Steps in my time

Did walk all over Manhattan for our last weekend of the summer. 

The smallest hotel room

Stayed at the Jane Hotel on our quick trip to NYC. The decor is nautical. The beds are narrow bunks. The bathroom is down the hall. The price is good.

More from Rome

Look at this picture taken on my “you can’t get there from here” walk from the motel to the theater. I have two shots from this spot. This one show the full welcome display. The other one show the electronic hardware store marquee. It’s impossible to illustrate the confused, complicated traffic intersection off to the left. Maybe I need to launch a drone to show the madness of this place.

Where I used to park my car

It was freshman move-in day. I decided to wait until later to go to my office to avoid the traffic, since I was driving. It was surprisingly quiet. I suppose they had some activity to entertain, to ward off homesickness, and/or teach safe sex practices.
I don’t mind the walk to my car. It’s a lovely night. At the top of the hill is the new Welcome Center. I’ve been here long enough to have a “I remember when” moment.

What I love and hate about Rome, NY

Capitolfest 16 is this weekend. Lots of wonderful movies and inevitable frustration getting around town. Rome, NY, sacrificed its soul to the automobile many years ago.

Getting ready

I rode the bus up the hill to spend the afternoon learning some of the new technology that I can use in my classes. The ideas are just bubbling up in my mind, so many possibilities.
I walked down for the first time since May. I couldn't believe it. There was a fresh carpet of asphalt on the cow path. How they got all the equipment staged on the hairpin curve to lay it?
I love being on campus just before students return. Bless all those who work during the summer.

Fixing up

This commercial establishment is getting a new skin. I guess business is good. Then I realize that it’s the local funeral home.

Do you know what is hard?

I’m almost out of thread for my lace. It’s now 30 inches long.
I went too far and now I want to go back and add an edging.
It’s harder to unknit lace than to knit it.

Good news, bad news 2

Bad news first, it’s going to be sunny and 90 degrees today.

Good news is that the chance of rain is low and they will try to refinish our porch. 

Good news, bad news

Bad news first, I lost my sunglasses. They fell out of my backpack in Kraków.
Good news, my eyeglass prescription hasn’t changed. I don’t need new glasses. I can just replace the sunglasses.

Flushing the hydrants

We made it home in time for the yearly maintenance. Does this happen everywhere? I don’t remember it from other places I’ve lived. I can’t imagine they did it in the panhandle.

Up north 2

From my childhood, the goal of many in my culture was to seek out time on a lake. Friday nights were spent in bumper to bumper traffic on I-75 heading north. Sundays were spent similarly heading south. There was true joy on Saturday. It felt especially good if you were free of a note.

I thought the imitation palm trees shading the deck of this pontoon boat were a nice touch.

Up north

There is nothing like waking Monday morning to a quiet lake.

Erich Wolfgang Korngold

There is a star for Korngold on a boulevard in Vienna. As a classic movie fan, I love the swashbuckling scores for the Warner Brothers studio from the 1930’s and 40’s. And I know his violin concerto which is in the contemporary repertoire. But a quick consultation with Wikipedia turned into an obsession that will continue for quite a while, I suspect.
He was a child prodigy who relationship with his father was not unlike that of Wolfgang and Leopold Mozart. Mahler praised his early work.
Korngold had a very successful career composing operas and symphonic works in the 1920’s. He was brought to Hollywood to score Mendelssohn’s music for Max Reinhardt’s film of “A Midsummer’s Night Dream”. His innovative approach changed film scoring forever.
He returned to Vienna for a short time before being forced to flee in the lead up to World War II. So his Hollywood career was totally serendipitous.
There seems to be a documentary about his life. Anyone see it?

Sometimes it takes greater effort

On the steep hill down from our Airbnb in Karlovy Vary, there was a bloom struggling against all odds.

Lock

In Karlovy Vary, we walked beside a church to get down the the center of town. The side doors were impressive. It appeared that they were not used. I wonder who has the key to this lock and when it was last used. 

I have to wonder

First of all, the building door to the street is supposed to be locked at all times, although I have seen it propped open. So those who leave the handbills must have good timing or know when to get in.

Secondly, half of the apartment doors seemed not to have been opened in the week we were there. So I have to assume that most Viennese like to take a summer holiday in July. I can’t imagine that these units are vacant. 

Thirdly, can the distributors read German or are they ignoring the signs? “Please no publicity materials.”

Keplerplatz

One reason I liked the area we stayed in Vienna was that the local transit stop was Keplerplatz, appropriate honor to the one who figured out planetary motion. From what I can tell, the mathematician didn’t spend any time here. He did live in Prague and the house still stands. We will have to find it the next time we visit.

Architectural details

Don’t you wish this face was watching over your home?

Oh, the fragrance!

