A Beautiful Sunset in Curaçao @ Seaquarium Beach

Well last Friday was my first real hiccup. The first time I veered off path and then did not make up for it by posting something after the fact. I’m starting to wonder if this 5 day posting stuff is a little TOO ambitious after all. Maybe this is just something I need to work through. Anyways, things are moving here.

Recently I have been kicking around the idea of changing the name of this site to something else. It seems I have been it a bit of a transition on a lot of things, relationships, jobs, life, this blog. I am now to the point where I feel this may need to become more than it has been. Maybe a change of scenery is just the thing to get it going again, or maybe I got too ambitious and went off the rails here.

Either way I am kicking these ideas around and will have something on 27th to show for it. Until then no new posts and you may not see me around either as I immerse myself in this project. Why the 27th you ask, well it’s my birthday and if I have no plan in place by then I may just go mad. So stay tuned, changes are coming and thanks to those of you who have been reading so far and enjoyed it.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008 - Monday, August 18, 2008

“One minute we were traversing dignified eighteenth and nineteenth century streets, enlivened here and there by a burst of art-nouveau fantasy or a tremendous old tree. The next minute we were in sight of the Danube. It was enormous. I hadn’t been prepared for it’s grandeur, with three great bridges spanning it. On our side of the river rose the incredible neo-Gothic spires and dome of the Parliament Buildings, and on the opposite side rose the immense tree-cushioned flanks of the royal palace and the spires of medieval churches. In the midst of everything was that expanse of the river, gray-green, it’s surface finely scaled by wind and glinting with sunlight. A huge blue sky arched over the domes and monuments and churches, and touched the water with shifting colors. I had expected to be intrigued …; I had not expected to be awed.” - Elizabeth Kostova

Budapest is the city to which Ms. Kostova refers to in her book, The Historian, and although she was talking about it though the eyes of her main character seeing it for the first time in the 1950’s, I can assure you that the view has not changed that much and that it could have been me writing those words. The only difference is I arrived at night and did not see it till the next day but the sentiment and the feeling are the same. But I am getting ahead of myself that is not how the day began;

Back in Krakow, yet again we arrived at the train station, in this case Dworzec Główny, way too early. So there we were yet again having lunch at yet another train station. This time the lunch was not sandwiches but kielbasa baked in pastries. Really good, a whole new way of way eating a hot dog. As we waited for our train we noticed a few students with backpacks. I remarked that with our luck, they would be in our cabin on the train. Sure enough when we got on the trail, there they were. The students or rather I should say the recent graduates, were 3 from Derby, England (pronounced Darby) and 1 from Canada. 3 guys and 1 girl. They were really nice and we had a great time. Well I should say I did as we talked football and all things British. For those of you who have not known me for a while, accents is totally something I do, it’s not really forced it just happens, like I absorb it. So while we were talking I starting moving over to my English twang and although it did not seem to mind the Brits, since they went out of their way to help me with some of my phrases and pronunciations, it bothered Layne a great deal. Don’t ask, I don’t understand myself.

When we crossed into Slovakia, two soldiers came on the train to check passports. Mine and the 3 from Derby were European Union Passports and were glanced at and returned, for Layne and our Canadian friend, each and every page of their passports was scrutinized and though the Canadian did not blink an eye, Layne decided to bury her foot in the seat across from her. That seat was mine of course, and I did my best to not react and just keep smiling. Nothing happened and the trip continued. We dropped them off in the town of Plaveč where, they planned to continue their trip by doing some hiking in the mountains.

As we arrived in Budapest, given my two last arrivals at a city with Layne, I decided to take point on where we were going and how we were going to get there. I’d like to point out that I did not get us lost but rather walked to the map and just figured out how to get where we were going. Once we got to our hostel, we saw down with the owner, a Magyar named Adam. I say Magyar and not Hungarian, because when I asked him he told me that those who are half Gypsy and half Hungarian still to this day call themselves Magyars. It’s interesting to point out that Hungarian for Hungary is Magyarország. The night we got there I met Patrick and Alison from Dublin, who were doing as I was seeing as much of Europe as they could. While talking with them I still had the English accent and until Layne came outside, they actually believed me to be someone who lived in the UK (I had not told them that but once Layne told them where we were from Alison did a double take and the next day both her and Patrick remarked on the fact that I did not act or sound like an American) The hospitality we received was top notch, I would totally stay there again if I am ever back in Budapest. The only problem was no towels, but solved with a trip to TESCO.

Budapest is a contrast of sides. The Buda side is still a medieval city, a few modern style buildings mind you but still for the most part retaining it’s old charm. The Pest side, although it still has some old buildings and streets is a more even mix of old and new. Both sides as a whole make the city was it is with the Danube as the ultimate dividing line. The Danube, the first time you see up close with your own eyes is truly a sight to behold. I did not get to see it the night we got there, but I did get to see it in all it’s splendor the next day. After being in both Prague and Krakow, the sight of a larger river was both amazing and breathtaking and no I am not exaggerating.

Day 1: Pest, Great Market Hall, the Danube River

This was a mostly lazy day. It started with an adventure to TESCO to get towels and other supplies. I say adventure because on the way there, which by the way was near the train station we arrived at the day before, we misunderstood the policy for using tickets on the Budapest Metro (BKV) and were promptly nabbed and fined 6000 Forints each (roughly $38) for our trouble. So for anyone who is planning to visit Budapest, please know that switching from one color line (Red, Blue or Yellow) to another you need a whole new ticket.

