Oberhausen

Daniel prepared breakfast for us this morning - fresh bread with cheeses and spreads, an absolute treat. we used leftovers to make paninis to take with us to Oberhausen, where we visited ‘fragile paradise’ - an exhibition on the impact of humans on the earth.

^ my favourite image from the exhibition. believe it or not, the llama survives this.

Fynn playing monkey for me.

we trained back to Witten and rode our bikes back to the house for siesta in the afternoon. I read more of the book, which I’m zooming through. Lotta came home with her childhood friend Hannah who is visiting from Frankfurt. together we made (I don’t remember the name) flat pastries which we covered with a layer of crème fraiche and vegetables and cheeses. the dish tasted amazing and I’m excited to try making it back home.

we had a lovely evening laughing about horoscopes and very silly things. it’s been wonderful spending time with Fynn and I count myself very lucky to still have such a generous friend in him. I drew blind portraits of Lotta and Hannah before deciding it was time for bed.

I leave Germany tomorrow, making my way to the Netherlands. I’m excited to see Fieke and Emma and maybe slow down a little again. counting my blessings every day. <<

Fynn

it’s lovely spending time with Fynn again. when we were last together he was living in Freiburg, a busier city with a completely different cast of friends. today I met the main characters in his life here at the birthday celebration of one of his uni friends. in the park with the sun shining we ate cake, drank sparkling wine and played card games. it was a beautiful afternoon and I felt really present in my conversations and the joy I was experiencing.

tonight as Fynn rested I kept Daniel (Fynn’s housemate) company as he made what might be the tastiest pumpkin soup I’ve ever tried. we ate with Fynn and Lotta before watching Back to the Future - a childhood classic Fynn remembers watching with his father years ago.

the day passed quickly and I’m feeling very tired. Fynn is good company and challenges me to be present. I’m never on my phone with him and this is a really good thing for me. I would like to be more like him. <<

Prague to Witten

I woke one minute before my alarm was due - 6:39 am exactly. quite strange. I was showered and packed and on the road by 7:40, making it to the platform with plenty of time.

passed a memorial piece dedicated to families separated as a result of the occupation of the city during the war. sobering and somber and very beautiful.

three trains today. I replied to messages, listened to music and read some of Slaughterhouse 5 (the book the director of Titus Andronicus gifted me on closing night). Fynn collected me from Witten Hbf just after 5. we collected groceries on our way home and cooked a pretty amazing vegetarian lasagne for us and his housemates, Lotta and Daniel, who both study at Fynn’s university.

it’s lovely to be back in Fynn’s company. he has always been so kind to me, and I’ve missed his sense of humour and willingness to laugh and spend time with me. very tired now. tomorrow Fynn has offered to show me his campus and around the town. I have a room to myself tonight, and I’m feeling very lucky. precious friends all over. <<

Kafka etc

another big day. I called mum and dad during my run this morning to show them some of the old town. they both have fond memories of being here following the ‘end’ of the cold war. both seem happy and to be doing well. I can’t wait to see them again.

I ran out to tick off another Cerny installation, this one being more babies climbing the television tower. an incredible view of a dark social comment on our almost immediate rejection of individuality, stamping onto children identities deemed acceptable by the media and establishment. I napped almost as soon as I made it back to my bunk.

the Cerny trail was later completed by noon, when I found the ten metre tall rotating head of Franz Kafka, a visionary of whom both Zi and I are great admirers. the movement of the sculpture was a wonder to witness - and I was able to show Blake in real time over the phone.

dancing house made me laugh.

I took Pia’s (one of my Austrian friends from my hostel in Milan) recommendation to walk to Strelecky Ostrov (an island in the main river) to visit the Muscrats. thinking I had carrots for them, they’d crawl up along the bank to me expectingly. very cute.

spontaneously decided to visit a gallery, featuring work by Warhol, Dali and Mucha. enjoyed learning about each of their stories and seeing some of their prints, though I found myself to be quite tired by that point.

I realised today that I have felt lonely here. my 18 bed dorm has been silent, and I’ve not made any friends during my time here. thinking about this wirh Blake, I’ve decided that this feeling is a good thing. I’ve not been alone properly in a long time, and this absence of company forces me to spend time with myself, something I need to work on if I want to grow as a person. I miss my brothers and feel uncertain about where I’m going and why I’m here. I miss my friends and lots of what I’ve left behind. I remind myself I’m lucky to have such precious things to miss. <<

forty thousand steps

started my first morning in prague with a run through the old town. I shared the bridge with just the pigeons and a number of committed wannabe influencers posing for shots before the crowds stirred into their Sunday morning hangovers and onto the streets.

in the early hours the city looked as though it might live in a fairytale.

in the main square I took an immediate liking to the Jan Hus memorial statue, a symbol of resisting oppression installed for permanent display as a reminder of the country’s perseverance through hardship. the spectrum of emotions on the faces of each figure in the monument is amazing.

after napping, I set out on my own art trail to find the installations of contemporary sculptor David Cerny, a master of political commentary through art. I enjoyed exploring the city this way, admiring the historical lanes and scenery in my pursuit of contemporary monuments.

a former leader(?) of the country (I don’t remember) in a mall.

Sigmund Freud.

a fan favourite, fondly known as ‘piss’.

embryo.

babies (my favourite so far). more for me to find tomorrow.

goulash for dinner - an absolute treat! managed to watch the astronomical clock chime on the hour at 9.

I have another day to spend here tomorrow. thinking of finding a gallery to visit, although I might take it slowly and spend some time reading or writing. missing home but grateful for this time to be with and get to know myself again. <<

Zagreb to Prague

passed through four countries today on a twelve hour journey. I tried my best to sleep and enjoy the countryside when I couldn’t. two trains with a stopover in Austria saw me make it to my hostel in Prague at 8pm.

after checking in I walked my way into the old city, and even in the dark I can tell I’m going to really like it here. the churches look like fantasy castles, and the lanes remind me of Rome (but cleaner). I enjoyed a kebab as I explored the city by foot, walking the lanes my parents would have on their first European adventure together decades ago. I’ll sleep now - hoping to run to see the piazzas a little less crowded in the morning. <<

a day in the city

just one full day here. I woke early for a run. the streets were already full of cars, but the sidewalks and piazzas were empty enough for me. I ran up the hill along which the funicular runs, earning a panoramic view of the city. on the run back to my hostel I passed a sculpture I’ve been thinking about all day.

I napped after my run. waking at 11, my roommate Tanmay asked if I wanted to join him on his trip to the modern art museum. I was happy to tag along, and enjoyed his company and the art we saw. some amazing colours and paintings I’m excited to show Carol when I get home.

in the afternoon I took myself to the museum of broken relationships. I’d first heard about the idea from Georgia and Francesca one day late last semester when we were procrastinating final assignments in the usyd library. a collection of relics from broken relationships of all kinds, accompanied by personal testimonies and context statements. post-it notes, an axe, 1000 paper cranes, a prayer mat, pills, a toaster. things left behind charged with emotion, household objects you or I wouldn’t blink at cursed with memories or dreams of what could have been. I cried a number of times. in one room I had the chance to write in a book about a broken part of my past, which I found helpful and very therapeutic. I listened to music reminding me of that time, and gave myself permission to reflect and feel the emotions as they passed. my heart hurt for all those living in mourning for what they’ve lost, to whom I felt connected.

I treated myself to a burek in the afternoon, and met up with Tanmay for dinner - a greek wrap for me. wandering the lanes once more, he tried some cheesecake before we called it a night. back in our room the German girls and I have realised we all have the same train in the morning - no fear for waking anyone now. <<