I know, long time no blog. We've been having a heap of technichal difficulties starting back when our sites kept coming down (spambot attack). We're still doing work on the back end. The FunCity site is still down and then I couldn't log into this site. I don't understand half of what's going on but stuff is getting worked on, changed and moved around. For now the site is back up and I'm in.

We just got back from the Milan convention. This year was smooth sailing from the get go compared to last year. Traveling in February is always kind of a crap shoot and last year we had to hustle on the plane a day early just to make it there at all. All flights out of NY were cancelled from a snowstorm but this year we made it there with nice weather, no delays and all of our baggage in tow. I've learned a few things about traveling, number one pack light and number two double up on whatever it usually takes to knock you out. I'm no doctor but planes are so uncomfortable these days and you will feel SO much better if you sleep on the way over. There's nothing like getting off the plane somewhat refreshed....

After we checked into our hotel we headed over to the Doumo, always agood place to start out in Milan. We had lunch in the firstplace we saw since our group was tired and hungry, that was when I gotan email from my Milanese customer suggesting the food court atLaRincenta. He said it overlooked the Doumo and was pretty decent. I'll remember that for next time (thank you Carlo!) Feeling better after ouroverpriced so-so lunch we set out in search of a chapel we were told offilled with bones. Turns out it is a few blocks behind the Doumo to theright and it's named San Bernardino alle Ossa . Wow! That was totallyworth finding. Brad said if church had looked like that when he was akid he might have enjoyed it more. I'd say that's a much better use ofones remains rather than planting them somewhere. Kind of mind blowingto take in. Here's my little video of the chapel .

To top itall off right next to the Doumo there was an exhibit for the Milaneseartist Arcimboldo that had opened that day. By that time Kevin and Stevehad tapped out. Lucky for me because Kevin wouldn't have lasted throughthe whole show and Brad and I were completely absorbed in thepaintings, sculptures and drawings and took our time going through. Plus I planned to drag Kevin throughthe Louvre in Paris and I know Kevin has about a one art show/museummaximum limit per trip.

I've learned so much since I've startedtraveling to conventions abroad. It's given me a greater appreciation ofthe larger global tattoo community and it's an opportunity to connectwith artists I might not normally cross paths with. The conventionsbring our names and our work to far flung places that often bringcustomers back to us when they make it back in our direction to visit.Yet the convention itself is only half of the experience of travelingfor a convention. I will remember this convention for being busy, wellrun, fun and a larger than life tattoo experience. Outside of theconvention I will remember the artwork, the architecture, the detailsthe beauty that is unique to the places we saw. I would almost say theArcimboldo show or the little chapel would have been worthy excursionsin and of themselves to say nothing of the Louvre and Paris that we wereable to tack onto our trip.