The Estonian Philosopher.
- Thread starter Stanley Edwards
- Start date
London_Calling
Pleasant and unpatronising
So this on going poverty and living rough includes a laptop and wireless internet contract?
I'm thinking next weekend for a couple of nights. As soon as I have €500 in my pocket to take a break I'll PM you. Or, I may just turn up! Strasbourg is looking good to pay for a train straight to Bratislava.
I'm actually being very good to my liver, but I think it deserves a little kind punishment
chazegee
Number two.
I'm thinking next weekend for a couple of nights. As soon as I have €500 in my pocket to take a break I'll PM you. Or, I may just turn up! Strasbourg is looking good to pay for a train straight to Bratislava.
I'm actually being very good to my liver, but I think it deserves a little kind punishment
I live this way out of choice.
But, no - FYI...
€260 notepad thingy with PhotoShop and free WiFi almost everywhere.
Cathedral light show was a bit special.
Sketching cathedrals I grab every nook and cranny like a climber in my mind. So, to watch someone scale spires without ropes, or anything is a bit beautiful. Bare handed gracefulness. Almost dancing his way to the top and then back down again. So, no need for the pathetic pretend police chase really. Silly bollocks spoiling a good show. Impressive all the same mind. I could never climb like that. Very, very beautiful to watch.
Sketching cathedrals I grab every nook and cranny like a climber in my mind. So, to watch someone scale spires without ropes, or anything is a bit beautiful. Bare handed gracefulness. Almost dancing his way to the top and then back down again. So, no need for the pathetic pretend police chase really. Silly bollocks spoiling a good show. Impressive all the same mind. I could never climb like that. Very, very beautiful to watch.
This is what that guy climbed last night!
At night, in the dark, all the way from the bottom to the cross at the top of the spire and back down without ropes, or ladders, or anything!!! I've been looking at it all afternoon thinking how thw fuck??? Bare handed and so quick with it.
At night, in the dark, all the way from the bottom to the cross at the top of the spire and back down without ropes, or ladders, or anything!!! I've been looking at it all afternoon thinking how thw fuck??? Bare handed and so quick with it.
Interesting fact about Strasbourg...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_Plague_of_1518
I have a new sales aid. It only cost €5 and it's doubled my takings. So simple. So obvious. Why didn't I think of it before?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_Plague_of_1518
I have a new sales aid. It only cost €5 and it's doubled my takings. So simple. So obvious. Why didn't I think of it before?
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
Fake pistol ?
That might be my next purchase
I've bought a big map of Europe. I lay it on the pavement next to my sketch. It tracks my progress, but most importantly tourists can't resist looking at where they live in relation to where they are visiting and where I've been. People love it. They show me where they live and put little marks on all the places I must visit. It is brilliant as a conversation opener. People can just point and smile without even communicating in the same language.
I am currently working like this:
I sketch a 3 Meter x 1 Meter panoramic in a main public area.
I also put out a blank 3 Meter x 1 Meter paper with crayons for children and anyone to play with (people love this).
The map of Europe laid out next to the paper and my sketch.
It rained for most of today, but I still made €130+ in just under an hour! People were quite literally insisting I take a Tenner after a chat about their home country and it's sights.
Strasbourg is up there with Pamplona for best cities to work. I'm meeting interesting people also as you would expect in a city like this.
Off for a curry now. My first proper curry since leaving Granada
According to Wikipedia "Strasbourg enjoys a dry climate". I can tell you, just by looking at the trees and shit, that is bollocks. It's raining again. All of the weather forecasts I Google come up with big sun symbols. So, is there another Strasbourg in France I don't know about, or does the internet lie?
Never mind. I have cash and I have washing to do. Small problem: I have just one pair of jeans. I don't give a shit. I'm going to sit in the laundrette in my kacks with a bottle of wine whilst I make all of my clothes clean
I suspect Strasbourg is a very nice place for a proper Christmas break. Winters here are pretty icey and quite long. Minus 10º is the norm for January and February. Snow is inevitable rather than occassional. It's a beautiful city. I would imagine Christmas is very special here.
Right. Laundrette is private property - I cannot be arrested for sitting in my underpants drinking wine. Pretty sure about that.
