Last night, we went to the Poiriers’ for dinner. Their home is truly magical – we sat in the garden for the first while enjoying the fading sun on their garden and the adjacent fields. The first course was pesto pasta, and Anne asked if I ever make it. Then she wondered if hers was as good as mine, and I told her it was (my grandmother is Italian). The meal, too, was an amazing work of art. The subject of Little Richard came up, so between dinner and desert we danced our heads off to oldies (from a record called “Roots of Rhythm”; Anne observed what a sorry place the US would be without African-Americans). I don’t know when I have ever danced like that with a group of my parents’ friends. It was super fun.
Yesterday was one of the first days since I have been here with no rain. However, the weather made up for it in the night with an outrageous and violent thunderstorm right over our heads. My bed has a metal frame, and I was careful none of me was touching it during the storm. We woke to the phone not working, but no other serious damage (other than my laundry which was almost dry when I went to sleep last night; darn it!).
Now back to catching up…. Last Saturday in Strasbourg, Bertrand wanted to work. But first, in the morning, we went to the farmers’ market and then a grocery store to get some food. He got some beautiful peaches. It was a natural food store; we discussed the importance of where you spend your money.
As a brief aside, my parents don’t seem to subscribe to this sort of thinking. They claim very progressive politics, and yet prefer to get their food at the European equivalent of Costco (a German store, LIDL, Bertrand says about them: "I never buy anything there, because they deliberately and consistently try to reduce the number of employees at the lowest possible level in order to reduce costs. And
they're proud of it and claim it. I don't trust what they're selling
either, they only care about the price. They just should be banned from
everywhere."). My mother says, “I would rather spend my money on Bali Children’s Project”. I don’t think she realizes that the global implications of her shopping decisions cost her and the Bali Children’s Project, much more than she knows.
After lunch, he had arranged for me to go the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art with his nephew, Gwen, and friends (an American girl named Leila, I think, and another French boy, Sebastian). We were particularly interested in an exhibit of works of a famous French cartoonist, who seemed to mostly draw images with sexual content that were very creative but I couldn’t quite relate to. I did enjoy a video (cartoon, no words) about a small village that is taken over by l’escargot. I stayed to see the remainder of the museum while they went for some food. They had some nice pieces in the modern section, particularly a Delanay (sp? whose work I really like despite the fact that he was a fascist) and some post-impressionists whose names I have forgotten. I couldn’t really relate to the contemporary collection. I met up with the group again in front of the cathedral and we tried to shop (it was the end of the sales) but no luck. They are all art students.
In the evening, Bertrand wanted to see a film. We selected Mystic River (with French subtitles, of course, which, incidentally, sometimes helped me understand what they were saying) because it was playing in the nicer theater with a balcony. I resented the conservative vision of what is a family portrayed in the film: these children murdered this girl ostensibly because they didn’t have a father; their father had been murdered by the father of the girl they murdered for turning him in years before. But, of course, lots of children grow up without fathers and don’t end up murdering people. Otherwise, I would say that it is a really good movie.
Sunday, we (Bertrand, Gwen, Sebastian, and I) got up early to hike Les Vosges (which was particularly difficult since we had been up late talking about the movie and such). Bertrand says that the area to the south is the most beautiful (more diverse topography), so that is where we went. The hike began with a long descent through a lush forest littered with tall purple foxgloves. Bertrand says they are native to the area. He wanted to hike quite a bit further (2 hours?) than we ended up doing, to a lake, but the rest of us revolted. The returning crest was covered with cows eating grass with large bells attached to their necks with leather belts. It was really quite an experience at the top of the mountain, rolling green hills surrounded by low forests, a cool breeze blowing through the humid air, the sun beating down, and the cacophony of 25+ cow bells ringing at irregular rhythms. I would like to go back up there and film it, but I am not certain what the purpose would be. Maybe some kind of post-post-modern music video.
Humidity doesn’t really agree with me (I am a Californian after all), and maybe I’m a bit out of shape. So, I was probably annoyingly slow esp. on the ascents. The hike was exhausting, and one of the best experiences of my trip so far. When we got back home, we had tea and marzipan on the balcony.
I am worried that these blogs are getting a bit disjointed. Meanwhile, I still have one more day to tell you about before being completely caught up. I’ll do it tomorrow. So, I don’t know, this too will pass….
Monday, August 16, 2004
Freiburg part 1
As I mentioned earlier, I took the over night train from Krumlov to Freiburg. I chose Frieburg because several people at the conference recommended it for its progressive environmental policies including good bicycle facilities. What I didn’t know what that Bertrand has been giving tours of the sustainable development there as part of his work. I arrived at 9 AM and took a tour of the city center. I was very nice, but did not vary significantly from the many other nice European cities I have seen over the past few weeks. The only unusual feature is the little streams (about 1 foot wide and a shallow rectangle) that run along the pedestrian pathways presumably for drainage. (You’ll see the pictures if I can ever get to a computer fast enough to upload them.) I stopped for a coffee (on my way to meet Bertrand in front of the train station at noon). While I tried to hide it, it quickly became clear at I am from the US. The man behind the counter didn’t speak English but one of the other customers did. “An American in Freiburg? Are you a student? Why would you come to Freiburg?” I didn’t bother to explain to him just shrugged.
Bertrand and I met at the station without a hitch. Nearby, there is a large bicycle parking structure (several stories) that also includes carsharing, bike-sharing, café and bike shop. There is a pedestrian and bicycle bridge overpass of good quality leading to the garage. Another overpass (over the major train lines) carries many tramlines serving the city. It’s pretty much everything you would need for a multimodal transportation hub.
I had left my bags in a very sophisticated left luggage apparatus, completely automated, where you pay, insert your luggage into the case, and get a ticket when the machine takes it away. Then, you use your same ticket to tell the machine to bring your particular bags back to you. Bertrand pointed out that he had seen similar systems for efficient storage of cars. More on this later (Tubingen).
We had a small adventure trying to find this center for solar research where Bertrand had to drop something off. (It reminded me of a similar adventure with Matt in Bangkok some of my readers may recall.) The office had relocated to a Solar Information Center on the outskirts of town (but Bertrand assured me that they have excellent public transportation despite the existence of parking). Getting into the building was one challenge and the finding the right office was another. After many twists and turns, we did in fact reach the intended individuals, but only after enlisting a lady with a nearby organization and gleaning all she knew about solar energy and her neighboring company (all in German, of course). So, that was fun.
By then we were hungry, and it was getting to the end of mealtime. We drove over to Vauban, the sustainable neighborhood he wanted to show me. There is a little hippy café (Susi) there where they were serving lunch very much like we had at the conference, played loud American music, and the walls were painted with murals (it is Germany afterall). It was noodles and rice and vegetarian curry. For desert we had “banana milk” with little flakes of chocolate unlike anything either of us had ever tried before.
First we looked at a group of new houses. An architect who specializes in buildings with low energy needs designed them. They are long rows of town houses, windows mostly to the south to absorb as much sunlight in winter as they can. Their rooves are covered with solar panels, and Bertrand says they actually produce more energy than they use. Each unit is painted a different bright color and about half are occupied (they are very expensive). So, the remainder of the area is being developed with cheaper, more traditional building structures, unfortunately. Along the main road dividing the neighborhood, they are in the process of developing a large building (the full length of the road through the neighborhood) that will house ground-floor retail, and I think parking above or maybe offices.
On the other side of the main road is a series of old military barracks. Originally, the city had some idea of what to do with them. As I understand it, people were already squatting in them, and told the city, no, this is going to be a sustainable community-planned neighborhood. The city cooperated, and the buildings were converted to co-ops. The residents got to decide what kinds of facilities to invest in (like wheelchair accessibility, an actual example) and how the common space would be designed. In general, they seem to have a lot of playgrounds for children. Throughout Europe, I see a lot of vegetable gardens. (I think American’s have some subconscious idea that if you grow your vegetables it means you can’t afford to buy them.)
[Continued in the next blog bc this internet connection is too slow the post the whole thing at once.]
Bertrand and I met at the station without a hitch. Nearby, there is a large bicycle parking structure (several stories) that also includes carsharing, bike-sharing, café and bike shop. There is a pedestrian and bicycle bridge overpass of good quality leading to the garage. Another overpass (over the major train lines) carries many tramlines serving the city. It’s pretty much everything you would need for a multimodal transportation hub.
