Five days ago, the Polish President and First Lady, along with many members of the cabinet and top administration, were killed in a plane crash in Smolensk. Sadly enough, they were on their way to Katyn to pay tribute to Polish officers massacred there in WWII. I’ve observed a city and nation in mourning all week, but oddly enough, it’s just sunk in tonight.
I left home a little after 19:30 on the way to a class. I noticed a huge group of people on the bridge at Plac Na Rozdrożu. Curious, I walked over to see what was going on. I noticed several police cars on the road below, a TV crew at each side of the bridge, and more people standing at the bus stop below. Over the next 15 minutes, even more people arrived until all the bridges, the sidewalks leading to Zamek Ujazdowskie, the hillsides, and the sidewalks were packed.
It had been a crazy day full of errands and meetings, so I hadn’t had a chance to check the news today. I had no idea what I’d see, I only knew it was something huge. I saw several priests and nuns, gave directions to one, and saw a TV Religia car.
Around 19:45, all traffic ceased and a group of police cars drove down the road, lights flashing, followed by a couple other cars and motorcycles. Then it began.
The long, seemingly neverending stream of hearses. One after another. Wide, sleek black cars lined inside with white satin, each carrying a single white coffin. Polish flags with narrow black strips of cloth attached flew from the cars. The crowd watched intently, sadly, in disbelief; I saw camera flashes and heard sniffles all around. There were so many hearses, heading toward the river in a single line which ended with more police vehicles.
The atmosphere in Warsaw this week has felt thick and muted, a tangible gloom tainted with uncertainty. The white and red national flag and the yellow and red Warsaw flag hang everywhere, small but constant symbols of solidarity. But even after five days of walking through a town weighed down with a funereal air, seeing throngs of mourners in the streets, candles in jars, piles of flowers, newspapers with dire headlines and black ribbons... I still hadn’t quite internalized it all, until tonight. A nation should *not* have to bury its entire leadership all at once. It’s just too much.
I really don’t know what to say; I’m not Polish by heritage, so I have no personal connection to the tragedy. But I’ve lived here for over a year now, and despite frequent arguments with the washer and the challenges presented by the language, I’ve grown attached to this country and the people I’ve met here. I can only express to them my deepest and sincerest condolences in this unbelievable time of upheaval. I know things like this happen all across the world, all the time. But this year, what I wish for most, is for Poland to know peace and comfort- it has more than earned it.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Kansai 2010- Leaving Europe
*sigh* Japan trip isn't off to a great start so far. Got ready this am, left the house, got to the airport in plenty of time, everything was going well. Sat next to a nice Polish couple on the plane who were also going to Osaka. Then there was a little.... technical problem. Some issue with a probe on the tail that tells the airspeed or something. You'd think they'd get these things solved before they're almost on the runway. So we sat there for over an hour while the engineers looked at it. I'm glad they did, of course- always good to check these things out rather than risk something. But as a result, I missed my connecting flight, as did most of the plane. One hour delay and I get to Osaka an entire *day* later. *sigh*
They re-booked everyone on other flights. Mine now leaves tomorrow morning, going from Amsterdam to Paris, then from there to Osaka. I'll now get to Osaka around 9am on Sunday. But the airline was very nice. They booked hotels for us, paid for them and free dinner and breakfast, and gave us free bus service to/from the airport. I picked up some little necessities in the Amsterdam airport, then took the bus (with the nice Polish couple) to the hotel. Joanna and Michał were very nice- both lawyers, liked traveling, we talked about everything. It was at least nice to make a couple new friends!
Now I've got a night in a rather nice hotel in Amsterdam. I hate delays, but this is a nice place to be delayed. Dinner was delicious, beef, potatoes, carrots, salad... and now I've got some red wine and the new book by Nick Hornby. I've got a comfy bed and good night's rest to look forward to, *then* on to Japan, hopefully.
They re-booked everyone on other flights. Mine now leaves tomorrow morning, going from Amsterdam to Paris, then from there to Osaka. I'll now get to Osaka around 9am on Sunday. But the airline was very nice. They booked hotels for us, paid for them and free dinner and breakfast, and gave us free bus service to/from the airport. I picked up some little necessities in the Amsterdam airport, then took the bus (with the nice Polish couple) to the hotel. Joanna and Michał were very nice- both lawyers, liked traveling, we talked about everything. It was at least nice to make a couple new friends!
Now I've got a night in a rather nice hotel in Amsterdam. I hate delays, but this is a nice place to be delayed. Dinner was delicious, beef, potatoes, carrots, salad... and now I've got some red wine and the new book by Nick Hornby. I've got a comfy bed and good night's rest to look forward to, *then* on to Japan, hopefully.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
This has been a really great weekend. Talked to the landlord and plumber (both in Polish!) on Friday morning, got a bit of extra rest, had a productive afternoon. Then came home, threw some laundry in, caught up with a few people, and headed off to a friend's for some wine and a weekend gathering. Fun conversations about Greek mythology, raves and techno music, nicknames in the Philippines, music and piano technique, favorite places to travel.... I love this group of friends. They're all so diverse!
Woke up early-ish on Saturday and met another friend to go visit a music store. Looked at electric pianos and drums- nice to discover such a place here! Randomly decided to visit a new CD store on the way home, the guy who runs it was really nice. We listened to some good jazz vocals and talked for a while, then I came home with some new music. Took a little nap, did some things around the house, then got my hair re-done and met some friends for dinner. Wonderful night with more good conversation!
Today was pretty mellow. Slept in a bit, had breakfast, did some laundry and housecleaning, then K came over and we compared vacation stories and pictures over some tea and fruit tarts from the Cafe Balengere. I just love that cafe.... Had dinner, did some more laundry, talked to my mom.... and now am done for the day. It's been a great weekend!
Hope everyone is doing well!
Woke up early-ish on Saturday and met another friend to go visit a music store. Looked at electric pianos and drums- nice to discover such a place here! Randomly decided to visit a new CD store on the way home, the guy who runs it was really nice. We listened to some good jazz vocals and talked for a while, then I came home with some new music. Took a little nap, did some things around the house, then got my hair re-done and met some friends for dinner. Wonderful night with more good conversation!
Today was pretty mellow. Slept in a bit, had breakfast, did some laundry and housecleaning, then K came over and we compared vacation stories and pictures over some tea and fruit tarts from the Cafe Balengere. I just love that cafe.... Had dinner, did some more laundry, talked to my mom.... and now am done for the day. It's been a great weekend!
Hope everyone is doing well!
Tajikistan
March 8. Slept very soundly for a few hours, then woke up and headed to the office. Had a rather whirlwind morning, meeting everyone, figuring out what to do, talking to some people about my project. It was nice, though- they gave me a desk where I could work quietly, so I spent the day doing just that. Had a little snack at my desk at lunchtime, then headed back to the hotel.
The hotel was lovely- a quiet, unobtrusive guesthouse in the middle of a residential area. From the outside, it didn't look like much, but inside, it was gorgeous. Very peaceful, tranquil, relaxing- reminded me a lot of the spa I enjoyed back home. There was a little yard inside with grass, tables and chairs for relaxing on the patio and balcony, carpets on all the pathways, a real divan with tons of comfy pillows, and an area where you left your shoes outside. I felt so at home there! Dumped my stuff off, then explored a bit. Looked at the colorful wall hangings, the nice fish tank, the interesting art on the wall... then just sat out on the balcony for a while and unwound.
It was so nice to just sit there and *be*. I'd brought a book to read, but ended up just spacing out, breathing in the fresh Tajikistan air, looking at the snow-covered mountains rising above the sea of aluminum roofs under a salmon-colored sunset. In the background, I could hear cars, children running and laughing, and lots of birds chirping. Eventually, it got dark and the little lights in the courtyard came on. I was pleasantly amazed to realize that I could sit outside at 7pm in just a t-shirt and not be freezing. It really reminded me of California weather!
As I was sitting there, just thinking how nice it was, a guy came out and put his shoes on and said hello. I returned the greeting, and he mentioned that he'd never read the book next to me (Angels & Demons) or seen the film. I said I was enjoying the book much more than the film and recommended that he start there. This led into a long conversation about fiction vs non-fiction, legal studies, languages, travels, work, all sorts of things. We chatted for quite a while, and he turned out to be really nice, and from Scotland. After a bit, he asked if I had dinner plans- he and a friend were going out for Ukrainian food and did I want to join them? I said, sure, and ran back in to get my shoes.
His friend was really nice, too, from England. Turns out that all of us work for different branches of the same place, so it was good to meet new colleagues. The Ukrainian restaurant was great- not far, and very warm and homey inside. We had the most delicious soup, bread, meat, and dessert. Hours of fantastic conversation with these two, plus another colleague from the States. Wild stories of adventure, discussions about politics, funny stories about cultural nuances (I learned that apparently, 'Barf' means 'Snowflake' in Farsi, which is why you see it as a name for cleaning and laundry products here)... it was a perfect night- I could stand more of these! Slept very soundly that night.
March 9. The office was having an internal meeting this morning, so they suggested I do a bit of sightseeing, then meet up with everyone around noon. They'd given me a map that listed the Tajik National Library, home to more than 3 million treasures of Tajik culture and literature, so I thought that sounded good. The hotel driver dropped me off in front of the library. I tried to open the front doors, but they were closed. I saw a sign that had an arrow and 'Входь', ('entrance' in Russian), so I followed it around the side, expecting to see an entrance. Nothing. There was a small door leading down to a basement of offices that appeared to be computer labs. I walked around for quite a while, and tried the front doors again. Nothing. It was frustrating, because I could see lights on inside and really wanted to see what Tajik manuscripts looked like. But eventually, I just gave up and caught a taxi to meet my colleagues.
At least the taxi ride was interesting. We went by a number of interesting buildings and monuments (didn't have a chance for photos, unfortunately), a huge marketplace, and the sun was out, so I could clearly see the mountains.
Had a nice coffee break with everyone, met more new colleagues, had an informative morning. Met a boisterous guy from Georgia who reminded me of a Viking version of Geoffrey Rush, a quiet one from France, and a perky woman from the U.S. Met up again with the guys from the UK, and received an invitation to a group dinner that evening. There's such a fun, happy spirit in this office! Had a productive afternoon, then went with a group of people out to the dinner.
The restaurant was great, featuring cuisine from a group of people native to Northern China. Everything was very tasty- meat, vegetables, bread, noodles, shrimp.... I ended up sitting across from the Georgian and a Russian guy, and they insisted on drinking a lot of vodka, so we had many toasts. And beer. And more great stories of adventure and travel. Met a fun Danish woman, a pleasant man from Spain (it was nice to speak a bit of Spanish!), talked more to the U.S. gal... all in all, a great night. Lots of fun, and a great way to wind down the trip. Walked back to the hotel and happily crashed for the night.
March 10. Slept in a bit, since I think jet lag *just* hit... then had a very productive final day in the office. The sun was out in full force, so I had a bit of lunch outside on the patio and just *basked*. I miss basking at lunchtime with my colleague in the library- there's something so energizing about soaking up the sun! And we really haven't had *warm* sunshine in Poland since.... July, maybe? There have been sunny days here and there since then, but it's also been really cold and windy, difficult to just sit somewhere and enjoy the sun.
Wrapped things up at the office, then went back to the hotel. Dropped off my stuff, then walked around for a bit. Saw gorgeous rugs out drying, huge courtyards in the houses, kids running around playing in the streets. School had just gotten out for the day, so there were groups of kids in black suits and skirts walking home. Women walked down the street in long pants and matching tunics of satin or velvet, their heads wrapped in colorful scarves. This is definitely a country for me in terms of fashion! Picked up some soft bread and a diet coke at a little store, then headed back to the hotel. Sat out on the balcony and just enjoyed one last, warm evening here.
Next door, I could see a young father playing with his kids. He was drumming a rhythm on a plastic tray, singing along in a strong, beautiful voice. The kids, all fairly young, laughed and danced around happily. Their mom took care of some laundry, then started dinner. Boy, did it smell good! It was so nice to see a happy family enjoying time with just *each other*- no TV, internet, Wii, gadgets, stuff.... just good, old-fashioned human company. I think that was one of the reasons I took a long, unexpected hiatus from being online- for several weeks, I just wanted to hang out with kitties and people in real life, to talk to people directly on the phone, to just enjoy life without the overwhelming presence of technology. I miss those days...
This was a perfect evening, a great way to end a fun trip. Finished my snack, packed up everything, settled my bill, then went to bed.
March 11. Man, *loooonnnng* day so far! Got up at the crack of dawn, around 2:30. Packed up everything, returned the key, met the driver out front at 3:15. The airport was surprisingly busy at 3:30 in the morning, tons of people and cars and kids with luggage carts milling around in the darkness. I found a group of people from the office waiting by the front door, and as soon as everyone had arrived, we went inside to check in.
I'm glad we all went as a group! There were a few questions requiring interpretation.... such as me apparently needing "registration" to get to the counter. Fortunately, the Georgian guy figured out that they just needed to see my travel itinerary, so everything turned out okay. Got to the counter, checked my bag to Istanbul, then went to the lounge to have some water and wait for the flight. Packed place- we ended up sitting in a couple groups. I just relaxed and people watched for a while until they called our flight. Long flight, but not bad- the two guys I sat next to this time had apparently heard of bathing, so that was a good thing. I ended up just dozing off after breakfast, a good thing. I've been having trouble sleeping lately in general, don't know why. Ah, well.
We all trooped off the plane in Istanbul around 8:30 local time and headed into the airport. Those whose luggage had been checked through went straight to the international transfers; those like me, whose luggage had to be collected here, went to get a visa and go through passport control. Yay, more crowded lines....
Eventually got through, found my bag, went outside for some fresh air for a bit, contemplated going into town for a while... but decided against it. Didn't quite know what I wanted to see, and I was tired and grumpy and hadn't had coffee yet and had lots of luggage. So I'll just come back some other time and see the city properly then. Found a little cafe instead, had a muffin and two Americanos, and finished a book.
Unfortunately, my flight didn't leave until 17:25, so I had a *long* wait in the airport. Thank goodness I brought a lot of material to read and Japanese to study. And the Istanbul airport has nice cafes with good coffee. Today was apparently an exercise in the arts of entertaining oneself and having patience.
Well, it's 6:30pm and we're *finally* through security and in the lounge, waiting to board the plane. Flight was delayed an hour- figures! I will be soooooooooooo glad to finally get home! I don't mind long days of travel, but 10 hours in one airport is enough, I think. Looking out at the entrance to the airport, lit up in blue, Turkish Ground Services buses driving around the circle, the hills hazy in the evening. Oddly enough, the houses and buildings right around the Istanbul Airport look kind of like.... Orange County, as you drive up the 5, going from Irvine toward Newport Beach, that same cream/dark white color with an orange-ish tinge, and red tile roofs, surrounded by medium-sized tall, thin trees and bushes.
10:30pm- FINALLY! Home safe and sound in Warsaw. Sooooooo glad to be home in Poland!
The hotel was lovely- a quiet, unobtrusive guesthouse in the middle of a residential area. From the outside, it didn't look like much, but inside, it was gorgeous. Very peaceful, tranquil, relaxing- reminded me a lot of the spa I enjoyed back home. There was a little yard inside with grass, tables and chairs for relaxing on the patio and balcony, carpets on all the pathways, a real divan with tons of comfy pillows, and an area where you left your shoes outside. I felt so at home there! Dumped my stuff off, then explored a bit. Looked at the colorful wall hangings, the nice fish tank, the interesting art on the wall... then just sat out on the balcony for a while and unwound.
It was so nice to just sit there and *be*. I'd brought a book to read, but ended up just spacing out, breathing in the fresh Tajikistan air, looking at the snow-covered mountains rising above the sea of aluminum roofs under a salmon-colored sunset. In the background, I could hear cars, children running and laughing, and lots of birds chirping. Eventually, it got dark and the little lights in the courtyard came on. I was pleasantly amazed to realize that I could sit outside at 7pm in just a t-shirt and not be freezing. It really reminded me of California weather!
As I was sitting there, just thinking how nice it was, a guy came out and put his shoes on and said hello. I returned the greeting, and he mentioned that he'd never read the book next to me (Angels & Demons) or seen the film. I said I was enjoying the book much more than the film and recommended that he start there. This led into a long conversation about fiction vs non-fiction, legal studies, languages, travels, work, all sorts of things. We chatted for quite a while, and he turned out to be really nice, and from Scotland. After a bit, he asked if I had dinner plans- he and a friend were going out for Ukrainian food and did I want to join them? I said, sure, and ran back in to get my shoes.
His friend was really nice, too, from England. Turns out that all of us work for different branches of the same place, so it was good to meet new colleagues. The Ukrainian restaurant was great- not far, and very warm and homey inside. We had the most delicious soup, bread, meat, and dessert. Hours of fantastic conversation with these two, plus another colleague from the States. Wild stories of adventure, discussions about politics, funny stories about cultural nuances (I learned that apparently, 'Barf' means 'Snowflake' in Farsi, which is why you see it as a name for cleaning and laundry products here)... it was a perfect night- I could stand more of these! Slept very soundly that night.
March 9. The office was having an internal meeting this morning, so they suggested I do a bit of sightseeing, then meet up with everyone around noon. They'd given me a map that listed the Tajik National Library, home to more than 3 million treasures of Tajik culture and literature, so I thought that sounded good. The hotel driver dropped me off in front of the library. I tried to open the front doors, but they were closed. I saw a sign that had an arrow and 'Входь', ('entrance' in Russian), so I followed it around the side, expecting to see an entrance. Nothing. There was a small door leading down to a basement of offices that appeared to be computer labs. I walked around for quite a while, and tried the front doors again. Nothing. It was frustrating, because I could see lights on inside and really wanted to see what Tajik manuscripts looked like. But eventually, I just gave up and caught a taxi to meet my colleagues.
At least the taxi ride was interesting. We went by a number of interesting buildings and monuments (didn't have a chance for photos, unfortunately), a huge marketplace, and the sun was out, so I could clearly see the mountains.
Had a nice coffee break with everyone, met more new colleagues, had an informative morning. Met a boisterous guy from Georgia who reminded me of a Viking version of Geoffrey Rush, a quiet one from France, and a perky woman from the U.S. Met up again with the guys from the UK, and received an invitation to a group dinner that evening. There's such a fun, happy spirit in this office! Had a productive afternoon, then went with a group of people out to the dinner.
The restaurant was great, featuring cuisine from a group of people native to Northern China. Everything was very tasty- meat, vegetables, bread, noodles, shrimp.... I ended up sitting across from the Georgian and a Russian guy, and they insisted on drinking a lot of vodka, so we had many toasts. And beer. And more great stories of adventure and travel. Met a fun Danish woman, a pleasant man from Spain (it was nice to speak a bit of Spanish!), talked more to the U.S. gal... all in all, a great night. Lots of fun, and a great way to wind down the trip. Walked back to the hotel and happily crashed for the night.
March 10. Slept in a bit, since I think jet lag *just* hit... then had a very productive final day in the office. The sun was out in full force, so I had a bit of lunch outside on the patio and just *basked*. I miss basking at lunchtime with my colleague in the library- there's something so energizing about soaking up the sun! And we really haven't had *warm* sunshine in Poland since.... July, maybe? There have been sunny days here and there since then, but it's also been really cold and windy, difficult to just sit somewhere and enjoy the sun.
Wrapped things up at the office, then went back to the hotel. Dropped off my stuff, then walked around for a bit. Saw gorgeous rugs out drying, huge courtyards in the houses, kids running around playing in the streets. School had just gotten out for the day, so there were groups of kids in black suits and skirts walking home. Women walked down the street in long pants and matching tunics of satin or velvet, their heads wrapped in colorful scarves. This is definitely a country for me in terms of fashion! Picked up some soft bread and a diet coke at a little store, then headed back to the hotel. Sat out on the balcony and just enjoyed one last, warm evening here.
Next door, I could see a young father playing with his kids. He was drumming a rhythm on a plastic tray, singing along in a strong, beautiful voice. The kids, all fairly young, laughed and danced around happily. Their mom took care of some laundry, then started dinner. Boy, did it smell good! It was so nice to see a happy family enjoying time with just *each other*- no TV, internet, Wii, gadgets, stuff.... just good, old-fashioned human company. I think that was one of the reasons I took a long, unexpected hiatus from being online- for several weeks, I just wanted to hang out with kitties and people in real life, to talk to people directly on the phone, to just enjoy life without the overwhelming presence of technology. I miss those days...
This was a perfect evening, a great way to end a fun trip. Finished my snack, packed up everything, settled my bill, then went to bed.
March 11. Man, *loooonnnng* day so far! Got up at the crack of dawn, around 2:30. Packed up everything, returned the key, met the driver out front at 3:15. The airport was surprisingly busy at 3:30 in the morning, tons of people and cars and kids with luggage carts milling around in the darkness. I found a group of people from the office waiting by the front door, and as soon as everyone had arrived, we went inside to check in.
I'm glad we all went as a group! There were a few questions requiring interpretation.... such as me apparently needing "registration" to get to the counter. Fortunately, the Georgian guy figured out that they just needed to see my travel itinerary, so everything turned out okay. Got to the counter, checked my bag to Istanbul, then went to the lounge to have some water and wait for the flight. Packed place- we ended up sitting in a couple groups. I just relaxed and people watched for a while until they called our flight. Long flight, but not bad- the two guys I sat next to this time had apparently heard of bathing, so that was a good thing. I ended up just dozing off after breakfast, a good thing. I've been having trouble sleeping lately in general, don't know why. Ah, well.
We all trooped off the plane in Istanbul around 8:30 local time and headed into the airport. Those whose luggage had been checked through went straight to the international transfers; those like me, whose luggage had to be collected here, went to get a visa and go through passport control. Yay, more crowded lines....
Eventually got through, found my bag, went outside for some fresh air for a bit, contemplated going into town for a while... but decided against it. Didn't quite know what I wanted to see, and I was tired and grumpy and hadn't had coffee yet and had lots of luggage. So I'll just come back some other time and see the city properly then. Found a little cafe instead, had a muffin and two Americanos, and finished a book.
Unfortunately, my flight didn't leave until 17:25, so I had a *long* wait in the airport. Thank goodness I brought a lot of material to read and Japanese to study. And the Istanbul airport has nice cafes with good coffee. Today was apparently an exercise in the arts of entertaining oneself and having patience.
