Before The Trip - July 22 - August 1

JULY 22

Well, I tried to start writing on this day but it took me a while to learn how to operate this site. It was a Mountain Coop day - shopping in our favorite travel store - some clothes, money belts and sleeping bags.

JULY 23

That was another big shopping day: customized sandals, a camera and snorkeling gear. See me in the gallery with my new prescription glasses - may be I'll start a new fashion? 

JULY 24

This is the actual day Saturday, July 24. I finally learned /Jola - the notorious computer ignoramus/ how to get to this site without family help. Well, I patiently FOLLOWED instructions this time! Last night I had a journey to the past while sorting out and packing old letters - hidden from me for many years on some shelf, buried under other papers and 'stuff'. Letters from parents, Zdzicho, Ewa, p. Kepler, and many others. I'll read more tonight as I don't have any books on my shelf anymore - already in storage. Well not quite - I still have my current 'bible': FIRST-TIME AROUND THE WORLD by Doug Lansky /a Rough Guide Special/, as well as QUEENSLAND, TRAMPING IN NEW ZEALAND / by lonely planet/ and my recent favourite recommended to me by Grazyna's friend Ania VAGABONDING -

An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel by Ralf Potts. An excellent, inspiring book. And now - the main task - buy some food and booze for tomorrow's party - the last at 35 Claxton Blvd. We'll try our new camera.

JULY 25 

/ Zosia, jestes juz w domu?/

What a great party last night! No, not ours - at Barbara & Nick's. Delicious food, wonderful wine, even a live guitar music! And it proves again that you don't have to go far from home to meet interesting people - your neighborhood is full of them. A Canadian party but you could hear people exercising their German, Yiddish, Polish, and Italian. The occasion was a bit sad - B, N, A, J & L are moving out of their beautiful house which marks the end of an important era in their and our lives - watching our daughters grow. If there is an end there is a beginning which is an occasion to rejoice. And... as Ms Szymborska writes " Every beginning is only a sequel, after all

and the book of events is open halfway through".

JULY 26

Thank you all my wonderful friends for bringing food and drink and even presents last night. I planned a modest wine&cheese party but we turned out to have an impressive display of delicacies and all sorts of drinks.

But first of all thank you for all the expressions of wholehearted support for my 'project'. I need lots of positive vibes sent in my direction. There will be a few pictures in the gallery soon. /Magda, when will I see your pictures from the west coast now?/ Today - a little headache in the morning - must have been the walnuts! How about you my guests? Thank you Fatima for the haircut. Thank you Malgosiu for lazagnia. By the way - I don't think I will be using the box from WRITE TO US but rather hotmail address from CONTACT and the GUESTBOOK.

JULY 27

Our Guest Book is growing and I' growing with pride and amazement how easy it is nowadays to connect.

/ I guess I'm having one of those 'senior' or midlife rather moments: how-is-it-all-possible!/ Thank you Ewa, Marcin, Karolina. I've packed my kitchen - that's it - no more cooking - only tea or coffee and leftovers from the fridge. Hard work, but I do feel good energy - may be those vibes are already flowing my way. The little elephant I got yesterday for good luck from Janek &Agnieszka may have also started working its charms. Tonight, after I take Ela to the airport for her flight to Poland , we are removing our furniture which we sold couple of weeks ago at garage sale. As for the pictures - we did not do a good job last Sunday so the pictures will stay in out private collection. Sorry.

JULY 28

We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next, to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again - to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more. - Pico Iyer, "Why We Travel"

I love this quote... found it in "Vagabonding" by R. Potts. Stripped of ordinary surroundings, your friends, your daily routines, your refrigerator full of your food and your closet full of your clothes, you are forced into direct experience. Such direct experience inevitably makes you aware of who it is that is having the experience. That's not always comfortable, but it is always invigorating. - Michael Crichton, "Travels" Vagabonding is about using the prosperity and possibility of the information age to increase your personal options instead of your personal possessions. Vagabonding is about looking for adventure in normal life, and normal life within adventure..... about gaining the courage to loosen your grip on the so called certainties of this world. .... re-creating the carefree conditions of youth by jettisoning the things that aren't necessary to your basic well-being. .... The gift of the information age is knowing your options - not your destiny. The goal of preparation, then, is not knowing exactly where you'll go but being confident nonetheless that you'll get there. This means that your attitude will be more important than your itinerary. - from Rolf Potts

It is fatal to know too much at the outset: boredom comes as quickly to the traveller who knows his route as to the novelist who is overcertain of his plot. - Paul Theroux

/ Where are you Lori?/ Dinner at Ferro with Aviv. Packed, noisy as always. Kamila ordered mussels as usual - eats the sauce with bread, does not touch the mussels.

Todah Aviv.

JULY 29

What a horrific turn of events with Strilek, our cat. We had an agreed place for him to stay temporarily at our friend's apartment. When we got there tonight to leave him, the landlady of the house, apparently a cat hater, objected loudly barring the passage to Nawoja's apartment with her strong body. We were stunned and had to surrender to her will, or rather unwill. Unexpected turn of events - something we have to be ready for on the trip. Hope we used up our ratio of unpleasant experiences for this month and next even. Now we are waiting to hear from our savior - Stefania&Aron's friend who offered to take care of Strilek before. But before we were in a little garden paradise eating delicious food in which the most important ingredients were fruits and herbs from that very garden. Iwona&Grzes volunteered to feed us in this hectic time. Dzieki. Late at night - trying our snorkel masks in Aviv's pool - passed the test. There should be pictures in the gallery by now, I know, but I haven't learned how to put them on the site and everybody is too busy to teach me. There is also a problem with the modem - internet connection is interrupted from time to time - makes even my writing difficult. / Beata, wino mniam mniam!/

JULY 30

The morning started with Kamila being sick. Stomach flu? The long list of things to do hasn't been touched. But thanks God, after half a day of fighting with the virus, she is OK now. In the evening we even went to see "Hairspray" at the Princess of Wales Theater with Barbara and Alexandra. Barbara bought tickets long time ago as a farewell treat. It was a so called 'family night' and as part of the deal the girls had hairdos done by a hairdresser before the show.

JULY 31

This is our last day here at Claxton. The most important thing - Strilek to be taken to his new place - second trial. A very pleasant sounding Neil is going to look after him. We are meeting him at lunch time.