Posts
I am getting ready for my first Italy experience.
I have drafted an itinerary that will get us to milan, venice, florence, cinque terre and backt o milan. Hopefully we will be able to pick-up our car in florence and drive up the cost of italy to the riviera.
I really need an adventure, It has been so boring here at work...so boring I have even considered mat leave as an escape - that's crazy. Maybe I will feel different after my trip.
I need to get some new lenses for my camera. Can't wait to try them out.
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Room 610 - Hotel Kamp - Helsinki
Alan miscalculated the time change from Sweden to Finland which set off a chain reaction of events. We had ten minutes to get the the Ferry to Estonia - it was rush hour in Helsinki. When we finally arrived at the Viking terminal it was departure time. We were 20 kronos short for the cab but thankfully he let it go. I burst into tears as I watched the ferry depart from the terminal gate. I was banging on the gate yelling "don't go!". At that I could hear the departing horn and the griding of its engines and it was moving off the dock. There we both stood watching...not sure what we would do. It was then I realised htere was like a hundred people staring at me. Scandinavia is a very civilized place...
Our tickets cost $200 US and were non-refundable. Our first course of action was to se if they could be transferred to another ticket by some great act of mercy. I beleive in miracles. It turned out that the woman at the counter was able to get us on a later ferry to Turku - from there by bus to Helsinki. With no sleeping cabins available - this meant that we would spend the night on the deck or in the resturants till morning. So still a bit jet lagged we prepared for sheer exhaustion.
We boarded to Turku and quickly made friends with some other deck folk also making the best of it. We were offered a cabin for 150 Euros...yeah right...whydon't you just ask for my credit card to go duty free shopping too...
Speaking of shopping...we made like the locals and visited the duty free on the ship - there we purchased some booze, chips, and a pack of cards to hunker down with. We played a version of "bullshit" - known locally translated as "Man full of shit". with a swedish labourer, a Swedish father on his way to get his daughter from camp and 3 highSchool students: Andtti, Aino and Ina. We spent the night laughing and partying ... and making the very best of the very long trip. When we were far too tired to stay upright we crashed on the cafeteria floor. I woke up to people being seated around the table infront of me helping themselves to a huge breakfast buffet. It was a bit embarrassing - I felt like a vagabond. A Vagabond on her way to the most prestigious hotel in HElsinki: the Hotel Kamp.
We caught our bus from Turku to Helsiinki wihtout a hitch - things were looking up. It was 2.5 hours to Helsinki. We slept the whole way.
Arriving in Helsinki, I was amazed at all the beautiful lush parks along the waterway. This set a backdrop for the beautiful elegant modern and antique buildings. THe city was marvellous. Pedestrian walkways , groomed parks and shopping all combined.
We arrived at teh hotel Kamp - as beautiful as imagined. OUtside is a beautiful parka nd a street lined with cafes and shops. Flowers are everywhere. As son as we checked in to room 610 we fell asleep to the sounds of a russian man singing outside inth esplanade playing the accordian outside. And later went to the spa to enjoy the Turkish sauna and the eucalyptus grotto... and slept again int he heated chairs.
Bliss.
Our tickets cost $200 US and were non-refundable. Our first course of action was to se if they could be transferred to another ticket by some great act of mercy. I beleive in miracles. It turned out that the woman at the counter was able to get us on a later ferry to Turku - from there by bus to Helsinki. With no sleeping cabins available - this meant that we would spend the night on the deck or in the resturants till morning. So still a bit jet lagged we prepared for sheer exhaustion.
We boarded to Turku and quickly made friends with some other deck folk also making the best of it. We were offered a cabin for 150 Euros...yeah right...whydon't you just ask for my credit card to go duty free shopping too...
Speaking of shopping...we made like the locals and visited the duty free on the ship - there we purchased some booze, chips, and a pack of cards to hunker down with. We played a version of "bullshit" - known locally translated as "Man full of shit". with a swedish labourer, a Swedish father on his way to get his daughter from camp and 3 highSchool students: Andtti, Aino and Ina. We spent the night laughing and partying ... and making the very best of the very long trip. When we were far too tired to stay upright we crashed on the cafeteria floor. I woke up to people being seated around the table infront of me helping themselves to a huge breakfast buffet. It was a bit embarrassing - I felt like a vagabond. A Vagabond on her way to the most prestigious hotel in HElsinki: the Hotel Kamp.