I had left my bags in a very sophisticated left luggage apparatus, completely automated, where you pay, insert your luggage into the case, and get a ticket when the machine takes it away. Then, you use your same ticket to tell the machine to bring your particular bags back to you. Bertrand pointed out that he had seen similar systems for efficient storage of cars. More on this later (Tubingen).
We had a small adventure trying to find this center for solar research where Bertrand had to drop something off. (It reminded me of a similar adventure with Matt in Bangkok some of my readers may recall.) The office had relocated to a Solar Information Center on the outskirts of town (but Bertrand assured me that they have excellent public transportation despite the existence of parking). Getting into the building was one challenge and the finding the right office was another. After many twists and turns, we did in fact reach the intended individuals, but only after enlisting a lady with a nearby organization and gleaning all she knew about solar energy and her neighboring company (all in German, of course). So, that was fun.
By then we were hungry, and it was getting to the end of mealtime. We drove over to Vauban, the sustainable neighborhood he wanted to show me. There is a little hippy café (Susi) there where they were serving lunch very much like we had at the conference, played loud American music, and the walls were painted with murals (it is Germany afterall). It was noodles and rice and vegetarian curry. For desert we had “banana milk” with little flakes of chocolate unlike anything either of us had ever tried before.
First we looked at a group of new houses. An architect who specializes in buildings with low energy needs designed them. They are long rows of town houses, windows mostly to the south to absorb as much sunlight in winter as they can. Their rooves are covered with solar panels, and Bertrand says they actually produce more energy than they use. Each unit is painted a different bright color and about half are occupied (they are very expensive). So, the remainder of the area is being developed with cheaper, more traditional building structures, unfortunately. Along the main road dividing the neighborhood, they are in the process of developing a large building (the full length of the road through the neighborhood) that will house ground-floor retail, and I think parking above or maybe offices.
On the other side of the main road is a series of old military barracks. Originally, the city had some idea of what to do with them. As I understand it, people were already squatting in them, and told the city, no, this is going to be a sustainable community-planned neighborhood. The city cooperated, and the buildings were converted to co-ops. The residents got to decide what kinds of facilities to invest in (like wheelchair accessibility, an actual example) and how the common space would be designed. In general, they seem to have a lot of playgrounds for children. Throughout Europe, I see a lot of vegetable gardens. (I think American’s have some subconscious idea that if you grow your vegetables it means you can’t afford to buy them.)
[Continued in the next blog bc this internet connection is too slow the post the whole thing at once.]
Freiburg part 2
[Continued from previous post due to slow internet connection.]
Along one side of the neighborhood is a series of people living out of mobile homes along a long drive. They stay for one to three years, says Bertrand, and everyone believes they have a right to be there. To be perfectly honest, I found this strip rather unsightly.
The city is in the process of installing a tramline down the center of the neighborhood, and lots of people ride bicycles (it is Europe after all). There are several community buildings in the neighborhood with bike shops, cafes, childcare centers, and other community facilities.
From my transportation perspective, the most interesting part of the neighborhood was the parking arrangement. The city is concerned about providing sufficient parking, of course. There is no parking in front of the units. Instead, all parking is provided in a centralized parking structure. Residents pay 18,000 euros to buy a space in this garage if they have a car. Every year, the city requires every resident in every unit to sign a document stating if they have a car or not. If they have a car, they are required to buy a parking space in the garage. If they don’t have a car, they still have to pay for their potential future ownership of a car, but only 4,000 euros. The city has invested this money in some additional land at the back end of the neighborhood (near the main railroad tracks and the for-profit development, the worst land) where they may put a parking garage in the future if there is need for one. But for now, it is a park. There is a fire circle and a growing structure made out of trees (willows, I think, placed back into the ground and weaved together to form a dome; it is still filling in).
We saw children playing on most streets (they can, of course, because people don’t drive cars on these streets), bicycles left in front of buildings, and happy people chatting with their neighbors. This, I think, must be Democracy.
Bertrand also showed me the house of the architect who designed the buildings I talked about in the beginning. It is large and round, and rotates towards or away from the sun depending on the season and the temperature of the house. It has solar panels, and is intended to put more power back on the grid than it uses. Again, the house is very expensive to build; so, this is the only one.
I wonder if anyone has analyzed the cost of these energy-efficient houses vs. the on-going energy savings. I guess the real solution would be to compare the energy costs of the energy-efficient houses with the traditionally-constructed ones next to them once they are all inhabited. The only constraint here I can imagine is that the people who choose to live in energy-efficient houses may be more conscientious about their energy use than those who choose the “traditional” homes. Since this is a large purpose of the development, I trust someone else is taking care of this kind of thing. They don’t need non-German-speaking me.
Bertrand had another development he wanted to show me, and then he wanted to get some food or drink in the city center. But, you will recall, I was on the train all night. So, I insisted on being taken home (Bertrand’s home that is). I think Bertrand just generally has more energy than I do.
In any case, he took me back to Strasbourg to his lovely art deco apartment about 5 minutes from the center. I took a shower (really just a hose of warm water over a bath tub) and sat down for about 5 minutes before feeling mostly refreshed. After a light supper of salad (and amazing tomatoes, all from his CSA vegetable box), we walked around the city center. Strasbourg’s center is basically an island. The river forms a complete circle around the historic center. We encountered a light show for tourists along the way (several were going on simulatiously, kind of hokey), but the real highlight was just the city lights dancing off the river’s surface below tall, tightly-knit fairy-tale architecture.
Well, you are going to kill me (actually no, I am going to kill myself, because you don’t have to read all this but I feel obligated to write it), but that is the first of 5 fascinating days with Bertrand. I have a lot of work to do.
Along one side of the neighborhood is a series of people living out of mobile homes along a long drive. They stay for one to three years, says Bertrand, and everyone believes they have a right to be there. To be perfectly honest, I found this strip rather unsightly.
The city is in the process of installing a tramline down the center of the neighborhood, and lots of people ride bicycles (it is Europe after all). There are several community buildings in the neighborhood with bike shops, cafes, childcare centers, and other community facilities.
From my transportation perspective, the most interesting part of the neighborhood was the parking arrangement. The city is concerned about providing sufficient parking, of course. There is no parking in front of the units. Instead, all parking is provided in a centralized parking structure. Residents pay 18,000 euros to buy a space in this garage if they have a car. Every year, the city requires every resident in every unit to sign a document stating if they have a car or not. If they have a car, they are required to buy a parking space in the garage. If they don’t have a car, they still have to pay for their potential future ownership of a car, but only 4,000 euros. The city has invested this money in some additional land at the back end of the neighborhood (near the main railroad tracks and the for-profit development, the worst land) where they may put a parking garage in the future if there is need for one. But for now, it is a park. There is a fire circle and a growing structure made out of trees (willows, I think, placed back into the ground and weaved together to form a dome; it is still filling in).
We saw children playing on most streets (they can, of course, because people don’t drive cars on these streets), bicycles left in front of buildings, and happy people chatting with their neighbors. This, I think, must be Democracy.
Bertrand also showed me the house of the architect who designed the buildings I talked about in the beginning. It is large and round, and rotates towards or away from the sun depending on the season and the temperature of the house. It has solar panels, and is intended to put more power back on the grid than it uses. Again, the house is very expensive to build; so, this is the only one.
I wonder if anyone has analyzed the cost of these energy-efficient houses vs. the on-going energy savings. I guess the real solution would be to compare the energy costs of the energy-efficient houses with the traditionally-constructed ones next to them once they are all inhabited. The only constraint here I can imagine is that the people who choose to live in energy-efficient houses may be more conscientious about their energy use than those who choose the “traditional” homes. Since this is a large purpose of the development, I trust someone else is taking care of this kind of thing. They don’t need non-German-speaking me.
Bertrand had another development he wanted to show me, and then he wanted to get some food or drink in the city center. But, you will recall, I was on the train all night. So, I insisted on being taken home (Bertrand’s home that is). I think Bertrand just generally has more energy than I do.
