8 posts tagged “friends”

Bird and baby

Well today I'm recovering from my short, but sweet, weekend in Oxford, UK, with my friend G~ and her partner A~.

It was full on and intense and sleepless (!), but wonderful.

Friday night a lovely Tapas bar for starters and then a few local pubs including a very short lived visit to The Temple Bar who had a Karaoke night on. My ears are still bleeding... After running out of there, we went to another small place, then yet another, an Irish bar, which we stayed at the longest. The barman was a rolly-polly cheeky fellow and it was fun.

One of the places we managed to dine (on the Saturday) in was the Pub where C S Lewis and J R R Tolkien used to sit with friends, known as The Inklings, over a drink and a smoke and argue. The "Bird and Baby" as they used to call it, is small and poky and wonderfully atmospheric. There we drank beer, ate fish and chips and I had some apple and rubarb crumble. I could have stayed there all weekend. What a wonderful place to sit. I would love to own a bar in that style. Ahh maybe one day. Everything was perfect.

We also went book shopping, and I finally managed to score a copy of Yamamoto Tsunetomo's "Hagakure: Way of the Samurai" which I've been looking for. Along with Rik Mayall's autobio "Bigger than Hitler, Better than Christ", Virginia Woolf's "Orlando", Mantak Chia's manual - "Iron Shirt Chi Kung", Paulo Coelho's "Alchemist", a small coffee-table book of Dreams with gorgeous photos which was on sale, plus Milan Kundera's "The Unbearable Lightness of Being". Most second hand and all for bargain prices.

FalklandarmsHotel

On Sunday, we managed to slip in another visit to a beautiful Pub - this time in a tiny village about 30 minutes from Oxford called Great Tew. (Here is a B&B there.) The Pub was The Falkland Arms and was tiny and only allowed children in the beer garden out back if they were well behaved. Yes there was a sign and all!

I spent the better part of the day, afternoon mostly, with my friend Paweł and his partner Lukasz. We met near the castle in the Old Town and went over the the New Town to a much frequented cafe (by us anyway) for something to eat. The Old (and New) Town was packed with tourists. On the way there, I bought a couple of rolls of film (yes film) for my camera - as apparently it's going to be unavailable shortly as they're (the powers that be) planning on getting rid of it entirely.

After eating we walked down to Krakowskie Przedmiescie and to one my fave pubs, which Alex introduced me to, in one of the yards off Nowy Świat near what's called Pewex. I wonder if there was a Pewex there at some point...

So we stayed and drank some beer and I had a Cosmopolitan and chatted and laughed about rude things and silly things and it was a lot of fun.

Oh, I nearly forgot, on the way to the bar, we passed a huge 'Country' Fair on Nowy Świat (which was closed to traffic). It was packed with wonderful fare including sausages and country bread - I think Polish bread (especially Country Bread) is the best in the world. Anyway, as the skies decided burst the moment we got to that fare, we decided to hide in a walkway then head to the aforementioned Pub and return to the fare later. When we did return we got Cheese and Bread and Sausage. All bought from people who were happy to sell their produce to us, with smiles and free samples. It was lovely. Also some Folk music band played on the stage, to the wonder and pleasure of many MANY passers-by. The place was so packed with happy tourists and Poles alike. It was really what I think could be here. I real community feeling. The whole world in one moment. I also bought myself a new, hand made, red glaze and brown clay coffee cup from a woman there. She has a workshop where she also teaches here in W-wa. Maybe... maybe.

Then we walked up Świętokrzyska to the Metro for Paweł and Lukasz and the bus for me. We had a quick coffee at Coffee Heaven there and then parted. I hope we get to see eachother again soon. I miss company that 'understands' me in W-wa. The kind of understanding you only get with people who've been through stuff with you and know you well.

Ah life!

What to do? Where to go? Where to live?

So many questions. So few answers.

Silly, I know, but one of my ex's who got in touch at the end of last year again (for gods know what reason) is now in a relationship.... and I feel a bit melancholy. *meh*

Today was the day when my friends Michael and his wife Wera had their very first, long awaited, child - a son - Mieszko.

He weighed in at 4200g and 53 odd cm long. What a behemoth!!

Also, I got notice that I'm one of 21 people going on the FAM Trip (travel and hotel paid for - thank you very much) to Dublin, Ireland at the beginning of April. Guinness abounds!

Oh what a day!

Czarek & Iza
Originally uploaded by ascetylene

I wanted to share this pic, as these two always make me smile.

Married, happy and make those around them happy.

*love*

I'm alive and well, though I am without Internet access at home. It's not such a bad thing really. :)

Xmas was a little awkward, but then my family always are. But New Years was DE-lightful!

More news as soon as I can.

Lurve and other bruises. xxx