. went down to ramblas market, bought some coin purses for souvenirs.
wy’s shoe falling apart but stores all closed with the exception of eateries and magazine/video stores (FNAC, VIPS).
went to el gavina for dinner. interesting little pizzeria decorated with angels and a mannequin in priestly robes. pizza was good! also did 1l of sangria between us. sangria cost more than pizza. came to €10 a head. feeling pleasantly buzzed.

barcelona

after coffee and xapates catalana (pronounced ‘ch,’) essentially pepperoni type sandwich, made our way to museo picasso. his mastery of portraiture evident from picture of his mother. no wonder he quickly got bored. nothing from the development of cubism period, probably too expensive. lunch at placa reial’s les quinze nits. had tomato soup and roast lamb from the shoulder (though i ordered duck) which was very good, if too much of it.
wanted to try taxidermista but no menu del dia today, mains more than €10.
discovered to our disappointment that palau guell was closed from 12-21 march. damnit! made way to parc guell instead. wandered about for a while before finding the gaudi stuff, which was clustered around the main entrance. wonder what he would have done had he finished the park. whimsy given free reign, lovely mosaics by jujol.
wanted to get a pastry as they looked so delectable, ended up getting the entire metre-long(?) apple pie pastry. good thing it was only €6.61. nicely packaged though, with strings tied for one to carry it. back to pensione to rest/sleep. wy went out about 11 plus to buy pizza (RG). very good. apple pastry not bad either.
headed out to eh clubs. first one, satanassa, had erotic murals, though hermaphrodites were not my thing. 40% of the music in english, fun and easy to dance to: one more time, can’t get u out of my head, it’s raining men etc. mixed crowd with strong lesbian presence. really smoky though, stung eyes as usual. at about 2, statuesque drag queen came on stage and mimed to spanish version of abba’s thank you for the music. on to vip sala dandy, again mixed crowd, including a twinky couple sucking face, heavier dance music. left about 4.30am. cab back to pensione €3.20.

montserrat

montserrat day began with breakfast at il caffe di roma. caught 11.36 R5 which meant that we made it to the basilica of the monastery just in time for the 1pm service. highlight for us was the montserrat boys choir singing ave maria. joined the procession to file past la moreneta, the back virgin. no kissing or touching of the statue for me.
interior reminiscent of opulent palace interiors. blue/gold colour scheme worked well.
steep funicular up to sant joan, over an hour’s walk to the sant jeroni hermitage and onto the summit of the mountain at 1300m. last stretch up was punishing, continuous stretch of steps upwards. felt good to be on summit with plains before us and the peaks looming about us. eroded features supposed to include pregnant woman, elephant, skullhead and phallic symbol. by the time we got back to sant joan, it was almost 5. shocked to learn last funicular had just left, though it was supposed to leave at 5.35. had to walk down another 30min or so on the road. tired out from experience.
dropped off stuff at pensione before heading to madrid-barcelona for dinner (across the street from hostal de rita). festival of shellfish was very good including mussels, cockles, and even razor back clam. potatoes with egg and anchovies too fried/oily. chocolate mousse with orange sauce good. came to €13 a head.
have showered. looking forward to bed.
(wy helped to get anti-histamines from pharmacist in the morning, €3.85, no blocked nose now.)

barcelona

woke up not feeling too good. beginning of bug? took a vitamin c pill. coffee and chocolate croissant at café roma chain. set off for pension norma. turns out room is €43, €40 was for double bed. annoying but nothing to be done.
today was ruta del modernisme day. first highlight was puig’s casa de les punxes (house of spikes). red-tiled turrets reminiscent of red square. a fairy-tale castle on the corner of a busy intersection.
gaudi’s casa mila (la pedrera) was excellent. his vision is simply extraordinary. orgy of photo-taking, especially on the whimsical rooftop. also enjoyed exhibits of barcelona in the early 20th century, and the recreation of a bourgeois apartment then. lunch at 4pm at hostal de rita. excellent value at €7. moussaka was very good, totally different from the greek version: zucchini and potatoes on minced meat and melted cheese. main course of fish was ok. dessert was crepe filled with raspberry sauce and drenched in chocolate sauce. delicioso!
found that amex was near passeig de gracias and open till 6. finally managed to cash rest of TC with no commission.
before lunch, saw manzana de la discordia: domenech, puig and gaudi in one block. puig’s casa amatller had colourful ceramic decorations. also peeked into interior. gaudi’s casa battlo was again breathtaking in its singularity of vision.
post lunch: sagrada familia. iconic spires arching towards the sky. views from high up incredible and dizzying. walked up to other set of spires. spiral staircase with nada on the inside dizzying as well. josep subirachs did the passion facade on the west. strong, simple lines and comic-book style figures, in contrast with gaudi’s complex, detailed nativity façade. struck up conversation with japanese girl who had studied in barcelona for 3 months. going on to granada the next day.
interviewed by school girl at exit. questions on/about barcelona. had to take picture as proof! had coffee nearby; finished postcards. unfortunately, sagrada familia not lit up.
casa batllo was lovely lit-up. also venue for EC candidates’ dinner. proceeded up rambla de catalunya: broad pedestrian lane with traffic on both sides, sorta like las ramblas without the stalls.
gaudi’s casa vicens another revelation in the middle of a quiet side street.
dinner at lebanese place equinox at placa del sol. neighbourhood/student feel to the place, with kids even at the pub! had shish-tauk baradillo (pita bread), which was good.

