I'm off to London this weekend for a quick 48 hour trip. That 48 hours in London is gradually shrinking - my first flight to Warsaw was cancelled and now I am being rerouted through Vienna, which means an extra 2 hours in the tiny Krakow airport.
Regardless, I am very excited about this trip. London is one of my all time favourite cities and I haven't been in years. I think the last time must have been in the early 90s. Plus I am visiting friends from Krakow who live in London and they've been busy planning my schedule. It's nice to go to a place where you know someone who can steer you to all their favourite places.
I'll also have a chance to meet up with a fellow expat - a friend of a friend who visited me in Krakow in the summer and is currently living and working in London.
I just hope I get there soon!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
A good week
It's Sunday night and I'm lying on the couch with Flannery and Small listening to Leonard Cohen, feeling quite content, and reflecting on the week that was.
Work was tough this week, as it is often is, and I worked long hours most days, but overall it was a satisfying work week.
Several other events helped make this week a good one. On Tuesday night I attended the first meeting of a book club sponsored by the international women's group I belong to. I've missed my Canadian book club and attempted to put one together a few times last year, but never got it off the ground. Tuesday's gathering was small (only 3 of us showed up), but I enjoyed it nevertheless. Now I've got to figure out a book to pick for the next one. Any suggestions you have are welcome, as I am not quite sure what book will appeal to the group. Plus we also have the additional obstacle of a limited choice of English books.
Friday night I organized a Girl's Night Out event for the same organization. I made it easy on myself by reserving a table at the jazz bar across the street from me, and the night turned out to be a hit. I think everyone enjoyed the live jazz music by a local group, and the evening didn't end until after 1 am, which is later than I've been out in quite a while.
Saturday morning I woke up to the first snowfall of the season and spent much of the day running around the old town doing errands and Christmas shopping. Everywhere I went people were out enjoying the snow. I witnessed several British stag parties scooping up snow and engaging in impromptu snowball fights.
After spending a good 15 minutes cleaning off my car (I love the snow but miss my garage), I drove over to some friends house for Saturday evening.
Today I met another friend at the art gallery this morning and ended that visit with some tea and cake. I love the Polish tradition of eating cake before lunch . . .
I spent the rest of the afternoon doing yet more Christmas shopping and watching more people enjoy the snow (which is still falling), then curled up at home with a good book.
To end the week off right, I booked myself a quick trip to London next weekend.
Yep, it was a good week. I'm hoping the week to come goes just as well.
Work was tough this week, as it is often is, and I worked long hours most days, but overall it was a satisfying work week.
Several other events helped make this week a good one. On Tuesday night I attended the first meeting of a book club sponsored by the international women's group I belong to. I've missed my Canadian book club and attempted to put one together a few times last year, but never got it off the ground. Tuesday's gathering was small (only 3 of us showed up), but I enjoyed it nevertheless. Now I've got to figure out a book to pick for the next one. Any suggestions you have are welcome, as I am not quite sure what book will appeal to the group. Plus we also have the additional obstacle of a limited choice of English books.
Friday night I organized a Girl's Night Out event for the same organization. I made it easy on myself by reserving a table at the jazz bar across the street from me, and the night turned out to be a hit. I think everyone enjoyed the live jazz music by a local group, and the evening didn't end until after 1 am, which is later than I've been out in quite a while.
Saturday morning I woke up to the first snowfall of the season and spent much of the day running around the old town doing errands and Christmas shopping. Everywhere I went people were out enjoying the snow. I witnessed several British stag parties scooping up snow and engaging in impromptu snowball fights.
After spending a good 15 minutes cleaning off my car (I love the snow but miss my garage), I drove over to some friends house for Saturday evening.
Today I met another friend at the art gallery this morning and ended that visit with some tea and cake. I love the Polish tradition of eating cake before lunch . . .
I spent the rest of the afternoon doing yet more Christmas shopping and watching more people enjoy the snow (which is still falling), then curled up at home with a good book.
To end the week off right, I booked myself a quick trip to London next weekend.
Yep, it was a good week. I'm hoping the week to come goes just as well.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Streetscape
Ground floor apartments in Krakow tend to have windows that open directly onto the street at waist level or just slightly above. I've noticed that this makes these windows the perfect height for chatting with passersby.
More than once I've been slightly surprised by a friendly "dzien dobry" from my neighbour as I walk past his window towards our building entrance.
Many of my neighbours, usually elderly men, spend their time sitting at the windows, watching the action on the street, waiting for people to stop by for a visit. Sometimes I even see people on the street knock on the window instead of using the door.
More than once I've been slightly surprised by a friendly "dzien dobry" from my neighbour as I walk past his window towards our building entrance.