Never mind. I have cash and I have washing to do. Small problem: I have just one pair of jeans. I don't give a shit. I'm going to sit in the laundrette in my kacks with a bottle of wine whilst I make all of my clothes clean
I suspect Strasbourg is a very nice place for a proper Christmas break. Winters here are pretty icey and quite long. Minus 10º is the norm for January and February. Snow is inevitable rather than occassional. It's a beautiful city. I would imagine Christmas is very special here.
Right. Laundrette is private property - I cannot be arrested for sitting in my underpants drinking wine. Pretty sure about that.
I have cash and I have washing to do. Small problem: I have just one pair of jeans. I don't give a shit. I'm going to sit in the laundrette in my kacks with a bottle of wine whilst I make all of my clothes clean
Right. Laundrette is private property - I cannot be arrested for sitting in my underpants drinking wine. Pretty sure about that.
How very 1980s jeans advert - good luck with getting the jeans clean and dry before being encouraged to leave.
It's a very conservative little city dressed up as being very liberal. I might even make the papers
I suspect I will get away with it if I just sit quietly in the corner reading a book.
Re-fucking-result!
€5 buys unlimited access to washer, dryer, soap and conditioner with WiFi, and I have the only key to the place. I've locked the door. Stark bollock naked with all my clothes getting washed whilst I play internet. All for a Fiver! I have a bottle of Desperados Red also. Don't know if Desperados has made it to the UK, but they do a Tequilla variety and a red variety. It's sort of adult alcopop disguised as falvoured beer. Red is forest fruits with tequilla, guarana and cachaça. Added sugar syrups also. It can't be good for you, but it tastes lovely
€5 buys unlimited access to washer, dryer, soap and conditioner with WiFi, and I have the only key to the place. I've locked the door. Stark bollock naked with all my clothes getting washed whilst I play internet. All for a Fiver! I have a bottle of Desperados Red also. Don't know if Desperados has made it to the UK, but they do a Tequilla variety and a red variety. It's sort of adult alcopop disguised as falvoured beer. Red is forest fruits with tequilla, guarana and cachaça. Added sugar syrups also. It can't be good for you, but it tastes lovely
HUGE FUCKING SIGH.
Everything was going so well despite the rain. At least all my clothes are clean again.
When I went to the laundrette I took everything from my hotel room with me other than my roll of sketches and paintings. When I returned they were gone. I don't think anyone stole them - it's carefully designed to be very unattractive to opportunist prospectors. But, in that roll of paper was a commission I was due to collect €250 for tomorrow and right in the very, very middle was my secret stash of rolled up paper money. About €180. Huge loss of hard come by cash. The hotel reception guy is a good sort, and he's making enquiries. I'm hoping because it's Sunday the bin people haven't been yet. That's where I suspect all my hard work and cash has gone
I'm in the contemporary part of town. There's a firework and water light display at 10.30PM. I check my cameras - they are both fucked.
When I was sleeping on the beach in Nice one morning I was woken by a couple of arsehole police. One of them made a comment about my backpacks being very strong (they're designed for the purpose of carrying laptops and cameras with clothes). He then stepped onto the smaller backpack with all his body weight. Both cameras have fucked LCD screens. Of the 3 cameras I bought back in December last year 1 was confiscated by Mosas in Barcelona and the other 2 have been fucked by police in Nice. My only loss other than the sketches being chucked out of my hotel room. All the users, abusers, alcoholics and other 'dangerous' people I spend time with and it's the police that have cost me most!
Huge loss. Huge sigh. But, I still have the €150 in my back pocket that was going to be for new boots to work with.
Bit of a crunch. Onwards and upwards!
Everything was going so well despite the rain. At least all my clothes are clean again.
When I went to the laundrette I took everything from my hotel room with me other than my roll of sketches and paintings. When I returned they were gone. I don't think anyone stole them - it's carefully designed to be very unattractive to opportunist prospectors. But, in that roll of paper was a commission I was due to collect €250 for tomorrow and right in the very, very middle was my secret stash of rolled up paper money. About €180. Huge loss of hard come by cash. The hotel reception guy is a good sort, and he's making enquiries. I'm hoping because it's Sunday the bin people haven't been yet. That's where I suspect all my hard work and cash has gone
I'm in the contemporary part of town. There's a firework and water light display at 10.30PM. I check my cameras - they are both fucked.
