The lost Paradise,...(July 2007)

Finally,... 

after several months of delay, I have been able to scratch sometime, and it's been possible to finish the video from our last summer trip to the heart of the Alps with Ignasi and Guille.

I hope you can enjoy it as much as I do,... 

"HEY,... Couldn't you FUCKING wait!!!!!"

(rude guy)           - "HEY,... Couldn't you FUCKING wait!!"

(astonished me) - Sorry sir,...

So this is the most intellectual dialog, I have ever exchanged with a customer in front of me, on the line for the "paying machines", in Giant Supermarket, Baltimore.

I was so astonished of what my ears seamed to understand, that my brain was absolutely unable to process such information, ... my brain was saying,... you have to study more english, you are not even able to understand the short sentence the guy in front of you is saying,... but my ears were hearing the same thing again, and again,... they were right, it was only my brain that was unable to accept such rude expression of that guy,... taking into account that those were the only words we had ever exchanged in out short meeting!!!! 

Not bad!!!

Afterwards,... walking back home,... I was thinking, ... how do people fucking wait?

Do they fuck first and then they wait?

or,... do they wait and then fuck? ... but with who are you supposed to fuck,... while you are waiting on the line for paying in a Supermarket???? Strange guy,....

Anyway,... no harm at all,... luckily for me, my brain was a bit slowlyer than it would have been, if that guy had expressed himself in Catalan or Spanish,... because then,... definitely a strong intellectual discussion would have taken off!!!!

Marc ,... reporting intellectual news from Baltimore!

What are holidays, without good friends,...

Hey,... 

back in town!

Some months of disconnection, ... but I am back here, just to share with you some nice pictures of my last trip around this big country that the US is.  In fact, if you take a map, or you have a glance to google earth, we didn't go to far, or at least that's what it seams,... but when you start counting hours inside the car,... I can promise you,... that it's not the same crossing Catalunya, Switzerland, or moving around the US with a car. It takes forever,... 

Anyway,... 

On Friday 14th, my friends Yannick and Bernat, flew from Barcelona to NY. Once they landed they met with Iris, and Glòria, who got in NY the previous day, and together, they rented a car, and drove south to Baltimore. Amazingly, they found the commercial building where I am living without much trouble. (It needs to be mentioned that they got in Baltimore around 22:00h, local time, after waking up around 4 am, Catalan time,... NOT BAD MY FRIENDS!)

Next day without losing much time we went to DC, for the typical visit around the official buildings: the White House, the Capitol,...

That night we had some good real american dinner: Cheese Burger with Bacon and french fries! YEAH!!!! ( We needed some FAT!!!!)

On Sunday, the plan was to go to Delaware state and take advantage of the fact that's a state without taxes! Some iPods where bought! We also drove south, until finding some nice beaches. We could enjoy of a nice sunset close to the beach!

Monday,... time to leave my loved Baltimore. We were heading north, final destination, someplace close to Boston, not determined, wherever we could find some place to sleep! The idea was to stop first in Manhattan, as it was Saint Patrick's day in NY, and as it is known there is a famous parade that crosses most of Manhattan. Unfortunately, due to some late wake up, once we got to Manhattan, the parade was over. However, what we really were looking for is the spot were people gets drunk drinking beer, after the parade, but we couldn't find it either.

 

So,... seen our luck and knowing that we still had many hours on the car before finding a spot to sleep close to Boston, we left Manhattan.  We felt much relaxed once we got in the car and we realized that for our fortune all our luggage was still in the car, although the fact of having left the car parked in the street without any vigilance.

That night we slept in one of those nice MOTELS, typical from drug dealers movies! A very interesting experience, specially for me,... as I had no sleeping bag, and of course, I wasn't brave enough to use the sheets from the bed!!!! (still not crazy!)

It is already Tuesday,... and we get in Boston. By far the nicest city I've been so far in the US. I would say is the closest one to the European cities,... you can walk around (savely), there are shops, good food,... and of course, two of the best Universities of the world: Harvard and MIT. (we could feel all the knowledge floating around,... in the atmosphere!!!) Although enjoying the city we decided to look for a place to sleep a bit souther from Boston, close to Cape Cod (next day we had to bring back the car to the rental company in JFK airport, and we couldn't be late!). That night we slept again into another MOTEL, however this one much cleaner, and I could use the sheets of the bed! On Wednesday morning, the day is awful, snowing, raining and no hope of improvement until next day. However we realize in the map that there is a small lighthouse, close from where we are, so we decide to have a look, before taking the route to NY.

In fact it turned out to be a great idea, as the spot was amazingly beautiful!!!!

