My 7 Links: 7x7 Europe

I came across the #My7Links hashtag on Twitter tonight and was immediately inspired. What is it? The My 7 Links challenge was created by the Tripbase blog - here are the rules. You are supposed to be nominated to participate, but I'm not much for rules, and I was ready to go. So here are my 7 links, chosen from my 7 month trip to Europe in 2009/2010 (hence the 7x7 reference).

My Most Beautiful Post
A Birthday and a Jet Plane
My soup and champagne celebration on my 51st birthday in Paris. I chose this as my "most beautiful post" for a few reasons. Yes, the soup is beautiful (I challenge you not to salivate at the description!), and so was the view - but this post was all about wrapping up my 7 month trip: sadness, joy, learnings, being ready to come home... So it's beauty is TO ME, though I hope my savory soup and other pics from that post are beautiful to others. I almost hesitated to include this post for beauty, as the pic I really wanted to use was the one below, which captured my joy of a very special day and point in my life... but I'm also not so cocky as to say that my most beautiful blog post was about me! lol. But there you go. Re-reading this post is a beautiful touchstone for me. And, perhaps, it can serve as a beacon and beautiful inspiration for others considering a grand adventure.

My Most Popular Post

Wandering the charming Passages of Paris

I had so much fun in Paris learning about the old covered passages! I found a lovely little book about them, read it, studied, then set out to explore some of them for myself. Some were awesome, some less so, but enjoyed it partly because it was a part of Paris that is a bit off the beaten track, but the passages captured my heart. And others' hearts too, it seems. I got lots of feedback on this one, and it turns up on Twitter every so often. And I'm delighted, as I am glad for others to discover this less famous but no less historic part of Paris.

My Most Controversial Post

Happy New Year from Athens!

This was hardly controversial, but I didn't have much in my 7 months of blogging in Europe that was controversial. I was not only careful not to criticize the places I travelled to ("When in Rome...."), but I felt this at the core. I was a guest and anytime I did not agree with a culture I felt it was a learning opportunity. So I kept my mouth shut. Now I am hardly a person who is unwilling to speak her mind, but as I chose to confine this challenge to my big Europe trip, it just wasn't a theme. Why this post? Well, cuz I managed to generalize that "everyone gives New Years trinkets in Greece" when, in fact, it was a tourist things. Oops. Well, it felt pretty cool and authentic to me anyways. (Interestingly, my biggest culture shock on my trip came from Athens as well, but I havent' really written about that (aside of a mention here....)... yet ...

My Most Helpful Post

Would the real Checkpoint Charlie please stand up?

Contrary to common belief, the historic Checkpoint Charlie isn't what you see when you visit the spot where it once stood in Berlin: that's a replica. The real Checkpoint Charlie is at the Allied Museum. In this post I wrote about my trip to the museum, what I saw there, and why I think it's one of the best historic sites in a city overflowing with them. I thought it was my most helpful post as I really do point people to a site which they might not be aware of, snuff out a few misconceptions, and give practical information on how to find it. And helpful, too, as it's history that can reach those who may never go to Berlin but are fascinated by it's history. One of my trip highlights.

My Post Whose Success Surprised Me

A trip to the Opera... and the Phantom's home

The success of this post surprised me because it was a bit of a sleeper. I didn't even plan to see this site, I just stumbled on it - and it was FABULOUS! Got so many great pics that I had to split my blog post into two parts (the pic above is in part 2 - and, yes, that's a mind-blowingly big, glorious Chagall!). I see it tweeted about from time to time when someone discovers it, and it makes me smile. And, really, you've gotta see it if you go to Paris...

My Post that Didn't Get the Attention it Deserved

Calvalcade of the Magi

I was lucky enough to be back in Barcelona on January 5th which is when the Catalan children celebrate their version of Christmas. The Calvalcade of the Magi, or Three Kings Parade, was a great experience and I got some truly fabulous pictures! It was held at night, and the performers and floats were so different from a North American parade, that it was truly magical. I feel it has been lost in the pure volume of blog posts from my trip, and a little overlooked. I'd be happy if more people saw the pictures and enjoyed the magic too....

