i've posted the last of the 35mm photos, taken in south france. sunset picnic in collias, market in remoulins and gordes in provence. take a look....
http://picasaweb.google.com/allenineuropa
9 days til my return to Freiburg, Germany...and more photos of fall in the Black Forest. We will probably hit a bunch of places in Alsace, Switzerland, maybe Dijon and a lot of places in South Germany I haven't seen yet. Tchuss!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
the end of summer
well, here we are on the last full day of summer. autumn arrives at 11:44am monday..and what a summer it has been! not just the fabulous experience of travelling in europe, there have been so many wonderful occurrences in my life.
and i guess they all started when i decided (not sure thats the right word!) to leave my job on march 14. after some deep soul searching i entered into a new phase of my life that i believed would never happen. after an initial introduction to a new way of living, courtesy of some fine fellows in ny, i went to new orleans for april and part of may and really got the ball rolling. i met some wonderful new friends in new orleans and had some great life enriching times, on a daily basis.
and then of course, i met gisi....wow, that came out of nowhere! we had a great time for the last three weeks of my stay in new orleans, then for a week in nyc. after gisi left nyc, i was again alone, and i used that time to further my spiritual education with some very special people, and i continue that process today. after seven weeks home and talking to gisi daily (thank god for skype!), we finally got to be together again. hence, this blog.
those six weeks were amazing on so many levels. it ended all too fast, and i soon found myself on a plane back to nyc, i think a different person. new york seemed strange to me, somehow something changed. of course, i was thrilled to be with my family and friends again. it was especially good to see my son, aidan and grandson. what a beautiful little boy joel is. pure joy that i haven't had since aidan was his age.
back here i resumed my program, helped along by loving people, prayer and meditation. i never would have thought myself capable of that nine months ago. and now, here i sit, last day of a glorious season, and two weeks from tomorrow i will leave for germany once more, this time for three months.
life can be an amazing experience if you get out of the way, and let it come on it's own terms. and accept what it is, live in the moment and with love and humility in your heart. i am truly blessed and full of humble gratitude for the things i have learned along the way. and of course all the wonderful people in my life. (danke meine geliebte!)
i hope to continue this blog in germany and fill in some of the missing stories from the summer, and share all the new ones to come. one day at a time.
be good to yourself, ciao.
and i guess they all started when i decided (not sure thats the right word!) to leave my job on march 14. after some deep soul searching i entered into a new phase of my life that i believed would never happen. after an initial introduction to a new way of living, courtesy of some fine fellows in ny, i went to new orleans for april and part of may and really got the ball rolling. i met some wonderful new friends in new orleans and had some great life enriching times, on a daily basis.
and then of course, i met gisi....wow, that came out of nowhere! we had a great time for the last three weeks of my stay in new orleans, then for a week in nyc. after gisi left nyc, i was again alone, and i used that time to further my spiritual education with some very special people, and i continue that process today. after seven weeks home and talking to gisi daily (thank god for skype!), we finally got to be together again. hence, this blog.
those six weeks were amazing on so many levels. it ended all too fast, and i soon found myself on a plane back to nyc, i think a different person. new york seemed strange to me, somehow something changed. of course, i was thrilled to be with my family and friends again. it was especially good to see my son, aidan and grandson. what a beautiful little boy joel is. pure joy that i haven't had since aidan was his age.
back here i resumed my program, helped along by loving people, prayer and meditation. i never would have thought myself capable of that nine months ago. and now, here i sit, last day of a glorious season, and two weeks from tomorrow i will leave for germany once more, this time for three months.
life can be an amazing experience if you get out of the way, and let it come on it's own terms. and accept what it is, live in the moment and with love and humility in your heart. i am truly blessed and full of humble gratitude for the things i have learned along the way. and of course all the wonderful people in my life. (danke meine geliebte!)
i hope to continue this blog in germany and fill in some of the missing stories from the summer, and share all the new ones to come. one day at a time.
be good to yourself, ciao.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
hellloo ..what's goin on?
