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Various selection of pictures from 2004 in Europe: Spain, Belgium, France. Click on pictures for medium view. Right-click/save to save and/or view different resolutions.

   Kathy taking a nap on the couch while i'm packing.... sorry babe!
San Diego, CA

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   The site of the 11-M bombings in early 2004. 191 people were killed and 1755 people were wounded 6 weeks or so before. I had forgotten about the bombings until I came across a shrine. Until that moment it was just another euro train station to me...
Atocha Station, Madrid, Spain

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   Yeah, this is a european city I thought as i approached. City walls, towers, and a river that goes around it... way cool.
Toledo, Spain

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   Walking around the city where the locals live. There were very few foreigners in the town which i thought was surprising considering it's history.
Old Toledo, Spain

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   One of the town's many churches
Toldeo, Spain

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   This is the main road 'into' the heart of the old city. It switchbacks its way up the hill. I walked it a few times, it's a pain. No wonder the locals are all in shape.
Toledo, Spain

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   View of the surrounding area. Fertile ground for Franco and his allies with tigers and stukas. It must have sucked to been on side of the artists at the time...
Toledo, Spain

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   Quaint church...
Toledo, Spain

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   The cathedral in town. Construction began in 1266 but it was closed so i couldn't get in. I did find an open door though....
Primate Cathedral of Toledo, Toledo, Spain

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   Coppers in town. Notice the use of German bikes?
Toledo, Spain

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   Old Toledo is known for its art, religion, and steel.
Toledo, Spain

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   In case you didn't get a LP to find your way around town.
Toledo, Spain

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   View from the old sector overlooking the new.
Toledo, Spain

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   Main entrance to old toledo
Toledo, Spain

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   I took a walk to see where my legs would take me and wandered into the new section. Here you can see the Alcázar where the nacionals famously holed up during the civil war.
Toledo, Spain

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   So strolling around i stumbled into the artsy area all rundown with lots of graffiti, burn marks, and general signs of trouble. I'm guess this is all was built for the olympics then once all the tourists left it all went to the punks. I'm just speculating though...
new Toledo, Spain

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   Their signs don't look like ours. It kinda makes sense though doesn't it?
Toledo, Spain

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   Museum in town.
Toledo, Spain

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   My guess is that some unfortunate Republican was taking pot-shots at Franco's boys from here in '36.
Toledo, Spain

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   Well... spanish influences have to come from somewhere right? The city has a long history with many cultures and coexistance of many religions.
Toledo, Spain

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   Um.... some dead guy's tombstone?
Toledo, Spain

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   The main shopping district but everything is closed this late at night.
Toledo, Spain

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   Oh hell yeah! I'm a sucker for any euro plaza and spain is no exception. We were up eating dinner until 10-11pm... Throw in a ciesta and i'm not sure why i came back to the states for the 9-5...
Toledo, Spain

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   Just wandering around town taking pictures of stuff. This looks very municipal like. Caution: more educational stuff- over the years the town (like many spainish towns) switched hands depending on which civilization had power. I'm not sure why i'm telling you this but if my town was ruled by the visgoths and moors and others i'd would be inclined to think that was way cool.
Toledo, Spain

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   Back to the gothic cathedral at night...
Toledo, Spain

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   The view from my hotel room. "Room" is generous word, but it beats a bivy.
Carlos V, Toledo, Spain

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   Dammit, here i am getting artsy again. Getting vs being....
Toledo, Spain

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   Believe it or not this was a business trip. Pretty sweet one, i had to work maybe 8 hrs over two weeks. So i got to do a lot of walking around while not flying biz class : ) Anyways here i'm walking around the city overlooking the famous Tagus River and the bridge of San Martin
Toledo, Spain

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   Sunset over Toledo.
Old Toledo, Spain

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   Err.... MickyD's delivers? Or an ad? I take pictures of quirky stuff as you probably figured out by now (especially if you're this far into my website : )
Outside the city walls, Toledo, Spain

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   One of my early night shots...
Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo, Spain

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   Hi Veronica! Your store doesn't sell shoes, handbags, or home accessories. Knowing V that does seem odd. But Toledo is known for it's medieval steel and weapons of not so massive destruction.
Toledo, Spain