barcelona

must have tried almost all the lower-end rooms in LP and RG. finally settled on lodging for the night at hostel layetana at €21 per single room. in course of search, found out that liverpool was playing barcelona tonight and there was some EU meeting on as well. the brits took quite a bit of shine off barcelona. they were simply everywhere and they were loud. explains the large police presence. when we went to placa reial in the evening, it was filled with spilled beer and glass shards, the aftermath of a raucous mob.
after lunch at el convent (LP, abt €7 a head, avocado with tuna sauce appetiser good, but fried veal chop bland, as was lemon cake, red wine), headed out to gracia. pension norma actually had a room available for the next 4 days, with 2 beds, no shower though. €20 a head a night. (there was another option malda, at €23 a room but it was somewhat dingy.)
la seu – awesome gothic cathedral which accentuates the vertical. multiple columns instead of one large column retains lightness of feel. interior looks charred and blackened. again, too many details to take in.
stumbled onto excellent poster/postcard shop. posters for movies from star wars to reservoir dogs to clockwork orange, all about my mother, nosferatu. shop on the right was for art prints (rothko etc).
surfed for 30 min (€2) while waiting for la fonda to open for dinner at 8.30 pm. large fuss-free place with brisk efficient service. couldn’t stomach menu del dia so had veg/mushroom soup (weakish), mixed paella (quite good) and agua, for once. feeling tired and absolutely not in the mood for conversation.
coming back, went up wrong lift and wondered why no one opened the door. then realised door should be of glass, not wood. managed to get back to first floor before lights went out.

tossa de mar

didn't feel like i slept much. frequent rest stops didn't help either. bus to tossa de mar at €7.55 (at half that from Madrid to Toledo.) stop at lloret de mar not promising. hideously developed with discoteca hollywood, hotel casino... the faded flashiness like an aging showgirl past her prime. bus station at tossa not inspiring, foggy weather no help either. 2 groups of tourists though: a school group and a senior citizens group. found room at fonda lluna. not very cheap at €16 a head, only €1 cheaper than Madrid, but includes breakfast and private toilet. most of new town not open, signs of sprucing up for high season evident - white-washing, repairs, etc.
tossa's 12th century walls surrounding the villa vella were pleasant. gorgeous views of sea cliffs with seabirds circling. vegetation a curios mix of verdant desert (cacti!) and alpine (tiny flowers). after wandering in circles, chanced upon la piccola carla, a pizzeria with a good value of €8.11 menu del dia. had blanched green beans, pizza jamon and flan. vino tinto inclusive. charming, cheery place with patient waitress.
siesta’d. after brief appearance in the morning, sun was out again. even fewer places open for dinner. restaurant minerva met the criterion. had fish soup, shared sangria. former quite strong. came to €10 a head. only place open on the waterfront; positively bustling with 6 tables by the time we left. beach practically deserted, footprints of seabirds abound. old walls lit up at night. good detour to make on the whole.

toledo

overslept. got up at 10.30am instead of 8. rush to pack up and get to bank. pleasant surprise - no commission for cashing in TCs (cf cambio asking for 9%!!)
grabbed coffee and tortilla (potato omelette) boccadillo. latter was a mistake: huge, hard and cold.
first stop in toledo, the cathedral. quite magnificent, especially the coro (choir). no photography allowed but too much detail anyway. jumble of gothic, baroque and other styles. real charm in the streets of toledo itself: narrow streets of cobblestones, barely wide enough for a car to pass.
lunch choice bar tropezon was closed. downside of being in toledo off-season and on a monday to boot. ended up at los cuatro tiempos. nice, proper sit-down restaurant. ham/egg soup was good, perdiz (porridge) was unusual, ice cream quite good as well. post-lunch, off to santo tome for el greco's masterpiece: burial of the count of orgaz. (other tourists from us, japan, eu, including france.) not a big fan of el greco but setting was excellent.
synagoga maria la blanca next. very different from the cathedral. (lovely smell of soap.) not so opulent in detail but interplay of columns and arches arresting; detail on walls intricate. also saw san juan de los rayes with the 'festooning' chains. crossed bridge in attempt to get better view. alcazar was good but nada for the cathedral. choice for dinner cudena closed. ended up at nondescript bar with the ubiquitous fruit machine. mushrooms as if from can, meatballs ok though some were cold in the centre. ate marzipan. not moved.
took no. 6 bus back to bus station... and missed stop. dropped and started walking back. ok, better start running if we want to make the bus. caught the 9pm bus back to madrid. shocked to find that buses for barcelona were from another station. rushed to avenidia de america only to find out that 11pm and midnight buses were full. sprung for 11.15pm eurobus. almost didn't find bus bay. €30 to travel in comfort (toilet, reclining seats, spanish videos...) vs €21 otherwise.

