A Quiet House ..My favorite City in Slovenia

It's midnight....and the house is so quiet its spooky. Younger men folks out and hub hasn't moved from his chair....and the Harry Potter book for the last couple hours.

Zurich and Slovenia already seem so far away as to feel unreal. I was looking at my pic tonight and smiled when I saw these....they are from Purin, Slovenia. Slovenia has about 30 miles of coast line....and it feels just like Italy. In fact, over the centuries I'm sure Italy owned this little parcel of land and probably jostled Austria for it. It had such a good feel about it....I feel I could write a novel here....winding streets, cobblestones, a city carved out of a hill and of course the sea....giving it both smell and sound.

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There was something interesting about this woman...in her pose and demeanor. She graciously allowed me to take her pic.

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The magic is in the streets...in the narrow passages....in the light....in the old air conditioners paired with even older shutters.....in pink and coral houses coexisting with orange and green houses without squabbling.

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The Museum of Hostages ...Remembering my Introduction to Evil.

This is a powerful picture for me. It scares me just like the cell scared me. The picture is taken in the Museum of Hostages. A small jail/cell block preserved next to a manor in an idyllic rolling hills-pasture-land-setting. The faculty wanted us to see this place.... a series of cells where the German gestapo crammed 20-30 people in the space equivalent to a large walk-in closet. From here Jews and non Jews were either shipped to concentration camps or simply taken outside and chained to the beautiful birch trees and shot.

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The place is grim. There is graffiti on the wall. A clock with hands pointing to 1pm. Names, prayers, quotes, pictures.....gougings. In each room, artifacts are placed on a small display: handcuffs, pictures....articles....helmets...bayonets....metal drinking cups.

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I went into cell #4 and froze. The display in this room had pictures from book about a concentration camp. I "recognized" the pictures.

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I grew up in Chicago and lived in a large apartment building. My grandparents owned the building and lived on the first floor. We had two apartments ...the 2ND floor and the basement and so my grandparents place was a passage between our dual living areas and like any kid a natural place to snoop.

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One day while snooping in their main closet I came across a book. It had a faded red cover and was in Polish. I opened it and immediately became frightened by what I saw. The book had pictures of skeleton-like people who were somehow still alive and standing. On other pages there were pictures of these skeleton people dead and heaped into piles. There were pages with pictures of faces, faces of women and men standing in line for something. I put the book back...but for the next couple of weeks....I would return and study the pictures. Each time the pictures got easier to look at....but each time I became more frightened at something I didn't understand.

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My grandfather caught me in the closet...sitting against the back wall ....studying...the book. He yanked it out of my hands and told me it was not a children's book. "Who are these people?" I asked him.

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"Jews."

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But that information didn't resonate with me. In my Catholic grammar school, Jews were folks who seemed to have...in children's terminology/ideology....missed the bus. As if everyone was standing around, the bus came....and a group of folks decided it was not the right bus and would wait for the next one. The Sisters seemed to be present Jews as stubborn folks......folks who had a chance at Jesus but preferred to wait for someone/something else they would like better. This inherently did not seem to me to be a big deal....yet it somehow was.

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I remember going back to the closet and this time when I studied the faces I felt a deep fear. The people all looked like they could be part of my family. Uncle Zigmund (all adult friends and relatives were called aunt or uncle) looked like the man at the beginning of the book. Aunt Clara looked like a woman in line. Did I look any different than some of the little girls?

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I guess it was my first experience with evil....of realizing that people would do harm...horrific harm ....for no logical reason....and if harm or death could be handed out based on no reason.......couldn't someone make up a rule that would eliminate me or my family based on something they didn't like? Perhaps all blonds would be considered evil or all people with a certain type of nose could be declared unworthy of living and destined for elimination.

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Seeing the familiar concentration camp pictures in the cell....transported me back to that early introduction to a particular madness....which could spread to others simply by being near it.

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I left the cell and walked outside onto the gravel path near the pasture.

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Bells were ringing....small tinkling bells.... I realized, after a few minutes, they were cow bells....innocent high-pitched bells ringing over the hillside....and it made me feel the fear again....how could madness come to such an inherently beautiful place?