In any case, he took me back to Strasbourg to his lovely art deco apartment about 5 minutes from the center. I took a shower (really just a hose of warm water over a bath tub) and sat down for about 5 minutes before feeling mostly refreshed. After a light supper of salad (and amazing tomatoes, all from his CSA vegetable box), we walked around the city center. Strasbourg’s center is basically an island. The river forms a complete circle around the historic center. We encountered a light show for tourists along the way (several were going on simulatiously, kind of hokey), but the real highlight was just the city lights dancing off the river’s surface below tall, tightly-knit fairy-tale architecture.
Well, you are going to kill me (actually no, I am going to kill myself, because you don’t have to read all this but I feel obligated to write it), but that is the first of 5 fascinating days with Bertrand. I have a lot of work to do.
A horse of La Vienne
Days here are filled with eating, napping, walking around the village or visiting friends nearby. Today I took a long walk starting down a nearby alley where there is a beautiful black horse. The first few times I met him, he ignored me. I tried to use a coxing tone to bring him near so I could pet his nose, but he refused. I tried again the next day after a few kirs, a soft tone in French (I am able to speak a little French when I drink or, once years ago, after I hit my head falling off a bicycle). This time he responded to being told he is “beau” and “fort”. I was permitted to pet his neck and face. I think once my French is a little better, he may let me pet his nose.
I happened upon a bicycle race (I think my first one). I was amazed at the power and force with which the cyclists flew by making only a whooshing sound. Of course, it is always nice to see strong boys in those outfits. I was impressed.
Last night, my parent’s friends Katriona and Orley dropped in (at about 3 AM) driving between their Tuscan and London houses. This morning the town was all a buzz as it is having a brocante (basically a town-wide flea market that happens once a year in each town). Music played, the merry-go-round went round, and kitsch mugs featuring Joan of Arch are offered for 100 euros. We ate croissant and coffee/tea. Orley does work sort of like mine, and we discussed our various projects and ideas for the future.
But we all have work we should be doing, and sometimes we make a little effort to do it. My next project is to describe my days leading up to arriving here, when I stayed with Bertrand in Strasbourg.
I happened upon a bicycle race (I think my first one). I was amazed at the power and force with which the cyclists flew by making only a whooshing sound. Of course, it is always nice to see strong boys in those outfits. I was impressed.
Last night, my parent’s friends Katriona and Orley dropped in (at about 3 AM) driving between their Tuscan and London houses. This morning the town was all a buzz as it is having a brocante (basically a town-wide flea market that happens once a year in each town). Music played, the merry-go-round went round, and kitsch mugs featuring Joan of Arch are offered for 100 euros. We ate croissant and coffee/tea. Orley does work sort of like mine, and we discussed our various projects and ideas for the future.
But we all have work we should be doing, and sometimes we make a little effort to do it. My next project is to describe my days leading up to arriving here, when I stayed with Bertrand in Strasbourg.
Thursday, August 12, 2004
Finally putting down my bags in La Vienne
Well, I just wrote this long beautiful blog and the computer lost it…. Here is my second attempt:
After many wonderful adventures, I have finally arrived in La Vienne, where my mother and John’s house is in the small town of Saint-Pierre-de-Maillé. See pictures of the house at http://www.hidden-worlds.com/text/grange_au_dimes1.html. It is very beautiful, but, as I should have expected, filled with dog hair. I am slowly cleaning it, but only out of absolute necessity. I think my parents just don’t see it anymore….
They have 2 dogs: little dog and big dog. Big dog (Bella) is a native Californian who they brought over for an exorbitant fee, and they found they could not afford to bring back. She is a tall yellow lab mix. Little dog (Minou, means small and cute in French) is a slightly darker shade of sand. She used to live alone in a shack down the road and cry at night out of loneliness disturbing my parents' sleep. Since my mother’s heart permanently belongs to small dogs like little dog (who reminds her of her old dog Trixie), my mother offered to buy little dog. Her owner refused. Some time passed, and my mother decided to take the issue a bit more seriously. She took the dog, informing her owner of this action. The owner had no choice, but he agreed as long as little dog was available to hunt on Sundays at 7 AM every week. So, John regularly delivered little dog for the purpose of hunting anything small enough for her to scare (not much, by the way). And after a while little dog’s former owner stopped requiring her services, and little dog has lived here, in the lap of luxury, ever since.
I encountered another small sand-colored dog at the Poiriers’, where I spent this afternoon with Anne (the mother of my highschool sweetheart). Lilie was purchase shortly after my mother got Bella, because Anne was jealous of my mother and her new puppy. Lilie is a great snuggler, only requiring a little bit of encouragement. (The problem of snuggling with children has long bothered me. I want it. I think they want it. But we have to go through this whole ritual of getting to know each other through play before we can do it. I sometimes feel like am practicing some kind of deceit.)
The last time I visited this part of France, it was to see the Poiriers 12 years ago (although Julien and I had long broken up). Their home was beautiful then, but they have made it into a wonderful and complete work of art. I won’t bore you with a complete description of all the improvements, but I will describe for you a portrait they have of Anne’s great grandmother. She looks, of course, exactly like Anne. She was from French New Orleans, but the portrait displays San Francisco in its background. It is very beautiful, and I wish I had something like that from my family.
So, Anne and I spend the afternoon walking by the river and talking. She calls our last election a fascist coup d'etat. She lent me Le Divorce to read; says it is much better than the movie. For those who are wondering, I asked Bertrand about the misogynist divorce laws portrayed in the movie and he says they are not true (at least anymore). Anne also suggested I read Camus in French to re-start my study of the language.
I finished reading Toujour Provence on the train getting here. It is a pleasant little book about food and dogs. Anne says Peter Mayle now lives on Long Island; an idea I find very disturbing for some reason. I mentioned to Anne that I didn’t like the way Mayle refers to his French neighbors as peasants, and she said that that isn’t derogatory in this country. However, Mayle is English; so, he used the word with full awareness of its meaning to Engish-speaking people. I think it is a problem with direct translation from his conversational French. Similarly, every time I use the word “vibrant” in English to a native French speaker, they comment on its use. However, I think the meaning is clear by context. On the other hand, I wonder about that – if a word is clear by context, why do we bother saying it? In an ideal world of getting to the point, shouldn’t the meaning of every word be a surprise?
Now, my mother and John have gone off to have dinner with someone. I chose to stay at home ostensibly to clean, but really because I have a strong desire to do nothing. After a charming afternoon with Anne, I need to add a little more nothing to the soup of my day. I have many adventures to describe for you, but they will have to wait until another day. Bon Soir.
After many wonderful adventures, I have finally arrived in La Vienne, where my mother and John’s house is in the small town of Saint-Pierre-de-Maillé. See pictures of the house at http://www.hidden-worlds.com/text/grange_au_dimes1.html. It is very beautiful, but, as I should have expected, filled with dog hair. I am slowly cleaning it, but only out of absolute necessity. I think my parents just don’t see it anymore….
They have 2 dogs: little dog and big dog. Big dog (Bella) is a native Californian who they brought over for an exorbitant fee, and they found they could not afford to bring back. She is a tall yellow lab mix. Little dog (Minou, means small and cute in French) is a slightly darker shade of sand. She used to live alone in a shack down the road and cry at night out of loneliness disturbing my parents' sleep. Since my mother’s heart permanently belongs to small dogs like little dog (who reminds her of her old dog Trixie), my mother offered to buy little dog. Her owner refused. Some time passed, and my mother decided to take the issue a bit more seriously. She took the dog, informing her owner of this action. The owner had no choice, but he agreed as long as little dog was available to hunt on Sundays at 7 AM every week. So, John regularly delivered little dog for the purpose of hunting anything small enough for her to scare (not much, by the way). And after a while little dog’s former owner stopped requiring her services, and little dog has lived here, in the lap of luxury, ever since.
I encountered another small sand-colored dog at the Poiriers’, where I spent this afternoon with Anne (the mother of my highschool sweetheart). Lilie was purchase shortly after my mother got Bella, because Anne was jealous of my mother and her new puppy. Lilie is a great snuggler, only requiring a little bit of encouragement. (The problem of snuggling with children has long bothered me. I want it. I think they want it. But we have to go through this whole ritual of getting to know each other through play before we can do it. I sometimes feel like am practicing some kind of deceit.)
