czech republic

17 july
buildings in the main square of Prague

Luxury, as with everything, is relative. Our hostel is basic: no breakfast, shared loos and showers, and tiny rooms. However, compared to camping, we feel like we are really stepping out. The location is the best thing about this place. It’s called Tyn. For those of you that have been there and those who plan to go, take the street on the left side of the church that has the Hogwarts style top and then turn down the first alley on the left.

the church near our hostel

the astronomical clock in Prague's main square

the memorial to jan hus in the main square

We crossed the river today and walked to, through and around the castle.

charles bridge

Our bus home was mid afternoon again. The ride seemed longer and the bus was not as comfortable or new as the one in which we rode to Prague. It was good to get ‘home’ and to find that our tent and car were both as we had left them. Tim’s got a cold and slight fever. One eye has some discharge as well. He’s in a good mood, but sleeping a lot.

16 july
We left our tent and car behind and took the bus to Prague to spend the night in a hostel. The earliest bus we could get wasn’t until mid afternoon, so we spent some time wandering the village and visiting the internet café.

the castle from one of the streets near the market in Cesky Krumlov


another twisting, narrow street near the market square in Cesky Krumlov

a close up of the castle tower


We got lucky and were able to book a room at the most desirable hostel in the city, according to Lonely Planet. It’s meters from the centre. We planned to take the train but learned from the tourist office in Cesky Krumlov that the bus is faster and more comfortable. It took 3 hours to get there with several stops including one in the town that in German is known as Budweiser. When Anheiser-Busch named their beer Budweiser, it was because the name was synonymous with great tasting beer from this Czech city. Prague brews Staropromen, and Plizen is where lager was first made. The beer there is called Pilsner Urquell. We dropped our stuff off in our room and set out to see some of the city. I came here with Karen in November 2004 and little has changed. It is better in the summer when the outdoor cafes are open. The main square is a smorgasbord of architecture.

15 july
No rain in the night or this morning made taking down camp a little easier. We drove to Cesky Krumlov today, a small town not far from the Czech/Austrian border. Whale, a friend of Paul’s recommended the place and it was even better than his description.


The river is so twisted that it creates a near circle in the centre. In the middle of this is a castle. Across the bridge is the old market square, and radiating out from both are narrow, cobbled streets. The village is in a valley, so the view as we drove in was from above, revealing a sea of red tiled roofs. Disney could not create a better medieval village. Unlike other medieval centers that we’ve seen, this one is not surrounded by a larger city. The ugly block apartments and soviet era growth is down river. Our campsite is described as basic, and that it is. It’s also Eastern European basic. The location is nice, beside the river, and there is a beer hall and restaurant, but there’s no hot water and loos are filthy. The place is wall to wall tents.

innsbruck and salzburg

14 july
We started our visit to the centre at the palace gardens, a showcase of roses and begonias. Then we crossed the river and visited several squares with impressive churches and plenty of outdoor cafes. We took shelter from more rain in one of the cafes and enjoyed a couple of beers. A group of American teenagers sat beside us and I was reminded of my trips and glad that I’m not doing that anymore. It was great, but nothing like the freedom and fun that comes with traveling with my family. When the rain stopped, we pushed Tim up the hill to the castle entrance for a view of the city. Lovely spires and pointed, red tiled roof tops. One of the high meadows of the nearby hills must have surely been where Maria sang ‘The hills are alive…”


the gardens


the city from the castle gate


the walk down in the rain
13 july
The only thing worse than setting up camp in the rain is taking it down. We watched, with envy, RV after RV fold up their awnings, put away their chairs, shut their doors and drive off as we attempted to get our tent down with as little mud on it and us as possible. We did surprisingly well and didn’t have a single argument. The more we do together, the more compatible we find ourselves. Our drive from Innsbruck to Salzburg meant a quick jog through Germany, but the border crossing was invisible save for a couple of good-bye and welcome signs. Our campsite here is not as well fitted as the one in Innsbruck, but it’s clean and comfortable. The rain is still with us, but that hasn’t stopped us from seeing the sights. No, we didn’t take a Maria tour nor did we visit the salt mines. The town has enough to offer without these. We visited a monastery with a beer hall, actually several beer halls in one huge building, full of people. The monks brew the beer and it is tasty.


