Explaining My Absence

You have have noticed that I dropped off the radar a bit in the past week. You might have been wondering, has she been swept up in some wild European adventure? - scaling the alps, cruising the Mediterranean on a large yacht, roaming the streets of Prague in an absinthe stupor? The truth, I'm afraid, is so boring that I can hardly own up to it - I'm exhausted. That's right you're hearing this from me, Europe's # 1 gallery going, junior-league art historian can barely bring herself to go out of doors let alone to a museum. Having said that, I am writing from Rouen (in a delightful cafe playing great jazz) where I have journeyed solely because the Musse des Beaux-Arts here possesses a Caravaggio. But, other than that, I have simply been taking time off, and appreciating in a rare moment that I am on vacation, even if most of the time it feels more like a mission. I've been in some exceptionally pretty places - Prague, Strasbourg, and Colmar (where come to think of it I went to see a Grunewald altarpiece, but never mind) just walking around, treating myself to some nicer meals, and sleeping late in the mornings.

Three things stick out particularly about this last week that are worth mentioning here. One was an impromptu brush with nature behind the Prague castle. I took the wrong road down, and ended up on a tree lined path offering up views of the castle through autumn leaves. I won't deny that I didn't for a moment imagine myself as Belle from Beauty and the Beast discovering the castle in the woods. Two was the very pleasant day in Strasbourg I spent with a fellow Canadian, Haylie from Hanover, Ontario, walking around Strasbourg. We discussed among many things a mutual love for Joni Mitchell, which made me long for my ipod. Three was the wonderful shock of realizing that there was a small group of children in my hostel in Colmar on the 31st and they all dressed up for Halloween.

I'm off to Paris soon and then I will return to my usual habits, get ready for some enthusiastic thoughts about the genius of Manet.

ALSO blogger seems to be out of sorts lately and I can't add pictures OR use spell check. Sorry!