madrid

didn't sleep too well. woke up at about 5.30am. eventually got out of bed at 10.30am. breakfast at museo del jamon. no chocolate y churros. darn! had oj, coffee and small ham and bread for €1.80. set off for museo del prado after that. free entry once again but should have done this yesterday instead. too many things to see: velasquez (some familiar pieces), reubens, hieronymous bosch (his hell imagery predates dali, just as surreal), goya (prodigious output in range and quantity, later black paintings full of agony and despair.) explanatory booklets excellent at €1. unfortunately, dispensers for goya and velasquez spoilt. got one on titian.
LP nom maseira was packed so ended up at la plateira and museo bar for lunch. menu in english as well but food so-so and service brusque.
went to catch bull fight at las ventas. stadium was gorgeous, mudejar style? €6.75 for tix in the sun. 6 bulls, 3 not-yet matadors. interesting though outcome overdetermined with odds stacked against bull. blood and death not disturbing at all. got poster of event for €4.50, kept inside a cylindrical tube for €2. tapas for dinner, €7 a head. started with fried fish, croquette and beer at casa labra; then potatoes in hot sauce at las bravas and limon; finally gambas in olive oil with garlic and chilli at abuello II. excellent if salty.
checked out plaza mayor by night; boring and less resplendent.

madrid

breakfast at cafe vergara. cafe leche and ham and tomatoes on toast. not processed ham though.
on to palacio real, catedral nuestra senora de la almudena, disappointing jardines de las vistillas (if we got there.) long way round to campo del moro.
metro to puerta de toledo for el rastro. didn't see much of a flea market, but characterful uphill shopping area: antiques, furniture, bags. settled on los caracoles for lunch. snail, chorizos and beer. tasty if salty, with slight bitter aftertaste. owner friendly, quite a character, demonstrating drinking of sauce and 'bellissimo' all the way.
castro de arte reina sofia in the afternoon. free entry - gao xingjian exhibit! stark ink on paper works. uncharacteristic dali and miro enjoyable. la guernica disturbing. yves' blue intoxicating. very stuffy. warhol/basquiat/clemente bewildering beyond pop culture references and wordplay. back to rifer for rest.
went out at 10pm for food. made it back at 1.30am. streets packed with madrilenos. first tapas bar was intimidating. casa del abuelo - tried prawns and sweet red wine. excellent. ca oreja de oro - white wine in terracotta jug, octopus and grilled oreja at wy's suggestion. later figured out oreja=ear. la venencia next for amontillado with cheese and olives. entire place looks smoked and unchanged in decor since the 50s at least. last stop cate central jazz bar. no more live jazz but wound down with hot chocolate and piped in jazz. streets still packed. still prefer to sit though it's standing room only at some tapas places. difference between the whites and the latin americans quite obvious.

madrid

sing-paris flight not too bad. managed to sleep despite large american on the aisle side. no upsizing pls. nose not doing too well though and extremely dehydrated. water is self-service; movie channels don't work, food's decent. voila, air france. emerged from sol station into the heart of madrid. took a while to find bearings. first attempt for accomms - hostal valencia. calle espoz y mina was quiet. dogged by 2 con girls. difficult to find. anyway, full. second attempt was riesco. comfy lounge area with stuffed animal heads and fireplace, but no rooms. third time lucky - rifer on 4th floor of a building. clean functional room at €33 a night. shower, no toilet. lift ridiculously small for 5, would need to stand indian file. excellent location, quite happy with place.
had lunch at casa parrondo. menu del dia for €9. friggin cheap. had potatoes and meat stew, veal, bread and bottle of wine. oh yeah, dessert too. rice pudding. had to reject cafe.
saw plaza mayor before lunch. gorgeous square with all the balconies and frescoes. nutter singing away.
plaza de la villa: unexpectedly cheery flower bed, mudejar tower.
san andres.
san gines.
el corte ingles - huge department store. wy looking for towel. no luck. at other el corte. on 2 other corners, el corte for books and cds/movies.
place de isabel II.
hot chocolate at san gires. no churros, too full from lunch. thick molten chocolate at €2.

couldn’t really get to sleep, read a little of The Chamber. last look at Athens and the acropolis from the cab. the arrival in reverse. the cab fare was ridiculously cheap, 2500 ΔPX, which worked out to 1250 a person. at the airport, this guy manning the souvenir store tried to get Ai’s attention, gave her his address, saying he collected phonecards and he didn’t have any from Venezuela. of course, he already had Singapore phonecards. yeah right. Ai stayed for a while before leaving to catch her flight to Rhodes. one final hug, then I was left to wait to board.

