Back in Reykjavik

We're back in Reykjavik now after two smooth flights and a somewhat scary morning. We woke up at my friend Zara's house in the middle of London when we heard about the news of the bomb that was meant to go off last night really close by. For a moment we didn't know if we should take the tube, if all of London was shut down, if and how we would get to the airport, how safe it all was, etc.. Luckily, things turned out to be okay... We took the tube to Heathrow and it was a smooth trip all the way. Much better than last time when we took the tube with our luggage during rush hour. Patrick still calls me a public health hazard with my mega backpack that can knock over three people in one turn. :-(
Regardless, we made it okay with plenty of time left before our flight. Heathrow is crowded as can be and security is tight, with police guys walkig around armed to their teeth with machine guns, bullet-proof vests, handguns and whatnots. Not a very soothing sight, especially after this morning's news. The Londoners, however, seemed amazingly cool about the whole deal, going about their regular business without much ado. Impressive, in many ways.
That's about all for now. I should go walk around a bit before bording - we can sit enough once we're on the plane. We will talk to everyone soon, in one way or the other...

Time to say good-bye

It's a rainy, cooler day in Berlin and the weather somehow goes with the mood. We're getting ready to leave Germany tonight to go back to London for a day, from where we're leaving to Reykjavik, then New York and finally Nashville tomorrow. It is not that we aren't ready to go home, but it is strange to leave the place that is also home for an indefinite period of time. It is especially hard on my parents to see us go. And it isn't easy for us either to leave family and good friends behind again. I leave with trepidations, I admit, returning to an exciting, but unfamiliar place in mine and Patrick's life. I guess having left Nashville and now leaving Germany, two familiar places with friends, family and memories attached to them, makes what is to come seem even more like a turning point in our lives. Interestingly, the "daily om" (see bottom right of blog) today talked about pushing ourselves to wander across new territory, despite initial feelings of discomfort, uncertainty or even anxiety. I especially liked the folowing part: "temporary discomfort is a small price to pay for the evolution of our soul". I don't know if it's adequate, but it hit me nevertheless.

All the ruminating aside, we're excited to return and we are scheduled to do so around midnight on Friday. We'll probably stay in Nashville just long enough to run some errands and then take off to Knoxville either Saturday or Sunday. We'll be in touch with new contact information, etc..

Time to go... until soon...

Aufbruchsstimmung

Es regnet gerade hier in Hönow und ich habe soeben den Versuch eines Mittagsschläfchens aufgegeben... bin wohl doch zu aufgeregt zum Schlafen. Heute abend geht es schon wieder los, erst nach London und morgen dann von dort nach Reykjavik, dann New York und schliesslich irgendwann nach Nashville. 5 Städte über 3 Airlines und 2 Tage machen wir auch nicht wieder, aber es war ein Versuch und nun wissen wir, dass es sich lohnt, in den direkten Weg zu investieren. Wir sind jetzt 3 Wochen hier in Deutschland und 4 Wochen insgesamt in Europa gewesen und da sieht man mal wieder, wie schnell die Zeit vergeht. Zu Hause kommt einem so bekannt vor, dass man sich schnell an die bekannten Abläufe und Orte wieder gewöhnt und sich eben zu Hause fühlt...nicht aber wie im Urlaub an einem fremdem Ort, den man nur besucht und besichtigt, aus dem man dann aber auch wieder abfliegen muss. So ist es jetzt schon komisch, Sachen zu packen und das Haus zu verlassen als würde man zum Supermarkt oder übers Wochenende wegfahren, und es kommt dann erst der Gedanke "Man kommt erst wieder in ? Monaten in dieses Haus, weil man jetzt erst mal in das andere Zuhause muss." Ich weiss nicht, ob sich die USA schon wie Zuhause anfühlen, aber das Wissen, dass da eben jetzt auf unbestimmte Zeit Wohnen und Alltagsleben stattfinden werden, hinterlässt schon das Gefühl bei mir, zwei Zuhause(s?) zu haben.
Grübeln beiseite... es war schön, wieder hier zu sein, bekannte Orte, Freunde und Familie wiederzusehen, und es fällt schwer, auf unbestimmte Zeit adieu zu sagen. Dennoch bleibt das Wissen, dass das alles ja nicht aus der Welt und ein Flug zwar ein finanzieller Aufwand, aber keine 3-Tagesreise mehr ist.

