Edinburgh

So many surprising little gems of views when one peeks around a corner or through a doorway...called Closes and Wynds.













No, I didn't take a tour, but loved the cheerfulness of this bus in the midst of Grassmarket, a completely innocuous name with a vicious history of murder! Those Scots have a dry sense of humor - there's a pub called 'The Last Drop' in the square.
I am feeling very sheepish and quite embarrassed, but I learned something, actually a few things, but one for now. Edinburgh is pronounced Edin-boro, never berg. I felt so confused because I saw this, had seen it spelled the other way, thought, "Okay, another different pronunciation/spelling." Finally got it when I came out and just asked. Silly me. Also, learnt is a word here. Insisted it isn't, but in Cardiff, it is.
The roof tops of Edinburgh are just beautiful. Stone with all of these rows of chimneys. I love them. This is a view from the window of Lin and Jan's flat. Sunday morning breakfast - a full Scottish one (minus the haggis) including eggs, beans, fried tomatoes, toast and no bacon for me! Sacrilegious! To top it all off, the appearance of this magical rainbow...



Flew out of Cardiff for the first time and it's a lot easier than my usual flights from Bristol, an hour's drive away. Just that the available flights are much more limited here. It was so nice to actually be met at the airport when I arrived, not typical for me during my travels. Lin is an amazingly gracious friend and hostess.
As usual, a lot of walking and just looking at the city, a very manageable size, truly lovely. I've been reading and enjoying the light 44 Scotland Street series of books, by Alexander McCall Smith, which are set in Edinburgh, so this was kind of my version of the Sex and the City tour here. It was fun seeing some of the places that I'd read about, including Valvona and Crolla, a fancy food shop.
Lin and I did a great walk around the city on Saturday after a cozy evening home Friday night. We saw a lot in a short time and managed to do so before the rain really started coming down.
This is in front of the palace where the Queen stays while in Edinburgh. Quite beautiful.
We joined sister Val for tea at The Dome, which was majorly decked out for Christmas, including fake snow (soap suds!) falling in front of the entrance, quite convincing at first, until I realized it was foamy.



Tea at this wonderful discovery off of the Grassmarket on Sunday afternoon with Lin and Jan, who had arrived from Vancouver on Saturday evening. Scones and all... It was tiny and had such a sense of history to it, all stone with tiny rooms, spanning three floors, photos on the wall. We were all charmed.


















Sunday, between breakfast and tea, I wandered the city on my own, which I love, while Lin and Jan ran errands. Loved the man in the kilt strolling down the street, the fantastic cobblestones strewn with autumn leaves in Greyfriar's Churchyard.








Although the main street, Princes Street, is totally torn up with work that began as reinstallation of the tram and became a major overhaul of the infrastructure of the city's pipes, water, etc, there are great alternate routes.
There are many lovely gardens and parks. This photo of the Edinburgh Castle was taken from the garden below. I later climbed up there - great walk. It is a fairly hilly city, with an area called The Mound in the middle, separating New Town from the Old Town.
Short, but oh so sweet, weekend. AND the offer of the flat if I want to return! What more could I ask for?
Thanksgiving in Cardiff, chez moi, tomorrow - turkey with all of the trimmings...

Thinking of Grandma Betty, aka Basia, in Krakow

Well, we took the night train, first time in a sleeper. It felt so old-worldy, so film noire. The thing about traveling in both Krakow and Prague was the true humility I felt. As many know, I love languages, have studied and proudly am fairly adept in French, dabble in Italian after a year's study and many visits, and can communicate very basically in Spanish after my month's lessons in Guatemala. Here, in Eastern Europe, I knew nothing, I mean truly nothing. Money felt like play money because I didn't truly grasp the exchange in either place. I believe that, as crazy as it sounds, it's important for everyone to experience such inadequacy at least once. (of course, my current experience has me feeling that way daily...)
So, we left at night, slept on fold-out bench-like "beds", equipped with sheets, pillows, and blankets, which we had to make up ourselves. Marilyn Monroe in Some Like it Hot without the curtains. Not very well rested, we arrived in Krakow at 6:30 am, to a light rain.
We trudged up the cobblestone streets to our hostel, checked in, and Jean-Luc took off for a few hours for some independent exploration while I settled in. Meeting later on in the Old Square, we began our only day together in Krakow - Jean-Luc left for London the next morning to spend a day with Cayal in Oxford and then to fly back to NY.
I loved Krakow. Much smaller, much more manageable, many fewer tourists, it felt real to me. As usual, we walked - everywhere. We ate beets and dumplings, went into St. Mary's in the Old Square, the most beautiful church, with all of the intricately painted walls, and bought a few trinkets for friends. We found the best bookstore I've seen in Europe so far and both bought books (a love we have in common). I spoke with a lovely young woman there who directed us to some sights for later on. Toured the castle and searched for the Buddha Stone, one of seven in existence in the world, hidden in the castle courtyard.
It was colder than Prague, but we stopped for tea, bundled up, kept going, and somehow, I didn't mind it. The day was a bit hard, being so tired from the night's travels, but we managed to see a lot.