Many of my neighbours, usually elderly men, spend their time sitting at the windows, watching the action on the street, waiting for people to stop by for a visit. Sometimes I even see people on the street knock on the window instead of using the door.
Laundry
I remember when I used to have to drag my wash out to a laundromat and would spend hours sitting in some dingy place feeding quarters into the washer and dryer. I was so excited when I moved into an apartment with laundry facilities in the building. But the thrill quickly died as I realized there weren't enough machines in the building for the number of people, and everyone was jockeying for position. More sitting and waiting in the laundry room.
I finally achieved laundry nirvana when I purchased my own home, complete with a washer and a dryer. I could wash my clothes whenever I liked and didn't have to compete with anyone. Sure the laundry sometimes still piled up, but I could even do laundry while I slept if I wanted.
Here in Krakow I do have a washer and dryer in my own apartment and I can still do laundry whenever I like, but the washer and the dryer are combined, which means you can only wash a load, or dry a load, not do both simultaneously. Washing a load takes 90 minutes, and drying takes multiple hours. The entire system seems to work differently than in Canada. Somehow the water is suctioned out of wet clothes (don't ask me how - it is just different) and clothes never get fully dry in the dryer.
Luckily my bathroom, where I hang my clothes to dry, is really warm, thanks to the heated floors and the heated towel rack. I've always hung most of my clothes to dry, but here I end up drying my sheets and towels for close to two hours in the dryer, and then hanging them in the bathroom (I've discovered the shower is the perfect height to dry sheets) to get the dampness out.
I do miss my high powered North American washer and dryer. The wash cycle took 20 minutes and sheets and towels fully dried in less than an hour. What did I do with all that extra time?
I finally achieved laundry nirvana when I purchased my own home, complete with a washer and a dryer. I could wash my clothes whenever I liked and didn't have to compete with anyone. Sure the laundry sometimes still piled up, but I could even do laundry while I slept if I wanted.
Here in Krakow I do have a washer and dryer in my own apartment and I can still do laundry whenever I like, but the washer and the dryer are combined, which means you can only wash a load, or dry a load, not do both simultaneously. Washing a load takes 90 minutes, and drying takes multiple hours. The entire system seems to work differently than in Canada. Somehow the water is suctioned out of wet clothes (don't ask me how - it is just different) and clothes never get fully dry in the dryer.
Luckily my bathroom, where I hang my clothes to dry, is really warm, thanks to the heated floors and the heated towel rack. I've always hung most of my clothes to dry, but here I end up drying my sheets and towels for close to two hours in the dryer, and then hanging them in the bathroom (I've discovered the shower is the perfect height to dry sheets) to get the dampness out.
I do miss my high powered North American washer and dryer. The wash cycle took 20 minutes and sheets and towels fully dried in less than an hour. What did I do with all that extra time?
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Karlskirche
Author's note: I'm just back from my long weekend in Budapest, but I never got a chance to blog about my weekend in Vienna in October with my old friend MJ, so the next few posts may jump around a bit.
In the past 18 months, I have visited more churches then I can count. Although I'm closer to agnostic than believing in any particular faith, and I rarely enter a church for a religious service, I can never pass a church or synagogue without wondering what it looks like inside. I'm fascinated by the effort and devotion that the building of these churches must have required and by the beliefs that sustain them.
While wandering around Vienna with MJ a few weeks ago, we stumbled across the Karlskirche. Although it's monumental and one of the top landmarks of Vienna, it hadn't really been on our radar (Vienna is all about the art of Gustav Klimt for me), and it was a surprise to see it looming over the landscape.
Naturally, I had to go in. Normally, I am not crazy about the monumental, grandiose churches, instead preferring the smaller and more intimate buildings, but everything about the interior of Karlskirche won me over. Somehow the architect was able inject enough natural light into the building to create a warm glow in the space. The rosy pink and gold interior is welcoming and although the the church is huge, the decor is light enough to make it feel airy instead of cavernous.
Karlskirche is still undergoing restoration of its beautiful ceiling, which allowed us to take an elevator up to the dome.
The elevator let us out onto a temporary scaffolding structure at the widest part of the dome. Just being at that level was enough to make me gasp with pleasure at the close up views of the paintings meant to be seen from the floor of the cathedral several stories below.
The visit got even better when I realized I could climb another temporary staircase to the top of the dome. I had butterflies in my stomach as I started the ascent, when every step brought me closer and closer to the ceiling and the paintings.
I was still giddy with the proximity of the art as I descended the stairs, and going down my senses were working on overdrive as I felt like I was walking straight into the air - not an experience for those afraid of heights!
