The conditions are simple: Chile beats Colombia, and they’re qualified for the World Cup soccer. If not, they get more chances later on. Chilean people know this. But the Chileans don’t want to wait. It’s Saturday, they want to party. We arrive early at the Irish-styled pub, to get a good seat. A wise decision. We do get a table with a good view of the massive big screen. People who arrive late aren’t as lucky, they have to take a seat wherever they can find one. Except for Piñera. The place is packed. Apparently a popular place. National television is [View Full Entry]

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All over the world they’re referred to as Irish pubs. Here they’re just pubs. Dublin is all about the pubs. Sure, it’s got its cultural and historical scene as well, but at the end of the day - literally - you end up in a pub. And, when in the pub, why not mingle with the locals. The Irish are friendly and fun-loving. And some of them completely incomprehensible. The table next to ours hosts three older gentlemen; one Egyptian and two Irish. The chat is on. The two Irish men are curious about our stay, and eager to help with [View Full Entry]

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It’s a good day. Saturday. The skies are blue, the air is warm. Festival time. Getting to Megaland in Landgraaf takes longer than planned. Traffic, lack of proper directions, a completely illogical parking system, and funny logistics to the actual festival ground gets us in the gates right in the middle of The Killers’ performance. Little do I care. Sure, they’ve got a few good songs, but they’re no heavyweights yet. A few hours and beers later the main act takes the stage. Years of anticipation to see The Boss in concert becomes reality. As is customary, the intro t [View Full Entry]

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Finding a place to eat in a new city can be a tricky thing. With a couple of strong-minded fellow travelers, even more so. Reims may not have gained its fame for the abundance of restaurants, but like every French settlement with a population greater than two, there are a few establishments to choose from. Finally we agree on trying one on what appears to be a rather major and popular square. The weather has been sunny and dry all day on our way through three countries, so the prospect of sitting outside in the spring in the middle of the [View Full Entry]

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I’m not a religious man, but that doesn’t mean I don’t respect religion. And it certainly doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the sometimes magnificent architecture that comes with places of worship. To be truthful, I have often stated that “if you’ve seen one cathedral you’ve seen them all”. This is obviously not true, they are all unique in various ways, but many churches and cathedrals resemble each other. A lot. Same shape, same exterior, same interior, same purpose. A lot of the things that can be found in most churches can be found in [View Full Entry]

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Stadio Olimpico, Rome. This modern day Colosseum, where the gladiators are substituted by football mercenaries; where the battle for life and death is swapped for a fight to kick the ball behind enemy lines; and where the reward for victory is no longer your precious life, but fame, glory, and obscene amounts of Euro. This day AS Roma is hosting Siena. A small group of dedicated opponent fans occupy a small section of the stadium. An equal or larger amount of policemen are surrounding them. Seemingly a waste of resources, as no one appears to pay any attention to this little [View Full Entry]

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Mention the Basque country in northern Spain, and many will think of ETA, maybe bombs, liberation movements, and strange language. Fewer will think of the beautiful scenery, the great food, and the extremely friendly and hospitable people. A shame. But it’s not without reason the area is associated with violence. For years and decades, groups from this region have fought for independence from Spain. Many times using violence. In the highly unlikely event I’ll ever start writing politics, I might cover this interesting topic of who are the righteous and who are the villains here [View Full Entry]

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In the quaint and cozy city of Lille in northern France, there is a small square with a restaurant. This particular day it’s warm and sunny, there is lots of people on the streets, so we’re happy to get a table in what seems to be a central location. Maybe we should have gotten the hint from the table next to us. A poor English fellow and the woman he’s trying to impress are ready to leave, but have been charged €2 too much. When the Garçon - the waiter - is made aware of this in a brave attempt from [View Full Entry]

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A bum. A beggar. Lives on the street. Not any street though, but Princes Street in Edinburgh. Sits outside a store in rags, with some text on a piece of cardboard, telling his story in a few lines. Basically, the reason why we should give him money. He’s in his 20’s. No visible signs of physical or mental defects. A cell phone rings. In today’s day and age everyone has a cell phone. The bum answers his. I don’t stick around to listen to the conversation, but the tone in his voice indicated more of a friendly than a professional call. [View Full Entry]

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Most people know the movie Trainspotting. Sort of a cult movie. Not a great one in my opinion, but one to have and share opinions about. And it’s one of the more famous movies set in Scotland. The setting is Edinburgh to be more specific, where I spend my weekend. Since it’s far from my favorite flick, I think nothing of it until the topic of movies comes up. There are quite a few large media stores in the city, each with a wide selection of DVD’s. My friend isn’t familiar with the movie, so I figure I should just be [View Full Entry]

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