woke up at some point past nine. went to pangrati for coffee. good cappuccino. spent basically whole day shopping in plaka. got wallet for mom, shirt for dad and myself. talked to the jeweler again, about orphic mysteries etc. lunch at a nice café, ham and cheese sandwich. only charged for one, paid and quickly left. Ai saw this very lovely ring in a Byzantine jewellery store. another friendly guy. she bought 2 Al dresses for 15,000. came back about 4 and siesta’d. went for dinner in pangrati (place where I had lunch with T and R, next to morning’s café.) helpful greek who spoke French with Ai and helped us with the waiter. had sampling of appetizers and a very sweet, rich frappe. talked about Iv and his lack of social graces at dinner. walked about a little after that, then went back to hotel to rooftop garden. nice view of all the antennae opposite us and could see acropolis in the distance. some gypsy king was playing and we just sat there and talked. it’s been a very pleasant weekend, leisurely and unharried. glad I didn’t have to spend it alone. arranged for 3 am wake-up call and cab at 3.30. Ai also going to the airport as she’s flying to Rhodes. can’t wait to get back home!

woke up. saw T off, saw Tr off, saw A off, saw L off. said bye to Iv. when I came back from cashing some TCs, our apartment was being invaded by cleaning ladies. stuck around till 11.20 am, surrounded by them cleaning and bantering. got a cab, took the longest time to make him understand that I wanted to get to kleomenous, THEN get down to hotel priamos. cabbie didn’t seem to know his way about much. fare came to 1200. lugged Ai’s big bag to CYA center. met S and M there. went to wendy’s for lunch, where W, Al, Li (J) were. had baked potato with bacon and cheese, pretty good. went to amex to cash in another $20. went with S in search of bookstore then returned to the center. started to read ‘misery.’ sodas for vending machine cost 120 but R found way to sucker machine. put in 50 then 100 ΔPX, get soda, push coin return and get 50 back. said bye to everyone. Al locked up the place, so Ai and I went back to priamos (10,000 for the double, so 10,000 each for the 2 nights). dinner at plaka. kalamaria and coke (2000). was more, Ai wanted to pay with visa and was told she could but when bill came, machine was conveniently broken. oh well, got 900 off 5900 bill. walked around, thinking of bag, perhaps even ring for mom, got a t-shirt (probs for A) and some stationery. met this very nice jeweler who was talking, mostly to Ai, about jewellery, even offered to dip her 14K bracelet for just 1000 ΔPX.

wanted to get up at 7 to study but got up at 8.30 instead. read a while, went down early to the center with R and S. took test at 10.30 am. over and done with by 11.30! just wanted to give in those papers and be rid of them. everyone is so relieved to have everything over. finally managed to call home and talk to mom. can’t wait to get home. N was announcing grades before we went for lunch. got an A-, happy with the A for the final. retsina again, though I couldn’t drink very much. most of the food was really greasy. after lunch, went shopping in plaka with M, Tr, N, A, T and S. split up after a while, Tr was looking for espadrilles, went with S and T to the bookstore. sent Ni off at the apartment, she was crying. will probably keep in touch. rest of us went to D’s house for drinks. his 3 year old son is so adorable, Tr and I were playing with him in his room for a while. getting tired. after pleasant evening (saw D’s photos from 1990 onwards), went to kolonaki with T and S. got ice-cream from everest. walked S back and said my goodbyes. on way there, met those going to the disco, A, L, As, Ai, R and C (both quite buzzed). said goodbye to C. N had kissed her goodbyes after lunch. will definitely miss her.

got up past 9. went to grocery store, got packet of tangerine juice, oregano chips and instant noodles (550). worked on sanctuary paper intermittently throughout the day. quite loathed to do it. noodles for lunch. ice-cream break in the afternoon just to get butt off the couch. reading Time mag, which S has been buying. R buys IHT and USA Today (for the baseball stats.) N cooked the pilaf with mushrooms and lotsa butter for dinner. yummy. finally finished paper at 10 plus pm. wound down with REM’s automatic on L’s discman with speakers.

last session at site – acropolis museum and erechthion, a funky little temple if there was one. walked back with M and S, went to everest for lunch with S. had ham sandwich which unfortunately came with feta, and scoop of ice-cream (mandarina). came back wanting to work on paper but so tired I fell asleep on the living room couch. got down to center early, tried to call home, quite complicated. got through via Na’s phone, no one in. last class with N, she’s been so nice, letting us off early, her class demonstrations and now MCQs on the final. went to neon for dinner with R, club sandwich with pile of fries, only 720 ΔPX. scoop of cappuccino ice-cream. came back and worked on paper. Iv was irritating at intervals, asking questions about which statue to use, how he should arrange them... who cares? finished paper around 1.30 am.

