Scenes around Budapest ... both Buda and Pest

View of parliament buildings and the Danube, from Buda castle district

Szechenzi Thermal Baths where I soaked in healing spring waters ...

Cobblestone streets of the Castle district ...

Fishermen's Bastion and inside beautiful St. Matthias Church

Parliament Buildings of Hungary

Enjoying my first bowl of Hungarian goulash! Labyrinth under Castle district

Church Concert at St. Stephen's Basilica ... a real mix of composers, included Mozart, Vivaldi ... wonderful acoustics

Fountain outside my hotel in a peaceful square where many sit and enjoy a lunch and exposure to sunshine ... spring has arrived in full swing! Lovely dome inside the Basilica

View from outside basilica

Szia from Budapest ...

As has become my habit when switching cultures, I indulge in some down time .... sleep in, do a walkabout after breakfast, read, eat, enjoy a massage and not much else. Have not been around much television lately, so have been catching up with news and a few movies as well ......... liked Social Network ..... was ready to strangle the Mark Zuckerberg character when he betrayed his buddy ..... but the news, goodness .... the 24/7 coverage is bringing out the ridiculous in newscasts ..... CNN is the worst of the lot ..... goodness .... analysts, analysing analysts, analysing analysts ........ such idiocy!! Romantic an image as traveling to many different countries presents, the reality at times, can be anything but ....... an immersion into the vastly differing cultures can at times, be internally overwhelming, hence the required emotional downtime ..... Rarotonga, Mongolia, India and Vietnam keep springing to mind as places I could easily hang my hat for longer than a few weeks, but to be totally honest, every country presents it's own brand of beauty .... much like trying to pick out your favorite family member, or favorite friend ..... impossible to do! .... all form a part of our global community and like a fine stew, come together as something to be savored, precisely for the differences each brings to the table! ..... the culture, the people, the chaos, the serenity, the scenery, the crazyiness .... all of it!! ..... I plan on returning and perhaps, should they show an interest, taking my son Tim or niece Jennifer, or anyone interested, along with me for some volunteering next spring .... Sarah and Rob, be forewarned, I may not morph totally into the kind of grandma who knits and babysits ....... I am more likely to whisk my granddaughter away with me to a volunteer posting when she is old enough .... 6 is old enough, is it not??? :) ..... So, back to Budapest, home to some of the finest Gothic, Baroque and Art Nouveau architecture in Europe! It is a feast for the eyes ..... so, emotions intact, feet rested and well massaged (... enjoyed a most rejuvenating foot massage on day one!) ..... Hungary is known for it's many spas, healing waters and therapists ..... off to explore today so look for picture postings in a few days if not sooner ..... I meet up with my volunteer group on Saturday and am so totally looking forward to working with children again, as well as participating in a mini community! Viszontlatasra everyone.

Beautiful moments in Crete ....

I chose to spend my last day in Southern Crete, strolling barefoot on a deserted beach a few kms. from Plakias. Rolled up the pant legs, to walk in the cool waters of the Libyan Sea, refreshing and invigorating on tired feet ..... My early morning musings had revolved around thoughts of what a wonderful world it would be, if we all reacted from our heart's best intentions. As I walked, I kept noticing heart shaped rocks everywhere .... extraordinary.... I gathered a few to leave behind a circle of heart love .... okay ....... perhaps imagination may be required to find the heart in some of these stones :).... when I returned to my room later that day, I found my scarf, shaped into a heart on the bed ..... the kind touch of Lily, who cleaned and replenished my room towels daily. Sweet! .... little heart reminders finding me everywhere that day :) The rest of the pictures are some of my favourites from the South. Must say, the Crete people are a different breed of Greek .... sturdy, abrupt, not exactly overly friendly .... physically, I cannot help but think of the term "strong as bulls"!! It is no coincidence, that Greek hero, famed statesman, and prime minister for a term, Eleftherios Venizelos was born in Crete!! A story I heard upon arrival in Hania from Marguerite who runs Casa Delfino in old town Hania, and later confirmed by others as I travelled around southern Crete ..... was of a particular group of Cretans living in the hillside villages of the Sfakion area .... no one would dare tell me the actual name of the villages ..... the Cretans are very clanish and protective of each other! A few years ago, after growing weary and impatient with the regular visits of government tax collectors ... (stubborn sorts, of course they refused to pay!! .... the Greeks in general, are notorious tax evaders and if only a fraction would pay their taxes, Greece's national debt would be history!! ... or so I hear :) ..... now, back to the story ...... A few days after the arrival of the official, the folks of the area decided to send a rather brutal message to Athens ..... a donkey ambled it's way into a little village, with the knife wound riddled body of the bureaucrat slung over it's back! As an aside, their knives are a source of pride for the Cretans and indeed all over the island, beautifully hand-crafted ones can be purchased in specialty shops .... but wow .... a rather strong message .... I was hesitant to believe this story at first, but after many experiences dealing with Cretans over the past few weeks, I am inclined to think differently! .... I would not mess with them!! They are not at all like the Greeks one finds on the other islands or mainland Greece! Being rather an abrupt, stubborn sort myself at times, (I blame my Finnish clan heritage for that :) ..... I can sort of rub shoulders with that sense of stalwart independence, but wow, the violence, not!! .... needless to say, no further bureaucrats have ventured to the villages in recent years!!