Well, it's 6:30pm and we're *finally* through security and in the lounge, waiting to board the plane. Flight was delayed an hour- figures! I will be soooooooooooo glad to finally get home! I don't mind long days of travel, but 10 hours in one airport is enough, I think. Looking out at the entrance to the airport, lit up in blue, Turkish Ground Services buses driving around the circle, the hills hazy in the evening. Oddly enough, the houses and buildings right around the Istanbul Airport look kind of like.... Orange County, as you drive up the 5, going from Irvine toward Newport Beach, that same cream/dark white color with an orange-ish tinge, and red tile roofs, surrounded by medium-sized tall, thin trees and bushes.
10:30pm- FINALLY! Home safe and sound in Warsaw. Sooooooo glad to be home in Poland!
Warsaw to Dushanbe, via Istanbul
March 6- Today, I went on a short tour of Chopin's Warsaw with a group of colleagues. One of them is an official tour guide for Warsaw and gives the most wonderful tours. I got to see Chopin's first residences in Warsaw; the sites of his first public performances; the last place he ever saw in Warsaw; and the location of his heart. It was a fantastic way to start the day!
Ran some errands, caught up a bit on LJ and SPN, then headed over to a friend's for a little shindig. In celebration of the cold weather, she was preparing a marvelous warm German wine called Feuerzangenbowle. It was a great evening- talked to a bunch of friends, met some new people, had some good beer and delicious spicy goulash....yeah. Good times!
March 7. Woke up early this morning, packed a suitcase, and headed to the airport. Work is sending me to Dushanbe, Tajikistan for a few days. I go through Istanbul, Turkey on the way. So far, it's pretty cool. Both Turkish Airlines and LOT have excellent airline food- I wish American airlines would pick up that trend! The Istanbul airport is nice and spacious, good for long walks. Lots of trendy shops with designer brands. At the moment, I'm enjoying some tasty lasagna and good coffee in a cafe, half people-watching, half watching a soccer game. It's nice to relax before getting on a long flight. Oh! And the first thing I saw when I walked into the main section of international gates was a hima matsuri display. They had absolutely *gorgeous* dolls dressed in Heian-era clothing. An emperor and empress, their lords and ladies, and some lovely lacquerware. There was a little exhibit sign proclaiming 2010 to be Japan Year in the Turkish Airport and explaining the history behind hina matsuri. I took this as a good sign. ^__^
The flight from Istanbul to Dushanbe was a wee bit irritating. First, they kept switching the departure gate. As we got off in Istanbul, the flight attendant said it was gate 209. So I started to head there, and noticed that the sign was blinking with no gate number. *sigh* It eventually said 215, so I started trekking back down the corridor. After sitting at 215 for a while with the sign there giving a totally different destination, I re-checked the departures... and they'd now made it 213. More trekking back down the hallway, standing in long lines, and having to go through the security check again. I hate that part, unpacking things from my bag and being rushed the whole time.
Finally got onto the plane.... and discovered that the guy next to me apparently hadn't heard of the concept of bathing. And the guy in front of me was really restless and kept moving his seat around, which made it hard to work on anything on the little table. Rather long flight, to say the least.
It was pitch dark when we arrived in Dushanbe, but we made it to the arrival terminal and dealt with visa applications and all that. Took a while, but eventually got everything settled. Fortunately, work had sent someone to pick me up and drop me off at the hotel, so I at least didn't have to figure out taxis and all that at 5am. Checked in to the hotel, then crashed for a few hours before going in to the office. What a day!
Ran some errands, caught up a bit on LJ and SPN, then headed over to a friend's for a little shindig. In celebration of the cold weather, she was preparing a marvelous warm German wine called Feuerzangenbowle. It was a great evening- talked to a bunch of friends, met some new people, had some good beer and delicious spicy goulash....yeah. Good times!
March 7. Woke up early this morning, packed a suitcase, and headed to the airport. Work is sending me to Dushanbe, Tajikistan for a few days. I go through Istanbul, Turkey on the way. So far, it's pretty cool. Both Turkish Airlines and LOT have excellent airline food- I wish American airlines would pick up that trend! The Istanbul airport is nice and spacious, good for long walks. Lots of trendy shops with designer brands. At the moment, I'm enjoying some tasty lasagna and good coffee in a cafe, half people-watching, half watching a soccer game. It's nice to relax before getting on a long flight. Oh! And the first thing I saw when I walked into the main section of international gates was a hima matsuri display. They had absolutely *gorgeous* dolls dressed in Heian-era clothing. An emperor and empress, their lords and ladies, and some lovely lacquerware. There was a little exhibit sign proclaiming 2010 to be Japan Year in the Turkish Airport and explaining the history behind hina matsuri. I took this as a good sign. ^__^
The flight from Istanbul to Dushanbe was a wee bit irritating. First, they kept switching the departure gate. As we got off in Istanbul, the flight attendant said it was gate 209. So I started to head there, and noticed that the sign was blinking with no gate number. *sigh* It eventually said 215, so I started trekking back down the corridor. After sitting at 215 for a while with the sign there giving a totally different destination, I re-checked the departures... and they'd now made it 213. More trekking back down the hallway, standing in long lines, and having to go through the security check again. I hate that part, unpacking things from my bag and being rushed the whole time.
Finally got onto the plane.... and discovered that the guy next to me apparently hadn't heard of the concept of bathing. And the guy in front of me was really restless and kept moving his seat around, which made it hard to work on anything on the little table. Rather long flight, to say the least.
It was pitch dark when we arrived in Dushanbe, but we made it to the arrival terminal and dealt with visa applications and all that. Took a while, but eventually got everything settled. Fortunately, work had sent someone to pick me up and drop me off at the hotel, so I at least didn't have to figure out taxis and all that at 5am. Checked in to the hotel, then crashed for a few hours before going in to the office. What a day!
Czech Republic
Feb. 5, I boarded the early morning train to the Czech Republic. Had a nice chat all the way to Katowice with a lady in my compartment- we talked about traveling, books, countries we liked, places I should visit in Poland and Warsaw, all sorts of stuff. She was really nice, and it was fun to meet someone new.
Got off in Ostrava, took the tram out to the hotel, which turned out to be right behind the ČEZ Aréna. I love knowing where I'm going! Bought a ticket to the game (only 100 Czk!), dumped off my stuff, then wandered around and explored a bit before the game. Discovered that next to the arena, there's a little hockey shop and painted on either side of the door are Mucha images. How cool is that? ^_^
Had a late lunch/early dinner in a place down the road, read the sports newspaper for a bit, then took the tram back to the arena to see HC Vítkovice Steel play HC Slavia Praha. Good game, though Vítkovice was *not* on top of their game. I could tell they have some good players, esp. this one forward, Juraj Štefanka, but they just seemed.... slow that night. And Slavia's defense was REALLY tight; they only let one goal through. Vítkovice's goalie did a great job, he has excellent potential. But ultimately, Slavia won, 3-1. It was a fun game, though, and I'm glad I went.
Went down to Zamek Zabřeh afterward for a late dinner and some beer. It was *packed*! The only spot left was a little one by the bar, so I took it and read my book for a bit. About 15 min. later, the hostess came over and said she'd found a spot at a table for me with two other people, so I took it. The two guys there turned out to be really nice- one was from Moravia, one was from Ostrava. We happily talked all night, about *everything*. They were both really fun, friendly and cute, so I had a great night. Went back to the hotel, crashed, had a great night's sleep.
Slept in a bit the next morning, then took an intercity train to Prague. Nice ride! It reminded me a lot of the nice new Amtrak trains. Only took 3 hours, and it was really relaxing. I had some good coffee, read, watched the gorgeous scenery, listened to the soft, pleasant sounds of Czech around me. Got off in Prague, took the Metro to the hotel, relaxed for a bit before heading out.
