A posting from Portland where it is just like summer should be.
After our holiday in east Germany, we returned to Amsterdam on a Sunday afternoon and I promptly left for Barcelona on a work trip the next morning. It was a bit of a whirlwind and I was sick, but the sun is therapeutic, isn't it? A few hours before my return flight, I lounged by the pool, working and eating fresh watermelon. But the best part was probably my morning walk on the beach.
I stayed at Vincci Bit, which was close to the neighborhood I needed to work in and a convenient ten-minute walk from the beach. On my second day there, I woke early and headed out to feel the sand between my toes. Just me, a few elderly people, and several dedicated surfers populated the beach. A quiet walk to the sound of lapping waves.
Three scenes from my recent trip to Barcelona: a row of apartments, a museum, and an ancient church.
A few years ago, a random chain of events led to me standing in front of a group of German students answering questions about 'America'. One student asked if there was much graffiti in the States. Unless you live in a city, the answer is not really. Outside of the cities, instead of being seen as an art form, it falls into more of the 'act of vandalism' category. Living in Europe for the past years, I have become a fan of street art that is part of the city. Rather than defacing a structure, it enhances it.
singing in the shade by 
I've been following the photography of the two sisters behind 
Feeling an itch to get away for a weekend. The only remaining question: where to go? Floating through my head are ideas of France, Italy, Spain, and Ireland. Paris is only a train ride away, the other locations probably require a short flight. Just a chance to walk over some unfamiliar cobblestones and breathe in the air of another city.