We continued on and walked around the old Jewish ghetto. Thousands of Jews before the war, and according to what we read, about 100 remaining in Krakow today. I thought of my grandma. I don't know where in Poland she came from, but waved and smiled to a little old lady in the window and thought of her.
After looking around, we found ourselves in a very funny restaurant. Huge, almost a beer palace, with massive portions of food, all heavy and about six different things on each plate. I'm sure that it was a place mainly for tourists, but we had a beer and had fun. Neither of us could finish our meal.













Next morning, a gray rainy day, Jean-Luc left for a train to the airport and I joined up with two guys from the hostel and headed off for Auschwitz. The weather was somehow perfect for the visit. Dismal. Can I explain the trip? Not really. We all know the history. I felt absolutely compelled to go there, to see it and experience it for myself. It was intense, to say the least. Overwhelming. The barracks. The barbed wire. The towers and exhibits of thousands of eyeglasses, shoes, luggage. The mounds of human hair. Standing in a cell for special prisoners. Plodding through the muddy walkways. All of it. The guide who led us through was amazing. Knowledgeable, compassionate, passionate. I don't know how she could do this daily and asked her. She said yes, it was difficult, but...


The juxtaposition of the soft and beautiful scenery outside the window during my bus ride back into the city.

That night I found what came to be my favorite little restaurant during my stay in Krakow - I went back again the next night, too. The city is small enough that I ran into several people from my hostel, and ended up talking to two guys at the next table, traveling around, from Australia.









The following morning found me on a bus to the salt mines, a must according to Maja, my friend of Polish ancestry. It was pretty incredible. This room is made entirely of salt, carved into walls, floors, chandeliers, sculptures, even a replica of The Last Supper, in relief. Our guide told us we could lick the wall and see for ourselves. Deciding that I wasn't quite up for that, I did lick my finger, rub it on the wall, and - voila! - it really was salt. This is just one exhibit amongst many, each made up of salt carvings, created by the miners over the years.


Loved coming across these two scenes, the wedding pictures being taken in the green park, the planta, running around the Old City center, and the photographer and model in the Jewish Ghetto, one of my favorite shots.
My last evening I came across the last bit of a walking tour in the Jewish ghetto, led by a young man, so personable, he was truly special. I was invited to join the group for a drink in a little cafe nearby, which of course, I accepted. I sat and spoke with a couple from Sweden (and thought of Kim) and had a lovely time.
It's funny how many preconceived ideas we have about things - I had no idea that I'd enjoy Poland so much...

Prague

These are all a mish-mash, but give a bit of an impression of this spectacular city. Jean-Luc and I walked miles all over, trekking through so many different neighborhoods, of course taking in the usual tourist sights, but also moving away, trying to get a better feel for the actual city and its people.






We stayed near the Old Town, absolutely gorgeous - the architecture really is magnificent - but completely overrun with tourists. Yes, I know, I am a tourist, hence the photos of the classic sights - the old clock tower with its incredible face, the Disneyland-reminiscent towers - but as I think I've written before, I try to get more of a true feel for the place, go beyond or under the outer presentation.




We crossed the river and walked through a beautiful, huge park, containing the very difficult to find little wooden Russian church. Crossed the famous bridge, teeming with hordes of people doing the same, and caught the amazing views. We walked far from the center and found the old Soviet Tower, which delighted me with the funny statues of people crawling up the sides.




