En Fin
Finally here is a picture of the surf. The waves are quite often like this, crumbly four foot and a little mushy. But the surfing usually isn't this good. There's a contest going on so I've spent the past few days on the sidelines with my jaw gaping open watching these guys destroy waves that I still have a hard time riding.

- posted by Bill @ 01:34 0 comments

 
Doorway
Trying to photograph Paris is entirely futile because everything you see is worth framing. Furthermore, conveying what you see in a picture that does it justice is next to impossible.

- posted by Bill @ 07:09 0 comments

 
Luxembourg Gardens


- posted by Bill @ 06:59 0 comments

 
Cafe Le Pre Aux Clercs


- posted by Bill @ 06:59 0 comments

 
Grand Master Mac
Has anyone ever beat their Mac at chess? For the past week I've been repeatedly stomped on the easiest setting. Granted I'm no grand master, but damn that box got skillz!

Also of note, my roomate had his bike shop loan approved today, congradulations Greg! I'm super excited to get involved in setting up this store. I'll post some pics once it gets rolling, and once I find some weefee.
- posted by Bill @ 08:48 2 comments

 
Pronounced: WeeFee
As great as this place is, it is nearly impossible to find a wireless internet connection. Further more when you go into a café and ask the guy behind the bar if they have WiFi, he looks back at you all puzzled and says, "WeeFee?" Yes guy. weefee, I am looking for a weefee connection.
The appartment is pretty trick 'cause it's got everything you need to live comfortably like running water, plumbing and even a vacume. But honestly I'd trade the fridge for WiFi in a second.
- posted by Bill @ 07:23 1 comments

 
Stats
Until I checked the stats recently I didn't think anyone actually read this thing. I get about 11 visitors per day, which is shocking. And I've made about $1.80 on google adds, which should be enough for a new bar of wax.
You guys should all click on the adds each time you visit, and when I get home maybe we'll have made enough to split a pitcher. Between the eleven people that read my blog that should give us enough for 1/4 of a beer each! Not bad!
- posted by Bill @ 08:27 5 comments

 
Settled
That post was a bit much, I admit. But being in Paris and hanging out in these neighborhoods where these great authors used to write put me in a "go write some cheesy fiction" kinda mood.
Really though Paris is the greatest city in the world. The culture there is beautiful and very intense. On the train on my way out of the city I was sad to leave and the girl next to me had horrible B.O. When I got back into town I was able to settle into this beachfront appartment that I rented with my friend for 250 E. I changed right into my wetsuit and jumped out the front door accross the beach and into the surf. It was 28 degrees and the waves were great so I surfed right until dark.
- posted by Bill @ 07:20 0 comments

 
Paris
Hemingway devotes an entire novel to it after years of having lived here and I'm bold enough to make an attempt after three days. Or have I already resigned to the inevitable inadequacy of my description?

Off the train it's nothing more than concrete and asphalt. Now when I see the staircase that climbs to the third floor of rue Cardinal Lemoine, it has given way to a century of boots carving sags into its steps.

I've been walking now for two hours, stopping for a glass or succumbing to photography. The little nooks I love in our cities I'm finding here have grown to full strength. Here in Paris these things radiate through walls and sidewalks, injecting themselves into the feet of Parisians on their way to bookstores and cafés. Seated on wicker chairs at marble tables they play chess and after the game discuss French culture over a bottle of wine. One man is an architect who will be returning shortly to the worksite where he oversees the construction of his current project. It's an important day. This afternoon they will be doing the finishing touches on the building, and pouring the concrete for the sidewalk out front.
- posted by Bill @ 03:22 1 comments

 
French-Dip


- posted by Bill @ 09:49 0 comments

 
Paris?
As much as a love Biarritz, I've been here two weeks and done nothing but surf and hang out. The waves are supposed to kick up to three meters (scary big) tomorrow, so I'm going to use the opportunity to check out Paris. The plan is to skip the Louvre and the tower. Instead I'm going to be a big dork and check out the area where Hemingway, Stein, Joyce, Fitzgerald etc. did some of their writing back in the 20's.
- posted by Bill @ 09:28 1 comments

 
Is This a Surf Trip or what?
We have been fortunate enough to have swell AND off-shore winds for the past week or so. I've spent seven days straight in the water, and I can safely say that I still suck. But I keep on truckin'. The life-style here is great; waking up around eight, grabbing a baguette & hopping the bus out to the beach for a few waves. After surfing we grab lunch and head back in to rinse out our gear before spending the eavning chillaxin' at a café or some such place.

