The Mosel(le) Towns - Cochem and Metz

Was so glad to escape my tiny village on the Belgian border. The previous "Vatertag" celebration nearly finished me off. It was dead silence 20km all around me, but the only party is happening right next to my hotel room window, with booming stereo and loud people...all the way until 2am. And the hotel staff were acting as if they didn't know this is about to happen. According to my inquiries afterwards, it happens year after year on this specific day and somehow still no warning is given to hotel guests. They were sympathetic, but not apologetic. Guess that is what a small town feels like. Anyway, I showed up sleep deprived in Trier and checked into my (comparatively) big city hotel. The hotel was also fully booked but I had the most peaceful rest ever (nobody waking me up at 6am anymore thank god) I'm seriously contemplating sacrificing rest time and commute everyday from Trier, just so I could wake up whenever I wanted and not be forced to follow somebody else's schedule.  

Anyway I digress. After getting some focaccia (?) for breakfast and enough caffeinated, and also doing some much needed Saturday shopping, I started driving towards Burg Eltz after noon, thinking most of the efficient German tourists must have concluded their tours already. Indeed when I arrived, there were more cars leaving the lot than entering. Still, there were way more people than I anticipated. From what Rick Steves shot some years ago, it should be a hidden gem. I feel like the car lot must have been expanded twice already. Anyhow I parked my car and followed a muddy trail to the castle (turns out this was non-scenic longer path that they wanted us to take for some reason, the other shuttle car path was way easier and shorter) The only benches were used by some rowdy teenagers so I decided to just stand this time. I think one of the teenagers wanted to take a look, but I took a step away from him and I think he understood the hint and left me alone. When I was almost done, a man asked me to help take a photo. As I took the phone I realized it is a huge family of close to 20 people. And mostly importantly I have no idea how to take photos for people in German?? Anyway, then I realized that they're in fact Dutch and can, of course, speak perfect English. Crisis resolved.

When I was drawing I could hear the loudspeaker repeating that the wait for castle entry/guided tour is 1 hour. And it seems that you have to actually stand in queue to wait for your turn. Waiting in queue is not my cup of tea, so I just bounced after finishing my painting.  

I followed some comments on googlemaps and found myself the supposedly dirt cheap parking lot at Cochem train station that is 3 EUR for the whole day. I was not in a hurry (plus the day is long) so decided to get a bite at the train station restaurant. Man it was hard work trying to impress the grumpy old lady running the restaurant, but I think I managed it with my passable German and nice attitude. In the end, she even (slightly) smiled at me!! But seriously, why is it on the customer to make the effort. A restaurant would be the wrong business if you hate interacting with people!

Anyway, after getting fed, I strolled through the town center. It was pretty crowded, but not suffocating and I found some cute old buildings! (Also the sun came out!) This time a little girl (from an Indian family I think?) also took notice of me, but she came onto me so suddenly that I thought she wanted to sit where I was sitting. So I apologized and quickly moved a few inches away from her. This time the parents didn't try to stop her from bothering me and indeed she was standing a little too close for comfort (and also licking an ice cream??). Anyway, I was glad when the family left...

I was just strolling around and saw a sign up a small hill that says "Auf Eigene Gefahr". It immediately got me interested. After hiking up the small hill I came across this gem of a view. I didn't do it justice, being rubbish at doing overview scenes. It was super peaceful up here and I could sit on a bench and put my feet up! It was heaven! (okay, minus when a little boy rushed by and demanded to be photograph by his mom when he shoots imaginary cannons at the town below) 

The next day I left my car parked and headed to the train station to take that rickety old SNCF train I saw during my last trip. Everyone on the platform was waiting for another train to Mannheim and there were at most 3 of us who were taking the slow train to Metz. Anyway, I saw the train driver finish the last of his cigarettes and started our diesel train. The ride to Metzville was a solid 1.5hr, and there were almost no one until when we got to Thionville. It was pretty cool to roll by Perl/Schengen and see the triangle border between Germany, France, and Luxembourg. Okay, technically we just rolled by patches of wild grass and abandoned warehouses, but geographically speaking it is very interesting!

