World Travelers

Indeed.

They are, but that's my crappy camera.




Looked excellent. You're very good at these low-cost, "authentic" holidays with lots of outdoors activities!

Pictures of the Andalucía trip (Sevilla, Úbeda and Córdoba), also for non-Facebook users:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1 … 54a3910c7d

Depends what vibe you want? John Barry's The Quillar Memorandum is a cold war thriller set in Berlin and it's very creepy........it's also impossible to get the CD.

Or why not opt for some Wagner and Beethoven?

Awesome pictures, Bregt, as usual! Really felt like I was there. Must have been a fantastic experience - the setting, the concerts, the people, everything.

For my experience I'd stick to the west coast: Sintra and Porto are lovely!
I didn't like Lisbon AT ALL. Grimy, dirty and generally unpleasant. (But apparently I'm in the minority).

Yes you are. I thought Lisbon was excellent ( though my judgement could be clouded in rose tinted memories of a romance with a Norwegian girl ).

Totally agree on Sintra and Porto.

Thanks for the recommendations and tips. Porto does look really attractive. Lonely Planet said Lisbon was one of its top 10 cities of 2009 though...

We decided to fly to Porto (with Ryanair) and then do a tour, with Lisbon the maximum southern point we want to go (which is roughly 300km, not too much). After all the cultural visits in Spain, I want a hike too!

Bregt, my man, you travel even more than I do and I consider myself quite mobile. How can you afford all these things? I thought you were like a poor student and stuff?

Time for a report from my trip to London.

What can I say? It was the trip of my life and I found another place which feels home. My host, Richard, was wonderful. It was my second trip to London, so this time I managed to get some sense of life (also social) of London. I went to pub twice, once I took even a part in a pub quiz, which was a great and hilarious experience. Our team came in second and I did managed to participate some points for the team.

Because, except British Museum, where I went this time, I basically went through most of the "best of London"/most popular places, this time I managed to stay more in the suburbs, precisely Ealing and once Clapham, where I met up with an internet friend of mine, who's cool as well. I had a great experience of going to Ealing Summer Jazz Festival, where I had some amazing concerts and made a few videos. The most priceless experience was a concert which felt more like a rock one than purely jazz. I never DANCED on a jazz concert before, that's one. The guy, a man from Guyana, a flute player called Keith Waithe, at one point, during a fast piece, suddenly pulled out a Vuvuzela and played on that. Yeah, he did, nobody got deaf and it was wonderful. I also bought a CD of Winston Morson, a guitarist who taught my host to play guitar.

Now to the two places I got a tour in. Abbey Road Studios and AIR Studios, two legendary recording studios in London. It's good to know people in high places and that's exactly my case. Hearing some anecdotes, one being particularly hilarious about 20 Japanese guys having a tour of Abbey Road (tours are a courtesy the studios do to their clients' friends or colleagues). They basically went into the famous Studio 2 (nicknamed The Beatles Studio by those in the know) and saw the piano used for the recordings. What they did? One of them sat by the piano, pulled out a Beatles Songbook and started to play only for the rest to start singing the songs! Must have been great.

In AIR Studios they were setting up a recording session for a movie (no, I didn't stay). I met the engineer Geoff Foster, who told me things like where do they put choir for recordings, etc. After leaving the control room we talked a bit outside. Suddenly a guy comes in and says 'Good morning'. I mumbled back and he walked past us. It was a few minutes later when I realized who it was. It was Clint Mansell.

Then of course happened one of my promised phone calls... Yes, it WAS Hans Zimmer who got me the tours. And when I told him I loved the studios he told me he'd send me a book about recording The Beatles. FedEx already contacted me about the package, because of some formalities and on Monday it should be in my house. I don't expect you to believe me, I don't believe it myself.

Of other wonderful places I saw in London I can add Kew Gardens, a great botanic garden, where I saw some rare and beautiful butterflies and Hampstead Heath, a huge forest, where we went because it was pretty close to AIR Studios and I wanted to see the Parliament Hill, which gives a nice view of the whole London.

Amazing trip, great memories.

So glad you had a great time Pawel, sounds like a real blast!

I go to Berlin in 1 week.

Still thinking in my musical selection. Alias, bourne supremacy and some world war 2 score will go with me for sure.

Any recomendations about German bands or score which could fit well in Berlin or Germany in general?

thanks!

What a wonderful trip you had!

Looking forward pics and videos!

Yeap. also Pink floyd`s the wall...

Seems like a cool London trip, Pawel.

Who else can say they've received a book about Abbey Road/Beatles by Hans Zimmer in person?