laundry. ЕΘΝΙΚΗ ΤΡΑΠΕΖΑ to cash TC. macdonald’s at syntagma at 8.30 am. exchange of hello’s and how-was-your-weekend’s? forgot to bring camera for the acropolis. talking to A on the walk there. got paper back, A(-), quite happy with it. packed even early in the morning. dr D led us back to the office so was back in time. letter from D. after dr M’s class, went to everest for toast (omelette, ham, cheese, tomato). gotta start keeping away from eggs. short siesta, then off to academic center to watch video of peter hall’s version of Agamemnon: all-male cast in masks. visually sparse, dialogue was in the forefront, visual impact of clytemnestra’s red dress and cassandra’s silver make up all the greater. went to creperie (4 bitten) for dinner. turkey, mushrooms and tomato (700) followed by honey and walnut (500). went with S, L, M. food was good, if not very filling. L had this woodpecker cider, very nice. started list of sculptures, at one point standing around talking with S, Tr, T, N. Iv did this fashion show stance, announcing ‘pheidias, pheidias.’ nearly burst out laughing. talking to Tr about magazines and physics.

showered, went to bed from 6 am to 12.30 pm. went out looking for exchange place around kolonaki, zippo. had ice-cream (150 ΔPX) for lunch. came back, did some reading, had siesta from 2 to 5.30 pm. went with Tr to neon for dinner, omelette (ham, mushroom, cheese) for 850. got back, lazed about. N came back, went to neon again (Tr as well). she had BLT with fries, only 720. I had a scoop of chocolate chip ice-cream from everest (170). S was in when I got back. talked to him for a while, swapping weekend experiences. some guy, Nicholas, came to call for C. interesting.

muscles stiff from being tense the whole night. ay caraho. went to travel agent, got ticket back to Piraeus (sundeck class, 4650 ΔPX). breakfast of chocolate croissant and juice. went to akrotiri (R, T, S, Tr), Iv went shopping. yes. fracas over buying of ticket. R showed student id but seller wouldn’t acknowledge it. R kept asking why and eventually threw 1200 ΔPX at the guy. at which point he said ‘money no good. out!’ apparently, the card had expired. rest paid 600. I showed the guy Na’s letter stating I was a College Year in Athens student and got in free. bought R’s ticket for him. site was pretty disappointing. all the frescoes were in the national museum, only some storage pithoi. had lunch at nearby café (on black sand beach). fries and pepsi (700). back in fira, went shopping with R. santorini is touristy, but very nicely so. lots of shops selling interesting stuff, much less tackier than the Plaka variety. went back to pension petros, T asleep, 3 of us went back out to wander. so incredibly picturesque, an amateur photographer’s joy. almost too easy. Tr finally got shirt and bracelet for her brother (who’s into hunting and fishing). took bus to athinios port with Tr. others were staying for one more night and leaving on Sunday at 11 am. ferry was a pleasant surprise. dividers are cushioned so might actually get some sleep. talking with Tr about languages and musical instruments. most enjoyable. bunch of germans came by and plunked themselves in sleeping bags beside us. 2 girls, 1 boy (abt 18) and an older guy. Katherine and ? fairly noisy, then an Israeli struck up a conversation with them. he was going to the army for 6 years, just been to ios, last fling for many soldiers-to-be. interesting for the first 30 minutes or so, then it became a nuisance as Tr and I tried to get to sleep. they stopped around 2 or 3 am. we docked at Piraeus at 4.30 am. took cab back, 2000 ΔPX each.

the room apparently goes for about 8000 ΔPX in jul/aug. must be slow season. then again, no way would I pay 4000 ΔPX for that room (elli hotel). odd pillows. no towels. went over to place of 5. Iv had spilt detergent inside his bag. accident-prone. went for breakfast, ham and cheese pastry (not very good) and coffee (870 ΔPX). went to travel agent to get tix to santorini, N going back to Piraeus. girls/guys split. nice shops, souvenir-shopping, intrigued by Gold Silver Used Books store. ‘zoom’ was a pretty decent bookstore, but for new books. now reading R’s copy of andromeda strain, he’d bought disclosure. R and T decided to go to beach. so 5 of us took bus to philoti (300 ΔPX), into the heart of naxos. nice quiet village. where bus stops is village square of about 5 restaurants and cafes. (Iv’s hat gets blown into the gutter.) have lunch of special omelette (700 ΔPX). ok, cheese a little strong. walked around, picture-perfect place, the whitewashed walls, the touch of blue, green, the winding narrow streets. went back to square for frappe. back to (C)hora. girls jewellery shopping: Tr bought eye of shell pendant (gold), S bought it in silver and plain silver ring (1200). bought a double axe pendant for 400, most pleased. met up for dinner, went to tavern lucullus (since 1908). had swordfish fillet, very good (with grilled pepper, salad, cold potato), about 3000 ΔPX. N was telling story of how she met her boyfriend S. went down to port, lots of people about, quite a lot local. the churches were closed because of some festival. there was music, a procession of religious icons (banners, flags) and fireworks! very nice seeing them up close.
ferry to santorini daliana (2200 ΔPX) arrived an hour late at 11.30 pm. arrived santorini at 2.30 am. fracas of people hawking rooms. settled on 3500 each a night. driven up caldera and into thira to the pension. room with Iv, one double bed. shit. room is clean and decent, towels at least. have saved S twice by now. reminded her to get a box for her pendant (cos she put it on right away). buying Turkish delight, she nearly got the box with ‘sex power’ on it.