Zeit, nochmal überall zu gucken, dass wir nichts vergessen haben. Wir melden uns von den verschiedenen Stationen unserer Reise, sofern möglich und neue Kontaktdaten gibt's dann bald per Email.

Haltet die Ohren steif und besucht uns, sonst besuchen wir Euch ;-)

No news...

...is good news. We've been away from the blog for a bit, mainly because we've stayed put here in Berlin to be lazy, meet friends, and look at all the things that have changed since we last left. We've also spent time with family and relatives and we're still going through some papers, books and clothes that we left behind more than two years ago. Step by step we're taking things back to the States and I have a feeling this way our move won't really be completed for another few years ;-).
We've begun our last week here and slowly but surely we're starting to become a bit anxious, remembering that we have a new home waiting for us with plenty of boxes to unpack, possibly walls to paint, furniture to buy, things to re-arrange and to decorate, lots of errands to run, a new city and a new neighborhood to get to know...and the list goes on. We've enjoyed Europe and our stay so far and no doubt it will be really difficult to leave family and friends behind again. At the same time, considering the events of the last weeks and months, it will probably be good to have some time in our new home, allowing for the changes to sink in and allowing ourselves (and especially myself) to prepare for the challenges I expect to come.

For the moment, though, we're here, looking forward to another few days in Berlin. Below some pictures of the last days with friends and our big family barbeque night last night :-)

yin and yang

Day and night, sunshine and rain, yin and yang...whatever you want to choose... The idea is that we've had a really nice day (two, actually) and a really shitty day this week. On Sunday we took up my mom's offer to go to the city with us, just to stroll around and enjoy the beautiful weather with a walk, some beer and/ or some ice cream in a cafe somewhere along the way. We walked along what always has been and still is one of my favorites in Berlin: Unter den Linden (the long boulevard with old museums, churches, bridges, libraries, a university, etc. leading up to the Brandenburg Gate, coming form the East). Really nice, indeed.

#1: with my parents

#2: the famous Berlin TV tower

#3: P enjoying his beer

#4: ...my mom and I enjoying sweets

#5: one of many cathedrals (the Berlin cathedral in this case) and the Neptun fountain

#6: in front of my alma mater

#7: take a guess...



Yesterday went on our daytrip to the Baltic Sea - to the island of Usedom, from where you can practically spit to Poland (not literally, of course). The three towns by the sea (Ahlbeck, Heringsdorf and Bansin) are arguably some of the most beautiful spots in all of (East) Germany. we left early in the morning with my mom's little Smart car (TINY! I have to take a picture) and returned at night. We strolled along the beach boulevards, hung out at the beach for a few hours, dove into the icy cold water, ate lots and lots of fresh fish and soked up the sun. Later in the day we went to the city of Greifswald, an old university town. My friend Sabrina is just finishing her studies and getting ready to go to Cape Town for half a year, so we thought we'd stop by to see her for dinner. When we returned around midnight, we were exhausted, but happy about a beautiful day, in every sense.






Today then we got ready to explore the former West Berlin and right off the bat Berlin had to remind me of its less attractive sides: Only two stops from where we got on the train, the subway broke down and everybody had to get off to wait for a bus. That bus never came (at least not in the 35 minutes that we waited in the scorching heat with dozens of others) and we embarked on an hour long journey through one of the more ghetto-like parts of Berlin before we got to the train that took us downtown. Next to being upset about just being kicked off the train and left in the heat forever without any further notice, a tour in a bus full of loud kids and teenagers (who got out of school early due to the heat) without airconditioning was less than pleasant. We finally got to Berlin Zoologischer Garten (the center of West Berlin, many would say) to do some shopping. None of that proved successful either, but we witnessed the typical Berlin rudeness, just to complete the already not-so-great day. These are the moments when I am reminded of why I have such a love-hate relationship with this city and why I still do not feel homesick, much less hungry to return one day. Don't get me wrong: It has its many, many good sides and it can be a fantastic, fun city to be in. But when it's crappy, it's crappy and it can rain on one's parade thoroughly.
Tonight we are meeting another good friend of ours and after that we have decided to go to a late show in one of our favorite movie theaters. We have to return downtown, but this time of year it is beautiful to be out at night. It is light until 10.30 pm or later and people are only out to have a drink or an ice-cream or to go for a walk... all in good spirits without any stress or bad attitudes. Let's hope it'll be the nice night out that we're looking for. The movie ("Two days in Paris"), at least sounds good and has gotten good reviews. So then...

