Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Catch Up

Our travels did not often take us to Internet so when we had it I was all business. So I got very behind. But to briefly catch up:

Kevin and I continued down the west coast of Italy and stopped in San Marino, my haunt when a college student the summer I backpacked alone through Europe. I stayed there for 5 weeks painting and its an amazing site- the top of a mountain. Unfortunately once we took the bus up there we had rain and I was beat so it was a lovely dinner but not much touring.  The next morning we headed back down the mountain and took trains south to Bari, a bus to a ferry, an overnight ferry to Greece, a bus and two trains to FINALLY make it to Nafplio, Greece, our destination for a few weeks. Whew. The worse was not ponying up for a state room and trying to sleep in the airline chairs with the TV blasting all night. I felt quite tortured.

Nafplio was warm, lovely and fairly quiet as we were so off season. We stayed in a house in a village outside it and that was beautiful with everything we could want.. My son Z. joined us immediately as he was in Athens.  Dan and Stewart, Carly and Scott came a few days later.  We had a fabulous time together, made a Greek Thanksgiving feast with a gorgeous table (thanks to Stew) , fresh salads, beets, fish grilled, chicken kabobs, chocolate cake to die for, best baklava in the world- I could go on and on...these young folks can cook!  It was magical.  Much wine flowed! And the sun and warth were very healing.

But eating was still tenuous and I decided the emergency room  was worth trying again. I still had no word to go home from my brothers, but my heath was an increasing issue. That attempt failed so I made an appointment with an internist in Athens.  He found my upper and lower abdomen was indeed filled with liquid from an unknown source. Also something where I complained of pain he did not recognize so advised going back to the states for more tests.

So there it was- confirmation I was not crazy and just imagining I looked like a fishbowl and the call to home was to first address health, then mom.  It was at this time my brothers finally confirmed Mom was dying. God. They were hesitant tot tell her I was sick so now I will fly in tomorrow to get help and hope I see her in time, but I may not. It is sad, but I am trying to understand and accept this strange state of affairs. My colleague in the program, Brad, has come to Paris to see the program through the last week.

It may seem an inglorious end to a truly phenomenal journey. But you always work hard for the high points and I'm down with that.  I will wait the next part of these days and hope the universe keeps my spirit in one piece...will keep you "blogged" once I do finish this next step.


Thanks for reading my friends!

Ah, Venice!

Ah, Venice!
Still recovering from a slight infection, I’ll admit I was road weary and less enthusiastic than one might expect on the prospect of heading to our first night without work obligations in Venice. I say this as it may have flavored my experience- but I doubt it.
We arrived without any missteps except to have not had reservations for the last train, and buying them on the train cost more than it should have. But here we were, Venice!  My heart sang- it is an unearthly, breathtaking place, canals in the fading light of day, lights shimmering to life, a truly unforgettable island...Now my thrill as a student 40 years ago came back to me, the textures of walls and muted colors, the worn orientals and shabby but clean lace curtains up an endless winding staircase in a little pension I could afford at the time- and the view! Looking out at the water. Magic. 
So with excellent directions we took the “bus” boat toward our stop where we had reservations recommended to us in a "“charming”neighborhood part of Venice.  In a rush of romantic ecstasy I turned to Kevin and said ‘Let’s make believe it is our anniversary- and have it in Venice!’ Ok Ok, so I had a few expectations.
We walked along the canal, nice, and then turned up a narrow dark corridor- tall flat walls o either side nicely tagged,- which I had actually seen enough of already along every train track-Hoping for something more here…. The only light was the somewhat jarring  lit  sign of the hotel at the end of the street- which is a generous name for these narrow walkways covered with planks. To be fair, there are many such streets in towns in Italy but usually the buildings have a little character.