The last time I visited this part of France, it was to see the Poiriers 12 years ago (although Julien and I had long broken up). Their home was beautiful then, but they have made it into a wonderful and complete work of art. I won’t bore you with a complete description of all the improvements, but I will describe for you a portrait they have of Anne’s great grandmother. She looks, of course, exactly like Anne. She was from French New Orleans, but the portrait displays San Francisco in its background. It is very beautiful, and I wish I had something like that from my family.
So, Anne and I spend the afternoon walking by the river and talking. She calls our last election a fascist coup d'etat. She lent me Le Divorce to read; says it is much better than the movie. For those who are wondering, I asked Bertrand about the misogynist divorce laws portrayed in the movie and he says they are not true (at least anymore). Anne also suggested I read Camus in French to re-start my study of the language.
I finished reading Toujour Provence on the train getting here. It is a pleasant little book about food and dogs. Anne says Peter Mayle now lives on Long Island; an idea I find very disturbing for some reason. I mentioned to Anne that I didn’t like the way Mayle refers to his French neighbors as peasants, and she said that that isn’t derogatory in this country. However, Mayle is English; so, he used the word with full awareness of its meaning to Engish-speaking people. I think it is a problem with direct translation from his conversational French. Similarly, every time I use the word “vibrant” in English to a native French speaker, they comment on its use. However, I think the meaning is clear by context. On the other hand, I wonder about that – if a word is clear by context, why do we bother saying it? In an ideal world of getting to the point, shouldn’t the meaning of every word be a surprise?
Now, my mother and John have gone off to have dinner with someone. I chose to stay at home ostensibly to clean, but really because I have a strong desire to do nothing. After a charming afternoon with Anne, I need to add a little more nothing to the soup of my day. I have many adventures to describe for you, but they will have to wait until another day. Bon Soir.
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Thursday, August 05, 2004
Towards Carfree Cities Conference
For those of you who want more information on this conference I keep talking about, look here: http://www.worldcarfree.net
Some photos are shown here: http://www.worldcarfree.net/conference/photos.php. One includes me: http://www.worldcarfree.net/conference/photos/berlin-bike2.jpg. Another shows my host in Prague, Steve, who I keep talking about (and the back of my head too): http://www.worldcarfree.net/conference/photos/berlin-bike.jpg.
I've said it before and I will say it again, we should ALL go next year. This is a great conference.
Some photos are shown here: http://www.worldcarfree.net/conference/photos.php. One includes me: http://www.worldcarfree.net/conference/photos/berlin-bike2.jpg. Another shows my host in Prague, Steve, who I keep talking about (and the back of my head too): http://www.worldcarfree.net/conference/photos/berlin-bike.jpg.
I've said it before and I will say it again, we should ALL go next year. This is a great conference.
Last day in Krumlov and some final words on Karlovy
I'm checked out of my hostel and basically ready to take the night train to Freiburg (via Zurich), one of Germany's leading eco-cities. Originally, I planned to spend a few days there and commute to Baden Baden for spa treatment. But Bertrand, a friend from the conference, will apparently be in Freiburg tomorrow anyway and has offered to pick me up, to entertain me, and his couch for me to sleep on. I feel very lucky with all the hospitality I have received from people I met at the conference.
During the past day or so I have been little other than wander around this lovely town. I wanted to make sure I explored every little winding street, and I believe i have covered the ones in the center at least. They are particularly nice in the evening when all the day trippers are gone but the light is still out and slanted against the tightly-packed buildings. I couldn't help but buy 10 postcards this morning, although I haven't seen very many interesting pictures to take myself. They do have a couple brown bears living in the castle mote who look pretty unhappy in the heat....
Last night my hostel provided a free keg of beer to its residents. I couldn't find my Aussie friends, so I hung out with my bunkmates instead. I would say 90% of my fellow travelers are Australian. Another thing I have noticed is that there are a lot of bone-skinny women travelers (not of any particular nationality). I see them eating and drinking beer, but for some reason their limbs could be confusing with those of a poster child on nutrician in Africa. On the other hand, almost no one is even lightly plump, which is good because weight tends to make people snore (yes, there have been one or 2), and we are all sharing a bedroom.
In Karlovy Vary, I was temporarily seduced by the privacy of my own room. I took an afternoon nap and woke thinking, "This is great. I am staying in this room forever." Later that evening the loneliness set in (exacerbated by the fact that I couldn't call home, no $ on the calling card, or get on a computer) and I wished I was in a hostel again. I mentioned the pedestrian ways throughout the city/parks in an earlier post, but I don't think I mentioned the complete lack of sidewalks. This isn't a serious issue, bc there aren't many cars in the town, but the ones that are there drive fast through the town. The paths are lines with extravagent begonias and impatients. As I headed out to dinner without my camera (it was re-charging), a huge red hot-air ballon, flame in center, rested in the sky next to the multicolored 19th-Century buildings. I ate my dinner in the park to silly american background music (a live Czech band at a nearby fancy hotel) and the smell of night jasmine wafting through the air.
My expensive room included breakfast from which I packed myself 2 huge sandwiches. So, that was cost-effective at least.
During the past day or so I have been little other than wander around this lovely town. I wanted to make sure I explored every little winding street, and I believe i have covered the ones in the center at least. They are particularly nice in the evening when all the day trippers are gone but the light is still out and slanted against the tightly-packed buildings. I couldn't help but buy 10 postcards this morning, although I haven't seen very many interesting pictures to take myself. They do have a couple brown bears living in the castle mote who look pretty unhappy in the heat....
Last night my hostel provided a free keg of beer to its residents. I couldn't find my Aussie friends, so I hung out with my bunkmates instead. I would say 90% of my fellow travelers are Australian. Another thing I have noticed is that there are a lot of bone-skinny women travelers (not of any particular nationality). I see them eating and drinking beer, but for some reason their limbs could be confusing with those of a poster child on nutrician in Africa. On the other hand, almost no one is even lightly plump, which is good because weight tends to make people snore (yes, there have been one or 2), and we are all sharing a bedroom.
In Karlovy Vary, I was temporarily seduced by the privacy of my own room. I took an afternoon nap and woke thinking, "This is great. I am staying in this room forever." Later that evening the loneliness set in (exacerbated by the fact that I couldn't call home, no $ on the calling card, or get on a computer) and I wished I was in a hostel again. I mentioned the pedestrian ways throughout the city/parks in an earlier post, but I don't think I mentioned the complete lack of sidewalks. This isn't a serious issue, bc there aren't many cars in the town, but the ones that are there drive fast through the town. The paths are lines with extravagent begonias and impatients. As I headed out to dinner without my camera (it was re-charging), a huge red hot-air ballon, flame in center, rested in the sky next to the multicolored 19th-Century buildings. I ate my dinner in the park to silly american background music (a live Czech band at a nearby fancy hotel) and the smell of night jasmine wafting through the air.
My expensive room included breakfast from which I packed myself 2 huge sandwiches. So, that was cost-effective at least.
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
[Cesky Krumlov]Another day another trip down the river
Today we rented a raft to ride down the river to the next town. The river banks turned from terracotta and white to various shades of green quickly. We saw forests, huge rocks, fields, etc. Lovely. Somehow we thought there would be lots of places to stop along the way for beer, but there were only a few. We stopped once in a wide field for budweisser (note lower-case b; this is the home of the beer that the US company stole the name from). Literally hundreds of plastic bottles had found their resting places along the edges of the river in this otherwise pristine-looking landscape. This further confirms my new found dedicating to drinking tap water. (The dedication began because Maya pointed out that they transport all that water to sell with trucks, when there is perfectly good water running through the taps in every developed nation in the world.)
My companions along the river were 3 Aussie girls and 2 boys from Holland. I am certain that none of them is over 25, but I am trying not to think about it or bring up subjects to establish my age. I did notice last night when they discussed where they wanted to go for "unie" and what they thought about studying or where they thought about working. And I felt a little inadequate when all of us lay out in our bikinis; no, inadequate is not the word. I didn't so much feel that I was comparing myself to them as I was some kind of perverse fraud or observer who should not really have been there but was pretending to be something I was not while being exposed by my equipment. Speaking of misrepresentation, the issue of gun control came up, and they assumed that I am against it bc I am "American". It soon became clear that we all agree on the issue.
