Highland High

April 9, 2009

 Wednesday began our 3-day tour of the Highlands and the Isle of Skye.  I’m almost speechless!  OK, not speechless but definitely awestruck.  We traveled from Edinburgh to Portree on the Isle of Skye yesterday, we toured the Isle today, and will return to Edinburgh tomorrow.  The scenery is breathtaking.  Shortly after leaving Edinburgh we were “in terrain”.  By that, I mean that the land was hilly and becoming mountainous.  In my mind I compared it to several places I’ve been.  It was like those places and yet totally unlike them.  For example, the land was formed by volcanic action followed by erosion.  The result is mountains that are somewhat soft in appearance.  They remond me of the Smokies but there are hardly any trees.  Te landscape also reminded me of New Mexico and the huge vistas with few trees but it isn’t dry.  I saw areas that looked like the Columbia River gorge…but not exactly.  I think I kept trying to relate it to something familiar and it was just different. 

I saw my first “heilan coo” (that’s "highland cow" with a Scottish accent).  His name is Haimish and he was much bigger than I expected.

We saw rivers and waterfalls, lush greenery, and sunlight!  It was a beautiful sunny day for most of the day.  The weather has been wonderfully cooperative for this trip.

 Thursday we toured the Isle of Skye.  In the morning, we toured the northeastern part of the Isle and in the afternoon, the northwest.  We went to Kilt rock in the rain.  The rain didn’t bother me; it just added to the feeling of wildness I felt looking at that rugged coastline.  There was a waterfall between where we stood and Kilt Rock.  The water was dropping from the cliff edge in a froth of white.  Beautiful!  We also went to another spot where we looked over the edge of the cliff to look down on the remains of a factory that was clinging to the base of the cliff.  The factory was built in the 1800’s and processed diatomaceous earth.  I don’t think it lasted long but I admire those who engineered the building of the factory and rail line in such a precarious place.  We visited Duntulum Castle—or what is left of it.  There are just a couple of walls left but it is a great location for a castle and the views from it were fantastic.

 Now for the highlight of our trip to Skye.  We went to the northwestern-most point of the island.  It is called Neist Point and we climbed up to a point where we could see the Neist Light.  The view was amazing; I stood looking out to sea and knowing that there isn’t anything but ocean between that point and Canada.  The sun was shining but the wind was blowing so strongly that the hood of my jacket cracked like thunder in my ears.  The ground was so saturated that even stepping carefully, my feet were soon soaked.  As we reached the top of the cliff, we could see water spraying up over the edge.  But, we were at least 300 feet above the water!  As I moved toward the edge, I could see where water had collected on a ledge of rock.  The spray was coming from the fierce wind blasting that small pool.  The spray did make a great picture as it blew across the top of the cliff and sparkling in the sun.  We looked down from our high perch to see the lighthouse far below.  The wind, the spray, and the view combined to make Neist Point one of the best stops of the tour.

 We got up Friday morning to begin our trip back to Edinburgh.  We had spent two nights in a very nice bed and breakfast.  Mrs. McFarlan was a lovely innkeeper and a good cook!  The bed and breakfast was call “Quirang” which Mrs. McFarlan told us was from Norse, not Gaelic.  I learned a lot on this trip and one thing was the strong influence the Vikings had on Scotland.

 Friday morning we visited Eilean Donan Castle.  It was mostly a reconstruction but a castle has been on that spot since the 13^th century.  We then went to Loch Ness—no monster visible.  When we were four hours out from Edinburgh there were a few things still to see but the trip was definitely winding down.  When I think back on this tour and look at my pictures, I’ll remember several things.  Everywhere we’ve gone, there have been sheep grazing.  They have been in ones, two, and flocks.  Some lying down, some grazing, and occasionally running to get away from our van as we interrupted their quiet day.  But I will always imagine the highlands covered with sheep. Another image is of small herds of Highland cattle.  Their shaggy coats and long horns are so distinctive.  Every mountain and hill had a frothy white line of water spilling down it's side.  I'm glad we went in the beginning of spring!

 One of my favorite memories from this trip will be listening to Celtic music while looking at the gorgeous landscape.  It’s the first tour I’ve taken that had a “soundtrack.”  Even better, the music truly fit the sights.  I think Celtic music will always bring back this time and the vistas we have seen.

