about me
when you hear about the austro-hungarian empire, it all sounds so grand and splendid… the lovely danube, the habsburg monarchy… truth is, the grandeur is still there, but the degradation is so striking and overwhelming that one cannot but feel a certain sadness, and wonder… where did it all go?
budapest hit us like a slap in the face, our heads ringing with a million questions… so for now, i hope the photos will do the talking, while we meditate on the rest.
i’ve just started reading the nasty bits, but already i find myself nodding in agreement at moments:
My pal A. A. Gill once suggested that the older he gets, and the more he travels, the less he knows. And I know what he means now. Seeing the planet as I’m seeing it, you are constantly reminded of what you don’t know – how much more there is to see and learn, how damn big and mysterious this world is. It’s both frustrating and addicting, which only makes it harder when you visit, say, China for the first time, and realize how much of it there is – and how little time you have to see it. It’s added a frantic quality to my absurd life, and an element of both desperation and resignation.
here’s to a year of discovery and awe!
the end of the year goes by in a daze, a rush of days tangled together by hugs and errands. work has this tendency to stretch its arms and take over all the available time we have – and between that and all the trips & travels, time to sit down and write has been scarce. so instead of half-assing my way through a couple of posts, let me just close the year by wishing all my friends happy holidays – and see you next year! :)
the sinti and roma holocaust memorial on tiergarten opened only recently – despite them having been one of the largest groups of victims of the second world war. it’s a round pool, with a triangular stone which every day sinks and rises. a single fresh flower is laid on it. on the edges of the pool, the poem ‘Auschwitz’ by Santino Spinelli is displayed:
“Gaunt face
dead eyes
cold lips
quiet
a broken heart
out of breath
without words
no tears.”
on the ground around the pool, scattered stones remind the visitors of the places where sinti and roma were persecuted, while a lonely violin plays in the background…
more from this series.