It's been a week since I arrived in San Antonio. It is nice to be back home, although I haven't had much of a homecoming yet with many of my friends being gone this week. My sister Sue has been visiting our mother, my friend Merryl is off to Egypt and Jordan with her Adventure Women tour group, my friend Jean has been down in Corpus Christi at her condo, my friends Bob and Judy Maroney are off for 18 days in Argentina, etc. But I have needed the time to unpack, put things away, do laundry, go through the mail, update my account files related to my spending while gone, etc. Even though a whole week has passed, things still are not back to normal. And even though I am now at home, I am still traveling in a way. During the past week, I have:
1. Attended a concert by Heinavanker, an Estonian vocal group that is just fantastic with their polyphonic a capela singing of folk songs and their performances of renaissance music. Here is a second link to a You Tube recording of them.
2. Seen foreign films on DVD from the Czech Republic (Autumn Spring), Iran (Baran), and Israel (Late Marriage which is about Georgian Jews living there).
3. Attended the International Accordian Festival downtown hearing performances of groups from Panama, Romania, the Basque region of France/Spain, etc., as well as local groups playing conjunto music. Click on the Artists tab on that page to find links to the various groups that performed. Some of the better ones were Rupa and the April Fishes, Daddy Squeeze Trio, Amuma Says No, and Paris of the Heart.
In addition to those international-flavored activities, I went to the play Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead which transports the characters from the Peanuts comic script into their high school years with accompanying frustrations, hangups, and insecurities that have developed. Snoopy has died of rabies after having first killed the bird that sits on his dog house. Beethoven is gay and avoids the toilets and the lunchroom as a way of hiding from harrassment by his old friends. Pigpen has turned into a super neat freak. Lucy is exploring life with different personas almost weekly. The little curly headed girl (The Doctor is In) has been committed to a mental institution for being a pyromaniac, and Charlie Brown is discovering that he is also gay and wants to become Beethovan's lover. It was hilarious. But it was a bit too mature a subject for the local audiance whose members were shocked by the gay kisses and simulated sex.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Back Home
Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008--Zurich (Continued)
When Rolf returned from leading his meditation, we had a pasta dinner--salad, pasta with a tomato-mushroom-onion sauce, and fava beans mashed and served with sliced garlic and olive oil. Afterwards, we had more desserts! My sweet tooth has been fed well here.
Monday, Oct. 6, 2008--Zurich to Chicago to San Antonio
We enjoyed a nice breakfast together. Then it was time for me to head to the airport. Rolf and Claude walked me to the tram stop, then Rolf accompanied me to the airport. Claude needed to return to the apartment, since she makes lunch every Monday for a group of people who live/work at the temple. Rolf has a yearly pass for the trains and buses for all of Switzerland, so going all the way to the airport with me didn't cost anything extra. When we got there, we checked me in and then went to a cafe for a drink and a final dessert.
The flights from Zurich to Chicago and from Chicago to San Antonio were essentially on time and went well. I had good seats. I watched a couple of films on the longer flight and finished reading a book I had started. I tried to nap some, but I wasn't very successful. Later, on the San Antonio flight, I napped a little, but it wasn't easy and it was off-and-on napping that isn't satisfying. While transferring my bag through customs in Chicago, I pulled a muscle on my right side, so I was in some pain for the rest of the day that also made napping more difficult. The good news is that I FINALLY made it all the way and am home now.
I finished reading Acqua Calda by Keith McDermott. I gave it only 2 stars out of 4. Essentially, the story followed the preparations for an avant guarde stage production. I found it boring. I can see why it has the title it has. The only section of the book that really came to life was the few pages describing the evening when the actors went swimming in a place by that name.
Weight Loss Update: I had a set-back during the last weeks of my travel in terms of my attempt to lose weight. I ate too much in Georgia, Denmark (ESPECIALLY in Denmark!), and Switzerland. I am sure I gained back some of the weight I lost during my travels. However, I was surprised to find that I still was at the level this morning that I had been aiming for when I departed. I weigh 71 kg (156 lbs). That is less than I weighed when I graduated from high school. Now I must develop a plan to keep the weight off during the months when I am in Texas. I plan to review my typical food intake while here and analyze it in terms of calories consumed to decide where to make changes. Also, I must plan to get more exercise when in Texas.
Final Spending Update: During my entire trip, I spent $5883.83 over 154 days for an average of $38.21 per day. That is an average of $1146.30 per month. It does NOT include the cost of the air tickets I was using. My ticket cost about $4600 for ATW IX, the ticket I have been using since Bangkok and will continue to use for the first part of my travels next year.
When Rolf returned from leading his meditation, we had a pasta dinner--salad, pasta with a tomato-mushroom-onion sauce, and fava beans mashed and served with sliced garlic and olive oil. Afterwards, we had more desserts! My sweet tooth has been fed well here.
Monday, Oct. 6, 2008--Zurich to Chicago to San Antonio
We enjoyed a nice breakfast together. Then it was time for me to head to the airport. Rolf and Claude walked me to the tram stop, then Rolf accompanied me to the airport. Claude needed to return to the apartment, since she makes lunch every Monday for a group of people who live/work at the temple. Rolf has a yearly pass for the trains and buses for all of Switzerland, so going all the way to the airport with me didn't cost anything extra. When we got there, we checked me in and then went to a cafe for a drink and a final dessert.
The flights from Zurich to Chicago and from Chicago to San Antonio were essentially on time and went well. I had good seats. I watched a couple of films on the longer flight and finished reading a book I had started. I tried to nap some, but I wasn't very successful. Later, on the San Antonio flight, I napped a little, but it wasn't easy and it was off-and-on napping that isn't satisfying. While transferring my bag through customs in Chicago, I pulled a muscle on my right side, so I was in some pain for the rest of the day that also made napping more difficult. The good news is that I FINALLY made it all the way and am home now.
I finished reading Acqua Calda by Keith McDermott. I gave it only 2 stars out of 4. Essentially, the story followed the preparations for an avant guarde stage production. I found it boring. I can see why it has the title it has. The only section of the book that really came to life was the few pages describing the evening when the actors went swimming in a place by that name.
Weight Loss Update: I had a set-back during the last weeks of my travel in terms of my attempt to lose weight. I ate too much in Georgia, Denmark (ESPECIALLY in Denmark!), and Switzerland. I am sure I gained back some of the weight I lost during my travels. However, I was surprised to find that I still was at the level this morning that I had been aiming for when I departed. I weigh 71 kg (156 lbs). That is less than I weighed when I graduated from high school. Now I must develop a plan to keep the weight off during the months when I am in Texas. I plan to review my typical food intake while here and analyze it in terms of calories consumed to decide where to make changes. Also, I must plan to get more exercise when in Texas.
Final Spending Update: During my entire trip, I spent $5883.83 over 154 days for an average of $38.21 per day. That is an average of $1146.30 per month. It does NOT include the cost of the air tickets I was using. My ticket cost about $4600 for ATW IX, the ticket I have been using since Bangkok and will continue to use for the first part of my travels next year.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Nice Times in Zurich
Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008--Zurich (Continued)
We had a nice dinner in the evening. Claude baked sliced potatoes in the oven. And she stir-fried broccoli and cauliflower which were seasoned with soy sauce. It tasted great. Then she brought out a wonderful cake she had bought in the morning. It was a half-sphere (a dome) of sponge cake topped with cream and covered with a layer of marzipan. Delicious!
Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008--Zurich
Today was just gorgeous. The skies were completely clear. When I looked out the window there were no clouds other than a layer of fog along the river that was gradually dissipating.
After a breakfast similar to the one yesterday but including a special braided white bread (like challah) that the Swiss eat on Sundays, we headed out for a day in the mountains. Going with us were Losang, the teacher who just arrived here at the Buddhist center from England a few weeks ago, and Daniel, a friend of the teacher who is here helping him learn the German language for his work at the center. We took a street car to the edge of town and then a train most of the way up the mountain. We then hiked to the top where there is a restaurant near the TV tower. There, we each ate pumpkin soup and had something to drink. I had hot chocolate following my soup.
