"Once In A Blue Moon".

Once in a blue moon - that is what we tend to say, when something occurs very rarely.
And indeed, this morning when I opened my eyes, I revisited an old childhood feeling. I woke up full of excitement, anticipation and longing, just like I used to feel when it was Christmas Eve. Generally long gone from my perception, these emotions grace me only occasionally with their presence.

The last time I felt this way was on my wedding day.

Today is indeed the day - or night - of the blue moon, when the second full moon of this eighth month will grace the night heavens. The celestial lantern has been shining like a large silver globe outside our windows for the past few evenings, expanding in my view, reminding me of the significance that today holds in my perception.

Today the man to whom I have given my heart will return into my embrace.
Today, my husband comes home.

I have married a man whose life is defined by honour and whose traits are defined by chivalry and courage. In my eyes he is a perfect man, a knight of modern times, the likes of whom truly do only come by once in a blue moon. He offers me something unique - pure and unconditional kind of love, the kind which transcends time and space. Yet additionally he also grants me a life that will be forever changing, like an endless adventure. Despite the anguish and fear that my reality will always contain, it will never grow mundane or predictable, but remain fiercely passionate and enthralling.

Recently I was siting in our garden - it was a warm August evening. One of those very rare ones, when the wind was non existent, the sky clear and the late summer sun was setting in my view. It created a déjàvu in my perception, as I was brought a year back, writing a transition post in this same spot, consumed by a sense of content, warmth and feeling at home.
Finding myself experiencing identical - if not even more enhanced - emotions today, I know that I am exactly where I am suppose to be...

Dear friends, thank you for sharing the wait of these past four months with me - I made it to a large extend thanks to all of you and your encouraging and comforting words and your genuine interest in my writing -  my prose serves at all times as an creative outlet and an emotional release and I enjoy documenting my life in this online diary. 

See you all very soon, I shall return.♥

"Amor Vincit Omnia".

I return to my online diary after almost two months absence, in the height of spring, at the onset of white nights and a period of growth and renewal.

A diary is a like a time capsule. It captures events, preserves our thoughts and impressions of a given moment, enabling us to relive our history and revisit our past by reading the written lines. As I scroll through my old posts, the changes my reality underwent over the years make me smile. That is the infinite magic of life - we never know what waits around the next bend.

The two rings I wear today are attestation to two defining moments of such changes in my very recent past.
As long as I live I will recall every single detail of the occasions when these two rings were given to me. My memory is saturated by vivid snapshots of these two extraordinary moments in time. Only ten days apart, they account for the two most important events of my life.

The ring worn on my one hand is my engagement ring.
Beautiful silver ring covered by red garnets. This was the ring with which I was asked to marry the love of my life. In front of our families, on a sunny day this April, the proposal was exactly as the incurable romantic within me always imagined - indeed even better. It took place in the beautiful gardens below the Prague castle, saturated by the first spring bloom. High above the historic city, the man that only a year prior stole my heart went down on one knee underneath the pink blossom of a cherry tree, asking for my hand in marriage.

My engagement lasted barely two weeks.
Exactly ten days later, on the first of this May, I said my second yes in the city hall in our home, receiving a beautiful titanium band that now adorns the ring finger of my other hand. I look at it constantly, as it makes me recall our wedding day, which was shared by the two of us only. I loved the simplicity of this precious, deeply intimate moment in time, which eternelized our love.

Ever since I was a little girl, I had visions and dreams of what my wedding day would be like. I think most little girls - and most single women - do. As I grew into a young woman, those dreams started to slowly fade. Not because I did not wanted to get married, but because I started to worry that the man I was searching for did not exist. As years went by and my relationships fell apart one by one, I gave up on my romantic dreams of getting married. I felt like a stupid old fool, still thinking in a young girls terms.

