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Enjoy our final round of pictures cruising the Danube River.

Poetical Journal © by Bob Casey

Mission: To provide poetical and thoughtful comments on life

VOLUME XI – Issue 9: Sunday, October 28, 2012 (134th Issue)

Danube River Cruise Part III

Enjoy pictures of Bratislava, Slovakia
and Budapest, Hungary
.

CONTENT

  • Welcome & Online Version
  • Opening Comments from Bob
  • Three Poems: Peace Defined, Where is the Music?, and Untitled
  • Please support my efforts for this publication by donating or purchasing merchandise.
  • Vignette: Only Eight More Days
  • Recommendations
  • Quotable Quotes
  • A Bit of Humor
  • Contest Winners from the Past
  • Pay It Forward
  • PJ Forum
  • Reminder: If you are filtering...
  • PJ Demographics – All 50 states and 72 countries
  • PJ Online
  • PJ Policies
  • Subscription information

Welcome

I am pleased to have you as a reader. If you enjoy the PJ, please encourage others to subscribe. If your country is not listed in the demographic section at the end, please let me know so I can update the list.


The next issue of the Poetical Journal will be out on Sunday, November 25, 2012.

Crowded downtown farmers' market, Budapest
..Opening Comments from Bob
  • Newsletter Format: Each of you should be receiving this newsletter in the format that you emailed me you preferred. I developed two mailing lists with the hope of providing better customer service. If you did NOT notify me of your preference, you automatically received the new (revised) version.  (Two readers made an excellent point, if you do not have high speed internet, it is difficult to open the web version due to all the pictures.) If you would like your format version changed, please email me and state either traditional or revised. That will be the format you receive in the next issue. As always my suggestion is simply go to the web version.
  • Danube River Cruise Part III: This issue concludes our travels to Europe. I hope you enjoy the pictorial coverage of Bratislava and Budapest. To enjoy this aspect of the newsletter, you need to go to the web version.
  • A Respite in Time: This 184 page book consists of vignettes, mostly one or two pages in length, which provide thoughtful comments on life. They have appeared in this newsletter over the last ten and a half years. The content provides a fun, leisurely read. Humor, travel, and real-life experiences are woven throughout the book. It is available on Amazon and through the publisher, Author House. However, you can also purchase it through me at an introductory discounted rate. The book will make a wonderful gift. Click here for more information. If you would like the book signed, please let me know.
  • Next Month: A surprise announcement and celebration.

    re...................
    Opera House in Bratislava, Slovakia
    .............Three Poems this Month

    Peace Defined

    Peaceful silence
    .... as the riverboat
    .... glides through the waters
    .... of the Danube.
    A low cloud
    .... hangs tentatively
    .... to the hillside
    .... as the sun rises.
    On the shore
    .... two small rows of corn
    .... between which a patch
    .... of green grass grows,
    .... providing a campsite for a couple
    .... tented in a sleeping embrace.
    High above, a pinnacled castle
    .... maintains guard.
    A lone biker
    .... rolls by the oblivious couple
    .... on a bike trail that runs
    .... from Germany to Budapest.
    Perhaps peace
    .... could be defined
    .... by this still life.

    Comments: I hope each of you have had moments where you sense great peace as described in this poem. If so, I would love to hear about it.

     


     

    Where is the Music?

    Is it not
    .... in the songs of the birds,
    .... the rustle of the leaves on a windy day,
    .... the babbling brook,
    .... or the crescendo of the approaching waterfall?

    Is it not
    .... in the fragrance of the rose,
    .... the nuances from a burning fireplace,
    .... the aroma from a freshly brewed cup of tea,
    .... or the heady smells of fall?

    Is it not
    .... in the light touch from one’s love,
    .... the crisp breeze on a fall day,
    .... the feel of warm water on the chilled skin,
    .... or the invigorating leap into the pool?

    Where is the music?
    The symphony surrounds us.

