Sair ileso desta história, seria um privilégio. Algumas nódoas negras que ficam no corpo durante anos, a servir de tatuagem orgânica, lembram de histórias. Querias ver alguma coisa que não estava ali para ti, e foste por outro caminho, algumas vezes obrigado, outras por capricho ou vontade própria. Queria poder dizer-te que olha, aprendi esta lição. Passa por mim sobre a pele um pano branco molhado, húmido e lembra me tudo aquilo que me tem afastado dos bons dias de sol adolescente
Ainda estás aí? Eu vejo-te sempre, saco este mal entendido daqui para fora, se palavras não são suficientes, distâncias, dezamizades e desamores, corto esta língua e não penso mais nada que tudo é em vão. Sei que nada disto é verdade, continua a valer a pena, as nódoas negras valem sempre a pena.
Between order and fluidity. Are you having control and direction, or are you being pulled away by the infine possibilities. I know the time is ticking, I am trying to eat the apple and build the square at the same time.
2026 is the new 2016 or the cheap version of Hesiod's Ages of Man
My blog turns 10 years old this year, and if 2026 is the new 2016, then we’re still keeping up with the times. I’m pretty sure the internet has already surpassed its golden age, and counting up years to the infinite, without any seasonal cycles, is becoming too heavy for Millennials (myself included) and Gen Z, who have their own right to collective nostalgia.
Desire for leaving a mark, withstand the weight of time, is a generational desire, if not a universal one. Ultimately, this is just another internet trend. And for that, setting aside the Greek mythology, we find ourselves in the current era begging, "Please AI, don't replace my work value." The background noise is the speed of change and how the effortless output of "intelligent machinery" diminishes our sense of worth.
In 2016, posting a memory felt like placing an artifact in a relatively quiet digital museum. Now, the timeline moves too fast. The constant content creation floods the space, making any single digital memory more likely to be immediately buried and forgotten.
Without cultural or seasonal cycles (like distinct "eras" of the internet), there's no curated shelf for these artifacts. They don't belong to a defined, nostalgic period like "the 2016 internet", they just flow into an overwhelming, continuous present where context is lost.
To remember ten years ago is to remember a constellation of places: Vilnius, Warsaw, Krakow, Prague, Idanha-a-Nova. Points on a map of a past self.
My Bloody Valentine, Live in Dublin 3Arena 22th November 2025
No pictures allowed on the standing front row. Badly still managed to capture a Bilinda moment, other than that - only memories prevail, as it should be: A falling tremolo, Bilinda's drinking from a child juice pack between songs, wavey angelic mumbling, Kevin dedicating Soon to Mani, Kevin teasing the crowd "Louder?".
When sound becomes a visual expression of an expired film, there is not much left to think: "It's a bit like an infinite horizon, and unlike a horizon where your eyesight stops, with sound, you can imagine it infinitely.”
kudos to the people I've met along the queue - Maisie, Dimitri, Carlos, and the Reddit MBV community
Close to the edge all memories are a strong sense of self to keep us from falling. A self-preservation in the present. No one can pretend to be an island for too long. Share light where it's dark, the reflection will get me flashed, I didn't regret it either. The fool can take himself serious. To seek truth implies being mocked, there are more important things, perhaps. I don't want to see it, only the imagination can bring the pain of the abscence. An half-gift, what is taken from you, not recognized, not understood, can never be filled. I am here and I am not. You can see it but you can't. Give offerings to the entire house, not just a single division, this way the light is spread full, it passes by the windows, can't be reflected back, safe and protected.
"When we have found ourselves inside a mistery, sometimes you see a neon sign winking off the highway, or hear a train whistle at night from far away, and that's how you know you're going the right way."
