Welcome to New York - Home Sweet Home

It was sad to leave Europe. I was up bright and early and Jean Marie and I had breakfast at 7:00am and we were off to the airport by 7:30am. Jean Marie dropped me off and she was then going to spend the day shopping her way back to Galway. I know she'll enjoy not having me to drag around with her.

It was very nice to land safely at JFK Airport in New York. I took the Airplane shuttle to Jamaica Station to get the E train to Manhattan and when I arrived at the transfer spot I could see my beautiful city in the distance and I could not help but smile at seeing the familiar cityscape.

It is great to be back and it didn't take much time before I was back in the swing of things. About and hour and half to be exact. I arrived back at my apartment, unpacked and was off to my aunt's office to see if her IT person could take a look at my laptop which decided not to work as soon as I arrived in Dublin. Sadly the computer needs more care than I had anticipated so I will have to make a visit to the Little Lap Top Shop in the Lower East side sometime soon.

I then ran some errands and was home in time to watch a little mindless TV and off to bed by 9:30pm.

My second day I had more errands and then theater in the evening with Amelia and Cynthia at the Roundabout's Laura Pels theater. The play was Streamers by David Rabe which was interesting but I had to leave during intermission as I could hardly keep my eyes open.

I had the pleasure of lunch with little sister Stacie and then dinner at Julia's apartment with Pam, Brenda, Sandra, Tracey, Sara and Nina. It was so great to just sit and chat about everything and catch up on all that had happened with the yearly Aching Dogs show. Pam got a welcome home cake for me and a birthday cake for Brenda who celebrated her b-day in early November. It was all so wonderful with good food and great friends.

It has been a great way to come home and I could not ask for better friends in the whole world. I look forward to seeing all the rest of them when I get back from Thanksgiving in Boston. Mom is visiting for a few days as well which is always lots of fun.

I know, with the exception of the cold, I will enjoy the holiday season very much. I was so blessed to be on such an incredible journey these last few months and I will always treasure my memories.

Welcome to Dublin

November 16 - Day IV

The morning started off with some time in the pool, steam room, sauna and whirlpool and was just the perfect way to begin the day.

Jean Marie and I had breakfast at 10:15am and then I came up to the room to use the computer and she was off to a store we discovered last night while searching for the church called the Home Store. It is owned by the same company that owns TJ Maxx in the States.

We are spending they day doing some sightseeing and Jean Marie will get to do some more shopping as well. She saw a Christmas Tree Shop (like the one in the States) somewhere between here and the Kildare Village so we are going to try and find it in between enjoying the little towns

November 15 - Day III

Another nice day here in Ireland and we are all so thankful for the mild temperature and the off and on presence of sun.

We had breakfast early and were off for the day. We went to a charming little town called Athlone which I had been to several years ago and was happy to go back and walk around the adorable old streets with all the charming houses.

We enjoyed the view from the little bridge into toward the bay and the row of colorful houses. We also found along the water way the oldest bar in Ireland which dates back to 900AD. There is very little left of it but a hut and some outdoor seating but it is still amazing that it is around even today.

On one of the streets we came across a row of houses that were two floors but each house must have been made for very tiny people even the doors were miniature.

From there we drove through the other small towns around the area and eventually made our way to the only Outlet shopping center in Ireland, Kildare Village shopping center. It was actually a really lovely place. They created an old time Ireland feel with the architecture and design and we walked around about bit. I found a nice pair of shoes half off at Clarks and then we went for a snack at, of all places, Starbucks.

Next we went in search of a church for Saturday night mass and we found one, with the help of some locals, about 5 minutes from our hotel in Lucan. I went to mass at Saint Patrick's and Jean Marie continued shopping at someplace called SuperQuinns and met me afterwards.

Mass was really lovely with a large choir singing festively. I was happy when I first sat down thinking this will be good as it is the first mass in over two months where the priest speaks English and I can understand what is being said. I was wrong of course because English with a think Irish accent can be just as difficult to make out as a mass in all Czech.

Jean Marie and I then went to dinner at Lemongrass, a nice Thai restaurant next to our hotel. The food was very good and then we were back at the hotel by 9:30pm and Jean Marie was amazed that I was heading to bed so early but I was exhausted. Shopping is not my thing and it makes me more tired than just about anything else.

There have been hordes and hordes of shoppers no matter where we have gone. This country really loves to shop. Not to mention our hotel has been jam packed for days. I can not believe how many families take mini breaks on the weekends and take all the kids away to a hotel. I am glad to see that people our out enjoying their country but the amount of people is astounding.

Jean Marie got us a large room with a separate living space and there is a pull out sofa in that area. Jean Marie has been sleeping there because she likes to stay up late and watch TV and then get up and watch TV. She has gotten this room many times before when she comes up to Dublin with her friend Ann Quinn to go shopping so she knew that the room was large and had to separate spaces. It was very nice of her to think of this since she knows how much I like to have quiet when I sleep.