Still, our reality can change in a blink of an eye and as one of the most trying periods of my life was slowly concluding last year, the one that made me doubt happiness and life itself and I wondered secretly whether I was ever going to be smiling again, my fate turned around.
On a warm April day I took a stroll down by the sea with a handsome man - and my life was never going to be the same again.
He came out of nowhere and I knew he was the one. From the very start everything about him was so very different than anything else that I recognized and could relate to. And everything about him was exactly right. He made me believe again.

Thus that which I gave up on a long time ago came to pass. Several decades later than I ever imagined, the event itself though surpassed all my childhood dreams and will remain imprinted in my memory until the end of my days.

Amor Vincit Omnia.
This was written on the back of one of the wedding cards we received.  
Love Conquers All.
And indeed it does. There are no rules and no manuals when it comes to love. There is no right time, right age or right place. Love is versatile and complicated, yet is is also so very unpretentious and easy. It will come to us when we least expected it and it can not be predicted, anticipated, rushed or manipulated. True love is a product of pure mind, endless courage and incurable hope.

It only takes once to get it right. I waited almost half a century to say my yes, yet in hindsight I realize that I would do it all over again. Finding the man of my dreams is worth the wait of a life time.

Dedicated to my husband - my soul-mate and my best friend.

Every Love...

"All, everything that I understand, 
I understand only because I love."
 Leo Tolstoy

 We are in the midst of the holiday season and I feel it is time to revisit that subject that lies so very close to my heart - the subject of love. I have written about love before - and many of you recall this, I am sure.
I have written about love the way I have known it and perceived it at that given time, with honesty and passion. I am convinced that love is what I live for and why I was born - I am here to love and to be loved. In fact, everything I have ever done in my life has been in the name of love.

Despite this, the surpassing emotion has truly been quiet elusive in my life.
Until now.

In my past I have loved with fiery passion and I have loved many times. But the bliss never lasted, always ending with someones heart shattered in pieces - thus I became almost convinced that the romantic love was not meant for me.

"Every love is different" - once I was told these words by a brief acquittance and today I feel they are the most profound words ever said about love.
I believe with all my being that we can love more than once and that indeed, each time we love differently. Not more or less, not stronger or weaker, not more passionately or more distantly, not for the first time nor the last. Just differently.

I believe that a human heart is capable of breaking and mending endlessly. It is resilient and can recover fully, if we only allow it to feel and heal, never sheltering it or hiding it away. It will only grow stronger when given away.
Love has no beginning nor end. It is constant and it infuses everything. It is pure and when it is right, it is enough and it is all we need. The lucky few find that kind of love instantly, while the rest of us might have to look for it feverishly.
Still it only takes once to get it right - and when we do, we will know.

The capability to love is one of the most precious abilities we posses. Therefore I do not regret loving in my past, as I know that the love I gave away was never lost. Ultimately we will receive as much as we give. It might take years and even decades for this generosity to be returned, but if we only persevere and believe in its allure, one day true love will come streaming back to illuminate our existence.

(I made - and shared - the clip below last year, however I feel it can be reused. I dedicate it to all of you, whether you feel loved or lonely this Christmas, and whether you are with the ones you love or miss them dearly...) 



(Images in the post: Photobucket
Images in the clip, my own photography)

Liquid Gold.

At times, I truly miss my westerly views.
Those of magnificent sunsets, that played out like light shows in front of my windows at the white house on the hill.

But as always in life; you gain some and you loose some. Thus having lived at the east coast for a decade, my new home at the west coast offers novel views that take my breath away.

Recently, I got the chance to see the sun set over the rough North Sea, something I have never witness before.
The beaches here are wide and they stretch some hundred miles in each direction, with the sand so tightly packed, that cars are allowed to drive across the wast surface, on a sorts of a "highway". The sea is powerful and the horizon free and unlimited.

The skies were cloudy on that particular evening, yet that did not deter at all from the allure of the experience - on the contrary, it only reinforced the pristine enchantment of this rugged, unprotected west coast, known for its strong undercurrents and magnificent surf.