I still need to catch you up on my adventures in Karlovy, but that might have to wait for another day. The bottom line is that the swimming pool was worth the trip. It is a huge modern thing on the hillside overlooking the sweet historic town. You can literally look at the townscape as you do your laps. Unfortunately, there weren't many people in it doing laps -- just horse playing -- with a few swimming around them.
Mary had had a reservation at the same hostel that Steve had found for me (but was full), but they refused to honor it. It also turns out that the town was providing student accomodation. I am telling you this so that all may learn from my mistake: ask about cheap accomodation at the tourist information center whereever you go.
My companions along the river were 3 Aussie girls and 2 boys from Holland. I am certain that none of them is over 25, but I am trying not to think about it or bring up subjects to establish my age. I did notice last night when they discussed where they wanted to go for "unie" and what they thought about studying or where they thought about working. And I felt a little inadequate when all of us lay out in our bikinis; no, inadequate is not the word. I didn't so much feel that I was comparing myself to them as I was some kind of perverse fraud or observer who should not really have been there but was pretending to be something I was not while being exposed by my equipment. Speaking of misrepresentation, the issue of gun control came up, and they assumed that I am against it bc I am "American". It soon became clear that we all agree on the issue.
I still need to catch you up on my adventures in Karlovy, but that might have to wait for another day. The bottom line is that the swimming pool was worth the trip. It is a huge modern thing on the hillside overlooking the sweet historic town. You can literally look at the townscape as you do your laps. Unfortunately, there weren't many people in it doing laps -- just horse playing -- with a few swimming around them.
Mary had had a reservation at the same hostel that Steve had found for me (but was full), but they refused to honor it. It also turns out that the town was providing student accomodation. I am telling you this so that all may learn from my mistake: ask about cheap accomodation at the tourist information center whereever you go.
Monday, August 02, 2004
[Cesky Krumlov]"Getting in touch with my inner tube"
I steal DeAnne's famous line as the title of this blog. I met this cute little Aussie (Mary) on the bus over here, and we planned to meet up again for dinner tonight. But, I ran into her this afternoon, and we all (she, mates from her hostel, and me) agreed to go innertubing down the river this afternoon. The tubes were provided for free from her hostel. So, that's what we did. the city looked amazing from the water, altho the water looked incredibly dirty. Something that looked like a rock floated down the river with us most of the way. Styraphome (sp?), apple cores, and other bits of trash floated around too. Riding through the dams was loads of fun, altho I wimped out on the second one "because I didn't want to lose my hat."
My guidebook says that this is the prettiest town in Europe, and I believe it.
I keep thinking of things I haven't mentioned about past places. In Prague, pet dogs are welcome on all forms of public transit. Steve saw a large dog with a rat riding on his head on the tram. In addition to being an outragous sight, this reminded me of Kevin's nighttime stories about the dog and the chicken. Steve suggested Kevin write a series of children's books.
Speaking of public transit in Prague, I was very impressed by it. I was impressed by the idiot-proof nature of the metro. Not only are the lines color-coded, but so are the stations. Stations along the yellow line have yellow signs indicating themselves. In addition in the middle of each platform, there is a sign displaying all the line's routes on the line, where you are on it, and where you will be able to transfer to a line of another color. Steve, a representative resident and sample of 1, prefers the trams because the metro is too deep. He finds it hard to get to. The elevators move so fast it feels almost dangerous to me. But I wouldn't want it to take any longer to get down there. Back in 2002 they flooded, though they must be below the water table now. Steve says this an example of work under a communist government where there is no accountabiliy bc no one will be fired for poor work. You know I have mixed feelings about this statement.
Eddie, one of the Swiss guys I met at the conference, suggested the European companies run American transit systems. I thought this was brilliant.
Well, I've got to go meet those Aussies for dinner in a minute....
My guidebook says that this is the prettiest town in Europe, and I believe it.
I keep thinking of things I haven't mentioned about past places. In Prague, pet dogs are welcome on all forms of public transit. Steve saw a large dog with a rat riding on his head on the tram. In addition to being an outragous sight, this reminded me of Kevin's nighttime stories about the dog and the chicken. Steve suggested Kevin write a series of children's books.
Speaking of public transit in Prague, I was very impressed by it. I was impressed by the idiot-proof nature of the metro. Not only are the lines color-coded, but so are the stations. Stations along the yellow line have yellow signs indicating themselves. In addition in the middle of each platform, there is a sign displaying all the line's routes on the line, where you are on it, and where you will be able to transfer to a line of another color. Steve, a representative resident and sample of 1, prefers the trams because the metro is too deep. He finds it hard to get to. The elevators move so fast it feels almost dangerous to me. But I wouldn't want it to take any longer to get down there. Back in 2002 they flooded, though they must be below the water table now. Steve says this an example of work under a communist government where there is no accountabiliy bc no one will be fired for poor work. You know I have mixed feelings about this statement.
Eddie, one of the Swiss guys I met at the conference, suggested the European companies run American transit systems. I thought this was brilliant.
Well, I've got to go meet those Aussies for dinner in a minute....
Saturday, July 31, 2004
[Karlovy Vary]Hot hot hot
It's so hot here, I can hardly think, but I will try to write
something since I am at a computer. I'm here in this medium-sized
spa town in western Bohemia. Steve very kindly looked up a hostel
for me to call when I got here, but unfortunately it was full. I
looked for another place for about 5 minutes, and then took a room
beyond my price range (and twice the price listed in my guidebook
for) for only one night. Tomorrow I will probably backtrack to a
little medeaval town in the south (Cesky Krumlov) because there are
lots of hostels there and I am not ready to leave the Czech Republic
yet.
This is a lovely little place which reminds me of Ashland, OR. Tall,
beautiful buildings line a little river with lots of pedestrian areas
and bridges across (but no sidewalks on the streets). I tried the healing water, and it tasted
horrible (sulfer?) and made me cough, which I think is the idea. Here,
everything is in German and Czech, not English. I went to the
museum, but since I don't understand either of those languages, I didn't
learn much. I did, however, take some cool pictures of the light
fixtures.
I am tired of walking. My left hip has been hurting. But the show
must go on. In a minute, I'll see if I can swim in the pool. That
should cure me.
My last night in Prague was very nice. I met Steve in a beer garden
near the center and watched the light fade blue and the red moon rise
above the terracotta-roofed city. I had my first meal in a
restuarant since starting this trip (and the first in a while bf that
too, since I have been trying to save). I ordered grilled salmon,
which came with grilled veggies as well and totally rocked. The
waiter kept bringing us beer because we didn't ask him to stop (the custom here, says Steve).
Since I've been in Europe I find I sleep really well after a beer or so.
something since I am at a computer. I'm here in this medium-sized
spa town in western Bohemia. Steve very kindly looked up a hostel
for me to call when I got here, but unfortunately it was full. I
looked for another place for about 5 minutes, and then took a room
beyond my price range (and twice the price listed in my guidebook
for) for only one night. Tomorrow I will probably backtrack to a
little medeaval town in the south (Cesky Krumlov) because there are
lots of hostels there and I am not ready to leave the Czech Republic
yet.
This is a lovely little place which reminds me of Ashland, OR. Tall,
beautiful buildings line a little river with lots of pedestrian areas
and bridges across (but no sidewalks on the streets). I tried the healing water, and it tasted
horrible (sulfer?) and made me cough, which I think is the idea. Here,
everything is in German and Czech, not English. I went to the
museum, but since I don't understand either of those languages, I didn't
learn much. I did, however, take some cool pictures of the light
fixtures.
I am tired of walking. My left hip has been hurting. But the show
must go on. In a minute, I'll see if I can swim in the pool. That
should cure me.
My last night in Prague was very nice. I met Steve in a beer garden
near the center and watched the light fade blue and the red moon rise
above the terracotta-roofed city. I had my first meal in a
restuarant since starting this trip (and the first in a while bf that
too, since I have been trying to save). I ordered grilled salmon,
which came with grilled veggies as well and totally rocked. The
waiter kept bringing us beer because we didn't ask him to stop (the custom here, says Steve).