I was late for lunch, but I had to stop. The bees love the lavender. So do I.

Public spaces 2

I admire the efficiency of German. These signs are frequently displayed in parks in Vienna. Public spaces need to be shared. Sometimes you need to restrict activities for the common good. Dogs are banned in fenced areas containing playgrounds to protect children. But dogs are given free range is other areas where they can run unleashed.

In the park I mentioned in my last post, there were several groups camping out. I took this picture of police interacting with one group. Everyone was calm. I wouldn’t describe it as harassment. Not knowing what was being said, I can’t be sure. But I suspect the issue was the dog. It was not a “hundezone”.

Public spaces

We split up for the day and decided to meet up at a restaurant in the suburbs. I made my way walking along the U4 which parallels the Vienna River. There were lots of interesting things to observe away from the Ring where most of the tourists spend their time. The corridor is punctuated by train stops and bus connections. There were marked paths for pedestrians and cyclists. Lots of residents move through, but they also pause and return. Yes, there were benches but there were small garden plots with vegetables growing. This was a place where people live their lives.

I came upon this neighborhood park with hammocks and platforms suitable for a resting off the ground. It was delightful to stop for awhile. I contemplated how I might live my life in this city.

I couldn’t resist

Playmobil has a seamstress character complete with shears, tape measure and wrist pincushion. I’m not exactly sure what the red things in the toolbox are. Any ideas?

Somebody loves their babies

There were two windows, street level, outfitted with these screened shelves for the cats.

Flying Tiger Copenhagen

I have a new favorite store. Believe it or not, it’s a cross between a dollar store and Ikea. There is a single path winding past all the colorful merchandise. You want to touch everything. I purchased two things. This spoon knitter and a yellow poka-dotted pink strap for my suitcase. From the website I see that they are a few stores in the NYC area. I’m telling you: this is your chance to get in on the ground floor of the next big thing!

Teaser: View out the kitchen window

At seven o’clock, the first morning in our Airbnb, I heard banging and quickly snapped this picture. The power cord was being passed over the peak of the roof. I have been following their progress as they have torn down everything to the floor of the attic. A chain saw was used to remove the rafters. I witnessed the beams bundled and lifted down by a crane.

It has been a lesson in structural engineering.

We are in a race of time. Can they finish before we leave in a week?

Update: I held off posting this to see how far they would get. Here’s a picture from Saturday, as the bosses are consulting over the plans spread out on the pallet of bundled materials. There was a lot of pacing and cell phone consultation.
It appears as if they are reconstructing the entire upper building and things aren’t going well.

Snagging some WiFi and shade

When you go without a sim card for the week, you adapt. You get into the habit of taking screenshots of G’maps, just in case you lose the position. You also learn where you can pickup WiFi, like museums and train stations. Sometimes it will reach to a bench in the shade. Sometimes not.

Unscientific survey

Who would you sit by on the tram?
An old woman knitting or ... yourself?
After thinking about it, maybe it is an aversion to sitting backwards.

Counting pills, shirts and squeezes

We have just a few more days. I am rationing quite a few items. Don’t you just love my Hello Kitty toothbrush with the suction base? Got it at a Dollar Tree. It should be replaced before the next trip.

Travel gods are fickle

We traveled from Karlovy Vary to Vienna on train.
Well, actually we left from Ostrov. The tracks were disrupted between Ostrov and KV. On the way in, we transferred to a bus which took us to the depot. But on the way out we decided it was easier with the three of us to take a taxi from our Airbnb directly to the train station in Ostrov, about ten miles for $11.
This picture is from the first class car on that train. It is an old fashioned compartment. The three of us had it to ourselves, with our luggage on shelves above our heads. First class often means free WiFi, but this car was not upgraded. We were able to link one of our iPhones as a hotspot using the Czech sim data which was soon to be no good in Austria.
The connection in Prague was tight, about twenty minutes, which is close enough when transferring baggage down and over to another platform. We began to worry as we became more and more delayed. The train arrived with one minute to get moved. Luck was with us as the Vienna train was just across the same platform, delayed five minutes, and the first class cars were side-to-side.
The first class car on the OBB(Austrian) train rolling stock was modern with the three of us sitting at a table in 2x2 facing seats. About that time we were very hungry. There was a dining car but we also had the option of being served at our table, ordering by attendant or app. P jumped right in and got his meal ordered on the app. F and I couldn’t quite get it all decided and figured out before the attendant came by. You can guess what happened: P was waiting for his food until we were almost into Austria. He eventually went back to the dining car to cancel it. Our assessment was that the Czech crew was understaffed and overwhelmed.
Not to be deterred, P was soon picking out a brewpub via the internet for dinner in Vienna. He was determined to the point of getting F to use his German on a call for reservations. The call was unanswered. P hadn’t eaten all day. Fate was turning against us.
Our Airbnb is a ten minute walk from the Vienna Hauptbahnhof. We rolled our six suitcases, slinging various backpacks and shoulder bags, to find that the elevator in our building was out. Now we have not had elevators in our buildings up to now. We can handle a couple of flights. But our Airbnb was six flights up from ground level. My guys rose to the challenge. Later, F said he plugged in his earbuds, cranking up “Highway to Hell” to give him motivation.
Dinner was lovely. The absentee Airbnb host messaged us the next day that they were knocking off 100€. We were still speaking to each other. We have returned to lovely Vienna.