seems i lost some momentum...finding it difficult to finish my travel entries..well, maybe i'll finish them in germany. in case anyone is reading this, i'm going back for three months, starting october 6. i think it's going to be a beautiful autumn.... i'm looking forward to seeing the season change in germany and elsewhere. and i won't have to hear all this election crap. really tired of the nonsense already. but i will send in my vote, for sure.
meanwhile, theres some new photos from burgundy, nuits st georges, and remoulins posted, taken with my 35mm cam. apparently, they got a bit damaged from the xray machine, but not to bad. i hate when that happens.
tomorrow is jimi hendrix's anniversary of his untimely passing, in 1970. he would have been 65! one can only imagine what might have been. so give props to the master. blast some stratocaster.
meanwhile, theres some new photos from burgundy, nuits st georges, and remoulins posted, taken with my 35mm cam. apparently, they got a bit damaged from the xray machine, but not to bad. i hate when that happens.
tomorrow is jimi hendrix's anniversary of his untimely passing, in 1970. he would have been 65! one can only imagine what might have been. so give props to the master. blast some stratocaster.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
And now for something completely different...
Music Heals…It’s Not Just a Rumour
I was feeling a bit lousy the past few days, for various reasons. Trying to think my way out of it wasn’t helping either. Unconsciously, on the way to an appointment today, I decided to take along the ipod, not something I usually do. I kind of like hearing what’s going on around me, whether in the subway or the park, or my own head. But today, in went the earplugs for the ride to midtown. And I rediscovered something I’ve always known, but sometimes slips away in the day to day routines of life in the big city. Music heals all wounds. Rapidly and profoundly. Well, at least for me. It always has, and I’ve turned to it to sooth my psyche and soul throughout my life.
As I hit shuffle, just to see what came up, a Graham Parker song came on. Now I absolutely love gp, I have since the first record, Howlin’ Wind , in 1976. This particular song was from his seminal record, Squeezing Out Sparks, from 1979. I decided to listen to the whole thing as it’s always been on of my favorites, not just of his music, but an all time, desert island disc.
From the first song to the last, this is such a great record, on so many levels. The playing, the production, the lyrics and music..gp’s soulful voice. From the twisted travelogue love song, “Discovering Japan”, the sad but snarky” Local Girls”, then “Nobody Hurts You”, a study in disillusionment with a killer guitar riff (a personal favorite), through “You Can’t Be Too Strong”, probably the most achingly beautiful song about abortion ever written and the truthful yet uneasy “Passion is No Ordinary Word”…haunting lyrics set to powerful, muscular music by the kick ass Rumour, who were at their musical peak, in my opinion. And it goes on for another five songs. Ok, I’ll admit, to me, “Waiting for the Ufos” could’ve been left off, but otherwise, a solid collection of amazing songs.
“Saturday Night is Dead” rocks about the emptiness of a drunken pub night, the utter reality of being in love in “Love Gets You Twisted”…I think we’ve all experienced that. “Protection” is one cynical tale of success and it’s pitfalls, it’s guitars chugging and screaming.” Don’t Get Excited” sounds like someone who’s seen it all and seen enough.
Now that’s what I take from it, but you may hear these songs differently. What I think we‘ll all agree on is this is a band and artist in top form. The production, by the late Jack Nitzsche, is so clean and clear, yet the rawness of the guitars shoots through, the bass and drums are solid and present. I love Bob Andrews’s keyboard parts. Brinsley Schwarz gets killer tone and monster riffs on lead guitars, and Martin Belmonts rythym playing is superb. The rhythm section of Stephen Goulding on drums and Andrew Bodnar on bass just nails it down deep.
Listening to a record like this reaffirms all my beliefs in the magic and mystery of rock n roll. It’s the reason I can’t stop listening, can’t stop searching for the next perfect song, the next must see band. Needless to say, the rest of my day was awesome…even as the doctor jabbed a two inch spike into my torn rotator cuff!
So drop a needle on some vinyl, pop a tape, slip a cd..listen to something you love and make your world a better day. It cures what ails ya.
