And 2007 is here!

I'm not quite sure how four months passed without an update, but they did. Suffice it to say that I was in Europe for four weeks in August, I came back for a funeral, and I also began spending more time on a certain extra-curricular endeavor. Nevertheless, now, after 2006 has passed and 2007 brings new challenges and opportunities, I'll sit to summarise the time since my last entry.

Sixth annual west coast nephews reunion
Shortly after returning from Europe and bidding farewell to TLC, I went to visit my UT and AC in San Mateo, CA for the sixth consecutive year. My cousin, Chris, and two brotherly friends, Devlin and Mark, were in attendance this year. We enjoyed some good wine, great food and plenty of high-quality and well-intentioned banter of the sort that comes with years of familiarity and love between people.

It's funny how a place ~3,000 kilometres away has become such a home for me. Even our adopted (step) family out west have become great friends and I always savour the moments spent with each of them. Whether up in Duncans Mills or in San Carlos or in good old San Mateo, it is good to re-acquaint and build the bonds that tie us in the family tree and vine.

One specific highlight of the trip this year was when my old friend and travel buddy, Colleen, stopped by UT's house on Labour Day. She brought photographs from Granada, including many of me, and even a few of Mark. We had many a laugh just remembering our first European adventures. And of course it was interesting to hear tales of her recent adventures as an assistant district attorney!

San Juan, Puerto Rico
Without much time to settle back in the Palacio, I hopped on a flight and headed to Puerto Rico. This trip was somewhat difficult because, until 21 August, I was talking with Tracy and Mark about having them come to visit me in San Juan. As I enjoyed the September sun and Puerto Rico's sticky humidity, I frequently thought of how much fun it could have been... and how much she would have enjoyed the time.

But, on the other hand, I felt it my obligation to enjoy as much as possible for the sake of TLC. I stayed in Old San Juan this time, and was able to walk down Fortaleza for dinner most nights. On Friday night I ventured to La Plazita #11, where several streets surrounding a market were blocked for pedestrian use only. I ate some of the dirtiest fried food I've ever had in my life, drank some Puerto Rican beer and watched the Boricuas dancing in the streets. I also wrote the following during that moment:

15-Septiembre-2006
La Plazita - Por cuatro lados, la Plaza de Mercado esta enrodeado por gente. Gente afuera bebiendo sus cervezitas o bebidas comprado de una de las promodoras de Budweiser, Coors, Bacardi, u otras. A las 8:00 por la noche, la gente come cosas fritas que no pertenecen en el sistema de seres humanos. Music, proviene de todos lados y hay un ritmo en el aire. ahora no, pero seguramenta van a bailar aqui en las calles. Y Yo, Yo como, bebo y bailare con ellos. Pero ahora, a las 8:05, me siento. Callado, pensativo, y observando lo que puedo ver y escuchar. Estan llenando las calles. El ruido crece. Todavia ho hablo. Espero otro momento. Todo estara bien. En ese moment, todo sera perfecto, sere otro persona, vivire mas que pienso, bailare mas que observo, pero a las 8:15 de la noche, estoy aqui. Callado, esperando, observando. Contento, pero en otro momento, todo mejorara.

Nothing too special, but I was inspired by the energy of the people and little disappointed in not having the gumption to try to meet locals. Anyway, I ended the night by walking through Old San Juan and stopping at a few watering holes that had live music. One place had a guy who was playing Silvio Rodriguez cover songs (nice!) and the other had a band playing sones. Very nice!

On Saturday, I went to my favourite breakfast spot in San Juan, El Bombonera, where I had some good cafe con leche and some Malaguenas. Saturday was fairly laid-back, but Sunday I ended up meeting a couple of new friends at the Condado beach. We spent the day at the beach, just tanning and occasionally swimming. I could get used to that!

Cousin's wedding and Raleigh visit
The weekend after Puerto Rico I went to my cousin Amy's wedding. I also visited my friend's Deen and his wife Wendi that weekend. My cousin's wedding was on the beach and the groom and groomsmen wore guayabera shirts. For some reason I never realised this fact until I got back from Puerto Rico!!! So, upon my return I went in search of a good guayabera shirt. Shockingly, it was a lot harder to find in Chicago in September than it would have been in San Juan! I did end up finding a nice short-sleeved shirt, but I will have to be sure to purchase a suitable guayabera shirt the next time I go to San Juan!

The beachside wedding was beautiful, and I enjoyed visiting family during the wedding; however, as a wannabe latino, I was left wanting when the ceremony concluded at 10:00 PM without much chance to dance. Thankfully, a fellow latino has married into the family, and so my cousin-in-law, Immer, and I went out for a few more drinks. We stopped at the House of Blues and continued onto Gracie's(?), which was down the street from the hotel.

I only danced briefly, but memorably! Three young ladies unexplicably approached me, surrounded me and danced around me for about a minute. Admittedly, I was flabbergasted and unsure what to do, perhaps my lack of gut-reaction ruined my chances with the ladies? I'm not sure, but I am certain that Immer and I enjoyed several laughs about the mysterious occurence!

