On a long and lonesome highway

Here I am
On the road again
There I am
Up on the stage
Here I go
Playin' star again
There I go
Turn the page

Here I am
On the road again
There I am
Up on some stage
Here I go
Playin' star again
There I go
There I go


Turn The Page

Konstanz, Zurich

Konstanz

Konstanz is on the south of Germany, close to the border with Switzerland (500 mts / 1500 ft depending on which direction you take!). I had a lot of fun there, and during my stay I also visited some Swiss towns around the lake.

The town has lots of old buildings. During the night bombing raids in WWII, pilots were not sure if what they were looking at was Germany or Switzerland, so they didn't bomb. Literally, Switzerland is right there!

Life around the lake is very relaxing and fun as well. People actually jump off the bridge in the middle of the river, where in fact there is a traffic of boats, but they do it safely. The salsa scene here is pretty good, particularly in Cuban style. Seems to be I am blending both on2 and on1 salsa styles, cause it is becoming quite confusing dancing with me. Here I met a nice group of people from Germany, Spain, France and Switzerland.

Driving to the other towns around the lake area on the Swiss side was one of the best experiences I had in this trip. We went first to a chocolate factory, and guess what! I found a chocolate bar made with beans from Costa Rica! Then we continued to two other towns which names escape my mind (I owe you this one). What I can say is that there are sunflower fields and farms along the way, covering small hills and around small communities. I really liked this part.

I actually visited twice, once coming from Munich, and the other one on my way back from Zurich. Both times I felt as if this was my kind of place. I am more into small towns with history and an active community life. In a matter of days I was able to recognize streets and had an idea of where to go. The lake is beautiful, and just seating by the shore, watching the ducks, eating bread and feeling the sun through the fresh breeze is enough to satisfy the soul.

Zurich

A week after Konstanz I went to Zurich. The river and the lake are beautiful. The city is closer to the Alps, and the view of the snow covering the tips of the mountains made me speechless. Also, the seemly blue and white back ground seems to loom over the green and red communities around a lake of turquoise water and the boats.... simply impressive! The old part of the city is very nice, and one of my favorites sights are the really narrow alleys, with small cafes and wine stores.

There are also many fountains from which one can drink water. All the fountains I saw have statutes over a column. The window and roofs designs are also very nice, including the view of the buildings along the river. The party scene here is good as well. Some of the good spots are on Long Street, not too far from the main train terminal.

Zurich is in the German part of Switzerland. The Swiss understand the Germans better than the other way around. It is like the Brazilians understanding and speaking better Spanish than the other Latin American countries can do with Portuguese... simply not fair! Little by little I begun to see the difference in pronunciation, even though I am far from understanding and pronouncing German.

It was good to have seen friends both in Germany and Switzerland these past two weeks, all of whom I had met during my trip in Central America. I was also fortunate to have met really good people during my visit. We all don't leave in the same countries, but Europe is relatively small and extremely easy to travel, two huge benefits (plus in Germany there are highways with NO speed limit.. awesome!)

If and when you come around here, these links might be useful to get around

Prague to/from other European cities

http://www.mitfahrzentrale.de/index.php?landnr=D&lang=GB

Within Prague

http://jizdnirady.idnes.cz/praha/spojeni/

Swiss train system

http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html

German train system

http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/index.shtml

Carpooling in Europe (fairly new, very affordable)

http://www.mitfahrzentrale.de/index.php?landnr=D&lang=GB

My long trip around Europe has just started. The pictures for this posting still need descriptions, which I will work on in the following days.

Photo albums

• Konstanz
• North of Switzerland
• Zurich

I'm not from here nor from there - Facundo

Growing up I went through the normal confusion of a teenager about self-identification and expression. Music did a lot for me, and I had very specific taste for a few genres. I first got into Grunge, and listened to Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and so on. I also liked hard rock from Metallica and the like. And then I got into Trova, a form of self-expression with very deep messages about life. At this point I was still confused, but at least I was aware of it and that was satisfying, if you can understand.

Facundo Cabral was one of those "trovadores" I deeply respected, even when I didn't always agree with his views. I listened to him saying things like

"I am my own inventor because that is the task with which God has trusted me. God, or the Devil because they are the same thing. The Devil is a pseudonym that God uses when he has to create something of morally doubtful character, in order to not tarnish his good name, he uses the pseudonym."

"The poor man that walks through this borrowed life without a song, in addition to being poor is a ghost, and in addition to being a ghost, is nothing."

"You are not depressed. You are distracted."

I saw him on a presentation at the Melico Salzar Theater in Costa Rica about 8 years ago. There he was, wearing blue jeans, a brown jacket, sunglasses, his Spanish guitar, gray curly hair, beard and mustache, seating on a red chair, glass of wine on a small table to his right, his cane on the left side. He traveled across Latin America and the whole word. One of his messages and commentaries was about why being a singer is good news, because it also means one less soldier.

On July 9, 2011 Facundo Cabral was assassinated in Guatemala City. In a few occasions when talking about his grandma's birthday he said "God decides when we leave this world up the age of 100. Any time after that is entirely up to each of us".  I guess the Devil, as per Facundo's interpretation, made his choice on that morning.

