Budapest

Now, Budapest is the place to be!!! It's got Flagstaff's attitude in a big city. When I was there, I stayed at the Budapest Bubble, which is a hostel that just opened a few months ago. It was really fun and run by this great Hungarian lady named Olga. She loves her city and knows it inside and out. The location of the hostel was so convenient to everything it was amazing. The first night I walked along the Danube to see the castle lights on the river, it was so beautiful. I took some great photos, which I'll try to post soon. I was there for four days and didn't come close to seeing everything there is to offer. I did get to enjoy the Gehlert Bath, which is fed by natural thermal springs. I slept really well that night.

Poland continued...

The train stations in Poland are not so good after Belgium and Holland!! One thing I learned is that in Poland they put the arriving trains (on the left) posted next to the departing trains ( on the right). In short, if you plan to depart on a train that's arriving, you're not going anywhere. So, no Boleslawiec for me, but I can now say the name of the town. I can also say Wroclaw and Katowice correctly. All in all I had a nice day in Poland, I met an old lady on the train who couldn't understand why I wanted to go to Boleslawiec in the first place, because it was only pottery factories. When we got off the train in Wroclaw she waited for me with her daughter who speaks really good English. She was tremendously helpful to me and pointed me to the city center, which was really nice. I was pleasantly surprised by the whole place and would go back again, but with a phrase book.

Poland

I left Holland yesterday and had two extra days before my hotel reservation in Budapest, so I decided to visit a pottery place in Poland. It's the Boleslawiec pottery that is really beautiful with the blue dots and patterns on the cream background. It's becoming very popular now and sells in several shops in Flagstaff. Right now I'm sitting in an internet cafe in Poznan, Poland thinking maybe this wasn't such a good idea. See once you get off the tourist track, it's a lot harder to get around. It'll be interesting to see how this day goes. I'll let you know.

Hengstenstation Van Uitert

I found a little hostel to stay in The Netherlands out in the countryside. What a little treasure this place has turned out to be. A short bike ride away is the Hengstenstation Van Uitert where several of the top Dutch Warmblood Stallions stand. In fact Anky van Grunsvens horse Krack C stands here in the summers for breeding. In the dressage world it doesn't get much better. Yesterday I got to tour the facility, which is like most things in Holland. There isn't necesserily a large quantity of animals, they are just the best. In particular I saw a young stallion named Zhivago who moves like a dream. Tomorrow they ride and collect from the stallions again and they offered for me to come back then, when it is busier.

I've also been to the Mauritshuis museum. It is also small, but has the most important paintings by the dutch masters. I really enjoyed myself there. I saw the girl with the pearl earring by Vermeer, the old lady with the young boy by Rembrandt, and a huge mural by Potter of two cows in a field with sheep and a farmer. Very incredible to see paintings in real life. Adriean Coorte also had a special exhibition which was so beautiful. He painted lots of still lifes of fruits and vegetables that are extraordinary in their simplicity.

With Beth in Hasselt

I got to spend a few days with my sister, Beth, in Hasselt Belgium this last week. Beth always seems to be going someplace where I want to go too. Over the last few years we've met up in Las Vegas, Chicago, and now Belgium. We don't get to spend lots of time together because she's working, but it's always nice to see a friendly face and catch up. Sometimes if it weren't for these impromptu sightings we might not see each other for way too long.

Belgium was a real treat for me, because the air is clean, the trains are so convenient and orderly, and the chocolate is incredible. There are also lots of Moroccans in Belgium and I have the remains of my last bit of henna which attracted some attention. I also found a great little bakery in Hasselt where the lady made rolls out of brioche which dripped with cream cheese and golden raisins. They were delicious. She also made an apricot stuffed pastry which was really nice. You can tell I am eating well!! My clothes still fit, which is somewhat miraculous. I think it is only trying to stay warm which is my main exercise. I thought Belgium was cold, but Holland is freezing and that is where I am right now.

Amartya Sen

I am reading this book called Pathologies of Power that was written by Paul Farmer: It,s very interesting because it discusses the institutionalization of intense poverty and epidemiology in Haiti; Peru; and Russia: The subject is really engaging; but the author is beautiful with language: When I was in Paris I stepped into a bookstore which just happened to be English; there I found a book by Amartya Sen; the author of the foreward to Dr: Farmer,s work: I bought it because I have been wondering since I left Morocco about the division between Christians and Muslims: The focus of the Sen book is on large groups of people; but it discusses ways we identify ourselves as groups; which often has the effect of bringing about violence to those not identified in the same way: What is significant about his theory is that it;s not how we identify ourselves that is important ; what is important is the prioritization we give those identities: I, m not doing the subject justice so I would advise reading the book: Its called Violence and the illusion of Destiny:

Belgium

Right now, I am enjoying Belgium with my sister: I tried to take her photo as she came into the lobby of the airport in Brussels; but she pleaded exhaustion. I on the other hand was completely excited to see her and shouted her name out loud so that she wouldn,t miss me: The town where Beth is working is called Hasselt: It,s very nice: I like Belgium very much so far; but it,s hard to have the dollars go very far here: For example; in Morocco the internet cost 1 US dollar per hour: In France it cost 10 dollars per hour and in Belgium it costs 15-20 per hour: The good news is that there are many Moroccans in Belgium; And I managed to find a local Moroccan bar with free internet where I can use my limited arabic: A few words in Arabic go a long way, In fact I,ve never met so many people who get excited that you know a few phrases even if they are pronounced badly: