Next stop Paris and reflections on what we have in common

Dec 30

Sunday

Brussels Main Station

Sitting in the food court of this large modern facility.  Cate and I taking turns wandering around and watching our stuff.  

Our Thayls bullet train will be boarding soon.  It travels at 188 miles an hour.  

A mile every 20 seconds.  

How “did” America fall

So far behind in transportation.  

A high speed train between Portland and Seattle would eliminate the need for Horizon air shuttles. As it did between Brussels and Paris.   

And rather than jet fuel, they run on electricity.  Most of it from renewable energy.   

It was a decision by governments here to build this infrastructure.  

I was thinking, what we our governments doing when Europe was building high speed trains.   

Well.  One thing.  Fighting wars.  The four and one half trillion spent in Iraq could have built the Seattle-Portland bullet train with change left over.   

When I hear the anti tax people say, we can’t

Afford to do something.  I wonder, why were they silent when we wasted $200

Million a day in a pile

Of sand.  

If anyone had asked my vote between Iraq and a high speed train.  

If we can’t afford to build great things anymore and feed and house the hungry and unsheltered, but we can invade countries with no exit plan, then maybe we do have  something to learn from our European brothers and sisters.  

To be sure, Europe is having its struggles in self governing.  For Britain, it was a failure of democracy over elected representation.  

The populous bought a lie that leaving the EU would save

Money.   The very morning after the measure passed the Brexit leaders admitted that was not true. (More on the wonders of traveling between EU countries later )

France has had a long history of labor strikes as well as beheading leaders who cater too much to themselves and the wealthy.  

Spain is struggling with regional separatism.  With the central government making things worse with a heavy hand in responding to demands for Catalan independence.  

Other countries here seem to be figuring it out. Scandinavia and the Low Countries are enjoying relative political calm.   

Beyond Europe, it can get worse. Today we get to see a Canby friend of ours in Paris.  She had been working for an NGO in the Congo.  Her organization sent her to Paris to wait out the elections which have turned violent enough to temporarily evacuate international staff.  

It is a big world out here. Some things different.  Some things the same.  

Last night on the train from

Brugge to Brussels, a multi-French speaking couple (black Dad, white mom) and their kids sat across from us.   

The smallest, a girl, sat on her

Fathers knee as they chatted. I was able to figure out the conversation was what to bring on a vacation with the father asking his three year old. She said suitcase.  And he agreed.  She said mama and papa.  He said yes.  Then words I didn’t understand but it made him laugh and with a grin said, no.  

The girl giggled and hugged her papas face — obviously pleased with making her father laugh.  

I was 4,000 miles away from

Home and nearly two decades from moments like that with

My Then- three year olds.  

But I’ve never forgotten the joy.  And my kids know it.  Before she left for Spain, Cate got me a framed photo of her sitting on my knee as we chatted.  

As Barry said

There is more than unites us

Than which divides us.       

P

Dec 29. For real. Brugge

Dec 29

Saturday.  

Train from Brussels to Brugge

Yes.  The trains do run on time.  

Ticket office said the train was going to leave in two minutes.  

We hurried to the platform for last call.  As we were getting on I asked a British couple if this was the train to Brugge.   He said, we hope so.   And the doors closed and the train was moving.  

The intercity train runs every half hour and it will take about an hour to get to what is described as one of the most beautiful and best preserved medieval cities in Europe.  I’ll write about it tomorrow on our short train ride into Paris.  

Like London and Amsterdam, I’ve been to Paris only once and then a very long time ago as a college history student in England.   

On this trip I’ve arranged for our hotel and even dinner reservations 

On my first trip to Paris as a clueless youth, it didn’t occur to me to plan on a place to stay.  From London I took the ferry across a very choppy English Channel.  Heaven helps the fool they say.   Or maybe we make our own luck but I struck up a conversation on the ferry with a young French man who did not hide his surprise that I didn’t have a place to stay and did not speak any French.   

He gave me the name of a place where he said the owner spoke some English.  

Somehow without a map I made my way to this inn where to owner barely spoke English.  I booked a room that was out of Last Tango in Paris, minus Marlin Brando.   Its window opened onto a small balcony overlooking the Parisian street scene.   

