The Estonian Philosopher.

Okey dokey

I have just made a decision and taken some action. I'm in Granada, in the cafe with the world's most beautiful barmaid

I have locked all my cash away. I am close to penniless, but I am going to travel all the way from Granada to Estonia paying my way with art. My mission is to reach my Estonian contacts before the end of summer. Walking and bussing a little.

Granada to Madrid to Paris to... open plan. No fixed route.

Starting budget = €0. Fuck all other than a sketchpad and pen. Literally. I'm going to show the good people of U75 exactly how this is done. You don't need to be clever. You do need to learn how to sell. With all I've learned during the past 5 years I'm pretty confident, but expect some severe hardship also. It's all relative!

Will post here regularly looking for feedback, and maintain my current TheLostPhotographer.blogspot.com blog

Not just covering my own costs, but raising money for charities also. To get this clear at the start: I have no available cash - I am not rich. I am not that clever. Anyone can do this.

One thing I got out of my very brief Africa trip was that I was not happy with cash and lots of equipment. I'm taking the bare minimum. Sort of. Change of clothes, essential tools, 2 x pocket digi point and shoots, oh - and my digimicroscope

Not going to be easy all of the time! Gonna be a fun adventure though and I'm going to tell all interested just how you do it.

As from Wednesday next week.

Africa can wait. This is all in the safety of Eurozone. I have English, Spanish and German, so that's a whole load more than I had for my last trip. Not easy, but very doable.

Photos, videos, words, sketches, paintings, people, digimicroscope... all here, or on my blog

I can think of two things wrong with the title of this thread.

I've fucked up my spelling already?

No advice Stan, but I have a present for you - a crossword clue:


Sensation travels, but avoiding the poles, to get to destination (7)


Bon voyage!


e2a:


No seriously, you can thank me later etc.

And, straight to work.

Sketching on Mirador de San Nicolas (if rain holds out). Two sketches converted into €50 by the end of the day. Maybe. I have other stuff to sort here before I can leave. Limited amount of time to make cash.

Whatever I have by Wednesday, I set off with.

Station?

No, Estonia. Get rid of the poles N and S and rearrange it.

Out of interest, is this entirely aboveboard and reasonable charity mission happening before or after the much trailed, vaunted, trumpetted and promised epic trek across Africa?

What in the hell are you on about man?

It's a religious symbol on a confused rude cow (about 50).

Estonia now, Stan? Are you sure you're completely done with Africa yet?

Have you tried doing pictures of breasts? (In public, I mean.)

I would never have got that

is this going to be another s.e. clusterfuck?

Before.

Africa on hold

But, my plans are a bit fucked ATM. Some fucking nutter won't get the message. I have picked up a stray dog. How the fuck is a man supposed to sketch and sell with this. He keeps talking about being in touch with Vincent Van Gogh. No idea how to get rid of the fucking dog.

kabbes is correct. until you work through this and get to the point where you understand, any further progress will be impossible.

Ah, fuck it.

For as long as narrow minded bigots continue I'll stick to my blog.

you do that.

Somehow I missed this yesterday. Like it.

Ho hum.

Rambutan hostel aren't being kind to regular customers Rainy days in Granada are not good.

So, how's it going so far? It's starting hard. I'm staying out all night on happy pills

Well, hey, it's Friday!

Why am I doing this again?

Downtown Granada at 1.45am. Police are dealing with an inccident at the club next door to the cinema whilst I sit on the steps borrowing WiFi from the cafe with the world's most beautiful barmaid. It's closed.

The safer streets just a short walk away are American. Barely a word of Spanish to be heard. I've been kicked-out of Rambutan Hostel because it's full of more deserving people talking about making the world a better place.

This is the city where I can't trust police. But, fucked if I'm paying for a bed now. It won't get quiet here until about 5am. Time to put notepad away.

Still in Granada? Get a move on ffs

You're just takıng the pıss now. Last tıme I looked you were on the way to Mauretanıa.

I'm in that bar watching the football. She isn't here. However, there is a new most beautiful barmaid now in a different bar

12 hours of sketching today after a night like that. I have good stock. Sold a couple without even trying. If the weather improves I'll be in Madrid by Wednesday.

Putting 12 hours in on the streets, surrounded by tourist hell always forces you to retreat downtown to be with the real people. This is the Granada I love. I may return and get it right next time.

Shit to do before I leave...
Get bank card numbers.
Organise storage.
Move stuffs to new place.
Make cash.

Really fucking nice things to do...
Go to bar Sur de Granada in touristville to explore someone's beautifulness

No. Never heading that way directly.

This is a EuroSafetyZone project for the summer. Senegal comes in the autumn.

I'm in my favourite bar with the world's 2nd most beautiful barmaid.

Took a hotel last night. Got in at about 11.30pm, showered and slept solid until 11.30am. €25 for a very nice twin room ensuite - Hostal Austria. I've booked another 3 nights.

Worked from 12.30 until 4.30. Sold 3 sketches and collected about €40 in donations. €115 total. Also collected more work at the glorious, all new, swanky ME ME ME themed hotel. Hopefully that will come good tomorrow. Monday mornings can sometimes be quite good. People going home looking for momentos.

€115 less €25.
€90 net for an afternoon in March is OK.

In cafe bar Esmeralda in downtown Granada a caña with taps is €1.50. Good tapas and a huge slab of margarita pizza if they like you. €4.50 for 3 beers and more than I can eat. Free WiFi wil save me a €1 also.

Nice away draw for Granada today also. Perhaps they're back on track also.

OK. Very little interest. Just for the record...

The less astute may be thinking 'fucking hell!'. €90 for 4 hours. That's like €20/hour plus a bit.

Others will recognise the 12 hours unpaid yesterday and quickly convert to €5.93/hour.

That's about it in reality. Minimum wage, but you get to live free.

I love downtown Granada. When I am ready to buy without 'help' from banks, I will buy here. Not quite ready to settle yet though.

I've spent the morning in my favourite bar emailing and contacting publishers.

Now I'm off to try and get a few minutes with my hotel client. Emilio is a very successful structural engineer. Granada born - he loves his city. He is pumping huge amounts of money into preserving buildings he thinks are important. The hotel I'm decorating is built with one of the original corner walls of the Albycin town wall as it's main support. The wall has been preserved and turned into the main feature of a central courtyard. From the roof terrace you can view the Alhambra and see the path of the old wall that would have been the gate from the Albycin into the Alhambra and it's palaces.

It's a beautiful hotel and I am chuffed to bits that the entire place is decorated with my art only! I'll get some photos.

Why is the title of this thread 'The Estonian Philosopher'?

Because that is where the esteemed piss artist/artist and self-styled philospher is/was musing about heading to next, albeit slowly.