I watched the sun move lower to meet the surface of the waters, as my entire being savored the romantic moment, in the warm and loving arms of a perfect man.
While we gazed in silence at the smoky boundaries, the heavens above slowly shifted colour, anything from light blue and anthracite grey into deep purple and red. Eventually the fiery disc turned a strip of the sea into liquid gold, the wild waters embracing the shores, turning so flamboyant in their untamed beauty, instigating so undoubtedly the sense of absolute freedom...

A Safe Harbour.

These days, my entire being is consumed by feelings of unfamiliar content. A certain kind of absolute happiness, which I yet have to adequately grasp, in order to precisely define, as it is so unknown to my perception.

I have been happy before, but NEVER like this.

The emotions that consume me are so very difficult to convey - however I feel that I am exactly at the right place with the right person.
I have never felt so much at home.
Nor have I ever before made anyone feel exactly the same way in return.

A realization occurred to me recently.

A notion that life does progress in stages.
It is my belief that we need to complete each stage in the order it is presented to us. We can not bypass any predicaments, however painful and unfair they might appear and we can not escape that which is predestined.
Today I understand the there is a master plan behind every event, even those that leave us in bitter tears and despair. As when we endure those times, we will encounter occurrences that surpass everything we have ever known.
We will enter a place in time and space that defies that which we comprehend and we will experience unforgettable moments. Those that leave us breathless and reinforce our belief in the magical and enchanting.
In the spiritual and in the divine.

These days my life seems altered.
As if it has been redefined in a novel way. The pieces finally fit and everything around me seems brighter. The sunshine, the skies, the vernal bloom. Even the faces of strangers. My senses are heightened and my perception transformed.  My whole being feels like an intricate and delicate clockwork, one that has been still and silent for what seems like an eternity and which has suddenly started to function and move because the right hands have mended it.

All those journeys that I have undertaken, many in raging storms and hostile seas, seem so removed from my perception as I have sailed into a safe harbour.
For the first time in my adult life I experience a strong urge to drop anchors - for extended period of time.

Perhaps - finally - for good.

(Images: Photobucket)

A Love Story.

I have written about love before, numerous times. I posses a romantic mind, a passionate heart and a strong conviction that life without love isn't much of a life. Despite pain and disappointments, which often rule the world, the proof of love's infinite allure and true existence is nevertheless endlessly obvious.

Considering it is Valentine's Day today, I thought I would revisit this emotion once again and I do so with great pleasure and joy.

To love is to live and to be able to continue feeling love throughout life is a gift. Love takes many shapes and can be expressed in so many ways. It can be romantic or platonic, fleeting and everlasting, unrequited or unconditional, passionate or tender, flamboyant or covert - but it has one single constant - it defines us as human beings and makes life bearable. It inspires great artists, musicians, writers and poets and it comes across as the reason why we are here, as it connects us all.

The romantic love is often viewed as an illusion. The cynics will say it is a short lived infatuation, almost a clinical condition - an illness if you will. A possession that makes us blind, as we view reality through the eyes of temporary insanity. Perhaps that is the truth. But perhaps those who believe this never really had the courage to fall in love.

As I know it takes courage to fall the way that makes us look foolish and exposed, utterly vulnerable, while we risk being ridiculed and ultimately have our heart shattered into thousands of pieces. Nevertheless, to give fearlessly into those transcending feelings despite the knowledge that we might be forced to walk away empty handed and disappointed is the essence of true love - this is the only way I know how to love.

Thus the love stories of great sacrifices are the most romantic of them all in my eyes. The ones where great men and at times women would give up so much, as they simply could not see themselves face a life where the object of their desire was not present.

Such is the tale of King Edward of England and his love, Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee for whom the king gave up his throne. Some view this as the love story of the century, while many as a scandal that threatened to weaken the monarchy.

I fall into the first category, in no uncertain terms.

Edward became king in January 1936 and had many desires to become a modern monarch. He intended to marry Wallis Simpson, a woman he fell deeply and passionately in love with and who returned his love with the same token. However, he was informed by the prime minister that his subjects would deem the marriage morally unacceptable, largely because remarriage after divorce was opposed by the Church of England, and the people would not tolerate Wallis as Queen.

