Week 49: Despair

Listening: FKA twigs

On 1 Jan 2019 I sat down at my kitchen table. I took 52 pieces of yellow paper and wrote down 52 random words. I rolled them up and tucked away in a Belgian cookie tin with nuns on it. Every week I take out one word and shoot accordingly.

Travelogue 2019

As per travelogue tradition (see 2017 and 2018) here we go in chronological order. This year I have been the furtherest from home so far - close to 9000 km in one flight. Yet I felt more at home in San Francisco than I have been feeling at some more local hoods. Geographical distance is just that - kilometres. Speaking of home - I also returned to my beloved Madrid and discovered some of Northern Spain (I am such a northerner ;)). Rest assured mountains and ocean are my absolute favourites. It's like ocean is the liquid mountain range. Last, but not least, I would like to thank everyone who shared their home and time with me during those travels! Ho(s)tels are fine, but it also extremely nice to sleep on a friend's sofa now and then and get all the inside scoop. :)

Krakow, Poland

Glendalough, Ireland 

Powerscourt Gardens, Ireland

Dublin, Ireland

Madrid, Spain

Ichnite route, Spain

Rioja, Spain

Santoña, Spain

Arredondo, Spain

Vega de Pas, Spain

Santander, Spain

Comillas, Spain

Llanes, Spain

Oviedo, Spain

Aviles, Spain

Salinas, Spain

Covadonga, Spain

Lebeña, Spain

Picos de Europa, Spain

Valley of the Fallen, Spain

San Francisco, CA, USA

Oakville, CA, USA

Yosemite National Park, CA, USA

Berkeley, CA, USA

Pigeon Point Lighthouse, CA, USA

Monterey, CA, USA

Bird Rock, CA, USA

Lone Cypress, CA, USA

Pebble Beach, CA, USA

Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA, USA

Fruitvale, Oakland, CA, USA

Monterey

So, let's be clear a) I have a good vibes thing going on with Steinbeck and b) I saw a bunch of cool creatures without visiting the aquarium - a whale, sea otters, sea lions, pelicans and many other birds. I don't care for the extremely touristy vibe, but I care for a and b. Plus my new vintage green leather purse (the most hippie handbag I own now,  I suppose).

I mean, California is my jam. I so don't wanna admit it 'cos in I had imagined myself being all East Coast type... I wonder why?! There's no reason. Of course in all honesty I am a Northern European with Eastern European vibes who cannot say no to sunshine and enjoys practicing her Spanish (and underline how she used to live in Madrid). In case labelling is a thing. Well it surely must have been at sardine canneries, haha.. ha?! (I should be a comedian... eee.)

And I so love the "mess" sunshine creates in photos. I let it. It's intentional mess. Sorry, (photo) purists, not sorry.

Two hours. I also bought a miniature rubber chicken. Take me back to the ocean! (Side note: massive amount of different birds taking over the rocks; possibly not visible at all in those small photos.)