My Final Post

I had an amazing time in Europe. Meeting the team in Milan. Going to a friends wedding in Tuscany. Bread and Butter in Barcelona. Drank Tequila at a METAL headphones bar. Saw Gossip at the Melkweg. Rode my bike every day. Discovered art jewelry is big in Holland. And, went to Anne Frank house. So many things to see and do, I only scratched the surface. I just missed Amsterdam fashion week by days!$#@ Now, I understand the culture a little better, know my European counterparts a little more, and have learned so much about the cultural differences that make Europe unique. Thanks to the team in the States for the support and all the Europeans who helped me find my way. Keep an eye out for Blackbeards Delight!

Two Wheels

Amsterdam is most accessible by bicycle, or anything on two wheels. With roughly 750,000 inhabitants and 700,000 bicycles in the city, that's about one bicycle per person. There are some unique challenges regarding footwear when getting around by bicycle, flexibility and traction are the two most immediate I can recall. Bicycles can also be a great opportunity for self expression. While living in Amsterdam, I rode "Blackbeard's Delight" everyday, rain or shine. When you are faced with finding your bike among a few hundred or even a few thousand in one place, it helps to have a unique aspect to your bike.

H0U53 NUM83R5

A while ago, I started noticing the variety and styles of house numbers. Love looking at all the details, textures, and materials.

Houseboats

In Amsterdam, boats and houses are so interchangeable. It seems to me that a majority of the modern architecture in Amsterdam has been influenced by the forms and lines of boats.

Amsterdam Street Art

There were a couple of guys doing these giant paste ups around town and there was an article about them on www.lecool.com. Some pretty cool street art, different than Barcelona.

8cht

Discovered this store this weekend. Recently opened by a former basketball player named Phillip. Eight was his number. Carrying Nike, Adidas, Creative Recreation, and a brand called Undercrown. Nice space mixed with some street art, footwear, apparel, accesories, and media. Vijzelstraat 105.

Color Graphics Texture

Just something I rode by and caught my eye.

Last Saturday Night

The last Saturday night in town, just a simple example of life in Amsterdam.

Local

There is at least one local outdoor market every day in Amsterdam. Everything from fish, fruit and vegetables, cheese, clothes, bike locks, etc. The culture here is very self reliant. You will also notice that refrigerators are much smaller, less than half the size in the states.

Space Invader 2

Found this one this weekend. I've been down that street many times, but never saw it before. I love that element of discovery.

By Boat

Boats are such a big part of Summer entertainment. Little inflatable ones with outboard motors to sleek all-wood versions, and everything in between. Chill family gatherings to full-on parties with dancing and singing. If it's even close to nice outside, people are out on the canals.

Cloud 9

Another store I discovered this weekend in the Jordaan. Just opened a couple of days. Great mix of housewares, jewelry, pet things, and clothes for everyone in the family. Haarlemmerdijk 119B.

Canal Life

Views of some of the canals. The canals have been very influential in the evolution of the culture of Amsterdam. Transportation, living, entertainment, water management, etc.

Color

Just caught my eye. Interesting colors and application.

Java Island

Another part north of Amsterdam center is Java Island. Formerly a shipping and warehouse district for KNSM Shipping, it's now been reclaimed for residential buildings. Here you see much more modern design and a few nice shops including 90sq. meters, a destination for sneakerheads and style enthusiasts. Check the detail shot closely, it's bamboo reinterpreted in concrete, complex simplicity?

Street Life

An average day on the road. Notice the make-up of the roads. The cobblestone streets are not permanently connected, they are simply pounded into a sand base. The streets bulge and sag and you can often see men repairing them.

Amsterdam Architecture

As the city of Amsterdam was founded in 1275, the city's architecture is quite old. You can see that aesthetic resonates in many perspectives of the culture. It's not necessarily the most important thing that it looks great, as long as it is efficient and functions well. I was quite surprised at the level of sophistication of the interiors of these old buildings. Well maintained and modern on the inside in complete harmony with the vintage exteriors. Timeless design. Many times you can also discover very new and modern buildings amidst the old, which created a nice tension.