 My last, but not least, memory will be of our driver/guide, Tony.  He has told wonderful stories to inform us of Scotland’s history.  He has the knack for storytelling, inserting enough humor to entertain while still leaving the listener better educated in Scottish history.  He truly helped make this trip memorable.

A Dream Realized

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

We are in Edinburgh, Scotland! 

I’ve been looking forward to this trip for a while.  So far, one day in, we’ve already had significant lows and highs.  First, we had to get up early for our flight and, of course, we both woke up earlier than we needed to.  Easel was dealing with adjusting from his trip to Russia.  I was probably just a bit excited about the trip.  (Little side note:  I have truly enjoyed living in Poland for the past 9-10 months but visiting Scotland was high on my lifetime list of places I want to visit.  So, I was excited as anyone would be to go on vacation but I was even more excited to visit a place that had held such a huge place in my heart and imagination for so many years.)

Easel’s colleague, Pawel, took us to the airport, which was very nice—at 5:30 am!  We got checked in, went through security and BOTH set off the metal detectors!  After we were both frisked—my first experience with a “pat down”—we were cleared to enter the waiting area.  Our flight was delayed on the ground because of heavy traffic in Paris.  That was bad news for us because we had very little time to change planes in Paris.  We landed close to the scheduled time, even with the delay, and proceeded to take a rolling tour of the runway system of DeGaulle Airport.  We finally stopped, deplaned, (don’t you love that word!) got on a bus, and continued the tour until we finally arrived at the airport terminal.  Unfortunately for us, our plane to Edinburgh was at another terminal!  We walked, climbed stairs, descended stairs, had our passports checked, and arrived at ANOTHER SECURITY STATION!  Apparently, we had left the secure area.  So we had to take off our jackets, load backpacks on the conveyor and then, naturally, we had to remove our shoes.  I made it through the metal detector (Easel was frisked again) but my shoes and backpack went through the x-ray machine 2, 3, 4 times!  Once I was able to grab my shoes, I was ready to run because we could hear our names being called and the announcement that it was the “final boarding call” for our flight.  But, as I started to run after Easel, a woman at a nearby desk called, “Madam!”  She wanted to open my backpack and look inside!  I just got off a plane, I just went through the x-ray machines, but I had to submit to a hand search of my bag.  Finally, she was done and we hustled toward our gate, shoelaces flapping.  Our gate was down more stairs.  A woman was by the stairs as we went down asking if we were the Roberts going to Edinburgh.  We made it on the flight but our one suitcase didn’t make it.

A baggage handler got on the computer and confirmed the bag was still in Paris.  “It should be on the next flight and to your hotel by 8:00.”

  We thought the suitcase was handled and went on into Edinburgh.  Our transport to the City Center was by double decker bus.  We went to the top and sat in the very front seat.  What a great view!  It was a flat-front bus so it was like flying low into town without a plane.  We checked in to the hotel, spent a few moments enjoying the view from our window, and left to explore.  By the way, the view from our room was of the Scott Monument and Edinburgh Castle.

  We found a place for lunch and then walked up to the Castle and paid our fee to get in.  We looked around a bit and then joined a guided tour.  The tour was good as an intro to what we could see inside the buildings.  Interesting:  in Poland, when we visited places like the Royal Castle in Warsaw, there were “guards” in every room.  In fact, every room had at least one guard and many had two.  In Edinburgh Castle, I saw a couple of “guards” but the only one who seemed to be stationed in one place, was the one in the room with the Honors of Scotland.  All the others I saw seemed to move around.

  I enjoyed visiting the Castle.  The views from the top of the castle mount are amazing.  Just as I did at every castle we’ve visited, I wondered again at man’s ability to build—without modern tools and technology—on top of hills/mountains.  The castle is made of stone, some parts were carved from the rock that forms the summit, but most of the rock had to be hauled in.  And carried up the hill.  And mortared in place.  Above sheer drops.  And all done without benefit of modern tools.  The power of a ruler is awesome if that power can command people to perform such works.  I felt moments of vertigo just looking down, I can’t imagine being that high and actually building the castle.

  The castle was amazing but for me, Edinburgh was equally amazing.  It would still be worth the trip for me if the Castle didn’t exist.  How do I explain my feeling?