Since I've been in Europe I find I sleep really well after a beer or so.
Friday, July 30, 2004
The Last Day in Prague
So, I bought a bus ticket to Karlovy Vary (Charles's hot spring), a spa town in western Bohemia, leaving tomorrow morning. I have chosen this place because my guidebook says it has a nice thermal swimming pool open to the public. I am dying for a swim. The spa isn't really available to the general public (only for those with a doctor's perscription). I might go to Baden Baden in Germany next bc the general public actually can enjoy the spa there (assuming they can afford it). However, I am a little worried about finding a place to stay on a Saturday.... I guess we'll see.
Steve says that vandalism of the cows has been a problem. There are billboards I have noticed at bus stops that probably say something like "vandalism of the cows is a national outrage. These cows are installed in 18 cities and they have not been vandalized anywhere else...." There used to be a tank in one plaza, and a local artist painted it pink to protest war. The city repainted it green immediately the next morning. So, one of the cows is by the same artist and he painted it pink with a symbol of a tank on it. This cow was vandalized, which may indicate that the vandalism is politically motivated. [See Steve's comment re: this issue below. However, to Steve's credit, I should mentioned that it is much more likely that I remembered this story wrong than that he is propagating misinformation as Olga accused him.]
Yesterday I went to the 17th Century Vysehrad Citadel south of the center. There is a gorgeous church and cemetary there, and the edge of the citadel is a park with a view of the city and river. The entire inside of the church was painted in an art nouveau style and the outside had a variety of decorations including more of these paintings, and what is it called where you make an image out a lots of tiny different colored chips? The cemetary was also beautiful in similar ways including lovely scultures. I took pictures so I can show you later. Then I meandered back towards the center, enjoying seeing the "real Prague" away from all the crowds.
Steve says that vandalism of the cows has been a problem. There are billboards I have noticed at bus stops that probably say something like "vandalism of the cows is a national outrage. These cows are installed in 18 cities and they have not been vandalized anywhere else...." There used to be a tank in one plaza, and a local artist painted it pink to protest war. The city repainted it green immediately the next morning. So, one of the cows is by the same artist and he painted it pink with a symbol of a tank on it. This cow was vandalized, which may indicate that the vandalism is politically motivated. [See Steve's comment re: this issue below. However, to Steve's credit, I should mentioned that it is much more likely that I remembered this story wrong than that he is propagating misinformation as Olga accused him.]
Yesterday I went to the 17th Century Vysehrad Citadel south of the center. There is a gorgeous church and cemetary there, and the edge of the citadel is a park with a view of the city and river. The entire inside of the church was painted in an art nouveau style and the outside had a variety of decorations including more of these paintings, and what is it called where you make an image out a lots of tiny different colored chips? The cemetary was also beautiful in similar ways including lovely scultures. I took pictures so I can show you later. Then I meandered back towards the center, enjoying seeing the "real Prague" away from all the crowds.
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
[Prague]Cows are everywhere.
Yes, you read that right. Just like the hearts in SF, there are cows all over Prague painted in various designs. Some of them are really cool. In general, I think they are better than the ones in SF. I keep taking pictures of them, but it does seem a bit silly.
I am liking it better here today. Actually, I felt much better yesterday after I put on my pilsner tinted glasses. Today, I went up to Prague Castle mostly to see Kafka's house and pretend Elizabeth is with me doing research. It's a tiny turquiose house, not more than 12 x 8 feet in total. There is a whole row of them on "Golden Alley" that used to be guard houses. I also saw the changing of the guard and couldn't help but think these young men must be about to burst out laughing.
I finished reading Amsterdam by Ian McEwan this morning. It's a bleak view of friendship and relying on another person. In some cases, I understand that view, but I really hope it doesn't have to be that way. The book is cruel. It displays hypocritical characters, and maybe we all have this quality to some extent, which means to me that we should all live more self-counscious lives. The book follows his usual structure of one significant event in the beginning guiding all subsequent actions. I sort of wish he would try something else.
I am liking it better here today. Actually, I felt much better yesterday after I put on my pilsner tinted glasses. Today, I went up to Prague Castle mostly to see Kafka's house and pretend Elizabeth is with me doing research. It's a tiny turquiose house, not more than 12 x 8 feet in total. There is a whole row of them on "Golden Alley" that used to be guard houses. I also saw the changing of the guard and couldn't help but think these young men must be about to burst out laughing.
I finished reading Amsterdam by Ian McEwan this morning. It's a bleak view of friendship and relying on another person. In some cases, I understand that view, but I really hope it doesn't have to be that way. The book is cruel. It displays hypocritical characters, and maybe we all have this quality to some extent, which means to me that we should all live more self-counscious lives. The book follows his usual structure of one significant event in the beginning guiding all subsequent actions. I sort of wish he would try something else.
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
In Prague along with everyone else on the planet
It's true that Prague is an incredibly beautiful city. It's also true that everyone knows it. They really need to restrict cars from the center, because there isn't enough room for all the pedestrians (tourists) even when there are no cars trying to drive along these narrow streets. Walking from one end of a street to another is difficult in the mob.
Steve's place is far from the center in a quiet little neighborhood, once a village that got incorporated into the larger city. It took about 30 minutes on tram and the metro to get into the center including riding the tram in the wrong direction at the beginning (it went to another metro stop, but I had to transfer again). The apartment is huge -- what we call in SF a full four. Except that the dining room is used as an office and the living room (my room) has almost nothing in it except a futon (it's a big room).
Prague is overrun with expats too, Steve tells me. There used to be 60K of them, but now there are only (only?) 20K. Everyone speaks English. I wandered around for a long time looking for some reasonably priced food (it is more expensive than Berlin with the tourist prices), and finally ordered a "hamburger" (because I knew how to say it) at a stand near a metro station. A "hamburger" is apparently a thick slice of deep fried ham with sour craut (sp?) and ketchup on a bread roll.
I fould the place I stayed when I was here in 95. The little cafe down the street looks much the same, but the restaurant where we fought with the waiter is gone. (Justice exists.)
My ride here (50 euros, yikes!) was very slow considering it was a premium, intercity express train. We went through Dresden, beautiful, and Saxon Switzerland, with lovely rocks and cliffs along the river. I took a couple pictures from the train, but they didn't really come out. There was another lady in my compartment who spoke English (altho I think she was Danish). Every time there was something pretty outside, she would nudge me with her foot.
Steve had a fabulous story about his ride back from Berlin with 4 bikes and a dog. apparently the dog needs to have a childs ticket, and he isn't allowed to use the "weekend" deals that everyone else used (altho children are allowed to use it). So, it cost 15 euros for one leg (of 4) of the trip, where the rest of them paid 30 euros total for 5 people for the entire trip. He was a big yellow retriever who would bark whenever we clapped at the conference. I won't try to do the whole story justice here.
The buildings here are intricately designed with art nuveau design and paintings. The churches elaborate. (The prices inflated.) the transit system seems to work and is only about $0.50 per ride. I have seen lots of people on transit both times I've ridden it, and I've never waited more than about 5 minutes for a train.
All that having been said, I have seen very little of Prague so far. I am going to check out some museums that Steve recommended, then depending on the time either go to a beergarden nearby for a break or head back via the grocery store. I said I would pick up some pasta and fruit. I should get some things for myself as well.
Just one more word about Steve -- his highschool sweetheart is Cayce Raine, who I went to grad school with. His parents are German, he was born in Boston, and grew up in the East Bay. He is fluent in at least 3 languages I know about, and makes his money (when he isn't at the Carfree Cities office) as a translator. He lives here bc his girlfriend is Czech.
I imagine my postings will be more frequent now that my days are no longer filled with people and presentations. So, stay tuned.
Saturday, July 24, 2004
[Berlin]Biking in the Sun
From Friday...
> Today was beautiful. It is the day of the general
> meeting, so instead of attending the conference i
> biked to the other side of town for a mojito by a
> canal with Dave. We talked about drugs,
> relationships, transportation, activism in SF, and
> bicycle planning. From the Canal we watched people
sunbathing and fishing -- neither seemed like such a
good idea in an urban canal.