We continued to hike in the mountains with fantastic views of the snow and glacier-topped mountains in the distance, fields with cows and sheep, orchards, corn fields, small villages in the valleys, etc. Claude commented that she had never seen the mountains so clearly as we could see them today. We took a cable car back down to town where we caught a train and a street car to return to the neighborhood.
I talked quite a bit with Daniel who has been a Buddhist monk in the past. We discovered that we were in the same place at the same time last year--the town outside Leh in India where the Dalai Llama goes for a week each year to speak to pilgrims who come there to study and meditate. He travels to India often, so I gave him the address of St. Joseph International Academy in hopes he might stop there as a volunteer at some point in the future.
This is my last night away from home. Rolf is leading meditation in the temple early this evening. We will have dinner when he returns around 20:00. Then tomorrow morning I will go to the airport to catch my flight from here to Chicago which will be followed by a final flight from Chicago to San Antonio late tomorrow night.
We had a nice dinner in the evening. Claude baked sliced potatoes in the oven. And she stir-fried broccoli and cauliflower which were seasoned with soy sauce. It tasted great. Then she brought out a wonderful cake she had bought in the morning. It was a half-sphere (a dome) of sponge cake topped with cream and covered with a layer of marzipan. Delicious!
Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008--Zurich
Today was just gorgeous. The skies were completely clear. When I looked out the window there were no clouds other than a layer of fog along the river that was gradually dissipating.
After a breakfast similar to the one yesterday but including a special braided white bread (like challah) that the Swiss eat on Sundays, we headed out for a day in the mountains. Going with us were Losang, the teacher who just arrived here at the Buddhist center from England a few weeks ago, and Daniel, a friend of the teacher who is here helping him learn the German language for his work at the center. We took a street car to the edge of town and then a train most of the way up the mountain. We then hiked to the top where there is a restaurant near the TV tower. There, we each ate pumpkin soup and had something to drink. I had hot chocolate following my soup.
We continued to hike in the mountains with fantastic views of the snow and glacier-topped mountains in the distance, fields with cows and sheep, orchards, corn fields, small villages in the valleys, etc. Claude commented that she had never seen the mountains so clearly as we could see them today. We took a cable car back down to town where we caught a train and a street car to return to the neighborhood.
I talked quite a bit with Daniel who has been a Buddhist monk in the past. We discovered that we were in the same place at the same time last year--the town outside Leh in India where the Dalai Llama goes for a week each year to speak to pilgrims who come there to study and meditate. He travels to India often, so I gave him the address of St. Joseph International Academy in hopes he might stop there as a volunteer at some point in the future.
This is my last night away from home. Rolf is leading meditation in the temple early this evening. We will have dinner when he returns around 20:00. Then tomorrow morning I will go to the airport to catch my flight from here to Chicago which will be followed by a final flight from Chicago to San Antonio late tomorrow night.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Seeing Long-Time Friends
Friday, Oct. 3, 2008--Copenhagen to Zurich
I packed everything, walked out of Grethe's apartment, locked the door, went downstairs, put her key in her mailbox, opened the door to go outside, and realized I did not have my coat. I had been so warm in my pullover that it never registered that I had not gotten the coat out of the closet. It was too late by then, because I had no way to reenter the apartment. I had to head to the airport without a coat and accept that I would be in Switzerland for 3 days and then travel home through Chicago without one.
When I arrived at the airport in Switzerland, I was surprised by being met by two people. Rolf had a woman with him whom I did not recognize. Then he said, "It's Elizabeth." She is a friend of theirs and of Arne's whom I have met and visited when I have been here a couple of times before. They all had dinner together recently, and when Rolf and Claude told her that I was coming today, she asked if she could come into town from Thun where she lives and meet me and have dinner with us.
Rolf had already bought me a 3-day pass good for the trains and buses and for discounts at museums. He validated it and we immediately took a train into town.
Claude was just finishing a seminar when we arrived at the building. The building is a Buddhist center and includes their temple and apartments for people involved in the temple--monks, nuns, employees, etc. Claude is the educational director for the temple with a variety of responsibilities including the seminar she had conducted.
