The Simplest Things

'Tis true, I haven't kept up my blog since landing in Toronto.

It hasn't been the easy ride I thought it was going to be. Job market here is apparently very good, so said the customs officer who let me into the country, so said the hostel owners who answered my queries, so said the recruitment agency who's put me on their books. So what's the god damn problem? Why am I still not employed? This gives me the sickening conclusion that I'm not good enough for anything. It's an awful feeling and I know it's not the truth, but it does have an influence on the positivity you try to maintain.

As for living arrangements, I'm still on the floor of a friend's friend's one bedroom apartment. I am thankful I have a place to sleep but at the same time it is far from an ideal situation.

At almost two months in Toronto I'm beginning to feel a little frazzled and worried how the next ten months will pan out.

But let's not leave this entry on a bad note.

In the late afternoon/early evenings, I usually sit on my friend's deck in downtown Toronto and watch the sky. The fading light is beautiful to watch as it plays on the clouds and the summer breeze makes sitting outside very comfortable. It's reminiscent of home and I like that a lot.

Maple Marvels (and Football Fever)

The World Cup is inescapable. Italy has just won. You know my feelings about the Italian team so let us never speak of them again.

Yay I'm in Toronto!!! Have done my bit for Canadian Tourism and have enjoyed the following:

1. gone up the CN Tower,
2. took a boat tour of Lake Ontario,
3. got sprayed by Niagra Falls,
4. attended the Summer Street Festival,
5. visited the Art Gallery of Ontario

The first hostel I stayed at I had two lovely roomies, Cindy from Korea who's studying English in Calgary, and Silvia from Switzerland who's travelling and about to work on a farm north of Toronto. Spent time with them individually as one left when the other one came so I had companions for the week I was staying there. The hostel itself was a little overwhelming as it was huge and had a bar which meant parties every night (and a little underwhelming in the amenities department). I needed somewhere a little less rowdy where I can think about finding a job in peace and be well rested for any interviews. I found another hostel just down the road and it's been a delight staying here. Lots of great people including Anna from Melbourne who's done the ski season and heading to the UK in a few month's time.

L: Toronto skyline from Lake Ontario; R: Me and Cindy from Korea on "Maid of the Mist", boat tour of Niagra Falls.


L: Me at an art exhibition in Nathan Phillips Square; R: Me and Swiss Silvia - goodluck on the farm Silvia hope the animals are nice to you.


L: Me and Anna from Melbourne at the Summer Street Festival; R: View of Skydome from the CN Tower lift.


L: Tricycle, a pyrotechnics performance group at the Street Festival in Yonge St; R: Works by Henry Moore at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Free admission on Wednesday evenings.

Pictorial of Berlin, Prague and Cesky Krumlov

These photos accompany my post regarding Berlin, Prague and Cesky Krumlov. Surprise surprise.

BERLIN

L: East Berlin - the dismantling of the "People's Palace"; R: Schnitzel!

PRAGUE

L: View of Prague Castle at night: R: Giant metronome at top of hill. For scale see heads of people bottom right of pic.

CESKY KRUMLOV

L: The town is embraced by a charming river; R: My ancient Bohemian lunch. Glorious.


L: View of town with castle tower; R: Street in Cesky Krumlov.

Twilight Zone

Back in London for a few days before flying out to Toronto. Doesn't feel like I'm leaving London for good. Going to see amazing Argentinian flying acrobatic performance group on Wednesday night with Louize and Podge. I saw this group just before I left Australia two years ago and it was a fantastic experience. This is their new show and would be great to cap off a couple of great years in London.

See you all in Toronto.

Day 36 - It's a Revolution

London. The most depressing moment of my trip was touching down at Stansted and looking out the window to see it was exactly the same as I left: grey and raining. Goddammit!!!

I take a window seat on the Stansted Express and as the view outside sped away from me, the joy and memories of my adventures seemed to speed away with it. I feel drained of life. My mobile then beeps into life. Oh I have a text. It's from Corrinne. It starts with "We've lost..." We've lost the game against Italy in the World Cup. I hit something cold and hard, and I look round to see I've hit the bottom of the proverbial barrel. I want to cry...


L: When I left London...; R: And when I came back... :(

Some Memories...

More More More

So we finished with Bratislava in our last post and today we shall have a quick peek at Berlin before our final stop in the Czech Republic where I spent three days in the capital and one in glourious Cesky Krumlov.

First, Berlin.