Facundo was a man who spoke of peace, of the ironies and satisfactions in life, of God's tendencies to confuse us, of the importance to stop feeling self-pity and instead become creators as it was intended for us in first place.

"Llorar por la muerte es faltarle el respeto a la vida"

-Crying because of death is to be disrespectful to life

"Fuera de la felicidad son todos pretextos, tenemos que ser felices"

-Aside from happiness everything else is merely excuses, we ought to be happy

I like those who stay silent, and I like those who sing

So much I have walked with me, I like what happens to me

Things like this happen to me, even if it is not important to talk about all the things that happen to me with everyone else

Because one doesn't live alone, and what happens to one happens to the world - reason and cause

Because everything is perfect, and perfect is God who moves a star when picking a flower

Because, if there is one, there are two

I learned of the Devil the night I said not to the hungry man, and that night I also realized that the Devil is God's son

I walked alone in life, with a sound, dominant and modestly cantor without intention to teach

Because if the world is round, I don't know what is next

Walk and walk, always walking for the sake of walking

I didn't come to teach the world, just to play

I don't want to judge men, I want to tell to men

My condition is life, and my road to sing, to sing and to tell about life

It is my way of life

One day I arrived in Tandil, and met an old men

And his lack of intelligence led him to be seen as a wise man

One night I asked the old man about Jesus, and right there and then I met him... when he gave me a mirror

I dance with my own song, not with the one someone plays for me

I am not freedom, but the one who provokes it

If I already know the road, why walk on the side road

If I like freedom, why be a slave

To chose, I always chose, more than for myself for my brother

And if I had chosen to be Eagle it was for love to the Worm

I prefer to go by foot and not with a borrowed horse

Someone looking for an apple always goes on the side

The one who carries the least always arrives first

The day I die there won't be need to use a scale

Because to morn a cantor, with a Milonga is more than enough

I face the enemy, turn my back on the good comments

Because to accept a sweet compliment is to accept being dominated

Man caresses the horse..... to ride it

Forgive me if I crossed the line and too moral

No one can give advise, there is no man who is that old

I carry the sun on my back and the world turns yellow

I like to walk, but I don't follow a road because what is certain lacks of mystery

I like to go far away during the summer, and come back to my mom's during the winter

And to see the dogs that never forgot about me, and the horses, and my brother's hugs

I like it, I like it, I like it

I like the sun, Alicia, and doves

A good cigar, a spanish guitar

Jumping walls, and opening windows

And when a woman cries 

I like wine as much as flowers

And rabbits, but not tractors

Homemade bread and Dolores' voice

And the sea wetting my feet

I'm not from here, I'm not from there

I have no age, nor future

And being happy is my color of identity.

I like to always be lying on the sand

Or chasing Manuela on a bicycle

Or all the time to see the stars with Maria in the hayfield

I'm not from here, I'm not from there

I have no age, nor future

And being happy is my color of identity

Munich

Last week I went to Munich, in the Bavarian region of Germany. The first night had a nice German welcoming with the best local German beer. I also had the chance to see the city on a bike. They really like their cafe shops and spend time outside chatting over a glass of cold and nice beer.

I also walked around the Plazas, visited the English Garden, the Olympic Park, the beer gardens, had over a litter of beer in the afternoon, and took rides on Mercedes Benz taxi cabs! Clubs are great here, too. Apparently I also missed on some of the most traditional beer-food Bavarian's must. Guess I'm gonna have to go back. More good reasons!

First day's lesson: do not walk on the bike lane, or get run down! It took me a while to get used to that. I liked it, though, cause when you bike you know you have your own space. Then I went to the parks for some safety. The parks are beautiful, particularly the Englischer Garten for its design. Walking around the park feels like the paths lead to hidden places - the beer garden by the Chinesischer Turm (Chinese tower), the Japanisches Teehaus, and the surfing area.

I liked the architecture of the churches and other old buildings. The Theatine Church of St. Cajetan (Theatinerkirche) is one of the most interesting ones I saw. The all white stucco decorations and figures, the black pulpit and the paintings, simply mesmerizing.

The architecture of the New Town Hall in Marienplatz is also very interesting. There are stone figures all around the building, and in the front there is the Rathaus-Glockenspiel with a collection of wooden figures that dance in representation of a royal marriage.

The Olympiapark is one of the best places to visit after the English Garden. This is where the Summer Olympics of 1972 where held. The facilities are still in use for recreational events and tours. Many people like to seat around the lake to feed the ducks and take a sun tan. Next to the park there is the BMW Welt, and if you buy a car there, you might be invited to see how it is built (one more reason to save!)

Then there is the Olympic tower, from where the scenic view of Bavaria can be seen across the horizon. Really nice and flat! At the distance it is also possible to see the Alps. I got to see the silhouette of the mountain chain, and on a much clearer day the mountains are even more visible.

Munich was the first city I visited in Germany. Last year I was at the Frankfurt airport for three hours, but apparently that doesn't count. I liked it, and it is a good place for lots of recreational and cultural activities, and of course, high quality Bavarian beer! Really had a great time thanks to Fabio and the Munich crew. Dankersen!

Photo album

• München