the castle above the city and the 'lovely' weather

12 july
We spent a lovely day in Innsbruck today. The guide book makes the city seem dull after seeing the golden roof, but that’s not what we found. The medieval centre is full of twisting, narrow cobbled streets that reveal a new delight of architecture with each turn. Sometimes it’s an intricately carved wooden door or a curly-queued iron sign with gilt accents or a balcony with hanging geraniums. This evening, we took advantage of the wi-fi in our campsite and did a lot of on-line work. Most of the day was sunny with broken clouds, but the rain moved in for the night.


one of the many shop signs


the golden roof is the main attraction in the city centre. it covers a balcony where dignitaries used to address the people


signs of the weather change

11 july
We drove from Interlaken to Innsbruck today. For the first hour of the journey, we played peek-a-boo with the glorious scenery as drove in and out of tunnels. There were so many that I began to think that they were built simply because they could be built rather than because they were needed. We stopped for a photo in Liechtenstein (deleted because Paul didn't like it) and to give Tim a break. It’s a pretty place but can’t compete with Switzerland. Our campsite in Interlaken was nice; the one we are in now is fantastic. It has a beer garden, restaurant, wi-fi, and friendly proprietors who we’ve heard speak German, English, and French fluently along with recognizing that someone trying to speak German was from Romania! Her new hire spoke fluent Romanian. We had to set up camp in the rain and it’s cooler here, but the low clouds and temperature add a new dimension to things. I know when we’re in southern Turkey and it’s hitting 41C/100F, we’ll remember this with fondness.


our campsite in Innsbruck

luxembourg and switzerland

the matterhorn

10 july
We traveled by car and train to Zermatt today, about 2.5 hours from our campsite. This is a carless village near the Matterhorn. Half way through the journey we drove onto a train, which took us through a mountain. It's not as swish as the eurotunnel, but it works. We parked the car in a valley and rode a train up to Zermatt. We walked through the village and briefly along a path before stopping for lunch above a glacier fed roaring river.


the car train


the village of zermatt


edelweiss

9 july
Paul did a six hour hike high above our campsite today, and Timothy and I stayed at home and spent most of our time playing on the blanket. We said good-bye to our neighbors next to us from The Netherlands with their three children and hello to our new neighbors in front of us from The Netherlands with their son. Based on the number of Dutch cars pulling campers, I think Americans must have got their love of caravanning from these ancestors. At 15:00, we drove to Grindelwald to meet Paul and had lunch under the shadow of the Eiger.


views from paul's walk


part of the trail


grindelwald below the eiger

8 july
We took a Rick Steve’s walk up a valley with stunning views to a cable car that took us to Gimmelwald. Someone once wrote that ‘if heaven is full, send me to Gimmelwald.’ We think we’d rather just skip heaven all together and go straight to Gimmelwald. There are 150 year round residents here and probably that many cows and goats.


part of the walk


a beer with a view in gimmelwald


this hut is on stilts to keep the mice out of the hay stored for the winter



alpkase, stored in this hut, is the cheese that is made and kept at these altitudes, too high to transport


in the summer the cows are taken to higher pastures and have to wear these expensive bells, which are hung from the summer huts once they arrive. Reportedly, they don't like the bells.



7 july
We arrived in Interlaken, set up camp and got to know the area today. It took us a while to get settled because all the camp site reception offices were closed for the afternoon break when families get together for a long lunch. Our camp site is basic, with super clean bathroom/showers and sinks for cleaning dishes complete with dishcloths for drying.


our first campsite


this place is adventure sport heaven. there seem to be as many people in the sky as on the ground.

