Some observations from my experiences in Slovenia and Croatia
I went to an AA convention in both countries and was made so welcome by polite and helpful people.
Slovenia has luscious big beds and Croatia has small ones and not so luscious.
Why are STOP signs in English?
Hvala is: Thank you. I could sell them some vowels fro Hawaii.
Blauplunket radios in all the cars, good sounds.
Fantastic red hair colors on all the ladies, not the men yet, and also some very crazy hair cuts.
To match the red hair - red shoes.
Frizer is the name for the hair salons, not all are frizzed as I thought.
Droga, I thought was for the pharmacy, not, it is for perfume.
Smokers are very polite. I was always asked if I minded.
A showroom with a purple kitchen - YES
Music was from the USA and the 50's and 60's, I sang all the time as I knew the words.
Big Mac was 24.90 tollars, 6.4 tollars to the US dollar.
Late night TV is live sex, at least I could understand that.
MOVING MISHAPS
Went the wrong way on the train, only once.
Missed the train, once, I listened to the wrong person, that was pricey, had to stay in Zagreb and it is expensive.
I felt like I was on a movie set as I watched the train move away as I stood on the platform.
Sat on a tram seat, was warm from the person before me?
No, there is a funnel under the seat to bring up warm air from the engine. It must get really cold there, eh?
Also, the churches all have radiators in each pew.
A bar in the supermarket would have made me happy years ago.
EMT people are on motorcycles, clever.
Croatia has Baroque architecture and also bullet holes. Heavy stuff.
Scariest:
On my way to a massage wearing only the hotel robe, feeling bit randy and am in the elevator,
when an alarm goes off and the door that was on it's way to open slammed shut with the force of a guillotine.
Now I am frozen in my slippers, what to do? I pushed the alarm and found out that it will not stay on.
Must keep pushing it like a door bell, guess it is a way to know you are still alive.
I used up a lot of adrenalin in that elevator and was not so relaxed for the massage.
All in all, I was treated with so much respect and kindness. I now have new friends in this part of the world
Monday, June 6, 2011
North of Ireland 2009
There are large burial mounds in fields, called Fairy Rings, and it is said if one disturb es them to plant for example, your family will have five generations of bad luck. Well, didn't the Kennedy family of US fame, desecrate one mound some time back and look what happened to them.
Clydesdale horses come from No.Ireland
Delorean car from No. Ireland
The port of Belfast is such good land and port, that England will not give that up.
Biggest export was linen, I watched it being made in an open air museum, what a process, I will honor each piece of linen I use from now on. I have a piece of flax, which is the name of the material between carding it and weaving it, now I know why that color hair is called, flaxen hair.
Clydesdale horses come from No.Ireland
Delorean car from No. Ireland
The port of Belfast is such good land and port, that England will not give that up.
Biggest export was linen, I watched it being made in an open air museum, what a process, I will honor each piece of linen I use from now on. I have a piece of flax, which is the name of the material between carding it and weaving it, now I know why that color hair is called, flaxen hair.
Jordan 2009
The sign says, "Iraq 301 KM", well, I think this is a close as I will get. I am in the desert looking for the ruin of Azraq, and it quite a sight, rising from the desert like a 4 star hotel. The next one is the "oldest" fresco's. It is a very small place with scarcely seen fresco's, also in the barren desert. So much desert, and so much fighting over it, not being a desert person, one has to wonder. There are many "police training" camps along the way, that is what I am told they are. Big, gated, lots of barbed wire. A pipeline is being laid alongside the road from Iraq.
TV ad for furniture is heavy, dark, thick fabric and big proportions.
Music: young women in T-tops moving somewhere between belly-dancing and Afro-American, very non Muslim.
At one rest stop the host came out and gave me a very warm handshake stating that he was "made in Jordan=genuine Bedouin". He was so beautiful, I got shy and wanted to mate. Some things never change. Inside the tent were long low benches covered with carpets as well as the floor. On these are special arm rests, shaped kind of like a saddle, padded and easy to lean on for smoking and tea. It works.
Speaking of carpets, wasn't I? On a plane to Hong Kong, my seat mate said he was on his way to the sourcing fair to buy carpets, and he came from Persia. Can't trust anything.
In Aman I saw what is to be the oldest human sculpture, it reputed to be 6000 BC. It is a squarish figure with two heads with distinct faces. Was exciting to see it. It looked in very good shape.
Then I went to the sea. Cities are crowded, crumbling, dirty-enough. Fresh air. My host there wanted show me how much he knew English, he sure could say, fuck, a lot. So, he knew American English. If he only knew.
Now, on to Petra, the reason for coming to the Middle East. I went on a long walk thru the "Sig" ie, slot canyon. Refusing a man with a horse, did the Cougar bit with him, said I would be back, be ready. He was gone then. As I walked through the canyon the walls got so tall and winding, I could not see ahead of me. That only increased the excitement of being in the place of this fantastic carving done by man. On one wall there were carving of a camel train and a trough to carry water, clever. Then, there is was, peering thru the canyon. What a dramatic entrance. Worthy of the scene. It is so tall and glowing with light. In the entrance of the facade, for it is that, was a ceremonial soldier dressed very elegantly as the desert ones do. Tailored olive long dress, bandoleers, headdress, mustache. My goal was to sit and paint this fantastic sight, then, I was lured on by the promise of more facades and a Roman theatre. It does go on and on, who knew. I stopped before the Colonnaded Street and returned to execute my goal. As I trudged back up the dusty, rocky and very hot path to the glorious pink sandstone structure, knowing I wast o have a mint tea and paint. Oops, I have arrived too late and that glowing light had gone. Was so taken by the glory of it, that I did not pay attention that is was a narrow canyon and the light will only last so long. I did draw it and will have it in my memory forever.
