marzo 29, 2010

bologna, italy

Between the 23 and 26 of March took place the International Children's Book Fair at Bologna, Italy. I went as a guest with Pum! Editores, since last year i illustrated a book for them. They were three and a half day of non-stop meeting great people, fantastic places, and visiting the very intestines of illustration around the world.
It was some kind of ethnological experience too, since italians are so particular and different from zagreb people. In a way, they remind me of Buenos Aires, some things at least. It was good, and strange. Anyway, after the italo-madness, i was waiting to come back to this other madness, tha balkanic one.
A special mention deserves my host and friend Renato, in whose house i had so much fun, alchohol, other stuffs and, eventually, some sleeping. And Leonardo, a crazy guy from Rome that i met in the first half an hour in bologna, and we were inseparable mates of adventures until he left.
























1. as in everywhere, we have a 'piazza maggiore' (main square)
2. around bologna I - gallery. Bologna has many of these, they are lovely, and having a coffe in there is soooo good. speacially when there's no one, wich is not very often.
3. inside the cathedral, there was a special place for people who actually wants to pray; it was just a room, it didn't bother tourist much.
4. piazza nettuno (neptune's square), with the Fontana dell Nettuno (Fountain of Neptune). it represents the Pope and his power ruling all over the earth (in this case, water: Ganges, Nile, Danube and Amazon). interesting enough is the intensive erotism of the whole sculpture: see for example those four well gifted woman at the bottom, squeezing their tits to get water (4b, the picture is not mine). Italy is maybe the best place for studying double-moral, i love it. even the catholic church has its main office there... it's unbeatable!
5. spring came when i was in bologna
6. night lights
7. it was plenty of these trees in blossom
8. map of italy, as seen on a shopwindow
9. a show onside a music shop of some singer/songwriter called 'Dente'. the music was good, even i didn't undertand much; but i liked the picture.
10. around bologna II - IMPERIO and mr. No One reading the newspaper (no offense)
11. around bologna III - POLLERIA (means 'chicken shop'). there were more than chickens there, as you can see.
12. Bologna International Children Book Fair, entrance hall
13. in the fair, with Leonardo and Shaun Tan (google him, he's really good)
14. in the fair, at the "stick-whatever-you-want" wall
15. where are we?

That's it for now, hope you enjoyed it!

Doviđenja!
p

_

marzo 20, 2010

ljubljana, slovenia

Couple of days ago, on Friday, we went to Ljubljana, capital city of Slovenia. We went out early in the morning, having slept 4hs or less, after a heavy drinking goodbye party on the fifth floor, the only one which rooms have balcony and only one bed -lucky bastards! The expedition team splitted in two, some went by car and others (included me) took the train. 2.30h and 3 or 4 passport checks later, we arrived to Ljubljana.
It's a beautiful city, slightly smaller than Zagreb, with mountains all around. In one of them, of course, there's a castle (ca. 1500). Not far from it runs Ljubljanica river, crossed by several very nice bridges. People seemed a little more relaxed than in Zagreb, not to mention the average height was 25cm less than zagrebians. A little bit more like home, despite the fact of having a whole ocean inbetween.
We were walking loosely for almost 8 straight hours, so we spent the last hours in a bar, drinking delicious beer for a change.














1. from the train, already in Slovenia.
2. me (photo session in train's bathroom).
3. in front of an art gallery, some post-sovietish exhibition inside.
4. At a park, near the art gallery (Justyna, from Poland, taking 5 pictures per second).
5. From the same park, looking to the castle on top of the hill.
6. Ljubljanica river.
7. From the castle, looking at the city.
8. From the castle, looking at the castle.
9. where are we?
10. the crew (everybody but Justyna, who took the picture). from left to right:
  • Bogdan (Romania)
  • Nikša (Croatia)
  • Torbjørn (just Teddy) (Norway)
  • Jigar (Singapur)
  • Anikó (Hungary)
  • Gaëlle (France)
  • Pablo (Argentine)
  • Miloš (Serbia)

Everytime i see the list of countries, i think 'english is a blessing'.
Hope you like the pictures!