Upstairs in their apartment, we visited while Claude made a very nice vegetarian dinner consisting of rice with grated cheese and mixed vegetables stir fried with tofu. We ate and continued to visit. Then we shared a rhubarb pie and some special sweets Rolf had bought at Sprunli called Luxemburgerli. They are delicately crunchy with a nice creamy fruit filling. Ummmm!
Elizabeth had to catch her train back home, so we said goodbye to her and went downstairs to prepare the temple for a festival that they will have tomorrow. We had to empty the water out of many bowls and clean them. Then various items were put into the bowls including more water, beads, flowers, food items, etc.
When we returned to the apartment upstairs, we had more sweets and tea before finally retreating to bed for the night. It had been so nice to catch up on so many topics with the two of them.
Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008--Zurich
We had a nice breakfast this morning--various breads, jams, honey, yogurt, fruits, etc., with tea. We ate casually and continued to talk about many topics.
We walked to the local market area to shop after that. There is a farmer's market in the square, and there are supermarkets and other shops nearby. Claude bought lots of fruits and vegetables from the farmers. Then we went to the supermarket for sparkling water, cheese, and other treats. Finally, we stopped at a bakery where she bought a cake. She and Rolf actually like sweets more than I do if anyone who knows me can believe that!
The 3-day pass they gave me includes a trip on the lake in a boat, so we headed to town and took a boat that was just arriving at the docks. We got a table by a large window, ordered food, and ate lunch while sailing around the lake with views of the mountains and the houses along the sides of the lake. Claude and I had spinach-cheese ravioli plates, and Rolf had sausages with French fries.
After about an hour of sailing, we got off the boat and walked the rest of the way back to town along the side of it making a stop at the Chinese gardens. Then we wandered through the center of town. The weather cooperated the whole way with sunshine peaking regularly through the heavy clouds that were about. Eventually, we stopped at Sprunli and had a hot drinks and desserts. By then, rain was beginning and we were tired, so we returned to the apartment at 16:30.
I packed everything, walked out of Grethe's apartment, locked the door, went downstairs, put her key in her mailbox, opened the door to go outside, and realized I did not have my coat. I had been so warm in my pullover that it never registered that I had not gotten the coat out of the closet. It was too late by then, because I had no way to reenter the apartment. I had to head to the airport without a coat and accept that I would be in Switzerland for 3 days and then travel home through Chicago without one.
When I arrived at the airport in Switzerland, I was surprised by being met by two people. Rolf had a woman with him whom I did not recognize. Then he said, "It's Elizabeth." She is a friend of theirs and of Arne's whom I have met and visited when I have been here a couple of times before. They all had dinner together recently, and when Rolf and Claude told her that I was coming today, she asked if she could come into town from Thun where she lives and meet me and have dinner with us.
Rolf had already bought me a 3-day pass good for the trains and buses and for discounts at museums. He validated it and we immediately took a train into town.
Claude was just finishing a seminar when we arrived at the building. The building is a Buddhist center and includes their temple and apartments for people involved in the temple--monks, nuns, employees, etc. Claude is the educational director for the temple with a variety of responsibilities including the seminar she had conducted.
Upstairs in their apartment, we visited while Claude made a very nice vegetarian dinner consisting of rice with grated cheese and mixed vegetables stir fried with tofu. We ate and continued to visit. Then we shared a rhubarb pie and some special sweets Rolf had bought at Sprunli called Luxemburgerli. They are delicately crunchy with a nice creamy fruit filling. Ummmm!
Elizabeth had to catch her train back home, so we said goodbye to her and went downstairs to prepare the temple for a festival that they will have tomorrow. We had to empty the water out of many bowls and clean them. Then various items were put into the bowls including more water, beads, flowers, food items, etc.
When we returned to the apartment upstairs, we had more sweets and tea before finally retreating to bed for the night. It had been so nice to catch up on so many topics with the two of them.
Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008--Zurich
We had a nice breakfast this morning--various breads, jams, honey, yogurt, fruits, etc., with tea. We ate casually and continued to talk about many topics.
