I met my friend Rio two years ago in Barcelona. At the time, I was traveling alone and he was with his friend Paul. We were all assigned the same hostel room, so we ended up spending some time together. That night, we shared delicious vegetarian food and wandered Las Ramblas for hours. In the morning, I left early for the Barcelona Marathon and they returned to Germany.
As I planned my trip to London this year, I dropped Rio a line to coordinate a visit. The result couldn't have been more perfect. His parents fed and housed me even though they'd never met me. Rio introduced me to his friends and gave me an extensive tour of Berlin. Obviously, this tour contained a lot of street art.
The amount of graffiti and street art in Berlin is almost oppressive. Since the cost of living is fairly inexpensive compared to other European cities, countless artists call Berlin home. It seems like everyone is putting their works up in the streets. 
From big names like Os Gemeos to local artists like Bürek, the scene ranges from pieces and throwups to wheatpastes, stickers, and stencils.
To thank him for his hospitality, I brought Rio an assortment of stickers from home, we stuck a few up as we roamed the city. Stickers by The Figurehead Experiment, The Cronk Burger, Ektin, Biafra, and Buy It now all have a home in Berlin.
I hope Rio sends more photos when he uses the rest of the stickers. He's an absolutely amazing photographer; check out his stuff here. Although I don't know when I'll see him again, I certainly hope our paths will cross. Who knew a chance encounter could lead to such a good time?
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