It was an absolutely perfect night. I'd decided to wear my favorite black and purple skirt, so I felt a little dressier than usual. Which turned out to be a good thing, because as I was reading a text message from a friend, I missed the stop I wanted to get off at. So I got off at the next one, Náměstí Republiky, and saw a big building that was all lit up. I followed my curiosity and discovered that it was the Municipal Building, the largest Art Nouveau building in downtown Prague. There was a gorgeous French restaurant there with original art by Mucha, and to my pleasure, I discovered that there was also a concert hall.... with a concert starting in 20 minutes! A chamber ensemble was playing three pieces, Pachelbel's Canon in D, a sonata by Mozart, and Vivaldi's Four Seasons- how could I resist? I bought a ticket and went in.
It was marvelous! A small, intimate, dark wood-paneled concert hall in the bottom of the building, decorated with beautiful Art Nouveau motifs, tiles, painted panels, stained glass. My seat was in the third row, so I had a great view of the string sextet and solo violin. They played beautifully- the Pachelbel and Vivaldi pieces are two of my absolute favorites, so it was wonderful to hear them in such a gorgeous setting, live. That's one of the nice things about Europe- just so *much* art and music all around, accessible to everyone, open to spontaneity. You can just wander around and on the spur of the moment, decide to go hear some gorgeous classical music.
I had a lovely dinner of beef goulash, dumplings and beer afterward in the Kavárna. Such high ceilings, perfect decor.... I could just imagine the artsy, literary bohemian crowd from the turn of the century gathering there to discuss politics, culture, whatever. I could have stayed there all night, admiring the interiors and enjoying coffee. But it had sort of been a long day, so I headed back to the hotel. Had a nice chat with a good friend, then crashed.
Woke up early Sunday, had a relaxing breakfast, then set out to wander around the Old Town for a bit. It had started snowing and gotten much colder, so I decided that staying indoors would be a good idea. Found a little cafe attached to the Hotel Liberty and enjoyed some coffee and warmth before going off to meet a colleague.
Met my colleague for a brief tour of the old town area, learned a bit more about Prague history, then she and I had beer and caught up for a couple hours. It was really a nice afternoon. After that, she took off, and I caught the tram out to Výstaviště to see HC Praha play HC Litvínov. Great game! Very exciting. Praha won, 3-2, some really good goals there. After the game, I caught the night train back to Warsaw- didn't get in too late this time, only about 30 min. late. I really just love these weekends down south- adds balance to the rest of life.
Got off in Ostrava, took the tram out to the hotel, which turned out to be right behind the ČEZ Aréna. I love knowing where I'm going! Bought a ticket to the game (only 100 Czk!), dumped off my stuff, then wandered around and explored a bit before the game. Discovered that next to the arena, there's a little hockey shop and painted on either side of the door are Mucha images. How cool is that? ^_^
Had a late lunch/early dinner in a place down the road, read the sports newspaper for a bit, then took the tram back to the arena to see HC Vítkovice Steel play HC Slavia Praha. Good game, though Vítkovice was *not* on top of their game. I could tell they have some good players, esp. this one forward, Juraj Štefanka, but they just seemed.... slow that night. And Slavia's defense was REALLY tight; they only let one goal through. Vítkovice's goalie did a great job, he has excellent potential. But ultimately, Slavia won, 3-1. It was a fun game, though, and I'm glad I went.
Went down to Zamek Zabřeh afterward for a late dinner and some beer. It was *packed*! The only spot left was a little one by the bar, so I took it and read my book for a bit. About 15 min. later, the hostess came over and said she'd found a spot at a table for me with two other people, so I took it. The two guys there turned out to be really nice- one was from Moravia, one was from Ostrava. We happily talked all night, about *everything*. They were both really fun, friendly and cute, so I had a great night. Went back to the hotel, crashed, had a great night's sleep.
Slept in a bit the next morning, then took an intercity train to Prague. Nice ride! It reminded me a lot of the nice new Amtrak trains. Only took 3 hours, and it was really relaxing. I had some good coffee, read, watched the gorgeous scenery, listened to the soft, pleasant sounds of Czech around me. Got off in Prague, took the Metro to the hotel, relaxed for a bit before heading out.
It was an absolutely perfect night. I'd decided to wear my favorite black and purple skirt, so I felt a little dressier than usual. Which turned out to be a good thing, because as I was reading a text message from a friend, I missed the stop I wanted to get off at. So I got off at the next one, Náměstí Republiky, and saw a big building that was all lit up. I followed my curiosity and discovered that it was the Municipal Building, the largest Art Nouveau building in downtown Prague. There was a gorgeous French restaurant there with original art by Mucha, and to my pleasure, I discovered that there was also a concert hall.... with a concert starting in 20 minutes! A chamber ensemble was playing three pieces, Pachelbel's Canon in D, a sonata by Mozart, and Vivaldi's Four Seasons- how could I resist? I bought a ticket and went in.
It was marvelous! A small, intimate, dark wood-paneled concert hall in the bottom of the building, decorated with beautiful Art Nouveau motifs, tiles, painted panels, stained glass. My seat was in the third row, so I had a great view of the string sextet and solo violin. They played beautifully- the Pachelbel and Vivaldi pieces are two of my absolute favorites, so it was wonderful to hear them in such a gorgeous setting, live. That's one of the nice things about Europe- just so *much* art and music all around, accessible to everyone, open to spontaneity. You can just wander around and on the spur of the moment, decide to go hear some gorgeous classical music.
I had a lovely dinner of beef goulash, dumplings and beer afterward in the Kavárna. Such high ceilings, perfect decor.... I could just imagine the artsy, literary bohemian crowd from the turn of the century gathering there to discuss politics, culture, whatever. I could have stayed there all night, admiring the interiors and enjoying coffee. But it had sort of been a long day, so I headed back to the hotel. Had a nice chat with a good friend, then crashed.
Woke up early Sunday, had a relaxing breakfast, then set out to wander around the Old Town for a bit. It had started snowing and gotten much colder, so I decided that staying indoors would be a good idea. Found a little cafe attached to the Hotel Liberty and enjoyed some coffee and warmth before going off to meet a colleague.
Met my colleague for a brief tour of the old town area, learned a bit more about Prague history, then she and I had beer and caught up for a couple hours. It was really a nice afternoon. After that, she took off, and I caught the tram out to Výstaviště to see HC Praha play HC Litvínov. Great game! Very exciting. Praha won, 3-2, some really good goals there. After the game, I caught the night train back to Warsaw- didn't get in too late this time, only about 30 min. late. I really just love these weekends down south- adds balance to the rest of life.
Catching up...
The last 2 months or so have been so busy, mostly with work and cleaning, general stuff around the house. Somehow, that always ends up taking more time than I anticipate. But the weekends have been nice. And I've gotten to cat-sit again for three weeks, always a good thing. But of course, I've *totally* fallen behind in updating things- way behind. So it's time to catch up as much as possible.
On January 31, a friend and I went to the poster museum in Wilanow, a nice little excursion. There's a palace and lake down there, so we walked around a bit first, then saw a cool exhibit of Polish national posters. They had examples from all over the country, from the last 100 years or so. Some of them were really creative, in a fun, folksy way and others were more abstract. The oddest ones, though, were for a cigarette factory called "Patria"- there were three. The first one showed two older men standing with the factory in the background, smoking cigarettes. That's fine. The next two showed a bunch of little kids dancing around an older man, and all of *them* were smoking! Perhaps that was the norm in 1906, but somehow, it just seemed startling for me to see a kid about 5 years old smoking a cigarette.
Feb. 3, I went to Klub Proxima with a couple friends and saw a fun concert- three punk bands, Sex Bomba, The Vibrators, and UK Subs. Good, fun, old-school punk- had a great time and came home feeling really relaxed!