My Post I am Most Proud Of

My Trip to Pompeii

Pompeii was unreal.... perhaps because it is real! Its the blog post I am most proud of for a few reasons.... Probably the biggest reason is because it was my first experience of "being" a travel blogger, as I arranged to take the tour for a reduced rate in exchange for writing a review. Wasn't sure about doing that at first, but when they agreed that my review would be impartial (if it was bad, I was going to say so!), I was ok with it. And it was pretty damn awesome! Not just Pompeii, but the tour itself. Though I did still comment on some things that could have been improved. It was a great little challenge for me while on my trip and I learned a lot while doing it. And talking about it now makes me realize that it's important to share.... I was also proud of it because I think it's a good post on Pompeii: great pics, little vignettes of information, and tips. Of course, I only got to see about 5% of the city, but that's all anyone gets. And if you get a good tour -- like mine, with an archaeologist who had actually worked on the site - you are going to learn tons.

So, that's my 7.

Now, to nominate 5 others to do the same (who have not already been nominated!):

Artist at Large: Exploring Cultures with Eyes Open

Peter's Paris

RomePhotoBlog

Sights of the World (Travelwriticus)

Women on the Road

Looking forward to their 7's !

Reflections: Looking Back on My Europe Trip - almost 2 years later

This rock sits on my windowsill. I picked it up from the beach in Rhodes, Greece when I made my first trip there. It is just one reminder I have of the 7 months I spent travelling Europe in 2009/2010.

Two years ago today, I was counting down the days to my departure, and wrote this More Toes Than Days To Go blogpost 9 days before my departure. I was clearing out my apartment, making final preparations and trying, unsuccessfully, to contain my excitement.

These days that trip is still with me and the memories are as sharp as if I was still there. I can feel atmosphere of Berlin or Barcelona if I just close my eyes. Heck, I can even do that with my eyes open. Barcelona, Aix-en-Provence, Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice, Berlin, Rhodes, Athens, Madrid, La Alberca... so close I can almost touch them. Yet that world feels so far away from where I am today: living in sleeping little Sidney, BC, Canada with my sweet 89 year old mom and an adorable cat.

One of the things that keeps the memories alive is the little things I have around me from my trip. Perhaps the most prominent of those is this little orange leather purse that I got in Florence. I have used it every days since I bought it and still get compliments on it. In addition to its lovely colour, it's neat as it holds a whole bunch of stuff, while still being quite a tiny purse. In fact, I could have this view today, aside of the ground: I still wear that top, and still wear those adorable little sneakers that I bought one hot July day in Barcelona.

It's the little things that provide those memories. That rock on my windowsill, my purse, the loofa sponge I bought from a seaside vendor during my first trip to the old town of Rhodes. It makes me smile each time I shower (and I'm impressed that it's only just now starting to show a bit of wear - I'll probably still be using it for years to come). And my big, sloppy, comfy grey zip-up sweatshirt that I bought when I returned to Barcelona in January when it was cccccold (was staying in a place with no heat, common there, as it doesn't usually get that cold) - I wear it around the house practically every day, though the zipper is long broken. These are my everyday touchstones.

Those touchstones are pure magic, as they have the power to take me back, to connect now to then, and keep all I learned about myself on my trip front of mind.

It's important, as sometimes I feel very far from travel, the wide stretches of open time, the freedom, the learning, the beauty....

Don't get me wrong. I am very happy to be where I am right now, doing what I'm doing, 'tis meant to be. But I still feel that travel itch, and ponder where I'll go when I go mobile again.

And it's not that I haven't travelled at all since then. Since I have been back I've had a great trip to New York City for 3 weeks, an Alaskan cruise, a week in Mexico (Peurto Vallarta), a few days in Tofino and almost 3 weeks in Palm Springs (dog sitting!). Funny, these days, I even time spent in Vancouver is a "trip", lol.

About that pondering for future travel. I think it would be helpful for me to settle on at least one destination for my next big trip, so I can spend lots of time studying up, planning, dreaming.... So far I have a bunch of ideas, and some very probables, but that's all. Croatia and Turkey are of most interest to me at the moment, but not sure. I think there's a reason for all that, I'm not meant to get that clear yet, so I'm going with it. For now.

But I also know what it does to me when I know my next destination... Even if I don't know when, I look forward to that feeling when I start to settle on where....

Sure glad I picked up and took off those two years ago. It was a trip that shapes my life (I can't imagine me without it). Gratitude. I am overflowing with gratitude for all that came together in my life to make that trip possible.