Trust me it will save you $36 bucks on that day and a huge headache of having to control a hysterical person who wanted to argue with the Metro Police. After that we headed to the Mall where the TESCO was. There I found a beautiful Samsonite rolling duffel bag for 9100 Forints. (roughly $60 or $17 less than what we just paid for our total fine) It’s a beauty too. Now with fresh towels we headed back to the hostel, where we proceeded to take much needed showers. After a quick visit to the market to get some sustenance, we headed out to spend the rest of the day on the banks of the Danube. It was nice, it was peaceful.

The view of the sunset, from Pest, let’s just say I have not seen a sunset like that since I lived in Curaçao or the few summers I spent on Edisto Island, SC. It’s the kind of sunset you find on postcards and screen savers. I love those sunsets they remind me of home. I sat there writing for what felt like hours but was only 45 minutes. These are the moments I live for.

Day 2: Great Market Hall, Gellért Hill, The Funicular, Buda Palace, Királyi Borház (House of Royal Wines and Cellar Museum), Labyrinth of Buda Castle

First of allow me to apologize for not talking about the Great Market Hall in the previous day set of notes. It is quite the marvel. Two floors of both food and shops selling local and imported goods. They have just about any fruit and any other Hungarian food products you want. On this day we went and got supplies for the day. Meats, cheese and bread with some fruits The walk across to Buda was partially obscured by the construction on the Pest side of the Szabadság híd (Liberty Bridge) Walking across the way to the famous Gellért Hill is supposed to picturesque sight but with all that construction it just looked like a regular bridge walk. The façade of Gellért Hill features a slight waterfall which cascades more like a series of huge faucets than a proper waterfall. It is nonetheless a beautiful sight as the backdrop to it all is a quite green.

The walk from there to where you grab the Funicular is like taking a step through both the forgettable present and the past. I say forgettable present because like most of Eastern Europe, Budapest is still trying to atone for the sins of it’s Communist past. For most of these nations, it is a huge factor in their entrance to the European Union. That they apologize for the past’s is usually the first step in getting in. Buda Palace is built on a large hill and there really are two ways up. One is to walk around the hill, round and round till you get to the top. The other is to get on board a chair lift contraption called The Funicular. Now for someone afraid of heights like me, this way is a non starter. Not gonna happen, no way you get me on that thing. This much I told both Layne and Alison the night before. You see it was Alison (herself afraid of heights) who first approached the idea of us taking this way. She went on and on about how it was great view of the city and well worth it. Well she was right. The view as you go up is breathtaking. You see all of the Pest side of the Danube. I took a video even.

Once on top of I took some pictures. We did not go inside the palace, a fact that now I do regret knowing that it is the home of the Országos Széchényi Könyvtár (The National Library) I am forced to admit at this point, since this was a last minute trip that I did not properly research Budapest to see what there was to see and that my facination was mostly with with Ms. Kostova’s book and her descriptions. That and I figured when was I gonna get this chance again. The House of Royal Wines was not as exciting as it sounded but rather a dull attempt at trying to get people to care about Hungary’s wine history. It’s a shame really because it was a great idea just poorly executed.

The Budapest Labyrinths on the other hand are well worth the trip. A underground maze below the Buda Castle, originally set as an underground city. It was a place for both the Royal Family to hide and be protected as well as being a good escape route. The layout is broken into 7 different areas. Once a giant maze, that obviously changed with the times, they now show the various styles of Labyrinths from different eras. Each one showing a different style of both layout and decor. In the middle of this maze, perhaps as an homage to the history of the region there is are a group of old fountains dispersing what appears to be wine. Great idea right? Well it would be save for the sign that’s right there as you go to fill up your cup which says quite clearly “This wine is not suitable for consumption.”

Day 3: Széchenyi Medicinal Bath, Hősök tere, Andrássy út, House of Terror

The Széchenyi Medicinal Bath is located in Városliget (the City Park). Városliget is in the North Eastern Quadrant of Pest. The Bath itself is one of the best places to visit in the city. With a series of both hot and cold pools it attracts thousands of visitors daily both for it’s therapeutic and relaxing properties. Its water is supplied by two thermal springs, their temperature is 74°F/23°C and 77°F/25°C, respectively. The price is incredibly reasonable for less than $20 you can get an all day pass and a private closet to store your valuables where they can be watched by a security guard. In fact the only way they will guarantee the safety of your valuables is if you take this option. Because of this, you actually can enjoy yourself literally running around and jumping from pool to pool or bath to bath.

The Baths is actually comprised of two areas, inside and outside. The outside area is three large pools, two of which are cold water pools and one hot one. Of the two cold water pools, one has a small whirlpool in the middle. Very cool it’s run by a series of jets which shoot out the side to propel you around and around. You can’t control it but it is one heck of a ride. The inside area contains saunas, heated pools of varying temperatures. There was also, one very and I mean very cold pool. So cold that normal techniques for warming up, rubbing you arms and whatnot, yeah don’t work.

The walk from the Baths to Hősök tere (Heroes Square) is through a series of parks which are a beautiful shade of green. Part of this walk leads you across the Városliget tó (Városliget lake) which has actually been dammed up in two areas to create an open air skating rink. One of things this affords you, is a long walk along the water. Literally one step in front of the other as you walk across. If you fall, though it may be embarrassing it’s only a four foot drop, so you will be very wet as well.