I should not forget to mention that the night before the wedding I visited Wendi and Deen in Raliegh. We stopped at Duke's campus, UNC's campus, where I saw the place where Deen proposed to Wendi. I must admit that UNC's campus was a lot nicer and reminded me quite a bit of good old U of I. That Friday night, Deen went out for a few beers and caught up on old times. It was generally a great visit.

Two weeks after the wedding, the weekend of 13-15 October, I was able to host UT in the Palacio. Additionally, Uncle Scott came in from Florida, so we had several family get-togethers. On Friday, Chris, Abby, Dan, Margie, Devlin and I took US and UT to Tutto Italiano. Afterward, we went to the Butcher's Dog for a few brews. I was very impressed with the uncles ability to keep up!

On Saturday, no less than eleven family members came to the city to celebrate Breakfast and Brunch Club ("BBC") at Wishbone in the west loop! A highlight for me was finding out that I was sitting where Alicia Keys was sitting just a few days later. After BBC, the family headed north to a potential residence in Lakeview, and then to Chico Blanco's new apartment in Andersonville. We ended up coming to the Palacio for drinks, guacamole, snacks and Lou Malnati's pizza.

It was great to have so much of my Dad's side of the family together. My second cousins Jim and Marci even ended up coming, although they missed the early crowd by about 10 minutes! After such a long day of visiting, entertaining, eating and drinking, UT, Devlin and I ended the night by watching some of "Da Ali G Show"... and the next morning, after BBC, I headed north on the Blue Line, while UT and Chico Blanco headed south in Billie to visit the family in the 'burbs...

Buenos Aires
My friend Eva was in need of a vacation and it seemed logical to escape late October cold in exchange for the spring of Buenos Aires. For me, it also meant that I was unable to rest, working during the day, and dining/drinking every night! But I can think of no better way to do Buenos Aires. And, thanks to Eva's knack for finding the coolest spots, my co-workers, Eva and I had a very successful bar crawl through Palermo on Friday night... and on Saturday we went shopping in the day time, and out to dinner and drinks with our friend Erica during the night. On Sunday, we went to Boca, and relaxed a lot.

During the whole trip, I was very concerned that Kevin's new progeny would be born before I got back. So far, I've been outside the country for every niece or nephew's birth, and I think it's a good streak to keep. So, I was grateful when I received a text message on 27 October 2006 announcing the arrival of my niece, Cannon Ellerie!

Another unusual occurence during my B.A. trip was the moment when I was gtalking with Brian, who was in Bogota, and my Dad, who was at home, at the same time. The former was cool because it was the first time Brian and I were in South America simultaneously, the latter nearly knocked my socks off because my Dad, who doesn't know an email address from a disc drive, was actually using gtalk! Of course, reality struck when, after the dialog screen disappeared while gtalking with Brian, he became concerned that Brian might be stuck in the keyboard!

Three weeks after returning from Buenos Aires, and after getting to hold Cannon for the first time and catch up on life, I went one another trip of a lifetime...

(Germany), Austria, Slovenia & Slovakia
While I was originally thinking of going to a sunnier spot during week of Thanksgiving, I ended up finding a much more reasonably priced flight to Munchen, Germany. As would be the case, Mark was easily convinced to join me, and, since Bratislava is not too far from Munchen, Allan was excited to host us during this trip! And so we went to Europe.

I left alone on Sunday, 19 November for Munich. After laying over for eight hours in Brussels and finding enough time to fit a Belgian waffle, Belgian chocolate and some Belgian beer in my stomach, I arrived in Munich at around 7:00 PM. I departed immediately for Salzburg, Austria.

One of the reasons I wanted to go on this trip was to research my family roots. My maternal granfather's father came from a town called "New Church, Austria," and based on that I wanted to see if I could trace my Mom's maiden, Crepinsek, name further back.

After finding a suitable hostel for my first night in Salzburg, I walked around the town to stretch my legs and eat a Frankfurter, but I didn't stay out too late, because I aimed to catch a 7:00 AM train to Neuekirche bai Lambach!

Somehow, I made the train and found the town. I was the only person on my car when I got off the train, and the only person who got off at the Neuekirche bai Lambach stop. I looked in every direction and did not see evidence of civilisation beyond farms and a heating room for anyone waiting for a train (duly noted). I chose a direction and walked before I saw a sign that let me know that Neuekirche bai Lambach was back in the other direction, and so I did an about-face with more confidence of my direction.

After a few kilometres of walking, I came upon something like a sub-division, except that one of the houses had horses in its acre-plus yard, and there weren't side walks, and no commerce to speak of ... alas, but there was a church!

As has been my custom in other ancestral towns, I walked the cemetary in search of any relevant surnames. And, as in other ancestral hometowns, my search was in vain. My best guess is that one needed money to bury oneself at the church, and most of my ancestors did not fit that description. In any case, I enjoyed the 15 minutes it took to comb the cemetary, and I walked toward what appeared to be the main street. I must say that, besides one restaurant/pub that was not open (at 9:00 - 10:00 AM), and a post office and fire department, there wasn't much going on! But, on my return walk, I noticed a building next to the church that had someone in it. And, having nothing else to do, I went in!

Three kind ladies greeted me with smiles and German phrases. I responded with one of the few German phrases I know, "Sprechen sie Deutsch?".