6 july
Colleagues of mine from Egham, Mark and Gabe, took jobs in Basel, and we spent one night with them. They had only arrived that day but did a great job of showing us the city. It’s on the Rhine and has a great old center.


fountain art


the flag


typical square

5 july
Our first day and night in a place neither of us has been: Luxembourg. The city is small but graced with impressive fortifications. It was once called the Gibralter of the north.


luxembourg city from 'the most beautiful balcony in europe'

arthur road

Tracy called it 'our perfect little neighborhooh,' and I agree with her.

Several things make it perfect: Cafe du Parc, George and his bottle shop, the family run co-op grocery store, the tube stop just 100 metres from our front door, and the park.



It's also clean, safe, and friendly. I'll miss all of these things. It holds happy memories. As our first abode together, it will be associated with the discovery of a young relationship. We brought Tim home to it, and five months of his 'firsts' are connected to it.

I've loved living here. It's the first time I've lived in a real city, one of the major players of the world as far as cities go. I can be on Oxford Street from my home in the same time that it takes you to get to your local mall. I have yet to meet someone who hasn't heard of London. Yet, I live in a real neighborhood.

I will miss this place, but I'm not sad about leaving. We're headed out on another adventure then to the US, which I get to experience through Paul's eyes. My life with Paul is proving to be just what I expected, full of rich memories of past experiences, contentment with our present life, and excitement about the next journey.

pubs, pubs, pubs

the alexandra

The English pub is a unique experience; its closest match the Irish pub. A good English pub is old, at least older than the European discovery of the New World. It is dark: dark wood paneling, low lighting, muted colors, leaded windows that don't let in much light. It smells of beer immediately upon walking in but isn't unpleasant. The carpet is a multicolored horror that works somehow. There's a dog behind the bar or asleep under a table somewhere. It has something that is used by the locals. For example, the pub next to our campsite in Surrey had reading glasses on string hanging from a nail on the wall, three pairs. A checkers board is a favorite. You are not served at the table but must go to the bar to get drinks and even food - remember your table number. I read in a great book called Watching the English that this encourages socializing among a people who not long ago required formal introductions before being able strike up a casual conversation. The English probably won't like this next one, but I feel that a proper English pub must have at least one Eastern European on staff. This is because almost all of the pubs I've visited in my two years here (and that's a lot of pubs) have had Eastern Europeans serving. Personally, I think the best English pubs don't have TV; however, that's highly debatable, and I agree that the best place to watch a sporting event is a pub. A proper English pub is also within walking distance of wherever you are staying. If you have one near home, it is your local. Our local, The Woodman, doesn't meet all of the criteria, but it's a good place to watch Rugby and enjoy a pint.



the woodman

The Hand and Racquet is special to me because I first went there on 7 July 2005, the day the tube was bombed, with Paul and three other friends. By 19:00, the place was packed with people who seemed to be saying, "You can't scare us. We refuse to hide in our homes, quivering in fear."



Paul and I went to the Fox and Grapes the first time that I visited him in London from Bulgaria. We'd had a picnic in Wimbledon Common and stopped in for a pint on the way home.


the fox and grapes

The Crooked Billet is also close to the Common. We took Tim there with Mark and Gabe when Tim was only nine days old. It's the most family friendly of all the pubs we frequent. There are always a few dogs to pet as well.



the crooked billet

The Hand in Hand is next door to the Crooked Billet and we only went in for the first time this week. It's a charming place with low ceilings and a beer garden out front. By the way, Young's is a brewery.


the hand in hand

What I'll miss the most about the English pub is being able to walk in have a pint or two and walk out, never having to think about a designated driver.

flowers

I will miss the flowers of England, a place where roses grow like weeds.

This is a path in Wimbledon Park. Tim and I went running this morning. He's asleep in the photo but he stayed awake for most of it. When I ran down this path, I could smell the roses, even though I was breathing through my mouth.


This is a home in our neighbhorhood. I tried to grow roses in Arkansas and had some success, but it was hard work. As far as I can tell, roses grow here without any help at all. They are used as hedges and as decorations between lanes in traffic islands.

It's not just the roses that I'll miss. It's the lush greenness of the place. Colorado is beautiful, but it isn't lush.