    Comments: No matter where you are, if you listen, you will hear the music.



    ....

    Untitled

    What lies beyond
    .... is less important
    .... than now,
    .... the gift
    .... we have been given.

    Comments: How we live the now will affect the beyond.

    Shoes on the Danube Promenade Sculpture (Budapest)
    Memorial to the victims of the Holocaust who were required to
    remove their shoes before being thrown into the partially frozen

    river. Those who did not drown were shot.
    Man at Work sculpture in Bratislava
    You have to watch for cars while taking the picture as several
    tourists discovered.
    Abundance of public transportation is a wonderful bonus
    for tourists as well as locals
    Beautiful tiled steeple at Mathias Cathedral

    My books and products are purchasable online.
    They make great gifts.

    My work currently appears in five books. They are offered for sale on line. To order any of the five, click here.

    • Lit Bit (2011) is the most recent. It is a small anthology that includes three of my poems and three of my photographs. The cover photo is also mine. The cost is $10 plus shipping.
    • A Slice from the Apple with the Taste of Poetry (2010) is an anthology of poems written by members of the Apple Valley Poets, a very talented group that formed almost eleven years ago. This book contains a wide variety of poetical genres and will appeal to all lovers of poetry. The cost is $10 plus shipping. To order, click here.
    • An Oasis in a Cluttered World (2006) is a book that allows you chapter by chapter to immerse yourself in a quiet refuge as you forget the chaos of the world. Through poems, vignettes, and recommendations it beckons you to let go, relax, and savor life’s many riches. The cost is $11 for paperback and $18 for hardcover. To order, click here.
    • Wisdom from the Journey (2004) As stated on the cover leaf, “My wish is that this reading journey will provide you with a bit of respite from everyday life, generate a few laughs, cause good feelings about yourself and humanity, encourage introspection, and at certain times twinge your conscience on critical issues and thoughts. Upon reading the last page, I hope you will smile and say, That felt good! The cost is $10 for paperback and $17 for hardcover. To order, click here.
    • The Wanderer: A Poetical Journey (2002) is my first book. You join me on my around the world trip that I took in 2001. The cost is $5.50 for paperback and $14 for hardcover. To order, click here.
    • Enjoy the convenience of shopping online.

    Supporting the efforts of the Poetical Journal is greatly appreciated! To support, click here.

    To view the product page of other unique gifts, please click here.

    Parliament Building in Budapest
    Buda Castle at night in Budapest
    Vignette: Only Eight More Days

    First, to my thousands of foreign subscribers, you may have difficulty understanding this vignette since many countries greatly limit the amount of political advertising. But every American knows of what I am writing, the U.S. presidential election. Fear not, though I have strong political beliefs, I will not discuss them here. Instead, the title is referring to the fact that the political advertisements will cease as of November 6. Ohio, being one of the swing states, has been inundated since early this summer with endless political ads, many inaccurate. One came to expect three or four promos per advertising break, especially during news programs or late night talk shows. Even during dinner you could not escape the phone calls, usually using a pretense of taking a survey. Thank goodness for caller ID. Millions upon millions of dollars were spent in Ohio to sway the voters. Frankly, I did not know anyone who had not already made up their mind. The money was suppose to influence the undecided, whoever those individuals were (are). Since this newsletter goes out before the election, we do not know the winner. However, all Americans will be winners on the 6th with the demise of those ads that curdle the stomach. I personally was able to keep the blood pressure down by turning the TV off during "high crunch time" or recording the program in advance and when viewing fast forwarding through the political commercials. On the 6th, we can return to our daily dose of antiperspirant ads or ones that promise us a healthy life if only we use the product. Hmm...prerecording is sounding better all the time.



    If you have a guest vignette you would like to submit, please do so. Not only will I enjoy reading it, but if agreeable with you and space permitting, I will print it in a future issue. The vignette should be written in paragraph form and relate a personal story or event. Equally important, it should fit the overall tenor of this newsletter. Ideally, it should not exceed twenty lines. Please send to bob@poeticaljourneys.com.


