INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MISERY: M�nich was good. Jet lag got the best of us, and made for some challenging �nights out� or, �nights in,� if you will. Combine some jetlag with a regular ol� common cold and man, it spells out, �Bad News.�

“Flying into London for a quick layover.”

ISPO TRADESHOW: First of all, I�d like to offer up a big, hearty, American �fuck you� to the Carhartt booth and all inhabitants therein. You are European. You smoke little cigs. You listen to music that is better suited for �Spring Sale at The Limited.� You take an honest American brand, inject some calculated amount of �cool� and then turn those noses up to the rest.

Okay, so my feelings got hurt trying to see what Carhartt meant to those stylish Euros. No dice. No entry. You aren�t allowed.

Funny thing is, the turd who wouldn�t let me in was wearing a shirt that said, �Carhartt, Dearborn, Michigan� and a Grenade beanie with a logo I designed. I leaned in and said, �I was born there. How about you, motherfucker?�

Nixon�s new line is fucking amazing. We clothing is really onto some cool stuff. Their catalog was by far the most beautiful of the show. Snowboarding brands that are more or less �dead in the water� stateside are �raging with a big, toothy European smile� over there. Interesting how things change with a trip �across the pond.�

It was great to see Coal, Grenade and Union in the mix. Good feedback from all sides.

“The ISPO Tradeshow: Home of some big-ass booths.”
“Those crazy Euros sure do know how to have a good time.”
“The Union Binding Company: Makers of great couches.”
“DDC graphics for Ride Snowboards.”

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OLD WORLD EUROPE: First of all, Euros are well, Euros. Too much style. Too many cigarettes. The shittiest dance music you�ve ever had to suffer through. Snooty little coffees. And fuck, you�ve got to be nuts if you think I�m gonna sit through �the singing of traditional songs in some beerhall.� Kill me, please.

I�m an a American. For some weird, almost guilty reason, I�m extremely thankful for that.

Plus, we have George Bush to lead us!

“John Holley and the yawn heard around the world.”
“The streets of M�nich.”
“Colorful locals, every couple feet.”
“Glockenspiel?” “Beg your pardon?”
“Those Euros love their festivals.”
“This guy was having a terrible time, really.”
“Pinski had a little too much to drink this afternoon.”

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SUBSISTENCE: A pretzel is a beautiful thing, and hell, if I wasn�t cool with schnitzel, I could subsist on them solely, with no complaints. The best pretzel I found in Munich was at the train station downtown, towards the north entrance. Big and mean, for a 1.50 euro�heaven.

“Zurich hotel elevator ceiling detail.”
“The type alone over there is reason enough to go back.”
“Beer, schnitzel, bratwurst and warm stories of Nazi beginnings at the Hofbrau Haus.”
“Roll out the barrells…”
“Give me schnitzel, or give me death.”
“Matt Kass has still got it. Don’t you ever forget this.”
“Little friends.”

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DACHAU DAYTRIP: Morbid curiosity got the best of us. As we headed east to Switzerland, we found ourselves all voting to check out the Dachau concentration camp.

�Concentrated Evil.�

Groups of students, families with small children�it all seems so odd and out of place to see people laughing here, or to see children bored and restless. Just how should a person deal with a visit here? Dachau is touted as the �model for the rest of the concentration camps� being the first, which in the beginning�albeit thinly-veiled�was a camp where �enemies of the state� were to be concentrated, as to keep the state protected. It started out that way, and quickly turned into a machine in which to overwork, starve and ultimately kill off all prisoners.

The experiments affected me the most. Complete horror.

I�ll spare the details of barracks and crematorium, as we all know of them already.

There�s just something that rattles you about being in such a concentrated center of complete fucking evil. Makes you give thanks to the troops who fought and died to put and end to it, and make me feel thankful for every little thing I�ve had in the course of my 31 years: Opportunity, health, family, freedom. Makes you feel like �Good will prevail over evil.�

Heavy stuff on on our Dachau Daytrip:

01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06

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SWITZER-VILLE: Z�rich is a beautiful little town. That river was beautiful. We stayed downtown, but a block away from the little tourist section, and even closer to the mini �Red Light District.� Those neutral Switzers were very nice to us everywhere we went. Good food, good times. They sure can cook. The food was really good everywhere we went. Beautiful street signs on every corner. So smart and clear. Even for a dumb American like myself.

LOOT: Switzerland has beautiful currency. Their paper bills are small, foldable works of art that vary in size and texture. I didn�t want to spend it. The coins are silver and have a hierarchy of size and scale that makes perfect sense. I came home with an exotic pile of coins, euros and francs all mixed together.

“Loading up to head out to Switzerland for a couple days.”
“Truck drivin’ man…”
“Snowcats racers.”
“Window treats.”
“The streets of Z�rich.”

- - - -

I’ll go back. You bet. Next time around I want to hit the United Kingdom, Ireland, Amsterdam and maybe even take a crack at Scandinavia.