Stepping out of the airport, I am hit with a blast of freezing artic air. Berlin is definitely in the throws of winter and noticeably colder than Barcelona. We head to a bed and breakfast located in the heart of the gay part of town. It is run by a gay couple who rent out one floor of a typical apartment and is only 35 euro a night. Tall coffered ceilings, shuttered windows and radiator heat make me feel more like a Berliner than a tourist. Nightlife here is frothy and wild. Most bars have a dark room in the back. There are naked parties and underwear night almost every night. It makes the Castro seem pretty vanilla. I met a guy from Atlanta who is in the military over here. Yeah he had a beautiful ripped 20 something body that you just want to start licking. Fortunately I kept my tongue in my mouth. Wait a minute. . .are there gay guys in the military??? He assured me he was not alone, and then started rambling something about being a mindset, and he has learned to hide quite well. Quite frankly it would be hard to follow any of his conversation even if it was interesting, with that body he was showing off. I guess the fact that he was rubbing his knee into my crotch didn’t help much either.
The streets of the city are in full season festivity. Beautiful Christmas trees decked out in hand-blown glass ornaments and colorful twinkling lights fill the windows of all the stores. Christmas villages are set up along the wide sidewalks selling things you would only buy during this season. Candy canes, hot roasted chestnuts, and of course, plenty of presents. It is a modern city with reminders of the past strewed throughout the city. I walk by a huge stone cathedral that looks like it was bombed out, just a shell of its original self, too historic to tear down and too much of a rubble to restore. East and West Berlin seems to be seamlessly melted together from what I could tell. I never saw any remnants of a city torn in half by cold war politics. It’s Thanksgiving Day, and no turkey in sight. The Europeans are aware of this unique American holiday but take little notice of it. We find a nondescript corner Asian restaurant. I settle for pressed duck. The next day I find a coffee shop selling slices of apple pie. Half way through the slice I am thinking of family, friends and being thankful to be able to have this little adventure with so many of you. The next day it is back on Clickair and the flying bus. taking us back to Barcelona.
We touch down late in the evening, and decide we just have not partied enough. So I get my first dose of Barcelona night life. Being a bar tender, Alex knows half the town. We spend a couple of hours at the bar he works at hanging out with his friends. They are all nice to me, but I feel a little on the fringes. I can understand about every 10th word. It motivates me to keep working on my Spanish. At about 1:00am, we head to the dance clubs. Packed with hot guys all bouncing to the beat of mostly American music. I had to laugh to myself when they all started singing along with a Madonna standard. Ah just a bunch of gay guys doing what gay boys do best who could be anywhere in the world. I had a lot of fun.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Off to Sitges for Humanity
As most of you know, I have done a lot of volunteer work for Habitat for Humanity. Each year they have a big gala to raise money for building homes. For the past couple of years I have done the décor for the event. Because I was sailing, I was unable to help this year. So I offered to use my boat and a week on the coast of Spain as an auction item. It ended up being the highest paid auction item of the event. Last week, the couple that won the auction came to claim their prize. They came a few days early and spent some time in Barcelona exploring the wonders of the city. We met together late Saturday and planned out our week. The next day we set sail for Casteldefels, a small coastal town just south of Barcelona. It was a typical coastal Spanish village with whitewashed houses and colorful fishing boats. The town was just a short walk away from the port and the castle up on the hill was a long walk. The Wades were up for the challenge of exploring the castle in the early afternoon. It wasn’t until long after dark before they returned to the boat. The next day we sailed off to Sitges
Just a couple of hours further up the coast is the town of Sitges. It is the main weekend get-away resort town for Barcelona. And it is one of the most popular gay destinations in Europe. In the summer, the beaches sprout colorful umbrellas and the sand is carpeted with bronze tan bodies stretched out on festive towels. Restaurants are bustling with activity and the streets are a tide of people. This time of year however, it is a shadow of itself and there is not a speedo to be seen. It feels more like a lazy Sunday morning before anyone is out of bed. A few strollers, and shops that half-heartily open late in the afternoon. Some don’t even bother to do that. But the beauty that made this a popular beach town is still there. The cathedral right on the edge of the surging sea, three museums, cobblestone streets and stone-crafted architecture seduce you into its charm. There are a lot of gay bars, restaurants and hotels. Like most of Europe, nothing opens before 10pm and don’t even bother to show up before midnight. I am still trying to adjust to this lifestyle time change. The last night I am determined to go to one of the clubs. So I wait until about 10 and open the door. My resolve quickly dissolves with the freezing wind and light rain. I head back to the warmth of my boat for a good movie and a nights sleep. I am definitely going to have to revisit Sitges when it warms up a bit.
