FaceTime

Such an amazing way to speak to people, although after awhile it's nice to turn the camera around and get a view of the view your fellow facetimer is looking at. I've already been able to hang out with Kenny (pictured), and his beautiful daughter Maya twice! Pretty cool considering this is the future; and im sure one day my refrigerator will be facetiming me while I'm at the store telling me to get more carrots with a live stream from inside my vegetable drawer.

Barcelona, It's more than just a club!

Viva Barcelona! One of our most anticipated destinations on the trip, we looked forward to the culture, beaches, people, tapas, and relaxed Siesta style way of life! In a place where Leyla's Spanish helped us navigate the ramblas, it was a great time to be in Spain, considering they had just won the world cup!



This was the first time on the trip that I was able to have two toilets! The second one you could even adjust the temperature of the water. Spanish luxury at its finest.



Nightclubbing in Barcelona goes all night, here we are at the brand new W hotel in Barcelona. This is the view of the W tower from the beach:





We toured the city by foot and metro, and saw some amazing work by Antoni Gaudi. It was really amazing to see his passion for nature, and how he could infuse it in his architecture. Also how he died in a train accident because nobody would help him because he looked like a homeless man.



Our boy Paul Gasol was a hometown hero:



Fancy feet:




A fountain of angels:




Skype with Poppa!



Amazing Tapas and not so bad beer either:









Streetside Cafe




Drinking fountain



Pre Beach Beverages:





Blending in



So relaxed and so happy in Espana!

Pari$ - The city of expensive essentials, Buddha Bar, and Beauty

On the way to Paris, we had to drink wine in our handy wine cup holders on the plane!



Hello Paris! One of the most interesting cities in the world, and nothing is more romantic then the Eiffel Tour. If only you had 40€ left to make it to the top!




It was 4€ for a bottle of water, and 3 times that for a beer!



McCafe was a little cheaper. Good coffee and fresh pastries.



We opted for a streetside cafe on the champs elysees (18€ Champagne).



We stopped by the Quicksilver Surf Shop and saw a little slice of my roots:



We had one of the best dinners of our lives at the Buddha Bar!




We also saw every major site in Paris! From Monte Marte to the Louve:



One of our favorite paintings.



And then there is this one:



Notre Dame Cathedral.



On a side note, in my sleep I moved our flatscreen tv and hid it behind a bunch of clothes, no recollection at all. Good times in Paris! Love was in the air!

Sweden in review

Sweden, my unofficial home in Europe. I've spent over 30 days there on three different trips, and every time I have had a blast. Friendly, happy, enjoyable people, life almost seems to good in the land of cold and ice. Luckily for Leyla and I, it is summertime, and a breath of fresh air from the Austin heat. Just ask this guy:



My partner in crime, and mixtape master, Mankie aka Magnus. I've known him for so long, and he is someone that you would gladly hop on a sting ray for!




Life isn't perfect in Sweden, while health care is free, they still have punks tagging the shit out of their walls. Although I can't imagine a Swedish punk...



We were able to enjoy the new and improved Malmo, courtesy of Mankie's amazing lifelong friends, and while the water was cold, the living was easy.



Rasmus also performed surgery on Leyla's splinter:



The beaches were pretty good too (minus no surf), we played some bocce, swam a bit, played American football, all on the fourth of July! Nobody seemed to care about the normally drunken day we have in the USA.



We also took Mankie's "weekend" car, aka Skoda from heaven, and ventured off on our own. We went to Sweden's Stonehedge, and I imagined Vikings drinking and pillaging thousands of years before us. The harbor was very laid back, and the locals seemed very interested in my California English.





Magnus and Sofia also gave us an amazing Wedding present, a Spa day in Sweden. We had none other than a Full Body Massage. Note, they don't call it Swedish Massage in Sweden, since in fact, we were at the source. An amazing day was had, and a once in a lifetime experience.




The main journey this time around was our trip to Ven, a place that is magical, and has something for everyone. For us, we chose to indulge in bike riding, bug chasing, wine drinking, and amazing food and laughs with friends. Leyla and I will probably get separate bikes next time around though... Sofia drove the boat amazing as well, and we were home in time for a delicious brunch on the harbor with lots of coffee.




Closing thoughts on Sweden (2010): The people have grown up, but they are still awesome.

• Magnus and Sofia are amazing cooks and we even picked our own ingredients sometimes (no hallucinations).
  

• I'm not sure what kind of dressing this is, but I bet I would like it!
  

• Nokia is big at Sweden's Best Buy equivalent (Brent Henry Likes this):
  

• The people there are amazing, and fun to drink with.
  

• Magnus gets paid good $ to recycle my red bull cans:

• Agnetta is the best! I know why Magnus is such a good guy! His Mom is amazing!
  

It is a place I would gladly call home, cheers to you Sweden, and thanks for showing me how to live happily ever now.