Thus after only barely a year on the throne, in December 1936, Edward, now reverted to the style of prince, made a broadcast to the nation and the Empire, explaining his decision to abdicate. He famously said, 

"I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do, without the help and support of the woman I love."

Wallis and Edward married in a small ceremony on June 3, 1937. They remained shun by the royal family and forced into exile for the rest of their lives; nevertheless they remained loyally devoted to each other until the Duke's death in Paris in 1972. Wallis died 14 years later in 1986.
They are buried beside one another in the royal burial grounds of Windsor Castle.

A Christmas Kiss.

Staying with the romantic theme this week, I have to admit that I love to be kissed. Oh yes I do - and I love to return the kisses even more.

A kiss can mean so much - it can be such a very innocent display of fondness and devotion as well as it can be the most intimate display of romance and love.

I was brought up in a loving home and physical display of affection was always present. I recall that we always kissed our parents good night, for many years as kids.

Thus when I love, I kiss.

I kiss Batcat daily on his cold nose or shower his black beautiful fur with kisses when I hold him tight. I kiss my friends on the cheek and of course, the men I fall in love with can expect to be kissed by me constantly. When I flirt, I blow covert kisses to my admirers and I sign love letters occasionally with a lipstick kiss.

And of course, during Christmas, there is always a Mistletoe hanging somewhere in my house. I love this romantic tradition that belongs to the holidays.
Not many know that this beautiful evergreen is actually classed as a hemiparasite and in nature it grows attached to trees or shrubs, draining them of nutrients.

Kissing under the Mistletoe is suggested by some legends to be of Scandinavian origin; if enemies met under the mistletoe in the forest, they had to lay down their weapons and observe peace until next day. Ultimately, a mistletoe bunch was hung from the ceiling as a symbol of goodwill and friendship.

To me though, this beautiful Holiday plant simply adds a romantic streak to my Holidays. And maybe one Christmas, there will also be a man there for me - to kiss and to be kissed by - standing underneath it.

That Transcending Emotion...

Love.
That fleeting, yet such a completely transcending emotion; one that makes us feel so fragile and invincible, simultaneously.
At times I truly doubt that the romantic kind of love was ever meant for me - still I do believe and rejoice in its existence for others. As it is that one single human sentiment, which makes everything worth our while.

Even though some of us might feel lonely right now, missing that special connection with another human being, I believe we are never really alone - as love connects us all...
I became reminded of this belief by a set of touching sentences of comfort, send to me recently by a stranger, yet a kindred soul. Her poignant words resonated so strongly within me, I decided to share them here with you;

"Many people forget we belong together as one Universal family - when we forget we feel isolated... The Soul knows no ego, no pride nor fear of humiliation, whilst acting from the heart..."

Such a powerful message from an unexpected source...

Christmas is the time to remember those we love and have loved, no matter what kind of love that might be. As love takes all shapes and travels across vast distances to warm those we hold dear.

To celebrate this surpassing and collective emotion of Love, I have compiled a few of my favourite love quotes in the clip below, using my best winter photographs and the harmonies of one of the infinitely most poetic and romantic songs ever written.

I dedicate it to all of you, whether you feel loved or lonely this Christmas, and whether you are with the ones you love or miss them dearly...

Love Letters.

Love, that foolish, yet transcending emotion, that makes us feel invincible and so endlessly fragile, simultaneously.

Love is such a universal feeling, one that connects us all, as we are all familiar with its bittersweet allure, one that leaves us with the sense of flight as well as fall...

This powerful emotion has been described so many times, in so many ways, with enticing words on paper, creating unforgettable works of art.
I am sure I speak for many of us, when I claim to posses at least one manifestation of emotions, written by a lovers hand in a letter, to be forever immortalized and revisited by the eyes they were meant for.