I did bring a French dictionary which provided the Parisians I spoke with much merriment.  

This time I come with a few more French phrases and technology that will give me real time translation.      

Windmills

Out the windows I see today’s windmills.  For half a millennium the people of this area used wind to power their needs.   Today there are elegant wind turbines.  There is no small amount of irony And yes shame to be from the only developed country that is not part of a global climate change agreement.  I’ve not seen one diesel train in Europe.  So far I’ve only seen electric.  

These are some of the most populated cities in Europe, but the air is clean.  

Over beers in London with a young British businessman, we talked about our respective counties.   

“My country can’t agree to Brexit and there are calls for the Prime Minister to step down and your government just closed.  Hard to say whose more messed up.  It’s pretty close.”

During that conversation we talked about the rise of the extreme right in Europe and the US.  Several European countries are flirting with authoritarian nationalism.  In a continent that still shows physical scars on the Nazis, there is an unease about what my drinking companions are seeing. 

“Immigrants and multiculturalism are one of the things that’s makes England great and yet right wing power seekers are trying to use it as something to fear.”

I nodded.  I thought of the immigrants that I know in Canby.  I thought of my friend who manages a nursery explaining what he only has immigrants working for him.  

“I can’t get a white guy to apply because they don’t want to work that hard digging in the dirt in the rain” says my friends who is a self described gun toting red neck.  

As I travel far away from home, I think about home and the questions we face as a nation and as a community.  

I see great cities with efficient infrastructure.  Built to last generations.  

And I think of my friend Tony’s post on Canby Now about a neat idea for a park. Quickly and predictably followed by, yeah but it would cost taxes.   

Yes it would.  But if we start every conversation that way, we will abandon any real chance of building great cities.  

I heard a speech by a vet one time who talked about how she appreciated people acknowledging her willingness to die for her country.   

But she said for those at home there is more to that in showing appreciation for soldiers.   

She said it is up to those who do not serve to make sure we have a country, a city worth dying for.        

Dec 28: chilling in the hood

Dec 29 Friday

Brussels

Chilling at the flat 

After three packed days each in London and Amsterdam, we settled in for a down day today following yesterday’s tour of downtown Brussels.   More on that later.    

This morning we both slept in.  We made breakfast in our kitchen and then I got the itch to wander.  So I headed off to the Miroir Square in our neighborhood to check it out in detail and bring back lunch while Cate stayed here.  

I couldn’t go two blocks in any direction without seeing a pharmacy.  Always small and mainly prescription medicines

As opposed to bath or household items.   Still they are everywhere.   

And again, this is Jette.  Not downtown Brussels.  But still a very complete neighborhood with lots of shops and services.   I saw three opticians in three blocks.   

I love shopping for groceries.   Enjoy the cultural nuances that come through.   No real surprise, nacho chips are not big here.   Finally found a small bag.   Not hard finding vegan or gluten free food.  Maybe not more than US but not less.   

While most people (80%) of people in Brussels speak French as their first language, most that I’ve talked with are

Multilingual with Dutch as the official language of Belgium.  Road signs are in both languages.   So every street has two names.  

Most of the food products are in French so it took some effort to make sure I found what I wanted.    

When I got to the checkout I asked the clerk if his English was better than my French.  He said yes.  He spent three

Months in California - Oxnard and Oakland.   

Back at the flat we fixed up our lunch and relaxed.   

It can be fast paced traveling.  Most days my fitness tracker clocked 8-10

Miles walking and 9-11 hours standing.   

So a down day is fine with both of us.   

We have one more full day in Belgium before we get on a train to Paris and settle in for New Years Eve.   Just about a week left for me on this trip before I head back to pdx and Cate heads back to Barcelona where she will spend another week before coming back to Oregon.      

Travel has come naturally to

me on this trip. Cate will tell you I did get upset when our electronic train tickets didn’t work.     So the good news I still have things to work on.   

But there is always so much to see and learn.   It invigorates me, especially when I engage with locals.   That’s the best.  

