“We slept like stones. Lady, what am I doingWith a lung full of dust and a tongue of wood,Knee-deep in the cold swamped by flowers?” Sylvia Plath Thursday There is a restaurant in Bratislava called Fat Louis. Rachelle has been calling me Louis for three days. I am not sleeping well. I am sleeping long,…
Year: 2024
Home to Budapest
“How often have I lain beneath rain on a strange roof, thinking of home.” William Faulkner Wednesday A cold morning. Even though Budapest signals the end of our trip, it is a return home in some way. We check out and head to Otto! for breakfast. It is a shame we did not find this…
Bratislava Interrupted
“For there is no folly of the beast of the earth which is not infinitely outdone by the madness of men.” Herman Melville Up early. For reasons undeclared. Breakfast is a disappointing affair. Blue Monday has no food and there is confusion surrounding my order. We head to nearby no9 which is rated well and…
Bratislava Bound
“You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.” Albert Camus Breakfast at Oak. Again. We walk back to the apartment. Shell is ready to leave. I could stay. Check out and walk to the station….
Sleepy Sunday
“I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.” F. Scott Fitzgerald Sleep in. No rush. Dark grey clouds have arrived. It is not as cold as yesterday, but rain threatens and makes the prospect of getting out of bed difficult. We are changing rooms. We cannot afford the…
Prague or Praha?
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” Albert Camus Saturday I sleep for ten hours. I wake up to a grey fog and open the doors on the balcony. It is cold. I stand there, naked, until I am shivering. I get back in bed and enjoy the feeling of getting…
Arrivals – Kraków
“Continuous eloquence wearies. Grandeur must be abandoned to be appreciated. Continuity in everything is unpleasant. Cold is agreeable, that we may get warm.” Blaise Pascal Friday Smooth flight. We start watching the series Tehran. I am not sure why everyone is not talking about this series. It makes the trip go fast. A problem with…
Departures – Dubai
“There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars.” Jack Kerouac Thursday Straight from school to the airport. A cheap flight to Kraków. School is already a distant memory. Dubai in the past. For now. “stay togetherlearn the flowersgo light” Gary Snyder
Love What You Hate
“Hate is a lack of imagination.” Graham Greene Thursday When you are indifferent to something there is no pressure. The interview went well. It was more of a conversation than a grilling. Di and David have arrived. A stop over on their way to Europe. It is always good to see family. When you decide…