The inside of Metz station was a little underwhelming. Yes it has the honour of being voted France's best looking train station 3 years in a row, but it is also a working station so there wasn't much fanfare, just a lot of people coming and going. You do notice the Roman arches and detailed work on the columns, but only outside were there people taking pictures of it. There were some random young men just loitering/sitting on the benches, so I crossed another street so I could sketch away from viewing eyes.  

It's kind of hard to comprehend this is the same river that i saw yesterday, only this time in France. When driving it is always through different road networks. So the fact that these 3 cities are actually connected via a single waterway is kind of mind blowing. 

French cuisine definitely lived up to its reputation though. I didn't even try to pick a restaurant. It was kind of late already, so there were only a handful of restaurants that are still open at 2:30pm. I just picked the closest one (that is not even a proper restaurant, just a cocktail bar that serves some food) and had hands down the best meal of my trip. I feel like the best of the German restaurants have at most met my expectation and the food was tasty. But this tiny French restaurant had me sat there wondering what the heck did my tongue just taste. (it was a beet salad with a savory underlayer with green onion, and topped with whipped cream and sliced pear) 

Not overated Stonehenge + Bath

I was too excited, so I actually couldn't fit the one last stone block on the right. Getting to Stonehenge was rather low key but kind of way more interesting in different ways. I was expecting hordes of tourists descending on Salisbury, waiting to get on the shuttle bus to Stonehenge. Salisbury itself was somewhat busy with tourists, but there was absolutely no one waiting for the bus (and there were definitely people waiting for buses, but just to some places with fanciful names) Anyhow, we just missed the hourly bus when we arrived, so we decided to grab some quick lunch in the town. Maybe it was as well we kept our lunch light, because nobody expected the double-decker shuttle bus to do a fast furious run through the rolling English countryside. The plastic seats were so smooth that people on the upper deck (like us) were definitely sliding furiously back and forth. I think the bus trip itself is worth 80% of the entry fee.

-Stonehenge- 

We didn't know that there was a frequent shuttle bus connecting the visitor center and actual Stonehenge. We saw people walking on a footpath and decided to hit it as well. It was a solid 30 min trek in I don't know where, probably somebody's field. At some point, we definitely lost sight of everyone. And I was shouldering my full overnight bag..it was heavy! Anyway, when we got to the actual ticket checking point, the guy was actually surprised we were able to produce tickets, given our disheveled look emerging from the bushes. It was good exercise though and yes we definitely took the free bus back to the visitor centre.

-Bath-

Another Roman monument! Actually it was really exciting to see a roman bath this well preserved after seeing all the other ruins scattered across continental Europe. I found a good bench to sit on the top floor and thought might as well, assuming (correctly) that people would be probably jostling for photos on the lower floor. So I wasn't actually able to draw the actual bath itself...There were some French enfants on a school trip  

No Sun...No Problem! - London

The opportunity presented itself that I had a chance to stopover in London for a weekend. Between sleeping off a jetlag comfortably through a weekend in the US or starting a work week the night after getting off a transcontinental flight, I choose the latter every time. This also means I get to spend a true full weekend in London, flying in and out on workdays (I already sacrificed a Sunday on my way in, so I feel fully justified in burning a Monday traveling)

 

I basically sleepwalked my way from the plane to Elizabeth line, then again from the train to the hotel, because everything has been done more than once before. It was pretty surreal crashing in the tiny but (in my opinion) perfectly laid out room in London. From a remote village in Southwest Germany to the biggest metropolis in Europe, that's what I call a proper commute. (I got to FRA way way too early, after mistaking the boarding time as departure time, even after the disaster logistics that is to get to FRA terminal 2 non schengen departure) Everything after getting to London was peak efficiency, meanwhile FRA only had 1 guy doing all EU passports on a Friday night! while 30 people queued behind me.

