well...

...do you??

remembering 20 years ago today...

the fall of the berlin wall on 9 november 1989 was a profound moment in time. as i traveled this past summer behind the old iron curtain, i did so with disbelief...i never thought that journey possible as a teenager & yet there i was. i kept telling myself, 'never, ever forget.'


my time in romania & hungary was spent with a deep sense of gratitude. when i would catch glimpses of old barricades & watchtowers, i would shudder at the thought of what those now-abandoned structures used to mean. we all need to jog our memories from time to time, because as the years pass, it is so easy to fall into complacency, especially when life is good & trials are few.


in remembrance today i offer more 'snapshots on the journey'~~ this time from budapest, hungary, which is my very favorite european city, for me second only to venice, italy. our border crossing was met with friendly guards who took our passports & offered us americans condolences on the passing of michael jackson...we were welcomed with such kindness & fields of sunflowers...& a sunset over the danube in budapest...this is a city of great beauty~ even the subway stops are gorgeous...we decided to start our first day with some persective for the younger folk traveling with us who were not old enough to remember the cold war...a visit to the terror museum was a sobering event...every face on the walls in the atrium represents a victim...we moved from this tragic reminder of the past into the beauty of now...wandering first around pest, visiting sights like heroes' square...enjoying something a bit lighter~ the zoo...before deciding to brave the climb of buda & see the city from a different angle...we crossed the szechenyi chain bridge...hopped the castle hill funicular (vertigo, anyone?!?)...to enjoy the view from the top of castle hill...& after walking many, many miles that day, an awesome meal (hungarian goulash...ohhhhh, those noodles. carb-loading perfection!.), some of the best food on our entire 5 week trip!!...the next morning we dashed to the train; our short weekend in budapest had come to an end...it was time to head back into western europe~~ next stop vienna, austria...moving on, but not forgetting...

poetry prompts & travel dreams

{descent}

nothing is quite so sweet
to this wanderlusting soul
as those words that interrupt
my in-flight movie:
"ladies & gentlemen...
shortly we will be making our descent..."

one single impression's prompt for this week ~ descent ~ takes a turn in the direction of travel for me as we gear up for a trip to Charleston SC, contemplate a december return to roma (for a very special friend's ordination), & begin to lay some groundwork for 2010 journeys...here (of course!)...but also here?...here?...or maybe here again?? i really do like the excitement of potential journeys, the comparing of places, all the hopefulness of new experiences! as i perused my romania photos from last summer, i got a lump in my throat about the possibility of going back...but that remains in God's hands right now!

after we left suceava, romania last summer, we stopped again in oradea & were blessed with a free day on our hands. we ambled around the city with melissa...mesmerized by the beautiful old churches & the communist-era buildings...i was so grateful that the old way had not been completely destroyed. my heart could not comprehend the events that my mind knew had transpired there in the last century. how i would have loved to join these two gentlemen on that park bench to hear the stories they could tell....but there were sobering reminders that spoke without words, like this memorial to victims of nazi occupation...an entire room just outside the moon curch (Biserica cu Luna) was filled with candles lit for loved ones lost...a short distance from this church was the St. Nicholas Greek Catholic Church...where we had the sweet pleasure of meeting the sacristan who spoke fluent *english*! (the first time in nearly a week we heard our native tongue outside our little group)...he told of history, both sad & joyful, of those who gave their lives so readily in order that this time may be what it is. & he showed us the great treasure held in his church...a first class relic of St. Nicholas (some of his bones).

our stroll through this beautiful city continued...eventually leading us to this painted monastery...a place so incredibly beautiful & so peaceful...one was utterly removed from the world in the enclosure...the place has settled into my dreams now that i am home...as i organize & upload these photo reminders, i tell myself it is no wonder i am dreaming of 2010's travel possibilities!!

next stop on the journey of reminiscing is my very favorite~ budapest!

oradea, romania, june, 2009

snapshots on the journey7...

with wanderlust in high gear, our gang of 6 caught a morning flight to budapest, hungary, and met a lovely driver & his wife for the road to romania~~ destination melissa's apartment in oradea. with bags (HEAVY bags) in tow filled to brimming with goodies for the orphanage, we navigated fiumicino airport (quite possibly the *entire* airport) looking for our ticket counter, our gate & one last buon caffe`.