  For years, I have read books set in England, Ireland, and Scotland.  In my imagination, I have visited these places.  Now, I’m in Scotland.  Edinburgh did not disappoint.  The buildings, streets, and “closes” all fit my imaginings.  I’m speaking of the Old Town part of Edinburgh in particular but the newer parts (some not all that new!) fit in well with my imaginings.

  As I told Easel, some of the “familiarity” may come from the fact that I’ve seen some of these buildings, or at least the style of these buildings, before.  Having not been to Europe, that sounds odd but you only have to look at the older buildings in an American town to see similar architecture!  Looking at the architecture made me feel at home, even though I won’t be home for a while, yet.  The differences really don’t seem to be any more than the usual differences between one town and the next!

Spring Break

Monday, March 16, 2009

  Our son, Chris is here visiting us.  What a great way to close out our time in Poland!  Chris is on spring break from grad school and I’m thrilled he’s here.  I’ve decided that having someone come to visit, is a great way to “recap” my time here.  I’ll get to show him my favorite places and favorite things and say good bye to them, as well.

  This past weekend, we went to Czersk to visit my favorite castle.  It was a fabulous day!  The temperature was around 10 C (that’s around 50 F) and the sun was shining as large puffy white clouds floated through the sky.  I got a couple of great pictures of the castle towers with the blue sky and white clouds behind them.  (Check the Flickr site for pictures.) We ate our picnic lunch sitting on the castle wall and looking out over the valley.  It was obvious that the local farmers were preparing their fields for spring.  The trees in the orchards were trimmed and fields were showing evidence of plowing.

  After lunch and plenty of time to explore the castle towers, we left to go down to the river—the Vistula for my friends back home.  On our previous two trips, I enjoyed going down to the river’s edge to watch the water flowing by.  Imagine my surprise when we went on Saturday to see the river 100 yards closer to us than before!  In Kansas City, the Missouri River is part of the landscape but I really am not aware of its seasonal rise and fall.  Occasionally, as I cross a bridge, I might notice something but I’m not usually “up close and personal” with the Missouri River.  I say that to say that my experience with rivers is fairly limited.  The last time I saw the Vistula was in December and at that time, it was full of ice and flowing fairly rapidly.  Saturday, the water was over the banks and still moving swiftly!  Now I know why there are such high banks between the river and the apple orchards.

  I’ve taken Chris to Old Town (Stare Miasto) and we visited the Royal Castle.  We rode the bus to Nowy Swiat so I could show him the palm tree in the intersection (last summer, I thought it was a living tree!) and then walked from there to Old Town. We’ll make another trip to visit the monument to the Warsaw Uprising.  This week we will also take the train and go to Krakow.  It will be a fast trip but I hope a memorable one for Chris.  I’m excited to go back to Krakow because I think it is a beautiful city.

  As I said, this visit with Chris is a great way for me to reinforce my memories of my time in Poland.  I feel that I’ve been able to “visit” history and it has been a wonderful experience.  I’m not quite finished here and I look forward to the next few weeks.  Who knows what I’ll discover before I leave?

Springing Forward!

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Winter is loosening its grip and there are signs that spring is on the way. The daily temperature is creeping upward, with slight dips along the way, but the trend is mostly upward and less often below 0 degrees C (that’s freezing for my American friends!) I can also tell things are changing because I’m seeing more flower vendors on the street selling tulips and the stores have hyacinths, crocus, and daffodils for sale. Easel and I were walking the other day and saw a pussy willow with silvery catkins showing. Walking home from the store, I saw some iris spears nosing up through a patch of bare ground next to a fence.

Just as the weather is making a change, so are Easel and I. We are now two months away from returning home. We don’t have an exact date, yet, but the visas expire at the end of April. We have begun thinking about making the transition back home. What have we acquired here that we will take back home? What have we acquired here that will stay and find a new home? What did we bring that needs to stay? What will Easel’s job be when he returns? How much work will it take to bring our yard back to what we want (we suspect that very little weeding has been done in our absence!) How crazy is the dog going to be when we get home?

Some of those questions are easy. I have acquired some very nice Boleslawiec pottery pieces and they will definitely make the trip home along with the other souvenir items we have purchased along the way. We have a couple of electrical appliances that will not be going home with us and that we will hopefully find homes for here. I brought a LOT of books to keep me company on this journey and the ones I’ve read will be donated to the library I’ve heard they have at the American Embassy. I’ll probably leave some clothes—moving is always a great time to “cull” the wardrobe! Easel’s job in Kansas City is in the process of being developed. We don’t know how it will all work but we are confident that it will be good. As for the yard and the dog, who knows? Just as there were unknowns in coming here, there are unknowns in returning.