Nvember 14 - Day II

Woke up early to a sunny day here in Dublin which surprised me but I am so thrilled. I headed right to the gym and swam and did the sauna, steam and whirlpool for an hour which was just perfect. This hotel is really wonderful. The room is large and the hotel is clean and the staff is very friendly and helpful.

Jean Marie and I headed out to Dublin center and I must admit I love the city more and more upon every visit. Jean Marie did some shopping the beautiful Saint Stephen's Green shopping center which is gorgeous and beautifully decorated for the holidays.

I headed to the National Library of Ireland to do a little research. On the way I walked about town and stopped in at Laura Ashley (one of my favorite stores) and Clarks shoes (also one of my favorite stores) and even saw a store called Pamela Scott and since I have a wonderful friend named Pamela Scott I just had to take a picture. I didn't buy anything so I headed to Trinity College and walked through campus and then made my way to the library which is a wonderful old building still being refurbished and on my last visit much was covered up but this time I was able to clearly see the beauty of the interior and exterior architecture and design elements that make this a very special place to visit. They are having an exhibit on the life of William Butler Yeats which is well worth a visit. I had done the exhibit three years ago when I visited so I headed right to the reading room entrance.

I spoke to the Security guard and began to explain that I would like to see a particular book when the gentlemen asked how long I would be in Dublin. I of course quickly thought he was going to say I would have to come back but then he asked where had I come from. He basically just wanted to chat which was so adorable and he told me all about his last visit to New York and just some odd bits about his life. He was clearly retired from a previous job and just doing this now I guess for extra money and also to keep busy. He seems very much a chatter and this is perfect for him. His name is Michael O'Sullivan and we eventually got back on track to what I was doing there and he personally brought me over to this youngman who processed my request and allowed me up to the exquisite reading room on floor up. The reading room is large with a dome painted in varying colors of blue and green and has at the base of the dome sculptures of angels that span the entire circumference of the room. I love this place it is so conducive to studying. This library has an extensive collection and I was impressed with the hundreds upon hundreds of rare books they have on Shakespeare alone. I could not find the exact rare book on George Bernard Shaw I was looking for and was getting ready to leave when the nice Irish man behind the counter told me to wait just a moment and he rushed in the back and came out with the perfect book. Everyone in this city could not be more helpful if they tried.

After the library I walked to Saint Stephen's Green Park and took some pictures and then met Jean Marie at the shopping center.

We were off to do some errands and tour around and ended up along the shore in Howth which is such a great place to live but Jean Marie tells me it is very expensive. It looks a lot like South Boston to me.

Later that evening at Jervis Shopping center and Jean Marie did a few more errands and down Henry Street which is so lovely and full of stores and when we got to O'Connell Street the Christmas decorations were breath taking.

We had a fantastic dinner at Le Bon Crubeen on Talbot Street. The owner came over to the table to inquire where I was from and when I said New York City he informed me he had a restaurant there on 54th between Park and Madison called Bills. I have been past that place a million times but never gone in so now I will have to make a point of trying it since the food here was so unbelievably good.

Jean Marie dropped me off at the hotel so I could do some more work in the gym and she went off to the Liffey Valley shopping center to run a few more errands.

It was a lovely day and Jean Marie got to do all the things she loves and I enjoyed myself just being in such a great old city with incredibly charming and lovely people.

November 13 - Day I

I woke up around 6:30pm and went to my balcony for the last time and took a picture of the quite town just before dawn. I had packed last night so it was quick to get myself ready and down to breakfast by 7:00pm and that even left me time for a 15 minute walk up stream along the river to make a final pass by the Grand Hotel Pupp and I took a picture of the cherub statue playing the harp that is in the right hand corner of the hotel and something I had admired each time I passed by.

I then walked over the Pupp bridge to the other side of the river and then along the river for a last sip of fountain number 1C and just a tiny bit of time inhaling the mist from the geyser along with all the other guests who heard it was good for you.

I then took my familiar walk along the river where I stopped at one of the beautiful yellow rose bushes and performed my daily morning ritual of stopping to smell the roses. I can not believe they are still in bloom but I am grateful they lasted to my last day.

A cab took me to the bus which then took me to the Prague airport in an hour and 45 minutes. The ride was so beautiful with rolling hills and green pastures, farms and tiny villages to admire along the way.

My flight was not until 3:15pm so I dropped my luggage off at the airport luggage room and was in a shuttle bus to the city just a little after 10:00am. They dropped me off at the Roma hotel where I stayed with Melody just a few weeks ago and that was perfect because I had wanted to walk through Kampa once more time.