"Nein," was the unfortunate response! But my query was simple and I proceeded to butcher the German language in such a way as to make the ladies understand that I wanted to know if there were any birth, baptism or other records of my great-grandfather, or others with his last name. I explained to them (again with butchered German) that he was a Slovene who, on his U.S. citizenship papers, indicated that he was from Austria, which would have been the Austro-Hungarian empire at the time. They graciously offered to look into the kellar for any useful evidence! And I exchanged emails and returned to Salzburg.

I considered heading to the second Neuekirche (am Grossvenediger) that same day, but, as it was a 2 to 3 hour train/train/bus ride away, I opted for an afternoon in Salzburg, reading in a trendy cafe called Carpe Diem, which served Kombucha!, and otherwise enjoying a stroll through the town.

At dinner time, I returned to the hostal and was reading when I met a South African-Canadian. He, a Korean girl and I went for a quick dinner and then returned to the hostal to share some drinks and conversation. The Korean girl found two friends from Buenos Aires and the five of us sat and talked of travels, cultures, politics and, of course, the Sound of Music! It was a lovely time, but I retired shortly after midnight in anticipation of another early morning train to Neuekirche am Grossvenediger.

I took a two hour train to a connecting train to a bus, which brought me to the beautiful resort town of Neuekirche am Grossvenediger("NaG"). As I got closer, I got further into the Alps and further away from English-speaking Austria! Of course, besides the possibility of finding my ancestral homeland, this was a lot of the fun! And so, when I got on the bus, I once again used my limited German to communicate that I would like to go to NaG, and the bus driver kindly pretended to understand!

My walk through the mountain village of NaG was just as delightful as the previous, but the scenery was much improved, as was the church. I once again did not find any relics of Crepinseks in the cemetary, nor did I find anyone at the church to talk to. But I kept walking in search of someone who might help. I ended up finding a tourism office, who referred me to a community centre on the second floor. The lady in the community centre not only offered to look into the archives of NaG, but she also offered to look into the other five Neuekirches as well as the Neuenkirche, on the chance that "New Church" might have changed its spelling to Nine Churches.

The beauty of my Austrian experience is that I went where few travelers would bother to go and met people that few travelers would meet. The disappointing part is that the lady in NaGa has already written back stating her inability to find any of my ancestors. I'm still waiting for Neuekirche bai Lambach, but now I'm beginning to think that New Church might have originally been "Nova Cerkev".

And so, on Wednesday night, after returning to Salzburg, I headed southeast toward Ljubljana, Slovenia!

Ljubljana, Slovenia
For a few reasons I really wanted to go to Ljubljana. First, my great-grandfather spoke slovenian and was a slovene, so, regardless if he was born in modern-day Slovenia or Austria, I consider him to be Slovene and therefore, I consider myself to be slovene. Second, Slovenia is part of the new wave of EU members (joining in 2004) and was going to convert to euro usage in 2007. And, third, it's a lesser-visited, small and humble European capital. My interest in Ljubljana was further piqued recently when a girl I met mentioned a prison that was converted to a hostel. Naturally, this is where Mark and I wanted to stay!

On Wednesday night, I arrived in Ljubljana, checked in at Hostal Celica (the converted prison) and went straight back out to walk the streets. I didn't stop anywhere, but I got my bearings and sufficiently exhausted myself for a good night's rest.

On Thursday morning I walked the city, visiting Tivoli Park, the History of Modern Slovene History, and walking the old town and the business district. I stopped off at a few cafes along the way to write or read. And then I returned to the hostel to recheck in and, as luck would have it, I was able to get a cell for Thursday night! (I stayed in a dorm-style room in the new section of the hostel the previous night).

I entered my cell and met my cellmate, a French photographer working in Brussels, and trying to make contacts for his eventual return to cover Slovenia's impending EU presidency. He and I had a great conversation about our respective governments and societies, and about traveling, working and many other things.

Eventually, the time came to eat dinner, and we left together to grab something quick in town. After dinner, we met for a beer in the hostal's bar. A group of slovenes he knew came to sit with us. They offered me a kind of bread that had swirls of a rainin/pecan/walnut mash. I immediately recognised it as 'potica', the same bread my grandmother makes every Easter! They were surprised/impressed that Slovene culture might be known in Chicago! They also let me in on a slovene belief that a woman who makes good potica will make a good wife. Way to go Grandpa! (and, of course, Grandma!)

After eating potica (which wasn't as good as Grandma's, for the record) and finishing my beer, the Slovenes invited me to go salsa dancing. And so, for Thanksgiving 2006, I went salsa dancing! I must say that slovenes impressed me with their ability to dance, and with their knowledge of English-language culture, including familiarity with "Da Ali G Show"!!

I ended up staying out kind of late and going to bed thinking that Mark would text me when he arrives. Unfortunately, Mark did not have his mobile phone. And, needless to say, I had little reason to doubt that he woul darrive at 6:30 as his train was scheduled to do. But, in an altered state, I chose sleep over heading to the train station without hearing from him (sorry Mark!). Eventually, at 9:00 AM, the hostal receptionist woke me up and let Mark in. And, after showering and leaving our bags, we hit the town.

