Budapest

Seeing Vienna just before Budapest left Budapest with an impossible comparison.  Budapest was also our last city to see on our trip, which means we didn't have quite the energy, physical stamina, or drive we had at the beginning.  Budapest was pretty forgiving though - probably a trait of having been a city within a country that has weathered more occupations and changes of regime than most countries. 
Budapest is to me a city hidden within a city - meaning, first glance may not do a whole lot for you, or may in fact turn you off entirely, but if you push through that initial feeling or the exterior, there is a fascinating beauty filled with character, authenticity, pride, and stoicism.

It's a 2 and 1/2 hour train ride from Vienna, east to Budapest (oh, and it is pronounced Buda Pesht - and people do find it a sign of respect to enunciate this properly).  It was the sunniest of our train rides on this journey, and unlike the previous trian rides that were filled with lots of hills and mountains and towns and villages left in ruin, or in much the shape they were in 40-50 years ago, the landscape is a lot of countryside/farm/agricultural pastures with in-tact towns and villages along the way.  The sun gave a lightness to it. We arrived in the city centre and had to spend 30 minutes in line to figure out how to get to our area of town, and thus our hotel.

We hit the street and were immediately presented with the different and darker (some would say more authentic) side of eastern Europe.  The Roma of the area walked right up to you to ask for money, elders in very poor condition stumbled by mumbling to themselves, and the harder youth of the area were scoping everyone out.  As opposed to staying in a hotel, I opted for an apartment, which was the more economical choice in the city.  When we got to the "office"  we were a little sketched out, as the office was on the second floor in the middle of a slew of abandoned buildings.  Getting into our apartment was strange as well, as the many floors of apartments were through hallways that were dark. It was pretty eastern block.  The apartment itself was nice though.  The first evening we walked around our neighborhood, but called it a night early and spent the remainder of the evening watching a very bad Jodie Foster/Gerard Butler movie in Hungarian.  Hungarian is such a strange language.  It sounds like a mix of Spanish, Finnish, Japanese, and Czech.  Even the few words I learned to get by were difficult and I rarely said the same word the same way twice.  I continue to marvel at those whose mother tongue is complex and yet speak both English and other languages.  America could improve in this area....

Budapest was the only city on this trip where we took any kind of tour bus, and as we were running out of steam and had only a couple of days, we thought we could see the most of the highlights.  It turned out to be a great idea.  Budapest is a beautiful city, but it shows its age and clearly does not have the money other cities have to give it a little face-lift.  We appreciated that it was a little grittier, as it fit the history, and perhaps maintained what we perceived as its authenticity.  The aging historic buildings, more so there than in the other cities we saw on the tip were punctuated with vibrant, funky, colorful contemporary art.  From street art, including graffiti, to billboards, alleyways in clubs, and more, Budapest is a city that is both old and worn from the history that has shaped it, and it is new and a little strange.  It works that polarity of these two things pretty well.  I am grateful to have gone, and would go back...

    

Vienna....

I have a long time fear of embarrassment...  This is not to say that there are not times when I can trip, fall, wave hi at a stranger I think is a friend from a distance, or mis-speak and laugh at myself...  It's the embarassment in front of strangers that gets me.  Seriously it should not be this way, as strangers are those I should not waste my energy feeling that way about.  I'll never see them again..  Yet, this is one of my weird little things....  This is part of the set up for Vienna.

When we got on the train in Prague, I was convinced there were people in our seats and before double checking, asked them to move - I was incorrect, our seats were right across from them, and I spent the first 30 minutes of the trip embarrassed, tense, and of course made Em tense. I was ultimately able to get over it and focus on the Czech countryside.  By the time we started to approach Vienna, even though I was excited at yet another new city, another privilidge, I was tired, and didn't feel excited about having to navigate through another city, where language, directions, and gaging distance were a challenge.  I wanted a nap, a good stretch, and a bath.  These thoughts were arm wrestling with the ones that were telling me to just relax and be open to the new experiences, and the fantasticness of being able to stumble my way through a European city when our train approached a bridge, and then this beautiful city just opened up and my jaw dropped.  I had no concept of Vienna, really - other than its history, had no idea how huge it is, and I had imagined it somehow being stuffy and gray.  The closer we got to the train station, the more I relaxed.  When I stepped off the train, there was just this sense of ease that came over both Em and I.  Every experience, every place we went, and every step for the two days we were there,  were tinged with magic.  Below are some memories I hope to keep for as long as possible:

St. Stephan's Cathedral - It is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe, and it rivals Westminster Abbey in its grandeur.  We happened to go there on Easter Sunday.  It was flaking out, and cold, but there was so much light and energy, it didn't feel cold.  We could hear the singing from far outside, and we were actually able to go inside, in the middle of Easter service, and view.  It was so moving the tears flowed freely from my eyes.  We lit a candle for those we love.  

