Oslo, Norway: Vigeland Sculpture Park

The idea of visiting Scandinavia never excited me. I had the impression that it was a very homogenous society and quite dull. Well to my surprise, it is far from dull, and much less homogenous that I had ever imagined. My encounters there have only ever been brief, but, Oslo is a beautiful and vibrant city full of art and culture. The people are friendly and warm, and to my advantage, they all speak English.
My first visit to Oslo was in 1996 when touring with Michael Jackson. Myself and my buddies, Tony, Sean, Gerard, Jamie, Chris and Jason were fearless, and at the time, agile enough to take the town on by rollerblades. It was great! We'd see tons without realizing how much excercize we were getting. From that first visit, it was the Vigeland Sculpture Park that stuck with me most. I think the sculptures intrigue me because they are simplicitic in shape and form, yet powerful with emotion. In some ways, conceptually, for me, it's the theory of less is more. Though the figures lack finite detail, they are very expressive. The detail is added where it most counts. I am in awe of this work and need to learn more of the artist. See the photos below.
That's the beauty of travel, you get exposure, and a better understanding of things that you never knew existed.

Helsinki, Finland: The Ice Bar.

Well, well, well,...we're at it again. We started touring October 9th after having been on a 3 week break in Los Angeles. Our first stop is Helsinky, Finland with plans to tour all of Europe. We flew eleven hours to Heathrow with a brief layover, before continuing another two and a half hours to reach Scandinavia. There was no denying that we "weren't in Kansas anymore", the drastic temperature change made that clear.
We started off slowly feeling heavy with jet lag, but made up for lost time before leaving town. We squeezed in lots of good fun and some casual dining at Texas and the Iguana,... go figure. Before it was all said and done, we also made our way to the Ice Bar. Yes, a bar made of ice. It was the equivalent to drinking in a room the size of a meat locker. We were provided with Smurf blue, fur trimmed coats that helped ease the chill. The experience was interesting, but not the best, as far as Ice bars go. I have since learned that there are much nicer and larger ice bars in Oslo and Stockholm. To find this place, we went basement level and through a restaurant called the Copacabana where a deejay was playing salsa music, as two couples graced the floor with their amateur latin dance skills. Tucked away in the back of the restaurant was a labeled door that suggested that we were in the right place. We entered, quickly embraced the experience, threw back a lemontini, and carried on drinking at the Capacobana instead. We later found ourselves at another bar called On the Rocks, where, by then, we were very lit and lively. It was a great night, one we could't have predicted.

Monterey Bay.....

I was in northern California for the Gaga performances in San Jose. With two days off before the first of two show days, Grace and I had the smart idea to spend a couple of days away in Monterey Bay. It was a toss up between that or Napa Valley. She had driven a short distance from Oakland to meet me, and was as eager as I for a quick getaway. We drove an hour and a half west, passing scenic countryside along the way, to reach the Pacific. The air was crisp and the sky clear. It was a near perfect day. After arriving and checking in midday we grabbed lunch oceanside and walked around a bit. We rented bikes, following the marked bike trails along the coast. The views were amazing. We saw seals and seagulls resting on the rocky shoreline, kids playing and people casually strolling by taking in the moment. We took a break in our day to indulge ourselves with taffy and a gelato treat and much later we chose Thai for dinner. All was well with the world...

Palm Springs...

Here's a sneak peak of our time in the dessert.....

