December 23, 2013 It was hard to get out of Paris. We stayed an extra two days (out of our 25) in Belleville, the recently gentrifying part of northeast Paris proper. Not as bad as the completely over-developed Marais, formerly…
Europa, Xmas 2013-14, Pareeeee!
December, 2014 Just the words. “L’Isle de la Cite”, the tiny island in the middle of “La Seine”, from where the great city grew. “Notre Dame”, the grandest cathedral of them all, construction first begun, brick by brick, in 1153. “L’Arc…
Europa, Xmas 2013-14, “Family”/Rotterdam
December, 24, 2013 Family and Christmas go together, right? Like love and marriage. Like horse and carriage, right? Well, I won’t disagree. But growing up in a mostly non-practicing Jewish family, I didn’t know much about it. Sure, we had…
Europa, Xmas 2013-14, “In Bruges” or… On the Road Again
December 29, 2013 Eeeeeeeeeee hah! “On the road again”. This time in Holland and Belgium, Xmas, 2013. I’m riding shotgun with BadAss Bro-in-law, Dillinger Dave, and we’ve broken out the little Audi for an all day trip to touro-Euro friendly,…
Coney Island
1952 i remember growing up in the 1950s. in levittown, long island. the first suburb built in america after world war 2. then in westbury, long island, about a 40 minute train ride via the long island railroad, to…
Bali, 2012: chapter one – 9 lives times 2 and good karma
denpasar, bali, indonesia it’s spring, 2012. time for a new adventure. i get off the plane in denpasar, bali… looking for da wife at the island’s only international airport. she’s gonna pick me up and bring me to the hindu-bali…
Bali, 2012: chapter 2, stuck inside of bali, with the gouty blues again
padangbai, bali, indonesia we’re staying at the padangbai beach homestay. “padang“, glass. “bai“, bay. padangbai, glass bay, the still-undeveloped fishing village on the still-pristine east coast of bali, still far away from the tourist hordes of kuta beach, legian, seminyak…
Bali, 2012: chapter 3, enter my new “partners”
padangbai, bali, indonesia and that’s the way it goes down. first thing the next morning, the 3 princesses climb into the drivers’ car towards kuta, LA, & medan – without even a word to me. i’m stuck in the corner,…
Bali, 2012: chapter 4, the “bule” (boo-lay) squeeze
padangbai, bali, indonesia now we’re at made’s house in mimba village. where all the other bules are living, scattered here and there, amongst the local balinese. where all the other bules own property. or… more accurately… don’t “own” property legally,…
Bali 2012: chapter 5, magic?
padangbai, indonesia “next?” i have no idea. but it’s clear that i’m not in charge anymore. i get on the back of made’s motor bike for the 2nd day in a row, and we roll past padangbai’s white sand beach…