Several ours later we returned back the rented car.

It needs to be mentioned, that on the way back, we stopped into a 'Dunkin Donuts',.. great place,... we bought a box of 12 Donuts, for 6$. But, watch out!,... because a box of 6 Donuts, was 5$! Who said that the fast food companies where trying to care for their clients health? I mean,... after finding these things what is surprising is that you can still cross amazingly beautiful girls, or good looking guys (as Glòria and Iris would say!)

From then, and until Sunday, we stayed in Manhattan. We were sleeping in a nice Hostel in the upper west side of Manhattan. In fact I think we were very lucky, as we had our own room, and we were just at 2 minutes from the subway, and in a very save neighborhood! WELL PLAYED BERNI!!!!

What can I say from NY? Just amazing,... I guess that it's hard to imagine unless you visit it! 

The only thing I can say, is that I personally enjoyed a lot my friends company, and I wish they hadn't left,...

It was so fun to ask Bernat every since and then,  to double check something on the tourist guide that he had so well hidden in his jacket pocket, or to make jokes on Yannick's speed under the shower every morning! Or play Gloria's funny/and hopefully wrong games! Or fight with Iris for the best spot to put our legs in the car!!!

I MISS YOU SO MUCH!!!!

Well my friends,... that was it,... hopefully soon, I'll have some more news to explain!!!, or hopefully I'll be able to say:,... HEY FRIENDS, YOU KNOW WHAT?,... I COME TO VISIT YOU!!!!

As always,... time will say!!! Since then, have fun and enjoy as much as possible!!!

 

Marc.

New Climbing Route!!! "La catalana II"

Hey everybody,...

The Catalan culture has been exported one more time to JHU,... with a new route called obviously: "La Catalana II". 

Not that I don't have a different name for my routes, but due to a climbing competition that took place shortly after setting the first route: "La Catalana", it was removed,... so that's  why a new version has popped up!

This one is much easier, as it's been set as a first step to serious things,... filled with balance moves, small holds,... these kind of things that force you to think before moving nicely your body!

On the other hand,... also a new route has been open in the "cave" that they have. So now it can be said,... that at least they have a Catalan route in both climbing spots that exist in JHU. This one is called: "El tren de la brúixa",... does it ring you a bell??

(So far no pictures are available,... but next Monday this small detail will be solved!!!)

Cheers!

Fins aviat amics! 

à bientôt! 

Bis bald!

Exciting last month of 2007!

As the title says, many places visited, lots of things done!

I was in New York, Washington (DC), and climbing in the French Pyrenees with good friends!

And in between I was eating like crazy, and enjoying the fact of having the family close by again!

There is no need to mention that NY is kind of a crazy city! It's amazing,... the city that never sleeps! I was there just before flying back to Barcelona, just before Christmas!!!!

People everywhere, music all around, snow and plenty of shops where to spend lot of money (in case you have it, of course!)  

Some days later, it was time for DC. With the guidance of a friend from JHU, we had a tour around the city where the future of the world is decided!

I wouldn't say, it's a great city or a beautiful one, but in any case different; as it's plenty of bureaucracy all around! I think it's already in the atmosphere of the city!

However I was able to enjoy of a nice sunset in one of the most famous places of the world!

Just some days later I was finally flying back home! Man,... how long had I dreamt about that moment! However, as sometimes happen,... there where some problems with fog in London, and our flight was delayed more than 3 hours!

Anyway,... luckily that night I was eating again in between family!

After some crazy days of eating a lot,... was time to try to burn all the new fat! So together with Guille ("the canarian friend"), and Igansi, we headed towards Gavarnie, the paradise of ice climbers!!!

We were seeking to get surrounded of the atmosphere that big mountains, north faces, and cold places produce! (A huge rise of Adrenaline).

Unfortunately for us, not much snow was there, the ice was scarce as well as our forces, so finally after taking a hard decision, we had to change our plans,... and instead of climbing we walked, and took some pictures! Obviously it was not what we had in mind,... but sometimes we have to learn to say,... 'another day will be'! No worries,... we will return,... stronger and hopefully with more snow and ice!

Days were passing, dinners were taking place with different people, different friends, people who I hadn't seen since a long time,... 

In one of these dinners I had the pleasure of even meet new people! Hopefully with all of them we will share  new experiences in the mountains! (After a previous cold beer,... !)

Unfortunately,... as always happens good things end, maybe faster than we would have liked,...

Maybe that's why they are good things, ...

Now,reality is back, and since some days ago I am back to Baltimore,... in somehow I must say, I was looking forward to come back! Strange isn't it?