Not long ago, I stumbled upon a delightful little collection of love letters at a flea market. They are bound into a book, entitled "Love Letters Of Great Men", compiled by Ursula Doyle. Almost every evening, I get lost in a sea of affection, as expressed by great minds of the past, reading through the candid lines of their desire, learning about their inner most emotions of often unrequited love, aimed at Ladies that won their hearts.

The ones that captured my senses more than any other are letters by Ludwig Van Beethoven, the talented composer, written to his "Immortal Beloved". Three such passionate letters were found after his death and the identity of the recipient was never conclusively established. This adds greatly to the uncanny enchantment that envelops every reader of the emotionally charged sentences, as the passion is so very palpable in every word...

Excerpts from "To Immortal Beloved, Good Morning, on 7 July"

O God, why must one go away from what one loves so... You made me the happiest and unhappiest at the same time.

What longing in tears for you - You - my Life - my All - farewell. Oh, go on loving me - never doubt the faithfullest heart
Of your beloved
L
Ever Thine
Ever Mine
Ever Ours.



Note: I was not the only one enthralled by the passion hidden within the love letters. Indeed, Bernard Rose directed a film entitled "Immortal Beloved" in the 90's. Filmed in Prague and in the Czech country side, it is deliciously melancholic, as the plot circles around the pursuit of unveiling the identity of the secret love of Beethoven... A beautiful piece of cinematography in vision and sound, highly recommended for all the fellow hopeless romantics out there...

Flashback Friday: "Nothing To Loose".

Even though the movie "The Party", starring Peter Sellers, is not one of my favorite ones at all (mostly as I at times find some of the comedy to be a bit infantile and annoying), there is one particular scene in the film, which I adore. It features the serene Claudine Longet, a French singer and actress, in a beautiful performance of "Nothing To Loose", composed by Henry Mancini.

Claudine did enjoy success on the music popularity charts in the 60's. Her 1967 debut album, Claudine, peaked at #11 on the Billboard pop albums chart in the United States. Sadly, in 1976 Claudine was convicted for misdemeanor negligent homicide in connection with the death of former Olympic skier "Spider" Sabich, with whom she was romantically involved at that time. After this personal tragedy she has maintained a private profile.

In any case, the compilation below is very soft and tranquil. Her fragile, feminine voice, as she sings in English, yet her words so saturated with a heavy french accent, give the harmonies and lyrics an inevitably sensual and dreamy feel.
Hope you enjoy it too.

Flashback Friday: "Blue Eyes".

The first time I heard of Elton John (now Sir) was in 1983 when he had a major hit with "I Want To Kiss The Bride". I had no idea who Elton was, nor did I know then that he has been an active musician starting two decades prior.

Since then, his numerous compilations has been topping the charts, but none has really manged to capture my heart the way that "Blue Eyes" has. From the 1982 album "Jump up!", the song went to #1 on the adult contemporary chart, becoming John's sixth chart-topper on this list.

I am not sure why I love this piece so much; perhaps as its lyrics somehow always manged to speak to me in one way or another.
Or perhaps because I always imagined this song being sang to me...

Flashback Friday: "At Last!".

Considering that we are about to enter the famous Valentine's weekend, I though I would share with you my favorite love song of all.

Love, the universal feeling, that only one we crave at all times and some of us spend a whole lifetime seeking. It is as elusive as it is enchanting and it is as fleeing as it is everlasting. Love means so many different things to so many, yet it unites us all.

Love has inspired many artist and many love songs have been written throughout the times. "At Last" from 1960, performed by the incredibly talented Etta James is a classic in every possible way. It appeals to me, as it is a positive love song. The lyrics convey in such a pleasing way a certain end to the time of longing, bringing a true happy ending to a tangibly trying time, hinted at in the words.

Perhaps it is because I recognize my own faith in the sentiments, or simply because I am a hopeless romantic, always believing that love is eventually all we really need - the lyrics nevertheless symbolize to me a conviction that eventually all will be well.
At last.