We walked to the local market area to shop after that. There is a farmer's market in the square, and there are supermarkets and other shops nearby. Claude bought lots of fruits and vegetables from the farmers. Then we went to the supermarket for sparkling water, cheese, and other treats. Finally, we stopped at a bakery where she bought a cake. She and Rolf actually like sweets more than I do if anyone who knows me can believe that!
The 3-day pass they gave me includes a trip on the lake in a boat, so we headed to town and took a boat that was just arriving at the docks. We got a table by a large window, ordered food, and ate lunch while sailing around the lake with views of the mountains and the houses along the sides of the lake. Claude and I had spinach-cheese ravioli plates, and Rolf had sausages with French fries.
After about an hour of sailing, we got off the boat and walked the rest of the way back to town along the side of it making a stop at the Chinese gardens. Then we wandered through the center of town. The weather cooperated the whole way with sunshine peaking regularly through the heavy clouds that were about. Eventually, we stopped at Sprunli and had a hot drinks and desserts. By then, rain was beginning and we were tired, so we returned to the apartment at 16:30.
Friday, October 03, 2008
Seeing Friends on Last Night in Copenhagen
Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008--Copenhagen
I visited Old Grethe today. (So many people have the same names in Denmark that it is necessary to use qualifiers. Later in the evening when talking, the list of Grethes included Nurse Grethe, Old Grethe, and Dead Grethe!) Old Grethe will soon be 87 and was a long-time friend of Arne's. She came to Texas for a visit around 1986. She suffers from macular degeneration which creates frustrations, since she is in good health otherwise. It was nice to see her. We recalled wonderful memories of times during the years. Unlike most of my friends who probably assume that it is too sad a topic, she likes to bring up the subject of Arne and talk about our memories of him. I enjoy that, because usually I only get to talk to myself about him.
I took open-faced sandwiches for us to have for our lunch, since Grethe cannot see to cook. Well, she does cook some, but it is difficult for her and she limits what she prepares to a small list of simple things. Therefore, she appreciated the chance to have something different. I do not understand that others still visit her without bringing food. What a burden to put on her with her handicap. Anyway, we ate the sandwiches which was followed by tea which she can easily make and some cookies her granddaughter had made and sent to her (baked from a recipe that Grethe brought back from Texas).
It was a beautiful day. I walked both ways to visit Old Grethe. Although it is October, the weather is better than it often was when I visited here in the summers.
When I returned to the apartment, I helped prepare for a dinner Nurse Grethe had planned for the evening. I set the dinner table, set the coffee table, helped prepare the salad, etc. The guests (Jens, Robert, Kurt, and Finn) arrived at 18:00, and we had a great evening of eating and visiting. We had a chicken casserole with Greek salad as a starter with white wine. Then we had pork tenderloin stuffed with parsley as a main course with boiled new potatoes, brown sauce, pickled pumpkin, and red wine. At the coffee table, we had more wine, cookies, chocolates, and coffee. We talked about anything and everything that came to mind.
Because it was a work night for Grethe and Finn, the evening ended about 21:45. It was so nice to see everyone one last time, though. And the food was so delicious. What a nice ending to my visit to Copenhagen. Tomorrow, I am off for a weekend visit with friends in Zurich before returning to Texas on Monday.
I visited Old Grethe today. (So many people have the same names in Denmark that it is necessary to use qualifiers. Later in the evening when talking, the list of Grethes included Nurse Grethe, Old Grethe, and Dead Grethe!) Old Grethe will soon be 87 and was a long-time friend of Arne's. She came to Texas for a visit around 1986. She suffers from macular degeneration which creates frustrations, since she is in good health otherwise. It was nice to see her. We recalled wonderful memories of times during the years. Unlike most of my friends who probably assume that it is too sad a topic, she likes to bring up the subject of Arne and talk about our memories of him. I enjoy that, because usually I only get to talk to myself about him.
I took open-faced sandwiches for us to have for our lunch, since Grethe cannot see to cook. Well, she does cook some, but it is difficult for her and she limits what she prepares to a small list of simple things. Therefore, she appreciated the chance to have something different. I do not understand that others still visit her without bringing food. What a burden to put on her with her handicap. Anyway, we ate the sandwiches which was followed by tea which she can easily make and some cookies her granddaughter had made and sent to her (baked from a recipe that Grethe brought back from Texas).
