http://www.sanpedrotoday.com/2011/01/january-2011-digital-issue/

Thanks so much to Brooke Karli for an amazing article in San Pedro Today magazine!  She wrote a great story encapsulating the entire project in one informative piece.  We went over so many things and I wasn't sure how she was going to incorporate it all but she did an impressive job of keeping the important details of the album and background and making it all fit.  Thanks Brooke! 
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Last month, Annie and I ventured to Europe for a 3 week vacation. Our visit included France, Slovenia, and Italy.  I'm going to dedicate a blog entry for each country beginning with our first destination of France. 

Rough Landing
Annie and I experienced a bit of a rough landing heading to Europe as our 10.5 hour non-stop flight to Paris began. Annie got stuck next to the largest guy on the entire plane, and while Air France did have personal entertainment touch systems at every seat, they were probably the most uncomfortable seats I've ever been in!  As soon as we landed in Paris, we believe Annie's iphone was stolen, which added to the fun. As soon as we arrived at our flat rental in Paris, the next door neighbor was working on something and banging a hammer on the wall.  All we wanted to do was sleep and this noise was driving us crazy! 

Turn for the Better
This was Annie's first jaunt to Europe and I wanted her to really love it.  It took a few days, but she really warmed up to the beauty of the city (if you look past the metros).  We went to Versailles and checked out Marie Antoinette's hamlet, which was strange and fascinating at the same time.
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This is a picture from her little fake village. She wanted to live like a peasant, so she had this village constructed.  She wore a straw hat and ordered the villagers (like actors) around and had them work the land.  While outside the gates the real peasants of France were starving, she was playing Barbie with real people in this village.

In Paris we enjoyed some amazing meals. Two recommendations from the Rick Steeve's Travel book ended up being great finds.  The first was called Perraudin in the Latin Quarter.  Annie said her French Onion Soup (in France: Onion Soup) was the best she's ever had.  And her pasta (which I taste tested) was better than any we had in Italy!  I had Boeuf Bourguignon, which was awesome, but not the best choice on a hot summer evening.

The second restaurant was called Au Petit Tonneau which was greatly enhanced by the presence of Chef Madame Boyer, seen below.
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She cooked all the food in the back, and in between the clanking of all the pots and pans, she managed to pop out of the kitchen for a photo op! 

Out of the City  
After 5 days in the City of Lights, we rented a car and ventured out into the French countryside to the Normandy region.  Our countryside chateau was near Lisieux, home of St. Therese the Little Flower. St. Therese has been an important saint in our lives, and we wanted to see where she grew up, her convent, and the basilica that was built in her honor.  Our  countryside retreat was called Lord Fred. http://www.lordfred.fr/home    The region is known for growing apples and their liquor of choice is the delicious Calvados.  This regional favorite was strong!

We ate one night in a pizza place and were the television show entertainment for the locals.  Everyone was observing our every move.  We found out later that in this rural community they rarely, if ever, see Americans.  Once we ordered our Calvados for an after dinner aperitif, there was a look of acceptance and relaxation on the faces of the restaurant patrons. 
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This is an apple tree on the Lord Fred grounds.  Everything was so green and beautiful.  There was a great thunderstorm the first night we stayed there, which was so relaxing with the windows open.  It was actually a treat coming from LA where you rarely hear thunder and see lightning. 
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Moving to LA. 05/04/2010
 
In 2005, I decided I had had enough of Miami, and that it was time to finally pursue a music career in Los Angeles. I spent the summer of 2005 studying music in Paris, France. Upon my return to the US, it was time to pack up my car with all my belongings and head west. 

It was a bit daunting.  I had no job.  I had no place to live.  I had a few friends out here, but no one could put me up at the time. The trip itself had some interesting twists and turns. I drove the I-10 freeway across Louisiana just weeks before Hurricane Katrina would ravage the area.  I stopped for dinner one night in Texas, and was asked if I wanted to sit inside or outside. I said "outside would be nice." The hostess told me that someone had just been murdered in the outside seating and perhaps I would like to change my mind.  All I could think was "Texas is crazy!" I was able to visit New Mexico and Arizona for the first time. And then I ended up stuck in traffic headed towards Los Angeles. I remember my mom got me a hotel for that first night in LA, after all the driving. I found a storage facility to put all my stuff in so that I could drive around town looking for a place to live, unimpeded by my possessions. 

I recently heard someone say that California is a land of dreamers. If the current generation didn't head west seeking something better, then it was likely their ancestors. Someone decided to leave the security of another place and come to California. And then those dreamers had kids who had that same dreamer spirit somewhere. 

I didn't think that I would like LA. Ever since I was a kid I told myself, "you will live in LA for a set time to get established, and then you will head out of there."  From the moment I drove into the city of Santa Monica, I knew that LA was a pretty great place. It was extremely difficult to find a place to reside. It makes you think that LA has some built in policies to keep people away. The rents are extremely high. Roommates flake and don't want to call you back. Traffic makes all your searching proceed at a snail's pace. I had to go to the public libraries and sign up for 15 minutes of computer time to do the following: 1. check email for follow-ups from flakey roommate situations 2. book a hotel for the night using Priceline, which generally shot me either to downtown LA or to the airport  3. Write as many emails to potential Craigslist listings with the hopes of hearing from them the next time I check at the library. 

After at least a week of doing this, I was starting to freak out. I guess this is standard fare. Finally found a great situation that was the best thing for me. Things happen for a reason, and I had to run the gauntlet to get the right place. It was a dreamer idea to cross the country and hope for the best. But it all works out in the end. 
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In late December, Annie and I went to Paso Robles, California for a wine tasting getaway.  Paso Robles has well over 200 wineries and everyone is vying for wine lover's attention in such a competitive little area.  It reminded me of the independent music scene.  A place where everyone is a start-up and it's hard to tell who is the real deal and who is faking it.  


Wine tasting relates to the music scene in many ways, actually.  1) Someone can persuade you that their product is better than it actually is with a little slick presentation.  2) Most people don't know what they are looking for, let alone what their palette is after 3) There is a huge grey area where subjectivity is dead  4) you may end up being tricked that what you think is a delicious, high end product is actually a $5 piece of crap.  


I didn't find any Cabernets that knocked me off my socks in Paso.  The best wines in my book make the ends of your fingertips and toes tingle a little. Really great music will do that too.  I did however discover a dessert wine that really blew us away: 


https://www.rottawinery.com/Store/product_list.cfm?category_id=5


This is the Black Monukka dessert wine that doesn't disappoint.  The oak barrels sit out in the sun and the result is a walnut-induced buttery flavor.  It's awesome.  This wine comes from Rotta Winery, one of the oldest in Paso Robles.  


On the music front, Annie played me a few songs by the group "The Script."  Like the Cabernets in Paso, I didn't find anything here.  She played me their song "Breakeven," which to me sounded like a fairly good impression of Gavin DeGraw. 


For the dessert wine of the week, I go with "Tidal" from Imogen Heap's latest release, Ellipse. It's easy on the ears and also doesn't disappoint. The guitars and added string sounds are a nice touch.
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