"Leave your stepping stones behind, something calls for you.
Forget the dead you've left, they will not follow you.
The vagabond who's rapping at your door
Is standing in the clothes that you once wore.
Strike another match, go start anew
And it's all over now, Baby Blue."

Bob Dylan (It's all over now, baby blue)

Attention

Why is it that I had to wait for some-one to notice my absence before deciding to blog again? The summer is all over now and outside the window I can hear the rain falling so hard that it almost sounds like applause. I have had the wierdest three weeks of my life at work, and now that it feels like autumn is finally on its way, a nrew phase begins again. September is the new january apparantly.

One way or another, this will be my final year in Budapest, and whilst last year I kept away from my blog for fear of giving too much away, I would like to be better at recording what I actually do while I am in and around Hungary. There is a lot going on at weekends these days and it would be nice to try and remember some of it, rain and all. At the moment however, there is only work and sleep, with precious little in between. It is astonishing to see how the routine climbs back into first place.

"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."
Dolly Parton

Over the sea to Skye

This summer has been in very definite chunks of time; a week in Budapest, two weeks in Yorkshire, Paris, more Yorkshire, Isle of Skye and then Budapest. Now that I am back from the Isle of Skye, all thoughts return from holidays to real life and a return to Hungary. This has been the summer that lasted forever, with the simultaneous feeling that there has been lots going on and also long stretches of very little.

The Isle of Skye was simply one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen and I will be posting pictures over the next few days.Skye involved lots of things, all of which were affected by the weather. The wondrous landscape is sweeping, breathtaking and ever changing as the clouds, sun, rain and mist waves across the peaks and valleys. To wake up every morning and look out at the Cuillin Moutains was a joy.

The beautful joy of sitting at my little desk in the VII district and listening to the life around me whilst sipping coffee is what I am looking forward to now, as I travel home to Budapest on Tuesday morning. I have enjoyed taking pictures over the last few weeks and am hoping to have the time to sort all the pics out before the end of the week. I never imagined that I would miss my little apartment so much, that I would long for the sights, smells and, most importantly, the sunshine of my lovely Jewish quarter.

Mine all mine

Has the world not been given the memo? Why does no-one realise that Paris belongs to me? It is mine, my secret city, the one where I wander down the streets that bring forth in me the most heart wrenching emotions and make me remember why the French Capital has been immortalised in so many songs, paintings and films.

Going back there was the emotional experience I expected, but also held quite a few surprises. Firstly, I had forgotten how expensive the city is. Ridiculously expensive, like 5 times more to sit and have a coffee than Northallerton or Budapest. And the cost of everything just makes people shrug their shoulders and say 'well, it is Paris...'

Seeing D and L again felt like no time had passed at all, but it has. Three years since I stood weeping at the airport, with D, L and J watching me go through the departure gate like a scene from French Kiss, I walked on, didn't look back and moved to Budapest. There was a bit of messing about in the middle, but too long a story for here and now.

The Five days went by in a whirl of dinner parties in the 16th arrondisement, summer soldes at Le Printemps and walks in the Jardin du Luxembourg that felt some-how like the moment had passed. I love Paris, and I have loved it and missed it while I was away, now that the mad ideal I had built up in my mind has been knocked down a bit maybe I can enjoy the city for what it is...romantic, breathtaking and special. Only for me though.

Long enough

Has it been long enough to be considered a proper break? Five weeks or so feels like a long time, although not that much has happened. I am back in North Yorkshire and being slowly driven mad by the lack of transport, and thereby being stuck at home with nothing but daytime TV, a load of friends who are still at work and parents who want to 'talk about your plans for the future'. I once read that we all become children in our parents house and have to say that has felt more true on this trip than any other. I love North Yorkshire and I love my parents, I just love them more when I have my own car.

Shining on the horizon are the scintillement lights of the Eiffel Tower, sparkling just for me as I ready myself for Paris on Thursday of this week. The weather should be perfect and the idea of a noisette with D, or a Sunday in the Jardin du Luxembourg is sending me into a spin. I am still reeling with emotion about my trip to France and it is hard not to wonder what it would be like to live there again. More boring navel gazing, so I will leave those thought tucked into a drawer at the back of my mind until the time comes again for an emtional de-clutter. I am going to snap happy while I am away, with a wonderous week in the Isle of Skye to follow my city chick wanderings around the City of Light.

Boring, boring, gone.

See you all in a few weeks when I have something interesting to blog about.

Spending time

The last few weeks of term are always mad, but this year seems to just be non stop. When I haven't been wandering around Hungary on different school trips, I have been collapsing in my apartment and trying to catch up on sleep. In between the days away I have been watching season 1 of the Mentalist and getting excited about the Isle of Skye by watching Coast. The rest of the time is a vicious circle of laundry, and nipping to the shop for milk so that I can have a cup of tea.

Today, gloriously, I find that for the first time in 4 weeks I have a day when I didn't need to do anything, so I didn't. Tomorrow is the city horse race on Heroes Square and the much smaller event of Judafest in my own district, and yes, that really is what it is called. I am enjoying the city at the moment, even today with the thunder and grey rain can be special when you are able to stay inside and watch. Finally, the smell of camp fires, unwashed clothes, and damp socks has gone to be replaced by a wave of fabric softener and the promise of the summer holidays in just three short weeks.