madrid and barcelona, Spain

After a week or so in Berlin, i went to Madrid and Barcelona, to visit my friends (Santigo, Eugenia and their little girl Tania in Madrid; Fernanda in Barcelona) and speak freely spanish, at last! I stayed a couple of weeks between both cities, enjoyed some family living (again, at last) and took some great tours on car around the cities. Spain is one of the most beautiful countries to eat, go out, meet people, etc. People is open and warm, but i suppose speaking the same language helps a lot.
In Madrid i did rest a lot, went out and enjoyed the company of my friends and their beautiful house. I've been almost every day to Museo del Prado, where are the largest collections of Goya's and Hieronymus Bosch's paitings, among maaaany others. By the other hand, the museum had a fantastic air conditioning system that was really helpful: the temperature in Madrid was about 35°C and rising. Since my camera failed a bit and did not have batteries, i decided to take a short rest from photography those days.
Afer that, i went to Barcelona for a few days. It wasn't on my plans, but since my friend invited me emphatically, i did go... luckyly. I haven't been to Barcelona in 13 years, and never did take a good tour around the city. So, my host took me around the city, going from the mountains, to the sea, to another mountain, to the beach, to a bar up in a hill where you could see the whole city drinking a beer. And, unlike Madrid, Barcelona is a city extremely bike-friendly (not as much as Berlin, though, since it has many ups and downs), so going out with bike was the perfect plan in the summer. Fernanda is such a lover of that city that she new every square centimeter of it, and which architect made it. That was a great city tour.
We stayed a couple of days in the city and went to visit my cousin Santiago and his wife, Irene, both extraordinary people that met working in Andorra in the winter skying season. After some years in Barcelona, they decided to move to the mountains (the Pyrenees), to a little town called La Seu d'Urgell (don't ask me to pronounce it in catalan, please). That was a perfect day and a half, goodbye trip from Barcelona. The day after, i took a plane to Budapest, to meet my friend Lea from Germany, in my way back to my dear Zagreb.

PS. thanks paula, and please forgive my fragile memory! i've visited my friends paula, juan and their little little little aimé in Barcelona; we had a really nice time talking and talking (one of my favourites activities in Spain, God save the common language), although i'd liked to repeat at least once more. Time was running fast, and airplanes don't wait. I should also mention my friends Belén and Vera from Madrid, with whom we shared some great afternoons, again after 14 years... ufff, as i said, times flies. Ajde, best for you, it was a really pleasure to meet you!!




1. Gothic neighborhood!
2. Next to the fountain down the Montjuïc.


3. At the entrance of the Miro museum, great place.
4. Somewhere in an open market. I'd like a room full oh these.


5. Same market, different food category. I'd like a plate full of these; the room would be very smelly.
6. Next to the Montjuïc, down the fountain. Crazy sculpture made by i-don't-know-who, a very renowned artist/architect.


7. Looking at the Montjuïc, thousands of people waiting for the fountain's show to start.
8. Looking from the Montjuïc, same situation.


9. The show started!
10. Sunset a La Seu d'Urgell, in the Pyrenees.


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berlin, Germany

After a week of goodbye parties in Zagreb (at that time everybody was leaving, some home, some on travel), i took a plane to Berlin, without a precise idea about how much that city was going to blow up my brains. I was in the mood for a big city; for speaking spanish with my good friend Santiago, who lives there; and, of course, for traveling.
Berlin is an incredible big city, although its population is small considering its size. Its quitness and order (that's not synonymous of boredom, in this case) surprised me; there weren't many cars on the streets, its trains and subways system is outstanding (and expensive, sure); and, perhaps the best thing, it's extremely bike friendly. I stayed at my friend's flat, in Mite neighborhood, 3 blocks away from the tv tower; nice location, indeed. Anyway, i wouldn't mind to live in Kottbuser Tor or it's surroundings, with their bohemian, turkish, coffy style. Neither i would complain to be near the river or one of the many channels that cross the city. I think that almost any place would have been great; that's Berlin!
I went to a couple of theater plays, in both of wich people got undressed. Clubs put a stamp in your arm, with wich you can go in and out as many times as you want, during the whole weekend. Sunlight in summer lasted until 23hs, days were endlesssss! Kebaps were tasty and cheap. Its ALLOWED to take your bike in the trains or subways. Train and subways work all night long from friday to sunday. Flea markets are beautiful, street festivals are very funny and buildings are covered with huge graffities. Bars decorations are outstanding, from cool to kitch, woody or with sinthetic red fur on the walls. Etc, etc, etc.
That's what i call 'first world'.
A big big hug and thanks goes for my german friends, Jelena and Nadja, whom i've met in Zagreb while studying croatian.
Ajde, enjoy the pics!
i own you the description for each one... soon!




