when it was time to fly, little did we know what a treat awaited us...i am fairly certain our pilot for this air one flight was a former roman taxi driver! before that day i did not know that planes on the runway could take 90 degree turns at high rates of speed nor did i know just how quickly one may approach a terminal & yet still not hit the passengers waiting inside!! really, where it counts for me~ that would be in the air!!~ he was a fabulous pilot (though before takeoff i was praying with more zeal than average!).


landing in hungary, i was hungry (a pun, yes!!) for my first glimpse of eastern europe. i grew up in the days of the cold war & i must honestly say, as a teenager, my travel dreams did not include countries behind the iron curtain...that seemed so far out of reach. but we were there! this is one efficient airport ~ ferihegy...off the plane, luggage right inside the door & *ready* in minutes, bathroom to the immediate left, the all important ATM right beside the luggage conveyor! wow!! i do not speak a lick of any eastern european languages, but hungary is so navigable, the people so wonderful (more on that later, with our return trip & our stay in budapest). time in this airport was short for us (the one part of that day this was true!) because of its efficient layout & because our romanian driver was just outside the terminal & ready to roll. in no time we were passing through the rolling countryside, settled into our 3 hour drive.


the border crossing was met with excitement because it meant we were close to that night's destination & because H1N1 was a very big deal. we were detained for a bit & had to sign health statements, but melissa had warned us of this because we were US citizens & 4 of of our group had just come from the states. they must have liked the looks of us (ie., no one was ill!!) & soon we were entering oradea.


on the drive one misconception was cleared rather quickly for me...so many folks had told me that romanian is very similiar to italian & latin. well, that is true~~ for the written word. the spoken word, not so much. i realized that communicating would be a greater challenge than originally thought. also consider that very few romanians speak any english. no matter, because human kindness is apparent in spite of words & romania's people are some of the kindest i have encountered in travel!...our driver took us straight to melissa's apartment & we were greated with big hugs & an authentic romanian meal prepared by melissa's friend to welcome us. time for some R&R at the end of travel day #1 because the next day would find us unexpectedly on the road again & for a bit longer...a 10 hour train ride through the carpathian mountains into the region of transylvania...to the city of suceava. our plans to help at the orphanage had hit a governmental snag & we were heading to the place where melissa would eventually move. while staying in suceava we spent our days in the village of stroiesti...with our change in plans, melissa found other ways that we could be of help~~ we spent time with the children who were on summer break (melissa had prepared some lessons on Psalm 139 & part of KV's brimming bags included craft supplies that were quickly put to use!)...we helped a pastor of a village church with manual labor tasks...we visited the childrens' families...& we toured the medical facilities & met the physician & dentist that serve these very poor folks...this place was a real eye-opener~~ all water is drawn from wells...there is no electricity, outhouses are it baby!, & the mode of transportation is horse & wagon...we went from a slick post-communism city on the move to a 15th century village in the space of a 1/2 hour's car ride. i truly hope to take a medical team back in the future, God willing. romania is an incredibly beautiful country with equally beautiful people. we felt very blessed to be there & be so warmly welcomed...up next...our journey toward western europe~ more romania & hungary, followed by stops in vienna, venice, & roma!


suceava/stroiesti, romania, guigno, 2009

snapshots on the journey6...

sidetrippin'...


D., Baby Girl & Big Bro~ flown home. Little Man & i remain. crazy eastern european travel buds not yet arrived. what to do, what to do??...


check iRail app, find next train to firenze, of course!!!...stop by my favorite church (Santa Margherita in Maria de' Ricci)...take a passeggiata, enjoying the beauty of this wonderful city...while indulging in a gelato (of course!!!)...& catch the train back to roma for nighty night!...Firenze never fails to call my name whenever i am in the bel paese!


another day of down-time in roma~~ no problema!!! catch another train...visit roma's awesome beach~ santa marinella...have a great night with great friends (still roma's best eats, in my humble opinion!)...catch the even-later train back to roma & sleep well because in the morning its time to welcome more friends from the states & head to romania!...(have crazy...will travel!!!!)...roma, firenze, santa marinella, giugno, 2009