North Korea

I'm back from Beijing and Pyongyang. Yes, it's true, in between setting off nuclear bombs, launching missiles and convicting American journalists in secret trials, the Democratic People Republic of Korea let me in, and most importantly, out. I accompanied a small group from World Vision to see their work there. I'll be writing more, but for the moment let me simply report that the DPRK is the most bizarre place I have ever been. I felt like I was in a movie set--perhaps a Stalinist version of The Truman Show. I wouldn't have missed it for the world, but I was awfully glad to set foot back in the intoxicating liberty of Beijing.

Home at Last

We got home Tuesday night. Katie was there to meet us at the airport. The dog still remembers us. So, unfortunately, does the cat. (Anybody want a used cat?) Sonoma County looks as beautiful as ever. It's great to be home.

We're both feeling a bit stunned that our long journey is over. It had begun to feel like an alternative lifestyle. And it's amazing how much you can forget in five months, like how to connect the modem to the wireless internet router.

Adding to the confusion, I had to make two quick trips to San Francisco to get a visa. I have a surprise trip to Asia next week. The timing isn't great but this is really a chance in a lifetime. Hint: what country in Asia has never been visited by a single person you know? I'll report when I get back.

Wonderful day in Cambridge

Seemed like we hit the trifecta yesterday in Cambridge. We woke up in Silas' room (two houses down from one that J.M. Keynes once occupied, according to a plaque), and after breakfast he went off for some strenuous weightlifting while we strolled up the Cam. Passing through a couple of miles of beautiful river meadow we came to the village of Grantchester and the Orchard Tea House. The poet Rupert Brooke once lived here in rural splendor, paddling his canoe to Cambridge when necessary, and entertaining a group of close, argumentative friends who included Virginia Woolf, E.M. Forster, the aforementioned Keynes, Wittgenstein, and Bertrand Russell. They liked to go on 20 mile walks and hung out at the teahouse, which served and serves tea and scones and other light food from a rustic shack to tables set under the apple trees. It hasn't changed much since the Great War. We sat in the canvas chairs and soaked in the sunshine.

Silas joined us there and we had lunch, then walked back to Cambridge, bought a bottle of wine, and went punting on the Cam. Silas' college has its own boats, and to procure them we had to walk through several college courts--all closed and invoking silence because of exams. The river was lovely and I must say that for atmosphere and beauty it would be very hard to match Cambridge.

Then we docked our boat and hurried to King's College. You may know that the college choir is quite famous--I grew up listening to their records--and we intended to hear them sing evensong. Instead we found ourselves in a Requiem mass for King Henry VI, the founder of the college. It was a lovely service in an extraordinary building, and we were very close to the altar over which hangs Ruben's portrait of the baby Jesus introduced to the magi. The music was astonishing, absolutely the best choral music I have ever heard or ever dreamed of hearing. We came away stunned.

It was an unplanned day that worked out in a leisurely fashion, but what a time we had! I'll never forget it.

Prague

Are we getting old?

We're down to the last week of our mammoth extraordinary, and still very much enjoying ourselves. Prague is as beautiful a city as you can find, and we're with good, old friends. I've been close to Fred Prudek since I was a sophomore in college, and Popie has known him nearly as long. We've known and loved Kelly since they married 25 years ago. (Not long after that blessed event, friends of Fred began to marvel over her with each other.) So we love having this chance to catch up in depth. A lot of our time has been taken up with long, long walks. From their home you can walk into the center of Prague, as well as out into thick forest parkland. We've done both, sometimes on the same walk. Czechs specialize in little snack bars along the way where you can buy a beer or an ice cream and kick back.

We've also been able to see some of the Prudeks' work. Popie has gone with Kelly as she leads ESL classes and, every Friday night, goes into central Prague to meet with and talk to prostitutes. We've met members of the little church they are helping to launch in an outlying town, and we attended there Sunday when Fred was preaching. It's great to get some of the texture of their life and work.

Thursday we fly back England for a last fling with Silas and Coreen Hester, and Tuesday the 26th we fly home. Can't wait to see our daughter, our house, our dog, our church and our friends. (No hierarchy implied.) But will we suffer from post-sabbatical stress?

photos of England

Here's Popie with our friends Steve and Alice. Perhaps you can think of a caption for Popie's expression. Alice, obviously, is gloating about something.

The Thames, at the Iffley lock. In the middle distance you can see the Iffley church tower, 12th century building, where we worshiped on Sunday.
A pub lunch with the Trollopes on the edge of the Wirral. At this very spot travelers once set sail for America; now it is all silted in to a broad marshy meadow.
We went for a climb on this green grassy hill and discovered--golfers! Along with the sheep. Walkers, golfers and sheep all comingled. These fairways went ungroomed, unless the sheep count as groundskeepers.
It doesn't get any greener.
We had wonderful walking with David Okonji, although the weather was chilly.

Lost photo of Bergerac

Here's the lost photo of our bed and breakfast in Bergerac. The place with the ancient beams you can hit your head on. Quite a wonderful quirky place. If you ever go there ask us about it.

Green England

We're now in Cheltenham, which is near Gloucester, which is sort of near Bath in Green, Green England. David Okonji lives and works here in internal medicine. We stayed with his family in Kenya (his brother got married, if you remember) and we really like him a lot. Tomorrow we're going to go walking in the Cotswolds (the country around here)--then back to London where I have an interview to do before we head to the Czech Republic.

Our four days with the Trollopes was wonderful. They are fairly newly retired and it was good to see how they are working out their days--wisely and well, it seemed to us, and seemingly managing to enjoy each other more than ever. That was encouraging. The weather wasn't so nice but we got out for some walks, and mostly talked and ate nonstop. So it is with old friends, at least with OUR old friends.