Cusskid & JdaP European Story

Europe was incredible
there is too much to tell
but I can tell you this
I wore my pink fur coat
and my sparkle red flaming glasses thru it all
while jared packed his p_leather punk coat
and his attitude 2 boot.

Jared and I had the best time
strolling the Polish Country side
picking apples in the orchard
looking for mushrooms in the woods
taking bike trips through quaint villages
that surround my sister_in_laws family farm
the landscape there is littered with crumbled castles, cobblestone, and cathedrals
the polish wedding "catholic" was in Polish thank god
I would have been sick and disgusted
had I understood this shit, but
everything was perfect
just like my brother, it was beautiful in the "wedding" sense
flowers, village, church, bride, groom, and all the traditions...

anyhow,
Jared blossomed as a young man
I let him use a camera and photograph the wedding
he exposed over 4 rolls him self
He was polite to all the foreigners, but
he loves to cuss at my dad and brothers
he also loves to piss them off and call them on their shit
it was great, and annoying... :)
He grew a lot on this trip, learning about people, cultures and history.

So I was able to befriend some local techno heads, conveniently at the gas station at my hotel. I went back and forth from my brothers reception party which lasted 2 days at the hotel. (the first day on their farm before the wedding) All in my pink fur coat...
I have never drank that much vodka in my life and that potent
it was insane, all drinks were shots. (period)
there are no mixed drinks
a shot here, a shot there
we were toasting anything and everything at the end
thank god my brother's military friend gave me some charcoal pills
I was able to totally fuck my shit up
I was sick for at least 3 days
never again, it will be a while before I drink more vodka...!
everyone was just getting trashed and then dancing to a bad band on a bad sound-system.
I ended up hanging out at the gas station a lot more after everyone was drunk and jared was asleep, although he ended up befriending the boys there too.
They know him as the Cusskid
and they want to meet up and go to nowhere this summer (more on that later)

After the wedding my father, Jared and I headed to Krakow
the most popular city in Poland,
we visited the castle there
and Jared and I went down into the dreaded cave where
there once lived a dragon that terrorized the people of krakow.
Jared got a sword there and well you can imagine the rest
him bouncing off walls running about battling the air
it was all mighty cute... posing with his sword for pictures.

We also walked the central market in krakow
there were performers, venders, crafts, everything
it was very interesting, and surreal
I bought 2 pictures there from a street artist
drawings of the city
Jared and I bought a traditional polish chess board and some slippers for practically nothing.
We ate fresh bagels and drank tea as we watched the people gather and swell in the center of the city.

From here we headed to Auschwitz, this was very moving, important and well fucking frightening. This was the most profound place I think I have ever been. I was in a room where thousands of people were killed, mass murdered in gas chambers or by firing wall, starved in work camps, and tortured by Nazis. The size and massiveness of this terrible place, and to realize that it was not the only camp the Nazis had created, Just the one that was preserved. I was happy to find-out that it was free so everyone could see it and understand, that was great and very important. Poland has done a great job preserving this historical tragedy...and making it accessible to anyone and everyone. It meant a lot to my father because his father had fought in WWII and had visited Auschwitz just after the war. I felt like I was walking with him, my father, and my son it was very emotional although I didn't really show it. This was a great time of learning for Jared, he had a lot of questions and concerns and he still talks about it a lot. We are getting ready to watch Shindler's list and the dvd we bought on Auschwitz since were sick at home.

From there we drove through Check Republic in a downpour where I almost got arrested for not having the proper sticker, like a toll. and had to pay a fine of $20, after I argued, pleaded and played dumb with a Check female border person, all I had was the $20 US and some polish zlote which she laughed at.

Then a quick drive thru Slovakia and then into Austria, the most scenic place we visited. Beautiful mountains, already gathering snow, and of course the rain didn't stop. Jared was already sick and I was getting there with my dad. But it didn't stop us from strolling through small villages, shopping and touring museums. When we got to Salzburg there was a great castle. Jared and I took the pull lift up to it that was built in the 14th century and was run by horse power. The castle was built first in the 12th century but successive rulers kept building the castle up. This was the best castle, well preserved and beautiful, by far the best to see...it was out of this world, we saw the torture chamber, the private rooms of the kings and strolled through the several museums and galleries within the castle walls.

We left Salzburg wet and coughing and headed for Muchen, Germany to meet my brother for Octoberfest. Well I had alternative plans because I had contacted some European burners from there and they had invited me to go touring the city with them, they took me thrift shopping and I bought a Bulgarian traditional costume, and then out to two clubs at night. So I hung with these dj's from Muchen and they took me to a great reggae club where there friends were spinning reggae and doing live pa over it, and then to the most popular club in Muchen Harry Klein where their friend was doing video. Yes I hung with dj's and VJ's in Muchen and got in free to the clubs where cover was 10 euros. I guess my connections now run into Europe, but I am sure that doesn't surprise you. I saw and heard some amazing stuff that night and took the train to my hotel over an hour away alone, strolling in wet and sick at 7-am. Jared had stayed with my brother and father from 7pm on, it was a nice break. I was bummed that I couldn't dance the music was incredible. Well I did a little bit, but my ankle is still very hurt. :(

Anyhow that last journey sent me over the edge and we all got very sick after playing in the rain all day and night again. We drove towards frankfurt and found a small village to stay at for our last 2 days. We stayed in Werthheim the home of the small Octoberfest. Just north enough to get us out of the rain and small enough for us to do small trips to the quaint castle or to the market at the festival along the river. The castle here was beautiful, laid upon a forest hill overlooking the rivers that joined in this village. It was a great relaxing place to visit and spend our last few days with a cold. The town was know for blowing glass, and we visited the old glass museum with 12th and 13th century glass made in the castle. Jared was able to blow some glass and make a fun piece of art, a punk pig, with spik_e hair.

The flight back to the US was dreadful, long and exhausting, but I am glad to be home. Back from the doctors office we have bronchitis, now on antibiotics and finishing up our german herbal remedies. Jared has been ill since Poland and I since Austria at least but soup movies and a hot fire are all in the mix...