Flashback Friday: "I Promised Myself".

Nick Kamen's face became known from one of the many Levi's commercials that did run on television in the 80's. Those sultry ads featuring good looking men with their jeans.

This one was no exception. A handsome man stripping down in a 1950s style public laundromat, in order to stone-wash his blue jeans, while he waits clad only in his boxer shorts. Apparently, this dramatically increased the popularity of this undergarment and this ad was selected for The 100 Greatest TV Ads of all time in 2000.

However, Nick Kamen was more than a pretty face and did enjoy a brief singing carrier in the 80's. I did like his music, but to me he was always just a face from that jeans ad.
Until 1990, that is. In this year he released his his self-penned song "I Promised Myself". I think that compilation and the video that followed had everything that enticed my young romantic mind. The images were so simple, yet the young man standing there with his guitar appeared to be singing directly to me, looking at me with his enigmatic green eyes, telling me "...I will wait for you...". Needles to say I listened to the tape with this song until the tape broke.

Today I have grown out of some of my naivete, but a certain magic of the compilation has not diminished. Even though I by now consider the video to be somewhat aged and the thrill I used to feel is gone, I still relish in its aesthetics, its simplicity and in the timeless appeal of the lyrics and the harmonies.

"Angélique, Marquise des Anges".

When I was a child, growing up in the former East Bloc, the Czech and Slovak cinematography was the prevailing one in both cinemas and television. However, the broadcasting did embrace the occasional French or Italian movies.
One of the most romantic and extremely sensual series included five films based on thirteen books written by the French novelist duo Anne and Serge Golon.

These depicted the adventures of Angélique de Sance de Monteloup and the affection between her and the gallant, intelligent and charming Joffrey Comte de Peyrac. A love story of the most extreme romantic kind, the movies are a continuous display of passion and chivalry, one that is long gone from the cinematography of today and would most likely be viewed as ridiculous, naïve and perhaps too flamboyant to be taken seriously as well. Which is a shame.

The plot of the first book (and movie) in brief is one of the tragic kind, as any true love story really is.
Angélique, child of an impoverished country nobleman, finds herself betrothed to the rich count, Joffrey de Peyrac, 12 years her senior. He is lame, scarred and reputed to be a wizard. Angélique reluctantly agrees to the match but in time discovers the talents and virtues of her remarkable husband: scientist, musician, philosopher; and to her surprise falls passionately in love with him.
Tragically, Joffrey's unusual way of life causes his arrest and charged with sorcery he is to be burned at the stake. Angélique, despite trying to save Joffrey, alone and desperate, plunges into the darkness of the Paris underworld...

I was way to young to watch or understand the movies and I never read the books. But I remember they were very popular, and when the series were re-send on television in the seventies, I used to watch them with my parents. To this day the images stayed with me in the dusty corners of my memory, somewhat forgotten, until they recently resurfaced, when brought back by a sheer coincidence. I love this kind of serendipity and I am always left with a sense of wonder when it occurs. Often left pondering the fact of how many beautiful moments of the past we carry with us, those often forgotten, stored away in the attic of our mind. Stumbling upon them it is like finding a long lost friend or discovering a treasure, making us aware of the relativity of time.

Below a series of scenes from the first movie accompanied by the famous soundtrack. It was made in 1964, entitled Angélique, Marquise des Anges (Angélique, the Marquise of the Angels), featuring the beautiful Michele Mercier and handsome Robert Hossein.
They just do not portray romance this way anymore...

Flashback Friday (Christmas Edition): "Song For A Winter's Night".

Sarah McLachlan is one of my favorite artists. I discovered her music in the early nineties, when I heard Possession being played on the radio one day. Her music spoke to me in an unusual way and I can not recall being so influenced by any other harmonies before or since. I went ahead and purchased every single album she released to date and at one point owned and loved all the records.