Now I am curious again.....

Canada Day in Sidney

Mom decorated for Canada Day ;-)
Friendly mountie and friends down at Sidney harbour.

They have this really crazy event in Sidney on Canada Day: teams spend about 4 hours building boats using only plywood, duct tape, plastic and such. Then they float them. Or try. Lots don't float, but some do. This year's winner was from Denmark. Here are pics of some of the teams carrying their boats away afterwards:

And now for some other memorable - or not so memorable - moments from the day... These girls are sporting cute Canada Day gear:

This little guy was excited and fascinated to be able to look right into a police car. "Hey dad," he said, "this is where they put the bad guys!"

There were a few more pics but blogger ate them, and these were the best.

We actually had a pretty lazy day, got up at noon, and spent most of the day eyeing the grey sky warily.... then got out for a bit.

It was nice to be home in Canada for July 1st this year. Last year I was in Barcelona... it was weird to not see red and white all around me then.

On a related note, it occured to me that I could possibly mirror my Europe trip of last year for 7 months here, now, by spending the next 7 months writing about my trip and sorting my pictures and journals and things I picked up. Would give me a focus on how to tackle all that. I gave myself a taste today by opening up my stuff from Spain, which I haven't seen since getting home. The coolest were my journals. I wrote a lot during the first bit of my trip, so it's great to be able to see my reactions those first few weeks... Anyways, it's an idea. Potentially a good one.

Trip Reflections: Departure (a year ago today)

I journalled a bit this morning about the fact that this is the 1 year anniversary of when I left for Europe for a trip that ended up being 7 months long. I was jobless and homeless (by choice) and carefree as one can be at 51.... That journal entry is below. And above is the doodle I did today of me as I left Vancouver (click to enlarge it if you want to read the silliness)....

________________

When I set out a year ago today, I really had no idea the future would take me, let alone this year. Would I stay a few months or a year? Would I come back at all? At the outset, the longer definitely seemed like the likeliest. I didn't know what to expect, where I was going (so to speak), nor who I would be when I got there. I really had no idea how I would change. Maybe I still don't really know, but at least I have some inklings.

It struck me today, when driving, that this time last year I was doing the final repack of my bag (backpack! ha! how naive I was ;-) and getting on my way to the airport. I was clueless but sure. I was exhausted but excited. I was shedding an old skin and walking boldly into the unknown. I, who had lived in fear for so much of my life - so risk adverse and with such a strong need to be in control - was really proving to myself how far my reinvention had gone, had come - I was coming into my own skin, finally and truly. Voila! Off into the unknown I go!

My first adventures included having to check the backpack I'd naively envisioned myself carrying onto the plaine (and needing to do a quick repack of essentials into a carry on)... that after already wondering how I'd be able to lug my pack through Europe (portents of things to come)... a strap breaking on my pack 5 minutes after I picked it up from the luggage carousel in Barcelona... realizing I'd forgotten to write down my hotel's address, trying (and succeeding) to get online in the airport to look it up... deciding to splurge on a taxi and being surprised to hear English music being played by a driver who largely spoke only Spanish... to arriving at my hotel to find that they didn't have my4-night reservation. Oh my.

The system my awesome travel agent had used had reserved a room in a hotel of the same name somewhere else in Spain, God knows where. But, alas, they had 1 room available for 1 night. 150E, I think. Let the adventures begin!

I was really not daunted, mostly just amused. How well my past travel adventures (mostly my New York ones) had prepared me to know I could handle it. It would all work out. I'd be fine.

I paid for the room, took the key, walked up the stairs - or, should I say, lugged, or schlepped, my bag up the stairs, found my room and opened the door.

LAST YEAR: here is my first post from Barcelona.

Reflections on One Year

Took this pic in Feb, and it's what my feet will be doing tomorrow

Tomorrow is April 30th. I'll mark the day by moving from Vancouver to Sidney (near Victoria) to live my mom (she's 88, living on her own, is a real sweetie, and I can't wait to just hang out).

Last year on April 30th, I was working my last day at my old job and here is what I wrote.

In between I had:
One heck of a year
One awesome trip to Europe
One cool birthday celebrated in Paris
One added to my big five-o age
One heart full of memories

Evidenced by:
One great mountain of doodles
One hundred and fifteen blog posts
One hard drive filled with pics
One big bushel of insights
One face devoid of stress lines

It's still one great live to live.

The Perfect Pain au Chocolat in Vancouver

This morning I was transported back to Paris.

In that moment, it felt like I was sitting here. This was often my view last August Paris, after a leisurely breakfast at our fav local cafe. Crumbs, an empty cup and a doodle. And a feeling of joy and excitement and contentment all mixed together.
This was the view across the street that we looked up at every day. Took lots of pics of this church, in different lights. Oh, morning was often 10... that was, if I got up "early".... heh...

Pic of two local pals here who have been, like, me, seeking good pain au chocolat in Vancouver... That's my niece Branwen and my friend Marjorie.

A very special treat in Paris -- though it's so reasonable and so good that you might have it every couple of days -- is fresh fruit tarts. They are to die for!!! While they usually come in a simple plain white box, on my last full day there I went out to get tarts for the 3 of us , and they came in this amazing little parcel! I think there was a piece of cardboard underneat them, then the paper was wrapped in string with a bow.

Here they are, moments before they were devoured, along with some incredible decadent chocolate cream puffy things that we also tried to consume. Wine helped us in this endeavor.

This is evidence of this morning's jaunt back to Paris.... if only in my heart and mind. The tart is safely tucked in the fridge and the baguette won't last long, I'm sure....

I don't think I can describe this morning's experience any better that what I just wrattled off in an email to B and M, so I'll quote myself:

"Bonjour ladies, I found it! Chopain Boulagerie, 1165 Davie, across from Kin's market. i just had a to-die-for fresh pain au chocolat right off the oven cooling racks.... they didn't look at me weird when I ordered Cafe a lait (instead of a latte), and i walked home with two more treasures: a fresh baguette (still warm, though haven't tasted it yet, give me 10 minutes and I'll weaken) and a very French little raspberry tart in it's plain white box. ! yum ! "

I overheard the owner talking to ahother customer. Apparently this is the third location in Vancouver for Chopain, and he came to Canada when he was 18 (maybe in his 50's now?) is the . Visit and you will be in heaven.

I am really learning about the power of a photograph lately, when I see a pic taken on my trip I am truly transported back. Sometimes there is a moment of a heart tug, where I feel a little bit sad, that I'm not there anymore... but it shifts pretty quickly to just enjoying and savouring the memories.

Sometimes when I find myself going into my pics to find a certain pic to illustrate something I'm thinking or feeling when writing here, I find myself transported away, and I can get happily lost there for hours. That's very special to me.

I have thousands -- and I really DO mean thousandS - of pictures from my trip, and I've only just begun to sort them. But it's such pleasure when I putter away at this. It's going to keep me busy for a long time.

I've actually started to identify what I think are the top 10 pictures I've taken on my trip, from a "photography" perspective (not that I know what I'm doing!) and am up to 5. It's fun to ponder such things. It's compelling and it's much of what inspires me these days.

Reflections on Cherry Blossoms and More...

A bird's nest downtown Vancouver...
Tulips this morning...

Coolest bike, spotted recently at Portobello West....

I'd love to paint a bike up like this...

Makes me curious about the owner...

It's hard to believe that the cherry blossoms are gone already... they were so marvelous!!! It was only two weeks ago that I paused to take pics of the cherry blossom tunnel, and now the branches are bare. Even the grass below is largely free of the discarded petals. ;-(

The bonus is that you can see birds nests in the empty branches. I saw a couple today in the now barren tunnel.... and the other day I even saw one right downtown at the bus stop at the corner of Davie and Burrard. You know that birds are there, that they must be living somewhere, but you don't usually get to see them.

The planted flowers have been capturing my attention lately, and I've been enjoying the mix of colours in the tulip gardens whereever I go. This morning I tried to take a pic of a cluster of red and pink ones, ripe with the morning dew (or perhaps it had rained earlier?) - but, alas, my camera isn't so great for stuff like that... unless I were to get on my hands and knees and get up close... and it wasn't that kind of moment....

This has me thinking further about this idea I have of getting a digital SLR camera - and really using how to use it. I'm watching my money at the moment, but I think this might give me real pleasure. I do always like to be learning something. On the other hand, it's a rather extravagent indulgence, as it's pretty remarkable what I've been able to shoot so far on my current camera.

