Croatia Continued

Part II of the Journey:

After our respite in Plitvice we got back on the road and headed for the coast, specifically the city of Senj. The weather was cloudy and the roads were narrow. We got a speeding ticket for 100 euros in the middle of a desolate field (of which I financed 30% of, in E.U. currency) because Martin was driving 100 km/h in a 50 km/h zone. Just a note - an oncoming driver flashing his high beams at you is an INTERNATIONAL SYMBOL for COPS AHEAD. Our wallets a bit lighter, we moved on and came to a mountain pass and began the quick descent to the coast. Suddenly the sun was shining and the wind was blowing forcefully.


The "MartyC Mobile" heading down the mountain.

Our arrival in Senj - where we had a quick grocery-store lunch before heading north again.


My personal favorite: DO NOT DRIVE INTO THE OCEAN:


After that, we took the ferry (pictured previously) to the island of Krk and drove across it -


- and then it was on to the next island, Cres, where we spent a day and a half. Cres is a long skinny island, and its main city where we stayed bears the same name.



As you can see, the water was beautiful and clear, the town small, and the atmosphere nice. We stayed in an entirely renovated and furnished apartment with complete kitchen, terrace, and view of the bay for a little less than €30 for the night. I sat on the beach and collected rocks and explored the tiny and charming alleys and pedestrian areas of the town. The beaches in Croatia are not sandy, but rather made of small stones. This is perhaps slightly less comfortable to walk on, but a huge benefit in that anybody with children takes them to the beach in Italy instead. And given the quality of the water, its really not so tragic. And eating a cheap dinner on the bay watching the sunset far from the maddening crowd is priceless.


After all of that, we headed north again for a short stopover in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Its a nice enough smallish city, with a canal running through the center and none of the detritus you would expect of the former Eastern Bloc. In fact, the whole place felt very western with its ritzy shops and expensive hotels. Perhaps the recent introduction of the Euro as the official currency has helped. Then, it was on the road again to "Avstrija":


In my experience, driving through Slovenia is always a nightmare. Whether its paying a €7 toll for an autobahn that doesn't exist, or paying a €7 toll for an autobahn that functions in the same manner as a parking lot, its never much fun. Remnants of the communist mentality, maybe? But, no pain, no gain, right?


And here's the final proof that we had a lovely holiday.

Hvratska - The Croatian Sensation

Today is my last day of freedom and winding down before the back-to-school grind starts, so I'm going to use the opportunity to fill you in on my latest travels. Martin and I packed up our things and hopped in the car early last tuesday morning and started heading south. In the amount of time it would have taken me to drive all the way across the state of Ohio we had crossed two borders; first entering Slovenia, where we were required to pay a highway toll only to discover that after a few kilometers the highway ceased to exist, and then into Croatia. The highway picked up again there, until we passed Zagreb. After that it was a long stretch of two-lane road through primitive little villages with many desolate shells of houses until we reached our first destination: the Plitvice Lakes (also pictured in previous post). This is a national park and nature preserve consisting of a seemingly endless series of blue-green lakes and waterfalls nestled into a rocky valley. The weather was a bit cloudy that day (and rainy the next), but I think the photos turned out OK.



Here is a cross-section map of the lakes, which gives you an idea of the geography:


In many places the boundaries between river, lake, and forest are blurred beyond recognition.







At least this lizard seemed to be enjoying the weather.



The woods were full of these flowers, which reminded me a bit of the Bluebells we have back in Appallachia. Mom, do you know what they are?

One last photo of Plitvice - (as always, click to enlarge)



That's enough blogging for me today, but soon to come are pictures of the coast and islands of Croatia, as well as the Slovenian capital, Ljubliana. Y'all come back now!

Hold Your Horses

I just got back from Croatia and Slovenia. Here's a photo sampler for now and the full story is on its way.

Puttin´ on the Ritz

I went to the opera for the very first time in my life on Friday, and to my surprise I actually enjoyed it a great deal. I was expecting to want to throw myself from the balcony, what with being subject to shrill singing and violin overload. Honestly, hearing opera music on the radio or seeing it on TV is akin to torture in my experience, but I was happy to discover that it is actually quite captivating when seen live in a grandiose old venue. The piece was "Manon Lescaut" by Puccini, a sort of classic love triangle story (Manon went between a rich banker and a poor student, learning that passion and luxury are two very different things and that you really can't have it all). I was able to follow the story thanks to small LCD screens mounted in front of each seat providing a simultaneous translation of the action in German and English, making the entire spectacle far more edifying. The costumes and set design were also spectacular, as the director took a very modern approach. The best example of this was when the banker called for a chariot, and what appeared on stage but a shiny new Lexus (also a clear sign of corporate sponsorship, but it was a nice touch anyway). There was the obligitary tragic ending - to which my father would probably say "She dies good". Another aspect that I also revelled in was people watching during the intermission- drinking a glass of wine and watching the mingling of Vienna's large contingent of rich, powerful, and glamourous. I don't think I'd ever seen so much fur and Chanel in one place before. I managed to fit in with my Trachtenanzug and a nice purple tie I got in West Virginia for a dollar. Real silk though :) So, in short, Martin's didactic culturisation mission was successful - I am officially a fan of the Opera. Who'd have thought?