We toured the entire town and scoped out places for the most important event of Friday in Ljubljana... PSN! As has always been the case, PSN Ljubljana was a success!

Onward to Bratislava
On Saturday morning, in a very tired state, we got on an early train to Bratislava. Instead of confirming our connections, we slept... and slept and woke up a few minutes after we were supposed to have gotten off the train for a different connection! And so, we spent more time than we would have liked in Maribor, Slovenia, but at least we were able to find roasted chestnuts and sing about it to several passersby.

Eventually, we made it to Allan's home away from home, Bratislava, and Saturday became PSN Bratislava - aborted. For reasons I cannot discuss, PSN Bratislava was aborted and we plan to re-do it soon.

On Sunday, we woke up early, had a european breakfast, walked around the town all day, learning about Bratislava from Allan and catching up on many things. We spent a good amount of time at the Christmaskindlmart, and eventually visited with some of Allan's friends on Sunday night. On Monday, we similarly walked the town. We ended the day in Bratislava by eating a goose dinner at the Slovak Pub. And what a dinner it was! We had to order it 24 hours in advance, I guess they had to kill the goose in the meantime!

Monday night we commenced our journey homeward, Bratislava/Wien/Munchen/London/Chicago for me, and to NYC for Mark. I got home late Tuesday night and had to pack for a trip to Memphis the next day...

Memphis
The good thing about flying 24 hours after getting back from Europe and after 20+ hours of trains, planes and metros is that I was so exhausted that I forgot about jet-lag! So, after work on 29 November, I flew to Memphis for a two day work trip. I must say that I liked Memphis. Beale street was barren on Thursday night (due to inclement weather), but I still enjoyed some music. And I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the people in the office.

But I was glad to return to Chicago on Friday night.

December
The first weekend of December included a night out at Caliente for Mark's birthday dinner, followed by a visit to Tropico Club. Tropico is a place that was identified by Tracy as a diamond in the rough, with a great location, great space, but horrible management. Since then, Mark and I have dreamed of what we would do to improve it if we were so lucky as to buy it. That has inspired several visits to one of the dirtiest bars in town.

December 2006 was a good month for catching up with friends. As I was in town for the entire month, I celebrated many BBCs and have enjoyed night-time activities around the city. And, as has been my adult tradition, I spent Christmas eve at my parents' house, and woke up on Christmas day to the greasy, but ohh so tasty elephant ears. I shudder when I think of how many ounces of Crisco are still flowing through my blood due to that one morning! But, I'm sure that I'll do it again next 25 December!

New Year's Eve
This year, Allan was in town for new year's eve. He came to the Palacio that night, and we went together to a party hosted by an ex-Andersen friend, Kari and her boyfriend, Jeff. We brought some Illinois gin with us and some cookies baked by Allan, and had a genuinely great time. I don't much care for New Year's Eve, but I always enjoy a night with friends, especially when the party was just eight blocks north!

End of year / beginning of year reflections
December was a good month to catch up and to remember the blessings of 2006. Two trips of a lifetime, the Polish road trip and the Slovenia/Slovakia trip took place, not to mention that I was able to chase my ancestry. I continued to enjoy my job, even if I am starting to feel less and less challenged by the work. My brothers and sisters-in-law brought two new sobrinos for me to love! And a few other goals were accomplished. It was a good year.

In 2007, I have a few travel ideas, namely, a return to Poland for a wedding in August, to be combined with a trip to visit extended family near Krakow. In preparation for that, I plan to learn Polish; I've heard that my Polish cousins do not speak any "American". I'd also like to travel to a sunnier spot. And perhaps this will be a year to make significant career changes. We will see what God brings my way. I am sure it will continue to be a good ride.

And, if I really feel inspired, maybe I'll post some photos from the year. But I'm working on a myspace website, so I think I'll share my photos there instead... look for myspace to be announced soon!

Tallinn, Estonia & TLC

On Sunday afternoon in Tallinn's town square, two people born on the same day of the same year got up from their table and danced. They were inspired by a couple that were at least twice their age who had already been dancing for a few songs. They told their waitress that they were going to dance the kaerajaan.

As to the quality of their rendition of kaerajaan, the Americans decided to believe the waitress when she said it was great. And did it matter? Just to think of dancing Estonia's national dance on one of Estonia's independence days was grand.

On 20 August 1991, Estonia formally declared its independence as a nation. Fifteen years later, I visited Estonia's capital city with two co-workers and a friend. We took an early morning, 90-minute ferry from Helsinki, arriving in time for a mid-morning coffee and breakfast to energize us for a walk through the medieval streets, past the Orthodox and Lutheran churches and many Hanseatic buildings.

It took all of three hours to walk the town, we then stopped for a lunch and went to the town square to see what sort of independence day celebration might ensue. Before anyone took the stage, most of the seats in the square were taken, but we were able to get a table at one of the bars with a view of the stage. And so we sat and awaited the show as we savoured our Ale Coqs.

The show began with an adorable, seven year-old girl singing the Estonian national anthem. Maybe it was the beer, but tears came close to my eyes as I listened to her song. After this, Estonia's president, Tallinn's mayor and another military figure took their turn on the stage, with other patriotic songs interspersed among the speeches.