Well I can't actually say much about Berlin because I got there late on my first night, around 1am was when I arrived at the hostel. Why, because Mr President Bush delayed my flight from Vienna to Berlin by coming to Vienna the same day. Thanks a lot. I did meet up with funny friend Tri cause we stayed at the same hostel and it was a beautiful reunion. The next day I walked around East Berlin, trying to retrace my steps from my 2004 visit. Got lost a little but managed to find the cool shoemaker. Met up with Tri and his gang for dinner and ate a massive schnitzel then kaiserschmarren for dessert. Thanks Caroline for your tip - I didn't have it in Cafe Central in Vienna but I made sure I had some somewhere! The next day I had to say goodbye (I didn't cry, I was strong) and headed to Prague on the train departing from the brand spanking new and HUGE train station. The amazing thing about it was that it was only a third constructed when I was there in 2004 and now it's a marvel of human ingenuitiy and architectonics. Progress is amazing.

Prague was a place that won the hearts of many I've spoken to. Um excuse me but why? Perhaps after my travels I was suitably tired and unenthused by another city. In my mind it resembled a smaller, less grand version of Budapest. I looked around, but was more impressed with the soccer games shown on screens in the public squares. I stayed two nights and hung out with an Italian guy from the hostel. It pains me to know his team beat us in our last game. Let's not speak of this again. The third day I carried my big heavy bag to the bus station to catch the 8am bus to Cesky Krumlov only to be told it was full. What? I had to then lug the bag to a nearby hostel and stay in Prague one more night. The hostel was a really low rent one. It shared the same entrance with and was situated above a "club". I won't say it was a strip club because it didn't have pics of naked women on its windows nor glaring neon sign out front to advertise it as such. But there was a vibe about it. In order to get to the rooms in the hostel there is a locked gate in the middle of the stairs. Just a little too S&M for me. Then once you get into the 20 bed dorm (creaky metal contraptions - again the S&M connotations!) you are greeted by a beautiful giant size poster of a topless woman giving you the finger. No shit! With her pouty lips she is advertising an alcoholic beverage, the type only hardcore bikies would drink cause for anyone else it'll just taste like sweetened petrol. It's the little things that endear you to a place and if I fancied a dirty (not metaphorically) weekend in Prague I know where to go.

Escaping Prague was one of the best things I did because Cesky Krumlov was gorgeous. The bus ride was also made more interesting with my seating partner, a Czech post grad studying political science who loves Asian culture. No kids, he was a real geek. Anyway the bus ride was made bearable (just).

Cesky Krumlov was the perfect antidote to my last night in Prague. The hostel Krumlov House is a comfortable residence where you take your shoes off at the front door and leave your cares outside. The kitchen and lounge were spacious with comfy sofas, books, chess sets, piano, guitar and open windows for you to rest your weary soul. I knew I wanted to spend more than one night there. If only the bus wasn't full that day! Cesky is a small town almost surrounded by a small pristine river. Had one of the greatest meals ever at an ancient Bohemian restaurant there. The plate of food was massive. It was a feast for a Bohemian king. I couldn't finish it and couldn't even eat dinner that night. Fantastic! That night everyone gathered in the living room and just chatted like old friends. It was sad to leave the next day but in a way I was looking forward to seeing my friends in London.

Photos for all the above cannot be uploaded here so will do so in seperate post.

Photos of Final Week of Travel...Again

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia

Bratislava was just a quick 3 hour stopover between Budapest and Vienna. It wasn't very exciting and could've skipped it really. What interesting thing I did see what a procession of priests entering into a church watched by many of its townfolk, filling it to capacity. There were screens outside the church for those unable to get inside. Something big was definitely going down.


Top L: Procession of priets; Top R: Crowds in chruch
Bottom L: Crowds outside church watching screen; Bottom R: Church in midday sun


L: Famous upside down pyramid office building; R: street in old town

Photos of Final Week of Travel

More of Vienna

L: Meat!!! Delicious..; R: Chris and Emilio, my two favourite people in Vienna!


L: Stage of Vienna Opera House; R: Museum of Modern Art in Vienna.

Ok, having problems with internet again so stay tuned for more pics (of Bratislava, Berlin, Prague) and my afterthoughts of the trip.

Will fly out on Friday for Toronto. Have a couple of contacts there fingers crossed all goes well. i feel as if all my good luck has been used up over the last 5 weeks!

Day 32 - Playing Catch Up

Acutally not really. Australia just drew with Croatia to make it into the next round at the World Cup. By the way peoples, this Prague keyboard is weird and I can't work out how to make an exclamation mark or brackets. So I may seem a little sedate in this edition but it's really not my fault.

When I last expunged my thoughts properly on this blog was Day 27 when I was about to leave Budapest. On route to Vienna I did a stopover at Bratislava, Slovakia for a few hours. It's by no means the best city I've ever been to, but like every where I've been it's got its charms. Had a really yummy thai prawn salad there. I was well pleased and surprised. It's gastronomically more advanced than London in my humble opinion. Right after I speed back to the train station to miss my train by mere minutes. Bad Tina Bad. I had people in Vienna waiting to pick me up.