Beat Generation - No Thank You

High time for a blog entry, I've finally decided.

I had an unexpected day off yesterday due to "Konferenzen". Upon hearing this, Martin invited me to go to Hungary with him while he went to the dentist, masseur, and barber. I would have been sitting at home otherwise, so I agreed, knowing I could get some cheap cigarettes, read a book, and perhaps collect yet another "H" stamp in my passport. Spent the entire afternoon in a small café reading "Naked Lunch" by WIlliam Burroughs (a coeval and friend of Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg). I found it in the small English section of my local bookstore and it sounded interesting, so I bought it. I really didn't know what I was getting myself into. That single drug-addled, nightmarish, and vile volume was a bad choice for my virginal reading of beat literature - it was enough to turn me off of the genre for at least a decade- and I'm certainly no prude. Having already exlored the border town of Masonmagyaróvár on several previous occaisions, I had nothing to do but to finish the entire thing. Ug. What I'm still wondering- who on earth in Eisenstadt would read this kind of stuff in English? Namely, WHY in the holy Maria's name does the bookstore stock it??

In other antisocial readings- I've spent much of the afternoon in my bathrobe consuming the insane/prurient/louche ramblings of complete strangers in the "best of" section of Craigslist.com. How is that the internet, puportedly an enabler of connectivity, can result in such hermetic practices in someone like as myself? Honestly, I think I'm looking forward to Lernquadrat reopening next week so I can spend more time having real human interaction, albeit a staccato "dialogue" regarding the proper usage of the present perfect.

Going to the opera in Vienna tomorrow- can't wait to comment on that.

Also- camera to PC transfer cable has been misplaced. No photos for no, unfortunately.

I'm Still Standing

Hello everyone-

Several things have happened since I last posted. Sorry to all for the fact that I've fallen into a hole for the past month or so.

In chronological order:

1. Christmas- I had a nice quiet Christmas in Eisenstadt. I spent it with my dear friend Alexa, with the usual evergreen pyrotechnics and gift exchange. I remembered that it was exactly this time last year that I finally came out to her- A sign that I had lots of trust and understanding with her (my colleague), and at this point our professional relationship developed into a full-blown deep friendship. She noticed that I had been a bit depressed (she would, with her intuition), mostly due to my quickly expiring and not easily renewed residency permit.

2. New Years- What fun! I had the privilege of being in Carinthia to celebrate the holiday at 2000 meters with good friends. This was in the same cabin I had visited in August. When we first arrived, there was an activity in store for us. Being eight gay men in a small cabin in the mountains, creativity is to be expected. No, this was no porno. We had to divide ourselves into two groups (couples separated) for a scavenger hunt in the woods. Each station contained a sack of liquor and sweets, and then on to the next- first group to make the round won. Naturally, the two teams met each other along the way, and I had the sophomoric yet brilliant idea to hide in the trees and scare the other group (eeeee!), which worked fabulously. All in all it was a great time. I was also happy to see that my terrible "omen" from last year was a fluke. Have I told this story? If not, here it is: I was in Dijon, France, last year for New Year's, and as the man on the TV was counting down (trois, deus, un...) I had a terrible nose bleed at the stroke of midnight. Coincidence, indeed, but who wouldn't question the portentousness? Anyway... I lived through the year and was happy to ring in 2007 without any unnecessary bodily fluids flowing.

3. My Grandmother- Jan Cornwell, bless her. She died unexpectedly of a stroke on 10 January. This was completely unexpected and unfair. Happily, she had had the opportunity to visit me here in October. The funeral is to be held tomorrow, which I will be attending in spirit from the Stefansdom in Vienna- a quintessential old church that she had particularly enjoyed. I got the news at a hectic moment between classes- not the best moment to hear of such a thing- but in the meantime I am doing the best I can to support my family and honor her. My brother will be reading a statement from me at the funeral tomorrow, and, as I said, I will be in the place that gives me the best physical approximation to her here in Austria.

So... sorry everyone that I've been so distant lately... This is why.

My love to all
-Arthur