Home, sweet home

After an exciting 1.5 weeks out and about in Europe, we made it to Berlin, our final destination for the next few weeks (apart from a few trips here and there). We took the train from Erfurt on Thursday and met my parents in Berlin at the station right thereafter. We got into Berlin's new, ultramodern and huge station that was just opened a few months ago (we hadn't seen it yet). In that respect, much has changed here... Berlin is an eternal construction site and evidence is visible everywhere. Much of the city is being built anew and much is being redone still, almost 18 years after the fall of the wall. Lots of construction is being done in the area around the former "nomansland" (between East and West) and especially where the government resides. We have only driven through downtown Berlin so far, but on Monday or Tuesday we will dive right into the main drags of the city, revisiting where we lived and studied and hung out. Lots of pictures will follow then.

In the meantime, we've spent our time eating and talking and sleeping and reading, enjoying the familiarity, comfort and warmth of my parents' house. It's great to be pampered, and to feel the spirit of unconditional love and care that makes home home. Being back feels like a good mix of change and stability, in us, in my family and the environment.

Other than that the G8 summit has dominated the news since we 've been in Germany. Every night we heard and saw more about massive anti-globalization demonstrations, anti-Bush demonstrations and demonstrations for a more just distribution of goods in the worlds, especially Africa. Bob Geldorf, Bono and German singer/ songwriter Herbert Grönemeyer were present to give concerts and to help all those who went out into the streets and who camped outside the premises for days to draw attention to the all too urgent environmental issues and the vast discrepency of ressources in the world.

While I wish we could have been there for some of the action and protests during the G8 summit, we might take the opportunity to enjoy the gorgeous warm weather at the Baltic Sea (another one of my childhood favorites, as it was the one and only sea most East Germans could easily and regularly reach during their summers) for a day or two. It all depends what we feel like. That's what's beautiful about vacation...there is no pressure to do something or to get somewhere on time... Time doesn't really matter.

road trip

It's been a while since I've last had the chance to report... we've been on the road since early Sunday morning and finding enough time and an internet opportunity at the same time never happened until now. Below the last days in more detail:

Sunday, June 3rd

We got up early to get to the airport on time to fly out to London. It seemed that half of Iceland was at the airport at that early hour. We got to London Heathrow more or less on time, where my brother came to meet us. It was really good to see him again after 1.5 years and soooo helpful to have two extra hands to help us carry our luggage through the London underground. We then travelled to my friend Zara's apartment...right in the heart of the city, it was a fantastic starting point for a great walk to Buckingham Palace, through the park, to Downing Street, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, across the bridge to Southbank and back to Covent Garden and into Soho later that night. It was honestly one of the best days we've ever had in London - the most amazing weather, great company, a nice dinner right by the Tower Bridge and just the invigorating hustle and bustle of London that somehow seems so different from most other downtowns. New for both of us was a ride in a real black London cab - quite an experience and compared to current public transportation prices not all that expensive, really. Martin left us half way through our walk to meet the friend he was staying with for a beer. Patrick and I ended the day with some wine and baclava back in Zara and Scott's apartment, happy about and grateful for safe travels, reunions and friendships.


#1: Over dinner, we were lucky enough to see the Tower Bridge lift its gates...something very, very rare as we were told...

#2: with my friend Zara in a small café

Monday, June 4th

After a good night's sleep, we got up early again to schlepp our luggage a few tube stations north, where we had a date to meet my brother. We made it, but riding the London tube with so much luggage during morning rush hour was everything but pleasant for everyone involved :( Regardless, we met Martin on time, packed all our stuff into the car that he had had in England for the past 8 months (he drove it to Birmigham in October to start his position as a student teacher) and started our journey home. We got to Dover on time for some fish and chips before taking the ferry across the Channel. Once in France, we headed to Belgium and only stopped briefly to look at beautiful Brügge. Really, a stunning little place well worth visiting! We had decided earlier to continue to Brussels and to spend the evening and the night there. Honestly, at first sight I was less than impressed with Brussels...it seemed to be a bad combination of the less attractive parts of Paris architecturally (and in terms of cleanliness and smell) and the horrible tourism industry that controls downtown Prague. The immediate center is beautiful, but I find it hard to enjoy the beauty of a place when you can hardly breathe or walk, there are so many tourists, souvenir shops and overpriced restaurants. All that (and the fact that our hotel was right across from what seemed like a gigantic, nasty nuclear power plant) considerably changed my mood and it was only elevated by a late night drive through the more attractive suburbs of Brussels, on the way to the famous Atomium. We saw that just after the sun had set and it was just absolutely stunning in size and illuminating the nightsky like it did.