 

Day 1

After having a proper full breakfast with an overly sweet Chai, I headed to what I didn't get to do last time, One New Change's roof terrace. The terrace was impressive, also impressive that they had 2 people watch the crowds at all time. I thought they're gonna say something to me about open water jar or whatever, but they left me alone. When I was almost done, a group of maybe 20 school kids roared in. I think they are from some Eastern European nation, but their guide spoke English. While their guide dismissed the kids to "take selfies for Instagram or whatever", 3 girls approached me and asked if I was doing "aquelle", which I guess is every non-English term for watercolour. And yes, of course teenage girls are more observant than their male counterpart, whom I noticed barely paid attention to the guide's speech.

 

I got a feeling that my St Paul's is not chubby enough, so I decided to do another one from Watling Street. Situating myself in front of an alley way to what I thought is just a barber shop (I think it is actually some sort of apartment or AirBnB, because quite some people filed out when I was standing there) My policy is to not block the sidewalk unless I really have to, so I just poke my head out when I need to see more. (Probably a good choice, because foot traffic definitely picked up while I was there) I also got to hear some free explanation when tour groups passed by. One guide mentioned that Watling Street is the last remaining section of a Roman road that used to go to Wales, and that Sir Christopher Wren built the pub (green) first before starting on St Paul's so that the workers have a place to eat. 

Then I stopped by Guildhall and checked out the Roman Amphitheatre that I definitely did not know about when I visited last time. Because it was getting cold and I was getting hungry, I decided to skip Guildhall for another time. After a late lunch I did Spitalfield Market before the sun went down

 

Day 2

 My favourite store's Brick Lane location was temporarily closed, so I had to head to the West End to finish my shopping. Then I thought why not and did a freer rendition of Trafalgar Square, while standing next to the Canadian mission. The square was busy, but there was almost no one on this side of the street. Honestly I have no idea why I kept on getting St Paul's wrong and had no trouble with Trafalgar Square.

Case and point, I could never get St Paul's to work. This is probably the worst and most vexing of all my drawings this trip

After deciding I cannot end my trip on a low point, I gave myself some warm food and headed back over to Guildhall. It was as damp and cold as yesterday, but with my stomach filled, I sat down comfortably on one of the many fixed benches provided and leisurely finished this very satisfying rendition. Probably my favourite one on this trip!

 

A Short Train Ride Away - Luxembourg

 From Trier, Luxembourg was only a short 50 mins ride away on the regional train. I almost regretted my pre-purchased ticket when I saw an SNCF train pulled into the opposite platform, destined for Metz. That was my runners up destination! For some reason, I thought it was only accessible from Saarbrücken, but I guess it makes sense that the bigger city Trier would have a direct train connection too. In the end I decided to stick with my original plan and do Luxembourg.

 The train station area was nothing fancy, so I only started my once in old town. It is pretty liberating when all public transportation is free. Or else I'm pretty sure I would have walked.

Warm up with the main cathedral (turned out rather well I think) 

After taking the public elevator down, I did this one of the old fortifications across the river Alzette, Eich Gate

I debated if I should stand at the edge of the walkway, but ended up just choosing higher ground to avoid tourist traffic. While I was doing this super complex piece, I had 2 German girls posing and taking photos for 20 mins at least, each coaching the other one. And then a little girl asked her parents to put her up on tree behind me (??) so that she can watch me paint. And then her parents begged and begged her to leave me alone and she wouldn't listen. I ignored her in the beginning so I had to stay in character. In the end, after a good 10 mins of parents begging and then threatening to leave, the little girl finally agreed. 