We caught our bus from Turku to Helsiinki wihtout a hitch - things were looking up. It was 2.5 hours to Helsinki. We slept the whole way.
Arriving in Helsinki, I was amazed at all the beautiful lush parks along the waterway. This set a backdrop for the beautiful elegant modern and antique buildings. THe city was marvellous. Pedestrian walkways , groomed parks and shopping all combined.
We arrived at teh hotel Kamp - as beautiful as imagined. OUtside is a beautiful parka nd a street lined with cafes and shops. Flowers are everywhere. As son as we checked in to room 610 we fell asleep to the sounds of a russian man singing outside inth esplanade playing the accordian outside. And later went to the spa to enjoy the Turkish sauna and the eucalyptus grotto... and slept again int he heated chairs.
Bliss.
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
Bored Stiff
It has been over 12 weeks now that I hardly done anything at work. I have taken to coming in late and walking the 40 minutes to work. I figure that I might as well take the extra time to increase the level of my health while my career deteriorates.
I have researched several interesting items on the web:
1) I have taken to planning my trip to Swtzerland and Itlay in September. That helps me feel that my wasted time here will at least come to some value.
2) I have decided to purchase a Ford Escape Hybrid - I need the extra cargo space for the Weim, the Dachsund and all our gear.
3) I have recently taken a test on webMD that has described me at severely ADHD - well that would have been good to know a long time ago eh? http://webmd.com
I have researched several interesting items on the web:
1) I have taken to planning my trip to Swtzerland and Itlay in September. That helps me feel that my wasted time here will at least come to some value.
2) I have decided to purchase a Ford Escape Hybrid - I need the extra cargo space for the Weim, the Dachsund and all our gear.
3) I have recently taken a test on webMD that has described me at severely ADHD - well that would have been good to know a long time ago eh? http://webmd.com
Awake - Finally
The clock radio mumbled in the background as I lay curled up in the sheets. It was 6:45 am. It was time to make my way to work. As I lay there with my warmth pressed into the sheets and a tired dullness that seemed to permeate everything around me, I wondered if Jason had started a pot of coffee. I need a reason to get out of bed.
I lingered a little longer and gave the feather pillow an extra hard squeeze in my arms, propping my head a little higher up. My legs spanned the length and width of our queen sized bed. I wanted to hang on to the peaceful dull feeling for as long as possible, even knowing that it was impossible – every moment brings a change.
I knew already I would be late for work. This would be a morning where nothing was going to flow easily. I didn’t feel like taking a shower. I would use a neatly twirled updo and a suit as a facade.
I walked to the ensuite to wash. I looked tired. I was tired from a lack of sleep, from boredom, from working against my grain. I was tired, because the neatly twisted hair and ironed suit always feels like a disguise. If someone had told me years ago that I would be working at this job for the rest of my life, I probably wouldn’t believe it, and would be disappointed to learn the climax of my story was so ordinary. It is like watching a bad movie and not being able to walk out. Biding time.
I put on my lipstick and proceeded down the stairs for a cup of coffee. Jay had already left. A note on the table read: I love you.
I poured my coffee into a large cream colored coffee mug stirred in two sugars and swirled in a dash of cream. It was quiet and still in the house. I needed to get to work.
I lingered a little longer and gave the feather pillow an extra hard squeeze in my arms, propping my head a little higher up. My legs spanned the length and width of our queen sized bed. I wanted to hang on to the peaceful dull feeling for as long as possible, even knowing that it was impossible – every moment brings a change.
I knew already I would be late for work. This would be a morning where nothing was going to flow easily. I didn’t feel like taking a shower. I would use a neatly twirled updo and a suit as a facade.
I walked to the ensuite to wash. I looked tired. I was tired from a lack of sleep, from boredom, from working against my grain. I was tired, because the neatly twisted hair and ironed suit always feels like a disguise. If someone had told me years ago that I would be working at this job for the rest of my life, I probably wouldn’t believe it, and would be disappointed to learn the climax of my story was so ordinary. It is like watching a bad movie and not being able to walk out. Biding time.
I put on my lipstick and proceeded down the stairs for a cup of coffee. Jay had already left. A note on the table read: I love you.
I poured my coffee into a large cream colored coffee mug stirred in two sugars and swirled in a dash of cream. It was quiet and still in the house. I needed to get to work.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)