Happy channukah

And we had latkes too. (In Hania (Crete), Greece with my cousin Brian)

New Post

Well I've been wanting to write for a while, but traveling can really be a full time job. Between planning to get to places, getting to places and being places, I hardly find time for writing about being places. Ok, I'll admit, Ive been a little lazy, with the exception of the past few days, I spent the majority of the past two weeks chilling on a beach in San Sebastian (aka Donostia), Spain (aka Basque Country). I was practicing guitar a lot, and even wrote a song about the place. I hope to post a recorded version in the next few weeks, just working out some minor kinks.  Anyway, heres what I've done so far.
Aug 30: Scotland, all around (highlights were the highlands, so beautiful and green, unbelievable glens (valleys) and mountains. Just georgous, anybody who can go there, go)
Sept 8th: to London (highlights: chillin with my family and getting to know my cousin Joffy (holla, it's a shoutout) better. Thanks Sally and Neil too!!)
Sept 15th: To Dublin, Ireland and all around (highlights: hitchhiking the northern perimeter of the island, and getting to know some really good people. Also, when Justin fell through the roof (literally, don't worry, he's OK.)
Sept 29: to Amsterdam (I spent a week in there then went to the north and then south to a week in Utrecht) (Highlights: umm, I can't remember. Ahh seriously its layout is so efficient even in the old cities. They make way for all forms of transportation and the whole country seems to have this feel of "your rights end where mine begin")
Oct: 17th: Belgium: Brugges and Brussels (Highlights: Brugges, is so pretty and relaxed, great architecture, great place to take a loved one, wah wah wah)
Oct 21: Paris, France (Highlights: architiecture and my homeboy Rodrigo who put me up for three nights and taught me to eat and live in STYLE)
Oct 26th: Donostia (San Sebastian): (Highlights: chillin on the beach, the relaxed vibe, the Pinxos (basically tapas) the weather, the guitar, the everything, I had a good time. I could have stayed, but I gots to keep on keeping on)
Nov 5th: Barcelona (highlights: I had been here before, so it was nice not having to do the touristy stuff and just walk around. I loved the HUGE market on La Rambla, I don't know what its called, but wow.)
Nov 7th: Polermo, Italy (highlights, the Cannolli and the Coffee)
Nov 8th: A new webb is born (this isn't part of my travels, but noteworthy enought to make an interjection into anything. Tessa, I don't know you, but I love you)
Nov 9th: Napoli, Italy (I just got here this morning off a 12 hour boat ride and the city is so fast and narrow, its like the whole place is amped up on whatever, probably cafe and ciggarettes. They got something going on here, but I don't know what it is yet. I had the best pizza of my life today though, this is where pizza was inveted. I got to check out Pompai and some other nearby spots too.)
Future plans: Chill on a farm, and then meet up with the parents (I love them anyway, but how cool is it that they are coming to meet me in Rome on my eurotrip, you guys rock)

PS: I never really know what to write about, so if you want to hear more or less about something, just tell me. It would be appreciated.

Magic in San Sebastian

Magic in San Sebastian, Spain. If you're going to claim to be able to do this too, please attach proof. Joey

Tõnis Mägi - Estonian Traditional Resistance Song

Tõnis Mägi (click to play)

A friend I made at the hostel here in Utrecht is from Estonia. I knew nothing about Estonia, but he told me some things and I did some research, so I have a basic understanding. If yours is better and I made any mistakes, please let me know.

So, apparently, they have a history of being "tormented" by the countries around them, and gained their independence for the second time in 1991. They have been hard hit by economic depression. Gustav played a song for me that has become somewhat of a national anthem, although not officially. The song, as the singer in the video introduces it is a song of freedom. What he says roughly translates to "When we are together like this, nobody can defeat us." I tried translating the lyrics, but it wasn't perfect. But you can definitely sense standing up to something, especially the last lyrics. "A free Estonia we will soon see." I think the song name, Tõnis Mägi, is a place in Estonia too. Anyway, it's a beautiful song, enjoy.

Some pics from UK and Ireland

A Video Response from Marc Webb

A post on behalf of my papa.*  Also, check out my new music page (the tab above that says music), it's not my music, but I will put some of my own up when I'm ready. Maybe expect a photo album in the near future too. Because I'm staying in this town Utrecht, Netherlands fro a week or so, I have consistent access to the web and a computer, so I can finally do some of this stuff. Enjoy the vid!

 

*aka father

Utrecht, Netherlands

A video!

Places to play

At first I found the lack of quiet and isolated palces to play guitar discomforting. Asa result, I spent a good amount of time finding good places to play, and not as much time actually playing. This forced me pretty early on in the trip to get comfortable practicing and playing in public places. This was hard at first becuase I wasn't comfortable, but, as I began to do it, I realized another payoff: People would stop and want to play. Usually they play something and then end up teaching me something.

oh, yeah, i'm in amsterdam.

N Ireland mural

N Ireland mural

Galway Girl

I was just in Galway. People love his song and it's got a traditional
Irish style. What do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7-PM_4aeE4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Two weeks ago in the highlands of Scotland!

What do you think?

Banks of shame hold your heads with sorrow - the newest lyric in one of my songs about the larger system that seems to keep people in cheque through monetary control, a form of mental slavery where just about everybody seems to be working so much harder than they naturally should have to just to give that money back. It is our way of life and I am beginning to question it. I don't want to toil away my days for the hope of a small break here and there. I want to spend 
time with the people i love, and do the things i love to do. Sure, there is work to be done, but how much? If people are enjoying their work, that is one thing, but I am starting to think that many of us have been tricked by higher ups into a life that supports them. Personally, I'm likely a beneficiary of the system, but I don't expect I will be for long. So far the only way I can think of to get out of it is to become less reliant on money. I would be very interested to hear what other people have to say, so please judge me lightly and make a post.

Scottish customs one week ago

Scottish customs (after two hours of interrogation): You've only just started traveling and your packs's already a mess.
Me: well you have made unpack it and pack it up again three times now...

The High Road

I am writing this post from the highlands of Scotland, and I must say, I had no idea of the amazing beauty and terrain of this place. 
I am currently on the "bonny, bonny banks of Loch (lake) Lomond." You probably know the song, it goes "you take the high road and I'll take the low road, and I'll be in Scotland before you, where me and my true love will never meet again on the bonny, bonny banks of Loch Lomond." The tune sounds happy but the words not because it isn't. 
The story is that two captured Scottish prisoners of the Jacobite clan (a clan known to be savage and according to the conventional English belief at the time deserved nothing but the harshest treatment) were to be released after years of imprisonment. The story goes that as their moment of release was coming they were told that one of them would be liberated and the other executed and they had to decide who would be who in the next minute. 
Apparently the older brother knocked out the younger with a swift blow to the face and when the guards came he was dispatched. 
The younger brother wrote this song, his brother on the high road of heaven and he on the earthly one.
A beautiful and sad story and song. Later on, I'll try to upload a video of me playing this song on the very banks. 

Wrapping up things in United States

The purpose of this trip is to travel around Europe (and maybe Morocco or India or Turkey) to see the world and experience new cultures and people while diligently practicing playing music and gaining skill. I've been playing guitar and singing for about 5 years, but I do not come from a musical background. Only in the past 3 months have I really stepped it up and decided this may be something I want to take seriously. In this blog, I'll be sharing some of my experiences over the next 10 months or so.

As of today, I am pretty much ready to go. I still need to finalize a pack list, and take care of some bills, but I'm mostly moved out and have pretty much everything I need. I leave in about 5 days.