Category Archives: Travel

Road tripping through Europe

Posted in After treatment, Bumpboobs, Fun, Life, Travel, Writing by

Ah! Due to my absolute lack of wifi, I’ve decided to write a collection of short blog entries to document this trip across Europe, to be presented below. It’s essentially driving me crazy not being able to connect my computer to the internet. I’ve got lovely images and thoughts to share, but can’t transfer the work. Argh!

On the other hand, I am enjoying myself on this trip. There are times when – normally – I’d be the one in the front seat beside Zsolt (driver) saying “turn right here!” or “there’s a parking spot!” but not this journey. This journey, I’m the one in the back seat sleeping. It’s gorgeous.

Right.

31/05/2011 Brussels.

Both Zsolt and I have been here before, we’ve seen the little pissing boy, tasted the crunchy waffles and snapped photos of the flower market, which means arriving today was nice but not totally novel. Most of the day was spent trying to find a free toilet (impossible), followed by trying to find a gyro stand. Therefore, most of the day was wasted wandering the same 200m by 200m area over and over till all our goals were accomplished. Afterward we visited the Arcade, which is basically an old-fashioned mall with very high, glass ceilings and the most beautiful store fronts you could ask for. Inside the arcade were chocolate shops, book shops, toy stores and jewellery boutiques, all quite standard for that higher class of shopping that generally fills these kinds of places (arcades are far more charming than malls, there’s such a lovely aesthetic to the place that despite affording nothing, I still really enjoy to visit).  And then it was time to go back home. As the car navigated through rush hour, I spotted the hostel where Daniel (my little brother) and I originally stayed while first visiting Brussels. Across from the hostel is a park filled with lovely animal statues, and it made me smile to remember Dan perched on top of the lion giving a roar for the camera. Geez lousie, that was almost six years ago now – but visiting this city makes it all so fresh in my mind.

Good times seem to linger in my memory.

And now it’s about nine twenty pm, Zsolt is sleeping beside me and I’m about to head to bed too. This day has been tiring (I’m out of shape, tourist-wise) and tomorrow promises to be another long haul. We’re off bright and early to Amsterdam (see below) to visit the canal, bakeries, and indiscrete prostitution. This will be my second time in Amsterdam. I hope to visit an internet cafe, sample some hot beverage, and just enjoy the beautiful city. People might assume it’s all about sex and drugs, but really – Amsterdam is a wonderful place to visit. And so, to bed. Tomorrow is another big day.

01/05/2011 Amsterdam.

The car has broken down. We were driving back from Amsterdam when this little gas tank light turned on, and shortly afterward the engine started to sound funny. Luckily, apart from one moment where everything went silent and the car stopped running, we were able to return to the house where we’re staying. That’s the good news. Bad news, it’s tipping onto a 4-day long weekend here in Belgium, meaning we’re potentially screwed in terms of servicing the car, meaning our Euro-road trip is also potentially screwed.

Amsterdam was beautiful as always – but too full of memories. Maybe if I’d had more time I could have stewed in the nostalgia, but as it was – the meat was tough and I had trouble enjoying myself (contrasting then/now and missing my little brother and thinking about that sweet little baby I’d met in the morning, plus starting to realizing I’m not going to see my friends again for quite some time. Can anyone say, ‘pity party’?). This is the city where I decided to stick with Zsolt (nearly six years ago), but today it was the city where I moped. Sometimes it’s hard to be happy. Apart from when we rented a paddle boat and cruised the canals, that was good fun and reasonably priced . . . and the French fries. Oh my G, they were amazing. I went back for seconds.

02/06/2011 Brussels.

Zsolt’s sister and brother-in-law have called the insurance company and they’re trying to find a garage to service the vehicle. However, the problem remains: today (Thursday) is a bank holiday,  meaning most garages will also take tomorrow (Friday) as a holiday. Will we get our car serviced? Is Cologne, Dresden, and Prague off the menu for this journey? We’ll see.

In the meanwhile I’ve been graced with internet – though yet to actually have access to the computer. I had been hoping for wifi, but at this point will take whatever is available. Zsolt has a portable hard drive so I can transfer my files to the actual computer.

Maybe today I’ll take a walk outside.