    Recommendations: River Cruising
    In recent years I have discovered that river cruising is a wonderful, relaxing way to travel. On both occasions I have used Grand Circle Travel. Upon researching a variety of options and talking with other travelers who enjoy such cruising, I have found GCT to provide excellent service and good value for the money. If you tell them that Bob Casey sent you, you will receive an additional $100 discount.
    Enjoying an evening dinner. Two of the gentlemen we dined with each evening. Their spouses are on the otherside.
    The River Ship Concerto, home for the cruise

    Please take a look at the online book and gift page.

    Downtown area of Bratislava, Slovakia


    A street view in Bratislava


    ....Quotable Quotes

    "Spend the afternoon. You can't take it with you." – Annie Dillard: American author and poet.

    "The river longs to return to the ocean" – Zen saying.

    "If you shut your door to all errors, truth will be shut out." – Rabindranath Tagore: (1861-1941) Bengali philosopher, poet, and winner of the Nobel Prize for literature.

    "Imagination is more important than knowledge." – Albert Einstein: (1879-1955) World renown scientist.

    "Any time not spent on love is wasted." – Torquato Tasso: (1544-1595) Italian poet.

    Budapest along the Danube River
    Another view of Budapest along the river
    Summer flowers add beauty to the downtown buildings.
    A Bit of Humor
    A bit of laughter is healthy for the soul.

    Airlines: Actual comments recorded aboard the flights

    On landing the attendant said, "There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out off this airplane."

    As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Washington National, a lone voice came over the loudspeaker, "Whoa, big fella. WHOA!"

    After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in Memphis, a flight attendant on a Northwest flight announced, "Please take care when opening the overhead compartments because, after a landing like that, sure as h@## everything has shifted."


    Delivered to my email by  JokeADay.---


    To see a few contest winners from the past click here: By clicking on the link you can see winners from earlier contests. If you were a Grand Prize Winner and would like to have your picture posted holding your print, please send me a jpg via email.

    View of Budapest looking from the castle across the Danube.
    Matthias Church area viewed from the Danube

    PJ Forum

    If you have comments, recommendations, or suggestions for the PJ, please email them to bob@poeticaljourneys.com. While I often cannot print all of the comments, I personally respond to all.

    _______________________________________________

    ________________________

    "This month's issue is just lovely! How I do appreciate your exquisite photos - as do all of us who can no longer travel!!! It's almost like being there as we gaze for minutes at a time and take in all the details of your photographs! And wow, do you ever know how to frame a scene! (remember I'm from the old school of dark rooms, both at home and at the newspaper.) Kudos. Also, I for some reason do like the old layout better. Have no idea why it appeals to my eye more." – Judy from Johnsville, OH (Ed.: Wow! Thanks Judy. I had a great time taking those pictures. Regarding the format preference, I decided to give readers what they want. Working in cooperation with my tech service, I emailed each reader the style that the individual liked best. If they did not respond, they received the new version. Who says, that customer service is dead?...:-)

    -------------------------------------------------------

    "Funny - I like both versions, but now I'm leaning more toward the new one! The vignette about life there was excellent, and I wish that our country had more of these perks for workers. As you said, A life of all work does not a happy person make!! No calendar contest this year...??" – Bobbie from Texas (Ed.: A change of heart, no problem. This month you received the new version. Should you want to change back, let me know. Glad you found the vignette interesting. Yes, no more contests including the calendar one. Lack of interest on the readers' part.)
    -------------------------------------------------------

    "I'd rather live in the USA. Europe is a nice place to visit only." – Anonymous (Ed.: I believe that most Americans probably agree. However, the point of last month's vignette was not to suggest we all move to Europe, but to suggest that we can learn much from others. Nevertheless, I appreciate the response.)

