Dresden

On the Sunday of my weekend in Decin, Milca arranged for a local German teacher to accompany us on a day trip to Dresden. We took a morning train, after we picked up Hana, and it was a real pleasure to spend the day with her! We were buddies within an hour. =) Milca hadn't met her in person before that day, but I would never have guessed that either. At 78, she was so vivacious, energetic and outgoing--and, incidentally, she had PERFECT legs! I was so amazed by her legs; they were strong, pretty with niiiice ankles. No old lady ankles for her. Outstanding!

While in Dresden (a darling city, by the way), she was so friendly with...well...everybody. She touched people and talked to any and everyone one on the streets. The first time she started talking to people in town, I thought she knew them, but NO! They weren't friends; she was just super sociable. I loved it. I hope I am like her when I am nearing my eighties!!


This is Hana. She found a history/reference book on Dresden (in German) and prepared some translations of background information for me, which she shared while we rode the train into Germany.


Horses--When I left the train station, I noticed them right away, and they turned out to be all over town. Pretty.



After my visit to Berlin, seeing the Ampelmann paintings on this bench was like running into an old friend. =)






I don't know the exact nature of all the buildings here, but there are many churches, not surprising for a European city--but what IS surprising is that they are actually used! Most of the churches I see in Europe have a museum-like quality about them, but the churches in Dresden were working churches. Hmmmm.


One thing I learned about Dresden was that one of the kings (or emperors??) was very much taken by the architecture he saw on his many travels to Italy (his favorite place to travel), and so he had it imitated in the buildings he had erected in Dresden. He particularly liked the buildings on Venice.




Another thing I learned about Dresden...well, if you look at any of the souvenir stands around town, you can't help but seeing photo postcards depicting the state of Dresden after some SERIOUS WWII bombings. Dresden was DEVASTATED. From the photos I saw, it doesn't seem that any building was left untouched. And when they were "touched" they were left with only a shell of the building or maybe parts of some walls--and only that. They were reduced to rubble. So what I learned was that the buildings here are rebuilt using some stones that were salvageable form the original structures, complemented by a whole lot of new stones. That is why the buildings are part black and part tan. The original stones are burned and charred; the new ones are clean and tan.


Theater--also completely rebuilt.


Me and Hana


Lovely fountain in the palace courtyard, where a well-known gallery is housed. Don't remember the name of it. I had never heard of it before. We saw a lot of paintings. A loootttt of paintings. Yeah.


On this terrace (both under the trees and beyond), there is much activity. The terrace is actually part of the old city wall, and there are live musicians, artisans, and just people strolling--it's a very nice place for a stroll.


Musicians in costume. Funny.


Indians?? I don't know how THEY came to be in Dresden!


Again, a nice open feel. I like airy places.


Here's is Hana again--up close and personal in everything she does. Gotta love it!


The train ride to and fro was very scenic: lovely river, rocks, and hamlets. We stopped to make a connection in one picturesque village. Much better than waiting in the big train station in Dresden. All in all, it was a fantastic day. I was glad to visit Germany again: seeing beautiful things, a lot of activity, the buzz. I liked Dresden a lot! Thanks again, Milca. You are a very good lady. =)

Decin

Bridge


Milca is a new Fulbrighter who will be going to the USA this summer for a year. She invited me to visit her in her home town of Decin, which is right near the border with Germany. It was a relaxing yet activity-packed weekend. I am quite amazed when I think about all the things we managed to do in two days. I am thinking back on it because it was weeks ago already! I haven't managed to sit down and write about it because...well, I have been on the go! I take off for new territories each weekend, and we also have had some things going on at school her in Zatec to keep me occupied. And...sometimes...I just get tired. Writing takes energy, you know? =)

Anyway, I had passed through Decin on the train when I went to Berlin, and I thought it was really beautifully laid out. I started looking forward to my visit with Milca a lot.


Mr. Harajda drove me so that i wouldn't have to take the trains. VERY nice of him! I think he likes driving me around. =) This is what waited for me when I got there.