It was a beautiful day. I walked both ways to visit Old Grethe. Although it is October, the weather is better than it often was when I visited here in the summers.
When I returned to the apartment, I helped prepare for a dinner Nurse Grethe had planned for the evening. I set the dinner table, set the coffee table, helped prepare the salad, etc. The guests (Jens, Robert, Kurt, and Finn) arrived at 18:00, and we had a great evening of eating and visiting. We had a chicken casserole with Greek salad as a starter with white wine. Then we had pork tenderloin stuffed with parsley as a main course with boiled new potatoes, brown sauce, pickled pumpkin, and red wine. At the coffee table, we had more wine, cookies, chocolates, and coffee. We talked about anything and everything that came to mind.
Because it was a work night for Grethe and Finn, the evening ended about 21:45. It was so nice to see everyone one last time, though. And the food was so delicious. What a nice ending to my visit to Copenhagen. Tomorrow, I am off for a weekend visit with friends in Zurich before returning to Texas on Monday.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Returning to Copenhagen
Monday, Sept. 29, 2008--Klaipeda (Continued)
My room is nicer than the one I had here when I arrived several days ago. This one has exposed beams in the ceiling, a private bath, and a sitting area with cable TV that is shared with one more room in the same entrance.
I finished reading Mother of Sorrows by Richard McCann tonight. It is very well written. It is unique in that it tells a story as a novel, but each of the chapters was originally a short story. The life of the author is slowly revealed in the stories that were written over a period of 18 years. I gave the book 4 stars out of 4.
Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2008--Klaipeda to Palanga to Copenhagen
It is raining again today. I had hoped to spend 2-3 hours wandering around Palanga, but it won't be fun doing that in the rain. Anyway, when it appeared to be clearing in Klaipeda, I departed for the bus station and caught a marshruta for Palanga. By the time we arrived there, it was raining again.
I stopped at the tourist office to try to get some information about going to the airport by bus. But when I asked about the schedule, the lady didn't know. When I asked about the cost of the bus, she didn't know that either and acted like I was crazy to be asking such questions. The former Soviet states still don't get the idea of service. Tourist offices tend to be places to make money selling souvenirs, selling tours, making reservations (for a fee or a kickback), etc.
Even though it was raining, I decided to walk down the main street in Palanga toward the beach. The city is known as a party town, and this street is lined with old wooden houses that have been converted into restaurants and bars. They are rather stylishly done and look nice with many huge trees around them. I walked on the boardwalk over the dune line and onto the pier at the beach. Again, it was nice. Palanga seems to be a pretty town. But tourists coming here have to consider the competition--Nida on the Curonion Spit. People wanting the party atmosphere with lots of attractions to distract and entertain will choose Palanga. But people wanting a village experience with lots of nature to explore will prefer Nida. I think I would choose Nida.
I ended up walking to the airport in the rain. When I found the bus stop, I discovered that the bus only runs every 2 hours or so. And someone there told me that the charge is 2 Lati. I had been spending my money down and had only 1.30 Lati in my pocket. I had thought that might be enough, since this is a small town and I had paid only 1.50 Lati for a long bus trip in Kaunas a few days ago. Anyway, I went to the supermarket and bought me one last seeded candy bar for 1.29 Lati and started hiking. The trip wasn't really that bad. It didn't rain the whole way, because the rain continued to come and go. There were sidewalks about 1/3 of the distance. Then there were shoulders for the next 1/3 of the distance. The only bad part was the final 1/3 of the 6 km (3.6 miles) which had neither sidewalks nor shoulders. I walked on the left side of the road facing the oncoming traffic in an effort to keep safe.
The flight arrived in Palanga about 35 minutes late, but we managed a quick turnaround there. Then we made up more time in flight so that we arrived in Copenhagen only a minute or two later than originally scheduled. I grabbed my bag and headed for Jens' and Robert's. It had been agreed that Nurse Grethe would go there after work and I would come there from the airport. I expected her to be there and having a gin and tonic when I arrived, since she is usually off work about 15:30 and I was arriving around 16:00. But she was late. When she did arrive an hour or so later, she looked tired and explained that she is having staffing problems at the hospital due to people being sick--some truly so and some others apparently just saying so.