Hősök tere (Heroes Square) is at one end of the famous Andrássy út, the other end being Erzsébet tér. In the square are monuments to some of Hungary’s most famous statesmen. They are set up in a semi-circle, as listed below, I’ve included a brief description of each;

▪ Stephen I of Hungary - St. Stephen receives the crown from an emissary of the Pope

▪ Ladislaus I of Hungary - St. Ladislaus slays the Cumanian abductor

▪ Coloman of Hungary - Coloman prohibits the burning of witches

▪ Andrew II of Hungary - Andrew leads a crusade

▪ Béla IV of Hungary - Béla rebuilds the country after the Mongol invasion

▪ Charles I of Hungary - Ladislaus IV defeats Ottogar at the battle of Marchfeld

▪ Louis I of Hungary - Louis the Great occupies Naples

▪ János Hunyadi - Hero of The battle of Nándorfehérvár

▪ Matthias Corvinus of Hungary - Matthias with his scholars

▪ István Bocskay - Hajdú soldiers defeat the imperial forces

▪ Gabriel Bethlen - Bethlen concludes a treaty with Bohemia

▪ Imre Thököly - Hero of the battle of Szikszó

▪ Francis II Rákóczi - Rákóczi returns from Poland

▪ Lajos Kossuth - Kossuth rallies the peasants of the Great Plain

The Square itself is surrounded by two important buildings, Museum of Fine Arts on the left and Palace of Art (or Art Exhibition Museum) on the right. Andrássy út is one of the most exclusive addresses in all of Pest. Towards the end of Andrássy út at no 60 is a building that once was the most feared place in all of Hungary. Home of the ÁVH or Hungary’s version of the KGB, no 60 Andrássy út was the sight of some real terrors. It has been compared to a Nazi Concentration Camp. Starting with those responsible with the 1956 Revolution, some of the most unspeakable crimes were committed here. It’s now a museum which not only depicts those horrors, but those of the holocaust as well. Now called the House of Terror, it is still an impressive and depressing sight.

Day 4: Margit-sziget, Hungarian Parliament Building, Chain Bridge Festival

Part of what makes Budapest unlike any other major city in Europe is not only the fact that it was once two cities Buda and Pest, but that it also has a series of seven islands on the Danube which are between the two halves of the cities. One of these is Margit-sziget or Margaret Island. Accessible by the Margit híd (Margaret Bridge) in the south and Árpád híd (Arpad Bridge named after an ancestor of the great Istvan) in the north.

Established in the 12th century as a sort of religious retreat of sorts, it had long been the home of various monasteries and nunneries throughout it’s existence. In the 1980’s Since the 1980’s, entry by cars has been limited to special cases in fact on the Southern Cars can only go a short way before being turned away. On the northern end of the island a car park houses the cars of hotel guests. What it has turned to is essentially an entertainment haven and country club like atmosphere. It’s Musical Fountain, which we did get to see albeit during the day, performs to both music and light shows at night in the summer time.

The Hungarian Parliament Building, is one of the oldest legislative buildings in Europe. It is the third oldest Parliamentary Building in the world and is the second largest Parliamentary Building in Europe. located in Kossuth Lajos tér it is an impressive sight. If you have ever seen the Parliament building in England, just imagine a building twice it’s height and width but not as long and you have an idea. Unfortunately due to its extensive surface and its detailed handiwork, The building is almost always under renovation. You used to be able to walk on to the grounds up until late 2001 as Budapest adopted the same security standards of most Western European governments. Just outside the perimeter you can see the famous Hungarian Flag of 1956.

On the afternoon of 23 October 1956, approximately 20,000 protesters convened next to the Parliament. Péter Veres, President of the Writers’ Union, read a manifesto to the crowd, the students read their proclamation, and the crowd then chanted the censored “Hungarian National Song” , the refrain of which states: “We vow, we vow, we will no longer remain slaves.” Someone in the crowd cut out the communist coat of arms from the Hungarian flag, leaving a distinctive hole and others quickly followed suit. The original is now a national treasure but another flag from that day now stands outside Parliament as a constant reminder. The Revolution was destroyed on November 4th when the Soviets invaded and took control.

Summer on the Chain Bridge is Budapest’s largest summer festival. Breathtaking view, wide-ranging programmes for free. Events are held on stages on both Pest and Buda side, between beginning of July-mid-August, every Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 10 pm. It is the only time that cars are forbidden on the bridge.

During the festival you can walk across the bridge from the Danube Promenade to the Castle Hill, while enjoying the various cultural events and the wonderful vista. You can listen to wind orchestras, music performances and even jazz concerts. Craftsmen (woodcarvers, embroiderers, lacemakers, potters, leather workers) present their traditional, rare skills. They even teach you the basics of their trade if you’re adventureous enough. A good opportunity to get a glimpse of the culture, handicraft and folklore of Hungary’s different regions.

Here you can watch the making of the special Hungarian (Transylvanian, to be precise) pastry, kürtös kalács (hollow, cylinder-shaped pastry with different coatings: sugar, walnut) and taste it freshly. I especially liked it in it’s coconut version though.