No Gas

I have always thought it would be brilliant to be able to live without a car. In this aspect, Amsterdam reminds me of New York City. Ride my bike to Central Station, thirty to thirty-five minute commute by train to Hilversum Sportpark.

The Future of Luxury?

This weekend, I read the July 2nd issue of Newsweek, a special report on luxury entitled,"Stealth Wealth, How the Truly Rich Are Separating Themselves From The Mere Millionaires, Behind Closed Doors". Newsweek's annual report on the industry finds that understated elegance is the trend in everything from fashion design to architecture. The report features an article on luxury, "Luxury Goes Undercover", luxury architecture,"A Certain Sense of Calm", luxury nightclubs, "Behind the Secret Door", luxury hotel suites, "Suites for the Sweet", luxury fashion, "Faceless Fashion", luxury shopping,"Beyond Paris And Milan", craftsmanship, "Made by Foreign Hands", designer brand Bottega Veneta, "Luxury Without Labels", an interview with Tom Ford, and an interview with Valentino Garavani. Highly enlightening concerning the definition of luxury. I will bring my copy back and make copies for anyone who would like to read it.

WOW!

Hey, I know there isn't much you can learn from this photo. But, It's pretty amazing. I took this shot from Wester Park at sunset. After you stare at it for a few minutes, it really comes to life. The colors are incredible.

Tile

Interesting entryway made up of tons of different tiles.

Hagelslag?

This is a Dutch treat called Hagelslag. You spread butter on white bread, or a roll. Then, you pour these little sprinkles from a box on the butter and smash it together. You can get the sprinkles in a few different flavors. Chocolate is the best. It is actually quite good for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack!

Gaudi

Though I was not able to visit any of the Gaudi works on this trip, I did visit them previously and am taking the opportunity to show the images again since I was in Barcelona. There is a deep connection between Gaudi and the new organic forms that are being created by computer and only manufacturable by rapid prototype machine. Both were inspired by nature. Supernature.

Barcelona Street Art

Just a sampling of street art from Barcelona. Love the variation in styles.

Barcelona Architecture

A short slide show of architecture in Barcelona. You can see that the rich history of the city has influenced the style and intensity of it's architecture.

La Casa de los Sabatilles

Discovered this classic shoe store in "The Born" area of Barcelona. Just a little shop with boxes neatly stacked on every wall. Mostly selling espadrilles, slippers, and other assorted shoes made for casual comfort. I bought a beautiful vulcanized pair with a great shape, rope footbed, rope rand, and organic-looking open mesh with a canvas reinforcement toe and heel. Breathable comfort for hot weather bare-foot walking for 30Euros.

Bread and Butter Barcelona

A short slide show from Bread and Butter in Barcelona July 4th, 5th, and 6th. This was the first time for me to go to this show. I was not very impressed. Besides all of the obvious big brands, there where many smaller footwear brands making a go at it; Diadora, Gant, Rubber Ducky, Hummel, Munich, Feiyne, No Brand, Rocket Dog, Ben Sherman, DKNY, Superdry, Kawasaki(Italy), etc. A lot of skate brands were representing. Everyone was showing the "Keds" silhouette. The three most interesting things that I saw was; Creative Recreation has stepped it up and are looking more sophisticated. United Nude was showing a new style that was organic in the forefoot and intersected with a simple geometric heel. The combination of the two forms was very nice. Also that a couple of brands like Keds and Etnies(I think) were showing female footwear silhouettes that had some form of a heel or wedge. Two things interesting about Barcelona, girls are not afraid to wear sneakers and most people like to wear color.

ARCAM

This amazing building is the Architectuurcentrum Amsterdam or "Arcam". The current exhibition focuses on the history of life on boats and barges, and future prospects for floating architecture. For the Dutch, life, water, and boats are so intertwined, you can see the influence of one on the other in the shapes and textures of modern architecture.