I think I still suck at drawing grand overviews from the top...but that never stops me from trying lol

I left earlier than I usually do because of the 1 hr commute back + 1 hr drive from Trier and I really don't want to drive in the dark. After getting food at a surprisingly super empty five guys (during which I totally forgot how numbers work in French and had to endure the shame of having to have my number also called in English) I got a sudden chocolate milk crave and impulse purchased probably the only truly Luxembourg produced product in the convenience store, and then I just drank straight from the carton at the platform because I'm desperate enough. And yes, I did blissfully fell asleep during the train ride home. It was very satisfying

Mosel, Roman ruins, and Karl Marx - Trier

 I managed to squeeze in a weekend of free travel while out in South Western Germany for work. I only got to stop by Trier in a high-pressure 30 mins window before I had to fly back to Berlin last time, so this time I decided to really take my time and just stay over for the night.

I was originally gonna take my time and chill a bit before heading over from the hotel, but then I remembered how backed up the only street into town was last time (basically down a steep winding road, then across the Mosel in one lane traffic, then finally into town. I ended up arriving before 10am, way before the weekend crowd arrived managed to easily snag a parking space on the 1st floor! 

I did a warm up at the main square before heading to Porta Nigra. The red silhouette in the back is the main cathedral, which sadly I didn't get a chance to do this time.

The side facing the city was covered up for restoration (apparently to make it less black...which is slightly questionable given its name) so I found a vantage point across the street on the other side. I guess, it is the most famous Roman monument in the whole of Germany?? I think originally it was symmetric, but it then lost one of its towers and was converted to a church (hence the extra bit on the left). The sun also came out at this point, which was great!

 

 

Next I made my way back to where I drove from and found a bench along the Mosel to do the Kaiser Wilhelm bridge. A guy actually turned around on his bike when he noticed me sketching. Out of whatever reason, he decided to speak with me in English at first, which is a huge red flag whenever I'm in a non-English speaking country, so then I just pretended I don't speak English but can understand German. He ended up asking if I'm doing a Erasmus program. I have no idea what that is, but said no lol, and then he just left. 

 

I challenged myself to do a overview, which I was never good at. It turned out...okay? probably because the shape of the river was doing most of the structural heavy lifting. I also got the chance enjoy the now super heavy traffic into town crawling past me. It was a little windy (the wind kept closing the lid of my palette), but still warm and sunny.

  

 

During my visit to the Kaiserthermen (where the lady selling ticket decided to hand me a guide in Dutch, after I told her I prefer English), it drizzled a bit, but I guess the structure above ground was not as interesting as the catacomb underneath (and I ain't sketching anything in the cold damp underground tunnel). By the time I hiked to the Amphitheatre, the sun is poking out a little again. After getting my ticket and heading into the arena, I saw 4 people in costume and gear fighting gladiator style, I almost thought I got like some "become a gladiator for the day" random experience ticket. And was relieved when they just ignored me. Again, the underground section was a little eerie, but very serene. This is probably the least crowded Roman amphitheatre I've ever been to, but also kind of random because there are vineyards on the hills all around it lol

  

Quickly remembering that tomorrow is Sunday, I managed to procure some toothpaste and a Kirschkernkissen from DM while waiting for my dinner!

When Art Saved Me from Food Poisoning: Porto and Douro Valley

Went on a short weekend getaway to Porto to meet up with friends from the US. The upside is: I get to meet up with old aquaintances and chat over some delicious meals (which doesn't happen too often for an introvert). The downside is: the weather was fabulous and way better than when I last spent 2 weeks there during Christmas, but I couldn't sketch when and where I wanted. 