up at 6.30 am. left kusadasi in a smaller boat than when we arrived but sea was calm, hardly any sea spray. reached samos at about 11 plus. went for lunch with R, Tr and Iv. missed greek pizza. walked around back alley stores, then returned to samos hotel for ice-cream sodas and pinball. left samos at 4, arrived at naxos at 10.30 pm. very nice ferry complete with volleyball arcade game. dinner of roast beef with rice (1600). kinda ex, but it was decent. the sea was molten silver in the glare with only foam betraying its true nature. the moon was a brilliant dark red.
naxos: 7 of us nearly had to share a nice apartment (but with only 5 beds). Iv: well, as long as I get a single. the prick. guy came back and showed us a double at another hotel. T and I took it. 2000 ΔPX each.
getting here had been interesting. 7 of us bundled onto a mini-van and coursing through tiny streets. ‘problem with police? what problem?’ turned out waterfront was closed to traffic by the police, hence the van. went out for drinks (coke ) after that.

aphrodisias. 3 hrs there, 3 hrs back. wholly roman city. nat was leading. big fat waste of time. ‘egg motif on temple of Aphrodite.’ yeah right. couldn’t believe it when Ls asked him to sing in the odeion. lunch was pretty dismal. limited choice, some of it quite bad. (Iv was sick the whole day, upset stomach, ate something with milk?) went for a walk with T and S when we got back. at dinner, whole bunch of women sat together, picking up/getting picked up by the waiters. sat with T, R and S in the air-conditioned section. Iv joined in halfway. went down to the grocery store to finish up lira. sat by the sea for a while, listening to some dance music. dropped by the irish pub for a bit, the women were planning to go to a club. L, Se, B went to the Temple with three of the waiters.

priene, miletus, didyma. best preserved temple, there’s actually a forest of columns. lots of photos, playacting at priene. lunch with a view of the temple of АПОΛΛΩΝ. spread of veggie dishes (190,000) and pepsi (50,000). back to hotel, thankfully bypassing lee/wrangler discount store. finished English patient by the sea. postage for postcards from 30,000 to 20,000 to 15,000. As bought a very nice necklace which she wore to dinner. borrowed ‘sure of you,’ final book in tales of the city series. went out shopping after dinner (apple tea and Turkish delight). R got a buzz haircut. interesting. Iv left before we (R, T, S, Tr) headed to the jazz club. joined by Se, Mo, M. pianist and bassist were there, trumpeter (jean loup) came on again after 12.
island hopping: R, T, S, N, Tr and Iv. Istanbul dropped cos arriving back in Athens Sunday night.

first site was temple of artemis. one of the seven wonders of the world. one column still standing. of note: nat (our tour guide) felt up the bull on the site, exclaiming ‘he likes it!’ u never really expect to see your tour guide rubbing a bull’s balls. went on to house of virgin mary, then Ephesus: very well-preserved and most impressive, could do without the tourists though. after that, church of st mary (largest baptistry).
lunch. had moussaka (cold eggplant) and cheese rolls. ended up splitting bill evenly (300,000 each). Iv was apparently reluctant to share his shish kebab at the T/S end of the table.
museum of Ephesus. really tacky postcard of artemis with a whole bunch of babies crawling around, with milk squirting from her breasts, as good as clytemnestra’s death scene. got brought to this avarlya(?) leather place where a fashion show was put on for us and we were served apple tea (good). found it most amusing. in the store, Mo tried on a blue vest and black skirt. interesting, but not quite her. surprised to find out that her boyfriend is Taiwanese (but grew up in the states). way back, nat was teaching us some Turkish, but not the phrases we wanted to learn. ‘no, not without a condom.’ ‘no, I don’t want a camel either.’ (‘no, I was not looking at your wife.’ did I make this up in retrospect?) he also sang ‘u are my sunshine’ and ‘roses are red.’ turks are very entertaining. ‘shoe shine half price. body shine free!’ then there was this ice-cream vendor (to Mo) ‘psst! beautiful girl’ when Al or Ls walked by.
nap. lecture at 6. nap. after dinner, took taxi/bus downtown with R, T, Se, S, M and Iv. walked around a little, it’s really neat. finally found pub lane with about 20 pubs, each blasting its music. people dancing in front, trying to get you into their pubs. went to irish pub, got a b-52, nice enough. thumping british dance music. see people dancing in pub across the alley. group dancing was really fun to watch ‘Saturday nite.’ went to a jazz bar after that. interior courtyard, 2 walls of stone, 2 walls whitewashed. low wicker tables and chairs with couches along the side. one tree with its foliage covering the area, could see the night sky through the leaves. live jazz, real soothing. there was this 60 plus male vocalist doing body and soul(?). that was great. Iv left at abt 12. ‘should be getting back and get some sleep.’ he went alone. we left at abt 1, walked back (45 min). spent 320, 000 on drinks in all.