"Song For A Winter's Night" is a very unusual Holiday song I would say, but I love its originality and the tranquil melancholy in the lyrics. It is full of bittersweet longing in the midst of winter, a sentiment I can so well relate to. Complemented in a delicate way by Sarah's unique voice, this is an exquisite piece in my Christmas collection.
I hope you too will enjoy this ethereal compilation.

Flashback Friday: "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes".

Those who know me well - and those who know me very little - know one thing about me; I am a hopeless romantic. Romance in any form, in any shape touches my inner core. I live for romance and I need its manifestation to be present in my life on daily bases, or I will not thrive...
Therefore, the undying romantic melodies, particularly those from times long gone, capture and encompass my very soul.

"Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" is such a classic, a love song, where the lyrics complement the melody in an incredible alluring manner. The compilation is light like air, yet full of substance and inferior in beauty of poetic words.
Written originally as a show tune by American composer Jerome Kern and lyricist Otto Harbach for the 1933 operetta Roberta, it was later performed by Irene Dunne for the 1935 film adaptation, costarring Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers and Randolph Scott. Covered by numerous artists over the years, my absolute favorite and the most famous is the captivating performance by The Platters in 1958.

Listening to it today, tomorrow, any day at any time - when I was young and when I am old and grey - will always fill my heart with the only emotion worth living for:
the undying perception of love.

Romantic Summer.

Summer is often considered the season of love and romance. I am a summer child and a flower child and this is an absolute favorite time for an incurable romantic such as me. I do believe that ultimately love - any kind, in any form and at any age - is truly all we need.

I would like to share with you a very romantic, summery, almost twenty years old "one-hit wonder", which was - and still is - a very favorite song of mine. I used to dream myself away to this lovely piece as a young woman and was absolutely enthralled by everything about it; the images, the sentiment, the lyrics and the melody. To this day, every time I hear it, it still sends shivers down my spine. They just don't make music like this anymore...

I dedicate it to all the hopeless romantics out there.

"It's alright with me as long as you are by my side..."

After Dusk...

My final post about our Prague adventure (at least this time around), describes the magic of the city after the onset of darkness. A veil of endless, sentimental romance settles over the streets, exuberating the feel of old photographs or paintings from times long gone.
The best pictures that I took on this trip were made during the hours of dusk and twilight. Nevertheless, they can not match the beauty of the reality, which can only be appreciated fully by being there.

The winding streets leading up to the castle became silent and deserted as soon as darkness covered the city. We lived in a small, romantic hotel just under the castle and had every opportunity to visit it after dark. It was accessible and held open. Walking around the empty castle yard and gazing at the buildings and the majestic cathedral with its gargoyls and ornate stone structures was an amazing, unusual and almost surreal experience, particularly due to the fact that just a few hours prior, it was filled with hundreds of tourists.

Of course, a city like Prague with all its legends and tales, holds a few stories of the supernatural nature. Book after book has been written on this subject and the city offers a multitude of ghost tours.
We joined one of the tours and were led through the streets of the old town, listening to forgotten tales of the old city, feeling the hair on the back of our neck rise. No matter how logical ones mind is, the atmosphere of the empty streets mixed with the dark tales will make a believer out of the worst of sceptics.




A picture worth posting and a detail worth mentioning is the one that we were encouraged to take standing in front of the St. James Basilica. Not only does the church have a mummified forearm hanging at its entrance, but the monastery connected to it also apparently played a major role in the killing of the Knights Templar in the 14th century.
On the pictures of the entrance here, one large "energy orb" can be seen to the right of the entrance, almost at middle of the gate. Although some will claim that these orbs are of no supernatural origin and can clearly be explained scientifically, I choose to believe in magic and will proudly display my one and only meeting with the unknown.

If You Love Someone...

Love is such a difficult subject to discuss, as love is not just irrational and illogical at times, but also very relative. A subject with so many variations and meanings, so very individual, it is difficult to describe adequately. There are many kinds of love; one we feel towards our parents and our children, or the way we feel about good friends and siblings. And of course then there is the romantic love. Yet, love is universal and connects us all, it inspires great artist, writers and talented musicians.