We rang the bell and were fairly promptly buzzed in. We faced storage, a stairwell with a lift attached and no indication what to do. We decided heading up was the best choice and came to a completely plain unmarked door.  Kevin indicated maybe we should head back down but I thought, well- and tried the door.  It opened into a room with a clear little window that seemed to say “reception? To me.  A reserved young man gestured for us to come in. It was full of tables- the breakfast room I guess. Where was that terrace I saw in the pictures?  Well, it is November.  The man confirmed who we were and. to room 7- I was grateful it was not  five floors up ( this could still be counted as a plus),  The door opened to what was I guessed a family room- a double bed on a frame with a white coverlet and two twin bed frames with  orange covers.  This also turned out to be a plus since it was the only color in the room.  The room was antiseptic to the point that makes hospital rooms look inviting. It had two small chipboard desks which I recognized was the quality of the  first furniture I ever bought at Office Depot, a plain plywood wardrobe, ,several old grey metal folding chairs and cold tile with no visual characteristics at all  across the floor. Usually one sees ceramic tile as a good thing, but in this case is was just very cold and beige.  That floor was begging for a throw rug. The bathroom, white, was large and clean, definitely a good thing in general circumstances.  But seriously, I had been in Econo Lodge rooms in the states with more character. This was Venice, you can’t find an old wooden kitchen chair?
Our proprietor pointed out the amenities- a phone, a bathroom, a hairdryer, a TV, and how to use the keys.  He said on my inquiry he could recommend several properties for dinner and left.  On closer examination we found a notice about having internet in the room. Great! I had forgotten to ask him where the closest internet cafĂ© was.  The room now came up one notch. Unfortunately, when we tried to get it and then went to ask how to get it ,  an old man that replaced him who had no idea about the internet.  Well, too early for dinner and way too ugly for sex.  I took a nap and Kevin played with the TV. Not an auspicious start. On waking up and looking at the TV I did see there was one image in the room- a small old black and white photo print of Venice, hung  in the corner above the 12” TV in case you wanted to have your eyes stray from the screen.
Ok, we had to make the best of this- we will go out into this charming neighborhood.  Once you got away from the hotel it really wasn’t bad= you could see the canals and walk over little bridges. We found the recommended restraint- by the old man- but I thought, let’s go on, maybe we can find candles. WE didn’t. We would have had to walk much further into Venice I guess and we were hungry… so we walked back and gave it a chance. I even sat next to Kevin at the table (having refused to be seated with  20- somethings on my first night away from the program- he muttered something about my jacket- hey, I know it’s ugly but I’m trying to be romantic here! It was the only thing that fir in my bag! It doesn’t mean I am a student!)  Anyway, our wine came, our lovely plastic bottle of natural wine, I guess we were to share from the bottle, and a plate of the gummiest asparagus lasagna I ever tasted, after it cooled down from the microwave. So, who had an appetite anyway? Oh right- we are in Italy!  I was beginning to forget.
When we returned  we looked through old literature to find something about Venice since we could not look anything up on the internet.  The old man came out and I introduced myself. He solemnly shook my hand, Nice. “Room cold?:” he asked. Yes! I answered thinking he may have a solution. He shook his head sadly “Yes.” he said.
My mood darkened. This time on the way to our room I realized there were piles of bed frames and chipboard furnature even the 70’s probably rejected stored outside our room. This blew the theory the room was horrible so children wouldn’t ruin it. The ugly  room reappeared and I found myself wishing I would wake up in Hudson.  As I laid down my hands were outside the covers and they started to hurt. I was convinced it was a complete lack of aesthetic sensibility setting in and I quickly pulled them under the covers..Not quick enough I guess as my arms were covered in bites the next day.  Perhaps my heart will sing again once we venture into Venice. Ah, Venice!.