T slept on the floor so I had the double bed to myself. very good sleep. museum, then site. before that, short break at a very charming snack bar with daisies, artichokes, grapes on trellises. heraion. then back to vathy. lunch in a bunch, split veg pizza with Tr, and frappe (1200). walked about a little, lovely views of the bay, joking abt getting worry beads for the boat ride. played 3 games of pinball. decided not to get doped up since it was 1.5 hour trip. much more into the spirit of things this time, sing-a-long with Mo, didn’t even mind sea spray that much. was very glad and excited to reach turkey. some fracas at passport control over port tax, everyone had to pay 6000 ΔPX or US$20, except for me! changed money, have to get used to 44,200 lira per US$1 (from 220 ΔPX per US$1). dinner at hotel, with the sea just outside. very nice buffet dinner: string beans, mutton, fruits, desserts. had coke (40,000). had to count zeroes carefully before paying. walk after dinner with R, N, Tr, B. R has found his Turkish (?) wife. (greek wife is working at cya office.) walked out with Mo to get water. (had gotten stamps.) rooming with T and R at hotel marti. 4 days!

met at 6.45 am in front of library. set off at abt 8.30 am, arkadia lines, samaina. going was ok till we passed sounion. had gone to the sheltered lower deck as it was quite windy above. tables and chairs in the bar area, so everything was cool. then the lurches came, then a grinding sound, followed by this huge lurch which sent chairs sliding. Mo and N both slid onto the floor. N started panicking and crying. trying not to feel sick and stay calm at the same time. waves crashing against the window didn’t help much. took first ever motion sickness pill. took some effort to get back to the upper deck. very windy, but small price to pay for not feeling the lurching motion. when L went down to the cafeteria, she was wondering why so many people had Chinese takeout before realizing that they were barf bags. even if u didn’t feel sick, seeing a packed room full of people barfing definitely didn’t help things. thank god I was wearing jeans, borrowed sweater fr Mo (she had on sweatshirt and windbreaker). very glad I had finished the paper before getting on the ferry. started reading michael ondaatje’s the English patient. dinner at about 7.30 pm, rice with meat sauce and soda (1200). several stops along the way, including icarus’ island. hair was one clumpy mess. salt everywhere (tequila anyone?), especially on glasses. sea spray periodically whooshed on deck. at long last, at 10.30 pm, we dock at samos. never before, never again. could still feel the swaying motion. hotel samos is mercifully nearby. room with T and L. had ice-cream soda, literally ice-cream in soda water. tried to play pin-ball but machine wouldn’t take coins. some greeks laughing; felt like dumbass tourist.

agora in the morning. this time followed by 2 black dogs. rushed from agora to dr M’s class. we were late anyway. got letter from yq! after class, went to everest with R and Se. finally got the TOΣT thing. u just point out the fillings, then the server tells you the price and u pay at the counter. 450 for toast with cheese, ham, egg, tomatoes. it was great. came back, worked on paper. went down to the classroom at 5 for talk on Byzantine art. went down with T, met N on the way (to her cousin’s to get a haircut). she jokingly punched T and he punched back. hard. oh-kay. said he didn’t like getting hit, not even as a joke. thought things might turn ugly. after talk, went to NEON for dinner. spaghetti with tomato sauce, figured it couldn’t be more than 1000 ΔPX, turned out to be 1400! what a rip-off. came back, worked on paper some more, finally finished at abt 11.30 pm.

R asked for lecture to be pushed back, so it’s now at 10, extra hour of sleep! Brought laundry in. after class, went with Tr and M to stationery place, notepad paper. Collected laundry (1 load this time). R was depositing his, went for lunch at Everest, ordered hot dog, got hot dog, had wanted the bacon/egg/cheese… sandwich. Went with him to stationery place, his notebook. Went to American Bookstore followed by another English bookstore on Amerikis. 2nd one was better, like a regular bookstore with different subject headings, but no prices. All the while, I’m lugging my clean laundry around. Got back, read a little, time to go. Went to academic office to try to change flights, about $109 for Lufthansa leg, no seats for SIA up till 8/4. There goes Egypt. ($880 saved.) Nice to see Dr M again, I think we’ve all missed her. After her class, went for dinner with T and S. Neon, had omelette (ham and mushrooms) for 550 and frappe for 460, pretty good deal. W is getting quite a few people irritated, S included (beer bottles, dishes…) N got letter from boyfriend and was looking for T or me to calm her down (gee, what a compliment). Came back, worked on paper.

Sanctuary of Apollo (museum first) in the morning. Yes, breakfast with cheese and ham again. Incredibly hot, lucky to get under shade a few times. View is incredible. Love it. After sanctuary, went down to village with R. Store selling Greek monopoly board still not open, got some ice-cream. Short ride to town, got lunch: string beans, sprite, bread (900 ΔPX). Veggies were good. (with R, Mo, M, L, Se). Some shopping after that, R, Mo, M all bought rugs, I bought 2 retsina jugs. About 3 hrs back to Athens, comfortable being back, but would prefer the heat wave was over. N cooked spaghetti and sauce for dinner, Se and I went over. Postcard from W. Finished ‘Significant Others,’ book 5 of Tales of the City. I had thought there were only 3 books. Great to return to familiar characters. No work done. (As’s, she has book 6 as well.)