Day 5: Szent István-bazilika, Deák Ferenc tér, Chain Bridge Festival

In just about every city I visit on this trip, I have promised myself that I will attend Mass. I am doing this for a number of reasons, one my Grandmother, well actually both of them have always been devout Catholics. Though I was raised that way, I have in the last few years fallen off the wagon as it were. Funny thing is that every service I attend it’s like I have been going all these years. I know the songs, I know the format and it’s almost like I can do the service myself. It’s something that does come in handy when you are attending Mass in another language. Another thing I have noticed in going to all these different services in all the places I have been to is that tourists (mostly of the non Catholics) tend to disrespect the services by taking pictures during the service. Szent István-bazilika is indeed an sight to behold. The third largest basilica in Europe, it’s just down the road from one of Budapest’s most famous squares Deák Ferenc tér.

After service, went back to the Chain Bridge Festival and listened to the music. It was very relaxing, right there overlooking the Danube and getting more of the kürtös kalács and an interesting Magyar meat dish (whose name I cannot remember) There I got to see yet another amazing sunset. Perfect way to end the trip.

Okay so today I am going to bring you up to date on some projects I have been working on. These are story ideas I am working on, either by myself or with others. I will continue to update them as I go along. I also intend to bring you up to date on other projects. Everything except the blog itself, as obviously those updates will come every Monday.

So here we go.

Untitled 15 yr Old Project - For a few years now I have been toying with an idea for a book. I have written and rewritten many many pages, though for the most part I was unable to get past what I had. I can’t even begin to tell you how frustrating that was. I have now started again and this time writing new scenes and incorporating old ones. This began as an assignment for Creative Writing Class and was actually TWO short stories that got a positive response from both the professor and the class. The basic story is a washed up military spy who after being exposed was forced to go into hiding is brought back when the President of the United States is assassinated on his inauguration day. Below is an except.

He rubbed his temples, this was not going to be an easy task. No one had ever attempted this before. This was just too neat. Neatness bothered him. It raised the odds and made it almost impossible to guarantee anything. Pierre Trané was an old solder, he never left a man behind well not one who still was alive anyways. All of his men knew this, if they were to fall behind, they were to do the honorable thing and end their lives before they were captured. In the last five years since he had gone rogue, he had lost 6 people from his original crew and still he had replaced all but two of them.

That was the next step, there was no way to pull this off without a full team. So many parts and roles to play, he was taking his time picking the right people. That’s what made him the best, he only worked with the best. He had already “interviewed” a few people but they were not good for the job in fact they were going to be more of a danger to the rest of the team than any amateurs would have been.

Trané always though he could train just about anybody but those who were arrogant would only cause trouble and get in the way. So far that was all he was finding these days. It angered him actually, good help was indeed hard to find. As he took a sip of his wine he pondered this thought, where would he find the perfect people for this job, and would he ever find them? He looked down at the list that he had prepared over the last few days, a sort of last ditch, attempt at finding the right people. A few of the names were familiar, and others he had heard of but never worked with. Some of the names he had crossed off immediately, not willing to give them the time of day or even a second thought. They were just not worth his time. His time was valuable and he was slowly running out of it. He was just about to lose all hope when he saw a name which sparked some interest, he even smiled as another name brought back even more interest. “Perfect”, he said to himself as his thoughts drifted back to another time, heck another life even. He could see them now as clear as day.

They were sisters, two of the best looking women he had ever seen. Both had long red hair and green eyes that could pierce the heart of any man they looked at. He had first met them at Connoly’s, a small Irish pub tucked in the alleys of central London just off of Edgware Road. It seemed weird that an Irish Pub would reside here, deep in the neighborhood which was full of Hindus and Persians and yet perhaps this was part of it’s charm. The drafty old pub had areas that were darker than others. It was the perfect place to be when one did not wish to be seen. He never wanted to seen. It seems it had always been his custom. Hiding in plain sight, rather than just merely in the shadows made him harder to fin actually. As if blending with the crowd was the perfect hideaway.

Normally you would think one so hunted as himself would rather not so out in the open but that however was precisely what he wanted. Anywhere and everywhere, just about the only thing he did was to slightly alter his appearance. He always believed this was enough better to be told you remind them of someone and have a laugh at it, then to try and be something you were not.

Her footsteps were light as she walked down the darkened streets. Normally such a place would not be fit for a lady such as herself. She was however no ordinary lady. A smile crossed her lips as she heard the footsteps behind her. Speeding up she ducked into a dark corner. As the person following her walked past, she reached out and pulled him to her. Her gloved hand over his mouth she slit his throat. As the corpse fell to the ground she spat on it and in the distance heard something that made her skin turn white.

She jumped as soon as she heard the laugh, her gun now drawn she aimed it at the darkness. The laughter stopped, but now there was clapping. A figure emerged from the shadows, “Very impressive my dear Vivian”. It was a man’s voice only one man other than her father have ever called her that. “Trané” she whispered into the darkness. He smiled as he stepped into the light, “Who else would it be”. She took a deep breath and lowered the gun. “How long have you been there”, she asked. “I followed him from the bar as he was following you. He was making so much noise, he didn’t even notice I was there. It was so easy.”

She looked at the man at her feet and quickly searched through his pockets and cursed her bad luck when she reached into the breast pocket of his leather jacket. Trané looked at her “Interpol”? She nodded, and he chuckled.

She got up and took his arm. “Did you not wish to help defenseless little ole me.” He smiled again as he motioned to the body behind them, “My dear when you are defenseless, that will be the day the world ends.” Now it was her turn to smile. “What do you want Pierre for surely coming to watch me in action cannot be the only reason you are here. I need the two of you for a job.” She laughed. “Well the Cat is out of the game, has been for many years now, but I am available.” He looked at her, this was no good he needed them both. “Well let’s pay her a visit anyways talking in an alley is never a good idea.” It must have been his timing because as soon as he said this, a couple stumbled into alley and started making out. The woman noticed the body and saw the two of them walking away. She screamed.