On January 31, a friend and I went to the poster museum in Wilanow, a nice little excursion. There's a palace and lake down there, so we walked around a bit first, then saw a cool exhibit of Polish national posters. They had examples from all over the country, from the last 100 years or so. Some of them were really creative, in a fun, folksy way and others were more abstract. The oddest ones, though, were for a cigarette factory called "Patria"- there were three. The first one showed two older men standing with the factory in the background, smoking cigarettes. That's fine. The next two showed a bunch of little kids dancing around an older man, and all of *them* were smoking! Perhaps that was the norm in 1906, but somehow, it just seemed startling for me to see a kid about 5 years old smoking a cigarette.
Feb. 3, I went to Klub Proxima with a couple friends and saw a fun concert- three punk bands, Sex Bomba, The Vibrators, and UK Subs. Good, fun, old-school punk- had a great time and came home feeling really relaxed!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Somehow, today ended up being one of the most perfect days I've *ever* had. I spent the whole day in the most ridiculously good mood, a rarity for me. It's nice to have days like this every once in a while!
I slept really well last night, had great dreams, and woke up to a soft, gray and white kitty begging for food. The other two decided breakfast was a good idea, too, so I had three adoring furballs pestering me for attention. They're so sweet!
Left the house and discovered that the temperature had risen a bit. The snow was still falling pretty intensely, but instead of the clumpy bits that have looked like white confetti so far, I saw *actual* snowflakes!! This might sound kind of silly, but I've never seen a REAL snowflake before, and this morning, I saw TONS! I could see their perfect little points and everything- it was amazing!
I had a very productive day today- got a lot of work done and really felt like I could concentrate. Had a meeting around lunchtime with a really cute guy, always a nice thing. Got a sweet message from a good friend in the afternoon- he always has perfect timing! And today is the birthday of another of my dearest friends.
Had a nice chat with a friend this evening, then ate dinner and watched a few episodes of "Friends". I never realized how much I loved/missed that show! Fed the starving felines, then watched the hyper one play with a toy for a while- she's so cute and entertaining! After a while, she curled up on the couch and went to sleep- the very picture of a happy, stress-free and contented life. I need to aim to be more like her, I think!
Did some dishes, drank some beer, listened to good Russian electronic music, then went to sleep. Very mellow, warm, contented, happy day. G is right- sometimes, all it takes is little things to improve one's life!
Hope everyone is doing well! A happy winter to all!
I slept really well last night, had great dreams, and woke up to a soft, gray and white kitty begging for food. The other two decided breakfast was a good idea, too, so I had three adoring furballs pestering me for attention. They're so sweet!
Left the house and discovered that the temperature had risen a bit. The snow was still falling pretty intensely, but instead of the clumpy bits that have looked like white confetti so far, I saw *actual* snowflakes!! This might sound kind of silly, but I've never seen a REAL snowflake before, and this morning, I saw TONS! I could see their perfect little points and everything- it was amazing!
I had a very productive day today- got a lot of work done and really felt like I could concentrate. Had a meeting around lunchtime with a really cute guy, always a nice thing. Got a sweet message from a good friend in the afternoon- he always has perfect timing! And today is the birthday of another of my dearest friends.
Had a nice chat with a friend this evening, then ate dinner and watched a few episodes of "Friends". I never realized how much I loved/missed that show! Fed the starving felines, then watched the hyper one play with a toy for a while- she's so cute and entertaining! After a while, she curled up on the couch and went to sleep- the very picture of a happy, stress-free and contented life. I need to aim to be more like her, I think!
Did some dishes, drank some beer, listened to good Russian electronic music, then went to sleep. Very mellow, warm, contented, happy day. G is right- sometimes, all it takes is little things to improve one's life!
Hope everyone is doing well! A happy winter to all!
Monday, January 18, 2010
I <3 the Czech Republic....
Written last night but no internet connection in the cafe.
Oh, MAN, did I just have an awesome night! Best night ever in quite a while. I just saw HC Eaton Pardubice beat HC Sparta Praha 3-2 in Pardubice, hometown of one of the best goalies ever. Watched said goalie, Dominik Hašek, play an excellent game, and got high-fives from all the Pardubice players as they went back to the locker room after the first period.
It was a really good game. I caught the train in from Ostrava, a town to the northeast that I'd visited yesterday, checked my luggage at the station, then easily found the arena. Only a 20 min. walk from the train station- very convenient! Walked up to the box office and asked for a ticket. Guy said he had a very good spot in section 107, a corner section. I took it. Turns out that for about $10, you get a 4th row seat from the ice, directly next to the ramp that takes the home team from the ice to their locker room. So not only did I get a great view of all the action, but I got to see Hašek for two periods and see the team as they left the ice each period. This makes the good seats I got back home for about $50 not seem worth it anymore!
Spent some time before the game wandering around the arena. Checked out the sport shop, ate some dinner, just watched the zambonis cleaning the ice for a while. So nice to be back in a hockey arena! Found my seats, watched the warm-up, then watched the game. Good game- lots of fast skating, great goals from both teams, a couple injuries and a bunch of penalties for Sparta. Sparta's goalie, Přikryl, was very fast and alert, kinda fidgety, stayed mostly in the crease. Hašek has a different style- plays far out of the crease, and at times took the puck behind the net and played it as a defenseman would. Kind of makes you nervous, but he knows what he's doing. His saves aren't dramatic, but slower, more deliberate. Watching him tonight, I could really see how he had such a great career in the NHL. I've seen him many times on TV with the Sabres and Red Wings, but this was the first time I'd seen him play live. Really great experience.
Also saw another familiar player, Jeff Jillson. He played for the Sharks about 6 years back, somehow ended up on the Pardubice team. I lost track of him after he left San Jose, but he's really honed his skills and turned into a solid defenseman. It's kind of nice to see these guys play in different leagues than the NHL- it's a different sort of energy to the game.
Thanks to a generous guy sitting next to me, I discovered that Budweiser's actually pretty good here- at least, not bad. Wonder what the difference is? Made another trip to the gift shop after the game ended (needed a new coffee cup since my Sparta one had a little accident in the dishwasher), then walked around town, enjoying the sight and sound of hockey fans roaming around. Man, I *really* miss living in a hockey town! Need to fix that after I'm done with Europe. Found a cute kavárna to chill in for a couple hours, since the train doesn't leave for a while, and here I am, enjoying some cake and coffee and generally feeling pretty darned happy with life!
It's been a great weekend altogether, I'd say. Spent quite a while on Friday night chatting with a great friend online, then fell into a peaceful sleep, a rare thing. Woke up at about 8am on Saturday, picked up pastries from my favorite bakery and snacks from the shop, then caught the 9:45 train going to Prague. It's odd- standing there on the platform in my Sharks jersey and coat, spacing out over a cup of coffee, I must have looked very relaxed or informed or something, because about 6 people came up and asked me (in Polish, naturally) for directions, if this was the train to Prague, if it stopped in Katowice, etc. This sort of thing happened to me all the time back home, but it hadn't really happened here yet. Found my nice seat by the window, only had one other guy in the compartment, and we had a nice, peaceful ride south.
I got off in a town called Ostrava, kind of to the northeast, close to the Polish and Slovakian borders. I wasn't sure what was there, but on the map, it seemed to be one of the larger towns in the Czech Republic, so I figured I'd check it out. I decided to check out two towns in one weekend, to see if I wanted to re-visit any of them- gotta see as much as I can. Turns out that Ostrava's a huge coal mining town, and really pretty cool! It's very sprawling, has two main train stations. Also very dark, gritty, industrial- abandoned factories and mining buildings all over the place, very cool. I really like industrial cities- there's a rugged, dilapidated beauty about them, and you can really feel the energy of all the people who worked there.