Pastries in Vienna are considered an art form, as well as a delicacy, multilayered, colorful pastries with cremes, fruit, sponge, chocolate...  I seriously considered a career change in service of becoming a pastry chef as I devoured each pastry I had the pleasure of eating.  

The Hundertwasser Mueseum - No description of this artist would really do any justice to how awesome, colorful, and playful his work is...  Look it up :)  Let's just say some version of Alice in Wonderland exists on earth - at least the colors and the vibrance.  Seriously the coolest museum I have ever been to!

 Music - Vienna  is the heart and soul of Classical music and it shows in the buildings, and in the many memorial statues along the city.  Mozart, Strauss, etc.. - it's not hard to understand where the inspiration came from in many of the composers works.  Due to the Easter Weekend, we couldn't see any live classical music at least not formally..  However, as we walked back towards our hotel near sunset, we came upon a cellist performing on the steps across from St. Stephan's Cathedral, and wept at the beauty of the sound as it echoed off the buildings surrounding us.

The Irish Pub - We are suckers for Irish pubs everywhere we go, so when we found one on our way back to the hotel, we went in, initially for a pint only, but ended up having dinner and a few more pints.   Our waiter was awesome, funny, interesting, and filled with stories.  Gil Scott Heron was played at many points throughout the evening.

We didn't want to leave...  I would go back in a heartbeat!

Rain, Some more rain, and Prague

I'm waterlogged!!
Shortly before our April trip to the central European cities of Berlin, Prague, Vienna and Budapest, London experienced an early spring filled with sunshine, warmth, and the glorious weather brought with it an ease and an energy that made me giddy and happy every day.  Then the clouds came.  Then the rain came.  And then mother nature ripped through this already frantic city with wind that snapped tree limbs, and made the daffodils (which had just bloomed everywhere) shudder and hide.  This has lasted for a month...  As with all nasty cold weather, it made for many days where I gave my alarm clock the finger and hit snooze until I absolutely had to get up.  The last month it has felt like nothing but work, home, more work, weekend city jaunts, and more home and work, and sleep.  I said for a couple of weeks that it was an improvement from the New Hampshire winters, which I suppose it is, but the feeling of dampness and the anger of my cheeks at the wind lashings made the sentiment fade with every falling drop of rain.  It is England....  Ok, enough about the weather.

Prague....
I went to Prague for the first time in May of 2001 for a writing journey.  It was my first journey out of the US.  I had just turned 23.  I was bright-eyed, inspired to write my ass off, and the moment I entered the spired city, I felt like I had walked into a fairy tale.  I was with an eclectic group of writers, and we all walked through the city, area by area, drinking in everything, from curves of the streets, to the bright buildings, to the strong coffee, stronger lager, and the fascinating people.  I met one of my closest friends on that trip and remember the nights where we stayed up giggling like school girls...  That was a magical trip and a magical time, and it caused me to feel a bit of trepidation at returning, as I knew the Prague I greeted 11 years later would be a different Prague.  The city was older.  I was older.  It is a post 9/11 travel world, the economies are different...  I tried to go into it with a clean gaze.  I don't know how successful I was, but I took as much in as I could, given the 24 hours we had in the city.
    We got off the train, hopped on an aging metro, and hit Wenceslas square.  It was crowded, dirty, and the energy was manic - it's what I remember Times Square being like as a child.  It was a bit dirty, and I felt like we had to trudge down the square towards our hotel, and yet I felt I had to be mindful at all times.  I don't know if I was too naive years ago, or if the city had really become a little sketchy, but I didn't truly relax once there.  There were ebbs and flows of this type of vigilance for the duration of our one day there.  Prague has retained so much of its beauty - how could it not? Yet the shop owners, restauranteurs, and the glorious historical streets and nooks seemed weary of all the people.  It's like Prague needed a nap and a bath...
I felt hints of the magic and wonder I remembered, but also felt a sense of sadness as I walked up and down the small streets of Mala Strana...  I felt sad that I don't write anymore.  I felt sad that I was tired and I didn't feel the luxury of being able to stop and just palm the walls and observe, to absorb, to find the hidden treasures of the city which would fill me up.  Every time that feeling would start to take hold, we stumbled upon a little slice of magic.  We found a restaurant deep down a spiral staircase into a basement, where we were the only patrons there.  The owner hardly spoke a word of English, but what he couldn't say he exuded with his smile, his gentility, and his attentiveness.  Even though I wasn't hungry, I ordered Gnocchi, and it was perhaps the best I've had since I lived in Boulder.  We found a pub where a big group of older men were signing along along with an accordian player - old Czech tunes.  I imagined how much mom would have liked it and I got all misty-eyed.  We smooched on the Charles Bridge, and we held hands as we crossed the bridge by the light of the city at night.  As I stepped on my probably last Czech cobblestone, I thanked the city for showing me that there is still magic, even if my aging it is a little harder to feel...