I’m guessing I’ll do something like this again in the coming year.   Maybe back to South America.      

Dec 26: Train from Amsterdam to Brussels

Dec 26

Wednesday 

Train from Amsterdam to Brussels 

An overcast day but not wet or particularly cold.   Been very lucky with weather.   

Christmas Day was colder but generally tolerable as we walked about the museum area.   

I was delightfully surprised at the number of people out on Christmas Day.  But after all, the holiday village was open so we bought some spiced warm wine.    Then off to the first of the two museums we would visit.  

The Moco museum features contemporary artists and it had a special showing  of the street artist known as Banksy.   Edgy and thought provoking.  The perfect art for me on a day, on a month, of being open to looking at the world in a different way.   

Also featured were the works of Iranian artists Icy and Sot. They were quoted as saying, repression affects the artists first because they depend upon freedom to express themselves.   

In particular I was drawn to the image of a woman who had removed her burka headwear and a hundred birds of freedom flew from her hair.    

Then it was off to one of the greatest art museums in Europe, the Rejksmuseum.  

We should have done the two museums in reverse order.   

The building itself was a medieval work of beauty and strength.    Paintings were well curated.    But the realism of the art of 16th and 17th Dutch masters was no competition for the challenging art I had  viewed earlier that day.   

We headed to a supermarket to buy snacks for later in the evening and the next days 3 hour train ride.   I love seeing the subtle differences of grocery stores in various countries.  Many more selections of cheeses and freshly baked breads for example. 

After dropping off the groceries at our room, we headed out to see what was open for dinner on Christmas Day.  Actually quite a bit. Seems Amsterdam is popular for holiday visits.  We settled again on an Indian restaurant, as we had in London.  We found a nice place not far from our hotel. The waitress apologized for not having a full bar given they had just opened.   I thought that was a good sign to find a place looking to establish its reputation.  As it turned out, food was wonderful.   

We headed back to our room for red wine, potato chips and tv.   This time the movie was the updated version of karate kid.  

 So what did I learn?  The Dutch embrace bikes more than I had imagined.   They have their dedicated bike lanes and ride very fast.    

Unlike the US, the Dutch — like most countries I’ve visited in Latin America and now Europe — also seem to embrace self responsibility.   There are no rail crossing gates.   There are no fences around the many many canals.  (The sidewalk goes to to edge of a canal where there is no barrier or edge. Just a drop off of ten feet into the canal). It is expected you will behave as a responsible adult and not walk into a moving train nor fall into canals.   

Reminds me of the story I was told of an American tourist visiting Mexico who tripped and seriously injured himself on a broken section of sidewalk.  He sued the Mexican City and a court hearing was set for two days from then.   

The American took the stand and showed photos of the broken sidewalk and a report from a doctor on the extent of his injuries.  

In defence, the city hires two day-laborers who spent the day counting the hundreds of people who walked the sidewalk without injuring themselves.   

The judge ruled the accident was the result of the American who didn’t pay attention.     

Christmas Day: Canals, Bikes and Mary Poppins

Dec 25

Christmas Day

Amsterdam

Last night we walked along the canals.   Mild winter night in Northern Europe.  Storybook evening really.  Lights were reflecting perfectly off the calm waters of the canals.    People from around the world had come to this city.   

A early morning in London to barely catch the Eurostar bullet train to Amsterdam left us both in the mood to call it an early evening after the magic canal walk.  

We stopped in the hotel lobby for a bottle of red wine and some of the best and thinnest potato chips and headed up to watch some Christmas Eve tv

We’ve been seeing posters for the new Mary Poppins movie. 

And guess what.   They were playing the original.   

Great way to call it a day.   

The bikes.   I do have to mention the bikes.   Of course I had heard this was a bike friendly city.  

But oh so much more than I imagined.    Parents with two kids seats on their bikes.   People in semi formal wear on their way to church.     And the speed.   They ride fast.   

It really took a highly elevated sense of awareness.   

I’ll talk about the sense of self responsibility in regards to the lack of fencing along the canals later

But for the moment a rare sense of public reflection.  

There are feelings that come back to someone at a time like this.  Maybe the ghosts of Christmas past.   Some perfect.  Others providing their own sense of childhood development.    