60% of people in Jordan are Palestinian refugees. Don't say that on TV. In Aman, the government will paint all the houses in the old city the same yellow and reddish colors. Don't know why. Women in Palestine come to Jordan for the freedom
TV ad for furniture is heavy, dark, thick fabric and big proportions.
Music: young women in T-tops moving somewhere between belly-dancing and Afro-American, very non Muslim.
At one rest stop the host came out and gave me a very warm handshake stating that he was "made in Jordan=genuine Bedouin". He was so beautiful, I got shy and wanted to mate. Some things never change. Inside the tent were long low benches covered with carpets as well as the floor. On these are special arm rests, shaped kind of like a saddle, padded and easy to lean on for smoking and tea. It works.
Speaking of carpets, wasn't I? On a plane to Hong Kong, my seat mate said he was on his way to the sourcing fair to buy carpets, and he came from Persia. Can't trust anything.
In Aman I saw what is to be the oldest human sculpture, it reputed to be 6000 BC. It is a squarish figure with two heads with distinct faces. Was exciting to see it. It looked in very good shape.
Then I went to the sea. Cities are crowded, crumbling, dirty-enough. Fresh air. My host there wanted show me how much he knew English, he sure could say, fuck, a lot. So, he knew American English. If he only knew.
Now, on to Petra, the reason for coming to the Middle East. I went on a long walk thru the "Sig" ie, slot canyon. Refusing a man with a horse, did the Cougar bit with him, said I would be back, be ready. He was gone then. As I walked through the canyon the walls got so tall and winding, I could not see ahead of me. That only increased the excitement of being in the place of this fantastic carving done by man. On one wall there were carving of a camel train and a trough to carry water, clever. Then, there is was, peering thru the canyon. What a dramatic entrance. Worthy of the scene. It is so tall and glowing with light. In the entrance of the facade, for it is that, was a ceremonial soldier dressed very elegantly as the desert ones do. Tailored olive long dress, bandoleers, headdress, mustache. My goal was to sit and paint this fantastic sight, then, I was lured on by the promise of more facades and a Roman theatre. It does go on and on, who knew. I stopped before the Colonnaded Street and returned to execute my goal. As I trudged back up the dusty, rocky and very hot path to the glorious pink sandstone structure, knowing I wast o have a mint tea and paint. Oops, I have arrived too late and that glowing light had gone. Was so taken by the glory of it, that I did not pay attention that is was a narrow canyon and the light will only last so long. I did draw it and will have it in my memory forever.
60% of people in Jordan are Palestinian refugees. Don't say that on TV. In Aman, the government will paint all the houses in the old city the same yellow and reddish colors. Don't know why. Women in Palestine come to Jordan for the freedom
Aosta, Italy 2009
It is my 25th AA anniversary!!
I will do something that gives me a bit of fear, to celebrate that I am alive. What will it be?
The highest gondola ride in Europe, it takes three rides to get to the top. I am at the top of the world! Helbronner. I thought the platform was moving, the attendant told me it was my lack of oxygen that made it seem that way. No wonder, I can see the top of the Alps, I am looking at Mt. Blanc in the eye. Now, my batteries go dead for the camera. They have them here. Now a little bit of snow flakes and mist moves abound the mountain tops. On the second lift, there is an alpine garden to peruse while one gets the strength to go on. What a feat of engineering to take me all the way up these mountains.
Next day bus to Chamonix. I walked around and did not like the feeling of the place or the restaurants, so got some picnic and came to my room. There at the end of the hallway was big window that opened and two easy chairs. Picnic perfect. The view if of a glacier, tonguing its way down the valley. Surrounded by pine forest, now the sun is on the ice, wispy clouds in and out over the tops of the mountains, exposing the blue sky.
I thought I had heard thunder before, but in the valley, Zeus was at his very best. I was sure it was an avalanche, it was so loud and reverberating, what else could it be? A memorable clap for my sobriety.
I will do something that gives me a bit of fear, to celebrate that I am alive. What will it be?
The highest gondola ride in Europe, it takes three rides to get to the top. I am at the top of the world! Helbronner. I thought the platform was moving, the attendant told me it was my lack of oxygen that made it seem that way. No wonder, I can see the top of the Alps, I am looking at Mt. Blanc in the eye. Now, my batteries go dead for the camera. They have them here. Now a little bit of snow flakes and mist moves abound the mountain tops. On the second lift, there is an alpine garden to peruse while one gets the strength to go on. What a feat of engineering to take me all the way up these mountains.
Next day bus to Chamonix. I walked around and did not like the feeling of the place or the restaurants, so got some picnic and came to my room. There at the end of the hallway was big window that opened and two easy chairs. Picnic perfect. The view if of a glacier, tonguing its way down the valley. Surrounded by pine forest, now the sun is on the ice, wispy clouds in and out over the tops of the mountains, exposing the blue sky.
I thought I had heard thunder before, but in the valley, Zeus was at his very best. I was sure it was an avalanche, it was so loud and reverberating, what else could it be? A memorable clap for my sobriety.
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