04/06/2011 – Belgium to Germany to Austria to Hungary

How is it possible to cover several countries in one day? By driving straight through them. Unfortunately the mechanic could only apply a temporary fix to the car, and so we’ve decided it’s most practical to go straight home. Bye bye Cologn, Dresden and Prague – maybe we’ll meet again some other time? I feel badly for Zsolt’s sister and brother-in-law because this was their holiday. Zsolt and I are still easy riding in the car’s backseat, and apart from facing a 12 hour (or plus) drive, everything’s feeling fine.  My little episode with the baby proved not to stick, because I saw the tiny lady again and this time everything went well. She was entirely charming and I didn’t feel one bit of sadness. Maybe I was just having a bad day when we first met.

Now we’re in the car cruising across Germany, which is, didn’t you know, huge.  Not Canada huge, but Europe huge. I’ve heard the cities and food in Germany are great, but they’ll have to wait for another occasion because at the moment I’m looking at field after field of green, with pit stop menus and pay toilets along the way.

Secretly I’m quite excited to arrive in Hungary, and hold no grudge that we’ll be returning sooner than planned.  Those sweet lawns of Balaton are calling my name: “Catherine, Catherine, come swim in the water,” and the temperature has jumped up many degrees in the past few days. It really, truly feels like summer.

I enjoyed Belgium, despite the car troubles, and was very happy for the rest. Sometimes in planning a trip, actual ‘resting’ gets factored out of the equation. It’s terrible that the Euro-holiday has been cancelled, but if we had to get stranded, I’m quite happy it was with a kind family, in a beautiful home, with a cherry tree in the backyard and an amazing bakery around the corner (okay, so that’s gluten, but it’s also a holiday).  Can’t say Zsolt and I will ever buy a hundred year old house with twelve-foot ceilings, but you never know. The main vibe about the place was ‘home sweet home’– which I’m forever seeking though have made considerable peace with – and no matter where we end up (whatever building – cottage in Balaton, apartment in the city, basement in the suburbs) I hope we can make it loved-filled, family-gathering, and with simple charm like that house in Belgium.

Now to Hungary. To arriving. To Zsolt’s parents, and, mostly likely, to a steaming pot of goulash.   

05/06/2011 Hungary

And here we are on the porch. Last night’s drive lasted about 13.5 hours, which is enough to flatten anyone’s ass into a pancake. But it wasn’t a bad day, and this morning is the pay off. On the front porch table is a bowl of deep red cherries, and beside that a bowl of aging strawberries. Behind me are not-yet-ready fruit trees with budding pears and plums. Hungary has its pros and cons, but the gardens are most certainly lovely.

Everyone around me is speaking Hungarian, and maybe I can understand one word per sentence. Okay, I’ll listen in right now – these are the words I understand:

One, two  only, no, colours, oh how nice, Volvo, car, 170 kilometres, cherries, in Canada, two hundred, Balaton, one thousand, money, gasoline, two litres, four hours, more Volvo talk and stuff about gas mileage . . . and so on. From context, I judge this conversation to revolve around cars, the comparison of cars (it was an Opel that broke down during this trip, just four years old too. That’s the third Opel to break down. Time to switch companies, maybe try a Volvo like Zsolt’s father’s car).

And apart from that everything’s great – smooth and easy goes the day. Plus no one minds that I’m sitting here clacking away at the computer.

Pretty nice.

So I guess that’s the end of this trip. Not what I’d expected, but who cares. I feel sorry for Zsolt’s sis and bro-in-law, but it sure is nice here on the balcony.

(Confirmed goulash for lunch. We have indeed arrived in Hungary!)

See you laters, alligators.

Dancing with Aeroplan

Posted in After treatment, Bumpboobs, Canada, Life, Travel by

Ah, Aeroplan – we meet again.

For better, for worse, in good times and bad, wrestling with Air Canada’s Aeroplan has become a yearly (bi-yearly, when I’m lucky) tradition. That’s what you get in long-distance family relationships. We live in England, my parents live in Canada. Therefore, about every nine months (give or take several months), I look up flights that can utilize the generous donation of my parent’s flying miles.

Normally this isn’t a problem. London to Ottawa is a fairly steady route – but when it comes to the busy periods, those times of the year when everyone is pushing and shoving to ride a plane, well, flying becomes a bitch.  

Last time it was a Christmas blocked-out period, anxieties over a chemo deadline, and trying to fly when everything and everyone was saying, ‘it’s not gonna happen’. This time it’s far less intense. Zsolt and I will be leaving Hungary toward the end of August, and we were hoping our arrival in Canada would correspond with my parent’s cottage vacation.