This is the very first time I'm publishing a travel report. After several years of traveling through Europe, I’ve never shared any of my travel experiences before, mainly because I never intended to. This time, however, I traveled with the intention of sharing, which influenced my plans and, in a positive way, encouraged me to stick to a more structured itinerary. At the same time, I made sure to leave plenty of room for spontaneity, allowing the unknown to surprise me along the way. I’ll share some of the must-see spots I’ve visited, tips on how to save while traveling, and helpful apps to keep your travels organized.
Pre-conclusion: This trip also redefined the way I approach travel. It made me ask myself: Is traveling just another form of consuming entertainment, though a more refined kind of consumption? And if so, can traveling become superficial, where you’re merely consuming experiences without a deeper, creative purpose beyond gaining new intellectual knowledge? I realized that, yes, this might be true. Most of my past travels may not have served a greater purpose beyond creating memories and meeting people. This time, however, I wanted to create a sort of portfolio, something that could redefine how I travel in the future. (More on this at the end of the report.)
Day 1 – January 28th: Arrived in Vienna late at night.
There wasn’t much to do on the first day after arriving late at 9 PM. My main priority was to reach my Couchsurfing host place, following his instructions to take the S7 express train. This is the train everyone should take, as it’s the cheapest way to get to the city center. I requested a 3-night stay with the CS host, which was my first budget-saving trick. At the same time, it allowed me to have company and get to know a local who had lived in the city since birth. I must admit, I felt he had a particular temper I could relate with, we clicked almost instantly. You might wonder if Couchsurfing literally means sleeping on a couch. While it can be, it’s also possible to have a single room all to yourself. This was the bedroom I stayed in:
Day 2 – January 29th: First day exploring Vienna.
Bear with me - before the trip, I had already mapped out all the places I wanted to visit using Google Maps. I knew exactly what I wanted to visit across all three cities:
Vienna - Bratislava - Budapest
The very first thing I like to do before exploring a new city on my own is to join a free walking tour (operating on donations). It’s a great way to start fresh, orient myself, and learn a bit about the city’s main history. I always find the top-rated tours on GuruWalk and sign up—a process that’s quick, easy, and free. These tours usually last around 2.5 hours, which is the perfect amount of time for a solid introduction. You’ll always discover new information that you might not find on your own, especially because the tour guide is usually local. They know all the hidden gems and can share insights you’d likely miss otherwise.
After the walking tour, I wanted to try a typical Viennese breakfast. Luckily, a local recommended the traditional Café Restaurant Bräunerhof, where I happily enjoyed a Wiener Melange and a slice of Sacher-Torte.
After 2 PM, I had booked the Vienna State Opera tour, a great alternative way to explore the interior and see the stage up close. Unfortunately, I didn’t think ahead to buy a ticket for one of the shows, as they sold out quickly. However, if you plan in advance, you can find tickets for as low as €15.
Following up in the evening I decided there was still enough sunlight to visit Prater Park. While most attractions are closed between November and April, a few of them, like the Prater Tower, remain open and are still worth a ride! The park is free to enter, only the attractions have an additional cost.
When daylight began to wind down, I took a stroll through the city and stumbled upon a vintage clothing store called Wolfmich. Although the store was vintage, it wasn’t a second-hand shop as I had assumed. Still, it was definitely worth exploring inside.
Once night finally fell, I headed to Vienna's Naschmarkt, the most popular food market in town, at around 7 p.m. Some of the kiosks were empty and had no employees presently available. Because of this, I took the opportunity to take a Vienna-themed fridge magnet for free.
For the rest of the night, I decided to end it with a final seasoning. Since it was Wednesday, I had booked some time in advance a dinner through TimeLeft, the app that pairs you with complete strangers for a shared meal. The anticipation was already building, but little did I know the evening would take me on a mini-journey. The restaurant, L'autentico1190, turned out to be surprisingly far from the city center, a good 45 minutes away by subway and train. Yet, the trip felt effortless, and to my relief, everyone actually showed up for the dinner. Around the table were six of us, each from a different corner of the world: Romania, Germany, Austria, Egypt, and Colombia.
Day 3 – January 30th: Feeling like a local now, what's next?
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