I did not understand a word of Estonian, but I appreciated the importance of national pride to a country has mostly been subject to larger powers throughout its history. And I thought of a comment from one of the Estonians I had met that day: In 1917, Estonia declared its independence from Russia; in 1991, Estonia declared its independence from the USSR; and in 2004, Estonia joined the European Union. In any case, let's hope that the EU is a more beneficial larger power than tsarist Russia or the Soviet Union ever was.

After the speeches and patriotic songs, the melodies took a definite festive turn. It was at this time that the aged couple were dancing something like a polka, but not identifiable to us or to the wait staff in our restaurant. This, of course, did not inhibit my desire to try to dance to the music. And so, Rita and I danced what we believed to be the kaerajaan. Does the name of the dance matter? I think not.

After the dance we learned more about Estonian and Russian culture from our servers (Maria and Trinu, or SDG), ate our dinner, and then walked back to the ferry. On the ferry to Tallinn, I spoke to an Estonian girl the whole time and I never got to the observation deck. So, Rita and I made a point of visiting the deck on the way back. There is little in this world quite so pleasing to me as being on a boat and feeling the wind in my face. Even more so when the weather is pleasant!

The long Sunday in Tallinn came one day after a very long day in Helsinki, and that after a late night, and, I think, I felt the consequences on Monday morning. I had nasal congestion that lasted until recently. It didn't help when, after dinner at Aino's on Monday, I went to Fazer's for dessert. Truffle ice cream and a cinnamon roll, to be exact. And then I learned of TLC's passing on Tuesday, and on Wednesday I decided to leave a day early, so I stayed at the office until after 7:00 to make sure that the work would get done in my absence.

Of course, our Finnish counterpart chose a night like that to invite us to dinner. No matter, we went to Porvoo for a lovely dinner overlooking a lake. Porvoo is Finland's second oldest town, almost 700 years old, and it includes many cobblestones, as previously mentioned, great views of the lake from the hilly city centre. Despite wondering whether I would have time to pack and sleep off the cold before my 5:30 AM taxi-ride to the airport, I decided to imbibe a few glasses of wine along with my escargot and lamb dinner... Later on, when reception woke me up with a call at 5:37 to let me know that my taxi was there; I sort of regreted the over-exertion.

TLC
Despite the full days in Helsinki, I managed to get to Chicago in time to join friends and visit the wake of our friend, Tracy. Here, I'm not sure what to write.

Suffice it to say that I still expect a response from her from an email I sent on Monday morning (Helsinki time). She was thinking about flying to Puerto Rico to visit me; she might have joined another friend, and the three of us would have enjoyed San Juan in style.

And let me add that every summer was more enjoyable for her part in it. And now, as summer 2006 comes to an end, more than just a terrestrial season has passed; a life has ended, a body no longer moves on this earth, a personality no longer contributes to my life.

I'll conclude with the fact that good memories and thoughts of her have swarmed in my mind in the last five days, from Burger Time to Boise, Idaho. Her spirit will be carried onward in the memories of the likes of me and her other, dearer friends. Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for her response about Puerto Rico...

Helsinki, Tallinn, Tragedy

Helsinki is described below with a series of words and phrases that will mean very little to anyone other than me and the friends who were with me. Tallinn could be described with a similar series of thoughts; I hope to do that soon.

Yesterday morning also merits many more words, but I'm not ready to write them yet. On Tuesday morning I learned of the death of a friend of mine. This is when it's hard to be 5,000 miles from home. The wake is tomorrow, funeral Friday. I'm not sure if I'll be able to fly back. I have to wait until people in Chicago wake up.

Helsinki, Finland

Finn Air, cockpit view, Fazer's Geisha, Scandic Marski, kiitos, tacksi, yksi, kaksi, kolme, neljä, hyvää...ää, "that famous monument", Finnish lesson, esplanade, Lapin Kulta, Lordi, menna, senna, hen, HIM, singular and sundry fashion sense, olut on a bench, La Bodega, butt-buss, Tex-Mex place, 8:30 AM on Saturday, market, pulla, post cards, Suomenlinna, Spanish, lighthouse on a church, UNESCO, swammakammalanalannakanna, Hanseatic, Sibelius, Cafe Kämp, "Anteeksi, saisinko laskun", long amble, Church in the Rock, Finnish microbrew, smoke beer -- it tastes as bad as it sounds, yksi, kaksi, cuusi? the monument, the bus, the tacksi, the long walk back, siesta, Boathouse, closed, "saisinko pöydän neljälle", we're in, perch, seafood starter, aurora borealis, hate, clouds, nope, "revontulet", jetty back, Fazer's closed, Teaterri, scary man, hot Finns, early night, Estonia, Robert's Coffee, head cold, Aino, Fazer's open.

"Menna? Hyvää kiitos!"

Paris for the weekend, and now back in Upplands Väsby

It was so great to travel with just a backpack last weekend. I think that the staff at Le Meridien were a little confused, but they welcomed me nonetheless. A few hours after my arrival, Ceebs arrived on schedule at 11:30 PM on Friday night and, after a quick shower, we opened a bottle of wine, quaffed a glass, and then went for a long walk to the Seine river and back. Thus began our weekend.