_

marzo 15, 2010

samobor

This weekend we went to Samobor, a little town 30km from Zagreb. After a whole week of cold, snow, mud, clouds, more cold and mud, sun raised with all his shiny power.
Those of we who survived last nights' latino & polish parties headed to this beautiful place, looking for the peace and time-off that Zagreb -with all it's bars, pubs, discos and friends- couldn't give us.












1. expedition team (from left to right):
  • argentine, syria, croatia, chile, argentine, germany, argentine, france and romania.
2. just some colors ;)
3. walking throw the narrow streets of samobor, enjoying the sun VERY MUCH
4. while climbing, we saw this alert sign, but nobody knew what it said (our croatian translator preferred to stay at a coffe rather than coming with us to the mountains).
5.
Stari Grad (ooooold city, ca. 13th century). Some croatians we found there told us the meaning of the sign:
"Watch out your head, stones might fall down".
6. some words of my good friend Bogdan.
7. my good friend Bogdan, from Romania.
8. where are we?

_

marzo 11, 2010

rastoke town & plitvice national park // stop being so beautiful!

Last weekend we went on a trip to Plitvice Lakes National Park and a little mill town called Rastoke. It's quite near to Zagreb, we traveled only 1.30/2 hs to get there; 40' more and we'd get to the coast and fallen into the sea, or crashed with an island.
I believe pictures speak for themselves. Just let me add it was IN CRE DI BLE.
Hope you enjoy them; I've like one million pics more, but I prefer quality to quantity.

have a nice day,
p


1. 45' coffe stop
2. rastoke town
3. plitvice national park entrance, biiiig map
4. around plitvice
5. hotel, near frozen lake
6. where are we?








_

marzo 10, 2010

UPDATE / where was that panda-looking thing?

Find the panda!



Today it was snowing the whole day, since early in the morning. The panda's condition is worst than i thought; he didn't move an inch.
Maybe he's budhist and he's meditating; or maybe he's just drunk. For the last two years or so.

_

marzo 09, 2010

what's that panda-looking thing?

Ante repetidas consultas acerca de la naturaleza y procedencia de esta panda-thing, quisiera mencionar que no tengo la menor idea de cómo llegó ahí ni por qué. Aun no he desarrollado el suficiente manejo del idioma local como para dilucidar este enigma. Sólo sé que pasa las horas en completa quietud, en uno de los patios de la Facultad de Filosofía. A diario lo visito para constatar la existencia de signos vitales, pero estoy perdiendo las esperanzas. Hoy nevó un poco y ni así manisfestó la menor reacción.
Les dejo una imagen más reciente, donde pueden verlo en su acostumbrada actitud de reposo.
Continuaremos la investigación.
El anciano en la pecera es un buen señor que ayudó mucha gente en la turbulenta época de Tito y el comunismo. Sus huesos estuvieron escondidos nosecuánto tiempo hasta que cayó el bloque soviético, y hoy reposan en algún lugar debajo de la instalación. La guía turística mencionó algunos otros datos más, pero no presté atención. Era mucho más interesante sacarle fotos al fiambre dentro de la heladera.
Las montañas de Medvenica están a 1.30 hs de Zagreb, hay pistas de esquí y la vista es increíble. Voy allá una vez por semana, en tranvía. En tiempo es poco más que ir a Ciudad Universitaria (para los que conocen el tema); en distancia karmática es como ir al Tíbet. Les dejo otra foto desde la cima.
Por último, la imagen nocturna es la vista desde el 4º piso en una noche de niebla. El río Sava queda a sólo 200 mts de la residencia donde vivo y nos proporciona humedad en cantidades colosales.
Todo en Croacia queda cerca, es una experiencia extraterrestre para los porteños.

Doviđenja!
p


ps. Non spanish readers, please forgive me for not translating this, but i think you might know what pictures show.



marzo 05, 2010

zagreb, first impressions









1. panda bear, faculty's park
2. on the way to university
3. medvenica woods
4. from the residence window
5. cathedral's altar
6. on top of smjele, highest peak of medvenica mountains
_