Levanto, Italy-The SAE Meeting


Our meeting with everyone in Levanto, Italy went so well. What a pleasure to see everyone together again! My stress level with feeling poorly and Mom failing at home was very high but I was determined to have a wonderful rich meeting with everyone. I managed it. The first night the group had separated into gender groups, surprisingly. I wondered into the “mens” room and they were clearly bonding and booted me out. In the hallway a huge circle of women were deeply into reconnecting.  I stood to speak to them and within minutes the women power seduced me and I was confessing all my woes!  But they took me in, comforted me and assured me it was perfectly fine to tell them how I really was- they preferred it.  So I thank those young women for their warmth. The next morning a huge palm was laid across our doorway in the hostel (former monastery) and I did feel blessed.  The students had a morning meeting with me each day and then I met with pairs for an hour all afternoon.  It was a full two days but the work we did on the outlines for their projects made it worthwhile.  Everyone participated in an installation I made of stones by adding one they brought from their travels- it was a meaningful ritual for me and I think the students as well.
Levanto finished, we were actually free to continue a journey of our own.  I wanted to try to finish this out- the semester had been so successful in the academic program. But after The theft of Kevin's briefcase and his mother’s death Oct 19, we already had some real sadness on the journey.  My mother fell in late September and had clearly taken a turn for the worse all term, though she was back in her home, finally consenting to full time help. And then why wasn’t I getting better?  I still felt in a dilemma how to proceed. Kevin wanted to see Venice so we headed there and hoped for the best.

I don't have time for pictures but did post them on Facebook!

Monday, October 25, 2010

Two Dog Nights


I remember the Three Dog Nights rock roup and it took me awhile to understand the name came from the number of dogs you needed to keep warm in the far north.  That crossed my mind during our stay in Lausanne, Switzerland since we stayed at our friends home, Roxanne and Dan O’Keefe.  Since the family was away on a cruise we stayed in the O’Keefe’s bedroom and so did the two big black dogs, Rose, an old sweetheart and Nikki, a girl with a lot of “Bravo” , more bark then bite, but she can startle you.  They both settled down every night by or under the bed, Nikki reluctantly not on the bed where she inevitable spent much of her day.  As I  listened to the dogs different breathing or gentle nocturnal growls I thought that I was possibly experiencing my coldest time in Europe, definitely a two dog night.

The time in Switzerland was sweet because we were in people’s homes. Both Brittany in Zurich and Whitney at the O’Keefe’s had a free berth for their project time here. We all agreed it was a necessity to afford the country. A dinner for three at a moderate restaurant with only entrees and no other dishes, two beers and a water was over $90.  A coke cost about $5. or $6. Depending on where you bought it. I think Whiney mentioned a McDonald meal (found everywhere I might mention) that would cost about $5. at home cost about $12. In Switzerland. So the hospitality and kindness of others made this leg of the journey particularly affordable. And then there was that little interruption of the French strikes…

We were delayed about three days trying to get to Spain to continue the visits- which unfortunately required passing through or over France for most options.  French trains were on strikes, fuel was being blocked for airlines and cars, traffic on expressways was being slowed to a walk at times by protesters and  so we booked a flight. Then the French air traffic controllers went on strike and our flight was, naturally, canceled.  So we are actually taking a boat-a ferry- from Ligorno, Italy to Barcelona, Spain. It seemed like a good idea at the time. We had spent two days walking in to get train tickets and being shot down, this seemed a sure reservation.  A plane would have been smarter. 
I am now sitting on a ferry that left 4 hours late and will take about 20 hours to get where it is going. It’s off season so the bar and casino are closed. It crossed my mind that seeing Italian slot machines might have been entertaining. Or maybe not. This is after spending the day yesterday on trains to get TO the ferry and staying overnight in Italy eating mediocre pizza while horrible radio music blasted from the kitchen. And we were charged 4 euros for the honor of using a glass, silverware and a napkin, none that fancy I might say.  I would say this ferry idea was a misstep on our European jaunt, not because it has been less than stellar, but because I was to be in Spain right now and we will really have to move it to get everywhere to everyone.. I note there are no business people on the ferry. Live and learn. 

