Tag Archives: travel

Weekly #Tanka challenge

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It’s time for this week’s installment of Colleen’s weekly poetry challenge. You can see last week’s Tanka here. The prompt words for this week are: myth and write.

I had started on a little something about death and sorrow and loss, but then I went on an early hike with my husband yesterday.  The lovely morning in the woods inspired the following triple Tanka instead. I’ve no idea if the concept of a triple Tanka even exists, but I found I was not done with the poem after one stanza, so I just added two more. Hope you enjoy it—and the picture my husband took, too. The picture was taken on the morning of January, 27th on our way to the ruins of Castle Wegelnburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany on the border to France.

20180127-DSC06241January 2018

~Slopes, Immersed in White Mist~

Enchanted forest,
I savor your mystic air.
Dew. Haze. Lacy rays.
The morning inks ancient tales
Of new life on dappled ground.

My breath’s a wet cloud.
But sunlight’s fingers reach out,
Warming my cold face.
Empty trails and byways are
Glittering with silent mist.

The new day’s aura
Is ripe with sweet memories
Of forgotten days.
And I remember verses,
once lost—but now born anew.

 

 

Back from London

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Last week I spent some days in London to attend the launch of Melinda’s last book in her Sin Eater’s trilogy. I also squeezed in a play – Hamlet, played by Andrew Scott ( ❤ ). And it’s been great – as always London did not disappoint!

But there had been some hick-ups beforehand. I had planned a 3 day/2 night stay in London in an AirBnB where five of us would stay and than the host did not answer to any of my attempts to contact her. The listing had disappeared. Negative reviews came in … and with less than a week to the trip and other people depending on the same AirBnB I got nervous pretty fast. As the host did not react, I called AirBnB and thankfully, the hotline guy was ever so helpful and promised to look into the matter. It took another two days for them to establish what they could not reach the host either. Nothing else to do but to cancel and rebook.

I need to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I got several suggestions for other flats from AirBnB’s team, the refund of the already payed flat went smoothly and I was able to get a very suitable replacement by simply switching the booking. Well done, AirBnB. With hopefully everything settled I flew over on Tuesday and yes – indeed all worked out fine.

The apartment was perfect. Andrew Scott’s performance was stunning and Mel’s book launch in the Crypt was a highlight all by itself.