BAM’s screening the 1969 Truffaut classic Mississippi Mermaid all week, starting tomorrow! I’ve never seen this movie, but it looks really good, not only because Catherine Deneuve is in it, but because it’s based on a William Irish book, the same author who penned much of the material for one of my favorite Truffaut flicks, The Bride Wore Black. I think I’ll go ahead and order a ticket, because I’ll be in New York next week. Yippee!

Been thinking a lot about Science blogs. Do you have a favorite?

{Photo: Gregory Tobias via The Chemical Heritage Foundation on Flickr}

How are you celebrating the 233rd anniversary of our independence from England? We’re heading to New Hampshire where we’ll have our very own fireworks display (it’s legal there!)

PS – Sorry for the inconsistent posting this week. We left Berlin Sunday and are spending the month traveling around the Northeast, visiting family, and collecting our things before settling down in Berkeley, California in August. I’ll try to post something new every day, but please forgive me if I miss a day or two here or there…

Have a great long weekend! xoxo.

{Photo: Celikins}

Dan and Toby in Seattle

My day would start on a Saturday night on a weekend my partner Toby doesn’t have to work. We’d start the night out over cocktails with friends at Sun Liquor, a small bar in our neighborhood, Capitol Hill. I would order a “Dark and Stormy” and Toby would order his favorite, a “Greyhound.” We’d both watch Erik the bartender flex his muscles working the last drop of freshly squeezed grapefruit from the manual juicer. The tiny bar is constantly filled with the palpable aroma of citrus. No pre-made mixers for this bunch! The bartenders are always nice and informative. They really know their stuff.

From there we’d retreat to my favorite bar, The Bus Stop and hunker down for a few drinks. The patrons come and go in this small neighborhood bar. It ebbs and flows constantly creating an interesting mix of people. It’s gay. It’s straight. It’s lesbian. It’s trans. It’s random. It’s hipster. It’s plain Jane. I love it. The original bar was razed to make way for condos but the owners Gary and Rodney found an almost identical space a few short blocks from it’s original location to recreate the scene of many crimes. The music here is always spot on whether it’s being blasted from an iPod or being carefully selected by the DJ. On this particular night the speakers are pumping out The Smiths, Junior Senior, Le Tigre, Pixies, and Stereolab. Fueled by the strong drinks and creative energy the bar breaks out into an impromptu dance party. Strangers and friends alike cram the small bar and shake what their momma gave them.

All that dancing inspires me to stroll down to The Baltic Room and dance the night away at my friend Gene’s monthly gay soul club Talcum. It’s a spin-off of the Emerald City Soul Club’s popular monthly dance night. The music is a mix of Northern Soul music, the crowd is friendly and interesting, and the talcum powder fills the air.

The next morning we’d rally the brunch crew. Sunday brunch at Linda’s has been a weekly tradition since I moved to town six years ago. It’s a dive bar/greasy spoon with good food at good prices. This particular day we’d score a table on the back patio which would be full of sunshine (one of the last places Kurt Cobain was said to be seen alive). Moque, our favorite waitress would deliver a pitcher of mimosas to our table – on the house. I’d order the steak and eggs. Medium rare, scrambled, English muffin, please. The jukebox spins a delightful mix of Michael Jackson, The Mamas and the Papas, David Bowie, Pixies, and The Delta 5. We’d sit back, take in the sun, throw back the mimosas, and enjoy the scenery and each other’s company.

{Photo: Wheelo50411}

To work off my mimosas and steak and eggs I take a short bike ride down the hill through the downtown core to Pike Place Market for the perfect breakfast dessert – donuts! The Daily Dozen serves them up in a small stall at the market. Mesmerized by watching the entire donut making process unfold right before my eyes, I order a dozen assorted donuts and dig in. I reach in to the brown paper bag already becoming stained with grease and I pop a fresh hot donut into my pie hole. I continue to devour the bag as I stroll through the stalls of fresh produce, fish, and fruit mixed in with artists’ and craftsmen’s wares.

The ride would continue through Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood full of boutiques, bars and cafes over to Myrtle Edwards Park, via the Olympic Sculpture Park. The Olympic Sculpture Park was a superfund site until the Seattle Art Museum stepped in and cleaned up the area and turned it into a magnificent park. The park and natural views of Elliot Bay and snow capped Olympic Mountains captures my heart more so than the artwork. I’d ride my bike along the waterfront taking in the salt air and views of the mountains, container ships, ferries, and sailboats.

{Photo: Jeff Wilcox}

After biking up Seattle’s hilly terrain to Capitol Hill, I’d reconnect with Toby and a bunch of friends to spend the remainder of the afternoon people watching in Cal Anderson Park. It’s a few short blocks from our place, making it a regular place to relax. Once an open reservoir, it was capped a few years ago creating several new acres of park space on top of the active reservoir below. It’s a great place for lounging, kite flying, bocce, or croquet. You can watch little kids frolicking in the wading pool while people juggle swords, practice yoga, toss the frisbee or picnic.

My perfect day would wrap up over sushi at HaNa, located on the neighborhood’s eclectic strip of Broadway, smack dab between Cal Anderson Park and our home. We’d order a boat load of sushi and sashimi, savoring each bite. The ambiance is nothing to note, but the service and food is excellent. Happy and full, we’d shuffle home after a long, wonderful, fun-filled day spent with friends.

Daniel has lived in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood with his partner Toby for nearly six years. By day he works for non-profit Community Voice Mail providing communication services to homeless and low-income people across the country. By night he scampers about town getting into all sorts of capers.