When I was sleeping on the beach in Nice one morning I was woken by a couple of arsehole police. One of them made a comment about my backpacks being very strong (they're designed for the purpose of carrying laptops and cameras with clothes). He then stepped onto the smaller backpack with all his body weight. Both cameras have fucked LCD screens. Of the 3 cameras I bought back in December last year 1 was confiscated by Mosas in Barcelona and the other 2 have been fucked by police in Nice. My only loss other than the sketches being chucked out of my hotel room. All the users, abusers, alcoholics and other 'dangerous' people I spend time with and it's the police that have cost me most!
Huge loss. Huge sigh. But, I still have the €150 in my back pocket that was going to be for new boots to work with.
Bit of a crunch. Onwards and upwards!
OK. No sign of sketches and cash, so I've just been to Office World for all new supplies to start again from scratch. Judging by the routine way the hotel staff -dealt- with the problem, I would say it isn-t the first time. Other than the sketches going missing I like that place. Sort of a conference hotel meets backpackers hostel. Choose your own single, or double room, or a shared 3 bed chamber with bathroom for just €20 per person. If you are lucky like me you get a whole chamber all to yourself. Ciarus. Strangely, it is more expensive during week days than weekends because they cater for educational and corporate groups during the week. Nice and clean. Restaurant. Lounge, bar etc with WiFi. Good value even if the cleaners chuck your shit away when they think you have left.
Quiet Monday. I have all new stock. Clean clothes. Two cans of Desperados Red and a packet of ciggies. I am ready for a 10 hour session to recover lost cash. 11AM until it gets dark. Working as mentioned in the post above. My sketch. Their sketch paper. Map. I am hoping for €200 even though it is a quiet Monday.
Vague plan is to head to Vienna on Thursday. Then Bratislava for Saturday before visiting Chazegee internet person in the Slovak countryside place to cook a fabulous meal.
The multimedia water display thing last night was quite impressive. No fireworks, just water fountains illuminated to look like fireworks with animated projections on buildings. Made my magical, musical water harp look a bit pathetic by comparison, but it has given me a very good, affordable idea for an impressive display in Berlin.
Quiet Monday. I have all new stock. Clean clothes. Two cans of Desperados Red and a packet of ciggies. I am ready for a 10 hour session to recover lost cash. 11AM until it gets dark. Working as mentioned in the post above. My sketch. Their sketch paper. Map. I am hoping for €200 even though it is a quiet Monday.
Vague plan is to head to Vienna on Thursday. Then Bratislava for Saturday before visiting Chazegee internet person in the Slovak countryside place to cook a fabulous meal.
The multimedia water display thing last night was quite impressive. No fireworks, just water fountains illuminated to look like fireworks with animated projections on buildings. Made my magical, musical water harp look a bit pathetic by comparison, but it has given me a very good, affordable idea for an impressive display in Berlin.
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
Sounds like you have to take a lot of crap - you seem to be handling it much better than I ever could.
Oh yes. Lots of it from all angles. Lots of nice stuff also though.
10 hours today for €180. My cashflow is back on track. Tired. very, very, very tired.
Thunderstorms
Bottle of red wine. Something to smoke. Watching the lightning streak across the city
But, rain is shit for me usually. However, I've picked-up a bit of nice work after bumping into someone in the supermarket. Strange how these things happen!
Bottle of red wine. Something to smoke. Watching the lightning streak across the city
But, rain is shit for me usually. However, I've picked-up a bit of nice work after bumping into someone in the supermarket. Strange how these things happen!
This is a wet city. A very wet city
Relentless rain today. Looks like the same for tomorrow. I haven't experienced rain like this since Santiago de Compostela. New boots purchase is on hold. Looks like I have to wait until Friday to complete commissions. Maybe work Saturday and Sunday here also, then skip Vienna for the time being and head straight to Bratislava for a break.
Relentless rain today. Looks like the same for tomorrow. I haven't experienced rain like this since Santiago de Compostela. New boots purchase is on hold. Looks like I have to wait until Friday to complete commissions. Maybe work Saturday and Sunday here also, then skip Vienna for the time being and head straight to Bratislava for a break.