Sad news, but I certainly understand

She may not realize how much a part of my life she is. From the beginning of this blog, I have relied on her expertise, through sweaters, socks and spa sets. She was there and I thank her. 

Godspeed, April.

Fairlawn

We have stayed several times at the Fairlawn in Kolkata. The first time was on our way to Bangladesh in 2009. I have often said that was the real Best Exotic Marigold Hotel portrayed in the 2011 film. 
We were looking into staying at the Fairlawn in Kolkata for a future trip* just yesterday. The dear proprietor has passed and the family has now sold it. We were sad to hear that the hotel lost its liquor license in the transfer. This picture is from 2012. P enjoying the beer garden. 

*FYI our ten year Indian visa will expire next year. So coming up on ten years since AUW. 

Could have benefited from this?

This film festival has childcare arrangements. I walked by this area and saw the little ones enjoying it.
We stopped going to the Telluride Film Festival when F was young. We couldn’t keep up the pace. Telluride was an intense weekend of film education and considerable expense.
I’m glad we don’t have to balance movies and parenthood anymore.
I’m glad that he grew up and loves film festivals as much as we do.
I’m glad that we found the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Nine wine glasses and three forks

Our Airbnb unit worked out well. There is lots of space with two separate bedrooms. We certainly enjoyed the good, reliable WiFi. This is a commercial endeavor with maybe six units in this newly renovated building. All outfitted with Ikea branded goods.
I was a little frustrated with the kitchen.
Yes, there are nine wine glasses. Nothing bigger than two juice size glasses to drink from, not even a beer glass. There are only three forks, four soup spoons, a bunch of table knives and one paring knife. Every try to slice bread, necessary around here, with a paring knife? There is a wine cooler in the living room, but only a hot plate to cook on. The only pan to use is this small saucepan without a lid.
There is a unopened box of table salt, but no shaker. Nothing, no mustard even, left in the refrigerator.
We are leaving some instant coffee.

They work hard to make this festival a success

Every profession deserves a party and a chance to network, even subtitlers.

What happens in Vary 2

Don’t you just hate it when you are walking home and your favorite flip flops give out?

I hope they weren’t far from their accommodations. Those cobblestones can be brutal.

What happens in Vary

Stays in (Karlovy) Vary. I won’t attempt to offer a possible explanation.

Pop-ups 2

I was intrigued by the bathtub. There were five people standing around trying to figure out how to fill it with ice. I don’t know enough Czech to find out what exactly the hang up was. I returned a couple of days later to see they have it all properly installed. It was a bathtub of bubbly booze.

I was not tempted.

Pop-ups

This festival is like an upscale fair with an incredible number of booths trying to entice the attendees. I encountered this truck next to the pop-up stage straddling the river with all sorts of lights and speakers. I have no idea who will be doing what. I can tell you, it won’t be silent.  

My productive time

As an early riser, I enjoy quiet time in the morning. My routine is to have my coffee, eat a little breakfast, read my email, check the headlines (or not), do some sudoku, and flip through the previous day’s photos for potential blog posts. I like a visual prompt as inspiration for my writing. I enjoy my quiet time. I need my quiet time. I want my quiet time.
This has been disrupted by film selection for the festival. One can reserve three films 24 hours in advance on the app. We had some grace for the first two days. But I hit a wall yesterday morning. I came in late the night before and didn’t have time to study the program. So when the app opened for reservations at 7 a.m., I had to work hard to get my three films selected. This was compounded by my lack of expertise for this festival. You’ve got to have a strategy. I had six unsuccessful attempts before I was able to get my three in.
So all that is my excuse for not posting yesterday. This morning I was ready and had my three done by 7:15, with only one request rejected.

First day

I feel rushed to get out the door. This festival runs a week with two weekends. With a pass you can reserve three films per day. So the idea is to pace yourself.
My first film is at 10:30 a.m., Insect, a new Czech film about the creative process.