We relaxed on the glass-enclosed patio and drank champagne once Grethe was there. Then we moved to the dining table for dinner. Jens made frikadeller, Danish meatballs, for us for dinner and served them with boiled new potatoes and bernaise sauce. Later, we had Dagmar Taerte, which is crusty Danish pastry with a buttery marzipan filling, for dessert with coffee. It was all delicious as usual.
Grethe was on her bike, so she road home while I walked. The weather here is really quite warm for this time of the year, so it was a pleasant walk.
Spending Update: Lithuania was a surprise by being more expensive than I expected. It was only second to Japan in terms of expensive countries for me this year, and it actually cost me about 86% of what it cost to be in Japan--much closer than I would have expected the costs of the two countries to be. Anyway, I spent $463.57 over 8 days in Lithuania for an average of $57.95 per day. Since leaving Texas, I have spent $5784.02 over 148 days for an average of $39.08 per day.
Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008--Copenhagen
I felt lazy today. I am so tired of traveling and feeling that I must get as much as possible out of each day that being in Copenhagen, a city that I know so well and that has little I want to see again, gave me the chance to slow down. I spent much of the morning on the computer and watching the news on TV. I finally showered and dressed just before noon.
I went to Domus Vista, the building where Arne used to live which is nearby. I looked in the supermarket there, because Grethe had told me it had been remodeled. Then I wandered through the courtyard shopping area of the building and was surprised to see how run down it is looking these days. There is a new entrance to the apartments that avoids the need to go through there, and most of the businesses have vacated the premises. Since the door to the elevator area was open, I went inside and rode up to the 27th floor where we used to live. It all looks the same except that there is a different name on the door of Apartment 18. I saw that Annette, our nicest neighbor is still living there, but I didn't ring the doorbell. It was lunch time, and also there is a language problem between us since I do not speak Danish well and she does not speak English at all.
I stopped at a nearby store and bought everything needed for making burgers tonight. I always make them for Grethe one of the evenings I am here. I brought those back, then I went to the cemetary where Arne is buried. The small number markers are so grown over with grass, that I could not find the specific marker (or any of the ones nearby). Fortunately, I knew where the gravesite is and know that I was at it even if I could not find the metal marker. By then, rain was threatening. And I had no interest in exploring the city; nothing here holds the interest for me that it once did. I come here only to see my friends who live here. Therefore, I returned to the apartment for the rest of the day and awaited Grethe's arrival.
My room is nicer than the one I had here when I arrived several days ago. This one has exposed beams in the ceiling, a private bath, and a sitting area with cable TV that is shared with one more room in the same entrance.
I finished reading Mother of Sorrows by Richard McCann tonight. It is very well written. It is unique in that it tells a story as a novel, but each of the chapters was originally a short story. The life of the author is slowly revealed in the stories that were written over a period of 18 years. I gave the book 4 stars out of 4.
Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2008--Klaipeda to Palanga to Copenhagen
It is raining again today. I had hoped to spend 2-3 hours wandering around Palanga, but it won't be fun doing that in the rain. Anyway, when it appeared to be clearing in Klaipeda, I departed for the bus station and caught a marshruta for Palanga. By the time we arrived there, it was raining again.
I stopped at the tourist office to try to get some information about going to the airport by bus. But when I asked about the schedule, the lady didn't know. When I asked about the cost of the bus, she didn't know that either and acted like I was crazy to be asking such questions. The former Soviet states still don't get the idea of service. Tourist offices tend to be places to make money selling souvenirs, selling tours, making reservations (for a fee or a kickback), etc.
Even though it was raining, I decided to walk down the main street in Palanga toward the beach. The city is known as a party town, and this street is lined with old wooden houses that have been converted into restaurants and bars. They are rather stylishly done and look nice with many huge trees around them. I walked on the boardwalk over the dune line and onto the pier at the beach. Again, it was nice. Palanga seems to be a pretty town. But tourists coming here have to consider the competition--Nida on the Curonion Spit. People wanting the party atmosphere with lots of attractions to distract and entertain will choose Palanga. But people wanting a village experience with lots of nature to explore will prefer Nida. I think I would choose Nida.