The city reminded me of Paris, with an Eastern European flavor. The river running through the middle, lovely bridges. There's a little island called Children's Island, with only one way on or off, containing wonderful play structures and play areas, so safe and self-contained. Even the manhole covers were beautiful.
I found this ornate and cheerful sunflower doorway down a side street. So many of the details of the city are like that. Turn a corner and receive a gift: an incredible sculpture or pattern along the eaves of the buildings; a sweet inscription or door handle, twisting little streets, cobblestoned; so many different styles of architecture, form the very baroque to art deco or art nouveau to Soviet utilitarian.
Talk about magic hour - the light absolutely glowed at times.




One night we did the tourist thing and went to a black light theater. It was like another era, so silly, so corny, so fun.
We found a favorite cafe for tea and internet for Jean-Luc.
I had to take a picture of the poster for the Barbie exhibit, even though we didn't go to see it. I remember getting my first Barbie, she looked like a stewardess - no, not flight attendant - and had a classic bubble cut. Couldn't resist this bit of nostalgia, found so far away.
As wonderful as the city was, I felt like I couldn't get a handle on the spirit of the city. People seemed generally unresponsive - maybe they are all sick of the masses of tourists. The only people I felt any kind of connection with were the lovely woman, Jana, at our pension, and a girl at the internet cafe. Those of you who really know me, know that the people are what makes it all happen for me, so Prague left me a bit empty. I saw the lovely shell, but never got a sense of its heart...























Next stop, Krakow...

Bonfire night

Forewarning! No photos...
It's Bonfire Night here in the UK, so I am sitting and listening to fireworks going off all around me, peeking out into the night, smelling that gunpowdery smell. I see flashes of light all around and hear lots of pops and bangs. For my part, I lit a symbolic sparkler in the back garden, which I was able to purchase at my local Tesco, my food market, and may even light a few more before the night is out. Hopefully the house will not burn down - I just saw a streak of colored streaks overhead. Guy Fawkes Night, although I have not seen any burning effigies...
Saturday, I've been invited to a Bonfire Night Party - a few days late, but no work, school, etc. I'll try to take photos then.
Life has been a roller coaster ride here. That time of missing everyone back home has kicked in, along with a change of both the clocks and the weather, just as the Fulbright people warned us exchangees - how do they know these things? Must be experience... Had some blues, some low moments. Work is stressful, and then I have a good day and all is well. Just trying to find my "groove"...
Prague and Krakow were both amazing and I do promise wonderful photos to come. I'm just not up to it tonight - over the weekend.
I get to arrange a Thanksgiving assembly, so I'm trying to put together an entertaining and educational presentation for the school. There are a great many truly terrible versions of "Over the River and Through the Woods" online, so slogging through these has been a bit of a trial. How about the Alvin and the Chipmunks version? Ugh... still searching - if anyone knows of one that is not saccharine-sweet and is accessible, please let me know. A story. A skit. What we're grateful for... All within 15 minutes. Hmmm...
And, of course, I volunteered to make pie for the staff of about 50-70 and cannot find canned pumpkin anywhere in Cardiff. Bee, at school, has been helping me search, but unless I want to spend a fortune to order it online, it can't be found. I've decided on sweet potato pie, which I personally love and have eaten before for the holiday - definitely American. Any fabulous recipes that don't involve days and days of work?
Thanksgiving itself will be quite strange for me, honestly. I've always associated it with family, friends, loved ones. In this case, I think that I'll try to have a few people over for dinner here, but the actual day is a regular workday, so may have to push it to the weekend. Order a turkey from the local butcher, Mom's famous stuffing, see if I can find fresh cranberries...
I'm really happy that my next mini-trip is planned. I'll be meeting my friends, Lin and Jan, in Edinburgh the weekend before the holiday - which means even less prep time for the assembly, uh-oh - and I am so excited. I really am craving a friendly face from home! They are dear friends (I spent time with them last summer in Vancouver, where they now live after moving from L.A.) and as a bonus, are from Edinburgh, so I'll get a wonderful insider's view of what is supposed to be a great city. Can't wait. I've been reading the series 44 Scotland Street, which takes place in Edinburgh, so I'm ready.
Okay, I'm going to go light some more sparklers, drink a cup of tea in front of the fire, and get cozy.
More later... Happy Bonfire Night.