I was feeling a bit lousy the past few days, for various reasons. Trying to think my way out of it wasn’t helping either. Unconsciously, on the way to an appointment today, I decided to take along the ipod, not something I usually do. I kind of like hearing what’s going on around me, whether in the subway or the park, or my own head. But today, in went the earplugs for the ride to midtown. And I rediscovered something I’ve always known, but sometimes slips away in the day to day routines of life in the big city. Music heals all wounds. Rapidly and profoundly. Well, at least for me. It always has, and I’ve turned to it to sooth my psyche and soul throughout my life.
As I hit shuffle, just to see what came up, a Graham Parker song came on. Now I absolutely love gp, I have since the first record, Howlin’ Wind , in 1976. This particular song was from his seminal record, Squeezing Out Sparks, from 1979. I decided to listen to the whole thing as it’s always been on of my favorites, not just of his music, but an all time, desert island disc.
From the first song to the last, this is such a great record, on so many levels. The playing, the production, the lyrics and music..gp’s soulful voice. From the twisted travelogue love song, “Discovering Japan”, the sad but snarky” Local Girls”, then “Nobody Hurts You”, a study in disillusionment with a killer guitar riff (a personal favorite), through “You Can’t Be Too Strong”, probably the most achingly beautiful song about abortion ever written and the truthful yet uneasy “Passion is No Ordinary Word”…haunting lyrics set to powerful, muscular music by the kick ass Rumour, who were at their musical peak, in my opinion. And it goes on for another five songs. Ok, I’ll admit, to me, “Waiting for the Ufos” could’ve been left off, but otherwise, a solid collection of amazing songs.
“Saturday Night is Dead” rocks about the emptiness of a drunken pub night, the utter reality of being in love in “Love Gets You Twisted”…I think we’ve all experienced that. “Protection” is one cynical tale of success and it’s pitfalls, it’s guitars chugging and screaming.” Don’t Get Excited” sounds like someone who’s seen it all and seen enough.
Now that’s what I take from it, but you may hear these songs differently. What I think we‘ll all agree on is this is a band and artist in top form. The production, by the late Jack Nitzsche, is so clean and clear, yet the rawness of the guitars shoots through, the bass and drums are solid and present. I love Bob Andrews’s keyboard parts. Brinsley Schwarz gets killer tone and monster riffs on lead guitars, and Martin Belmonts rythym playing is superb. The rhythm section of Stephen Goulding on drums and Andrew Bodnar on bass just nails it down deep.
Listening to a record like this reaffirms all my beliefs in the magic and mystery of rock n roll. It’s the reason I can’t stop listening, can’t stop searching for the next perfect song, the next must see band. Needless to say, the rest of my day was awesome…even as the doctor jabbed a two inch spike into my torn rotator cuff!
So drop a needle on some vinyl, pop a tape, slip a cd..listen to something you love and make your world a better day. It cures what ails ya.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
labor day...welcome to september
wow it's september 1..that was a quick summer.
thank god new orleans was spared a direct hit by gustav.
i've been to lazy this weekend to continue writing the rest of my travel journal, hopefully i will get back to it this week.
five more weeks, then back to germany..yay!
i have a lot to do here before then...i got someone to sublet my apartment for the duration, so i have to pack up a bunch of stuff and stash it, clean up the place, get the yard together for winter, take out the cold weather clothes..squeeze in some music with the boys, spend some time with family, doctors, dentists, ...well, it will make the month go quick, so that's good.....
thank god new orleans was spared a direct hit by gustav.
i've been to lazy this weekend to continue writing the rest of my travel journal, hopefully i will get back to it this week.
five more weeks, then back to germany..yay!
i have a lot to do here before then...i got someone to sublet my apartment for the duration, so i have to pack up a bunch of stuff and stash it, clean up the place, get the yard together for winter, take out the cold weather clothes..squeeze in some music with the boys, spend some time with family, doctors, dentists, ...well, it will make the month go quick, so that's good.....
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