Frustrating

I just can't upload any photos.  And I am too tired and mush-brained to create any verbal pictures.  I have blisters on the soles of my feet from all the walking we've done.  We are getting very little sleep - still jet lagged.

Through some incredibly stupid screw up (90% my fault), we missed our train last night.  We thought it left at 10pm, but it actually left at 7 pm.  The next train wasn't leaving until 5:50 am. We were going to sleep in the train station, but it was cold, it had very uncomfortable benches with huge spaces between the slats through which my posterior seemed to want to migrate, and it was filled with unsavory looking characters.  By about 10:45pm, we decided that whatever we paid for a hotel could be considered as life/theft insurance and was very well worth the expense.  We went to a hotel and slept for a few hours and then came back.  Made the train on time, arrived in Prague at 12:30 pm this afternoon.

I have many good pictures to share.  I hope I will be able to post them upon our return. The scenery is beautiful and fascinating.

In other news - The Washington Post came down on Nancy Pelosi's trip to Syria.  What a surprise!

HOUSE SPEAKER Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) offered an excellent demonstration yesterday of why members of Congress should not attempt to supplant the secretary of state when traveling abroad. After a meeting with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Ms. Pelosi announced that she had delivered a message from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that "Israel was ready to engage in peace talks" with Syria. What's more, she added, Mr. Assad was ready to "resume the peace process" as well. Having announced this seeming diplomatic breakthrough, Ms. Pelosi suggested that her Kissingerian shuttle diplomacy was just getting started. "We expressed our interest in using our good offices in promoting peace between Israel and Syria," she said.

Only one problem: The Israeli prime minister entrusted Ms. Pelosi with no such message. "What was communicated to the U.S. House Speaker does not contain any change in the policies of Israel," said a statement quickly issued by the prime minister's office. In fact, Mr. Olmert told Ms. Pelosi that "a number of Senate and House members who recently visited Damascus received the impression that despite the declarations of Bashar Assad, there is no change in the position of his country regarding a possible peace process with Israel." In other words, Ms. Pelosi not only misrepresented Israel's position but was virtually alone in failing to discern that Mr. Assad's words were mere propaganda.

As far as I am concerned, her actions give women in politics a bad name. (Oh well, here's someone who gives men in politics a bad name.)

When I hear about the history of Eastern Europe in detail, as they were buffeted between nazi fascism and Stalinist communism (not to mention thoise crazy Hapsburg royals and the violent paganism which preceeded them all), all I can say is, I am so very glad to be a citizen of the United States.  We've been so very fortunate that we are located where we are and that for the most part, those who came before us have made the right choices. We have been born in the right place at the right time.  It could have been much different. It could have been much worse.

Much of Budapest was destroyed during WW2.  There are 9 bridges across the river Danube - all were bombed out and had to be rebuilt.  They rebuilt them in the same style as they were before they were destroyed, giving the city the same OldEuro air.  Prague, on the other hand, gave in to the nazis very quickly.  And Hitler loved Prague, apparently, and wanted to spare it in order to make make it a German city.  So, it survived WW2 mostly unscathed.  Lots of ancient churches and statues.  Very interesting architecture.  I like both cities - both are worth visiting.  Budapest is quiet and less commercialized.  Prague is WILD and CRAZY. Zillions of visitors. Prague is sophisticated and financially successful.  Budapest is European and less successful, mostly because it has favored the socialist party in its voting record, from what I understand. Yet it is refined and dignified, and the people are very friendly.  Prague is rebellious and young.  Prague wears a nose ring and eats sushi, Budapest wears native dress and eats a lot of goulash. That's not a completely true or fair analogy, but hopefully, you get the idea.

More when time permits... 

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[Jack]

Have fun.