9.19.2006

Flight Wonderings

September 15 - flying from Vienna to Krakow. Flight time: 1hr.

"Last leg of our trip. Now in Vienna heading to Krakow. Moline - Chicago - Dullas - Vienna - Krakow... Not bad. All quick transfers. My body is in a tired place, though, where I'm hot, my breathing is tight and my mouth is dry.

I'm looking out the window at the surrounding Austrian Villages wondering if one of them is Rohrau. Little hamlets along the Danube. Each with their village church and tower that probably looked out for the Turk's at one point.

I'm right next to the prop of this plane and my butt is buzzing. I'm probably 5 feet from it... If it came off I'd be the first one dead. I wouldn't even make it to the crash.

So far this travel's been outstanding. Really not more than an ounce here or there of turbulence. Was so great.

I stole a blanket today from Austrian Airlines. it's a great green with red trim. Quite striking and fun. Does this make me a bad person?

Flying over England at early morning today was beautiful. I noticed in the darkness warm orange glows of light. Rarely have I had a chance to SEE England every time I fly over it.

It's been so interesting to look below me at the land thinking "this is Europe" - like, countless armies have marched these lands... The Moors, the Mongols, the Ottomans, the Hungarians, Alexander the Great... the Romans. How deep do footprints go in this soil. Plots of land that have remnants of life before lying ferral that perhaps were once Roman camps, battlefields, temporal town. It fascinates me endlessly.

All this below me was once the Eatern block, ruled by Communism... the U.S.S.R. I imagine we're over the Czech Republic right now.

Land formations also blow my mind... the general geology of places that you see from a plane. Rivers that used to flow here now flow there, but left a trace with a dry bed. Mounds in the ground. The natural shape of uncut forests. Even some of the man-made things like roads that followed the natural walking route of past people groups, in and out of hills, towns, forests... and the roads that took their place... before blasting away the earth was possible. The towns that developed around natural resources. Towns that never grew into each other so they really used to be able to say, "the woodsmythe three towns down the river..."

5 comments:

cityfrog said...

Maybe sometime again you can write about the many people who have sailed the Pacific as you fly over stretch after stretch, hour after hour of water from your west coast to our east coast. Brisbane beckons you!

Bookmaking class has just finished. Photos will be on our website soon. Stencil art starts in a couple weeks. Do you leave this kind of legacy everywhere you go?!? :)

kate debaene said...

i think you should just start a whole collection of airline blankets. some people have thimbles, others have spoons, yet others have isabel blooms [well only quad citians and those that they love or regift to], but you jenn, you could have airline blankets from your travels abroad.

Jason Grate- Ordinary Extraordinary- Simple Stories of Lessons learned said...

Remember the weird red/purple plaid blankets from our flight with Virgin Atlantic? Shelly and Lisa K. and Cindy Buck all still use theirs! I too find anything related to geology and history ENDLESSLY fascinating.... To the great annoyance of those around me... Love the pictures. Hope to see more soon.

Anonymous said...

Yes- the lovely weird red/purple plaid blanket! It is also in my collection as well and still used.. I stumbled across the clear little back packs we got from Virgin Atlantic as well... Great pictures Jenn! Your blog is refreshing - Man would I love to sit with you and a nice cup of something hot to discuss the lovely things of life...

Jenn Swift said...

LEXA!!!! OH MY! YOU ARE ALIVE! I always misplace your phone number and think of you especially on trips like these remembering back to England and tea shared there! :)

So pleased to know the blanket mention has incited much confession from so many of you!