Paris is beautiful. The Seine, the boulevards, the Eiffel, statues throughout the city. On Saturday morning, after croissants and coffee at Le Meridien, Ceebs and I took the Metro to Sacre Cour. This beacon on a hill offers some of the best views in Paris and, as a building, it certainly pleases the eye.

After Sacre Cour, we hopped on another Metro to the Ile d' Cite, where we saw Saint Chapelle and Notre Dame. Having visited the key holy sites, we went in search of lunch. Then, after stopping for a crepe, we went for a long amble to the Louvre, down the Champs d' Elysee, around the Arc d' Triomphe, to the Bois de Boulogne, before heading to the Eiffel Tower. Did I mention that Paris is a gorgeous city!

We arrived at the Eiffel Tower in time to go up, take pictures, then come down and witness the twilight light show that happens most days just before sunset. The lights on The Tower blink alternately for an amazing spectacle. We spent a few minutes documenting the moment with video and photos.

After the Eiffel, we went back to the hotel to refresh ourselves for an 11:00 PM dinner at Montparnasse 1900. We dined right with escargot, steak and duck as entrees, then a plate of cheeses for dessert. A Burgundy Margeaux accompanied dinner, while a port came with the cheese.

And, so, a full day ended when we closed the restaurant down after 1:00 AM. Saturday was great both for the full tour of Paris and for the chance to amble in Paris with a friend who is quickly approaching a momentous change of pace in his life.

On Sunday, Ceebs left after breakfast, and I went for one last walk through the city before I hopped on the Metro. I found a lovely outdoor market between the lanes of one of Paris' boulevards. Cheese, salmon, steak, fruits, vegetables, and more were for sale. I thought about buying something, but I wouldn't really have any use for it for at least 2 weeks, and by then the stuff would have rot.

In the market I did overhear one American woman ask her husband if they should just go to the nearest Starbucks. A Frenchman interjected with what I presumed to be sarcastic agreement before I could suggest an alternative to them. And so I kept on walking.

Much of the weekend was spent walking through the rain, but that did not dampen a perfectly delightful time. The companionship of a good friend and the cheerfulness of random Parisians left me smiling as I took the Metro back to Charles de Gualle, and on to my hotel in Sweden.

Arlanda...and peace

Here I sit in Arlanda International Airport, awaiting my flight to Charles DeGaulle. Thank goodness that in one small part of the world a man can fly from one country to another without unending security lines and with liquid, electronic devices and carry-on luggage! Call me a sceptic, call me naive, call me a pig-headed libertarian, but I oppose the overreaction of the United States and the United Kingdom to the recent terrorist threat. Colleagues of mine will be flying across the pond without their iPods, laptops and, well, just about anything else at their side tomorrow. I look forward to hearing their stories, but I wish they weren't subject to such knee-jerk control measures

It's been a quiet week in Sweden, my ancestral homeland. Each night the sun sets, and the forests beckon me. A few nights ago the full moon even called my name. I've enjoyed seeing a mother nursing her child in the office, a father, who happens to be the financial manager of the Swedish subsidiary, leave before 5:00 PM each day to pick up his twins because his wife is out of town on business.

The fact that I would have to pay a nominal fee for a plastic bag at the Ica grocery store wasn't necessary to convince me not to use a bag to carry my few items a few blocks; but I liked that Ica charged others for such extras. Recycling bins are abundant in the office and in my hotel. And I have to put my keycard into a slot in my hotel to turn the electricity on in the room.

Today I spoke with a Swedish contemporary and colleague who has been studying for 8+ years. College is free here, in fact she receives a stipend of approximately SEK 2,000 (USD 300) as long as she studies full time. Meanwhile, it seems that most cabbies and housekeepers I meet are Swedish nationals. That is not to say that there are no immigrants, just that it seems that Swedes can live off the wages of many honest occupations.

I like Sweden. I've often said that it's my favourite non-Hispanic country (for the record, I count the US as a Hispanic country). The blonde hair and golden tans are attractive. The soft-spoken confidence and efficiency is endearing. The regard for the environment and others is inspiring. And so, even in a quiet week in the outskirts of Sweden, a pleasant week has passed.

Now, look out Paris, for I shall roam your streets within hours!

Uvulitis in Małopolska

A perfect ending to a perfect adventure: uvulitis. For the second time in my life, I woke up after a horseradish-laden dinner and a long night of drinking to find my uvula swollen to the point of making it difficult for me to talk without feeling a strong gag reflex. Thankfully, over the course of Sunday, my uvula deflated to a normal size and I can now swallow and speak without discomfort.

I must say that my six day adventure in Małopolska left me wishing that I could take more time to get to know the area. And to see this area with good friends and adopted family greatly enhanced the pleasure.

First, I should summarize the "where?"s and "what?"s. On Saturday afternoon, Mark and I arrived in Dublin, where we walked around the city, saw Trinity College, went to the St. James Gate Brewery and celebrated a Pink Shirt Night. We slept altogether too much on Sunday morning (9 hours) and woke up in time for Mark to go through the Guinness Brewery tour and for me to write post cards and meander. We met up with an Irish friend of mine, Liam, that evening and, after Liam went home to Wicklow (a suburb), Mark and I closed down the bars again. This left us a short time to sleep before catching an early morning flight to Krakow on Monday morning.