Pierre grabbed Vivian and took off. I was afraid of that. He continued walking briskly through the streets with Vivian in tow. Constantly changing direction he did not stop till they were a few miles away then he hailed a cab. Once inside he finally spoke to her. “So shall we go and find your older sister.” She looked at him, her green eyes alive with anger as she said “Not until you tell me what this is all about.” He lowered his head. “All in do time my dear, all in due time first we need to find your sister.” Vivian sighed, “She is not in London.” He smiled, “I know.”

Open Waters - This is actually a collaboration which started out as a role play scenario with one of my two favorite writing partners is the story of a Pirate with a past whose latest conquest proves to be more than just that. This one is currently on the back burner and a stuck. but here is an except nonetheless.

It began as any other day, though not one they had seen in quite some time. The sun for a change had pierced through the dark clouds in the sky. He looked out onto the horizon and noticed for the first time in ages, just how beautiful the sea looked when it was calm. The ripples in the waves gave the scene a much more innocent view than reality ever could. As they crashed against the hull of the vessel known as the Vanquish they made a quiet yet forceful sound. Truth be told, this was very ironic as it described him perfectly, quiet yet forceful. Few actually knew of him and even fewer got into what was called by those who knew him well to his inner circle. Currently that honor was held by just two people, though he was always on the lookout for that one person who could pull him out of this life.

At first, he like everyone else in the profession, did it for the usual things, gold, treasure, the soft pleasure of a woman’s touch and of course the notoriety. These days however it was all about the challenge, different ways, different tactics, anything that would set him apart from the average person in the trade and of course that only that which made him the best.

He had to stay ahead of the game, after all how many had survived as long and as successfully as he had. Now a days they couldn’t even measure up to the name, let alone the distinction. He was last of the great ones, the last of a dying breed, the only one left who could still call himself with honor….PIRATE

And what a fine one he was, heartless and cruel but yet in the end fair. Though the stories never told this, he would always let the Captain of any ship he captured, to choose his own fate. That is to say he would let the man choose how he wanted to die, whether by Khan’s hand or his own. An honorable death, there was no shame in it, he made sure of that. Each Captain’s death was treated with the honor and respect of his rank and in the manner in which he lost. However if a Captain gave up his ship without a fight then his death was treated as that of a coward and his body was merely tossed overboard.

There was no room for cowards, not in the mind of this former soldier. The crew of the ship that was taken were always given the same choice. You can join or you can die. Those who chose death, joined their Captain in his watery grave, those who chose to join were forced to prove their loyalty before they could be trusted. However once they passed the test they were like family, it was the only way he had survived this long, distrust led to mutiny and mutiny to certain death. He was too smart for that. The stories came from everywhere, and although most of them were not true, they helped to add to the legend. Khan took no prisoners it was said that he also killed all the women and children. None of this was true however women and children were the ones who fared the best. He would look after them, it was the one kind spot in his heart, the one thing the separated him from the others. He never hurt the innocent.

Untitled Project - Another collaboration this one written with my other favorite writing partner was originally started as a way to get my muse going. There is not set story as of yet as so far it’s just write as we go.

Molten sunshine awash in the brilliant reds of pre-dusk

burst into the heavily curtained living room

alighting everything in its path with a fiery hue.

Her freckled shoulder leans against the screen-door frame

wisps of hair floating up and away from her face

as the room’s only fan oscillates in her direction.

Sometimes – it’s good to go home.

Familiar sights and smells…

Man!

Some things just never change…

A whispery slide of lashes across sun-kissed cheeks

as thoughtful cerulean blue eyes sweep across the room

And then again, some things are bound to.

Outside on the back porch he rocks slightly on hammock…He stirs as the last rays of sunlight caress his face.

Opening one eye, the nausea sets in almost immediately. He reaches for a bottle of water and tries to calm his stomach. As the dizziness subsides he tries to get up only to fall back down on to the hammock.

His behind misses the hammock and he falls to ground hard. The whole world is spinning now as he continues to resist the urge to vomit, all the while he was thinking to himself as he looked out at the beach in front of him. He relived the meeting in his now spinning head.

The day had started out just like any other. He went to the store to get “supplies and stuff to make lunch and dinner” As he was paying for his goods he saw her. She was asking around about him. The townsfolk were playing it up, but she was not buying it. As she walked around he ducked out the back and headed to the Sandy Crab where he had proceeded to get obliterated. There he had stayed till Missi had piled him into a cab and sent him home. And now here he was, hungover with spoiled meat in a bag and now a sore ass.

What happened? Why did she come back? The pain was beginning to subside but the questions still remained

The summery smell of saltwater permeated everything.

Skin sticky from the palpable humidity

despite fanning herself with a tourist map of the small island.

That’s how she had spent the day.

Just your average tourist, seeing the same old sights,

listening to the wonderful old stories

fanning yourself into carpal tunnel

Catching up on local gossip…

Most everything was in its rightful place… the names may have changed here and there but there was no real chance of getting lost.

She loved that feeling of safety that enveloped her whenever she crossed over to the island.

A smile played at the corner of her lips as she pushed away from the doorframe and stepped fully into the house.

Her feet shod in leather flip flops hisses as it crosses the hardwood floors

adding to the trail of sand leading in from the front door.

A momentary pause as a curious thumping reverberated through the weathered house.