My stroll was perfect with the sun shining and not too many tourists since the low season has begun. I made my way over the Charles Bridge and walked around the old town area a bit before having lunch at Restaurant U Knihovny at 10 Veleslavionav street. It was a restaurant Mom, Melody and I had found last year and it was still as lovely and the food was great.

I made a little visit to the Old Town square just in time to see the Astronomical clock perform it's ritual of the passing by of the 12 Apostles in the upper windows. It happens every half hour and I made it minutes before the bells rang and the process began.

After that it was a nice walk to the National theater at the Republika subway station and then down to Wenceslas Square where I got the yellow train to the airport stop and then picked up the bus that takes you directly to terminal 2. I arrived at the airport exactly 2 hours before my flight so it was perfect. I reclaimed my luggage and then checked in for my flight. It was all seamless and very easy.

I arrived safely in Dublin, thank God, and when I went to airport information to find out if there was a shuttle bus to the Clarion Hotel I was staying at the gentlemen behind the country greeted me with a familiar accent but not one I expected to hear in Ireland. He was from Slovakia and is working in Dublin right now. It was so nice to hear him speak and I felt for just a moment or two like I had never left Karlovy Vary. He was so helpful and he recommend the Flybus shuttle which did take me directly to the Clarion hotel in Liffey Valley which is only about a 20 minute ride from the airport. My sister, Jean Marie is meeting me there.

It was sad to say goodbye to the Czech Republic but I know it is all for the best and that I will be very happy when I get home to New York and to my wonderful life there. For now I get to enjoy Dublin and all the great things that make it a truly wonderful city to visit.

Wellness Journal - Final Days

November 12 – Day XX

My last full day in Karlovy Vary stared early with a quick breakfast and an 8:00am Sub aqual massage followed almost immediately by a Twiggy massage. Hana came up with a new formula to slather on me and this time it was green and smelled a little like dirt. She painted me with it and then wrapped me up in cellophane and blankets and I stewed once again for a half hour. She had put rosemary oil on me prior to the green goo so I kind of felt like a roasting chicken wrapped up in dirt and placed in an oven. This time however the mixture had a warming agent so instead of being cold for a half hour I was nice and toasty warm.

I said goodbye to Han and will absolutely miss her although the painful massages I guess I am very happy to have done with.

I had time for a bit of a walk which was perfect. It is an overcast day but I am happy to have any time this last day just to walk around and enjoy the town.

I stopped off at fountain number 1C for a little extra water cure since it was my last day and to my amazement there were a group of a 50 Italian teenagers and 10 teachers here on a class trip. I am sure they were visiting Prague and just came her for the day but I heard them speaking Italian and could not help but listen. I think I picked up a bit more of the language than I thought during my month there and understood one teacher tell the other one after tasting the water from fountain 1C that it was not as bad as she thought it would be. She thought it would taste like bad eggs but just very salty. I am sure this woman had been to a sulfur spring before and that is where the bad egg taste comes from. The kids all tried the water as well making cups with their hands and it was so funny to see them all cringe at the taste. It was also nice to hear some a language that was familiar for a little while anyway.

I had lunch at noon and then my final Lymph Drainage procedure which turned out to be my favorite because it is so strangely relaxing.

I surprisingly had about an hour to walk around the town before my Hydro Colon Cleansing at 3:30pm followed directly by swimming, Hydrotherapy by Kniepp, another Sub Aqual massage and finally to end the whole treatment series 15 minutes of Ionic Air Inhalation therapy.

It has been an incredible 3 weeks and although I thought in the beginning it would move very slowly it has in fact flown by. I will miss this town extremely but know that it is time to move on. I have met incredible people who have welcomed me into their community and helped me to better understand life in Central Europe. I will always treasure the memories and look forward to continuing my new healthy lifestyle in New York with eating lots of vegetables and fruits (non preservative rich food) and a great deal of exercise. Getting healthy and staying that way is a lot of work but I know it is well worth it and certainly having spent these 3 weeks in an intensive program was the perfect way to begin.

The day ends with dinner and then a walk to fountain number 11 with Ida just to get that one last bit of mineral water cleansing power.

November 11 – Day XVIIII

What another gorgeous sunny day in Karlovy Vary.

I was up and out for my morning water cure early and then to breakfast before my 8:30am Anti Cellulite massage with Hana. I am going to miss Hana very much and although a great deal of the massages were painful I can feel the difference in my body.

Hana speaks only a few words of English and since I speak no Czech we have had a very interesting time communicating but yesterday, which I had forgotten to mention when I posted my blog last night, Hana showed me pictures of her two lovely daughters who are in their mid-thirties and her three adorable granddaughters ages 19 to 11. I had asked her before is she had children and pictures are always a good way to communicate when words are not easily associable to either of us. I was able yesterday to understand that her oldest daughter was divorced and the man in the wedding picture she was showing me was not so good. I did however learn from that picture that Hana is extremely talented at making lace and actually made her daughter’s exquisite wedding gown. I would have never guessed she had such an incredible talent for something so delicate since she is a very forceful massage therapist and I just didn’t associate those hands to doing something like making lace.