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   Holy Shit! Yes, this is just a train station. It doesn't show me running 2 miles with luggage down a giant cobblestone mountain to make the trainride, on a day which i kinda overslept. Doh- Good thing they weren't running on time. Joe (the white of white guy i was traveling with) had a funny look on his face as i came running up... ha! It's funny now : )
Toledo, Spain

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   The glass works in the cathedral. Belge style.
Antwerpen, Belgium

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   Didn't you know i'm going to hell anyways?
Antwerp, Belgium

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   Where they kept some dead guys under the church. That's one solid crypt.
Antwerp, Belgium

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   Um, i think there's a dead guy in that artwork.
Antwerp, Belgium

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   They have buildings there that we can't even begin to dream about...
Antwerp, Belgim

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   Lynn's going to hell too. That's her leg.
Antwerpen, Belgie

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   The way all the people are looking at this artwork suggests it's famous. Or something.
Antwerp, Belgium

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   Ok, have you seen enough pictures of this one building yet?
Antwerp, Belgium

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   One of the squares in town. I love this stuff! We had dinner in one of thes restaurants or maybe on the square over one block.
Antwerp, Belgium

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   The cathedral in Antwerp.
Antwerpen, Belgium

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   More shots of the town as we stroll around.
Antwerp, Belgium

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   The river castle defending the town. And taking taxes. Of course the city is named for the guy not paying taxes who cut off the hand of the local ruler. Funny that the Belgians are such rule followers. The Germans are good at teaching that lesson i suppose.
Antwerp, Belgium

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   A small statue over the entrance to the castle. When/if it dissapears something bad happens. Some invading army had a hand in accelerating the natural process...
Antwerp, Belgium

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   The castle is now a museum and they charge you a few bucks to look at old stuff.
Antwerp, Belgium

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   The Thalys, train that runs around the quad-country area of Be-Fr-D-Ne
Antwerp, Belium

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   A euro to take a dump? Damm... i think going #1 was free. I had to wander in to check it out and make a deposit of course. I mean, how often do i get to experience this?
Paris, France

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   Damm, everywhere i go there's another cathedral. They seem to sprout like McDonald's or Starbucks on this side of the pond.
Rouen, France

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   I see dead people.
Rouen, France

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   So i'm sitting in my 'hotel' jetlagged and thinking of the cute french girl that helped my stumbling american ass drag luggage down a cobblestone street when i hear these bells just go off. I popped outside to see Notre Dame and lots of people milling about. Cool. I'll find out later there's more than one Notre Dame...
Rouen Cathedral, Rouen, France

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   Welcome to Normandie! Is this French of what? Dude leaning up on a wall with a beret playing an accordian on a narrow cobblestone street lined with Normandy architecture. Ok, the it was staged. I had the city made for this shot. Hehehe.. how many americans would ask to take a picture -after- making a donation? Just about everyone i bumped into pegged me for something else besides an amerikaner. I did ID myself as such in town. Hehehe... was Bush ever popular anywhere?
Rouen, France

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   Where Joan of Ark was allegedly burned at the stake. Some bones were found there so that's why they say that. Dead cats also have bones. But it's good for the tourist trade.
Rouen, France

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   Another plaza, sweet! But every damm restaurant is closed.. fuckers.
Rouen, France

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   he Church of Joan of Ark. Funny how we even spell her name differently.
Tour Jeanne d'Arc, Rouen, France

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   I had to include this because, well, how often will i get to cross the Seine?
Seine, Rouen, France

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   More Normandy Architecture.
Rouen, France

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   The nightlife of the town. Too bad i never learned how to pronounce the town's name- my mouth just won't move right. But i can drink their espresso (see chair on the left- the scene of my afternoon postcard/espresso session : )
Rouen, France

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   Wondering about the town at night...
Rouen, France

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   So this is just weird. Kathy seems to be in the exact place i left her two weeks ago! Must be that REI catalog on the table. Riveting reading you know.
San Diego, CA

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   Composite view of old Toledo. Go photoshop!
Toledo, Spain

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   Ah Paris! The main train station, and the (not so) wonderful parisians. I really enjoyed the rest of France tho : ) 1.24mb
Paris, France

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   Wow! Toledo is a beautiful town and this 1.3mb pic doesn't do it justice. You have to go there. (it's not foe everyone tho)
Toledo, Spain

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