bigger than huge

Bigger than huge are the many photos we took with the camera which Elrika bought for us. Thanks El for transacting and storing! What a treasure.
I'm trying to upload some photos without being
caught out by the company-productivity red alert- filter :)

First day in London after 5 year absence.

As I wrote in my postcard to my friends:

its like a fiery kiss from an old lover.

Familiar, but sensational. ♥ ♥

The tube, overland, red busses, the shops, the sky-line, the Thames, the boats, the galleries, the vibe, the mentality, the heart of the city.

Unreal. the names on the map speaks to me... reminds me of fun & exploration. We visited Fran and she hosted us for two nights
( Thanks my angel-cousin! ) here we are in front of her 3 storey house in SW16.

We had the spare room and we had no energy spare after the stroll around Wimbledon (and some long-awaited shopping in centre court shopping centre)

Looked how exhausted we are!

And we took a cat nap since we had arranged to meet friends at the Pitcher & Piano (which I found was no longer in Wimbledon Village... ) so we opted for the Dog & Fox (you've got to love the pubs' names!)

I've forgotten how long the bus & train take and we were 30 minutes late!

Luckily no one was dying of thirst and the first thought that sprang to Chris' mind when the barman offered assistance was : "Windhoek"

only in Wimbledon.

no problem.

It was nice seeing everybody! ( Elzanne, Marc, Simone, Fran )

Chris and I spent some time on the 39- Bus from Clapham to Putney and enjoyed the buildings and gardens and scenery as I rambled on about my old apartment, previous- house-mates, old this and that until he saw the "overland- train" sign and suggested that we better head back to Fran's if we are to get to Gatwick on time (by now we've better allocated travel-time to our daily schedule )

Plan: Meet Jane Carré (who lives in Aldershot, UK) who will swop grandma- Janet's packet (for grandchild-Nathan) for a little something we will courier to Gail (Jane's sister) who lives in Germany ( Frankfurt, Langen )

Here is a photo of me with Nathan (who is either scared by Chris' massive camera lens or my personal bubble intrusion, you be the judge)

that is allf or now... it is time for Person of the week.....

From, Maria

huge task

Along with such a fabulous holiday comes the huge task and indeed responsibility to capture it accurately and convey it truthfully.
I want to run for the refrigerator when I just THINK about it.

3 weeks

wonderful people
even more wonderful conversations & smiles... aahhh



This is such a love-story
Isn't travel a true love story...? It has the sweet first encounter.
It has the "wow: I never knew / seen / tasted this / that"

And the development.. where you really get under the skin of the country and its people and the inevitable, heartbreaking good-bye.
the grief
Pining for it .... sorrow ....
anger
acceptance





and now I am putting together the scraps of paper, the boarding card-bits, the cash receipts, the photos and in this particular case: the beer coasters! ( taken from the pubs & palaces we dined at)

Person of the week = Stephenie Meyer (writer)

Person of the week.... Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight -series of books.
Now: I could go on for hours on this lady's fantastic, super-natural and thrilling literature, but I won't, because you'll probably be nauseous when I'm done.

I get quite carried away.

Suffice to say: If your gender is female and you have a heartbeat:
READ it! It will remind you what its all about....

Sunday: 12th Sept
The fascinating and hauntingly ♪ ♪ romantic composer, Howard Shore, who is the talented and awesome genius behind the score to the films (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, etc)
as well as "Lord of the Rings" ♪ films ♪ and since I probably won't be thinking of Person- of-the -week next Sunday (I'm finally visiting my friends Julie & Steve in Zurich 10th - 14th Sept) I'll give that virtual - trophy to his highness-Howard, who has the gift and power to transport listeners to ... a magical world. Words fail me.

♪

Here's to music.

Pictures of my 30th Birthday Lunch

Birthday Bliss.... started a week early. 28th August Lunch --Spoilt rotten at work on Friday 3rd Sept. (Pics at the end)





Lovely Lunch at Schoongezicht Guesthouse
Even better hospitality.








Thirty is not bad at all... it was a day of poetry and laughter..



i carry your heart with me
by E. E. Cummings


i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)









As once the winged energy of delight
carried you over childhood's dark abysses,
now beyond your own life build the great
arch of unimagined bridges.

Wonders happen if we can succeed
in passing through the harshest danger;
but only in a bright and purely granted
achievement can we realize the wonder.

To work with Things in the indescribable
relationship is not too hard for us;
the pattern grows more intricate and subtle,
and being swept along is not enough.

Take your practiced powers and stretch them out
until they span the chasm between two
contradictions...For the god
wants to know himself in you.

Rainer Maria Rilke












stunning - overwhelmingly special gifts from my Metropolitan-friends. Thanks all!

bag filled with goodies which made my heart sing!