Last night a small group of us
> (Maya, 2 Swiss guys, Eddie and Bennie, who work for
Green Peace in Zurich, and an Aussie, Elliot from
Melbourne, who is a podetrist
> who will be doing bicycle planning in Bogota for the
> next while) walked a ways to a hip neighborhood for
> a beer. This city rocks! It is so pretty and
vibrant and multicultural.
Walk isn't quite the right word for what I did to that
other neighborhood because my feet are useless. A few
days ago I went for a walk with Maya in those shoes
Carolyn gave me and got terrible blisters. Then, of
course, I accidently pummased one of the blisters
making it much worse. Now I am almost handicapped,
but fairing OK. Just a bit of a limp, really. So, I
road Elliot's new Bike Friday that he takes with him
everywhere bc he couldn't get it insured.
This city is much more bicycle friendly than it is
pedestrian friendly. Bicycle paths are likely to be
painted at the expense of sidewalks. Everyone is very
tolerant and nice about it, but there is definitely a
shift in the dynamics between the modes. Drivers
never flip out when you bike right in front of them,
but pedestrians are expected to get out of the way.
We think it is because everyone here rides a bike.
Speaking of speed, social interactions move at a much
slower pace here than I am used to. it takes hours to
come to a consensus or even leave an event. No one
ever just takes off -- they meander about a bit,
talking pleasantly with one another and fiddling. You
can imagine that I find this a strain, but I am trying
to be tolerant. Did you know that someone did a study
about the speed of cities based on social
interactions, travel time, etc? They found that San
Francisco was one of the fastest cities, along with
Zurich, NYC, etc. (it must have been Eddie or Bennie
who told me this). I also learned about a Slow Cities
movement, like Slow Food, slow travel, etc. I guess
it doesn't have to be this fast, but I like to keep
moving myself....
Saturday...
Last night was the conference closing party, but I
just couldn't get in a celebratory mood about it. I
felt more sad. They had a Salsa band and then a Ska
band, lots of lovely space lit up with tea lights, and
medioccre but cheap drinks. I haven't completely
kicked my cold, but I feel basically fine, just not
like partying.
Another thing is that a lot of people here smell bad.
2 reasons: lots of hippies, hard core and a general
difference in personal hygene expectations. I was
hard for me to get into dancing when the dance floor
smelled like stinky unwashed armpits. I am bad.
Actually, that was my first impression of the
conference when I walked into the door. Fortunately,
it faded (the impression or the smell, you decide).
The rooms were rather stuffy.
But I had an excellent conference. I have come away
with several ideas I want to pursue, and a renewed
enthusiasm for my field. I said that at the
conference evaluation this morning.
This afternoon lots of people when to a lake to swim,
but I went to a co-op that used to be a squat for
video training. It was very much geared towards
documenting police brutality at protests, but I
learned a few things about video production in general
-- another thing I am thinking of pursuing in the next
year (my first year of retirement). There certainly
won't be time for it all, darn it!
I walked back (I should say limped) via the wrong
directon with Mel, an Estonian Medical student and
natural ham. Now it is Saturday night I can't find my
friends, which is actually fine because I have hardly
had a moment to myself since I got here.
In other news, I have determined what my next
destination will be: Prague. I will be staying with
one of the conference organizers, Steve. He said I
could stay until Saturday, which sounds good to me.
I'll head over that way sometime on Monday. Tomorrow
a small group of us are going to an area near here
that is only accessible by boat (thus car-free) with
little rivers making up 'roads' to connect the
buildings. We may swim. I am excited.
On the other hand, I am very sad to be leaving Berlin
soon. I could imagine staying here for a long time,
but I can't really imagine learning to speak German.
So, there you have it.
That's probably enough for today.
love,l
> Today was beautiful. It is the day of the general
> meeting, so instead of attending the conference i
> biked to the other side of town for a mojito by a
> canal with Dave. We talked about drugs,
> relationships, transportation, activism in SF, and
> bicycle planning. From the Canal we watched people
sunbathing and fishing -- neither seemed like such a
good idea in an urban canal.
Last night a small group of us
> (Maya, 2 Swiss guys, Eddie and Bennie, who work for
Green Peace in Zurich, and an Aussie, Elliot from
Melbourne, who is a podetrist
> who will be doing bicycle planning in Bogota for the
> next while) walked a ways to a hip neighborhood for
> a beer. This city rocks! It is so pretty and
vibrant and multicultural.
Walk isn't quite the right word for what I did to that
other neighborhood because my feet are useless. A few
days ago I went for a walk with Maya in those shoes
Carolyn gave me and got terrible blisters. Then, of
course, I accidently pummased one of the blisters
making it much worse. Now I am almost handicapped,
but fairing OK. Just a bit of a limp, really. So, I
road Elliot's new Bike Friday that he takes with him
everywhere bc he couldn't get it insured.
This city is much more bicycle friendly than it is
pedestrian friendly. Bicycle paths are likely to be
painted at the expense of sidewalks. Everyone is very
tolerant and nice about it, but there is definitely a
shift in the dynamics between the modes. Drivers
never flip out when you bike right in front of them,
but pedestrians are expected to get out of the way.
We think it is because everyone here rides a bike.
Speaking of speed, social interactions move at a much
slower pace here than I am used to. it takes hours to
come to a consensus or even leave an event. No one
ever just takes off -- they meander about a bit,
talking pleasantly with one another and fiddling. You
can imagine that I find this a strain, but I am trying
to be tolerant. Did you know that someone did a study
about the speed of cities based on social
interactions, travel time, etc? They found that San
Francisco was one of the fastest cities, along with
Zurich, NYC, etc. (it must have been Eddie or Bennie
who told me this). I also learned about a Slow Cities
movement, like Slow Food, slow travel, etc. I guess
it doesn't have to be this fast, but I like to keep
moving myself....
Saturday...
Last night was the conference closing party, but I
just couldn't get in a celebratory mood about it. I
felt more sad. They had a Salsa band and then a Ska
band, lots of lovely space lit up with tea lights, and
medioccre but cheap drinks. I haven't completely
kicked my cold, but I feel basically fine, just not
like partying.
Another thing is that a lot of people here smell bad.
2 reasons: lots of hippies, hard core and a general
difference in personal hygene expectations. I was
hard for me to get into dancing when the dance floor
smelled like stinky unwashed armpits. I am bad.
Actually, that was my first impression of the
conference when I walked into the door. Fortunately,
it faded (the impression or the smell, you decide).
The rooms were rather stuffy.
But I had an excellent conference. I have come away
with several ideas I want to pursue, and a renewed
enthusiasm for my field. I said that at the
conference evaluation this morning.
This afternoon lots of people when to a lake to swim,
but I went to a co-op that used to be a squat for
video training. It was very much geared towards
documenting police brutality at protests, but I
learned a few things about video production in general
-- another thing I am thinking of pursuing in the next
year (my first year of retirement). There certainly
won't be time for it all, darn it!
I walked back (I should say limped) via the wrong
directon with Mel, an Estonian Medical student and
natural ham. Now it is Saturday night I can't find my
friends, which is actually fine because I have hardly
had a moment to myself since I got here.
In other news, I have determined what my next
destination will be: Prague. I will be staying with
one of the conference organizers, Steve. He said I
could stay until Saturday, which sounds good to me.
I'll head over that way sometime on Monday. Tomorrow
a small group of us are going to an area near here
that is only accessible by boat (thus car-free) with
little rivers making up 'roads' to connect the
buildings. We may swim. I am excited.
On the other hand, I am very sad to be leaving Berlin
soon. I could imagine staying here for a long time,
but I can't really imagine learning to speak German.
So, there you have it.
That's probably enough for today.
love,l
Thursday, July 22, 2004
[Berlin]I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle.
Today we biked in the pouring rain all over Berlin,
which was actually fabulous once I got a wool sweater
on and my bike-rain coat (mid afternoon). Then it
cleared up. The idea was that we were following the
line that was the Berlin wall -- it was supposed to be
a Greenway, but like most Greenways I know, it is a
work in progress.
I realized today that bicycling makes me feel the most
present --
the journey is the destination kind of thing. it is
so much fun just to ride, and then you are traveling
somewhere, like at every other time in life, at the
same time. One of the conference speakers pointed out
that since the time of Isaak Newton we have known that
there is no stillness. Only motion. And that is what
I study. Bicycling is Zen, you could say.