View from the other side

As I mentioned in my last post, we moved to the Airbnb yesterday. This unit was booked first, for the three of us for the film festival. When we figured out my son’s plans we filled in the Prague stay and the two nights in Karlovy Vary. P is so good with planning. He picked the penzion so that we wouldn’t have far to roll our bags.
A problem was that we had to be out of the room by 10 a.m. and couldn’t take possession until 6 p.m. The nice people allowed us to leave our bags in the foyer and gave us the front door key to retrieve them later. We spent the day getting to know KV, figuring out the public transportation and locating festival movie theaters. We splurged and took tea/coffee at the Dvorak Cafe before heading up the hill for the transfer.
Now look at the picture. The penzion is the one on the left. We were on the top floor. Yes, you can see the bathroom window where I took the picture used in yesterday’s post. The street runs level around the hill. There is a little cluster of commercial establishments near the end of the street for the Airbnb. That street is rough cobblestone straight done the hill. A hill so steep, the vacant land across is undeveloped after hundreds of years.
In all our travels, I can never remember looking out the window of a place we stayed and seeing our previous accommodations.

Not exactly

We are staying only two nights at a penzion before moving to a larger Airbnb when F rejoins us.  They gave us the choice of the larger room for all our luggage or the room with a view.
They were wrong. There is a view from the bathroom.

And there are things lost

I’m mourning the loss of my blue shirt. It was a camp shirt from Eddie Bower, just purchased this spring. A gorgeous Wedgewood blue, a color that could be worn with either black or navy slacks. The petite size meant that the sleeves were not too long. It was perfect.
Yesterday was a travel day. I decided to wear the shirt as a jacket rather than my white coat, which is more likely to attract grime from dealing with luggage. After carrying down the suitcases from our top floor unit, I got heated up. I rolled the shirt and stashed it in the elastic lacing of my backpack.
When we got to the train station and I swung around my pack, it was gone, lost on the subway or street.
Yes, it can be replaced. I send it out into the world of Prague. I hope it has a new life. Maybe someone will find it useful, too.
And I think of my blue hat, lost in Bangkok.

The morning after?

If you spend much time around the tourist areas of European cities, you will probably observe the phenomenon of the guy trip. Often they are bachelor parties/weekends. They may have matching t-shirts or leis or some other identifying feature.  They will be sitting together in sidewalk cafes in the afternoon. This is also the season for World Cup matches so you may find them gathered around TV sets. I don’t really do the bar scene, but I can just imagine how they spend their nights.
This group was having a quiet brunch Sunday morning. I really wanted to ask them how they spent the last 36 hours. If I might say, they look uncomfortable sitting on the high stools, intently staring at their devices. Probably checking in with loved ones left at home.
Well to be fair, they may be just a group of locals who get together each week for coffee, but I don’t think so.

Portrait of my companion

There he is on the 25 tram: a bit wrinkled, with map in his pocket, walking stick upright, ready for the next adventure.

View from our place

I realize I haven’t posted that much about our Airbnb here in Prague. It’s a very comfortable place for two adults, and a little person or two. This kitchen window faces west and so gets lots of sun until later in the day when it drops below the buildings across the street. The bedroom and terrace face north, a block from a transit hub where we can catch five or six street cars, a subway and any number of busses.
The first couple of days we did lots of laundry using the Whirlpool machine with easy to read controls. It dried quickly on a collapsible rack in the sun on the terrace.
The apartment is outfitted in vintage IKEA. The bookshelf in the bedroom has a small collection of children’s books. The books here on the windowsill include cookbooks, travel guides and an atlas.
It is a welcoming home away from home.

Náměstí Svobody

They hauled the buckets and water to the square. As I walked by, the policemen were explaining, in English, that they needed a permit. Not just anyone can busk here. As one packed up the equipment, the other two were making their case. I didn’t stay around long enough to see how it was resolved. I hope they were able to walk away with a warning.
And where did this occur? Freedom Square.

33 years, 3 months, 3 days

I searched for vineyards in the Prague area and found a grape growing area claiming to date back to the 13th century. The Salabka family has been around since the 16th century. The grape stock may be the oldest clone of Rhine Riesling, imported during the reign of Charles IV. Yes, that Charles, of bridge fame.
But we came for a delightful epicurean luncheon on the terrace overlooking the vineyard. It was a deliberate choice not to take pictures. I put away my phone. Somethings are meant to enjoy in the moment.
My only unease was that this event needed to be a celebration. It was that special. Later I pulled up a web day calculator. To my delight I found that we have been married 33 years, 3 months and 3 days.

Respectful distance

We were walking to Terezín on a Google mapped route, but came across an asphalt paved bike path. It was the hypotenuse to the right angle. There were old chestnut trees.  Some saplings were staked up, filling in the gaps where the old trees were down. The wheat field was ready to be harvested. The thistle was making a stand. The bees were attracted to the purple blooms, as was I. How far had they flown to find this delight? Not as far as me, I’ll guess.