I spent two glorious sun-filled days in Vienna, staying at my Dusseldorf friend Caroline's husband's friend's girlfriend's flat. Emilio and Chris are the most lovely couple you could meet, so warm and helpful and absolute keepers. Thank you both for your hospitality to a girl you've never met but only knew was coming to stay a few days prior. On the first night they took me to a true Viennese eatery. Just outside of Vienna are small villages where by agreement, a collective of farmhouses would open their homes and kitchens to sell products made only on their premise. So for dinner we went to one of these farmhouses, denoted only by a particular branch and light hanging at the front of their house. I ate the most massive meal for various cold meats, as they cannot serve hot meals, with homemade dips and even shavings from the same plant as wasabi is made of. There was also a large selection of wine made by the farm. Delicious. The evening ended with a drive to a lookout tower, specifically a meterological tower with a platform up top where you can go up to. The view of Vienna was lovely. A quick drive through the city itself later was a good orientation for the next two days.

After coming from the Balkans it was a refreshing experience to be in a city not devastated by war, who at one point was part of a huge empire - in fact in 1907 the Austro-Hasburg Empire was the third largest in the world with 51 million inhabitants. Eveything was big and grand. Full of life and culture. I loved being there. Sitting in Cafe Central once patronised by the likes of Sigmund Freud was a delight, a far cry from my experience at the Holiday Inn in Sarajevo.

Literally leaving Vienna wasn't suppose to be difficult as I was getting a flight - what luxuary after weeks of busses, trains and ferries - but goddam Bush invaded Vienna and delayed my flight. I arrived at my Berlin hostel around 12.30am but the fact that I was meeting Tri made me happy. Having seen Berlin in winter all Christmased up a year and a half ago and seeing it now in summer in football fever has been a real pleasure. The city is now decked out in flags, of course the German one most prominent, streets filled with people, and stages set up for special football shows and events. After only one full day in Berlin it was time to come to Prague.

What I've seen of Prague so far matches what the guide books and past travellers have said. It is a beautiful town. But having the heat and weeks of travelling looking at similar things I am tired and my enthusiasm has waned. Perhaps my trip to the castle tomorrow will brighten up my spirit and outlook. The dreaded flight to London has been booked and paid for, and I think about next week despondently. The next four days in the Czech Republic will include a two day trip out to Cesky Krumlov, where I hear it's quiet and peaceful, a pretty town by the river. Egon Shiele, one of Vienna's most revered artist who lived and died in the first half of the 20th century spent many months in Cesky Krumlov and even purchased a home there. However the community caught wind of his questionable relationship with his models and ran him outta town. That last fact aside I am looking forward to seeing a place loved by an artist and hope to re-live all the good times I've had these past few weeks before returning to the real world.

What day is it?

No time to check or write really. Just had a couple GREAT days in Vienna and got out yesterday just as Bush arrived. Am in Berlin now and met up with Tri me lovely friend from home. Have to check how to get to Prague now. Boo, only have this week of travelling left. Boo!

Day 27 - New Adventure

Saturday 17th June 2006

I can't believe three days in Budapest have flown by and I'm already leaving this town. The next few days are a change from my original plans, as one of my best friends I call Pablo Escobar sprung a bit of a surprise on me to say that he was in Europe for the World Cup. I quickly rearranged my itinery to meet up with him in Berlin on the 20th. As such I will only visit Bratislava for a few hours then back on the train to Vienna. I will stay in Vienna for a couple of days then I fly (what luxury!) to Berlin. I guess you want to see some pics and perhaps some thoughts on Budapest?


L: View from Fisherman's Bastion; L: Statue outside the Palace/National Gallery.


L: House of Terror Museum; R: Parliment House on the Danube.


L: Interior of St Stephen's Basilica; M: Lamp post outside National Gallery; R: Hungarian Flag on Chain Bridge.

It's been a very cool three days. My Budapest adventure started even before I got to the city itself. Sara, an Italian girl living in Budapest was staying at my hostel in Belgrade. She suggested that I go back with her on the overnight train and she would take me out and show me a couple of places. During the day I'd do my tourist thing and at night she's taken me to some pretty funky places to drinks. How bout a ram-shackle building that's about to be demolished? Think cool squatters and second hand furniture and oil barrel fires and projections on walls.

Nice.

Day 25 - A New Woman

That's me. After an overnight ride from Belgrade to Budapest, caught some zzz's at my new friend's flat in Budapest, showered got changed and settled in my hostel, I am ready to greet the sun and moon and flying saucers feeling like brand new.

So many thoughts running through my head that I want to write now, but since it's free internet I can come back anytime. Just too eager to share with you all!

Ok ok I'm going now otherwise I'll miss a beautiful day.

You better wait up for me...

