“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” – Anthony Bourdain

The Travelsketcher travels. I capture moments along the way, yet after 30 years of almost constant travel I can say with confidence that the journey changes you.

We spent this weekend in Marseille with David and Natalia, Tricia’s cousin and his partner – I so love them both. Marseille is beautiful, and highly under-rated by the Parisians, even disdained.

On the deck of their apartment we sipped wine, nibbled hummus and crackers, and talked. David, aside from being an established actor in France, is a chef, and he is quite wise. While we were talking he said, referring to the wealthy who actively reject social programs that help all people.

“They despise the socialism for others that they can afford for themselves.”

The rich and the powerful have a complete social net. They have the best healthcare, they have multiple houses – each of which could comfortably house multiple families. They do not worry about hunger, or cold. They have security companies to protect them from violence. Yet they tend to vociferously object to any government programs that would provide the same comfort to the less well off.

David and Natalia are the kind of folks that you are blessed to call friends, even better when they are family. We had such a good time. I even got to play a “solid body” guitar, possibly for the first time.

We saw a lot of the city, in the next few weeks Tricia will be posting some amazing photos so be sure to follower her. We even went to the cafe where one of the best scenes in the movie Love Actually was filmed, here is Tricia doing the “Just in cases” scene.

This week I spent a lot of time doing digital portraits, both were gifts for our hosts.

Living in the land of J. Herbin inks is so motivating, so my fountain pens are getting fresh and new colors of ink.

Recently, on a few blogs and posts, artists have posted about their struggle of painting for a market, I understand the need to do that if it is your business. I am so grateful that art is my retirement fun, and there is a freedom in just doing whatever feels good, and if no one likes it or buys it, who cares. I am glad however that some of you do follow, it means a lot, just know that what you see in my art is just me expressing what is going on now, or as Jimmy Buffet said in his song “The Oldest Surfer On The Beach,” – “I don’t have a thing to prove.” I think art is the best when we approach it that way.

This afternoon at La Cave Des Pas Sages I talked with a couple from the north of Germany. We talked about the need to look forward and not dwell on the past. We talked about their visit to Normandie, and the political landscape in the USA today. They said they were thankful that people could live free in Germany today. The oppressive regime in their past was as restrictive to the citizens as to the countries it was trying to conquer – I hope in the USA we do not repeat the past.

Yes Tony, travel leaves marks.

I hope you are sketching and enjoying your journey, capturing a bit of it along the way. I hope your journey brings change, makes new friends, and gives peace. As always thanks for making my life so much richer.