I'd randomly reserved a room in a hotel based on a review whose author loved it. It was about a 30 min. tram ride from the train station, so I got to see quite a bit of the town on the way. Saw a lot of bars and gambling places and churches. Interesting mix of activities there!
Found the place, Zámek Zábřeh, after a short walk. Turns out it was a restored chateau! They found this old, rambling house and restored it to its 16th century look. The furnished the interiors with authentic antiques, artifacts and maps, which gave it a really cozy and interesting feel. When I walked into the courtyard, I discovered that Saturday was apparently the day to roast a huge pig outdoors over an open fire and serve sausages and other traditional foods. Gotta say everything smelled really good!
I checked in and found that my room was a cozy little space in the attic! I loved it. Small but warm, just what I wanted and needed. I took a short nap, then set out to explore a bit more of the town. Got off downtown at the stop by the oddly-named snowboard shop and just walked around for a while. Spotted pretty churches, fun book and fabric stores, a gorgeous theater where the ballet was performing "Giselle", and a lovely park square. One thing I love about the CZR is that instead of statues of old, famous people or horses or whatever, there's always *art* all over the place. Random art. Murals, sculptures, creatively-designed park benches, etc. Lots of zodiac themes. I always find interesting new things to look at here.
Decided to have dinner at a cute little pizza place- I was hungry and it looked warm. Had a dark beer called Cerny Koszul, not bad at all. Relaxed for a while, enjoyed the warm Italian interior, listened to the pleasant sound of Czech around me. It's similar to Polish, but also really different, somehow. Easier to understand. I can pick out individual words and look them up later, which really helps- I don't have to know what to listen for beforehand. I have a feeling that I'd pick up Czech a bit faster than I do Polish.
Walked back to the tram stop, went back to the chateau, then headed over to the Pivnice, the beer hall. Apparently, if you get there at a decent hour of the day, unlike me, you can book a tour of the brewery with the master brewer! Something to do next time I'm there. It was a great spot, full of guests and locals. High, peaked ceilings lined with strong wooden beams, wooden tables with vases of lavender on them, nice glowing interior, felt quite medieval. The place was packed, and I managed to find a spot kind of toward the back. Had two of their excellent homemade beers (Brewery Pikard, 1574!), a white wheat beer, usually not my thing but really quite good; and a spectacular darker beer. Also had the most delectable pancakes I've had in.... quite some time. Thick but soft, crispy outsides, covered in cinnamon, syrup and apple slices. Just heavenly.
Returned to my room, read for a bit, then fell into a deep, peaceful sleep in a wonderfully comfy bed. Between all the good food and beer (which cost about $12 altogether!) and the lavender-scented pillow, I felt VERY relaxed and happy. Saturday was an excellent day!
Slept in a tad, then had a yummy breakfast down in the dining room. There were really interesting old maps of Moravia on the wall, so I spent some time looking at those. Checked out, then took the tram back to Ostrava hlavní nádraží. Happily discovered that my RT ticket to Pardubice was good for a month, which meant that I could use the rest of it this morning instead of having to buy an extra ticket for the Ostrava-Pardubice bit. Made it to the station in perfect time to catch the train, no waiting around on cold platforms. I love it when timing works like that! There were about 20 big, huge guys standing there, all wearing the same brown coats and carrying athletic bags. I sat in a compartment with two of them and figured out that they were a basketball team on their way to Prague. Nice guys. Two more hours of dozing off in between the lilting rhythm of Czech.
The countryside was just gorgeous. Houses here and there, but a lot of open fields, dotted with walls, trees, divided by creeks and streams. Saw deer, a pheasant, many people sledding and skiing. As we got closer to Pardubice, there were more thick groves of trees, cliffs and forests, lakes and ponds. It all had a silent, frozen stillness to it, a haughty elegance enhanced by the stark white of the snow on the dead black of the trees and cliffs. Some of the streams flowed swiftly, dark pools swirling around through the currents; other smaller creeks and ponds shone with a translucent, pearly glow, just daring someone to step onto the (solid?) surface. The falling snow made a satisfying sliding sound against the train windows, adding a natural soundtrack to the ride.
I think I can now officially say that I'm living in the wrong country. There's really nothing wrong with Warsaw or Poland at all- they're lovely, and I'm enjoying my work and travels there. But when I'm here in the Czech Republic, I feel so much more *myself*... home, in a way. It's more "me" than Poland is, just as Marseilles is more "me" than Paris. I don't know what it is, but I just love the CZR. I love its language, both written and spoken- so much easier to read Czech than Polish, because it uses diacritics to express letter combinations, so you end up reading vertically rather than horizontally. I love the beer, the coffee, all the bookstores and music shops and thrift stores. The people are nice, matter-of-fact, fun. The countryside is beautiful, the capital city exudes a timeless bohemian elegance, and the industrial towns reflect a dangerous beauty of their own. There's hockey, all over the place- GOOD hockey. Great music, great art, good food. If only my office could re-locate itself... *sigh* At least I've found a place I love to go that makes me happy.
So that's about it for the weekend. Now just hanging out a bit longer in the cafe before heading back to the station to catch the night train home.
Oh, MAN, did I just have an awesome night! Best night ever in quite a while. I just saw HC Eaton Pardubice beat HC Sparta Praha 3-2 in Pardubice, hometown of one of the best goalies ever. Watched said goalie, Dominik Hašek, play an excellent game, and got high-fives from all the Pardubice players as they went back to the locker room after the first period.
It was a really good game. I caught the train in from Ostrava, a town to the northeast that I'd visited yesterday, checked my luggage at the station, then easily found the arena. Only a 20 min. walk from the train station- very convenient! Walked up to the box office and asked for a ticket. Guy said he had a very good spot in section 107, a corner section. I took it. Turns out that for about $10, you get a 4th row seat from the ice, directly next to the ramp that takes the home team from the ice to their locker room. So not only did I get a great view of all the action, but I got to see Hašek for two periods and see the team as they left the ice each period. This makes the good seats I got back home for about $50 not seem worth it anymore!
Spent some time before the game wandering around the arena. Checked out the sport shop, ate some dinner, just watched the zambonis cleaning the ice for a while. So nice to be back in a hockey arena! Found my seats, watched the warm-up, then watched the game. Good game- lots of fast skating, great goals from both teams, a couple injuries and a bunch of penalties for Sparta. Sparta's goalie, Přikryl, was very fast and alert, kinda fidgety, stayed mostly in the crease. Hašek has a different style- plays far out of the crease, and at times took the puck behind the net and played it as a defenseman would. Kind of makes you nervous, but he knows what he's doing. His saves aren't dramatic, but slower, more deliberate. Watching him tonight, I could really see how he had such a great career in the NHL. I've seen him many times on TV with the Sabres and Red Wings, but this was the first time I'd seen him play live. Really great experience.
Also saw another familiar player, Jeff Jillson. He played for the Sharks about 6 years back, somehow ended up on the Pardubice team. I lost track of him after he left San Jose, but he's really honed his skills and turned into a solid defenseman. It's kind of nice to see these guys play in different leagues than the NHL- it's a different sort of energy to the game.
Thanks to a generous guy sitting next to me, I discovered that Budweiser's actually pretty good here- at least, not bad. Wonder what the difference is? Made another trip to the gift shop after the game ended (needed a new coffee cup since my Sparta one had a little accident in the dishwasher), then walked around town, enjoying the sight and sound of hockey fans roaming around. Man, I *really* miss living in a hockey town! Need to fix that after I'm done with Europe. Found a cute kavárna to chill in for a couple hours, since the train doesn't leave for a while, and here I am, enjoying some cake and coffee and generally feeling pretty darned happy with life!