Okay, honestly – this is 100% no way like last Christmas. Last Christmas it was essential that I go home before the 15th of December. This time around we’ll be going to Canada whether or not the holiday cottage plans work out. So that’s fine. Therefore, what’s my problem?

Ah, just the same as ever. Every time we have a date (the 25th, the 28th, the 30th) and wait, say, one day to make sure it jives with my family back home-BAM!– Aeroplan does a little dance and the flights for that day are GONE.

Poof.

This is not a life and death situation. I love being able to fly for less. One-way tickets are astronomical in price when not bought with points. I should be thanking Air Canada for all the free (plus tax) rides they’ve allowed me over the years (or rather, thank my parents).

It’s more of an irritation than emergency. Actually, it’s no emergency. It’s like your little brother sitting in the back seat of the van and flicking your ear every five minutes. (Hi, Dan.) Annoying, but ultimately I’ll stick by them.

Eventually this will be sorted. That’s the beauty of life – one way or another, stuff works out. And so, it’s back to the Aeroplan website. After all, every relationship demands a little work; and when it’s good, it’s so very good.

Travelling is good for you

Posted in After treatment, Bumpboobs, Fun, Life, Love, Travel, Writing by

Yes! Punch in the air! Cross off my first vacation of the summer. It’s been about two years since Zsolt and I travelled (apart from trips home, but that’s more comfort than adventure), so landing those excellent tickets to Faro was a real treat. I mean, it was essentially a confirmation of my recovery from chemotherapy. For anyone going through the process of chemo, it will knock you down – but you will get up.

Totting a badeau bikini I went sans prosthesis to the beaches in Lagos. Really, my chest is so flat anyhow it’s hard to notice the absence of a second breast. Plus, my bathing suit has a busy pattern, which helps disguise the difference. Because it’s early April, Lagos hasn’t hit its peak tourism season. Therefore, we were actually able to find a beach to ourselves – like, literally, only the occasional sightseers came along, and even then they stayed just a few minutes. Essentially we had our own little resort amongst the cliffs.

In the mornings we would tour the old town, then pick up some pizza (gluten alert!) and fruit, head to the beach, and then eventually return to the guest house. We stayed in this lovely place outside of the city centre – it was about a fifteen minute walk, but worthwhile due to the kindness of the owners, the cleanliness of the rooms (five stars for cleanliness) and utilities provided. Plus, everyone who stayed at the guest house was really easygoing. I had forgotten how enjoyable the company of other travellers can be. When people are on vacation, they’re generally pretty cool. In fact, we even met a lovely Hungarian couple – honestly, for such a small country the Hungarians seem to be everywhere. I haven’t gone on a trip yet without hearing Hungarian at some point. We cornered this couple in the kitchen and essentially twisted their arm to play a card game with us (Zsírozás) – Zsolt was the reigning champion, but Dávid was quite a competitor. Meanwhile Hajni and I did our best, but seemed to get trumped every round. And I ate ice cream the entire time.

Now we’re back. I have the month of April off work because the students are all gone, and that’s how my contract rolls. However there’s plenty of writing to do. Tomorrow I need to rework a chapter of my fiction, plus add to Catherinebrunelle.com and figure something for facingcancer.ca. Also, I’d like to start an online literary magazine for breast cancer survivors and fighters. Something light, quick and easy to digest. I’m naming it The Narrative Nipple. (If you think this is a stupid name please do let me know, but otherwise it makes me laugh). And finally I’m filming a quick video for this website called ‘the day I found out’ which features stories from cancer survivors about the – duh – day they found out about the cancer. I’m not 100% positive there is a pin point day that I realized the cancer existed. . . first came the lump, then the uncertainties, then the worry, and finally the diagnosis . . . but I’ll run with the actual diagnosis date for this video.

And in the meanwhile Zsolt will be studying for his viva. The date is set for May 6th and the man is about to engage into full throttle study mode. Again. But I’m crazy proud of him.

Overall, it was wonderful to take a vacation. I think if you can afford the time, then make the effort to vacation (sitting in your backyard sans responsibility for a day counts!). If you can’t afford the time, then try and at least have a cup of tea in the sunshine. Pause is a very good thing.

Cheers to travelling, and being healthy again. Man, it was wonderful to walk the cliffs of Lagos and not get winded. Really wonderful.