Damn it, this key board has a Z where the Y should be.
Of course, I know people at this conference.
Specifically Dave Snyder and Jason Meggs, altho Jason
didn't remember me. And I have made new friends too.
My best conference buddy is
Maya Ruggles of Windsor Canada -- she happens to be
staying in my same room at the hostel. She gave a
talk on the theoretical structure of car culture that
I acccidently slept through on the first day.
I have taken a lot of notes on the various talks that
I would like to write about, but I don't feel like I
have time. I only bought an hour on this computer and
I have lots to do and talk about. Highlights include
a talk on Hypermobility by John Adams of University
College London, who is a great speaker, and one on
Mobility experiences of 3-6 year olds living in urban
and suburban areas -- they found that children who
walk to school learn math better because they develop a better understanding of
the spatial world. We knew it was true, but now there
is proof!
I have decided not to go to Poland. Instead I will
meander back towards France. there is a bike tour I
may tag along with for a few days, and I am hoping
someone who lives between here and there will
volunteer their couch for my sleepy head. No luck so
far despite many likely candidates. I definitely have
too much stuff with me for ambitious travel of any
sort. Once we stop off at St. P, I plan to only carry
a nap sack.
I have had tons of ideas for things to do from hearing
these talks. I'll tell you about them later.
which was actually fabulous once I got a wool sweater
on and my bike-rain coat (mid afternoon). Then it
cleared up. The idea was that we were following the
line that was the Berlin wall -- it was supposed to be
a Greenway, but like most Greenways I know, it is a
work in progress.
I realized today that bicycling makes me feel the most
present --
the journey is the destination kind of thing. it is
so much fun just to ride, and then you are traveling
somewhere, like at every other time in life, at the
same time. One of the conference speakers pointed out
that since the time of Isaak Newton we have known that
there is no stillness. Only motion. And that is what
I study. Bicycling is Zen, you could say.
Damn it, this key board has a Z where the Y should be.
Of course, I know people at this conference.
Specifically Dave Snyder and Jason Meggs, altho Jason
didn't remember me. And I have made new friends too.
My best conference buddy is
Maya Ruggles of Windsor Canada -- she happens to be
staying in my same room at the hostel. She gave a
talk on the theoretical structure of car culture that
I acccidently slept through on the first day.
I have taken a lot of notes on the various talks that
I would like to write about, but I don't feel like I
have time. I only bought an hour on this computer and
I have lots to do and talk about. Highlights include
a talk on Hypermobility by John Adams of University
College London, who is a great speaker, and one on
Mobility experiences of 3-6 year olds living in urban
and suburban areas -- they found that children who
walk to school learn math better because they develop a better understanding of
the spatial world. We knew it was true, but now there
is proof!
I have decided not to go to Poland. Instead I will
meander back towards France. there is a bike tour I
may tag along with for a few days, and I am hoping
someone who lives between here and there will
volunteer their couch for my sleepy head. No luck so
far despite many likely candidates. I definitely have
too much stuff with me for ambitious travel of any
sort. Once we stop off at St. P, I plan to only carry
a nap sack.
I have had tons of ideas for things to do from hearing
these talks. I'll tell you about them later.
Sunday, July 18, 2004
Finally in London
I had to be diverted from my orginal flight, SFO-MN-London, and instead fly 5 hours later via Amsterdam, which is much closer to my actual destination of Berlin, because the SFO-MN leg was delayed indefinitely it seemed. The flight to Amsterdam finally took off, they gave us dinner, and I slept most of the way. I think I missed some decent movies, but that's OK. Anyway, then I flew from Amsterdam to London (backwards, as it were) and here I am. I also slept all the way on the bus between Heathrow and Stanstead. So, I must be tired.
I am at the Tilfords. It beautiful here -- pastoral and very very English with historic tutor buildings everywhere you look. Even their house looks historic but with gorgeous modern conveniences. The little bed they have for me looks delicously cozy. I can't wait to get into it! And I feel so sad that I will have to get out or it again before dawn for my flight to Berlin.
I am at the Tilfords. It beautiful here -- pastoral and very very English with historic tutor buildings everywhere you look. Even their house looks historic but with gorgeous modern conveniences. The little bed they have for me looks delicously cozy. I can't wait to get into it! And I feel so sad that I will have to get out or it again before dawn for my flight to Berlin.
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
Just tired
The countdown is on, although there isn't much left to do. I just feel kind of tired, and I don't think it is because of those two maitais I had just before bed. They were just like desert. Elizabeth and I spent a lovely evening eating a yummy dinner she cooked and then reading a new short story she wrote to each other. It left me with such a vivid image of a stringy-haired guitar guy like the ones who would have hung around our moms when were were kids in Berkeley.
I had lunch with Kevin Ottem today, one of NN's very talented publications staff. Turns out he writes for the theater, among other things. I thought he was an actor. Like the 6 degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon, he is reading biographies, each one having some relationship to the last. We discussed my disappointment with the beginning of Bill Clinton's autobiography (which I did not read) beginning with the moment of his birth rather than some character forming or building moment that might have been more meaningful and less literal. Writing, like everything else, is a series of decisions. I am sure he had a reason.
Expectedly and unexpectedly spending time with all these creative language people leads me to beleive I am being given a message.... It isn't a bad time for that message either.
I had lunch with Kevin Ottem today, one of NN's very talented publications staff. Turns out he writes for the theater, among other things. I thought he was an actor. Like the 6 degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon, he is reading biographies, each one having some relationship to the last. We discussed my disappointment with the beginning of Bill Clinton's autobiography (which I did not read) beginning with the moment of his birth rather than some character forming or building moment that might have been more meaningful and less literal. Writing, like everything else, is a series of decisions. I am sure he had a reason.
Expectedly and unexpectedly spending time with all these creative language people leads me to beleive I am being given a message.... It isn't a bad time for that message either.
Friday, July 09, 2004
The Good Body
Last night, Kevin, Alison and Jo and I saw Eve Ensler's The Good Body. That a single person can be entertaining for 2 hours straight is amazing. Most one person shows are shorter. The show didn't really inspire any deep thoughts in me, other than that it is OK if I don't lose another 10 lbs like I planned. Isabella Russalini really is the most beautiful woman in the world, and I can understand how she feels walked all over because of it. She is.
My doctor yesterday said I have a heart murmer. This is totally new information. It may be nothing, but they want to check. There were a few times on the eliptical where I felt like I was about to die. So, I took a break, my pulse slowed a bit, and continued but made it a shorter workout. Maybe that isn't related.
I saw Carolyn Carr, who used to be the art director at USENIX, at the theater. She is one of the most inspiring women I know the way she lives her life, her sense of humor, her creativity and warmth. She said she is focusing on her photography now, taking pictures and teaching. I didn't think of it until afterwards, but I could find out more about her photography classes for when I get back. I am thinking everyone can be found through the internet. If not, maybe the Poiriers know where I can find her.
My doctor yesterday said I have a heart murmer. This is totally new information. It may be nothing, but they want to check. There were a few times on the eliptical where I felt like I was about to die. So, I took a break, my pulse slowed a bit, and continued but made it a shorter workout. Maybe that isn't related.
I saw Carolyn Carr, who used to be the art director at USENIX, at the theater. She is one of the most inspiring women I know the way she lives her life, her sense of humor, her creativity and warmth. She said she is focusing on her photography now, taking pictures and teaching. I didn't think of it until afterwards, but I could find out more about her photography classes for when I get back. I am thinking everyone can be found through the internet. If not, maybe the Poiriers know where I can find her.
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Atonement
I finished reading Atonement by Ian McEwan last night -- one of the best books I ever read! It's structure is similar to Enduring Love, with one significant event at the beginning setting of all subsequent events, but it involves multiple points of view. Characters evolve more because of the passage of time rather than anything that happens in the book. It's also like The Little Friend (Donna Tarte) in that it explores the unreliability of a child's point of view, but unlike Little Friend, the narrator is present and takes some responsibility for the reader's ultimate happiness. I appreciate having a narrator who thinks about my needs.
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