I ended up walking to the airport in the rain. When I found the bus stop, I discovered that the bus only runs every 2 hours or so. And someone there told me that the charge is 2 Lati. I had been spending my money down and had only 1.30 Lati in my pocket. I had thought that might be enough, since this is a small town and I had paid only 1.50 Lati for a long bus trip in Kaunas a few days ago. Anyway, I went to the supermarket and bought me one last seeded candy bar for 1.29 Lati and started hiking. The trip wasn't really that bad. It didn't rain the whole way, because the rain continued to come and go. There were sidewalks about 1/3 of the distance. Then there were shoulders for the next 1/3 of the distance. The only bad part was the final 1/3 of the 6 km (3.6 miles) which had neither sidewalks nor shoulders. I walked on the left side of the road facing the oncoming traffic in an effort to keep safe.
The flight arrived in Palanga about 35 minutes late, but we managed a quick turnaround there. Then we made up more time in flight so that we arrived in Copenhagen only a minute or two later than originally scheduled. I grabbed my bag and headed for Jens' and Robert's. It had been agreed that Nurse Grethe would go there after work and I would come there from the airport. I expected her to be there and having a gin and tonic when I arrived, since she is usually off work about 15:30 and I was arriving around 16:00. But she was late. When she did arrive an hour or so later, she looked tired and explained that she is having staffing problems at the hospital due to people being sick--some truly so and some others apparently just saying so.
We relaxed on the glass-enclosed patio and drank champagne once Grethe was there. Then we moved to the dining table for dinner. Jens made frikadeller, Danish meatballs, for us for dinner and served them with boiled new potatoes and bernaise sauce. Later, we had Dagmar Taerte, which is crusty Danish pastry with a buttery marzipan filling, for dessert with coffee. It was all delicious as usual.
Grethe was on her bike, so she road home while I walked. The weather here is really quite warm for this time of the year, so it was a pleasant walk.
Spending Update: Lithuania was a surprise by being more expensive than I expected. It was only second to Japan in terms of expensive countries for me this year, and it actually cost me about 86% of what it cost to be in Japan--much closer than I would have expected the costs of the two countries to be. Anyway, I spent $463.57 over 8 days in Lithuania for an average of $57.95 per day. Since leaving Texas, I have spent $5784.02 over 148 days for an average of $39.08 per day.
Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008--Copenhagen
I felt lazy today. I am so tired of traveling and feeling that I must get as much as possible out of each day that being in Copenhagen, a city that I know so well and that has little I want to see again, gave me the chance to slow down. I spent much of the morning on the computer and watching the news on TV. I finally showered and dressed just before noon.
I went to Domus Vista, the building where Arne used to live which is nearby. I looked in the supermarket there, because Grethe had told me it had been remodeled. Then I wandered through the courtyard shopping area of the building and was surprised to see how run down it is looking these days. There is a new entrance to the apartments that avoids the need to go through there, and most of the businesses have vacated the premises. Since the door to the elevator area was open, I went inside and rode up to the 27th floor where we used to live. It all looks the same except that there is a different name on the door of Apartment 18. I saw that Annette, our nicest neighbor is still living there, but I didn't ring the doorbell. It was lunch time, and also there is a language problem between us since I do not speak Danish well and she does not speak English at all.
I stopped at a nearby store and bought everything needed for making burgers tonight. I always make them for Grethe one of the evenings I am here. I brought those back, then I went to the cemetary where Arne is buried. The small number markers are so grown over with grass, that I could not find the specific marker (or any of the ones nearby). Fortunately, I knew where the gravesite is and know that I was at it even if I could not find the metal marker. By then, rain was threatening. And I had no interest in exploring the city; nothing here holds the interest for me that it once did. I come here only to see my friends who live here. Therefore, I returned to the apartment for the rest of the day and awaited Grethe's arrival.
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