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And if these valleys and green hills and distant snow -capped Alps and meadows and early spring flowers couldn't stop evil....what could?

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I didn't have an answer.

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Micheal Moore...Lake Bled and the Lack of T-shirts

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This is not the best picture of Lake Bled in Slovenia. I took this off a tourist web page...but I think it will do the trick.

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Now look closely at the shore...actually the entire shore line of Lake Bled....okay?.....Now look closely at the Lake....and the interesting island....and although it's a bit foggy of a picture...the surrounding area......pretty isn't it?

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And that's my point.....this is an accurate representation of Lake Bled....at least the Lake Bled I saw....and what's amazing about it ....is that it is pretty....and natural...and inspiring....which is why its so odd....and totally unAmerican.

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Can you imagine what Lake Bled would look like if it existed in America? Do you think the shoreline would be natural like that....or would it be filled with zillion dollar homes and condos? Would the occasional stray gondola or sail boat be out there? or would the place be buzzing with boat rentals, wave runner rentals, para sailings...and sail boat moorings? Would the surrounding countryside by quiet....or would it be filled with McDonalds and Wendys, thousands of chalets for rent along with the obligatory go cart/miniature golf courses?

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Tonight I went to see "Sicko" and whether you like Moore or not.......the point of the movie basically is that the emphasis on profits....keeps Americans from access to universal health care coverage. The denial of claims, the withholding of treatments and benefits....exist to increase the bottom line for insurers and health care organizations. Bottom lines are like bottomless pits....because once you reach a certain marker.....the only way your organization can judge it se;f more successful the next year is by increasing the bottom line and hence the profits.

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The more I thought about it on the way home the more I felt I had finally put a finger on what was so disturbing about Lake Bled and Zurich.....these were tourist destinations....and yet they were beautiful ...they had not sold their souls at every turn at every opportunity to make a buck....or a franc or a euro.

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In Zurich...in the old section of the city....which they consider touristy....I had to hunt for a souvenir shop....I had to hunt to find a place where I could find a t-shirt for the boys that said Swiss something or other. Yes there were a few shops....but the amount of shops was considerably small in comparison to say San Fransisco's wharf area. Set Yankees lose on the place and all the charming cafes and street shops would be turned into tourist joints....of the cheapest variety.

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It was the same way in grocery stores. I love foreign grocery stores and in every country I visit I find myself poking around in them....to see what real people eat....to see what they showcase and sell. Chocolate? of course. Cakes? Yes and beautiful ones.....Chips? Processed food? Everything covered in sugar or candy? No much. Standing in line at the "Coop" in Swiss, I studied people's baskets. Fruit, Vegetables, wine, meat, yogurt, cheese, bread. Basic foods. Chocolate covered cereals? No....Tons of chips/pork rinds....no. Cheese Yes. Cheeze whiz no. The amount of junky processed foods we sell in our grocery stores in comparison is overwhelming. Yet junk equals profits.....and just like a pristine lake would not be left alone....why leave cheese alone when you can put a bit of it in a can with lots of fats and some artificial flavor and sell it?

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Billboards...advertising......Zurich and Lake Bled had some...but nothing overwhelming. Everything was rather discreet....understated....even frugal.

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In the grocery store, I was chastised by the clerk for not bringing my own plastic bag. When I looked around, both men and women, business suits and casual clothes folks, were whipping out their sturdy little plastic bags to carry their groceries home or to the train. Here, we'd be given 25 plastic bags with two items in each bag. Of course we would be heading off to cars.... these folks were walking to trains or trams or were riding bicycles or just plain walking.

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We keep telling ourselves and our government keeps telling us...that Americans are so lucky...and we should be so proud to have so much stuff......carry away foods, take out coffee....cocoa puffs.....busy busy .....hurry hurry ....lots o' t-shirts..and .rent those condos as the lake.

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But you know...not everyone lives like that....around the world......and sacrilege of sacrilege.....its prettier....cleaner.....more serene......and even more sociable.