The path to this morning in Amsterdam was not without unanticipated turns.   But if anyone  of those event had no happened, today and last night would not have been the same or possible. 

There were times when a smile did not come as easy.  Where contentment was illusory if not outright self delusion 

But along the way I got by with the help of my friends and family - past and present.  

If I haven’t told you lately, thank you.         

Back in London after 40 years.

Sunday

Dec 23

On the train from Greenwich back to flat.      

I left Cate and her friend Jasper and his friend Sam to continue the evening in the borough of Greenwich.  

As an 8 year old, I had inherited my brother’s shortwave as he went off to college.    I would listen on the shortwave as I heard, it is now (whatever the time) Greenwich mean time.   

It was literally where time began.   

I met Jasper in Barcelona and we agreed to meet again in London.    I had hoped that a boy from London would offer us a chance to what I loved the most.   To move from tourist to participant.   

In Barcelona it seemed so casual to say, let’s meet in London.   

As if meeting someone in Wilsonville and agreeing to meet in Oregon City.      

Greenwich is the home of the navel college.   It is the school where Admiral Nelson studied.  He was to change history by defeating the Spanish Armada  and establishing Britain as the undisputed ruler of the seas and the world.       

Amazing evening with these 20 somethings

They shared their impressions of Europe and America.    

After a long conversation I said, let me return the favor.   

What do you want to know about America.      

They both had the same question.     

Why would you prize lower personal taxes over access to health care.   

I tried to explain that politicians in US promised lower taxes.    

They said no English politician would be elected if he or she said they would cut health care.     

It was the evening I hoped it would be.   Away from tourist areas and with locals.   

I got on the subway alone.    Cate stayed with her friends.  I rode back on the subway system I had ridden on 40 years before as a college student.  

As then, unafraid of being outside of home.  Feeling at peace.   Feeling alive.       

Chicken curry and exploding dead kings

Saturday 

Dec 22

London night 2

Today we played tourists.  

Sort of.  

But first our Airbnb. 

It is on the third floor of a funky restaurant/bar - Metro Garden. 

Both are owned by Fran.   

I texted her last night on the tarmac of Barcelona airport after we had filled the new Norwegian Airlines 737

And then told by our pilot that London’s Gatwick was closed again due to drones.  

We finally got in the air about 90 minutes late and landed at Gatwick.    

I was pretty beat from a long day and we were able to find the train for the 45 minute ride into town.  Outside the train station we found a cab for the ten minute ride to Clapham Commons.   

As we stumbled around looking for the apartment entrance next to the restaurant, out pops Fran. Sort of a middle aged Mary Poppins who ushers us in, gives us drinks and brings us food.   

The absolute perfect nurturing for a long day of complicated travel.    

This morning we got up and found this neighborhood awash in funky shops.  It is undergoing a rebirth and there is a lot of energy here.   We started with coffee and then found a Saturday market nearby where I bought some artisan bread and quiche.   

I stopped to talk to an Ethiopian woman serving vegan food.  I never knew lent for Ethiopian Christians lasted nearly a month.  She said meat markets close for the month as people eat only vegetarian.    

Cate picked up some things and we went back to the flat to make breakfast in a nicely stocked kitchen.   

Then it was off on the tube.  We picked up tickets for a city tour bus.   Every city I’ve done this in I’ve been rewarded with an entertaining and educational time.   No exception here.  

As a college student I studied history and theater in London so I’m always excited to learn a good new story.   One of the 12th century Kings died and it took so long to decide who would replace him that the funeral was delayed.   Decomposition gases built inside of him so he didn’t fit into his coffin.  They squeezed him in so hard that he exploded.    

Now that’s a history lesson.  

We came back to the flat in the afternoon to rest and then went  to Piccadilly Circus to see the lights and a Christmas village.  

Around me were the languages of the world.  As I learned at FOB trivia with Chris, Sarah, Jennifer and Debbie —  London has more languages spoken than any city in the world.   

