Europe

I survived Africa. One week ago I stepped off a bus in Paris, huddled against the cold, groggy in the pre-dawn, said a silent thank you and thought yes, yes I did it! I finished, drew a rough wavy line over thousands of miles of African savannah, came out the other end three months later and a few pounds lighter, and it was done, really really done, I was euphoric. I realize this sounds absurd, but the first thing I did that morning was walk through the Arc De Triomphe like I was Napoleon or something, like I was in a one-man parade, and damn it felt good, felt good just to be back, to be on the other side.

The second thing I did, at ten in the morning, was to catch a movie. There were four choices, Keira Knightly was in one and that's really good enough for me. Hadn't seen a movie since August and I don't care if 'The Dutchess' is a chick flick, I sat back and relaxed and its just so good to be back in civilization.

Paris, Paris the colonial motherland, Paris the center, Paris with its grand boulevards, its imperial architecture, its vastness and beauty, its winter chill and beautiful nights, what a shock, what a wonderful shock after three months of mud huts and straw roofs! I love it, I love places like this, I love glorious monuments to glorious deeds, love big museums, love the grandness, love the celebration. I found a place to stay, slept 12 hours, found a cheerful friend to share the day with, then walked all over town, visited old favorites at the Louvre, and can you ever get enough Delacroix and Rubens? I stayed in Paris just two days, then on to Antwerp and now Vienna, and it turns out that Europe is just one big party, it's the after-Africa party and it's the best party I've ever been to. The last five days have been a blur of smoky bars, throbbing punk clubs, great people, new friends and old friends, quite a few too many beers, a few sunrises, and really I havent partied this hard in years, if ever.

I came to Antwerp to see Rubens' triptychs in the cathedral -- well worth the visit to be sure --and found to my surprise that Antwerp is a wonderfull and strange little town, a dream of old old buildings, cobblestone streets, beautiful lights from hundreds of little bars and restaurants reflecting in the rain. The bars are full of a sturdy, hard-drinking, hard-smoking, fun-loving people, and its like everyone's living in a Breughel painting, a modern Breughel painting with lots of little dramas and it's great. Met a friend of a friend at an artworld afterparty, caught up with an old college roommate, met some new friends too, and each afternoon woke up with an anti-hangover, feeling better than ever. For sure I'll be back one day.

Vienna is a bit like Paris, it was the capital of a grand empire and all the old emperial glamour remains, huge palaces, gilded statues, wide avenues, trolleys, all the good stuff. I've been staying here with a painter friend, and in addition to the museums we got a taste of the city's late night scene and stumbled home two nights in a row after some good times. In the museums Egon Schiele stands as the champion, not all his work but the big paintings are simply raw. Next to him Klimt is a little boring, a little too-fine, the younger colleaugue just hit harder. From the Renaissance, Perugino is a new surprise, he made such sweet, lovely figures, and Raphael always makes me happy. Titian is solid and strong as ever but Caravaggio disappointed, as did all his followers. Rubens rushed through more than half his paintings but the ones he cared to finish are stunning.

I've got a few more days in Europe, then the party's really over and Michael its time to go home, home to the USA. Can't say I'm looking forward to it, but I do miss friends and family and the holidays should bring a cheer. Then I'll jump back in the game, not quite sure how or where but I'll let you know.