The next day the Wades decided to go to Tarragona. It is too far to go by boat in the short week that we have together, so they hop on a train and make an overnight adventure of it. It gives me a great opportunity to soak up Sitges and hang out at the port. The week passes by in lightning speed and soon we are heading back to Barcelona.
I am getting comfortable with Barcelona. Working on my Spanish in the morning, going to the gym, taking care of business and working on the computer. I met a guy who lives in Sitges that is from Denver. Alex has been here a couple of years. He works in a gay bar and is part owner in the one next door. We got together for lunch. Alex tells me he is headed to Berlin for a couple of days. There is an airline called Clickair that has insane pricing to the major cities in Europe. Most of the tickets are 20 euro including all the taxes and fees. It doesn’t take much to talk me into joining him. The plane leaves in a couple of hours so we go back to the boat, I throw a backpack together with a few clothes while he books the ticket on the internet and off we go.
Just a couple of hours further up the coast is the town of Sitges. It is the main weekend get-away resort town for Barcelona. And it is one of the most popular gay destinations in Europe. In the summer, the beaches sprout colorful umbrellas and the sand is carpeted with bronze tan bodies stretched out on festive towels. Restaurants are bustling with activity and the streets are a tide of people. This time of year however, it is a shadow of itself and there is not a speedo to be seen. It feels more like a lazy Sunday morning before anyone is out of bed. A few strollers, and shops that half-heartily open late in the afternoon. Some don’t even bother to do that. But the beauty that made this a popular beach town is still there. The cathedral right on the edge of the surging sea, three museums, cobblestone streets and stone-crafted architecture seduce you into its charm. There are a lot of gay bars, restaurants and hotels. Like most of Europe, nothing opens before 10pm and don’t even bother to show up before midnight. I am still trying to adjust to this lifestyle time change. The last night I am determined to go to one of the clubs. So I wait until about 10 and open the door. My resolve quickly dissolves with the freezing wind and light rain. I head back to the warmth of my boat for a good movie and a nights sleep. I am definitely going to have to revisit Sitges when it warms up a bit.
The next day the Wades decided to go to Tarragona. It is too far to go by boat in the short week that we have together, so they hop on a train and make an overnight adventure of it. It gives me a great opportunity to soak up Sitges and hang out at the port. The week passes by in lightning speed and soon we are heading back to Barcelona.
I am getting comfortable with Barcelona. Working on my Spanish in the morning, going to the gym, taking care of business and working on the computer. I met a guy who lives in Sitges that is from Denver. Alex has been here a couple of years. He works in a gay bar and is part owner in the one next door. We got together for lunch. Alex tells me he is headed to Berlin for a couple of days. There is an airline called Clickair that has insane pricing to the major cities in Europe. Most of the tickets are 20 euro including all the taxes and fees. It doesn’t take much to talk me into joining him. The plane leaves in a couple of hours so we go back to the boat, I throw a backpack together with a few clothes while he books the ticket on the internet and off we go.