It's been a great weekend altogether, I'd say. Spent quite a while on Friday night chatting with a great friend online, then fell into a peaceful sleep, a rare thing. Woke up at about 8am on Saturday, picked up pastries from my favorite bakery and snacks from the shop, then caught the 9:45 train going to Prague. It's odd- standing there on the platform in my Sharks jersey and coat, spacing out over a cup of coffee, I must have looked very relaxed or informed or something, because about 6 people came up and asked me (in Polish, naturally) for directions, if this was the train to Prague, if it stopped in Katowice, etc. This sort of thing happened to me all the time back home, but it hadn't really happened here yet. Found my nice seat by the window, only had one other guy in the compartment, and we had a nice, peaceful ride south.
I got off in a town called Ostrava, kind of to the northeast, close to the Polish and Slovakian borders. I wasn't sure what was there, but on the map, it seemed to be one of the larger towns in the Czech Republic, so I figured I'd check it out. I decided to check out two towns in one weekend, to see if I wanted to re-visit any of them- gotta see as much as I can. Turns out that Ostrava's a huge coal mining town, and really pretty cool! It's very sprawling, has two main train stations. Also very dark, gritty, industrial- abandoned factories and mining buildings all over the place, very cool. I really like industrial cities- there's a rugged, dilapidated beauty about them, and you can really feel the energy of all the people who worked there.
I'd randomly reserved a room in a hotel based on a review whose author loved it. It was about a 30 min. tram ride from the train station, so I got to see quite a bit of the town on the way. Saw a lot of bars and gambling places and churches. Interesting mix of activities there!
Found the place, Zámek Zábřeh, after a short walk. Turns out it was a restored chateau! They found this old, rambling house and restored it to its 16th century look. The furnished the interiors with authentic antiques, artifacts and maps, which gave it a really cozy and interesting feel. When I walked into the courtyard, I discovered that Saturday was apparently the day to roast a huge pig outdoors over an open fire and serve sausages and other traditional foods. Gotta say everything smelled really good!
I checked in and found that my room was a cozy little space in the attic! I loved it. Small but warm, just what I wanted and needed. I took a short nap, then set out to explore a bit more of the town. Got off downtown at the stop by the oddly-named snowboard shop and just walked around for a while. Spotted pretty churches, fun book and fabric stores, a gorgeous theater where the ballet was performing "Giselle", and a lovely park square. One thing I love about the CZR is that instead of statues of old, famous people or horses or whatever, there's always *art* all over the place. Random art. Murals, sculptures, creatively-designed park benches, etc. Lots of zodiac themes. I always find interesting new things to look at here.
Decided to have dinner at a cute little pizza place- I was hungry and it looked warm. Had a dark beer called Cerny Koszul, not bad at all. Relaxed for a while, enjoyed the warm Italian interior, listened to the pleasant sound of Czech around me. It's similar to Polish, but also really different, somehow. Easier to understand. I can pick out individual words and look them up later, which really helps- I don't have to know what to listen for beforehand. I have a feeling that I'd pick up Czech a bit faster than I do Polish.
Walked back to the tram stop, went back to the chateau, then headed over to the Pivnice, the beer hall. Apparently, if you get there at a decent hour of the day, unlike me, you can book a tour of the brewery with the master brewer! Something to do next time I'm there. It was a great spot, full of guests and locals. High, peaked ceilings lined with strong wooden beams, wooden tables with vases of lavender on them, nice glowing interior, felt quite medieval. The place was packed, and I managed to find a spot kind of toward the back. Had two of their excellent homemade beers (Brewery Pikard, 1574!), a white wheat beer, usually not my thing but really quite good; and a spectacular darker beer. Also had the most delectable pancakes I've had in.... quite some time. Thick but soft, crispy outsides, covered in cinnamon, syrup and apple slices. Just heavenly.
Returned to my room, read for a bit, then fell into a deep, peaceful sleep in a wonderfully comfy bed. Between all the good food and beer (which cost about $12 altogether!) and the lavender-scented pillow, I felt VERY relaxed and happy. Saturday was an excellent day!
Slept in a tad, then had a yummy breakfast down in the dining room. There were really interesting old maps of Moravia on the wall, so I spent some time looking at those. Checked out, then took the tram back to Ostrava hlavní nádraží. Happily discovered that my RT ticket to Pardubice was good for a month, which meant that I could use the rest of it this morning instead of having to buy an extra ticket for the Ostrava-Pardubice bit. Made it to the station in perfect time to catch the train, no waiting around on cold platforms. I love it when timing works like that! There were about 20 big, huge guys standing there, all wearing the same brown coats and carrying athletic bags. I sat in a compartment with two of them and figured out that they were a basketball team on their way to Prague. Nice guys. Two more hours of dozing off in between the lilting rhythm of Czech.
The countryside was just gorgeous. Houses here and there, but a lot of open fields, dotted with walls, trees, divided by creeks and streams. Saw deer, a pheasant, many people sledding and skiing. As we got closer to Pardubice, there were more thick groves of trees, cliffs and forests, lakes and ponds. It all had a silent, frozen stillness to it, a haughty elegance enhanced by the stark white of the snow on the dead black of the trees and cliffs. Some of the streams flowed swiftly, dark pools swirling around through the currents; other smaller creeks and ponds shone with a translucent, pearly glow, just daring someone to step onto the (solid?) surface. The falling snow made a satisfying sliding sound against the train windows, adding a natural soundtrack to the ride.
I think I can now officially say that I'm living in the wrong country. There's really nothing wrong with Warsaw or Poland at all- they're lovely, and I'm enjoying my work and travels there. But when I'm here in the Czech Republic, I feel so much more *myself*... home, in a way. It's more "me" than Poland is, just as Marseilles is more "me" than Paris. I don't know what it is, but I just love the CZR. I love its language, both written and spoken- so much easier to read Czech than Polish, because it uses diacritics to express letter combinations, so you end up reading vertically rather than horizontally. I love the beer, the coffee, all the bookstores and music shops and thrift stores. The people are nice, matter-of-fact, fun. The countryside is beautiful, the capital city exudes a timeless bohemian elegance, and the industrial towns reflect a dangerous beauty of their own. There's hockey, all over the place- GOOD hockey. Great music, great art, good food. If only my office could re-locate itself... *sigh* At least I've found a place I love to go that makes me happy.
So that's about it for the weekend. Now just hanging out a bit longer in the cafe before heading back to the station to catch the night train home.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Had a pretty good holiday. A friend came to visit for a few days. We generally had a good time, just relaxed and chatted a lot, read and listened to music. Not much was open for Xmas, but we did get out and walk around a bit. We enjoyed lattes in the cafe and the lights on the street. On Xmas eve, we made some yummy pasta, and on Xmas Day, we went out to a pretty restaurant for a good dinner. I was sad when she left, but I look forward to visiting her sometime this year for fish and chips.
New Year's Eve was good. Took my new book to a little restaurant, had delicious food, just read all night, had beer and coffee. Then walked around a bit, had more beer, then headed home. There were lots of people out and about, tossing fireworks, so it was a little wild, but I eventually made it home in one piece. First thing anyone said to me in 2010 was "Najlepsiej", which means "all the best". There were some guys carousing on the metro, drinking beer, and one of them said that as he went out the door.
New Year's Eve was good. Took my new book to a little restaurant, had delicious food, just read all night, had beer and coffee. Then walked around a bit, had more beer, then headed home. There were lots of people out and about, tossing fireworks, so it was a little wild, but I eventually made it home in one piece. First thing anyone said to me in 2010 was "Najlepsiej", which means "all the best". There were some guys carousing on the metro, drinking beer, and one of them said that as he went out the door.
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