Autumn Days

I really shouldn't post about what I'm going to post about in the future, it makes it easier to put it off. Nevertheless, I am compiling a list of advice for traveling by train through Europe and will hopefully post it soon, if I have any energy at the end of any day this week to do so.

Until then, some quotes from a couple of the books I've been reading lately:
"Aye, even if a deadly sin should occur... yet faith rises again and does not doubt that its sin is already gone." ~Martin Luther, A Treatise on Good Works

"'Contrast,' philosophised Lord Peter sleepily, 'is life.'"

"What luck! Here's a deep, damp ditch on the other side, which I shall now proceed to fall into."

"...to Lord Peter the world presented itself as an entertaining labyrinth of side-issues."

"'You know,' said Wimsey, 'I think there's often a great deal in what one's mother says.'"

"It's so much better to do things neatly and thoroughly--even stupid things." ~Dorothy Sayers, Clouds of Witness (a Lord Peter Wimsey novel)

Journal Entry September 22

Today I played tourist and went to Dordrecht for the afternoon. It’s a beautiful city, the oldest in Holland. It was also the first city to back William the Orange against the Spanish in 1572. I saw the Great Church, the house of Simon van Gijn (a wealthy collector whose house was turned into a museum after his death in 1922), a WWII museum, the Augustine Church and the Hof complex, in which is the States Hall where the First Assembly of the Free States convened in 1572.

 In addition to the sights to see, there was a classical music festival going on in Dordrecht. In both of the churches I visited there were free concerts going on, as well as different music groups performing on street corners and market squares.

The WWII museum was my absolute favorite. It consisted of an upstairs and downstairs of a narrow old house, completely filled with WWII memorabilia. The museum attendants were three old men, all volunteers, and they showed people around the museum telling them all about the different pieces. I got to hold the boots of a Nazi soldier, touch a POW uniform, and hear my guide’s memories of the war. One of the things I’ve wanted to do since I got to this country is talk to someone who was alive during the war. Unfortunately most of the Dutch people that old don’t speak English. My guide spoke excellent English and was about four years old when the war ended, so he still has memories of those days. People are amazing. They did without so many basic necessities and still had the courage to fight against the Nazis who occupied their country. Many of the Dutch people who escaped during the war were trained in espionage and returned of their own free will to Holland to be a part of the resistance movement.

                                View of Dordrecht from the tower of the Great Church.

Preview

I'm working on recording my latest adventure, a day-trip to the town of Dordrecht. Until then, here's a lovely picture of one of the beautiful old gateways into the city:

Routine

Not a lot has gone on since I returned from my holiday, just the normal routine of school and extra-curricular activities. We have our good days and our rough ones, but all-in-all life is going along smoothly. I'm starting to look toward the future, which is scary.

The sky here continues to amaze me. A lot of days I feel like there are massive, silent, eco-friendly airships filling the sky above me. I'm still trying to figure out how to do a good panorama with my camera and basic photo-shop tools. Here's my latest effort:

Exercise and Veggiemite

Do you ever meet those people you wish you could carry with you for the rest of your life, pulling them out whenever you feel the need for just a certain type of conversation? I met quite a few people on my vacation last week. My expectation going in was of solitude and relaxation, but the reality was almost the exact opposite. Where I had expected a few solitary travelers, there turned out to be busloads of loud, obnoxious, fun, dear Australians, New Zealanders, a Norwegian, and a Spaniard. Where I had expected little to no conversation, I got deep conversations of future plans, religion, philosophy, service, geography, astronomy, Norse mythology, and politics. I came back probably more tired than I left, but it was a peaceful, happy tired, rather than frazzled and stressed.

For a first lone adventure it was a huge success. I started out my journey feeling incredibly nervous about language barriers and whether or not I would be able to find my trains along the way. By the end I knew that every train connection would work out somehow, and if it didn’t there was nearly always another way. I also knew that a humble attitude and a pleasant smile is the best way to communicate with anybody, no matter where they come from. Before I left on my trip I had a conversation with one of my sisters in which we decided that the best motto for international travel is “No arrogance and no fear.” I think it worked out for me and now I’m excited to plan my next adventure, hopefully a weekend trip to the UK.

                                          I climbed to the top of a Mountain!

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Holiday Planning

This week I am home alone, with the family off on holiday in warmer climes. I've been doing housework and completely vegging out, since I have no energy to do anything else. I've also been planning MY holiday trip! I'm quite nervous about getting on the right train, making the right switch, and getting to my hostel. Traveling by train across two borders will be an interesting experience. I've also learned that apparently it's not usual for Austrians to know much English, so here's hoping I ask the right people for directions!

I have this strange idea that I want to keep my itinerary and destination a secret from the internet so that They won't know where I've been until I get back ("They" being the elusive and sometimes antagonistic government agents that track people down). This is completely irrational, especially since anyone who looks at my browsing history for the past week will know exactly where I'm going and probably which train I'm taking there. I'll give a more full update when I get back, of course, as well as what I hope will be spectacular photos. Four days to go!

PS

I would just like to pat myself on the back a little and point out that I've posted at least once a month for the past 13 months (barring last October). Yay, me.