{My Perfect Day is a weekly Tidepooler series that reveals the most wonderful and interesting places in cities and towns around the world, as shared by the people who live there}

I’ll be emulating your dance moves forever and always. R.I.P. Michael.

Beyonce in New York

Beyonce in New York

Beyonce in New York

Beyonce in New York

Beyoncé soared over the Madison Square Garden crowd Sunday night bathed in gold. And my friend Allison was there to capture all the Beyoncé magnificence. I’ve never been to a Beyoncé concert but I think it could be one of the most fun things ever. Check out this clip for a tiny glimpse into the excitement. (Jay-Z strolls in around 03:42!) And ps – Hot horn section!

Very few things are as wonderful as riding a bike through the wide streets of Berlin. We bought ours just about two years ago from a Neukölln shop run by a pair of wonderful German fellows (one a little too fat, one a little too thin). We rode them all year round… and today, I think I rode mine farther than ever before (my thighs are aching). Now, as we prepare to move back to the States on Sunday, it’s time to say goodbye to our beautiful bikes. Goodbye bikes! You rode in the ferry with us, you waited in the cold snow for us. I will never forget you.

Dan in Vienna

My perfect day starts at my flat – located in the middle of the Neubau district – and with Lula, my sexy beast of a dog. We start off with a walk along Neubaugasse, a shopping street lined with boutique and second hand stores, and pop into Cafe Latte for a quick coffee and cigarette (Sunday brunch is also recommended here, along with reservations).

Lula in Vienna

After fueling up it’s a quick stroll down to Heldenplatz, an unofficial dog park located in the 1st district between the Hofburg and Volksgarten. Lula and I relocated to Vienna from Venice (Cali, not Italy), and while my bitch is Westside for life, yo, she and I appreciate the beauty of what might be the most picturesque dog park in the world. After Lula gets her me-time, we meet some friends and take a scenic walk past the famous Stephansdom to Karlsplatz –– destination Kunsthalle, and the best breakfast burrito I’ve found in a town that is the wurst. (I go there when I’m jonesing for a good burger as well.)

{Photo: Pokpok313}

Two things that puzzled me when I first moved to Vienna were: 1) what does everyone do on Sunday, since all the shops are closed and 2) what the hell do Wieners talk about when they’re sitting at a cafe for 4 hours. Well, it turns out one of the answers to question number 1 is to sit at a cafe for hours. I still haven’t quite figured out what they talk about, but at least now I know where people go on Sundays. And for elegant slumming, the Kunsthalle Karlsplatz offers some exceptional lounge seating.

{Photo: Erock}

Since it’s a perfect day, the sun is shining, it’s 24º and everyone in Vienna is wearing deodorant. This last detail is crucial because it means I can ride the U-bahn without risk of passing out. (Really people, I realize that everybody likes their own brand, but some days it’s out of control.) I survive the tube, leave Lula at the cut and jump on the whip for a ride around town. Vienna is a great city for biking – it’s not too large, it’s flat, there are dedicated bike lanes on most streets, not many cars and the city has a bike rental service that allows you to pick up and drop off at several locations. And that’s just in the central districts in Vienna. The Prater offers more scenic rides, as does as the Donauinsel. And if you really want to get your nature on, there’s Wienerwald, a forest area partly located within the city limits.

{Photo: Pokpok313}

I meet up with some members of my bike gang and we hit the Hauptallee in Prater, which is like a boulevard for bikers and joggers. Afterwards, it’s over to one of the bars along the Donaukanal – Herman Strand Beach or the newly opened Tel Aviv Beach – for a few drinks and some people watching. After catching a breather, it’s back to the flat for a disco nap and then out on the town for a night of music.

{Photo: -bast-}

Vienna is a mecca for classical music. I’ve never seen so many people walking the streets with violins strapped to their backs. There are several venues to catch a concert or opera, but the three most famous ones are the Stadtoper, Konzerthaus and Musikverein. The Stadtoper offers tickets for as little as three euros (at a price though, which including waiting early for tickets and standing during the show).

{Photo: Jason Tabarias}

The performance at the Stadtoper – Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amoreis” – is a grand ole time, and we top it off with a Sacher torte at the world famous Cafe Sacher, just behind the opera house. But Vienna isn’t just a town for really old music; we close out the night by hitting up my neighborhood club, the Camera Club on Neubaugasse, and do a lil dance to some minimal beats provided by some of Europes best purveyors of fine funk.

Now it’s four or five in the morning. I do the walk of shame back to my flat, sleep till noon and wake up feeling grateful that there’s not much I can do on Sunday, even if I wanted to. Wien, Ich liebe dich.

Dan is an architect living in Vienna and working in Linz, for the office of Kaufmann + Partners, gmbh. He moved there from Los Angeles in 2008 and, after having a stolen bicycle returned to him by the police, decided that Vienna just might be the place for him.

{My Perfect Day is a weekly Tidepooler series that reveals the most wonderful and interesting places in cities and towns around the world, as shared by the people who live there}

Rama just said this might look good on our wall. I said, yes, if we were 8-year-old boys.

I like this one. It looks like a cross section of a tree trunk turned rainbow.

This one would add a dose of inspiration to any office.

And isn’t this a funny rendering of a Vanity Fair magazine page? I love it!

They’re all part of gallerist Jen Bekman’s 20×200 series, an initiative to promote affordable art. Limited edition works start at just $20. Now we can all be collectors.

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