Anyhow, I did catch some break by (1) skipping fresh oyster treat at the market (because I never grew a taste for it, and because my first impression of it was from a Maupassant story) (2) skipping a wine tasting (because the scenery outside was way more attractive than having to sit at a table and watch people drink and come up with descriptions) (3) simply getting up early

Clérigos Church - while skipping oyster eating

View of Douro River - while leaving the wine tasting table at Graham's

Douro Valley wineyards - from hotel room terrace

 Skipping oyster turned out to be a giant blessing in disguise, because most people I went with got sick afterwards. Art and socialist upbringing saved me I guess?? My flight back was postponed by one day because of a technical issue with the plane, but I decided to chill at the airport hotel even though there was technically still some time to go back in town and do some proper sketches. I was just exhausted from driving and the anxious waiting at the airport. All in all a good trip, I went in unsure if I could finish the last 4 pages of the sketchbook, but I did and included the much coveted red roofs of Porto (Schmincke transparent orange's time to shine).

Where I discover the necessity of the Siesta - Rome

After reading the blog by a local artist, I realized that I never really properly sketched Rome, or maybe none at all?? Technically I've been to Rome twice, but both trips were very rushed and packed with itineries. (And did I mentioned the unbearable heat??) Anyway, so I booked Rome for the upcoming Labour Day long weekend, with absolutely no plan to step into any monument or stand in line. Just, sketch, eat, and sleep.

Day 1

So yeah, I was not prepared for the heat. By the time I arrived in Rome proper, it was nearly 1PM and 27C. I really regretted not changing into my linen pants in the morning.

I was just going to pick the closest church from Termini to warm up (the irony of that on a burning hot day) and headed to Santa Maria Maggiore. This church totally slipped under my radar even though I always stayed near Termini. Only when I noticed the huge queue in the plaza did I recall hearing this name in the news lately: the late Pope Francis was only recently buried here. There was a good patch of shadows across the street and a good landing spot for my bag and supplies, so I "warmed up" while panting and constantly wiping sweat away.

I then walked to the Colosseum and found a tiny patch of shadow casted by a restoration/construction access gate, which was also conveniently located at the end of the walkway when it turns right. The angle was of course not perfect (the diagonal cut of the colosseum is not very prominent), but I was already lucky to find this spot! And...I'm still rubbish with arches. So that was Big Ben, Eiffel Tower, Colosseum all checked off right?

After dinner, I was taking a stroll around the hotel and stumbled upon this wonderful view of the same church again. I don't do the same subject twice, but this calls for an exception (for some reason it really felt like that the 2 domes are unequal in dimension...maybe I'm going crazy) There was a guy asking if that in the front is indeed Santa Maria Maggiore. This time I was confident in my answer!

Day 2

I did a crash course of Rome travel tips on Youtube and decided to head out early the next day and take siesta during the hottest hours. And so I headed out at 8:30 (which is already uncharacteristically early for me on vacation) to Castel Sant'Angelo. The view from the bridge itself was also very nice, but there was a growing crowd of tourists throughout the bridge. So I ended up taking the stairs to the water level (somehow I never noticed these lower river banks earlier). The shadow was on my side so it was actually a bit chilly while I worked. Very people came through despite the nice view, down here which was understandable because I also missed it the previous time I was here. I had to rework the last/closest arch several times ooops

Deciding that my arch-drawing skills need more practise, I immediately stopped at the next bridge downstream, Ponte Vittorio Emmanuelle II. This time I sat on top of the stone railings along the river, which put me out of foot traffic and also above passer-by eye level. This was where I got asked once if they can take picture of my drawing, and another time of me drawing (?). I really loved how green and full-bodies the Tiber looked. (Oh and even though I never planned to include St. Peter's in this trip, it somehow popped up in both of these sketches! Very sneaky)

Afterwards I had incredible good luck in finding a decent spot to sketch the Fountain of Four Rivers at Piazza Navona. The restaurant next door had some flower pots to delineate their outdoor seating area, so I put my water jar down on them. The crowd in front of the fountain was too dense for me to see the bottom structure, but the main statues were visible! I dunno if there were still people who knew this place from Angels and Demons, like me.

