What am I doing here?

What am I doing here?

What am I doing here?

What am I doing here?

I’ve put the stress on the three parts of this questions and I still can’t come up with an answer.

A holiday. In Prague. Me. Languishing. Exploring somewhere new. Not gardening.

I have had a brief interlude travelling with my friend Alice, staying at Daisy and Grant’s spare apartment, and generally having a blast.

For two days I did that mad thing called being a Tourist. Exploring, walking, eating (and you will be relieved to know I didn’t finish this horror!)

(Goodness that cardigan makes me look plump). I rarely get other people to take pictures of me. I’m usually pointing the camera at green things. Or brown.

It was fascinating and I am thrilled to have seen this incredible city. The last time I came and stayed it was still part of the Soviet Empire and I swear it wasn’t this colourful.

I joined hordes of other tourists. I ogled and jostled (And yes, I do want to recreate this artwork on the ceiling of my home. It’s from the Vladislav Hall in the Old Royal Palace.)

After two days however I found my feet were heading to places green. That’s not hard in the city as there are so many parks. And we were staying in Prague 6 the embassy district which had perfect vistas and green bits.

But I had started to see that I had a surfeit of being a tourist. Of just observing and ogling.

Even if the art nouveau villas were divine.

And it made me ponder so many things: like what is the point of being a tourist? Why this yearning to explore? I know that is a bit rich coming from someone who made a living as a travel writer. But I do sincerely believe that we have cycles of curiosity in our lives.

When I was younger I was so eager to explore, to venture, to see.

But I seem to be in a phase were exploring beyond the boundaries of my farm is just not a passion.  After three days in one of the most glorious cities on earth I found myself sitting on a park bench and wondering if the asparagus had finally deigned to emerge. Whether my seedlings had germinated in my absence. And mildly fretting about all my plants.

Time to head home I thought. I’m just not engaging with this stunning landscape. I’m pondering the one I have created at home.

My next post will be in a week. Events are conspiring to keep me away. And I can’t tell you how irksome that feels. Spring has finally arrived, and I’m not there to delight and be amazed.