Kevin points out we are steaming across the Mediterranean, a body of water people have been sailing on for thousands of years before us.  That is true.  Why am I not comforted????

PS. Made it to Spain! Saw Abby, stayed in a hostel with hundreds of 20 somethings, am doing great. Old dog learning new tricks.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Land of mountains and Lakes




We headed into Switzerland and saw some beautiful scenery in Austria on the way to Zurich.  Brittany is staying with a very generous and warm family, Lisa and Chris and their three beautiful sons. They took us in while in Zurich and we had a wonderful home experience just when the travel was a little wearing.  Brittany is researching Contemporary Swiss Figurative art, by creating a body of figurative drawings and interviewing artists.  We had a good visit with a few at an art exhibition in town and talked about the figurative work we found there.  In between our journeys to see art I was able to review her drawings and research while having fabulous, meals, play and conversations with this wonderful family and their friends.  The whole visit was a tremendous treat on every level.  Then on to Lausanne, about 2 hours southeast to see Whitney.






Whitney is working with CPW, a company that is joint venture between Nestle and General Mills through an introduction by Dan O’keefe who is working now for them in Switzerland.  She is working with the Health and Nutrition Team in the marketing division. I met her colleagues and supervisor of marketing and everyone is extremely pleased with her performance as she works on a variety of tasks: gathering visual art to create a free visuals resource, redesigning cereal packages for emerging markets, researching product placement in emerging markets by other companies, researching the use of vitamin C as a supplement in cereals and consumer perception of that practice, to just name a few.  I am so proud to see the level of value Whitney is adding to the company and their recognition of her contribution. I think a good relationship with the company could be forged with other strong interns, an advantage for our students with General Mills in our region. I am grateful to our friends the Okeefe’s from Hudson who gave us our lodging and are helping house Whitney during her stay- we missed visiting with them but hope to another time when they are here.

The trains strikes in France are affecting the rails and flights so we broke down and planed an Easy Jet flight from Zurich to Barcelona for tomorrow.  I admit I am not sad to miss one of those marathon overnight, multiple train odysseys, but we'll see if this is actually easier!  Hopefully it is a rare occurrence as we are trying to keep costs down.

Until next time when we are in the warm again... 

Monday, October 18, 2010

On the Tracks: Visiting the Students





I am in my new office- the train- on the way to Zurich. It is not as comfortable as South Hall but one can’t beat the scenery.  We are already in the mountains with towns nestled deeply in valleys. In his usual reserved way, Kevin has said nothing, but I was beside myself the first time I saw scenery like this and it thrills me again today. I am always amazed in each language when the announcement goes on for about 3 minutes in German, French, etc, and then there are 3 words in English and other languages at the end: “Next stop: Salzburg”. I can’t help wondering what I missed…




It is amazing that over a third of our time in Europe has already past. I am sure most those in the SAE program feel the sudden speed up of time. Now the trips between places to see the students are going to be longer with more train changes, so I’ve warned students about possible delays.  I made this train with three minutes to spare.  Flexibility-the name of the game in SAE.
Our travels have been engaging. I am getting used to the walking walking walking I do everyday- it is very good for me. When my knee goes out (in its unpredictable arthritic way) it is painful but it just started to happen in Prague and I am hoping it leaves again without reappearing!  The constantly moving on can feel wearing but then there is another student, another new place to see through their eyes and learn about a new topic they are deeply researching.  The engagement always overcomes the exhaustion. I feel everyday this is an amazing privilege and am happy to be involved in this program. This is partly the group of students. They are wonderful people and most are on task.  They also genuinely like one another and so the cohesiveness and caring is a great benefit as well.



 We have now slept in 10 different places in a little over a month. Having Kevin along helps so much.  He has worked on researching our lodging and train plans and though we decide together and sometimes I have made reservations, he is the primary travel agent in the team. That frees me up to be writing reviews for students, responding to their emails and check-ins and reports, communicating with them about upcoming meetings and generally tracking everyone.  To do both things with such a large group (20) would be stressful I think. I may feel differently if he is jobless in January, but at the moment it feels like a wise decision.