I was originally planning to do the next one at Pantheon, but it was impossible, totally impossible. There was barely any standing room left. So I gave up and started heading back to the hotel when I saw this when walking through the heavy construction area at Piazza Venezia. Pedestrian traffic was dense and chaotic, but there was shadow and scaffolding on the buildings, which provided some space for people to rest and take a break from walking. The left side of the Vittoriano was slightly obscured, but I can't ask for too much. During this time, a lady actually asked me where Teatro Marcello was, with a hand written itinerary. I had absolutely no idea what that was. I looked it up on my phone, but I'm pretty I gave her the wrong direction because the whole Piazza Venezia looked nothing like the map. While I was putting in the finishing touches, a guy (the dad of a family of 3) stopped a bit longer to take a look, and eventually said "Congratulations" to me before leaving. I had no idea what he meant, but still said "Thank you and have a nice day" to them (??) After this, lunch, then siesta from 2-6pm heck yeah.

Day 3

The next day I headed to Spanish Steps (another place I never really visited before) first thing in the morning, getting there at 8:30AM. There were people, but no crowd. So I settled comfortably in front a (still closed) luxury shop window and had full view of the scene. Unfortunately I did accidentally put the two towers a bit too close to each other, so I decided not to add the obelisk in the end...

At Piazza del Popolo was when I really felt I'm getting some sketching fatigue. There were some strange flat metal bars that were just wide enough for people to sit, but as I discovered, only intended for a short stay because they make your legs go numb. I didn't plan for this, but this time the Obelisk was big enough in the frame that I needed to put in details for the hieroglyphs. This was the first time I sketched in a script I know nothing about! Super exciting!

I did the last 2 at River Tiber/Ponte Fabricio, the oldest bridge in Rome. I kind of messed up the first one, but the second one at river level was much better. Despite the chaos on the street level, here at the water level everything was extremely peaceful. And because of the sound of the rushing water, I could concentrate a lot more. So much so that a handfull of passer-bys really gave me a surprise when they walked behind me (because I didn't hear them approaching at all) and eventually a maintenance truck driver had to gently tap his car to make me notice them (he didn't honk, which was very considerate, because I could have had a heart attack). I didn't expect cars to come through at all, so I parked myself in the middle of the road ooops. 

Overhearing Gossips is Part of the Charm - London

I hopped over to London during the Easter weekend. The weather coorperated and never rained more than a few drops. I even enjoyed some decent hours of sun!

This time I chose to stay in Brick Lane, instead of my usual Soho hotel. I noticed that I kept coming here anyways to eat and shop, so might as well just save myself some time and stay. After grabbing some late lunch at my usual noodles/bun joint (which has increase from 1 to 3 stores since I started eating there), I started my new sketchbook with a view onto "The Golden Heart" (originally built for Truman's Brewery), with Christ Church Spitalfield peeking out in the back.

After checking in and dropping off my heavier bag, I did some last minute research while sipping on tea before setting out again into the city. By this time heavy cloud started gathering and some drops started coming down. Thankfully London has plenty of spots with overhead covers. Because it was Good Friday, I also had no trouble finding a place (closed shop fronts) to stand along the busy street in front of Liverpool Street Station. I thought my spot was inconspicuous enough, but several ppl noticed me and stopped to have a quick chat, including a guy with a bunch of Tesco bags, and a mom and daughter who asked where I got my supplies (I don't know London art supply shops so I wasn't able to give any more concrete answer other than "most art shops should carry those. You just need to look for them")

The last one of the day was the medieval church St Helen's Bishopsgate, which now finds the Gherkin as its backdrop. It really felt like a time warp/surreal corner amongst all the steel and concrete. The nearby office building had some convenient bollards with *wide and flat* tops, which was perfect for my purpose. The security staff in the building also paid me zero attention. I really ate too much for lunch, and by this time my stomach is really starting to feel interesting. The 3-hr movie session afterwards really helped with digestion!