We walked past two Indian restaurants.   Cate asked it I had eaten at one.  Couldn’t remember but let’s give it a try.    Fancy place.  Good food and enjoyable old pair of English gents chatting next to us.  For such an old culture, one of them said of Indian cuisine, they never learned how to make good bread.   

Goodbye Barcelona

Friday Dec 21

Barcelona airport.    

So last night we read the news that the airport we are planning to fly into in London had the worlds first drone attack.   We didn’t know if we could fly in because it was closed.    

And.   Barcelona is having a general strike due to an independence movement against Spain so we didn’t know if we could even get to the airport.    

Catie says I worry too much.  

I say it’s good to have a person in a traveling duo who does worry.    

We are past security and having a late lunch that includes some remarkably good wine.    

So now we wait to board for our two hour flight to London.  

It was a beautiful and Sunny day as I said goodbye to Barcelona and Spain.   Last night Cate and I had a late dinner and I walked the 3/4

Mile back to my flat without consulting a map - for the first tine.   I felt, if not at home, at peace, as a citizen of the world.   My Spanish held

Up enough for encounters with locals who did not

Speak English.    This morning I had an entire conversation in Spanish with a young policeman about whether the subway was open despite the demonstrations.   That was invigorating.    

I almost think I have nothing profound to say today.   But I am superstitious about saying that.   I suspect only Ricky understands that one.     

So here goes.   

Last year I read a book on the brain.  It talked about how we seek to establish a routine.   That is due — according to this book — the fact that our processing mind, the prefrontal, is the smallest and youngest in terms of anthropology ( think of the small forehead of Neanderthals )

Our oldest and largest part of the brain is the basal or back portion.   We seek to take new events and push them to the back.   

It is why we sometimes take the wrong but familiar freeway exit, because our basal mind is at work.    

As hard and challenging as it is to put myself in a place where my prefrontal is always as work, it seems to be the place where I feel most alive.    

Tuesday: a genius’ masterpiece and talk of Trump

Tuesday 

December 18

Day 8 on the road

The morning began like most mornings in Barcelona, with coffee Americano and ham and cheese Croissant. The café is directly across from the B&B where I am staying. It is listed as an organic restaurant. In any case the food is tasty and the service is lovely.

Catie and I met up at Gaudi’s masterpiece, Sangrata Familia, the amazing cathedral which has taken 100 years to almost finish. Emerging out of the subway and turning to it, I had been prepared with photos of it but it’s scale and detail was beyond comprehension. We picked up the audio guided tour and spent an hour walking through the Cathedral.

I took a few pictures but quickly stopped when I realized images would not be able to capture the grace nor the detail of this place.  

The Takeaway for me was this. I have seen products of a genius. A great painting, symphony or even a great building. What I have not seen is the combination of the visionary, creator, and architect. I mean I could almost understand one man being able to write on paper images of arches and windows and doors that had never been imagined before. But to do so with the engineering and technical skills so that the whole place actually stands up, that is light years from away from understanding.

Tonight was a special night.  I was invited over to the home of the family that Catie has been working for. What a rare and wonderful opportunity to actually spend an evening in the home of a Catalon family. The apartment was small by American standards. The mom is Polish and is teaching German while also taking classes to get her masters degree.   Daniel is a delightful young boy who reminds me a lot of Ricky at his age mainly because of his golden hair.

Over dinner of pizza that Catie made, we talked about immigration and how it’s “complicated” in Europe. Spain also needs workers to do jobs that Spaniards don’t want to do. But there is a strong cultural difference in the north Africans that are coming to Spain, I was told. Some of it having to do with attitudes towards women.   Some of it religion, language and skin color.   
We talked about Trump and they seem to graciously accept the fact that countries occasionally elect leaders like this.
Their own observation of European politics has given them examples. They didn’t hold it against the United States but rather treated it as something transitory that would pass. 

Renate speaks better Spanish than she does English so at times she would ask her husband what the English word for something she wanted to tell me was. Here was a native Polish speaker asking in Spanish what the correct word was in English. Meanwhile the little boy is learning for languages. Polish, English, Spanish, and Catalan - its own distinct language that, to my ear, sounds like a mix of French and Spanish.   

A citizen of the world.