Stepping in it...

Dear Diary

This is Tuesday, more or less 16 August 2006. I sitting in the lounge area at the Barcelona Mar Youth Hostel in Barcelona, Spain. I had a bottle of wine with me and I had to wait a while to get a turn on the PC. The wine is now almost epmty so excuse my spelling...

After a bit of a rough start, Barcelona is starting to get a bit of shape now. It's warming up to me as some might say. After spending a night on the pavement outside the train station Sants and walking around yesterday like a zombie, I had a good night's rest and I did the touristy thing today. We took a hop-on-hop-off tour of Barcelona. Saw all the famous tourist spots. An in depth journey of the works of Antonio Gaudi and the effect what the international money towards an olympic host can do to a city. Extravagent displays of a big budget.

Maybe I'm just spoiled by the authentic Spanish city, Granada where everyone owns a dog and little teashops are welcoming you on every corner. Barcelona is like Cape Town or London with a beach. You'll see a Starbucks or MacDonalds and everything is rediculously expensive. Even more expensive than London. There is also dogshit everywhere and more human statues than you'll ever knock over (my comment about the statues comes from Lonely Planet Travel guides just in case someone things I'm trying to rip them off!).

Tommorrow we'll go the the town Fugueres to see the works of Salvador Dali. This was a big movitation to visit Spain after I was told at the end of my tour in the Dali Universe in London, that all the great works are still in Spain.

I'm pressed for time now, by other semi-drunk surfers so please check later to see my visual highlights.

Regards
El Blikman

P.S. I might have eaten some form of meat today but my spanish is to bad to tell for certain...

London on a Sunday

What is the typical Sunday like in London..



First of all... sleep late.





Then go do some sightseeing...





Have a burger in the park or strole down the River Thames..






Go for a swim in the fountain at Trafalgar Square...



End it like all good sundays with some nice desert.
Belgian Waffles and Cappacino in this case.

A Night on the Dorp

dorp
noun

(now S Afr)
1. A small town or village.

Etymology: 15c: Dutch.

This is also the name of a incredible South African band.

About a week ago, I had the privilege to go see them. I was a bit drunk during the event so I didn't get all the information required to produce a proper publish quality article. I can however describe the memories I have concerning the whole evening.

At first, I must admit, the name sounded familiar but the perception I had of them was more of a type of Indie rock band like Watershed or so many other South African bands. Maybe even a accordion or something, to give them a unique angle...like everyone else.

Me and my friend Mart set of to the Clapham Grand, at Clapham Junction in London, to go and see them. My previous visit to this venue was a bit of a let down. The bands were a bit boring and there weren’t as many people. (Also I didn't have half a bottle of tequila before going.)

The first band was called The Colonies. I was impressed with the image and overall quality of the music. It reminded me a bit of Radiohead. Their music was accompanied by trumpet and at one stage a melodica played by a simple girl dressed in white. Lovely.

When Dorp came on stage the crowd (maybe hundred and fifty people but more than my previous visit) roared and they made a excellent entrance. Black stage turned blue and the electronic sounds of a synth-playing Frenchman filled the air. The lights went on and the front man named Piet (I might be wrong) grabbed the microphone. His voice had that edge that can make a good band great and the lead guitarist's knees bent as he hit the bottom strings. The drummer was staring over the drum kit like a young boy learning to drive but the sounds were like these of a professional racecar driver!

They have an excellent stage personality and the one hit after the other just spilled of the edge of the stage.

After I closed my mouth and stopped staring, I hit the dance floor. Spinning and bouncing all over the place. Everywhere you could see people following the trend and soon we were painting the "town" red!

Afterwards, I mingled a bit with the town members and their huge entourage of groupies. All, dressed in full Dorp paraphernalia. The council.

I would really encourage anyone who's up for a good time, to join these artists whenever they can.

Dorp! Dorp! Dorp!

The dictionary insert was taken from the site http://www.sleepycreek.net/ Thanks