HAPPY WEDNESDAY

In case you had plans to be crotchety, cantankerous, or cross today...

P.S. If you'd like to meet him, he lives in Madison, and he's a real gentleman. 

ZURICH

An eames chair draped in a wool blanket, a bit of moss growing out of a busy sidewalk, the nod to Black Forest in the architecture, and a meticulous attention to detail. This is the land of Helvetica! Zurich is a designers utopia. The clean and careful brushstroke of contemporary design paints nearly every storefront and building in some way, whether it be a tasteful suggestion of the 1960s, a splash of rustic wood, a heathy helping of chrome, or overtones of wool, cowhide and warm blankets. This place makes me look like a frump-wad, and I am too delighted to care. Some day I will revisit Zurich, and perhaps purchase a dramatic-collared peacoat and ride around the clean, uncongested streets on a black vespa. Oh, and I'll eat too much chocolate. But no one will know. That's what the oversized peacoat is for. 

TIBERIUS

We rented a car in Jerusalem, and hit the road for Nazareth, encountering many adventures along the way. Adventures like random baptisms, banana generosity, and frapuccinos with ice cream on top. Our first stop was here, Tiberius, which we hit on the Sabbath, and therefore found deserted..so we left. I loved these docks on the Sea of Galilee, though. I looked at them for just a little too long, which is what I wanted. 

WHERE < WITH

When traveling, "with" is far more important than "where". Always.
Matt is the world's most entertaining onion-eater and quote-maker. Annie likes whistling and laughing at every joke. Jake is not afraid to talk to any and all strangers. Maggie can Slumdog Millionaire through even the thickest market crowds. Brian will Tom-York-Dance in Nativity square, or at the Western Wall. These are the kinds of people you want to travel with to any where.

JERUSALEM // ISRAEL

We found ourselves in the Middle East again, because we needed more footage to complete the documentary that Jake is a part of. This time, we traveled with two of Jake's film students, and Brian, who is scoring the film. We were based in Jerusalem, where we spent many days wandering in the ancient streets, or racing in a panic for taxis. Jerusalem is a magical place, seeped in thousands of years of tradition, culture, and absolutely mesmerizing architecture. I've never seen a melting pot like this. There's the Mamilla, with it's lavish shoppes and twinkling lights, or the Arab market, a heyday of hookahs, antiques, spices, and merchants, or the hipster hangouts on Jaffa Street. Mosques and Synagogues mingle with Cathedrals and Universities to create the phenomenon that is this city.

None of this could top the laugh we had after getting thrown out of the Upper Room, though. Excessive happiness is not always an asset.

GOING

It's usually great, but then sometimes it's just....this.