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Let 3, u Purgeraju

Couple of weeks ago, i went to see 'Let 3', a fabulous croatian band from Rijeka, to Purgeraj, in Zagreb with my friend (and the one that told me about this) Tomislav. They're playing for the last 23 years, cooking slowly in the socialism of Yugoslavia, a quick hit of heat during the 1991/95 serbo-croatian war and the final touch, 15 years of capitalism for proper rot.
Here is what Wikipedia says about them:

The band is popular in Croatia and other former Yugoslav republics due to their original approach to rock music and their obscene live performances. Sometimes provocative and vulgar lyrics and always shocking live performance with lots of nudity often polarise Croatian public. READ MORE

The importance of this event cannot be fully undestand if i don't mention the fact that -until that moment- all i was able to listen to in croatian music was some kind of dumb melodic love, brainwashing, luis miguelish oversweetness, depressing music. It's no my intention to offend anyone... but those were hard times.
I've recently posted a video of them.
Now the pictures, from beggining of the show to the end. Last to pics: me and the singer, and me and tomislav. Enjoy!












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belgrade, serbia

After having a great birthday party last week (thanks everybody for being there!!) , still with some hangover and the promise of a new one because of Torbjørn birthday, the expedition team headed to Belgrade, Serbia, on a sleepless night train.
Belgrade was the capitol city of Yugoslavia, country that ended quite sadly, with wars in the '90. You can still tell the importance of that city, it's in the buildings decorated with imperial eagles, in the size of monuments and avenues. Quite different to Zagreb. It's also a big city; again, quite different to Zagreb. From the moment you step on Belgrade, you can see the ex-comunist atmosphere around, the old cars, huge dark buildings, shitty trams, people of any procedence, all together... i loved that. In fact, i really liked Belgrade, there was something going on, in the sense i conceive it: street art, dirty alleys, some kind of social friction that makes sparks... I hope i might come back sometime. Besides, i got 1000 dinars left (=10€) that i would love to spend there.
A special mention deserves our host Zeljko, who showed us many parts of his city and guided to some special alternative bars. Viewed from outside, you hadn't given a penny for them; but once inside, it was quite different. Again, i'd love to come back to that place.

Sretan uskrs za sve! Happy easter for everybody!
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1a. Zemun in front, Belgrade behind (from the hill of Zemun). to your left, the Dunav (Danube, coming from Budapest); to the right (not in the picture), the Sava river (coming from Zagreb).
1b. crossing the Danube, arriving to Belgrad by train. 6am, no sleeping and a fantastic atmosphere of 'feeling tired as shit but i don't care a fuck'. Jigar (singapur) put his camera aside, but just for a minute.
2a. hotel of doubtful category, "Mr. President". anyway, the category of our hostel wasn't doubtful at all: it was 100% no-category.
2b. feeling arty argain, sorry. very alternative-yet-nice-clean bar. there i learned, at last, how to order coffe the way i like it. i should ask for a 'double macchiato' (mostly coffe with a little bit of milk) or 'turkish kava s mljekom' (simple kava is too short!)
3a. ortodox church... looks like an old-school beautiful church, but it's been built in the last years. inside it's not even finished yet!
3b. coming back from Zemun to Belgrad, in the coast of Danube. the name says it all.
4a. below the walls of the fortress that dominates belgrad, where once armies used to aniquilate each other, we have this cute tennis courts.
4b. some random street in the center of Belgrad with a beautiful statement.
5a. Zeljko, a serbian guy we met in Cvjetno (the students residence), was in Belgrad with his family. we went to his place for easter lunch, on Sunday. we were six hungry, messy, international loudy people, even one of us was a vegetarian! needless to say, they were VERY kind.
5b. in the top of Gardoš hill, the beautiful Gardoš tower. climbing a few more stairs, you can have the great view of [1a]
5c. good to know. by the way, in Serbia they write in cyrillics. serbian (that's not exactly the same as croatian) AND cyrillcs it's way too much. i think know i have a permanent brain damage.
6a. cyrillics strike back. i think the problem is that they are quite similar to latin characters, so you have like an automatic impulse to read them. i wouldn't happen with chinese, or arab, tell you that by experience.
6b. serbian expedition crew, from left to right:

Zeljko (serbia)
Anikó (hungary)
Torbjørn (norway)
Justyna (poland)
Gaëlle (france)
Jigar (singapur) was around, taking pictures probably

7a+b. great graffitti on some random wall. belgrad is full of graffittis, and many of them are these huge. The bottom line says "The saint of ("La Santa de", in spanish) Belgrade ("Београд", serbian cyrillics)". it was funny to translate this graffiti: Zeljko didn't know what the first part meant, and i didn't know the second one.
8a+b. on the opposite side of the Danube, quite near Belgrade, you have a whole neighbourghood of houses on the shore of the river, and boats instead of cars. this reminded me Buenos Aires and "El Tigre", even it's not so close (but remeber, Belgrade has 1.5 million people; Buenos Aires, 13)
9. where are we?

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