    -------------------------------------------------------

    "While I am not a poet, can definitely understand the feelings expressed in Lost. Even though we struggle through many challenges, when you finally find that road that leads to the light, those struggles seem minor in comparison with the joy newly discovered. By the way Bob, I really like the traditional line-up much better. If you don't have high-speed internet, which isn't universal, the toggling back and forth is very time consuming. Thanks for brightening up our lives." – Bev from Ohio (Ed. Thank you for your feedback on the poem, Lost. Regarding the format preference, the issue you received should have been the traditional one. Should you want to change, just let me know.)

    ------------------------------------------------------

    ". . .Wonderful PJ for August.  Barely had time to check September's, but this will be a long weekend and I'm taking my copy home.  =)  Quick note: I am NOT in favor with  the new design for the PJ's email version.  In these hectic months with no PC or laptop and only logging in from a low-tech cellphone, the only way I can more or less keep up with you is by reading the PJ issues as emailed: the web version is far too much for my poor little trashy phone. . ." – Fer Dumont from Venezuela (Ed. Thank you for your comments and best wishes. You have raised an issue that another subscriber also raised. Definitely a valid point! I have heard your plea and am sending the traditional version to those who so desire, you being one.)



    Reader Demographics

    Geographically, subscribers reside in all U.S. states. Subscribers also live in Albania, Argentina, Australia (New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia, & Western Australia), Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, & Quebec), Chile, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, England, Estonia, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guyana, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica - W.I., Japan, Kenya, Korea, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Zealand, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad - W.I., Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Vietnam, Wales, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

    If your state, province, or country is not mentioned, please let me know.


    PJ Online

    To read some of the back issues of the PJ, go to.

    The next issue will be out on November 25, 2012.

    Until next time - joy and peace,

    Bob


    PJ Policies

    Guest Poetry: Often readers send me a poem stating they would like it included in the PJ. Many of the poems are well written. Although I enjoy reading them, at this time I do not include guest poetry as part of this newsletter. Instead, I suggest that they submit them for inclusion in the Guest Poet section of my web site. A number have chosen to do so. However, time limitations and quality govern the number that will be accepted. I currently am not accepting poetry from minors.
    -----------------------------
    Guest Vignettes: On occasion, I publish guest vignettes submitted by one of my readers. If a guest vignette is submitted and selected, the author understands that there is no remuneration provided; the vignette will be included in the e-mailed and web site versions; and will remain posted until I choose to remove it from the site. In all cases, the guest vignette remains the property of the guest author who has given permission for its usage as described in sentences one and two.
    -----------------------------
    Privacy: I take it very seriously. Your name will never be sold to a third party nor will we disclose at any time your subscription information.
    ----------------------------
    Unsolicited Mailing: The PJ is never sent unless requested. If you believe you received the PJ unsolicited, please notify me. I will unsubscribe you.
    ------------------------------
    Reproduction and Forwarding: While the material is copyrighted, you have permission to forward all or part of this newsletter. You may also quote from it. Out of common courtesy (We will forget all the legal jargon and requirements.), I would appreciate at least a mention or a footnote. -- Much appreciated!
    ------------------------------
    Recommendations: All recommendations are personal ones offered for your information. I receive no remuneration of any kind from the sources or individuals being recommended – other than when I recommend purchasing my books. Actually, many are never aware of their listing. One may ask, "Why do you provide recommendations for specific establishments or locations, especially since many of your readers are worldwide and may never be able to use the information?" The key word is "may." When I travel, I plan much of the itinerary myself. This planning includes reading and listening to recommendations from professional and personal sources. My wish is that any suggestions provided will assist some readers as they make their plans. (Incidentally, I have already received feedback that readers use them.)



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    Bob Casey
    Poetical Journeys
    P.O. Box 319
    Fredericktown, OH 43019

    bob@poeticaljourneys.com

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