This is a rhododendron in the neighborhood. It's about six feet tall.

Gardens in England are interesting things. They have a kind of organized wildness about them. Plants often grow on top of or through one another, but the result is pleasing. There are manicured and well trimmed gardens here, as there are everywhere. However, I think of these as the compulsory gardens of government: ordered and counted. Every country has these. The front gardens of the homes surrounding our flat are of the other variety. I've tried taking photos, but my eye can't capture the essence of wilderness, so you'll have to use your imagination. I'm not going to try to recreate an English garden at home. It just wouldn't work. So I have to say good-bye to these. I will miss them.

I've come to realize that even though I am leaving England and its flowers, Paul has made my whole life a place where roses grow like weeds.

the english countryside

Paul and I went camping Friday night in the English countryside, which is something that I will miss, especially Surrey: the rolling hills, the hedgerows, the narrow roads canopied with thick trees, the vibrant green, the wildflowers, the villages, the hamlets, the local pubs, and on and on only thirty minutes from our flat. We went camping for just one night as a test run for our summer trip, to make sure we had all that we needed.


The pub where we paid for the campsite and where the loo and shower are located.


The front beer garden. The beer was extra cold, and we cooked our own food so it was tasty.

Camping in Europe is very civilized with beer gardens and restaurants on the grounds. In England, a pub is usually within walking distance. Ours was across the road, and we enjoyed a couple of pints and conversation with the locals after setting up camp and cooking dinner. Car camping can be quite luxurious with a table, chairs and real cutlery and plates. We only had to add minor things to our list. We are officially ready to go. Roll on 28 June.


Craftsmanship of a bygone era.

In that way that thoughts roll around together and on top of each other, mixing and separating to create new thoughts and bring to mind other thoughts making us contemplative, the words ‘English countryside’ causes me to do a system check to see that I am appreciating the world around me properly. On one of our trips home from Paris on the Eurostar, I listened in on the conversation of two American women. One was travelling with her two children. Their accents caught my attention, recognizing ex-patriots and feeling a connection albeit superficial. I quickly tired of the conversation, the mother of the two children was yammering on about work and family, raining complaints upon complaints on the head of her companion who had the weary look not of a traveller returning home but of someone hearing what they’ve been told too many times and responding automatically with ‘yes, you mentioned that before’ and ‘so you’ve said’ whenever there was a dramatic pause. Nothing unusual in all of that. We all need to vent. What stuck with me, however, was that every twenty minutes or so, the mother would take a break from her tirade and tell her children to look out the window at the English countryside. ‘Look out the window. That’s the English countryside that we came to see. Isn’t it pretty?’ Her kids would glance up from their Gameboys and towards the window but they didn’t have to look for long because she’d be back to her complaints and ignoring both the kids and the English countryside before their heads were fully lifted.


This is not really mist but rather the dew beginning to evaporate as the sun rises and warms the air in the field behind our campsite.


I thought at the time and still think that she was guilty of what we are all at times guilty of: knowing what we should be doing but not doing it. It seems a greater travesty to me to know we should smell the roses and even encourage others to do so while not doing it ourselves then to not know at all that there are roses to smell. So this weekend, I enjoyed the English countryside. We put the tent up in the shade of large oak, so we had to wait for the sun to climb high enough to dry the dew off of it before packing up. We went for a walk that a local man at the pub recommended then we sat on our camp chairs and listened to the birds and watched the sun slowly light up the meadow, mind you Tim had us up before 06:00. A pheasant walked through the campsite.



This cedar tree is hollow in the middle and full of bugs, I'm sure, which is why I didn't get inside as Paul suggested. There isn't any way to figure scale in the shot, but the tree as big around as a round table for 8 people.


Being home with Tim is a big job. I’ll never say that I don’t work anymore. However, my job now allows for a lot more time to do what I know I should be doing instead of saying I should be doing it. We take a walk to the park almost every day. We study patterns in the quilts our friends have made. We marvel at the taste of a banana. I believe ours will be a summer full of this kind of ‘living deliberately.’