Mark’s Vuyek Jusef and cousins Sabina and Andzrej greeted us as we left the customs area in Krakow’s airport. We looked around for Ceebs and texted Allan to see how far from the airport he was. Allan texted back that Ceebs had missed his flight and that he was stuck in traffic, but an hour away. Of course, we thought he was kidding; who misses an international flight? But, as it turned out, Ceebs would not be coming until the next day, so we decided to leave in Vukek Jusef’s auto and have Allan meet us in the town where his family lives.

It soon became apparent that Allan was frustrated in traffic and would prefer not to navigate his way to a small town, so we pulled over in Libertow to wait for Allan at a gas station. Allan looked exasperated when we saw him in Libertow. The drive from Bratislava took eight hours instead of the four hours suggested by mapping programs. We soon learned that traffic in parts of Małopolska were interminably bothersome!

It took four hours to drive 120 kilometres to Vuyek Jusef’s house. Allan, Andzrej and I took a few short cuts that ended up getting us there at the same time that Vujek Jusef arrived. The traffic was unbearable, but when we arrived at the Basara family home, the warm hospitality and great food and company soon caused us to forget the long hours in traffic. Chocha Ilena cooked us some soup, cotlata (pork cutlets) and potatoes, and after dinner we sat around their patio talking and drinking until well after midnight!

We met Mark’s three uncles (Jusef, Michaul, Bobek), aunt (Ilena), and three cousins (Sabina, Richard, Andzrej). Most of the conversations were in Polish and I participated with translation assistance from Mark or his cousins. Allan and I immediately felt like one of the family, and I would count that night’s fellowship as one of the highlights of the trip.

The next morning we awoke rather late, ate a Polish breakfast, and Allan, Andzrej and I went back toward Krakow to pick up Ceebs. We stopped in Bochnia on the way to research my great-grandmother’s family. We stopped at the first church we saw in town where we knocked on the parsonage door. While we were loitering, a nun asked us if we needed help and Andzrej asked her if anyone was available to review baptism, birth or confirmation records of my ancestor from the years1890 – 1910. Soon thereafter, a charming Polish priest invited us into his office and asked about my story and kindly told us that we should go to the oldest parish in Bochnia, where they are more likely to have old records. He began giving us directions to the church, but then he decided he would simply drive us there and introduce us to the other parish priest.

The parish priest from the older Bochnia church was equally helpful and nice, although he did have a very gruff demeanor. At one point, he even told Andzrej that if my mother spoke Polish, why don’t I speak Polish? Obviously, some things were lost in translation, but I didn’t bother to correct him. And, at the end of the day, I will need to look further back into documents from Kansas for the correct spelling of my great-grandmother’s name and the parish in which she was baptized before I can further research my roots in Poland. I plan to do this and to fax new questions to the Bochnia church soon!

After our visit in Bochnia, we picked up Ceebs in the airport and then we decided to stop by Bochnia on the way back to the Basara household. I took a picture of the town square, the main church, and I bought a book on the history of Bochnia. Ceebs, Allan, Andzrej and I then had a Tyskie in the town square before we headed back to the Basara’s house.

During the first night’s conversation, Vuyek Jusef promised to have pierogi ruskis for us if we came to stay with them for a second night. We did not need such enticement, but we thoroughly enjoyed some authentic pierogis on Tuesday night with the family. After pierogis, we went to Andzrej’s girlfriend’s (Ania) house for a kielbasa barbecue. Ania’s family lives across the street, so it was a very short walk. Once again, we enjoyed conversations with Mark’s and Ania’s family.

On Wednesday morning, we had pierogis for breakfast and left at around 11:00 AM for Dembica, where Sabina works. I said my goodbyes to the uncles and aunt in the morning, and we said goodbye to the cousins after eating ice cream together in Dembica. Sabina will be getting married next August, so Allan, Ceebs and I have been invited. I have every intention of coming back next August for the wedding and other adventures!

Our road trip officially began as the four of us got into the car and headed toward Bielice. We got there just in time to get to visit the salt mines. Allan chose not to visit the salt mines (it would have been his second time) and instead he found a place for us to stay. We stayed at a couple’s house up the street from the main square for 100 zloty (US$ 30). Not a bad deal!

The next morning we got off to an early start and drove to Czestochowa. Along the way, we stopped for some photo-ops at rock formations and castles. We also wandered for a while in the only desert in Central Europe. That’s right, desert. Apparently, this desert is becoming overcome by vegetation, however, so at least in one part of the world the de-desertification is in place.

In Czestochowa, we saw the Black Madonna and the church grounds around it. Unfortunately, the only sight to see in Czestochowa is the church grounds, so we left town immediately after we ate dinner. So, on Thursday night we headed to Krakow in search of a hostel.

We shopped at a few hostels before finding the perfect one: Orange Hostel. It truly doesn’t get better for four Illini alums. And, as it cost 40 zloty/person, we were consistent with our low-budget theme.