Day 23 - Slow Burn

Hey, it's around 1am in Belgrade right now. This will be my third night here when I only intended to stay one night. The hostel I'm staying at is great. It's new and clean, and the people here I've met have been some lovely people. I'm so comfortable here that it's been easy to stay on. This journey has been an incredible one. The places I've seen, the people I've met, the things I've done. For anyone who hasn't travelled, perhaps you already know the secret to life so you didn't need to leave home. But for me, it's proved to be an invaluable experience. Am I changed as a person? I'm not sure about that. But it's definitely rounded me off. It's almost the end and it's difficult to imagine a return to "normality". I have lived a completely different life for the past few weeks. I am still excited about Toronto but it will create a different set of rules and expectations once I get there. To have the freedom that I have is an incredible gift and to think that POLITICS can limit people's lives like some of the people I've met on my travels is unthinkable in our Western world. I only hope that things change, that we continue to fight those small-minded people and see that we are all as one. World conflicts will not end overnight, it may not even end in some parts of the globe. What can we do? I don't know. Let's just continue the build our relationships with those around us and never forget those who can't enjoy the freedom that we enjoy. Think about the Geneva Convention, think about the right of every human being to enjoy the simple things in life. Break down the barriers. Cast aside your doubts. Open your hearts and minds. See the world. See the person behind the stereotypes and give up your prejudices. What is the point of fighting? Be happy. Be thankful. Be everything and anything you want to be. Smile. Just smile.

Day 22 - Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi OI!

What a win!!! Did you see the game? Australia vs Japan, 3-1. What a fantastic last 8 minutes. My recently aquired travel buddy Dan and I had a victory feast and it looked like this :


L: Bread, tuna mayo, cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, smoked ham, crisps, beer; R: UK Dan who lives in Oslo.



Top: Sign saying it's not safe, but Grandma on right is proving otherwise.
Bottom L: Main pedestraian shopping street in Belgrade; R: Dan being a statue at the fortress.

There were just two more photos I wanted to add from Sarajevo and here they are. THe restaurant Roland and I ate at was such an unexpected find. So cozy and the beautifully presented food was delicious. All the vegetables were a very nice change to all the burek (pastry commonly filled with meat or cheese) and cevapi (sausages served with naan-like bread) we have been eating.

The one on the right is a picture of Merima, my Bosnian internet friend whom I only met for the first time 4 days ago. She was so generous and friendly that I was so grateful to know her. I hope to keep in contact with her forever.


L: Welsh Roland at dinner; R: Merima, my beautiful Bosnian friend.

Day 21 - Viva la Belgrade

Rolling into the city in a beaten up bus from the 60s where the windows were permanently condensed meant I had no idea what the city looked like until I got off. Was very nice to be met by the guy that runs the hostel, and after the less than glamourous one I stayed at in Sarajevo I was a bit sceptical about the one here. What a difference. Star Hostel only opened a month ago and it's so nice and new and clean I want to stay here forever. The guy that runs the place is pretty cool and easy going, and offered us burek (Eastern Europe's version of fast food) that his mum made :)

My travel buddy I met in Sarajevo and I were starving. Going out for food we thought we were going to have some local chow, but what drew us was the delicious smell that eminated from a Japanese restaurant down the road. Oh my god the food was fantastic! I haven't had Japanese food for the longest time and to sit there and eat authentic Japanese food (the owner was Japanese) it was like we were in heaven. So random, eating Japanese food in Belgrade of all places. It costed like 550DIN for my udon, but we hadn't worked out what the exchange rate was. The hostel guy told us it was around 5 euros. 5 euros?? We ate like kings for 5 euros! God bless the pound sterling...

Day 20 - Mixed Bag

I don't know what to say about Sarajevo. The Winter Olympic City of 1984. The besieged city of 1992 - 1995. 11,000 people died, women and children included. 11 years now the track the city has returned to normal life. But I feel a saddness I can't seem to shake. Sitting in the lobby bar at the Holiday Inn where international jounalists could safely relax during the war was a surreal moment. Just metres down the road from it was dubbed Sniper Alley. If you were anywhere near that strip of road you were targetted by snipers on the hill. The journalists would have drank beer in the lobby and chatted merrily about another world.


L: Holiday Inn. There are some bullet marks at the base of the sign; M: The only completely rebuilt building in Sarajevo. It's a shopping and office complex. R: UN vehicles parked outside. Typical their HQ would occupy such a fancy premise.


The streets of Sarajevo.


L: View of city from one of many cemetaries above the city; R: Grave of Bosnia's first president Alija Izetbegovic. It's manned 24hrs by a military guide as sign of respect.


L: After everything my fellow hostellers and I did find the energy to go out to a local pub. I danced on the table like I usually do, R: Some new Bosnian friends.