She tapped on her teeth with her fingernail while contemplating the noise and its consequences.

She hadn’t necessarily had a plan when she walked through the door.

Hesitant and unsure of what she would find she paused in the kitchen

A quick glance around provided a knife laying on the butchers block

promptly it was in her hands and held before her as she reaches the back porch.

Lying on the floor the pain is now all over his body, not just in his head. Still he manages to hear a noise behind him, someone was in the house.

With what little strength he had left he looks around for something to defend himself. He sees nothing but the bag of now rotting meat and the rest of his probably now spoiled groceries.

He grabs he bag of meat and twirls it around, till it becomes a projectile. Then he waits obviously heading into the house is not a good idea as he has maybe one really good assault in him and he would need all his strength for that.

His ears are working now, trying to down out the pounding in his head. He hears someone in the kitchen. They are close now. He tries to gain control of his body and turns to face his intruder.

The screen door opens and first a knife appears then a head. He can’t tell who it is so he launches the bag of meat at the head, knocking the intruder back. With the last bit of his strength he gets up and bum rushes them back into the house, using the screen door to knock the knife out of their hand. As the door falls off it’s hinges he falls on top of the intruder.

It’s fortunate that she had to catch the wretched scent of unrefrigerated meat

She reflexively pulled her head back into the house

The bag of food managed not to penetrate the screen but the effect was the same

She cried out in pain as the door was slammed on her wrist

she dropped the knife instinctively as the door repeatedly banged against her arm

Everything is moving in slow motion as its contents crashed to the ground

she found herself being thrown back as the impact of his body hit the door

“What the hell is going on here!?”

Her words were breathless and fierce as she struggled against the broken screen door

Pinned as she was to the ground by the screen itself and the man behind it

she gave up the struggle and strained to see the face of her attacker instead

It took mere seconds to recognize the profile and piece the events together

“Get the hell off me, will ya? I was trying to protect your house! I heard noises out back and thought it prudent to investigate…”

It was a graceless move but she managed to roll out from beneath him,

but not without more abuse from the now destroyed screen door.

Pouting and fighting mad she cradled her wrist and leaned back against the cabinets

Her knees drawn up to her chest she took stock of the injuries incurred.

Mumbling to herself she spoke once more

“Well Sadie…welcome home…”

He was sitting now and his jaw was on the ground as he saw her. Though he had kept the house in the same condition since the day she had left he never expected to see her these again. After all she was the one who had left.

He pulled out a cigar and lit it. Years ago when this was their house this act would have sent her into a rage but now it was his house, and he could hardly give a damn.

His head was throbbing now, no doubt the impact of literally throwing himself through the door had a little to do with it as well. He stood up and looked for something to clean up the meat which was now causing to fight the urge to throwing up.

Realizing his supplies were on the deck. He pulled the spayer out of the sink and turned the pressure high. “Sadie you might want to move out of the way.” He didn’t wait, seconds after he said that he aimed the sprayer at the mess and fired.

The pressure pushed the meat out the door, and on to the deck. When he was done, He dropped the sprayer and grabbed a tea towel from the counter. He wiped the floor, using his foot to hold the towel down. When the floor was dry, he went outside as he stepped out he said in barely a whisper the question that had been on his mind, since the day she left, “Why…Sadie…Why?”

With the collaborations you will see different writing styles but I hope you like it. If not feel free to comment and tell me my writing sucks. Trust me I can take it. More to come in the following weeks but for now, I hope this has satisfied your curiosity.

chandelier made of crystalized rock salt

one of the few remaining walls of the Krakow Ghetto

The following is my favorite excerpt in Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, — I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! — and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Thursday, August 7, 2008 - Tuesday, August 12, 2008

“In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;
And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
And then . . . they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up.”
Martin Niemöller (English translation)

The day started out with a bang, as normal thing for me but a rarity for this trip, I overslept. A brilliant plan to get breakfast and then pick up items to make gorp (trail mix) fell by the wayside and a miscalculation on my part had us at Praha Hlavní Nádraží an hour and change too early. So there we are in the train station having a quick lunch and waiting. Once we got on the train, we had the pleasant surprise of private cabin like seats, which we had for the whole trip to ourselves.

There was a moment there, when we had one person who sat with us. Phllip, was an interesting guy. A Czech national, who dabbles in everything from computers, to employee training, he entertained us for some of the trip. (more me than Layne as I joined him in the dining car for some drinks) Phillip was an avid Fútbol fan, unfortunately he is a Manchester United fan. (a card carrying one in fact) For those of you who do not know I am avid Arsenal fan. I have been for many many years now. To put it in terms you can understand it’s almost like the Yankees vs. the Red Sox only on a smaller scale. The rivalry was once a great one but lately one or the other has had a good season while the other has floundered. This is what we talked about about over drinks.

As we were sitting there and he ordered drink after drink, each drink taking about 15-20 to get a hold of our waiter who seemed to not like our side of the dining car as it seemed to be the only one not getting any service. At one point while we were waiting two Polish co-eds came in and needed a place to sit. Phillip in his best Polish and ignoring my protests invited them to sit with us. When the introductions began he introduced me as a professor from Massachusetts. After they had left he justified the comment to me. It seems to young Phillip thought with my abundance of grey hair and thick beard and sunglasses (it was sunny in the dining car) that I looked like a professor. This became a thing as he kept pointing me out as “the Professor from Massachusetts” to anyone and everyone. He got a great kick out of it and after a while so did I.