My experiences with  the students are very positive.  I blogged on my visit to Kristen in Orkney, Jake in Cornwell , Will in Scotland, the London trio (Kate is getting amazing interviews with MP’s, Erin is trying to buckle down on tapestries, and Kendra did well in London on homeless through volunteering  but now is  trying to establish the right contacts for her  project topic in Malta), Megan in Paris  and finally Breanna in Frankfort.




So I will blog a bit on the last several visits.  The trio in Berlin are throwing themselves into the city’s culture, each in their own way. Jeanne has visited many art museums and galleries to explore the contemporary art scene and knows much about the different venues in the city. She shared some interesting ones with me when I visited, particularly Tacheles.. Paul is very at home in a neighborhood park near their apartment, Mauer Park, where he is documenting a section of Berlin wall being painted over and over by street artists as part of his investigation of the role of artists in responding to the Berlin Wall.  It is the 20th Anniversary for reunification in Berlin so a very good year for those doing projects on Communism and the west!  He just landed a great interview with an important artist in Berlin to add to his research. Zach and I “rode the rails’ so to speak as he shared information he has uncovered on the Berlin transportation system-a timeline of history of how things were built, by whom and when as Berlin grew. We saw some cool sights as we explored the S-Bahn or U-Bahn! Even did a bit of detective work which was a treat for me. The students share a one bedroom apartment and have their share of visitors as well- bless the tolerance of youth!
Onto the duo in Prague and their warm greeting with a homemade meal in their little apartment! I didn’t realize how we had been eating out for a month until that moment. Amanda shared the amazing collection at the Decorative Arts Museum. The staff she is working with helped her decide to direct her investigation toward the graphic arts and the shift in the last 30 years of imagery, style and purpose. So that brought us to a unique venue- the Museum of Communism, put together by one entrepreneur with a passion to collect and display the record of this era. Worth seeing to understand the history of these eastern bloc nations and very “home-made” but powerful. Hannah outlined her progress on Jazz in Prague, again a historical look, focusing on those musicians playing in Prague in both eras. Thanks to Hannah reserving tickets I saw a fantastic, intimate show by a jazz guitarist and pianist on Friday ( Are there any other kinds of Jazz clubs in Europe? Every one we have been to has been small with an attentive audience- no wonder it’s a joy to play in Europe..). A beautiful city with excellent guides, what could be better? And did I mention there were 15,000 Scots in kilts in Prague square Friday?  Scots vs, Czechs football.
The 14 hours overnight to Postojna, Slovenia was a bit arduous. I found myself singing cowboy songs (much to Kevin’s dismay) as I past the’ super tired’ point while waiting on a train platform in the cold an hour in a half between midnight and 1: 30.  Perhaps these overnights aren’t the best choice at my age!  A nap later I was caught up in the visit to Haiya. She is doing great in a “”cozy” place just as she reported. The Slovenian Karst Research Institute she is doing her project at is the center of cave/karst research internationally. Would my colleagues Ian and Kerry have loved the conversations I had there (and understood so much more of it)! We were very graciously received and enjoyed our visit with Haiya, seeing an immense cave, visiting with various researchers and the director and having a yummy Chinese meal at her abode. (Yes she found what she needed to make some of her dishes in a small town in Slovenia- a very resourceful young woman.)

What a challenge and opportunity to delve so deeply into one thing for these students, their own little “sabbatical”.  And after seeing what they are up to here in Europe I can only say, “SAE students rock!”  So soon our lives will become fractured into many 
different compartments again. I hope your life is going well and the compartments are not TOO full! Keep in touch, enjoy the fall- I hope the sun shines on the upper Midwest today.
Ciao!