AND ANNOTHER THING! The french are not assholes! It's not at all uncommon to be strolling down the street and have strangers stop and say hello. Back home people are much more anonymous, they don't know you and they don't care to (unless of course you bring something to the table). In France things are quite the opposite; people want to talk and be social. Don't beleive what you hear, the French are beautiful people.
- posted by Bill @ 11:07 2 comments

 
Sketchin'
I was in this bar having a beer and drawing in my sketch-book when this dodgey looking French sailor guy comes up to me and insists I do a portrait of him. Clearly I have not this skill for this sort of thing. But he bought me a beer and was a good sport, despite the way the result resembled Miss Piggy.

We've had decent surf here the past couple of days. A little small maybe, but good practice for when it gets big. We're taking the camera out tomorrow so with any luck we'll have some photos to show.
- posted by Bill @ 13:54 1 comments

 
astrobox
Biarritz is a beautiful little surf town nestled on the warmest of French Pacific beaches. It saw a lot of action back in the day when Napoleon and his Spanish mistress picked it for their holiday place. Since then the once small fishing town has played host to the richest of the Parisan aristocracy. However it sees a fair share of young beach bumin' surf thrashers, making for an intesting social scene.
- posted by Bill @ 07:03 1 comments

 
Ben
Our Aussie friend is a Gold Coaster transplanted in London where he found himslef a beautiful French wife and recently sired a child. Way to go Ben!
He's also a rippin' good surfer and he knows an awful lot about waxing surfboards. Now I've got mighty mounds of maddness which are great for when I do backside airs...Yeah Right!

- posted by Bill @ 06:57 0 comments

 
Jay
Jay is from Montreal and he's been surfing the California coast for the past year or so. We hit up some surf the past few days, and he's in town for about as long as I am, so no doubt we'll catch some more waves together.


- posted by Bill @ 06:53 0 comments

 
Pierre
This is my buddy from Bordeaux. He just got his driver's license (@ 24), and a new euro van type ride. We cruised around for a couple of days surfing a bunch of great spots just of the Spanish border.
Driving with Pierre is great because he loves to sing the beatles while he rolls. We had some great duets didn't we Pierre!

- posted by Bill @ 06:46 0 comments

 
Drugs are disorienting!
Turns out the figure in the night was not mentally handicaped. He was a perfectly sane individual who was very very stoned. I'm quite sure there was someone besides Mary Jane hiding in his (AAhem! crack) pipe.
- posted by Bill @ 06:27 0 comments

 
A bump in the night
I'm in bed dreamin' away when I hear something banging on the ladder next to my bed. I open my eyes and there is this black figure stumbling around. He for some reason crawls into cubby parallel to my mattress and soon comes to face with the wall. At this point he is about six inches from my face. However instead of turning around to find his own bed he just stands there, wavering a little.
It is 3:30 in the morning and this is very strange so I sit up and ask him what is going on? He seems incapable of responding so I turn on the light and attempt to physically relocate him, but he resists. By this point everyone in the dorm is awake and curiously leaning over their beds. I shrug, 'J'ai aucune idée...' The figure begins scratching himself. After about 10 minutes of my questioning and more scratching he eventually realizes he is in the wrong place. I manage to get him out of there, whether he was drunk or in some way disabled I don't know.
He heads for the shower and we hear a narrow channel of water falling into plastic not porcelain. He was pissing in the garbage.
He made it to bed finally, and this morning, according to the manager, 'On le fou dehors!'
- posted by Bill @ 01:11 0 comments

 
Novelties
Books in English are somewhat hard to come by out here. I've managed to digest a few:

Invisible Cities, Italo Calvino.
At one point my favorite book. If you are patient and enjoy Philosophy read it. (Roman, you'd dig).
Davinci Code, Dan Brown.
I caved.
The Motorcycle Diaries, Ernesto Che Guevara.
In progress.
The Essential Drucker, Peter F. Drucker.
Capitalism Refined.
- posted by Bill @ 01:02 1 comments

 
Arrival.
Morocco was so draining, as was the trip back up to France. But I'll tell you I don't think I've ever slept as well as I did on the night of my arrival. Clean sheets, a level mattress and a bowl of bacteria free soup do a man a lot of good.
I've met a few guys here who are quite cool. One is a former banker from Switzerland; he speakes in a very particular way. In the middle of each sentence he inevitably inserts some variation of the word "puten," and finishes with "ou quoi?" The other guy Greg is in the process of opening the first mountain bike shop here in town. We have lots to talk about as I'm still trying to convince him that he needs an assistant.
- posted by Bill @ 00:48 0 comments