Once we got to Dworzec Główny (the main train station in Krakow), I found myself for a moment reliving my first night in Prague. This time, I must say in Layne’s defense she did not get us lost but rather grossly underestimated how long it would take to walk with our bags from the train station to the hostel we were staying at. Something I don’t think she fully appreciated until the day we left and took the tram back to the station and found it was just 3 stops. All that walking for three stops on the tram. A theme that did continue, but this was really the only time it really bothered me. Anyway once we got to hostel, the night got better.

Our hostel, Momotown was split into two parts one part the dormitory section and the other was private apartments. The private apartments were on Szeroka Street which resembles more of a square in the historical neighborhood of Kazimierz. This neighborhood, was named after King Casimir III of Poland and for much of it’s existence has been the home of Jewish population of Krakow. This is where we stayed, it was a lovely place. As we got into our room, we realized we had not eaten for hours, the time was nearly 11pm and we headed out hoping to find something. What we found was a few places on Szeroka that were still open at this late hour. The one place we chose, was for it’s menu. It was Pierogies, The problem was we sat down and they told us that the kitchen was closing, Luckily we looked exhausted and kitchen staff took pity on us and allowed us to order quickly. So at the very least my first night in Poland ended far better than my first night in the Czech Republic.

The next day was better. We went to have breakfast in the main hostel building. Layne went with the understanding that she could get full breakfast there. I’m not sure who gave her the idea but I let her think it mostly cause I wanted to see her reaction. We walked in and there were people behind the sink and some bread cheese and tomatoes on the counter. There were also two pitchers of milk, one warm (for tea) and the other cold (for drinking and cereal) So I made myself some breakfast, and sat down but I could tell something was bothering her. Later she asked me how could I have sat there and ate my cereal with warm milk. I stopped dead in my tracks and just started laughing. Oh yeah you could not make this stuff up.

Day 1: Wawel Castle, Wawel Cathedral, Zygmunt Bell, Royal Road, The Cave of the Dragon

Wawel is a symbolic place of great significance for all Polish people. The Royal Castle and the Cathedral are situated on the Hill. Polish Royalty and many distinguished Poles are interred in the Basilica. Royal coronations have taken place there since 1320. They had a very nice exhibit of the old castle ruins, no cameras allowed unfortunately and yes they had people standing everywhere just to make sure you followed that. The cave of the dragon was an awesome sight as you walked down this narrow spiral staircase in to the depths below the hill. You knew you had gone far down when you finally got to the cave as the air and cave walls all around were rather moist.

Day 2: Auschwitz and Birkenau Memorial Museum, various exhibitions

I would love to write something witty and long here, but to be honest there is nothing witty to say. It’s one of those things in life that if you did not see it for yourself you would not believe it ever happened. It’s also one of those things that you cannot put into words. You have to experience it for yourself. Many great authors have tried and failed, so I am not even going to attempt it. All I will say, is that you have never and probably will never see anything like Auschwitz and Birkenau, except of course Treblinka, Chełmo,   Bełżec, and Sobibór. But if you have never seen any of those or walked through them, then the Holocaust is just something you learned in history class.

The most telling thing about what I saw at Auschwitz, that day were three things; One a room that was filled with women’s hair, the hair was in various shades of gray but there were some that still had a little color. I was not really talking, as I just could not bring myself to, but one of the other people in our tour asked why. The answer was so simple, I am not sure why it did not occur to us. You see the hair that still had color was that of little girls. There were other rooms with various things, collected by the Nazis. Stuff like kitchen wares, prosthetic devices, suitcases, toys, but nothing got to us quite like the room with womens hair. I gotta tell you honestly not one person in our group walked out of that particular room with dry eyes. Another thing, generally when we think of the holocaust we think of older people being gassed and tortured, there was a hallway with pictures on it of Polish Jews who had died in the camp and each and everyone of them looked college age, that took a lot of people by surprise. The third thing that really got me and I took a picture of it, was this memorial glass urn, that held the ashes scraped out of the crematorium.

Birkenau was a different scene though. Whereas Auschwitz was still mostly intact, Birkenau does not look the same as it did back then. It was at the time, the largest Concentration Camp in WWII. More people died there than in any other camp in WWII. The railroad entrance to the camp is most photographed and seen picture of the holocaust. It appeared in Schindler’s List and pretty much every major movie about the holocaust. The view from the tower above the entrance of the largest Concentration Camp in WWII is both breathtaking and surreal. It’s even more amazing when you consider the fact that now it largely overlooks on the right side of the camp the ruins of hundreds of barracks. Of those barracks that still remain, the insides had either rooms with more beds that made impossible to it to be even remotely suitable for living. The bathrooms, which they were allowed to use only 3 times a day for a total of 10 minutes (5 in the morning, 2 in the afternoon and 3 right before bed) were as unsanitary as one imagines they would have been.

The whole scene was an impressive sight, one I will not forget for as long as I live and on top of that it was raining. You could not have written a more somber sight if you had tried.

Day 3: St. Peter and St. Paul Church (where I went to Mass in Polish), Rynek Główny, McDonalds (oh yeah this was very very cool), Sukiennice, Oskar Schindler’s Factory, Concentration Camp at Płaszów, Amon Göth’s House, Jewish Ghetto, Apteka Pod Orłem, Old Synagogue.