Well, cameras. I went to Europe with one camera, and came back with another. The one I went with had given me many years of great service - and I was delighted to figure out that it had digital zoom when I was about a month and a half into my trip (why did I not know this before?!?)... Anyways, it froze up completely in December, so it was off to the little specialty camera store in Rhodes to get a new one.

I knew the store from when I was first in Rhodes, when I picked up some digital memory cards. Had a nice chat with the owner and I bought some lovely cards with pics taken on the island... which I learned were taken by a Russian photographer who had moved to Rhodes a few years previously. So, when my camera died when I was back in December, I knew right where to go.

He was open when I went (yeah!), he remembered me and set me up with a nice little Cool Pix that I was even able to get in turquoise. And a fair price. Oh, and this one I know how to use. Well, a bit more...

Anyways, while I was in the store, a guy came in to drop something off.... and I realized this just might be the Russian - so I asked, and it was. His photographs are truly GLORIOIUS so I was interested to learn a bit more about him, and how he managed to capture them. What ensued was an amazing animated telling of his best stories. Of how he sets out when a big storm comes in to go to a spot serveral hours away where he knows there will be a great pic of a rainbow if/when the sun burns through... sometimes doing this many times at one spot until he gets "the" pic. Along with great antics of getting stuck in the mud somewhere, getting arrested somewhere (was that Italy?) for trespassing, something about a drama that ensued with apples when he was doing a nude photoshoot of a woman in a field... Hmmmm..... I am going to have to give this some thought to see what else I can remember. LOL...

Somewhere I have the photographer's name. I have all these little slips of paper, gathered on my trip, with names and email addresses on them, tucked away. Something I want to do soon is dig them all out. Right now I am pretty busy just sorting my pics. My thousands and thousands of pics....

Easing Back Into Things?

First, to put a smile on your face, check out this cool rendition of Stand by Me on YouTube forwarded to me by one of my new Spanish friends. Just one of the ways my time at Pueblo Ingles is continuing to play a part if my life. The only thing that is killing me is that they are having gatherings in Madrid that I can't attend. Oh well, I have friends for life, and will be back one day. I hope.

I have now been home exactly 1 week. I'd planned to ease back into things upon my return, but on top of two job interviews this week, I have done 2.5 days contract work, and will be back at it Monday. Veeeerrry interesting! I am off to Victoria for the weekend to visit my mom - and celebrate her 88th birthday. I hope she will enjoy the decadent macaroons I bought at the Paris airport.

I had never heard of Laduree before, and thought the Laduree shop I saw in the airport it was a bath shop, but oooh la la, the sweets!!! But after my birthday celebration, I knew what a good French macaroon was! I spent a small fortune on treats, but had to burn those last few Euros... Oh. It wasn't my imagination, they do sell bath stuff too. Here's their full corporate site. If you ever fly through Charles de Gaulle airport, hope that you get to go through terminal 2F where the shop lives just past security.

Home Safe and Sound

I am now home, safe and sound, in Vancouver. These are the Olympic rings near the airport, pic taken from the window of my friend's car as she picked me up.
I arrived home Friday night and spent the weekend sleeping, but was pleasantly surprised at how fast I slept off my jetlag. Good thing, as I had an interview Monday morning. I believe I successfully transformed myself from a jean-clad travel-worn nomad into a presentable professional candidate (!) and the interview went well. I think. Fingers and toes crossed. Since then I have been following up on some other job leads, reconnecting with people, wishing for snow (yes, me, that's how strong my Olympic spirit is!), and doodling on a sketchpad bigger than a postage stamp for a change. Have been staying with a friend, and today move to another friend's place, and will visit family until I get my sublet flat on the 10th for the balance of the month.

Here is the plane that brought me home, thought it was photo-worthy once I saw it's name:

This is a piece of public art in the Amsterdam airport (Two Incredible Sitting Black Snowmen, Tom Classen, 2000). It was right beyond the passport control, within the security zone, prior to the gates leading to international flights.

Notice I said after the passport control? Yes, good thing. Means they let me out! But that doesn't mean they will let me back in. I am actuallty not joking. It seems that there is a re.striction on how long you can stay in the EU and I overstayed that period, significantly. It's funny, I tried to find this information before I left, but was unsuccessful. But the rule IS there: maximum of 90 days out of 180 days (in other words, 3 months out of 6 months). When I left I had been there a day over 7 months. Oops. The deal is that I am now considered an illegal alien in the EU (gasp!). That's apparently no problem (no fine or anything) but I cannot return to the EU without applying for a visa, which may or may not be granted. Oh my.

