Breakfast with Asai again. He is headed to Luxembourg to visit the studio of the artist he bought art from. Our language barriers kept me from figuring out what the artwork was. All of our communication was based on his command of English. The only Japanese words I can think of is kamikaze and hari-kari. It would have been impossible to communicate with my two-word vocabulary.
Taking a break from Basel head for Zurich. In Zurich I find an Internet place. Print a map for Lois’s gallery in Milan, Italy. Find where the art galleries are concentrated in Zurich. The guy there talks about going to the train station then transferring to one going to the galleries. I figure I don’t have that much time so I just start exploring. Four blocks away I find Nadja Ullmann’s studio http://www.atelieroffen.ch
I love her work and try to buy one but she doesn’t take Visa. She tells me that the galleries are just one street over. Check them out then have lunch eating sticky rice wrapped in sugar cane leaf. I incorrectly try to eat the leaf. Making the waitress laugh and run into the kitchen. The chef comes out to warn me not to eat the wrapper. The only other guest was sitting at the next table facing me and saw the whole embarrassing thing. I ask if he is also an American since his English is so perfect. He tells me that he is in finance. Head for Milan, Italy to surprise Lois. By the time I get there like 7:30 on a Saturday night I figure the most I can do is leave a card and maybe call his mobile. Pass many galleries and one studio asking directions because I can’t seem to find it. They all say Lois’s gallery is closed until Tuesday when a new exhibition starts. I round a corner to his street/alley as he is walking out. He had been working on installing the exhibition. What are the odds of that! He buys me a soda. Head back to Mulhouse.
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