Over 2500 Nautical Miles Later
After a long day on calm seas we pull into Porto Olympica. It is a port that was built for the Olympic games back in the 90’s. There are two towering skyscrapers that mark the port where the athletes were housed during the games. After the games, the units were sold off as apartments. The port doesn’t have a regular berth for us, but allow us to tie up across from the Capitainare as long as we promise to leave by 9am. And no, they don’t have any long-term spaces. So the next morning we go to the main port in Barcelona. It looks like there are a bunch of new berths and things look hopeful. We find an empty berth and head to the Capitainare. Sorry no room for long term berthing there either. I was hoping to spend the winter months in Barcelona. There is one last chance, Port Frovm. It is a new port and they might have a space for us. We do manage to find a place and report one more time to the Capitainare. It seems that they do have room, but there is a low bridge that is 16 meters high. Looks pretty tight. We try it, I get right up next to it, and it looks like my mast is about 6” too tall. Now what? We go back only to find that the only places they have are on the other side of the bridge. They encourage us to try again and to go up right next to the wall. So the next morning we attempt it again. With a little luck we hug the far seawall and squeeze under, bending the top VHF antenna as we pass. Wow that is close. Water is up a bit because of winter and a full moon. I just hope we can make it out when we need to. But we are here in Barcelona, safely tucked into a nice berth for a while. I have sailed over 2500 nautical miles before arriving in Barcelona. It has been a great adventure sharing with family and friends. I am ready to stay put for a while, and this looks like a great place to hang out during the winter months.
My friend Jun and I decide to explore the city a bit. There is a lot to see in this grand city. And the best way to see all of the highlights and get a feel for where everything is located is by taking a ride on the Bus Turistic. We have seen these busses in other ports. These double decker busses stop at all of the points of interest. A bus comes about every 10 minutes and can get on and off at any of the spots, spending as much time as you want each time. The first thing we head to is Goudi’s Art Nouveau masterpiece, the temple Expiatori de la Sagrada, church of the holy family. Breathtaking, spectacular, incredible, astounding, what ever you want to say, it doesn’t do this architecture sculpture justice. The church was started in 1883. Goudi spent a lifetime working on it including the last 16 years of his life living like a recluse until he died in 1926. The church is still unfinished and probably will not be completed in my lifetime. With 12 spires for each of the apostles, 4 more for the gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, one for Mary and then the crowning spire for Christ, it is unique in all the world. Even more interesting is the concept for this art nouveau church. All the religious symbols are on the outside of the building. Words shouting Hosanna, Peace and Glory to God wrap around the spires along with depicting the life, death and resurrection of Christ. The inside of the church is stripped of all religious symbols. Instead, the supporting pillars resemble tall trees, creating a ceiling of forest leaves. When finished, stain glass ceilings will filter colored light through the naïve. Goudi’s concept is to make you feel like you are worshiping in a forest of trees rather than a man-made church. I love Art Nouveau. Claiming to have the greatest collection of Art Nouveau buildings, Barcelona has them generously sprinkled throughout the city, and Expiatori de la Sagrada is the crowning jewel.
After two days double deckering it, we only scratch the surface of what this city has to offer. It is going to take me a while to do all of the exploring that I am excited to do. I hope to get a lot of bike riding in, and learning to speak Spanish. We check out the gay part of town. Lot’s of rainbow flags and gay friendly hotels. This is a very gay friendly city. I hear it has the third biggest gay population in Europe. They all seem friendly to me. I am looking forward to getting to know these hot Spaniards with their mops of raven hair, easy smiles and coffee colored skin.
A couple of days later, I meet up with a guy I have been talking to for about a year on the internet. Kevin is Canadian, but travels to Barcelona often for work. We hoped to cross paths somewhere along the way and finally connect in Barcelona. He is a nice guy and fills me in on where to go and what to do while I am over here. He belongs to a gay swim club and invites me to one of their weekly workouts. I am not the strongest swimmer, but always up for some fun. It turns out to be quite a work out. The guys are very friendly and make me feel a part of the group. Everyone is kind enough to not point out my struggling to keep up during the freestyle portion of the workout. I do better on the crawl and kicking part. Those biking muscles are paying off. Afterwards we all shower together. Humm so hot. I can’t help but check out all those uncut dicks and wonderful swimming physics. Afterwards Kevin and I go to a nearby restaurant for a quick dinner. He tells me all the guys were checking me out in the shower as well. Guess gay guys are the same all over.