In the past 18 months, I have visited more churches then I can count. Although I'm closer to agnostic than believing in any particular faith, and I rarely enter a church for a religious service, I can never pass a church or synagogue without wondering what it looks like inside. I'm fascinated by the effort and devotion that the building of these churches must have required and by the beliefs that sustain them.
While wandering around Vienna with MJ a few weeks ago, we stumbled across the Karlskirche. Although it's monumental and one of the top landmarks of Vienna, it hadn't really been on our radar (Vienna is all about the art of Gustav Klimt for me), and it was a surprise to see it looming over the landscape.
Naturally, I had to go in. Normally, I am not crazy about the monumental, grandiose churches, instead preferring the smaller and more intimate buildings, but everything about the interior of Karlskirche won me over. Somehow the architect was able inject enough natural light into the building to create a warm glow in the space. The rosy pink and gold interior is welcoming and although the the church is huge, the decor is light enough to make it feel airy instead of cavernous.
Karlskirche is still undergoing restoration of its beautiful ceiling, which allowed us to take an elevator up to the dome.
The elevator let us out onto a temporary scaffolding structure at the widest part of the dome. Just being at that level was enough to make me gasp with pleasure at the close up views of the paintings meant to be seen from the floor of the cathedral several stories below.
The visit got even better when I realized I could climb another temporary staircase to the top of the dome. I had butterflies in my stomach as I started the ascent, when every step brought me closer and closer to the ceiling and the paintings.
I was still giddy with the proximity of the art as I descended the stairs, and going down my senses were working on overdrive as I felt like I was walking straight into the air - not an experience for those afraid of heights!
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Budapest Redux
I'm currently in Budapest for a long weekend with some fellow expats from Krakow.
Budapest is just as lovely in the fall as it was this summer, although blissfully much cooler. Since this time I am staying on the Pest side directly across from the castle, I decided to splurge on my room (worldwide economic crisis be damned!) and upgraded it for one with a Danube view. I think it was well worth the extra bucks to gaze out onto the Chain Bridge and castle hill,which are both wonderfully lit at night. It's one of the lovieliest city views I've ever seen.
We spent most of today on the castle hill. The castle, which is so breathtaking from the outside, was renovated by the communists in their preferred social realist style, which means the interior doesn't live up to the beautiful exterior. Luckily, the castle contains the national art gallery, so at least its plain walls are covered with art.
It's raining right now, and my companions are settling in for the night, but I needed to walk off my dinner, so I just snuck over to the Four Seasons hotel for a quick peak. The hotel was built as a corporate and retail building in the first decade of the 20th century and is an Art Deco (or is it Art Noveau? I always confuse the two) masterpiece. I'm definitely planning to go back for a meal, or at least a drink, and while I was admiring the architecture I also picked up a brochure about their spa . . .
Tomorrow I hope to get inside the parliament buildings, which were closed the last time I was here, then wander around the Pest side of the city and maybe take in a concert at the State Opera house, or see some Tango at the National Dance Theatre.
Monday, we hope to visit one of Bupapest's famous baths (last time I stayed at one of the most famous in Budapest, the Gellert,) and maybe, just maybe, do a little shopping.
Budapest is just as lovely in the fall as it was this summer, although blissfully much cooler. Since this time I am staying on the Pest side directly across from the castle, I decided to splurge on my room (worldwide economic crisis be damned!) and upgraded it for one with a Danube view. I think it was well worth the extra bucks to gaze out onto the Chain Bridge and castle hill,which are both wonderfully lit at night. It's one of the lovieliest city views I've ever seen.
We spent most of today on the castle hill. The castle, which is so breathtaking from the outside, was renovated by the communists in their preferred social realist style, which means the interior doesn't live up to the beautiful exterior. Luckily, the castle contains the national art gallery, so at least its plain walls are covered with art.
It's raining right now, and my companions are settling in for the night, but I needed to walk off my dinner, so I just snuck over to the Four Seasons hotel for a quick peak. The hotel was built as a corporate and retail building in the first decade of the 20th century and is an Art Deco (or is it Art Noveau? I always confuse the two) masterpiece. I'm definitely planning to go back for a meal, or at least a drink, and while I was admiring the architecture I also picked up a brochure about their spa . . .
Tomorrow I hope to get inside the parliament buildings, which were closed the last time I was here, then wander around the Pest side of the city and maybe take in a concert at the State Opera house, or see some Tango at the National Dance Theatre.
Monday, we hope to visit one of Bupapest's famous baths (last time I stayed at one of the most famous in Budapest, the Gellert,) and maybe, just maybe, do a little shopping.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