Bastille Day. There will no doubt be fireworks. Stupid not to stay in France for this. And, the sunshine is back
Today's special gift: a packet of extra special dried apricots. Instant love to whoever the random stranger was who knows what I like best.
Cashflow is well and truly ahead of forecast now. New boots, then a break.
Today's special gift: a packet of extra special dried apricots. Instant love to whoever the random stranger was who knows what I like best.
Cashflow is well and truly ahead of forecast now. New boots, then a break.
Meh. Illness
Severe shits means paying €60 for my own room with bathroom. Don't want to blame the dried apricots, so I'm blaming the bolognese again instead. Expensive business, minor ills when travelling.
Severe shits means paying €60 for my own room with bathroom. Don't want to blame the dried apricots, so I'm blaming the bolognese again instead. Expensive business, minor ills when travelling.
gentlegreen
I hummus, therefore I am ...
Pretty well the only time I had anything like food poisoning as a vegan - to the extent that I didn't have the strength to ride my bike home - unwashed Hunza apricots.
Hmmm. Shame. I love dried apricots. They had been sweating in the sun for some time. Feeling better now.
Hotel paid for until Monday. Whatever I make today and over the weekend I take on holiday to Slovakia. Probably finding Chazegee Tuesday afternoon. If you put the hours in you can make very good cash here. I fully expect to have new boots and €500+ in pocket on Monday morning.
Farting confidently today, but bored stupid on a Friday evening.
Todays special gift is a book of tram tickets. I may just get stoned and drunk and drift around Strasbourg by tram for a couple of hours
Todays special gift is a book of tram tickets. I may just get stoned and drunk and drift around Strasbourg by tram for a couple of hours
I'm going down extremely well in Strasbourg. Everything I have sold has gone to local people. Coining it at a rate of €300+ a day
I am going to cook a very extravagant meal in Slovakia.
Expect me Tuesday afternoon/early evening.
I am going to cook a very extravagant meal in Slovakia.
Expect me Tuesday afternoon/early evening.
Oh dear. Fundamental Syrian/Syranese people
Christ almighty! The most obnoxious, abhorent bunch of twats I have met for a long, long time.
Fresh from lunching at McDonald's they come to Place de Kebler in front of my pitch and start whipping themselves up into a nationlistic, fascistic fervour. In the heart of liberal Europe they have the right to do this shit. Trying to recruit the vulnerable in their right wing to the extreme fucking bollocks.
After all the Syrian Euro students (living on Mummy and Daddies credit cards) tell me I 'm a cunt because there are British troops in Afghanistan, I decide to make my own banner. It's bigger and better that theirs
It reads "NATIONALISM + IGNORANCE = ?".
They didn't like it. They ripped it up. I argued that they were enjoying the right of freedom of speach, but denying it to me. Their response? "It's none of your business".
So, posh students come to Strasbourg to express their support for a fascistic cunt in a very public space, doing it publicly, and as soon as they're questioned about their beliefs they reply with "none of your business".
They're back with a stall for the night shift. I am so fucking well up for it. Ugly, ugly bunch of cunts. I will feel no guilt.
Christ almighty! The most obnoxious, abhorent bunch of twats I have met for a long, long time.
Fresh from lunching at McDonald's they come to Place de Kebler in front of my pitch and start whipping themselves up into a nationlistic, fascistic fervour. In the heart of liberal Europe they have the right to do this shit. Trying to recruit the vulnerable in their right wing to the extreme fucking bollocks.
After all the Syrian Euro students (living on Mummy and Daddies credit cards) tell me I 'm a cunt because there are British troops in Afghanistan, I decide to make my own banner. It's bigger and better that theirs
It reads "NATIONALISM + IGNORANCE = ?".
They didn't like it. They ripped it up. I argued that they were enjoying the right of freedom of speach, but denying it to me. Their response? "It's none of your business".
So, posh students come to Strasbourg to express their support for a fascistic cunt in a very public space, doing it publicly, and as soon as they're questioned about their beliefs they reply with "none of your business".
They're back with a stall for the night shift. I am so fucking well up for it. Ugly, ugly bunch of cunts. I will feel no guilt.