My friend Lance emails me and wonders where in Europe I am. He is headed to Barcelona for a couple of days. We are both delighted to connect. I haven’t seen him in about a year. He is curating a big art project for the Chinese government in connection with this summers Olympics. He is also putting together a project in Bali. So most of the time on the other side of the globe from where I am. During the day Lance is in meetings all day but we manage to get together in the evenings. The last night he is here, I am invited to a big art opening. Afterwards we go to a local Tapa restaurant with a bunch of other curators. They are from all over the world, Japan, Belgium, Sweden, etc. The food is delicious and the conversation rich. It is fun hearing a perspective of their passions, dreams and politics that can only come from such a wide group of people. You walk away wondering how is it that this world just can’t seem to get along better. I mean we solved most of the worlds problems starting with kicking Bush out of office.
My friend Jun and I decide to explore the city a bit. There is a lot to see in this grand city. And the best way to see all of the highlights and get a feel for where everything is located is by taking a ride on the Bus Turistic. We have seen these busses in other ports. These double decker busses stop at all of the points of interest. A bus comes about every 10 minutes and can get on and off at any of the spots, spending as much time as you want each time. The first thing we head to is Goudi’s Art Nouveau masterpiece, the temple Expiatori de la Sagrada, church of the holy family. Breathtaking, spectacular, incredible, astounding, what ever you want to say, it doesn’t do this architecture sculpture justice. The church was started in 1883. Goudi spent a lifetime working on it including the last 16 years of his life living like a recluse until he died in 1926. The church is still unfinished and probably will not be completed in my lifetime. With 12 spires for each of the apostles, 4 more for the gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, one for Mary and then the crowning spire for Christ, it is unique in all the world. Even more interesting is the concept for this art nouveau church. All the religious symbols are on the outside of the building. Words shouting Hosanna, Peace and Glory to God wrap around the spires along with depicting the life, death and resurrection of Christ. The inside of the church is stripped of all religious symbols. Instead, the supporting pillars resemble tall trees, creating a ceiling of forest leaves. When finished, stain glass ceilings will filter colored light through the naïve. Goudi’s concept is to make you feel like you are worshiping in a forest of trees rather than a man-made church. I love Art Nouveau. Claiming to have the greatest collection of Art Nouveau buildings, Barcelona has them generously sprinkled throughout the city, and Expiatori de la Sagrada is the crowning jewel.
After two days double deckering it, we only scratch the surface of what this city has to offer. It is going to take me a while to do all of the exploring that I am excited to do. I hope to get a lot of bike riding in, and learning to speak Spanish. We check out the gay part of town. Lot’s of rainbow flags and gay friendly hotels. This is a very gay friendly city. I hear it has the third biggest gay population in Europe. They all seem friendly to me. I am looking forward to getting to know these hot Spaniards with their mops of raven hair, easy smiles and coffee colored skin.
A couple of days later, I meet up with a guy I have been talking to for about a year on the internet. Kevin is Canadian, but travels to Barcelona often for work. We hoped to cross paths somewhere along the way and finally connect in Barcelona. He is a nice guy and fills me in on where to go and what to do while I am over here. He belongs to a gay swim club and invites me to one of their weekly workouts. I am not the strongest swimmer, but always up for some fun. It turns out to be quite a work out. The guys are very friendly and make me feel a part of the group. Everyone is kind enough to not point out my struggling to keep up during the freestyle portion of the workout. I do better on the crawl and kicking part. Those biking muscles are paying off. Afterwards we all shower together. Humm so hot. I can’t help but check out all those uncut dicks and wonderful swimming physics. Afterwards Kevin and I go to a nearby restaurant for a quick dinner. He tells me all the guys were checking me out in the shower as well. Guess gay guys are the same all over.
My friend Lance emails me and wonders where in Europe I am. He is headed to Barcelona for a couple of days. We are both delighted to connect. I haven’t seen him in about a year. He is curating a big art project for the Chinese government in connection with this summers Olympics. He is also putting together a project in Bali. So most of the time on the other side of the globe from where I am. During the day Lance is in meetings all day but we manage to get together in the evenings. The last night he is here, I am invited to a big art opening. Afterwards we go to a local Tapa restaurant with a bunch of other curators. They are from all over the world, Japan, Belgium, Sweden, etc. The food is delicious and the conversation rich. It is fun hearing a perspective of their passions, dreams and politics that can only come from such a wide group of people. You walk away wondering how is it that this world just can’t seem to get along better. I mean we solved most of the worlds problems starting with kicking Bush out of office.
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