My private little cove :)

Scenes from my hike around Preveli Monastery .... up a high steep road to the top of the mountain!

Rethymno Fortezza

Breakfast view! Yes, I have Greek salad for breakfast .....

Outside patio at the Avli, in old town Rethymno where I hung my hat a few days

Agli Gallini

Family enjoying Sunday brunch on the beach in Rethymno .... I walked past them early afternoon, was gone a few hours and they were still sitting there .... nice to see people relaxing and not scurrying and hurrying.

Hania harbour

Old Turkish mosque left over from conquest days ...

Aahh .... gotta love the smiley ones!

Still a beautiful world ....

So much tragedy in the last week .... The situation in Japan has been heart wrenching and my love goes to the people of Japan as they start to heal . As well, all the turmoil in Africa and the Middle East continues to implode and explode ... certainly, this would be a time for us all to work on global healing in whatever way we can. As such, I thought it appropriate to mention something wonderful that happened a few days after the earthquake and resultant tsunami. I was in the small village of Aptera in Vamos area, walking about exploring with my Austrian friend, Monica .... she was excited to introduce someone special to me ...... I had no idea how special ..... I had imagined a day of exploring old ruins!!! Finding Ingrid home, we discovered she was hosting a healing meditation and retreat that day with a group of ladies and of course the situation in Japan was first on the agenda. Every now and again, in the course of our lives, we meet people who resonate with our hearts so intensely .... that words become superfluous ... so it was with Ingrid ... an amazingly kind, loving spirit. She travelled to Crete as a young lady of nineteen, fell in love with both the island and a young Cretan, and has lived here since! Ingrid and her husband have four children, and together, run a restaurant motel business in Vamos as well as an olive orchard and farm. Ingrid has in recent years, since the children grew up, become quite involved in the holistic movement that has stretched even to these remote little villages of Crete. She has started hosting healing meditations within her community and being the generous soul she is, no one is ever exempt .... anyone and everyone is always welcome in her home .... even a stranger from Canada! .... Ingrid is a wonderful light to have in the world ..... a kind, loving, giving human being .... I don't think we can ever underestimate the power of prayer and meditation in being a helping force. The picture above was painted by a local artist friend of Ingrid's ..... it is on the outside wall of a room at their Inn, where she hosts the retreats .... if weather permits, sessions are held outside on the balcony where this wall painting is a focal point ..... Serene Souda Bay sits below. I am humbled with the beauty that prevails, even in the midst of the rubble of global tragedy .... to activate that spirit of goodness, host a healing meditation .... aahh, I feel at peace .... meeting Ingrid was like being shot with a warm ray of hope .... love in action. Pure joy.

Spring Storms and Sunshine ....