Because it was a festival weekend for the town, there was a parade and fireworks show on Saturday night.


Cottage door

Ever since I have been in CZ, I have been hearing about the cottages. People leave their towns and cites in droves most every weekend to go to their family cottages. I saw one up close when I visited Jan Mach in East Bohemia, but this weekend I actually stayed in one. It's much like when people in California go to a cabin in Big Bear for the weekend. Sort of. I know Milca thought I was freaked out by the rustic nature of the place, but really I wasn't. I was just soaking it in. It was very quiet and there was a dense woods nearby on a hillside. An old church--I am not sure it was still in use. Milca and her husband, Jirka, really enjoy going there and sitting in the yard and looking at the trees and the church. For me, it was a nice weekend, and now I can say I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE COTTAGE. =)


Here it is--from the side


From the front


View of church


cottage yard


Cottage neighbors


Birthday Party--One of Milca's English-teaching colleagues had a birthday party during the weekend, so we took a very lovely drive over to the village (?) she lived in to stop in for a while. It was quite festive and the people were nice there.


On the way to the party, we drove through these beautiful country roads, and who would have guessed that after we arrived at the celebration there would be a GIGANTIC thunderstorm?! And I DO mean Gigantic! It seemed to come out of nowhere--the heavy downpour and the winds! Whoa! The road back to the cottage was littered with tree parts and a couple of trees too. Driving back was slow and careful, and when we got there, there was no electricity. So our second night at the cottage was candlelit. Very romantic, and a perfect atmosphere for a cottage night, I say. =)


Milca's mom--one of the many stops we made during the Friday and Saturday. One of the many meals!! Because everyone was so hospitable and kind, there was just about a TON of food for me to eat--all day long. I wasn't used to eating so much, but it was quite lovely.


Dinner made by Milca's mother--a VERY sweet lady!

In addition to the pizzeria, the parade, the fireworks, the birthday party, the cottage, and the castle fair, the televised hockey match in the pub, Milca's parents, and her in-laws, we also visited a friend who has his own make-shift wine cellar! I had a private tasting (with Milca and her husband). It was groovy!





Thanks, Milca! It really was a special weekend.

But this was only Friday afternoon and Saturday, folks. On Sunday, we went across the border. . .

Paris--Third Slice =)

An new View of an oldie


My third visit to Paris was all about seeing it in a different way. I feel I was very successful in meeting this goal!


Scouts on the move in the Metro! The kids were moving and so was I, so sorry for the blurry photos. I need to practice taking pictures of moving objects. These are ALMOST cool photos. I must be more intentional.






Photo Shoot--while cruising on the Seine (a first-time experience--finally) we passed this fashion shoot. Tres Paris, non? (I don't know how to do accents here.)


An American Pub/Restaurant--"I get my kicks on Route 66!"


NIGHTLIFE...Paris has it! I had never gotten a real feel for what people did in Paris after dark. Now I see that, not unlike London, there ARE happening places where people congregate for fun and frolicking. Very cool. Very energetic.

--Mouftard


--Bastille


And, because I am a Servas member, I had the chance to contact and meet some real French people!!! This is Katia and her friend, Joanne. The man is David; we went to grad school together in LA. He is living in Paris right now, but plans to move back to California really soon.


Deep in conversation


Gerard and his friend...

I want to call him Fabrice, but I don't think that was it. Anyway, they were nice French guys...Had to talk to them as I was practically sitting at their table to avoid cigarette smoke. Thanks for taking our picture.




I also finally made it INSIDE the Musee D'Orsay! It was a veeery quick visit, I assure you. Actually, this time I wouldn't have minded a little more time inside, but the museum was closing. We chose to come later rather than wait in long lines--and rain. When we finally got there, the workers took us from the end of the line and let us go in first--through a side entrance. Random...but these kinds of things tend to happen to me. Lucky sometimes, I guess.


Orsay Clock


VanGogh--I really dig his work. I can't explain why exactly, but I do. There's something about the sheer amount of paint on the canvas and how each brush stroke is visible in it. I can almost imagine him painting! I will see the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam when I go there, I am sure.








