From Gatwick to Zurich... in 50 minutes....

Chris took some awesome photos from the aeroplane-window. The clouds were magical... little did we know that P L E N T Y of magic was still lying ahead.
( I mean, I guessed, but my little brain had no idea!)

The type of "connection" you experience seldom in your life (Julie & Steve) , the epic U2- concert and the power of an organized and powerful country settles in your heart... and warms it.

EasyJet: cheap-airline of choice....





so civilised... we'r on the tram ( In Zurich )






no shortage of yummy-little edible artworks


√ Julie and Steve guided us on an introductory tour of Zurich. The clean water, the view of the alps, the sunny-Saturday: all added to an unforgettable, lazy-Lucky Saturday. What a priviledge to see your friends, have a beer (which turned out to be my default order from this point on) and smell & taste this amazing city.
If there is one country which has its act together . . . this is it.

Then the boyz took the monster-sized camera home (Witikon) while Julie and I had .. yes.. another beer with friends of theirs. Fellow- State Street employees, U2-concert-goers, I met Alex and Sheila, I met Paul, I met another Alex ( very fit & sporty ) as well as the charming couple Louis & Maria (their son Tiago did not get a U2- ticket :)
oh yes,
and Louis' cousin ( also Swiss-Italian) joined us and once Chris and Steve caught up, we hopped on a tram to the Concert-venue.
Oh; of course in Zurich your U2-ticket is also your tram / travel pass.

so organised.. I've started to get used to it :)



the three musketeers getting pre- beers


♪

the before-act was 1 Republic... very catchy & recognized a number of tunes ♪


and then Bono ROCKED !!! U2 forever !!! ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪






U2 was awesome - good mix of new & legend tracks, they conquered.. the heart of Zurich...


U2 !!!! ♪ ♪ ♪






our lovely-party animal- fun loving hosts, Julie and Steve Fallon.



afterparty:




as if this holiday needed another high.... High altitude was the order of the day.. after a BIG night out, we hopped into the rental-van and headed for Gottard-pass.
pics says it all

chapter 1B

London Chapter 1B....

Ok, so I've forgotten to talk about the shopping spree we had in Oxford Street.
In my earlier post (bigger than huge) I skirted the event... as my credit card is still a wee bit unhappy with me and its best to just whisper about it

I'll just upload some photos and smile.
First stop: Marble Arch






an old favourite... even if just to look.
spoilt for choice...





trying on and trying on.... like when we used to play dress-up when we were 6 !














I also helped a bit, made suggestions, brought the appropriate sizes to the change-rooms...






oh Chris... please may I have it ???








z a r a



We were exhausted from all the sights & sounds.
Thanks Fran: you were awesome company.
See you soon (December!)

x

Person of the week= Pablo Neruda ♥

Cotapos says your laughter drops
like a hawk from a stony tower. It's true:
daughter of the sky, you slit the world
and its green leaves, with one bolt of your lightning:

it falls, it thunders: the tongues of the dew,
the waters of a diamond, the light with its bees.
leap. And there where a long-bearded silence had lived,
little bombs of light explode, the sun and the stars.

down comes the sky, with its thick-shadowed night,
bells and carnations glow in the full moon,
the saddlemakers' horses gallop

Because you are small as you are, let it
rip: let the meteor of your laughter
fly: electrify the natural names of things.

Pablo Neruda.


and yes- so it is that I've broken the rule of " I have to personally know the" PERSON OF THE WEEK" as this man just speaks to me.
Pablo: you are the person of the week.
well-done.

Enjoy the weekend all!
Love
Maria

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!