Independence Day. Lovely morning on the beach (1/2 hour from Olympia), nice and sandy, shallow for a good 10m or so, even with fish. Talking to As about the army, she was most amused. Nicest beach ever and no sea urchins! Had ham and cheese toast there. Start of drive to Delphi, short (10 min) boat ride from northern tip of Peloponnese across, then another 2 hr drive. Nice β class hotel (Acropole), fixtures newer and shower is plastic-enclosed. Fantastic view of the mountains. (Room with R, T.) went for frappes (liko, megala) together, small café (300 ΔPX). Met at 6:45 pm for site (lower sanctuary to Athena). Guard was REALLY weird. First, he asked for cigarettes and took 5 from L’s box. Throughout our tour, he was acting really strange, asking about a fire, dancing, we completed our tour fairly quickly. Went up to the Roman catch basin and glimpse of the gorge. Dinner with T, S, N, Tr, Mo. Set for 1400 (Moussaka, spaghetti, greek salad, watermelon.) T bought a lapis lazuli necklace for his girlfriend ($180). [While on journey here, N told us (As, A) that she was really pissed with W, didn’t exactly catch why. Seeing those Silk Cut cigarette ads. Nice Work!] N talking about Orthodox church, marriage and Easter.

Breakfast here is pretty good. Certainly better than Nauplion’s. 3-hour session at sanctuary of Olympia, much impressed by size of temple of Zeus and no doubt the cult image. Lunch at café Dionysos with T, S, Tr. Had stuffed tomatoes and tried yoghurt with honey (good but would have liked more honey). Went back and siesta’d till 3:30 pm. Had a hard time getting up. Got to the museum by 4 and it was another intensive session, esp when Dr D announced we were doing the 12 labors of Heracles on the metopes and assorted figures, after we had just finished with the pediments. Almost 7 by the time we finished, was hungry, so joined N, As, L and A for dinner. Exchanging Ids with photos, always amusing, T’s student ID photo is really hilarious, hair messed up and this goofy look. Walked around after dinner, shops here are less cheesy than the ones in Athens, but trying not to buy (but still have to get souvenirs). Met Al, Ls (who decided to go watch Mississippi Burning at the open-air theater) and W, who walked back with us.
[Earlier in the afternoon, saw suntan lotion labeled ‘Topless.’ Talk about niche marketing.]

dreamt abt the whole group cutting trip short and returning to Singapore for NS. Well. Museum in the morning, Lerna, Tiryns, Palamidi. Walked down the 900 or so steps with T, R, S. Calves shaking by the end, gross. Lunch together at taverna in alleyway. ‘Spaghetti bolognaise’ I said and pointed and the waiter went straight back into the kitchen. Duh? Kinda dry when it came. + coke 1100 ΔPX. Iv joined us halfway through. Status ice-cream for 300. Apparently things a little strained between W and L over who’s got worse arthritis. Loong bus trip to Olympia. Hate twisty mountain roads. Borrowed Apuleius’ The Golden Ass from As. Stopped at beach at 5:30 pm. Read and listened to walkman (A’s). People are really into this paddle-ball thing. Hotel Pelops is very nice, double with R, spacious (bigger than triple at Diouscuri), extra pillows (bolster!), couch, chair, tub with curtain… Dinner at this place with no menu, waiter recited, Dr D translated. Had cod-fish, tsatsiki, coke, wine (1800). Everyone except Al and gang, L and gang there. One main street, walked along with T and S.
[Vegetation around here positively lush compared to normal short trees, barren rocky landscape normally seen.]

Epidaurus in the morning. Picnic lunch at church near Franchthi Cave, small church, few benches outside, very nice view of the bay. Bread, cheese, egg, tomato, peach, great lunch. 20-25 min trek to cave along coast. Quite spectacular, esp the gorge after a little rock-climbing to get to it. Swim, water’s gorgeous, busted right toe on urchin. Magnet for them. Picking up shells and dried urchins with N on walk back from cave. It rained! Started at sanctuary of Asclepius, fairly heavy when we were on our way back to the hotel. Saga of Oresteia. Last minute jitters abt whether the weather would hold but we eventually set off (Al, As, T, S, Tr, B, Ai, Iv, C). Supposed to start at 10, couldn’t get to seats till abt 15 past. Finally at 10:40 pm, announcement that heavy rain had short-circuited 80% of the wiring and we would get the concertante version. Made no sense, music sounded atonal, this guy was doing all the parts from falsetto to bass and back. From the program, saw photos of funkily dressed actors, most interesting was drawing of Clytemnestra, breasts bared, squirting blood? from her nipples. Al got the refund for us. Got back to Nauplion at 12:40 pm. Had fish soup, went back, collapsed on bed.
Finished The Dead Zone (T’s). Fairly entertaining, overall disappointing.