I like to call this day my examining of my religious past and present. For those of you who are confused, let me explain. We began the day going to Mass at St. Peter and St. Paul Church. It’s a Catholic Church and we ended it standing in front of one of the oldest synagogues in Poland. That’s actually traveling from my religious present to my past but who’s counting. After Mass we went to Rynek Głowny (Main Market Square) which is the largest medieval square in Europe. For Lunch we ate at McDonalds. Now before you roll your eyes and scoff, let me tell you about this McDonalds. When they were building it they decided as most first floor establishments in Europe do, to build below instead of above. In this case when they were excavating to a larger dining room downstairs they found 13th century ruins. Instead of building around the ruins or knocking them down, they decided to incorporate them into the dining room, therefore it’s the only McDonalds in the world where you can eat under the medieval arches, so we did. After that we went to the Sukiennice (Silk Hall) which is a giant marketplace.

In the afternoon, we took a tour of the sites featured in the movie Schindler’s List. On this tour we got to see where Schindler’s factory was, not actually go into the factory it was closed, in preparation for it’s conversion into a museum sometime in 2009. We also got to see the last remaining wall in the Jewish Ghetto. To me there were two poignant moments in the tour. The first was the actual Camp at Płaszów. It’s now a open grassy field with hills. Quite a beautiful site actually for a place that was the site of so much horror. In what once was the building where people were tortured and murdered, the last remaining building standing of the old camp is now a private housing area. That’s right people actually live there. It must be a sight for them, everyday as people come to take pictures of their house. During our time there one of the people living there actually came outside to walk her dog in the camp itself. Our guide told us that by decree of the state of Poland, that no building would ever occur on that land. It was to remain as it is now for the rest of time.

The second was the Plac Zgody (formerly a market square) in the Podgórze suburb which was the heart of the old Jewish Ghetto in Krakow. This square has one striking object, a memorial to the victims of ghetto. It is a series of chairs scattered in different styles and shapes. When Jews were rounded up to be sent to Płaszów, they were made to wait. They were made to wait in the rain for days on end. They used to bring chairs to wait, when they were taken away the chairs remained. At the end of the day we ended back in Szeroka Street in Kazimierz, which just happens to have both the Old Synagogue and the New Synagogue. The Old Synagogue is also unique because of a law in Krakow that stated that no religious building could be taller than the tallest church. As a result they sunk the building by lowering the ground the synagogue was to be built, so it is actually taller than it looks.

Day 4: Wieliczka Salt Mine

The Wieliczka Salt Mine features a 3.5-km. tour for visitors (The mine reaches down to a depth of 327 meters and is over 300 km long, so the tour only covers about 1%) that includes statues of historic and mythic figures. Active mining was discontinued in 1996 due to low salt prices and mine flooding. My tour guide (I say my because Layne and I were in two different groups) really brought the funny in his delivery. He was a former guide at the actual park itself and now was working for a private tour group. He told jokes the whole way down including continuing to tell me and another person in our group afraid of heights that since we were going down it was not as dangerous. The tour begins with a statue of Mikołaj Kopernik (Nicolaus Copernicus), it was here where our tour guide first told us to feel free to go ahead and try the salt, but to please not try the statues as they will disintegrate and then no one else will get to see them and wouldn’t we feel bad. Of and of course we could be arrested for destroying a World Heritage Site. Like I said he was funny. Another funny story he told was from his first trip to the mine. There is a group of statues made of salt that resemble the Seven Dwarfs, he asked his father where Snow White was and his father told him in the kitchen. Then he watched as his mother proceeded to slap his father silly, sure enough a few guys in our group started laughing and their wives proceeded to slap them silly as well.

The most impressive part of our tour was the main church. Known as “the Underground Cathedral” it is an impressive sight that doesn’t even look like salt but rather unpolished granite. The crystals of the chandeliers are made from rock salt that has been dissolved and reconstituted to achieve a clear, glass-like appearance. The carvings, which depict various religious scenes including a copy of DaVinci’s The Last Supper are amazing, especially when you consider the fact that the oldest ones were actually done by the miners and not by artists. The trip ended with a a speedy lift that brought us back to the surface. There were a few people who were very claustrophobic and me with my fear of heights, of course we were all in the same lift. It worked out okay as keeping them calm, helped to keep me calm.

The day ended with a search for an all night Pierogies place and watching the fire eaters and throwers in Rynek Główny. I have been asked what was my favorite city or place to visit by everybody I have run into on my travels, hands down it was Kraków.

This past week I was making the stroll down memory lane. Since I did not bring my laptop along for the ride, I found myself unable to update the blog. First off because I could not remember my password and second because it seemed the free internet available in the hotels I went to made it impossible to spend any time not frustrated. So I decided to take the time off. The good news is you will get a lot of stuff today, the bad news is you will get a lot of stuff today and may end up hating me. Either way I have a better idea of how I want to proceed.

Since I spent the weekend off-line for the most part, I took lots of notes and decided that I would rearrange the schedule for the blog that I set up last week.

The smallest street in Prague, complete with traffic light.

Monday - Working on the Blog - an update of what is going on here

Tuesday - Travel Journal

Wednesday - WanderFood Wednesdays or Poetry Wednesday

Thursday - Photo of the Week!

Friday - Poetry Wednesday on Friday or another post.

As things progress, hopefully I can find more use for Friday’s post as I don’t intend it to be just a dumping ground. For now, that’s what it will be. Other things I am working on is moving this site to a more manageable location and a better background and visual format. As I said before this is a work in progress. Thank you for being patient.