Maybe the biggest surprise in Vienna was that you can find many places to swim, just a few subway stops from downtown. These are either quiet branches of the Danube or cut-off sections (basically lakes). Some are surrounded by high-rises, others by parks.
travel journal
Castello Scaligero
Return to Malcesine
Placa Prim, Poblenou
A wonderful little square near our apartment. The trees are a strange species from Argentina, called ombu.
Barcelona Sketches
We spent three weeks in Barcelona, and that was too short. I only had time to do a few sketches, but I think the city will continue to inspire my paintings for a while.
Interior courtyard in Paris, 6eme arrondissement.
Pont neuf, Paris
A few rare days of sun in wintertime Paris.
Tioman Island. The sea seen from the backyard at Nazri’s Place

Tioman Island. The sea seen from the backyard at Nazri’s Place, originally uploaded by Brin d’Acier.
Here is a view of the beach at Kampung Air Batang on Tioman island, to the east of mainland Malaysia.
We spent almost a week snorkling the wonderful reefs but of course did no underwater sketches.
Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands
We spent a week hiking in the temperate rainforests of the Cameron Highlands. Here is a quiet corner of the village of Tanah Rata.
Kuala Lumpur, seen from Chinatown towards the old railway station

Kuala Lumpur, seen from Chinatown towards the old railway station, originally uploaded by Brin d’Acier.
We spent a month backpacking around Singapore and Malaysia. Despite all the excitement, I took the time to do a few sketches…
Here’s one of the wonderfully chaotic architecture of downtoen Kuala Lumpur. That’s Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in the foreground.