I know I’ll be happy to be in MY house, with MY yard, to see MY family, to see MY (American) friends and to play with MY dog. Just a side thought here: I have enjoyed walking through the park and seeing people walk their dogs. I have particularly enjoyed the antics of some of the dogs as they play with sticks or romp in the snow. But, I have been homesick for my dog and to be able to walk her and play with her. The closest I’ve been able to come to being friendly with a dog is when I got to scratch the back of the little pug that lives in our building. He looks like a little old man as he waits patiently for the elevator then, he gets on and turns to face the door to wait for his floor. He usually doesn’t acknowledge us but recently, he came to me as we waited for the elevator—I’ve been exchanging greetings with his master for a while now—and allowed me to scratch his back.

I know we'll face some reverse culture shock. I think it will be hard just having to pay for gas! We use the bus or the tram or the metro so much, we've only filled the gas tank of the car we use a handful of times--in nine months! I probably won't miss walking to the grocery store.

This is a bittersweet time. While we are more than ready to go home, there’s a lot we’ll miss when we leave.

You Know It's Going to be a Polish Day When...

I know it’s going to be a Polish day when…

I go to the post office to buy stamps for three post cards and join the line. In front of me is a lovely older lady (Remember “Uwaga Babcias”?) whose phone suddenly erupts into the Mexican Hat Dance. She quickly pulls out her phone, “twinkles” at me, and steps away to take her call. The line moves slowly forward and just as I think I might be able to step to the window, the lady returns and steps into place as the man at the window walks away. Apparently, she assumed I would save her place in line while she left to answer the phone. She concludes her business quickly and I step to the window ready to buy my stamps. I should have known better! As I step up to the window, a man comes up behind me, waves a device (it turns out to be an inked stamp), the clerk waves him forward, and suddenly I’m second in line—again! Fortunately, his business is concluded quickly and I am able to buy my stamps and leave. I went to catch a bus because I had an appointment. I probably should have just gone back home.

I got to the bus and rode it to the tram stop. Oh no! I’m across the street and one tram I could take is pulling out and the second is pulling in! I cross the street—against the light—and run to catch the tram. Of course, it stops at the far end of the platform. Feeling very proud of my expertise at catching the tram, I settle for the ride to the Metro stop. Oh yes, that’s another indication of a Polish day, I ride the bus, to catch the tram, to get to the Metro. (Hmm, reminds me of a story about a man building a house…)

The Metro trip is uneventful. I arrive at my destination and now my day takes a turn for the worse! I am supposed to meet two friends at one friend’s home. I’ve been there before but, foolishly, I don’t have the apartment number. This is Warsaw and every apartment complex is gated and guarded in some way. Even if you can get inside, you are still stuck if you don’t know the apartment number or have a phone number to call them. I was stuck because I had neither. I should have been able to phone my friend and that was my plan. What I hadn’t planned on was for my phone to be out of minutes! I can receive calls but I can’t make them. Then, just to create a bigger hassle for myself, I turn the phone off and turn it back on but I don’t remember the PIN correctly and get locked out! Now, I’m away from home, at my friend’s house, but I can’t talk to anyone. I try to ask someone for help but my Polish is terrible and the person trying to help me has no English. I have no choice but to get back on the Metro (and then the tram and finally the bus) and head home. I am so frustrated I can hardly stand it!

Some of my trouble today is my own doing and that just adds to the frustration. Some of the trouble is just due to the difference in the way things are done in Poland and the way I’ve been used to doing things for 50+ years. Some of the trouble is simply language-based. It is incredibly frustrating to know you are an intelligent person and still an illiterate in this culture. You are stymied by the simplest things because you don’t have the words to express your need.

As I said at the beginning, I know it’s going to be a Polish day when…

UWAGA! Babcias! (Look Out! Grandmothers!)

Monday, December 08, 2008

I have met some wonderful people since I moved to Poland.  I’ve had pleasant interactions with people in retail settings—they have very kindly put up with my attempts to speak Polish.  I’ve been privileged to meet some great people through Easel’s work and through our church.  These great interactions have left me totally speechless when encountering “babcias” on the streets or in stores. 