Day 2

I started the next day late and lazy at Leadenhall Market. There were construction ongoing all around the market, plus there was some open market action happening inside, so my choice of sketching area was limited. Thankfully I found another closed shop front (thank you bank holiday) with a big enough window sill to put my jar on. I couldn't see the inner structure of the market, but I could see the exquisite front, Lloyd's building, and the cheese grater in the back. A lot of Spanish-speaking tour groups were filing through and I understood nothing except the words "Harry Potter". Just as I was wrapping up, the sun came out and casted a beautiful shadow.

With the sun now high in the sky, I had an unexpectly hot and dry session at Bank Junction. It was difficult to choose exactly which side I should draw, but in the end I decided the Bank of England + Royal Exchange side has more interesting shadow, plus there was a convenient pedestrian crossing button that was at exactly the right place I needed it to be. I started when the Royal Exchange was completely in the shadow, then the sun came over the columns from the right in no time! The 2 sides looked disconnected at first, but as soon as I added the Wellington statue in, it somehow all came together! This time too a guy jogging (I think) came up and asked if I was using watercolour and if I ever used pen/ink (I told him this way is faster than pen)

By this time I was starving, but I also don't know how long the sun is going to last. So I decided to push for a last one of St Paul's. Unfortunately my original planned spot on One New Change's public terrace was closed for the public (unless you eat at the posh restaurant), so I had to settle for a more conventional view. I'm still not 100% satisfied with St. Paul's

After some much needed lunch and tea break, I set out again in late afternoon and walked across the Thames. There were some nice benches along the river so I decided to give St Paul's another try. I vastly decreased the distance between the cathedral and Southwark Bridge because the skyline isn't too interesting between them. Alas, I'm still not 100% happy with this attempt either... I was almost going to do another one from Blackfriar's Thameslink platform (definitely the station with the best view), but I stopped myself in time.

Since I'm on Thameslink platform anyways I thought, might as well go up to St Pancras. For some reason, I've never drawn this station before (I also wonder why). I was going to walk towards the front entrance for a grander view, but the view from the back entrance (Midland Rd) was really too nice to pass up (and I'm an opportunist) so I decided to just start sketching. Turns out that not only is this street relatively quiet and free of traffic, it is also the prime lunch/cigarette break location for station/hotel staff. More than 3 groups were out when I was there. One group consisted of a chatty Italian lady who gave out a constant stream of work and personal gossips to her more reticent male colleague and broke into Italian phrases when excited. I felt like I experienced a more authentic slice of Italian life than being in most Italian tourist cities.

Maybe next time I will do the actual famous clock tower of St Pancras

Then I wondered up to Regent's Canal. This part of the canal seemd to be completely renovated and there wasn't any interesting old buildings, so I just picked a place with some boats and focused on the water itself. Just as the sun was disappearing, a nice older couple stopped by to chat and noticed my tote bag. They told me they've also been to Granville Island, but probably before I was born. They complimented Vancouver and I told them "There is no job there, other than that it's pretty good" with a huge smile. They seemed to enjoy this comment very much and asked "is that why you're here?"

Day 3

Nothing to write home much about Canary Wharf, I was never a good steel n concrete sketcher (and never intend to be!) But as I was doing this one at Eden Dock after eating at Din Tai Fung, 2 young people sat down in front of me. The guy had a take out lunch, while the lady wasn't eating anything. Their conversation was far more interesting than the scenery I was sketching. I really couldn't pinpoint their relationship in the 10 minutes they chatted in front of me. If they were colleagues, they never brought up any work topic. If friends, why isn't the lady eating, or why aren't they eating at a restaurant?? In the beginning the lady was asking if she can take a picture of the guy's lunch. (I was so confused) Then they talked about which area they each plans to settle. And at one point, the lady said she had a huge row with her dad the previous week after he accused her of keeping money away from his new family, and she said "and I told him thank you for cheating on mom for 20 years". All through this the guy seemed to be more interested in his lunch

 

The Correct Italian Riviera Town - Sanremo

So yes, I did make the mistake of going to Genoa thinking that it is the Nice of Italy, aka, the natural equivalent resort town on the Cote d'Azur. Although the working port city of Genoa did have enough charm of its own, this time I'm certain Sanremo fits the bill much better.