The pic above shows you how calm I was, as I still had the presence of mind to take this pic, once they let me through. I'd actually met a couple of Canadians a couple of weeks before who had discovered this rule, and were travelling accordingly, so I wasn't totally shocked. But there wasn't much I could do about it by then. A surpising and disappointing outcome, but, well, it wasn't intentional, and that's life I guess. I am not sweating it, and it's not worth getting mad about, it just IS. I shall be on a bit of a mission to understand this more and use my story to help others avoid the same outcome. And I shall remain the eternal optimism that is at the core of who I am, and believe that when I do apply for such a visa, it will be granted, and I will be in the EU again in my lift. And there are other parts of the world I want to travel to.

I have seriously caught the travel bug, so am looking forward to a few years of working hard and living simpler, so that I have money to make my next travel dream come true....

A birthday and a jet plane

I celebrated my 51st birthday in Paris with a trip to the Eiffel Tower. This is me in my sweet new red coat that I got at the "soldes" (sales) for 70% off. The scarf is from my stay in Berlin.
I timed my visit to go up at dusk, so that I could see the sunset, and the city of lights at night! I was rewarded with quite a spectacular sunset, that my camera skills can't really do justice to.

Twice while I was up there, the bright lights began popping. This happens for 10 minutes every hour. It's spectacular from the ground, but really quite amazing when you are standing among them.

It was CCCOOOOLLLLLDDDD up there, so much so that by the time I saw they had gloves and hats in the souvenier shop, I didn't care what they cost or what they looked like. Fortunately, they were pretty reasonable, in both cost and appearance.

I finally warmed up with a glass of champagne in one of the chi chi restaurants up the tower. My birthday splurge including a bowl of pumpkin soup. The soup arrived as an almost empty bowl with some veggies (pumpkin and ?') in the bottom, a huge dollop of thick cream, and a teensy Romain lettuce leaf in it... the soup was then poured around it. Unusual and very tasty. Good thing, as these 2 precious bits cost me 27E!

I began celebrating my birthday the day before with my friend Bill who lives in Boston, but has a flat in Paris, and just happened to be here at the same time as me. He took me out to lunch in a very French wine bar, then for a long walk in the city topped off with tarts and macaroons (my treat) and champagne (his treat - and very good!)

One of the stops on our walk was the Jardin de Palais Royale where Bill's favourite piece of public art has just been restored at a cost of 6 million Euros. I confess the piece of paper that Bill wrote the artists name down for me is packed (more on that in a minute), so I'll leave it at this for now: it's made up of tons of black and white striped columns and is very cool. This is Bill leaning on one of the columns.

This is me, of course, sitting on a column and swinging my legs. Made me feel like a kid (heh, my last day at age 50!), as I'm so tall my feet almost always touch the ground. There was swinging room!

Here are our feet, looking down to the water part of the piece down below the grill...

This is what the whole thing looks like in a wide shot. As I say, very cool.

Now back to the Eiffel Tower for a moment.... this is what it looks like when the bright lights start popping while you are up the tower....

OK, now to the bit about the jet plane... I am flying home to Canada tomorrow. Not a recent decision, but haven't said much about it until now. For the curious, here is how I decided to come home at this time... The below began as a journal entry this morning, then evolved into a story I could share.

Happy reading... and for those of you I know in Vancouver, will see you soon, I am sure....

_________________________________________________

I lie here in bed in Paris, the morning of my last full day here. In Paris. And in Europe. And I am a little surprised to feel sad. Sad, I suppose, because this has been such an awesome experience, but all things must come to an end. Well, sort of. This trip is coming to an end, but not my life ad a traveller.

I made the decision to come home two months ago, then slept on it for a month before altering my plans. But it felt right and it still feels right. Just wasn't expecting the sadness, it snuck up on me. But it's ok. I expect I will feel a range of emotions over the next few days and weeks. And months.

Speaking if months, I have been gone seven. Coincidentally, to the day. At least on this continent. I arrived on July 29 last year, and will list off tomorrow - homeward bound - on January 29.

So, why am I coming home so soon? Each time I have been asked that question, I burst out laughing. Seven months is a looooooonnng time!!! :-) heh.

I only attract this question from people at home who hear I am coming home, as when I left I said I was going for a year.

Why did I say a year? I don't know, but I learned quickly that "I'm taking off for Europe!" would evoke "For how long?". Even if by fluke, or by design, I managed to just talk about the trip and not give a firm response, I would invariably get "How long will you stay?". So I said a year.
I said a year, but truth be told, I really didn't know. My focus was on going. Going, going, going! I am going to Europe! Whoopieee! Heh. So it was an answer that left me a lot of time to figure out what I really wanted to do.

So.... The idea to return when I am came from a period in Rhodes, Greece in November (my 1st trip to the island), when I was unwinding in the sun, not caring if I ever saw another museum (a clear symptom of museum burn-out, also referred to as one being "museum 'd out), and thought back over my trip....

I had had SUCH amazing experiences by that point (only about 1/3 made it onto this blog). I cherished each one.

As I rolled each mmemory over in my head, I had this satisfying sense of richness and satisfaction. My cup was full. My cup runneth over. I was full, and I needed time to digest.
I found myself trying to write a list of my top 10 experiences - not as easy as it sounds, when you have so many. And it struck me as the kind of thing one might do to mark closure. Ah, oh, so.... maybe it's time to head home?

As I said, I didn't rush my return, as that was two months ago. But I realized I was ready. There were other factors as well.

One was the Olympics. The only thing that had dissapointed me about the timing of my trip was it appeared that I would miss them :-(.... unlike those who can't wait to get out of town, I crave to be there, in the buzz of the excitement, enjoying all the free stuff. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I didn't want to miss.

Plus.... I felt like I'd had enough idleness, enough aimlessness, I needed something for my mind to wrap itself around again. Plus.... I want to see my sweet mom, who let me go with such grace, but for whom I know in-person visits would be such a joy (I am giving her my presence as her birthday present next month :-).... Plus, there was one more reason.... let me think.... Oh yeah. I'm broke !!!! Or, better said, I'm B.R.O.K.E. Heh. So earning some money again would be useful. Now there's an understatement! :-)

So.... it's just time to return to the "real world".

I have no doubt that I will travel again. This will be a time to reflect on this trip, and to begin planning the next one.

So there you go. I began to write this as a journal entry (on my iTouch in bed), but then realized it could become the blog entry I wasted to make today. I wanted my "I'm heading home" post to tell the story, so I won't have to tell it over and over again..... If someone asks I can point them to the answer.

Now, time to get up, get some coffee, and plan my lady day in this fair city and this fair country. And continent.

btw, the sadness lasted as long as it took for me to write that. I'm cool, though still a bit surprised that the day has come....

A week in Paris

I am in Paris for the second time this trip. While not as warm as it was in July (I'm just glad it isn't snowing this week), Paris has this ability to warm my heart and make me feel instantly at home. I. Adore. Paris.

Yesterday I went out for a bite to eat late afternoon and found myself amidst the Sunday afternoon brunch crowd at Cafe Charlot. I tried to be sneaky with this pic... Look at the 2 guys at the low table by the door.... yes, that's a puppy looking up at them. Adorable, and so French!
Today I was in the area of Gare St. Lazare train station and was taken by the interesting clock sculpture just outside.

There were men hawking goods on the corner, two selling flowers - and a third one sadly out of my shot, selling avacados.

The clock theme was picked up in the chairs of the cafe where I had a late lunch. Here is the view looking over my crepe fromage to the street beyond...

... then a sight more commonly seen elsewhere, there were strange people wearing strange clown wigs walking down the street. Hardly Paris high fashion, but spotted in Paris nonetheless:

I am in Paris for a week and am staying in Marais (the 3rd) only 3 blocks from the flat where I stayed in August. Again I have a flat, very cute, and very teensy. Perfect for one! It is nice to be in a familiar area... had a beer after shopping today and was recognized by the waiter, which was a nice feeling (for the benefit of my niece, that was the spot where we would watch the motorcycles flying by!).

I am laying low, recovering my energy after my intense but fabulously enriching week at Pueblo Ingles in La Alberca last week. Tomorrow I have lunch with a friend and Wednesday I celebrate my birthday. A birthday in Paris, what a fabulous idea... I am having fun thinking about what I will do that day...