I am sure everyone is familiar with this famous love quote:

"If you love someone, set them free.
If they come back, they're yours;
if they don't, they never were."

I have tried to find the primary source of these words, however it seems to be unknown. There are a few variations of this quote and two authors have been accredited to be the originators of this citation; Richard Bach and Khalil Gibran.

I was very young when I heard this being mentioned for the first time and remember immediately finding a true significance in this sentence. I longed to be free in my youthful nature, when it came to love. I wanted to feel pursued at all times, or the love was not real; hence the object of my affection, that did not quest for me over all in the world was to weak and the love was not meant to be mine.
Most possibly at that time, I have yet not truly loved. Getting older however, this quote has become more difficult for me to understand and to appreciate, as it seems to idealistic and to unreal to be adapted to real life. When we love, even though love can be a consuming emotion at times, all we want is to have the ones we love near us. This applies to any kind of love. We want to cherish and be cherished. The affection of the one makes us better, our lives become richer and their presence makes us stronger. Loving someone means the least of all telling him or her to go away.

Of course, I am fully aware of the fact, that the quote basically warns of destructive and possessive love. One that ignites jalousie, one that confines us, that is uncontrollable, overpowering and impeding. Most of all, the unreciprocated love. However, to me that is not love at all; perhaps an obsession at the best. True Love is unconditional, it is a Love that is returned with the same token it is given and that sets us free on its own.

In my adult life I have found other love quotes, that I feel more appropriately describes my sentiments about love today.

These are the two favourite ones:

“It is impossible to fall out of love. Love is such a powerful emotion, that once it envelops you it does not depart. True love is eternal. If you think that you were once in love, but fell out of it, then it wasn't love you were in. There are no 'exit' signs in love, there is only an 'on' ramp.”
Unknown

"If you love someone, the greatest gift you can give them is your presence."
Thich Nhat Hanh


Finally, if I may be so bold, I would like to add my own variation of the famous love quote, which I believe is more factual, at least in my own life:

"If you love someone,
make sure your love sets them free
and if they truly love you,
they will stay with you forever."

Romantic Christmas.

My blog friend Hazel recently stated she feels old. Well, I have to say, that she is probably not feeling as old as I have done this past weekend. I am still recovering from a Christmas party held on Friday night at work. This just shows that I can simply no longer party as I used to.;)
So, this Sunday, on the 3d of Advent, I am sitting all curled up with hot chocolate, cookies and pile of happy, romantic, sugar sweet Christmas movies and of course a box of Kleenex.;)) And of course, the Batcat.
Here is my top 5 most romantic Christmas movies to watch, to all of you that find themselves with a pounding headache on those "after the party" days.;)

1.The Holiday
Starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet, as two successful women who trade their houses for Christmas Holidays in order to get over their broken hearts. Wonderfully romantic and sweet, very well made and with a perfect cast. I have to say it is much better than "Tara Road", a movie built on the same story.

2.The Family Stone
I always cry my eyes out watching this movie. A story depicted with humor but with very serious undertones, dealing with the grave issues and the dysfunction, which is evident, to some extend, in every family, especially around the holidays. I love this movie, as one can recognize so well the aspect of some of the problems. Yet in the end one can not help but realize that family is all that matters.

3. Serendipity
I can watch this movie over and over again; not one scene is boring. I have always loved Kate Beckinsale and she is perfect in this movie, as is John Cusack. Wonderful and so romantic film made for all of us that believe in magic and true love.

4. While you were sleeping
I love this movie, as it is a Cinderella story for grownups. I so identified with Sandra Bullock in this movie and always have. I watch this movie every Christmas, almost as a tradition.


5.Love Actually
This movie only gets better with time. I love that kind of English humor and I love that the movie consist of different stories, but they are all connected. Although naive and at times quiet unreal, it is still a wonderful movie to watch and packed with star actors. If for nothing else, at least for that touching opening scene at the airport, where it becomes obvious that all we really need, is love.