THIS is the puzzle under my bed in LA!!

And Monet...



Wouldn't mind seeing his digs in Giverny some day...





And THIS ("I just like my haystacks") was in the Thomas Crown Affair--one of my ABSOLUTE favorite movies!! Come to think of it, I think the first painting was in the movie too.


Paris Art


This was something unique. Belleville is an area where A LOT of artists live, and every year (I am told), they open the doors of their apartments/studios for the public. I picked the lucky weekend! So we got a map (anyone could) and roamed the area visiting the artists homes and looked at their work. It was very well organized. There was a place right out of the metro station to pick up a map. And in that place, there was a big book of photographic samples of the artwork, so we could mark on our maps the places we were actually interested in seeing--because of the style of art. It's a good thing because there were maybe 150 places--or more--SPREAD OUT, and it would have been a lot of walking for random viewing!

If I had any money (and a place to display art), I would have bought some things. I started imagining a new dream job...where someone who actually HAD a lot of money would let ME go buy art! That would be fun for a while--a good while. =) I was just as interested, if not more, in seeing the insides of the apartments and such. It is one thing I always wanted to do in Paris. I have always been very curious about what the apartments are like. The last time I was here, I wondered aloud to my friend, Nancy, what would happen if I just started ringing doorbells and asked to see apartments. I didn't try it, and THIS--open invitation--was way better!


I didn't actually take any pictures of the art I saw =(. I wasn't sure if it would be OK, and I didn't bother asking. I didn't want to appear as a horrible tourist (not here anyway=)).

Some of the artist actually provided food--and wine. Nice! In this particular place, there were several art studios combined in one warehouse type of area. Good food too.


Street art--I felt OK about photographing this. =) I wonder if any of the artists would have LIKED having pictures of their stuff on the internet. I probably missed the boat on that one.


Stairs--One artist displayed in her apartment on the 6th floor! No elevator, of course. There was a group of older people inside the building when I got there, and when they saw where the studio was, they opted out of seeing that artist. I did not.


Gritty--or "colorful" area here. All kinds of people, all kinds of smells!

I hear that artist have subsidized housing in Paris. Imagine! And also, I am sure you can imagine what the area is like too. Full of...all forms of inspiration.

Paris Sewers--You get what you pay for!


Victor Hugo's version



The price for the sewer tour was only 4 Euro. In a city where hot chocolate is 5 or 6 Euro, that should have told us something. Actually it did, but we went anyway. I don't really recommend it, unless you are REALLY interested in how sewers work, or when Paris drinking water stopped being taken from the Seine. It is dank and bare. Some parts have grated floors where a river of dirty water gushes. Creeped me out. And yes, there is a smell although, admittedly, it is NOT nearly as bad as it could be. There is a tour, but we chose not to take it (in French anyway). The saving grace is that it is small. It doesn't take very long to get through the whole place. Still, I was very happy to get out.

ROLAND GARROS--Now THIS was worth the price of admission!!!

Note:I actually paid nothing to go in, as we couldn't go very far... it's just a figure of speech, folks.

If you know me even a little bit, you know how I love tennis. Remember the visit to Wimbledon in October that caused me to miss my flight back to CZ??? Yeah. Here I was at another Grand Slam venue. Sweet! But because the tournament was less than two weeks away, I could not have an official tour. No matter. It was still pretty nice to walk around the less restricted parts to look and imagine. My friend, David, later fished out a picture he took of (guess who) Venus Williams playing there in a previous year. Cool. I have it beside my computer right now. =)




Courts covered in anticipation and preparation. Hmmm...

Like a kid in a candy store




Red Clay on my hand




When? Oh, when????? Well, I know when I will see Flushing Meadows, but what about Melbourne Park? And what about actually seeing some TENNIS in these places???? I'll put it on the list! Things to figure out when I come home...=)


OLD FAVORITES-but seen from a different angle, at least.

Notre Dame


Eiffel



This trip was just what I wanted it to be. I was very satisfied, overall.

KM