Soon enough, I shall be ferrying back to Athens and bidding adieu to yet another country. Despite many trips here over the years, I have yet to have my fill .... there are hundreds of remote Greek islands left to discover! .... Something surprising this time around .... I have observed that a great majority of Greeks no longer adhere to their own healthy Mediterranean diet!! .... far too many white flour carbs, sugary versions of profiteroles which resemble sticky goop balls to my eyes, way too much meat, coffee, raki/ouzo and oh my, cigarettes ...... seems to be what most live on, particularly the older men!! What has happened to the Greeks??? ......... perhaps joining the EU was not so good for the Greeks in many ways ... many grumble .... agricultural roots seem a distant memory, when walking everywhere was a given. As everywhere globally, many opt to live in cities, large towns, driving rather than walking .... A common sight is older gents, sitting around cafes a good part of every day, drinking that national drink, ouzo and raki with their coffee, smoking, eating junk ..... The transformation is quite startling in many respects. Strange change! Often enough, the only place I see a Greek salad, bowl of olives and a glass of red wine, is in front of me :) ... Still, the more remote the village, some of the old ways remain intact, including dining habits. Greece relies heavily on tourism and all around, I see the prep work taking place for the coming tourist season (April through September) .... lots of repair work, painting, cleaning is keeping many of the younger generation occupied. A busy, happy, spring like energy prevails. It is becoming quite obvious that eventually, I fall in love with every country I travel to ..... so easy to please??! .... Perhaps it is a reversion to childhood, my second or third :), a place where constant awe is a state of being :) Easy to do, on the road away from the daily concerns of life in Calgary. At times, this embracing each country, may take me a few weeks, but rarely longer ..... and then, bamm, another country/island/city is glued to my heartstrings forever. So yes, Crete ... my latest love!! The benefits are many for travelling offseason but it is mostly the quiet serenity everywhere that is so agreeable with my nature. Many museums, historical sites, restaurants, hotels and shops are closed, to re-open in April or May, but I have managed to find nice clean rooms or small apartments just about everywhere ... particularly charming, were the old Venetian mansions, now converted into B&B's in "old town" sections of both Hania and Rethymno. I had earlier winged a lookabout to Eastern Crete, the most touristy part of Crete, only to find pretty much everything boarded up ..... the vistas are grand, but I can see that the area would be intolerable when busy season gears up .... dozens of mega hotel chains, tacky souvenir shops, restaurants, tavernas, night clubs, line the oceanside. A very deserted feel, in early March! A good number of locals from this area head to the cities or even mainland Greece to work over the winter season ... Disappointed though, that the Samaria Gorge hike was closed off due to unsafe conditions. Apparently opens again in May. The pictures I had seen of the hike were splendid and I had so looked forward to it. Of course the temps have been as low as in the single digits and the rain and wind storms were a bit much, flooding the gorge totally. Still, loving a good winter storm as I do, I ventured out one day for a walk, wrapped in trusty goretex, hood and all .... umbrellas, useless in the high winds. So much for gortex, I was thoroughly soaked in minutes, runners squishing as I walked .... came down with a bit of a chill and a cold but heh .... not so bad really .... there I was in a cozy, centuries old casa, a warm pot of herbal tea at bedside snuggled in a down comforter :) .... The storm and cool temps heaped snow in the higher elevations ..... first snow this year and many families drove to the mountains to allow their children to play in the white covered hills :) So despite some lows, it is mostly beyond pleasant, and I may never again travel in high season anywhere, ever!! ............. Crete's myriad of inviting turquoise coves, beaches, caverns, narrow winding village roads leading to hodge-podgey villages, some perched precariously on hilltops are such a joy to experience ..... enjoyed many a Greek coffee and local reds in ambiance-soaked tavernas, walked through quiet monasteries, olive & orange groves, and the almond trees were starting to bloom!! .... I mistakenly thought they were cherry trees :) ..... and aahh, one fine warm sunny day, a blissful skinny dip in the Libyan Sea ........ not a soul around ......... does heaven get better than this? There are so many twists and turns on Crete's mountain and seaside roads, with an endless stream of stunning vistas ....... almost drove myself over a cliff as I came upon one of many jaw dropping views around a particularly tight turn/curve! .... I had taken the advice of Thanasis, clerk at my little casa in Rethymno to head to the remote south one day ... I noted that on the map, the road ended at a spot where Thanasis had told me to go for another 20 or so kms ..... asked if I should hike up the mountain from that point? .... he, in that "typical tough guy Crete way" said "oh, don´t pay attention to the map .... there is a good road up the mountain to the little cove he said I would find at the end of it..... some road, and I must say, once you commit to going up a mountain road in Crete, there is not a chance in hell you will get an opportunity to turn your car around ...... I was literally terrified in one spot .... shere cliff drop off on what was basically a hiking path and bloody Thanasis had called it a road!!! I was beyond cursing him as I ambled up the steep pitch hugging the mountain .... nothing but mountain goats and me for what seemed an eternity ...... okay, once I had my heart beating again, I was able to cruise down to the remote little cove that was every bit as beautiful as Thanasis had said .... the only bit of truth out of that man!!! Thankfully, I eventually found the coastal road back to Rethymnon and did not have to maneuver back along the goat path I had somehow managed to survive!!! ..... Enough blithering and blabbering about the beauty ... time to post pictures though I doubt they will do true justice to the scenery! .... A note: the pictures are of both South and North Crete; the storm in Hania and harbour scenes, Monica (an Austrian lady I met in Hania) and I enjoying a lunch in the little village at the base of the fort and monastery ruins at Aptera one afternoon .... Stephanie (Australian ... think I mentioned her in a past entry) in her cozy apartment in Hania, my room in old town Hania at Casa Delfino, local chaps dressed in traditional garb in the birthplace of local hero Eleftherio Venizelos, the village of Therissos, where the Cretan hero started a movement to unify Crete with Greece and succeeded .... his life is celebrated every year, on the day we chanced to be in Therissos! .... the men of the village sit around, umm, celebrating; sheep are slaughtered and cooked out back of the restaurant on a spit (unfortunately, we chanced upon the slaughter as we walked around the little village .... not pleasant to someone of primarily vegetarian tastes!) ..... We sat down to enjoy our own rather meager lunch, (though I did try a few of the recommended lamb chops) comparatively speaking, behind the large table of men (picture above) and as everywhere in Greece, we were the only tourists around :) Small town, interesting afternoon!