  

German Architecture, and Spring Rain

Checking back in...
What an amazing trip we had!  Berlin-Prague-Vienna-Budapest...  Only a couple of days in each place, but enough to get a taste of each city...  What a ride!
Here are a couple of pics to start...  A little more writing and interpretation to follow (hopefully within the next day or two - and not another two months, as with the last post).

February, First Snow, and The Superbowl

Time is passing so quickly....  I blinked and January was over.  I've been up to my eyeballs in work at school, and have recently begun tutoring after school, so it has made for long days.  Winter snuck up on us and we woke this past Monday to absolutely frigid temperatures - like 2-3 degrees celcius (I'm trying to remember the difference in Farenheit, but I can't).  Em the dogs and I had a couple of mellow weekends, where all we did was walk around our general neiborhood (Chiswick and Hammersmith) and find new parks to take the boys.  Charlie and Shadow have fully settled in and love all these new adventures.  We have also been catching up on movies - saw the Iron Lady (Meryl Streep was a revelation!), and Shame - incredibly dark and gray, but well filmed, well acted.  Glad I saw it for the performances, but won't likely see it again....
Yesterday we went with our two Kiwi friends to Tate Britain, and got lost in centuries of British Art.  The David McCullen photography exhibit had the biggest impact on me - so stark and fascinating.

The Superbowl is this evening, and "our" team, the Patriots are playing!  Of course, as we are 5 hours ahead, I have to make it to 11:30 just to see the beginning.  Looks like night time coffee will be needed:).

We are hoping to get out of town for a few days soon, as I have a break - not sure where we are going yet - I love that about here - we could easily go to several different places within a 2 hour flight.  Time to get started with our adventures outside the UK.  Until then, I'll leave you with a few pics...  Hope you all are weathering the winter!

Reunion, Vacation, Stonehenge

Everything is so calm...
After an INSANE couple of weeks at work, where I found myself having to de-stress several times a day, it was suddenly arrival date for Em and the boys.  It's been a long time since I lived with that level of anxiety, anticipation, hypervigilance - I forgot how much it can mess with you...  Saturday the 10th felt so long!  I arrived at Heathrow at about 4:30am to pick Emily up.  She and the boys arrived safe and sound, though all were exhausted and the boys were understandably unsettled when they arrived at the flat, a few hours after Emily.  I burst into tears when I saw all three of them (Em, Shadow, and Charlie respectively).  Within a couple of hours, a few treats and some lovin' from the mommies, both boys settled in nicely.  Shadow is showing his age more and more, but is otherwise doing very well.

I have this week and the following week off of work, which has been wonderful so far.  I feel extremely fortunate to be able to sleep in, have a leisure morning, and go explore with Em and the boys.  We have been able to go around London a bit, meet some new friends, and explore even more of Chiswick.

