Food Pictures - I'm Hungry.

So its time to tweak the format of this blog a little bit. It has been, for the most part, a travel blog, dedicated to pictures from the road while I've been touring the United States and Europe. It will stay that way when I'm on tour, but I have had a hard time focusing it on anything in between tours, and generally the blog just sits unused between trips. I have, however, really enjoyed posting small groups of photos with descriptions during my travels, so I was thinking of keeping that format going and just changing the topic. Rather than, "this is where I've been traveling and here are pictures of it", I would like to pick random topics and display various pictures that conform. Perhaps this presentation will lively this blog up a bit, and at the least, hold my own attention between tours. I will try to keep up some photo-less posts as well when I feel inspired to actually write about something.

I decided on the topic for the first new post while hungry, so naturally it produced itself:

FOOD

While on tour last August with fellow songwriter Jeremiah Nelson, we stopped into a little town outside of Portland, Maine for some fresher than fresh lobster. The town was called South Freeport, and the restaurant was the Harraseeket Lunch & Lobster Company. Situated right on the docks, lobster trappers (is that what you would call them?) bring the crustaceans right off their boats and up to the restaurant, and all for a reasonable price. The lobsters also came with some steamers (clams) and a cob of corn. You really can't beat that.

In October of 2008 I played my first show in Pittsburgh, PA, at the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern, which specializes in Polish food. Three months later I would be departing on my first trip to eastern Europe, starting in Poland, so this was a nice introduction to the food. On the plate you can see some potato pancakes, pierogies, kielbasa sausage, and some buttered noodles. Polish food is dee-lish, and I discovered after actually eating it in Poland that the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern (which also calls itself "Pittsburgh's #1 Polish Party House") was pretty darn accurate.

While walking down Petrin Hill in Prague, I treated myself to a lunch at a fancy restaurant partway down, Nebozizek, which wasn't really that expensive due to the dollar's strength i the Czech Republic. This meal features rabbit wrapped in bacon, alongside some gnocci and cherry tomatoes. Anything wrapped in bacon is bound to be pretty damned good, but I have to say that rabbit might take the cake as the best "bacon-stuffing". Amazing.

The empty beverage container with the dirty-looking word is "Cockta", Slovenia's communist answer to Coca-Cola. When Slovenia was a part of former Yugoslavia, the government did not import western products such as Coca-Cola, so this was their own version of the drink. I have to say that its not really a good substitute, as it doesn't taste much like Coke or Pepsi, it has a weird lemony flavor, but its pretty good when you think of it on its own and don't compare it. If you find yourself in Slovenia, have yourself a Cockta! (Pronounced "Coke-Ta")

Oh yea, and those tomatoes at the top? I took that picture in my very own garden, back in the summer of 2007. I decided to start the food post off with it, as I am starting a garden again this summer for the first time in a few years. My roommate and I are already harvesting kale and onion tops from it, yum!

Anyways, hope this new format keeps me on track a bit better, more photos and commentary soon!

Tour Opener: Ljubljana, Slovenia

The family is all back in the U.S. and the tour has begun.  Here are some pictures from my first tour stop in Ljubljana, Slovenia.



I arrived at Ljubljana right after/during a major blizzard, so this was the scene outside my hostel.  Notice the graffiti filled wall.  There is a lot of graffiti all over Ljubljana, and this is one of the things I love most about this city.  There isn't so much to see here in the way of history or major landmarks, but the town is very pleasant looking and the graffiti everywhere is awesome.


An abandoned bicycle factory, called Rog, where I played later that night.  People actually live here, and they are called squatters because they refuse to leave even though it is illegal for them to be there.  They have created a recording studio, music venue, art space, and many living quarters inside this old factory.


Ljubljana's main town square.  See what I mean?  Very charming!


Town square at night!


This one is daytime.  Just kidding.

Slovenia Roadtrip - Pt. 1

So far my trip had mainly consisted of seeing capital city after capital city, which had been an amazing time. However, I was really wanting to leave the city behind for awhile and hit up those beautiful Alps I had seen from Ljubljana. I rented a car for two days and so began my Slovene road trip...Cruising up the highway towards those wonderful mountains. Most people here drive like assholes, I'm sorry to say. If you hop in the left lane for a second to pass one slow-moving vehicle they will be on your ass immediately, riding your bumper and honking. The speed limit here was like 100 kph, but everyone in the left lane was going like 140 or more.

Lake Bled. This was my original destination because I had heard things. When I got there it simply wasn't far enough away from civilization for me, it was too much like Door County in Wisconsin or another touristy area. I only spent about 15 mins. here and then headed deeper into the mountains to get lost.

This was my ride: a Renault Megane. When I said I needed an automatic they almost laughed at me. Damn European drivers and their manuals, or damn me and my lifetime of driving automatics.

Much better, I left the cities behind and hiked up to a waterfall above Lake Bohinj, seen down the valley. These are called the Julian Alps, after Julius Caesar, and everything here is pretty close to the border of Italy.

The waterfall and I. Took this one using a timer and placing the camera on the railing, so it isn't the best frame for showing the falls, but look at that deep green water!

Ljubljana (Slovenia) - Pt. 1

The main square in Slovenia's capital city, Ljubljana. It was a bit cold and rainy the day I arrived.

There is this famous architect that designed like half of the structures in Ljubljana, including this bridge, and I can't remember his name right now. Well, he's famous for Slovenia...

Some awesome graffiti, there were several like this.

This is where I played my first gig, at a squatter's localed called Tovarna Rog. It used to be a bicycle factory, but since that shut down its been taken over illegally by squatters who have made it their home. All electricity is powered by generators, and as far as heat goes, well, it was chilly.

Across the three bridges from Ljubljana's old town and castle.