Busking across Europe

 

Today's photo of the day is more like, video of the day.
While I was in Madrid, I had the pleasure to meet two guys from Fresno California who had just begun their adventure touring around Europe for the next two months funded by their music.

After a night out fuelled by tequila and tango dancing, they offered to play some of their music, to which I couldn't refuse!

We went to the nearby Plaza Jacinto Benavente where the bus stop proved the perfect stage.

I wish the both of them the best of luck on their brave adventure!

Madrid Skyline

Sunday.
A day of rest and relaxation.
So I wake up and get talking to two Scottish tour guides of Madrid. We have a breakfast of champions - churros and hot chocolate at the famous chocolateria San Gines.
Then straight after we go for lunch.

Hehehehehe!

Feeling satisfied, we went to the Teleferico - a gondola ride that takes you through the Casa de Campo and offers you a view of Madrid like the one in this photo.
You can see the Royal Palace and the Cathedral on the right hand side.
I felt quite tough in the company of two guys who were just a little bit nervous in the gondola. And they say women are the weaker sex!

El Rey León

Madrid for the weekend! And a much long anticipated trip to see The Lion King!
I've been wanting to see this show ever since it first came out, but could never afford the tickets, or it was just sold out.

The arts industry in Spain is being crippled by the recent increase in tax from 8% to 21% on cultural events. Coupled with funding cuts from the local and state government, theatres have had to change their schedules to favour cheaper productions and the Prado is now open 7 days a week in effort to make up for budget cuts.
The Lion King is one of the only shows to still play to a full house and I would highly recommend you go to see it!

I was so excited, and it really didn't disappoint! The costumes were innovatively imaginative and the cast blew me away. The set design was genius! The scene with the stampede, shortly before Mufasa dies (sniff) was both beautiful and terrifying. Their use of perspective to create the illusion of the stampede coming straight towards you creates a scene just as intense as the giant rock rolling behind Indiana Jones.
I sat in the fourth row from the stage; possibly one of the best seats I've ever actually paid for. I could see every facial expression, every costume detail, every bead of sweat.
They were able to draw every emotion, elicit every Disney aspect combined with the artistic direction of a stage performance. 

Of course, being in Madrid, the show was in Spanish. I've seen the Lion King movie, I know it pretty much off by heart but it delighted me with some adaptations. Some to make it more "Spanish" including a scene where to distract the hyenas, Timone and Pumba dance Sevillanas!

While my Spanish isn't good enough to understand every thing they said, watching the show in a different language is a lot like panning for gold: for the bits you understand, they're like nuggets of gold.
The rest you can extrapolate from context and tone.

I think it's a crying shame that the Spanish government would hit a sector where a person can spend money on something that makes them richer.

Cardinal!

Ok, today's picture of the day isn't very pretty. 
I could stick a filter on it and stamp some girly motifs but....
No, I just took it on my phone about 5 minutes ago. And since this is picture of the day blog, it would make more sense if at least some of the pictures were that days.

So last weekend in Madrid, I was with a group of new people, including a few madrileños, just walking down the street, in an area I was unfamiliar with, chit chatting, laughing, exchanging high minded ideas, then ouf! Bollard.

Man, they're everywhere!! Not just parallel to the road but also at 90 degree intersections and when you're not really looking at where you're going... Well... This is the resulting bruise. A week later. 

I don't know about you, but I quite like bruises (or cardinal in Spanish). Perhaps I'm just a masochist, or maybe I get tiny sense of survival. Who knows. But I am just the slightest bit proud of my cardinal.

Welcome to my first Photo of the Day!

The weather has been beautiful recently, and with my time in Spain drawing to an end, I have been trying to go to as many places as I can on the weekends. Even if it means only deciding at 3am Saturday morning, where to go and booking everything before waking up two hours later to catch the bus!

Yesterday morning, I was sitting in a café engrossed in an engaging conversation with Panos, talking about the usual things about life, where's it going and what to do next, he inspired and motivated me to get back to writing and set up this new segment of my blog.

I love taking photographs, and these days, I seem to be out more than I'm in, so a photo of the day seemed to be the ideal way to share my experiences quickly, easily and regularly. Thus most (or nearly all) of the photos here are unedited.
Since I don't have the time to write a thousand words everyday, I'll let a picture do it for me!

Since I last wrote, back on November 8th, I've been to:

Spain

• Sevilla 
• Cádiz
• Granada
• Tarifa
• Antequerra
• Zuheros
• Almodóvar
• Marbella
• Málaga (more times than can count)
• Costa De La Luz
• Madrid x2
• Toledo
• Ávila
• Segovia
• Jaén
• Mázagon
• Sierra Nevada x2

Portugal

• Sagres

Malta

•  Victoria (Gozo)
• Azure Window
• Xlendi
• Gharb
• Masalforn
• Blue Lagoon (Comino)
• Sliema
• St. Julian's
• Valletta
• Vittoriosa (Birgu)
• Paola
• Marsaxlokk
• Rabat (L-Imdina)

I have a lot of catching up to do! So while I get round to that, I'll post some of my favourite pictures from my collection. Some more recent than others but each one will mean something special to me. 

The inaugural picture for this new segment was difficult to choose. I felt that it had to be from this last trip to Madrid since it's where this bad boy was conceived.
But I must admit, I didn't take as many photos as I thought I had.
I chose this one in the end simply because I like it.
It was taken at the Thyssen-Bornemisza. In it is the distinctive artistic work of Roy Lichtenstein at the end of a corridor. An artist that has spurned thousands of copies and printed reproductions, and inspired many a retro café decorator. 
Some things like works of art are timeless, while some things are transient.
Some people are happy to sit and let time pass by, content with security. While others (like me) always need an emergency exit, just in case.
For me, I try to appreciate the transient. I am a transient. Life is transient.
If you always do what other people tell you to do, you'll only ever be a copy, a reproduction of someone else's hopes and desires.
To be original, you have to do whatever it is that you want to do, live your own life and take advice, but never orders.
This corridor is like my time-line, with the end goal of living a life of original art.
And Panos, a new friend, acquaintance, and viewpoint. His path crossing mine for this brief but wonderful weekend in Madrid.

This picture was taken about 20 minutes after the aforementioned inspirational conversation yesterday morning. It was written on the wall at the hostel I stayed at. Potentially one of the most chic hostels I've ever stayed in. While the grammar isn't quite spot on, the message is clear enough.

xx