I landed in Nice, which is technically the closest big airport, despite being in the wrong country. Rented a Monaco plated car from possibly the happiest guy in France on a Friday 9pm. Maybe it has something to do with the sun. After I asked for a smaller car, the guy was super excited to offer me "a very special car" and told me nobody would dare touch a Monaco plate car because of the high insurance premium. The plate only had 4 digits and no EU flag...very exotic.

And so I drove out to the darkness onto my 1 hr commute to Sanremo. Although I was mentally prepared, it was still annoying to have to go through toll booth >4 times for a 1 hr journey. The highlight was definitely crossing the land border with Italy (A big sign with "à bientôt" followed by a small "Italia" sign) and then immediately getting hit with roadwork and lane closures. Thankfully there were experienced truck drivers in front of me all the time, or else I would have definitely hit something. 

I specifically chose the AirBnB because of its sea view from the balcony...which was in complete darkness by the time I arrived at 10:30pm...so I fell asleep with excited anticipation

Day 1

I did a warm up first in Villa Ormond (almost a a month since I last sketched) before heading to the old town. The sun was really heating up the city, but I found a recess on the sidewalk with opening to the underground parking lot. It was like having my personal AC!

Did the next one at Piazza Cassino, at the entrance to old town "La Pigna". (After seeing Cassini's name popping up everywhere in this town, I finally learned that Cassini was from a small city not far from here) The houses already felt super organic at this point. Apparently the seemingly spontaneous walls are results of multiple expansion of the old city at different times in history.

Even though twisted and winding, there were actually surprisingly many places I could duck out of traffic and settle down to sketch. There weren't many ppl (resident or tourist) coming or going, so it was a very serene experience to sketch just under windows and porches and overhear the occasionally chatters bouncing off the walls. I decided to do this one because of the arches jetting out in spontaneous yet harmonious directions. There was a cat that was hanging out the whole time when I was there. (I think it was trying to get into a building next to me, but nobody was there to let it in). So much so that I think some of the passer-bys thought the cat was with me. I overheard somebody commenting "elle écrit avec le chat!"

I did a final one of the day from the balcony of the AirBnB. Definitely a 10/10 view

Day 2

It was a bit clouded the next day and I decided to check out the old port. It has a super long pier (to serve the many yachts I guess) and I can basically pick wherever I wanted to sit. It was super interesting to see the little canopy of the old town pop up from the back.

I couldn't help but return to La Pigna in the afternoon. It is definitely the most interesting old town I've ever been to. Like a dungeon and castle combined, a choose-yourself-adventure. (maybe even like an Italian Kowloon walled city?) Plus it was mostly quiet and empty. A pigeon has its spot on the inside of this arch and eyed the invader (me) with suspicion.

I realized I missed the west side of the old town the previous day after doing some readings in the evening, so I found my way into the famous Piazza Cisterna after getting lost a fair few times. The sense of place was mesmerizing: the huge drop in elevation, seemingly random pathways intersecting at the water basin/cisterna, arches, plants, and laundries! What more could I ask for?

By this time the sun finally came out again, so I finished off the day at one of the classic Sanremo locale: the Casino. As I was doing some finishing touches, 3 older Italian gentlemen came over and one asked "How much?" Usually I would be alarmed, but maybe because of his accent or the way he said it, it came off as charming and a little goofy. So I just started starting laughing. They were very amused and the same man asked "what's your name?" I thought it was just one of those cliche lines, but to my surprise he then proceeded introduce himself and his 2 friends. As they walked away, I still couldn't believe how wholesome the whole interaction was. Definitely a highlight of the trip