Betwixt in Europe / Meeting Robin Hunt Through Mog
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Artist:
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Album:Priceless Jazz Collection Vol. 2
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Track:
__"Robin Hunt walks across Europe this spring and summer. He explores, in the mid-Jacobean era of our own technological renaissance, the state of Europe, travel, cities, the country, art, love, literature, mirrors and printing presses."__
(Robin at my local bar, Voxx, photographed by my friend H.)*This week was supposed to be a 'work' week,* with us making our DIY theremins/website and returning back to a cost-free quiet 7 of self-induced responsibility. But, like all good things in internet life, I had another "brush with randomness":http://mog.com/LadyC/blog_post/4910.We had spent our weekly budget on a "Friday evening with CocoRosie":http://mog.com/LadyC/blog_post/81074, and as I wrote out my little post I knew that despite my strange turn of events, that I would have at least some fans here interested in a little glimpse from a Lyon perspective. What I didn't expect the next morning was to find Robin Hunt.Robin has already been on the road for almost a month, retracing the voyage of Shakespeare's friend, writer and drinking friend, "Thomas Coryat":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Coryat, the first English tourist, over 300 years later. He was not only contacting me because of my location but found me through an RSS feed and happened to be a fan of "CocoRosie":http://www.cocorosieland.com/. He signed up on mog and "posted me a message":http://mog.com/LadyC/blog_post/81074#comment-337407.For those who know me, I love travel and meeting people and "his blogger site":http://betwixteurope.blogspot.com/ immediately gave me good vibes, an authenticity and kinship of spirit.So what happened?Well, I replied.I hoped that he wouldn't be scared off by my invitation to stay at mine and awaited his response. He accepted that night and arrived the next evening just in time for dinner.
(Ready to show off some music...well past midnight.)__"I travel through France from Calais, cross the Alps, journey across Italy to Venice, grab some art, turn around, cross the Alps again and travel through Switzerland, Germany and Holland, returning home to London in early October."__*What transpired was a very quick but wonderful opportunity* to meet a truly intelligent, generous, perceptive and clever man; who remains, regardless of a successful career in journalism/technology/innovation/travel, a very open and keen observer while not being obnoxiously cynical.We had dinners and drinks, wandered through the city and always stayed up late to pop open our laptops and listen to eachother's music (mostly Robin's __schizophrenic__ playlists) that spanned every decade from 30 to now. We often went to bed around 5AM with Robin on the sofa, diligently typing away as we awoke.Robin's "Lyon specific entries can be found here":http://betwixteurope.blogspot.com/search/label/Lyon.
(Robin's last night...)Most of Robin's experiences are detailed on his excellent recap on blogger, with stunning photos and thoughtful commentary on the people he meets and the differences/similarities between Coryats' experience and his. The blog also allows a mini real-time history lesson, with facts on the past and present of this modern day pilgrimage.The experience will eventually be published and I sincerely look forward to reading the completed novel.*About Betwixt & What It Means*__"Is one of Thomas Coryat's favourite words. It sums up this project as well: I am not simply following Coryat, I'm exploring the histories and myths of the cities and towns he visited, and enjoying their moment now. I am genuinely in between - not reporter, nor pampered tourist; not historian, not entirely uninformed, I'm travelling with a Memory, a Memory Stick, and an openness to new Memories."__*Links*"Betwixt Blog":http://betwixteurope.blogspot.com/"Robin's Mog Page":http://mog.com/Last_Tourist"Betwixt Entries for Lyon":http://betwixteurope.blogspot.com/search/label/Lyon(To the next time Robin, bon voyage and thank you for the advice! Much love, C&J)
(Robin at my local bar, Voxx, photographed by my friend H.)*This week was supposed to be a 'work' week,* with us making our DIY theremins/website and returning back to a cost-free quiet 7 of self-induced responsibility. But, like all good things in internet life, I had another "brush with randomness":http://mog.com/LadyC/blog_post/4910.We had spent our weekly budget on a "Friday evening with CocoRosie":http://mog.com/LadyC/blog_post/81074, and as I wrote out my little post I knew that despite my strange turn of events, that I would have at least some fans here interested in a little glimpse from a Lyon perspective. What I didn't expect the next morning was to find Robin Hunt.Robin has already been on the road for almost a month, retracing the voyage of Shakespeare's friend, writer and drinking friend, "Thomas Coryat":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Coryat, the first English tourist, over 300 years later. He was not only contacting me because of my location but found me through an RSS feed and happened to be a fan of "CocoRosie":http://www.cocorosieland.com/. He signed up on mog and "posted me a message":http://mog.com/LadyC/blog_post/81074#comment-337407.For those who know me, I love travel and meeting people and "his blogger site":http://betwixteurope.blogspot.com/ immediately gave me good vibes, an authenticity and kinship of spirit.So what happened?Well, I replied.I hoped that he wouldn't be scared off by my invitation to stay at mine and awaited his response. He accepted that night and arrived the next evening just in time for dinner.(Ready to show off some music...well past midnight.)__"I travel through France from Calais, cross the Alps, journey across Italy to Venice, grab some art, turn around, cross the Alps again and travel through Switzerland, Germany and Holland, returning home to London in early October."__*What transpired was a very quick but wonderful opportunity* to meet a truly intelligent, generous, perceptive and clever man; who remains, regardless of a successful career in journalism/technology/innovation/travel, a very open and keen observer while not being obnoxiously cynical.We had dinners and drinks, wandered through the city and always stayed up late to pop open our laptops and listen to eachother's music (mostly Robin's __schizophrenic__ playlists) that spanned every decade from 30 to now. We often went to bed around 5AM with Robin on the sofa, diligently typing away as we awoke.Robin's "Lyon specific entries can be found here":http://betwixteurope.blogspot.com/search/label/Lyon.(Robin's last night...)Most of Robin's experiences are detailed on his excellent recap on blogger, with stunning photos and thoughtful commentary on the people he meets and the differences/similarities between Coryats' experience and his. The blog also allows a mini real-time history lesson, with facts on the past and present of this modern day pilgrimage.The experience will eventually be published and I sincerely look forward to reading the completed novel.*About Betwixt & What It Means*__"Is one of Thomas Coryat's favourite words. It sums up this project as well: I am not simply following Coryat, I'm exploring the histories and myths of the cities and towns he visited, and enjoying their moment now. I am genuinely in between - not reporter, nor pampered tourist; not historian, not entirely uninformed, I'm travelling with a Memory, a Memory Stick, and an openness to new Memories."__*Links*"Betwixt Blog":http://betwixteurope.blogspot.com/"Robin's Mog Page":http://mog.com/Last_Tourist"Betwixt Entries for Lyon":http://betwixteurope.blogspot.com/search/label/Lyon(To the next time Robin, bon voyage and thank you for the advice! Much love, C&J)
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