Palm Springs: Ace Hotel

Wow, what a weekend!!! Mui Alto and I took a a much needed getaway escape to Palm Springs,..... destination, The Ace Hotel. Our first,... it was a full weekend of new discovery, rest and relaxation.
Our stay at the swanky-ish commune artsy retreat reminded me of a drug-free, 21st century, cleaned up version of Christiania, with it's lack of pretense and boho vibe. Our no-fuss room was comfortable, with it's nod back to the carefree 60's and 70's. The concrete floors, canvas linens, footlocker, record player, yes, vinyl, and walking stick proped as ambience against the wall, helped fully create a setting of ease and leisure, while still lending itself to the mature mid-30 something crowd. We could have easily been in a Venice or Hermosa Beach hideaway. This was not Palm Springs, the rich and famous, this was Palm Springs, the upscale hippy or artist type. In other words, Silverlake done Palm Springs style. We opted to occupy a room with an outdoor patio and fireplace, which added romance and delight to our stay. The grounds were appropriately sparse with dessert scape of agave, aloe, and mesquite trees, decomposed granite and concrete walkways. The communal outdoor fireplaces lit with overhead string lights added to the allure.
Eager and excited, we woke Saturday morning to the San Jacinto Mountain view and started out to the small hotel gym for a brief workout. We then borrowed the old school cruisers to ride into town to the main strip, found breakfast and rode back wandering through the surrounding upscale neighborhood to peep some of the mid century modern architecture that Palm Springs is most famous for. We volleyed at ping pong before lunch, ate, napped in the poolside shaded hammocks, drank Proseco, our weekend drink of choice, ate some more, napped some more, regrouped, showered and made our way back out for a Thai dinner before calling it a night by the fire where we dozed off under the stars in the balmy dessert heat. It was an unforgettable day, I must say.
Sunday was spent in and out of the pool, escaping the 110 degree weather, while grooving to the eclectic sounds of the poolside deejay. Mui Alto took timeout to benefit from the complimentary haircut and we both treated ourselves to the on site free clay face masks. We ate the $8 lunch, munching on sliders, bratwurst and potato salad and entertained ourselves lounging and swimming a bit more before making our two hour trip back to reality,.....darn.
This was undoubtedly a weekend well spent and much needed. I think I can say that the Ace is a new found favorite.

A letter to Grace...

Dear Grace,
We're more than half way into the 24 hour journey to Minneapolis from Edmonton, as I lay in my cramped, but somehow cozy bunk, remembering our spontaneous road trip to Monterey and Carmel.
First of all, it was great to reconnect and spend such valuable time exploring new sights and sharing memorable moments.
I love your willingness to cease an opportunity and live in the moment. I think that's probably what connects us.
I reflect on the many great times we've shared, but with great affection, I will cherish our bike ride along Monterey Bay, taking in the view of the seals and seagulls taking time out on the rocks, lunch along the boardwalk watching tourist stroll by, ice cream pit stops and movie going to the newly released chick flick "Eat Pray Love".
I love and admire you. Your artistry and craftsmanship inspire me. I learn from you and look forward to when we work together again.
Keep up the good work as a shoe cobbler. I think you've found a new calling.
I'm proud to call you my friend.
xx.
Barbee

Vancouver, BC: You only have a first time once.......

Today was an amazing day!!!
After having journeyed four hours by tour bus from Tacoma, Washington, including the dreaded border crossing into Canada, we arrived this morning to cotton candy-like cloudy skies, pine tree blanketed mountains, the crisp clear air and voluminous skyscrapers that ARE Vancouver. This visit to Vancouver is my first. Unfortunately, my thrill and excitement was stunted by the need to gain a few more hours of sleep.
Upon setting foot into my hotel room and being wowed by the unobstructed harbor view outside the sliding french doors, I immediately knew this was my kind of town. It was easy to imagine the energy of the city and what it had to offer, and all I had seen was a glimpse of the birds eye view from my room.
Feeling the need to make the most of my one, full day off, but not having a real plan, I chose to take a city tour. My choice was the "hop-on, hop-off" bus tour. This gave me an advantage to come and go as I pleased, allowing for extended time at selected sites along the way. Once at my pick up location and then on the bus, I decided my plan of action,...first stop, the Vancouver Art Museum. I lucked up on two wonderful exhibits, the first one being, mural sized paintings by African-American artist Kerry James Marshall, and the featured exhibit, The Modern Woman: Drawings by Degas, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec and other master artists from the D'Orsay, Paris. I walked away excited and inspired. Gaining culture and knowledge is always a great start to the day.
Keeping to my schedule, I hopped back on the bus making my way through Vancouvers' more popular neighborhoods, while stopping in Yaletown for a bite to eat. Being Sunday, the streets were less busy than usual which I appreciated. Collecting myself, I continued on the bus passing through, Chinatown, Gastown, English Bay, Second Beach, Granville Island and Stanley Park to name a few. I have been thoroughly impressed by the beauty and warmth of the city and vow to come back.
It is now 6pm and my day is coming to a close. The bus pulls curbside for me to exit and in the short distance is the perfect pitstop, a small and charming Vietnemese restaurant called Chau. I perch myself at the intimate bar and kick back, chowing down on rice paper spring rolls of mint with prawns and thai basil with smoked cod. Yum. To wash it down I opt for a refreshing lychee mojito,.....two, to be exact. I couldn't have asked for a better day.
Before returning to the hotel I did a bit of window shopping along Robson Street and casually strolled along the marina to take in the sunset views.
If only everyday could be like this.... Ahhhhh!