#3: Brügge

#4: Belgian waffles...yummy...

#5: Brussels' marketplace at sunset

Tuesday, June 5th

We got up early and pretty much drove all the way through to Erfurt, Germany, stopping only twice to eat a bite and use the bathroom. We got to my granny's place in Erfurt in the late afternoon right on time for some coffee and cake :) Martin dropped us of and moved on to Jena, a small town near Erfurt where he lives and studies. The rest of the night we took it easy, talked, watched TV and read. (I'm reading "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer at the moment...an immensely gripping book!)

#6: With my brother and my granny over coffee and cake

Wednesday, June 6th

Today we enjoyed a sunny day in the old town of Erfurt, where my granny and my mother both grew up. We walked through the old town and Patrick had his first Thuringia bratwurst in a long time and we ate potato dumplings with gravy for lunch - both German specialties and things we've long craved.

#7: Erfurt's famous Krämer bridge (the small old merchant's houses mark the edges of the bridge across the river)

#8: Patrick's first bratwurst again

How is it to be back home? In many ways it feels like I've never left, but I've had many moments along the way thinking it was good to be back in Europe. It's just home and no matter how familiar I feel with the Us by now, everything about Europe seems to speak to a deeply rooted part of me (not surprising, I assume, considering that I lived here for 25 years and have only been away for a total of 3 years). My memory of smells and sounds and places is amazingly accurate and the language problems I had anticipated and experienced when I returned from my year as a foreign exchange student never set in. I guess the German part of me is fully activated...

Tomorrow or on Friday we plan to continue home home to Berlin, with a stopover in the beautiful old city of Leipzig, where we are planning to meet another good friend of ours. We haven't made up our minds yet, but, as always, will keep you posted.

Runtur

Runtur is Reykjavik's big pub crawl that starts tonight around midnight and lasts until the morning hours (which light-wise makes no difference, as we find waking up around 1 am every night to bright twilight that never transforms into complete darkness). The plan was to stay up until then and watch the spectacle for which Reykjavik apparently is known, but at the moment I doubt that will happen. We're both back in our coffeeshop, hanging out on a couch, reading and writing and daydreaming. I have a feeling we'll just go to bed when we get back to the hostel. Seems our wild days are over ;-) Let's blame it on the jetlag and the weather... it was an absolutely dreadful day today - rain, gusty winds, "slugbelly grey sky" (a couple from Seattle just taught us that phrase ;-)) and cold. More like January in Nashville than JUNE. That alone made me decide that I would never emigrate to Iceland...I don't know how people stand the fact that this is the warmest season of the year and it's barely warm and sunny enough for the snow to melt.
Luckily, we had decided two days ago that today would be our day at the Blue Lagoon. Even that, though was rough at times. The whole lagoon is outside and the wind blew heavily over our heads. Being out of the water turned into an arctic experience, so we soaked in the pools for about 5 hours straight, lunch and bathroom breaks aside. Now we look like raisins with baby-soft skin :) I'm attaching some pictures for you to see... the lagoon is in the most surreal landscape you can imagine...all dark rocks and nothing else. Really looks like I picture the moon in parts. The lagoon itself is this fancy thermal pool that advertises its mineral and algae water and silica mud that is supposed to be really good for your skin, body and soul. Naturally, all our ailments are gone now ;-)
Tomorrow is our last day in Reykjavik and we'll try to see more of the city, hoping that the weather will be a bit kinder.

1. Our hostel (The Salvation Army Guesthouse) from the outside


2. The Blue Lagoon, part I

3. The Blue Lagoon, part II

4. The two of us looking 10 years younger after our spa day ;-) (note that what looks crazy about Patrice's hair is actually a shadow and something in the wall)