Well today she brought me in some new pictures because she wanted me to see that her daughter is remarried something she could not verbalize yesterday. The wedding pictures were amazing and they had a Medieval themed wedding with the bride and groom and all the guests in period costumes. It was so wonderful and Hana seems to really love her new son-in-law. She called her daughter while I was all wrapped up in my cellophane cocoon stewing in the special anti cellulite concoction that Hana had created and slather all over me before I was wrapped up like a mummy. Her daughter explained in English who the people were in the pictures I was looking at. I am so glad Hana was excited to share all this with me. I think the normal guests who come here do not make much of an attempt to get to know the Czech people and that is too bad because they really are such lovely people who want to share things about their life. The last few pictures she had in the photo album were of her and her boyfriend in Greece two years ago. Hana’s husband passed away 11 years ago and she had tears in her eyes when she was trying to explain that but she did say she was happy now with this new man which I am happy to hear. The last bit of information which surprised me was that before she became a massage therapist she taught children from age 3 to 6 for almost 23 years and her oldest granddaughter now wants to be a teacher as well. Hana said, and I think I understood her well, that she stopped teaching because there were not as many young children for a time in this area of the Czech Republic and only recently has there been an increase in people having children. I am so glad I got to know more about her life. We have spent over 20 hours together in the last three weeks and to not get to know someone on a more personal level is difficult for me. I am so nosey and also I just think life is so much more interesting when you make an effort to understand who a person is and what is important to them.

A very busy day ahead with lots more treatments including a Carbon Dioxide Dry Bath, Hydrotherapy by Kniepp, 15 minutes of personal exercise training, inhalation therapy and even a Hydro Colon cleansing. Amazingly I still have some time for a long walk.

I had to say goodbye to Nikola tonight after inhalation therapy. I will miss her and am so glad I had the pleasure of meeting her.

I also had to say goodbye to Jiri at the front desk in my hotel since he is not working tomorrow night. He is adorable and so sweet and loves to chat and practice his English. He is going to the theater in a few weeks in Prague to see a 19th Century Italian comedy and he said he’ll email me and give me his thoughts. It also turns out that the theater directly across the street from my hotel is doing Long Days Journey into Night by Eugene O’Neill in December so I told him all about it and recommend it highly if he would like to see a quintessential American play, an American masterpiece to be exact but I am not sure he’ll go since I told him it is a four hour drama and he kind of cringed at the thought. Either way it is nice that he’ll be keeping in touch he is just so sweet.

Now having said goodbye to Jiri and given him a hug I was sure that was the last I’d seem of him for the evening but I then locked myself out of my room so he had to go get some tools and come up and rescue me. It took a lot more than one could imagine but he did it and all was good until I walked into my room and turned on the lights which flashed and then went dark. I had to make the trek down four flights of stairs again just to have to explain I needed his help once more. In the elevator ride up to the 4th floor he said it must be that I am sad to say goodbye to him that I keep having all these problems. I suppose I am sad to say goodbye to all of the wonderful things about Karlovy Vary but I do swear it really was just an accident with the key and the lights well who knows on that one. My room was once again illuminated and I said goodbye to Jiri one more time.

November 10 – Day XVIII

It started out to be a gorgeous day as the sun rose around 7:00am. I took some pictures from my balcony and of the reflections on the balcony doors.

I quickly got myself ready and down to breakfast because I had an 8:00am Sub Aqual Massage and then a 9:00am Twiggy massage.

I had a few hours off in this morning after the first tow treatments I took a two hour walk around the wooded area behind the Hotel Pupp and by the Richmond hotel in the Beethoven Park. It was the walk I took on my first day here with Melody and each time I go there it still makes such an impression. I found a Japanese rock garden near the Richmond hotel and a stream at the other end of the road. I also went past the tall wooden towers that Melody and I had observed the first day and wondered what they were for. It turns out they have an open air theater there and do performances in the summer months.

I went for my midday water cure and was back in time for my 12:00pm Carbon Dioxide Dry Bath.
After lunch it is a massage, Hydrotherapy by Kneipp and inhalation therapy as well as water exercise and my 15 minute personal fitness training session. Oh what a busy, busy day and there was still time for another hour walk before dinner.

The lovely German woman from Düsseldorf who I met in the inhalation room a few days ago met me on my way into the spa and she had been hoping to see me earlier because she had wanted to take me to afternoon tea at the Grand Hotel Pupp with her and her 7 friends. It was so thoughtful of her to want to take me but I had three more treatments to do and I really must focus on that since I have only two days left after today. I have been so fortunate to meet the most gracious and wonderful people here.