Today we went to Stonehenge - I misremembered the actual day of the solstice, but only by a day..  It is really a holy place, as there is a calm and reverent quiet that washes over people when they approach the stones.  Although the weather when we left was warmer, sunny, etc., by the time we got to Wiltshire (where Stonehenge is), it was a positively English afternoon - cloudy, windy, with a moist slightly biting cold.  It seemed really fitting though.  The rolling grey sky made the green of the grass that much brighter, and thus the stones, more stunning.  Mom had wanted to see Stonehenge when she was alive, and I felt her there with me/us.  I managed to scatter a little of her remaining ashes near a bench, facing the winter solstice stone.  What an extraordinary experience, and now a lovely memory....

Pictures to follow...

Merry Christmas, Happy Solstice, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year to you all - may your season be safe, warm and abundant...  

London Fog, Markets, and Preparations...

I sat down to update this blog a couple of weeks ago, then I was interrupted by the various life things of that day, and here we are, another two weeks having passed.  This inevitably happens...  I start out strong, with the intention of weekly postings, then the weekly becomes every two weeks, every three weeks, etc.  I am thrilled that the growing distance between postings is due to being able to go and do so much, but I always feel badly when I don't maintain the consistency I had intended.  Oh well...


Soooo...  Every weekend for the last three weeks, I have dove into the markets here.  Markets in the UK (and in Europe, for that matter) are quite common...  Some are year-round, some as seasonal.  The Christmas markets are very sweet, REALLY crowded, and smell like pine, mulled cider, and cookies.  It makes me feel the Christmas spirit for the first time in a few years.  One of the many great things about the markets here is that most of the stalls and shops are individually owned, the goods are made by locals, and much of what you find are one of a kind.  AND, though prices are posted, for some of the goods, it is not uncommon to barter a bit (within reason, of course).  Each of the markets I've been to has taken me to different parts of London, so by virtue of the journey, I am getting to see more and more of the city.  I expect to be a ready and useful tour guide by Spring - for those pondering a visit :).  

A few weeks ago, I made it to SoHo - the slightly seedy (in some blocks, but you get that anywhere in a big city), vibrant theatre and queer part of the city (thank you Leah and Rachel for your expertise and fabulous company).  I went there on a Saturday night, and liked it so much I got up early the next morning and went back.  It was a fascinating contrast, walking the streets on a boisterous Saturday night, and a quiet Sunday morning.  I can't tell you how I love to be able to do things like that - get up and go explore new and different places.

The following weekend, I woke on a Sunday morning, opened the curtains in the living room (reception room, in Brit-speak), and it was like a friggin Sherlock Holmes novel..  The fog was so thick, I could barely see across the street - and it stayed like that ALL DAY.  I loved it!!  It was so eery and weird.  I'm sure those dealing with travel found it less novel, but wow - another first for me.

Thanksgiving was, well, Un-Thanksgiving.  For the first time in my life, I worked that day, and it was another regular day to anyone not from the US.  In fact people asked me the origin of the Holiday.  I felt embarrassed to tell a half-ass version of the Pilgrims, etc. as my recollection of the story I was told as a kid is a little distant.  That night it was the annual lighting of the tree and Christmas lights in Chiswick.  I met a few friends for the occasion, had my first mince-pie, so there was a celebration of sorts.  I was grateful to get home and be included in the family blessing of Thanksgiving dinner in NH via Skype.  Though I have missed loved ones very much since I left, that was the first day I missed home.

The last couple of weeks at work have been incredibly busy.  The days fly by, and I find myself with a little too much on my plate. It is preparation for exams, which for me is always a very busy time.  I am also preparing for Emily and the boys arrival.  They will be here in 7 and 1/2 days.  I am so very excited to be reunited, and for the next and fuller part of this amazing journey to begin.  I am VERY nervous about the dogs traveling - I know they will be fine, and that people fly with their dogs all the time, I just hope they aren't too scared, as it will be a long, weird day for them.  All the parks, smells, and new experiences that await them here - not to mention a local butcher down the street who can cut me a couple of fresh bones for them ;).  For those who follow this blog, please say a prayer for safe travel for Emily, Charlie, and Shadow sometime between 1:30pm Sat. Dec 10 to 6:00am Sun - Dec 11.  I am grateful that after they arrive, I have just a few short days of work, then 2 weeks with Em and the boys to explore, celebrate, and land.  As much as I have loved my independent journey here so far, it has felt incomplete without them.  Soon :)

Well, below are a few pics of the recent adventures...  Should I be delayed again in posting, I wish you all a wonderful abundant holiday!  May you feel loved, comforted, and blessed!