so the driver woke up around 6 something
climbed down his ladder
maybe i was waiting for this all night
i propped myself up to watch his red body moving
into the toilet
debating should i go in there with him
listening to the sounds
but i didn’t
and he went back to bed
and i lay there a while
then looked at the clock
and decided i might catch the sunrise
oh
but we’ve been heading west
hmmm
by the time i got outside
quarter to seven
the sun had risen
not that i could see the sun
the heavy clouds
i stared out at the endless water
the ripples left by the boat
yeah
alright.
i went back to bed.
——————-/
Leo got up 9 something
turning on all the lights
sometimes
so graceless
everyone turning over in their beds
he took a shower
left the room
leaving his light on
….
i wrestled myself back to sleep
eventually
horny again for the driver
i worked myself…
but Leo came back in
we talked a little in whispered tones
he went off to read
i did some energy play
feeling the fat man’s body
using that sensation to get myself to an ideal
feeling my body flesh out
fill up
then locked my bhandas
and rode the waves…
fine
enough
got up
took a shower
noticed the driver rubbing his belly, pale belly showing through red flanel…
put on my clothes
grabbed my camera, now charged
… took a picture of his hand in the InfraRed
and headed out on to the ship…
found a quiet not-too-windy table on the deck where i could still see the water
and began to write
while listening to Belly’s “White Belly”
——-/
and now it’s 13:27
and i’ve finally caught up with all the journaling i want to do
i slacked off a lot in prague
but now i’ve written it all
and finally finished all the Peru trip as well
( i had a day left, day 5, in my hand-written journal that i’d not typed in yet )
all done
and we should be arriving in Barcelona in about an hour
so i’m going to go walk around
and watch the land come to greet us
—————————-/
it was beautiful
coming into Port
and then?
we lugged our bags
through the beautiful sunshine
sweating
wondering where to go
Leo fingured he needed to look at a map
i was feeling like just walking and finding an internet spot and researching on the internet:
the place we thought we’d be staying
(an internet contact Leo had made through scatboi)
had fallen through
we paused
we looked through maps
we walked
we stopped at a pay phone
we got strange messages in catalan we couldn’t understand
we walked
into the Easy Internet cafe
and found places
places
we called a number from his 2003 spartacus guide
it was €46 a night
Ok
but it had moved location
we booked
and walked
just as it started to rain
all taxis full
but it was a gentle rain
where’s the snow?
i led the way
i am the navigator
heart of the gay district
on Casanova street, ya know
beautiful
the endlessly beautiful buildings
we checked in
some room on a floor in a building that other normal people were living in
yeah
right in
resting a moment
finding an internet signal
then going out
for a pastry
some tea, coffee for Leo
a little café
the two women working the shop
Leo said
” looks like they eat all the left overs ”
their accent… what is that?
the words they’re using?
i don’t recognize the spanish..
Catalan, eh?
brick walls, vaulted ceiling
simple.
nice
we walk around
a walk around
got a Movistar mobile number
called DadBCN, a guy i’d met on line
Marc
i offered that we all meet up for a conversation and dinner
he made it clear he would rather meet me alone
so i SMS’d him and told him we’d be having dinner first
“oh, ok, so around 22hrs?”
yeah
Leo and i went to find the Sauna Bruch
a longer walk than we suspected
but on the intersecting street as our Hostal
so not complicated
we got there a little after 7
and most everyone was leaving
but as i was taking my clothes off
a surly 60 something guy pursed his lips at me and grabbed his crotch
as he was getting dressed
i nodded
and he undid his dressing
and led me to a little cabin
on the way
another guy gave me the eye
this old man
he play one
didn’t take long before he was done
with a knick-knack puddy-wack
out the door he went
and the other man
is soon equally spent
two in a row, eh?
well…
i walk back to the lockers
and an incredibly cute round man
round eyes
he greets me with his face
i walk up to say hello
i think he calls me Marco
i try to tell him my name is Dominic
he says What?
i say
Domenico
we have a staggered long conversation
he asked me how i knew his name
his name
which is my name
the same name
well well
he was just leaving
but says he’ll make a call
and meet me down stairs
i take a shower
walk around
check the place out
simple
nice
all old men
hot.
Domenico meets me
takes me to a room
and we spend an hour … talking
cuddling
playing
pleasing eachother
but it’s late
he’s gotta get going
i stop my pursuits
pretty pleased
and knowing i’ll be meeting Marc later
i head to the sauna to stretch out my tired body
empty
i lay down
tepid
hmmm
the old man working the desk comes in
obviously cleaning the place
Leo saw me on the way here and told me we were the only two people left in here
nearly
the old man opens a door i didn’t notice
it’s a sauna behind the sauna
and that sauna is actually hot
so i move back there
very well
good sweat
good yoga
i pour cold water from the hose on myself
the old man scolds me
and shows me the shower in the corner is the Fria
ok ok
i’m ready
Leo and i get ready to go
and we decide he will eat alone
and i will just figure out how to get to Marc
i walk up the Passiege de Graciá and notice a Gaudí house right there
wow
such strange waves
very fairy tale
here in the night…
i buy a sandwich at a place called Pans & company
though i’m very thirsty
i don’t see a place to buy water
and i’m hungry too
try anything, right?
it’s like a spanish SUBWAY
ugh
mistake mistake
if i saw a homeless guy outside i would have just given it to him
but i was hungry
so i ate it
and went down into the Metro
hmmm
how do i get to Marc?
he’s at the Sacrada Famila
(the big Gaudí church)
i look at the maps
ok
simple
L2
but L2 is a walk
about 15 minutes up and down stairs
platforms
turns
tunnels
Argh!
but i get there
very nice system
the LED signs count down the time til the next train
it takes no time at all to get to him
though i thought it was far away
it was only three stops
the church is amazing
Gaudí, eh?
i walk around til i find his street
and walk up it til i find his number
and push his button
and climb his stairs
and he opens the door for me
and i am a lucky man
he’s standing in turquoise sweat pants and shirt
not the sexiest clothing
but his face
bald pate
thick dark eye brows
bushy thick grey beard with nice colouring
deep dark eyes
wide nose
and a smile
it’s pretty simple
i take my jacket off
walk back to his room
small flat anyway
sit on his bed
he gets me some water
i take my shoes off
and
worship him
it’s the rubbing of the skin
removing clothes
on my knees
pressing my face to his belly
thick legs
muscular body
wide chest
nice fur
skin scaring all along his right leg from a motocycle crash
smooth and shiny
and spots on his back
most of the next few hours in non-verbal
it’s him being a Dad and me being a Boy
whatever that entails
it is a dynamic
and we are a good match
there is no talk of me having to leave
and yes
he invites me to spend the night
(as Leo had suspected)
so i sms Leo, letting him know
and cuddle up with Marc to talk about the USA
and Spain
and how Barcelona is one of the great cities of the world
and how even the European union is going to collapse financially pretty soon… but not as quickly as America
and how hard it is to have a lover
to be a lover
there is a passion between us
and he is a joy to look at and touch
but i feel his heart is closed
i feel my heart is closed
and so we are together for the night
enjoying the sex
and feeling the idea of feeling
the idea of feeling
the desire for feeling
he turns off the soft salt lamp in his room
and
we sleep well.