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Temptations in Zurich and Slovenia

If you have a weakness for chocolate...or fresh fruit pies....or grilled sausage...or golden fried hash browns...or crisp pomme frites...(fries) or cheese in a hundred varieties...or creamy yogurt (in small glass jars) or crusty whole grain bread...or exceptional coffee with steamed milk...then avoid Zurich....because everywhere you turn....you find yourself facing cafes and restaurants...where you can indulge in luscious food.

An ordinary bakery with their extraordinary mouth-watering fresh strawberry pies

Candy shop windows are sensual galleries of color and texture....how can you refuse the invitation to go in?

Glow worms of chocolate happiness

Slovenia has extraordinary treats too....here a woman in the capital city let's me share her gorgeous fruit sundae through my lens......

This little cutie was the night waiter at one of the cafes in Lake Bled, Slovenia....In the evening, I would walk down to this little cafe overlooking an alpine lake...the cafe had bright overhead lights so I could do my homework and friendly wait staff who suggested that writing could be improved with a brandy and a treat....this time my friend insisted I try the speciality of the house...a chocolate cake with whip cream and hazelnuts and chocolate drizzle...accompanied by a smooth tummy warming brandy....ahhhhh....there are good things in life...and cake and brandy eaten in an outside cafe next to an alpine lake is definitely one of them.

Slovenia

Well I have had a full day in Slovenia now and also with mz writing workshop group. Slovenia is interesting....I am only perhaps less than 50 miles from the Austrian border and all the little towns we passed through today....seemed like postcards of Swiss or Austrian villages...tidy absolutelz tidy chalet style houses....with window boxes on almost every window...spilling over with all types of flowers....friendly pooches sitting in the yard...mostly german shepards or a mix of one...plus the curious cat the same varieties you would see at home....sneaking around the flower pots....almost every house has a beautiful flower garden and a vegetable garden.

I walked through an old castle....which was mid way down a mountain pass and was important for trade for hundreds of years ago....it was crumbled but beautiful and there were wildflowers spilling over from crevices in the walls and pathways....

it is very different to be traveling with so much beauty and in such ease.....here in Slovenia...the language is ancient...and only 2 million people (the size of the country) speak it so almost everyone again knows English and Italian or German as an alternative......there are grocery stores where you can buy Special K and Pepsi and Coke....and health store where a lady can fix you up for ailments or cosmetics and when I say cosmetics im talking about face creams.....I walked in one store and the woman handed me this glorious lotion...for my skin because I told her I forget to bring some moisturizer.....Im going to have to see if I can get this in the states because it is marvelous.....

my hotel is modest but very clean...they have doilies....under the ash trays and small flower vases.....lots of folks smoke in Europe.....so many folks.....that it is odd to see ash trays all over again...in restuarants....coffee shops etc.....in lobbies.....there is no air conditioning just like there wasnt in Zurich either....the rooms I have been in can get quite stuffy.....

I havent laughed a lot today....my group of grad students that <i am taking this course were seem a somber, intellectual somewhat dramatic group.....perhaps since they are here for credit and some actually here for this to be their last class...they have that weight on their shoulder.

tonight....im sneaking off from the group for awhile...so I can write and think.....we actuallz have writing assignments ....one of the most interesting questions...is Why are you here...I think my answer will have to do something with seeing if I can enjoy beauty and ease....or do I need the big risk to be happy while traveling.....

Maybe Zurich?

I have been sitting in this damn computer chair for so long I am sure I have a flat butt. I marked this day on my calender as a day to start looking into Slovenia. I'll be leaving towards the end of June....so suddenly there doesn't seem much time left...especially without airline tickets.

Obviously I can't fly from my little city in the South to Slovenia....so I spent a long time looking at options....all with wonderful sounding names.....Amsterdam, Dublin, Munich, Barcelona and Zurich. I have a zillion frequent flyer miles so I have to fly American Airlines. To my big surprise, the flights out of New York City (where I had hoped to leave from) were nasty. Fly to Boston, fly to London, catch this catch that. I had hoped to go to New York before or after Slovenia in order to do research for my next book....(I know I don't even have the first one finished....but.. I absolutely already know what the second one will be.....which makes me either eternally optimistic here or extremely deluded.) Now...New York doesn't seem like a good option.