For my friends back home, “babcia” is Polish for “grandmother”.  Many English-speakers I’ve met also use the word as a generic term for “ladies of a certain age” in Poland.  As I go about my routines, I see “babcias” everywhere I go.  Most seem to be quietly going about their business.  They walk down the street pulling their two-wheeled carts as they go to or return from their shopping.  They often walk in twos, chatting away as they stroll through the park.  It is nice to see these ladies actively pursuing their daily schedules.

I have to warn you, though; you must not be deceived by the impression that they are just “sweet little old ladies”.  Some may truly be just what they seem but beware, some are not!

Woe to the young person who doesn’t surrender their seat on the tram to an older woman—I’ve seen a couple of tongue-lashings delivered for that transgression!  I can understand and even support the encouragement of respect for elders but I would not have wanted to be on the receiving end of those tirades.  I have experience with “babcias”, too.  Getting ready to step on the tram one day, I was nearly knocked to the ground by an older woman who pushed in front of me to get on the tram first.   I was in line to order coffee for Easel and me at McDonalds when an older lady looked me in the eye and stepped in front of me!  It was as if she dared me to challenge her “right” to step in front of me.  I was so flabbergasted; I just stood there and let it happen.  (I will admit, here, that my lack of language skills was probably a factor in my acceptance of her behavior.  At home, I probably would have questioned her need to get ahead of me.)  The same behavior is evident in the grocery store, at the bus stops, and on the metro.

I have a friend, an American married to a Pole, who lives here in Poland and she has begun to speak up.  She told me that recently a woman tried to step in front of her at a grocery store and she very firmly but politely said, “Nie, Pani!” (“No, Madam!”)  Most of the time when I observe these behaviors (or am on the receiving end of these behaviors) I tend to laugh.  I know I will not be here for long so it isn’t worth getting upset.  On the other hand, I really do find it funny, to see some tiny little woman push in front of other people, regardless of sex or size, to be the first on the bus or the tram.  I will continue to look both ways before trying to board the tram and I will always keep an eye out for “babcias”!

Thanksgiving in Warsaw

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Although I had been thinking about it for weeks, Thursday, November 27 was a tough day. Thursday was Thanksgiving Day in the US but it was just a regular work day here in Warsaw. Easel and I planned to have some people over and that was good. It made me plan something and not focus on what I didn’t have. I just had difficulty because this was the first Thanksgiving for me without any of my kids with me since before Jared was born! That means that for the last 29 years, I’ve always had at least one of the kids with me and for a good portion of that time, I’ve had all three of them. For the last several years, we’ve even had extended family with us. So, even though we had friends coming, I was missing my family.

There were many “firsts” this Thanksgiving. This was our first “empty nest” Thanksgiving. It was the first time I waited until Thanksgiving Day to buy the centerpiece of my Thanksgiving meal. Thursday was my first attempt to order something from the man behind the counter with the fresh poultry. (I was successful and got a fresh turkey!) I hadn’t roasted a fresh turkey before this Thanksgiving, so that was another “first”. It was my first attempt to cook a large meal in our galley kitchen—the turkey barely fit in the oven. It was also the first Thanksgiving dinner two of our guests had ever been invited to join. With all of those “firsts” happening, I’m glad to say that our dinner was a success.

Our guests included a Polish couple—he works with Easel—a young man from Indonesia who is a university student, and a young lady who recently moved to Poland from Ecuador. It was an interesting combination but it worked well and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Easel and I shared our family traditions for Thanksgiving and then, at the urging of one of our guests, we all spoke about the things for which we are thankful. It was a lovely end to the meal.

Easel took both Thursday and Friday off, so we spent time working together to create our Thanksgiving feast on Thursday and we spent Friday shopping. Just like home! The major difference being that the shopping on Friday was relaxed and no more stressful than a normal day of shopping in Warsaw. We didn’t have to get up before dawn and we didn’t have to fight crazed bargain hunters! In fact, we had a very pleasant visit to a little shop that sells folk art. The proprietor gave us tea and cookies and told us a lot about how the various works of art were created. We walked away with some beautiful things and no stress. That, I could get used to!

So, while I missed my family, there was a lot that was positive about this Thanksgiving. I think it will go down as a good holiday. Now, to prepare for Christmas.