After checking in, Allan, Mark and I went out on the town. We went into one of Krakow’s cellar bars and grabbed a drink. What was originally going to be a one drink night, turned into a bar crawl. At the second bar, Allan secured some clove cigarettes. To make a long story short, Mark went home earlier than Allan and I. Allan and I closed down the last pub and ate kebabs and had a random conversation with two guys from Ulster to kill time before we had to leave for Auschwitz. A few hours earlier we had made the decision that returning to the hostel for sleep would risk us not waking up timely for our big day.

By 7:30 AM, the four of us were on our way to Auschwitz. We arrived well before the first English-language guided tour at 10:00 AM. We took that tour and tried to absorb the gravity of what happened under a fascist state not too long ago.

The experience spurred many discussions among us, including whether we should be worried about our own government and its tendency toward consolidation of power and disregard for the rights of individuals. Specifically, the so-called “War on Terror” could be used by those in power to justify the taking away of citizen’s right in the name of ‘protecting’ those citizens.

At the end of the tour, our guide said that the most important thing we can do is to remember what happened here. I think an even more important activity would be for each citizen to be ever-vigilant of his government and to oppose such things as imprisonment without charge, regardless of the category of person for which these rights are stripped. Okay, that’s all the politicking I’ll do!

After Auschwitz, we went to Wadowice, where Karol Wojtla was born and raised. We saw the church and the apartment wherein he spent much of his early years. The town itself had a very nice town center and ambience.

As Ceebs was much more interested in this town than Allan, Mark and I were, we left him there and went on to Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains. We stayed in a cabin in Zakopane. Although it had rained most of the day, we found enough kindling and wood to start a decent fire and roast our kielbasa for kielbasa sandwiches. We enjoyed the fire for a while and then went into downtown Zakopane for a beer. At midnight, we headed back, being very exhausted.

I slept well that night in the cabin and woke up fairly early. The three of us were packed and we hit the trails a little after 8:00. The scenery and fresh air of the mountains were amazing! But, we had decided to go for a quick hike, so we returned to the campsite before noon, and were on our way to Slovakia for the Slovak national dish by 12:00 PM.

We stopped in Zaidr, and went to one of its three restaurants to try the national dish. The dish consists of a gnocchi-like substance in a lamb cheese sauce with bits of bacon. It was very hearty and tasty. Before dinner we had stopped at the local pastry shop (more like someone’s home), so we ate those on the car ride out of Slovakia.

After lunch, we drove directly to Krakow, and we checked into the Sheraton by 5:00 PM. We had invited about 12 people to PSN Krakow during the long Thursday night out. We told them to wear a pink shirt and meet us at the bell tower at 6:00 PM. Allan and I rushed to the bell tower on the odd chance that new friends would come to meet us. Unless they came at 6:00 and left before 6:22, we had no random participants, but we did run into two of the invitees, albeit without their pink shirts on! The only thing I will say about Pink Shirt Night Krakow is that it started out at a lovely Polish restaurant where I ate a little too much horseradish sauce, and, as always, it was a great success.

That takes me to Sunday, the day that Ceebs left for Interlachen, Mark returned to New York City, and Allan drove back to Slovakia. I flew to Sweden, where I’ll be working. The trip was everything a guy could want out of a road trip with friends through a beautiful countryside and in a great country. My head is full of fond memories from so much time shared with great people, both old friends and newly adopted family.

And now it’s back to work so that I can have a similar experience soon! I’ve said it before; I’ll say it again: Life is good.

Buda & Pest

So, I find myself quite tired from a whirlwind of a weekend in Budapest. I had about 40 hours between my arrival to the Le Meridien hotel on Friday evening at 9:30 and my departure from said hotel on Sunday afternoon; to be brief, I spent all but a few of those hours awake!

Both Buda and Pest are charming places to explore. In Buda, the castle, with its subterranean labyrinth was one of the highlights, as were the baths at the Gellert Hotel. On the other side of the Danube, Pest provided most of my meals and my Saturday evening stroll, as well as a couple of tasty morning breakfasts of coffee and pastries! Of course, the Elisabeth and Chain Bridges across the Danube provided some of my favourite views of both the Castle on the Buda side and the Parliament on the Pest side.

I should say that Budapest was surprisingly full of tourists and more expensive than I would think. At first glance and compared to what I had previously heard about the city, it seems that Hungary's capital city is making strong advances in its efforts to catch up to the rest of Europe in wages and wealth. I should also say that Hungarian is a bloody difficult language!

The Hungarian word for "thank you" is cursurnurm. Somewhat to my surprise, all Saturday long, every time I attempted that word on servers or others, I received no acknowledgement. Of course, I have to admit that I would hate to think of just how severely I butchered the language. Nevertheless, just this afternoon I finally heard a Hungarian say what I presume meant "you're welcome" after I said cursurnurm.

In other language fun, my guidebook spoke of a dish called "fatanyeros." Coincidentally, if you pronounce that dish in English with just one syllable modified, you would say a phrase that describes what might result from eating a predominantly Hungarian diet. In any case, today for lunch I asked if they had any "fatten your oss". Unfortunately, they didn't, but, thanks to my sometimes juvenile spirit, I now will likely never forget the name of that Hungarian delicacy, even if I already forgot what mix of meats, sausages and potatoes it comprised.