As it happens, Zurich out of Dallas......is the easiest possibility....Zurich....my god that Switzerland!!...The thought of passing through Switzerland seemed mildly amusing and interesting......but as I studied Adria Airlines (the official airlines of Slovenia) I realized I hit another snag.....the flight in and out of Zurich did not match.....when Gina needed to come in and out Slovenia.

And so the thought occured to me....rather than go through my painful acclimation to a new time zone in Slovenia why not in Switzerland? Where in a hallucinogenic state I could face streets called...Krahbuhlstrasse and Bahnkofstrasse. Wouldn't that be fun? I can imagine myself falling asleep before I even pronounce the avenue.

Jet lag is a real concern for me. My body holds on to the central time zone with a death grip. In Paris, I laid in bed those first nights with my heart and head pounding in the dark..I would even sometimes "accidentally" kick my hub...so he would wake up and keep me company. I tried Lunesta or whatever the new sleeping pill was....only to discover I didn't really remember any of Paris till about 2PM........which sort of takes the thrill out of visiting a new country......in the Museum D'Orsay....I actually got so weird I thought of lying down on a marble pedestal off to the side... to take a nap.....even though the marble pedestal was already occupied by a marble woman. Hey..I've slept with strange women before.... (I actually do have a great story about sleeping with a naked French woman in Thailand).

And so why not Zurich? If I'm going to be miserable and dopey....why not be miserable and dopey in a beautiful city....not that Lake Bled in Slovenia doesn't sound pretty.....but if I was going to take a few days to acclimate ...why not in Zurich? I guess I'll sleep on this.....do a little more Googling.....and then best get a move on it.....I found a little hotel in Switzerland...that is basic and clean and in the old section of town.....and has "writer's rooms".....rooms with a view of some cathedral....which for some reason makes folks want to write something down about the experience....sounds right....or....write? And really after Africa where spiders rained down from the ceiling in one of my hotels....isn't everything else a real upgrade?

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Am I imaging things or do you get a Disneyland feeling when you look at Zurich?

I wonder if this is where Walt got his inspiration?

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I'm Going to ...Slovenia ....Really!

I'm going to Slovenia in June.

I'm going to pause here for a few seconds....so you can finish laughing...and then say...."What...is there such a place?" Those of you who are compulsive may feel the need to dash to Google....so go ahead. I'll still be here when you return.

Talk about life turning on an innocent email. That's exactly what happened....I opened an email from a former Professor who teaches at a local university. He teaches at an MFA writing program in the northeast during the summer. Apparently, the grad school writing class had a few open spaces after the students had registered and he was sending out feelers to some former students whom he thought might qualify.

When I read the program was in Slovenia....I just laughed. Slovenia?...."Where the hell is that?" Google said it was tightly sandwiched between Italy, Austria, and some other new Slav nations and pronounced it legitimate, quaint, interesting, picturesque and peaceful. Me go to a peaceful pretty country instead of one that required knowledge of AK47s? The concept of traveling someplace safe and secure was mind-boggling.

In a rather spooky coincidence, a couple weeks ago, I remember sitting in my reading chair late at one night. I was thinking about how much more work I had to do on the Africa book....when this very interesting thought arrived....isn't it time... Gina..... you went someplace pretty? Isn't it time you considered going someplace where an overactive adrenalin pump and a freshly updated will weren't the prerequisites?

Africa slapped me around. I know I have an edge now....I know I have limitations. I had to learn how to receive in the Sahara....me the tough woman on the block who carries her own 50 lb mulch bag, cuts down a tree, and goes for lessons on how to fire a semi-automatic rifle. I had to depend on someone to be my guardian angel to keep me going...."Gina ...get up, get your backpack and get in the car." " Yes Diana." "Which car?"

So here comes Slovenia....Slovenia.....A country whose name you can't say without laughing.....a country who has a writing program in the Alps in a beautiful lodge on a lake...where the only tough circumstance you have to face outdoors is fending off mosquitoes which take a little blood and don't insert deadly diseases as a thank you gift.

This is almost as terrifying as crossing the Sahara desert .....comfort, beauty, intellectual conversations, good food, reasonable temperatures, a soft bed........

Oh My God what have I gotten myself into?

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