On hunt for fly agarics

WRITING AND PHOTOS BY MONIKA CSAPO

Each year in September and October the hunt for fly agarics begins for me. I just love these mushrooms because they are so colorful, mystical and pretty. So when autumn comes I can not wait to find out where I will see the first of them that year. Usually it happens in Finland because the the climate is colder so they start to grow already in September.

Once we were on a hike with someone on Vallisaari and as we sat down to have a picnic I just discovered the first ones that year on the way to the picnic table. An other year as I was walking to Siwa in my street I looked by accident to a small stone cave under a garden and I saw three fly agarics there.

This year I saw the first ones in Tampere under a bush while walking to a nearby lake to see the squirells there.

These mushrooms are not only beautiful, they have been part of many myths and cultural ryths as well from the Celtic culture through the shamans of Siberia to the Viking fighters of the North. If you want to know more about the cultural history of them I highly recommend you to read this article because it is really interesting and thorough: Fly Agaric.

The fly agaric highlight for me this year were these merging fields of fly agarics in a pine forest in Hungary. I got the hint about this place earlier and I missed it two years in a row but not this year! We knew about this place in the family through acquintances who posted about the mushrooms three years ago. Here I would like to point out how important it is to live with open ears and eyes. Sometimes you get super amazing tips just by listening to others and paying attention. And mostly if people see that you are genuienly interested in nature and will not spam the whole internet with the exact location of the place they will gladly share secret local info with you.

 But enough from words now, voilá, this was that dream-like forest with this super abundance of fly agaric mushrooms. I really felt like being in a dream there. I hope the photos can give back at least a part of that atmosphere. (Clickable pics, to see them in a bigger format, please click on the photos.)

CITY GUIDE: Berlin walking tour from Hauptbahnhof to Alexanderplatz

WRITING AND PHOTOS BY MONIKA CSAPO

I realized some weeks ago during my visit to Berlin that the sights I have visited earlier mostly by using public transport are actually within a walking distance from each other if you follow the right order.

This walk from Hauptbahnhof (main railway station) through Berlin Mitte to Alexanderplatz allows you to see a lot from the city also when yo have only couple of hours to spend here. If you are very interested in seeing the museums on Museuminsel I suggest you to buy your ticket earlier because lines can be quite long so you can save time by skippig them.

The starting point of this walking tour is Hauptbahnhof, the central railway station of Berlin. You cross the bridge behind railway station and after little walking you are at Reichstag, the buildings of parliament. I you like modern architecture you will like this area too. It is quite photogenic with the mixture of water elements and modern buildings.

After walking couple of hundred meters you will get to Brandenburger Tor which is one of the best-known landmarks of Germany. Unter den Linden, the renowned boulevard of linden trees starts right here. During Christmas- and end of year period the linden trees are decorated with beautiful lights, if you can, it is worth visiting Berlin Mitte at that point of the year.

At the end of Unter den Linden you will find Museuminsel where among all Neues Museum and Pergamom Museum are located with their outstanding collections of ancient Middle Eastern and Egyptian art. But before this it is worth to mention that you will also pass by the famous Humboldt University where you can walk in to freely and even have a coffee or lunch at the uni canteen. During the time of my visit there was an Erasmus- studies photo exhibition of photo memories of Humboldt University-students from the tims of their Erasmus studies all around Europe.

A the other side of the road, opposite Museum Insel is Berliner Dom. After visiting this landmark you can cross the bridge and if you are tired of sightseeing and like art, design and philosophy books make a break at Buchhandlung Walter Khönig (- an der Museuminsel, Burgstrasse 27., 10178 Berlin). This bookstore has  agreat selection of photo albums, philosophical works, they have also sales frequently. It is a nice place to refresh your mind a bit and get new impulses.

After taking a break you can continue walking towards Alexanderplatz and you will see the famous Fernsehturm (TV Tower) already from distance behind the trees. If you would like to shop a bit Alexa shopping center is located here. Which also has a Sosterne Grene shop in it - I can not retrain myself from not recommending this cool Danish home decor shop and spread some Scandi-vibes.

Hakescher Markt and Hakescher Höfe is one tram stop away and from here on you can continue by metro or S-Bahn if you have more time and visit other sights around the city like Gedächtniskirche, Checkpoint Charlie, the district of Kreuzberg or Berlin Wall Museum and East Side Gallery.

Walking tour main stops: Hauptbahnhof- Reichstag- Brandenburger Tor- Unter den Linden- Humboldt University - Museuminsel- Berliner Dom- Alexanderplatz

Fall magic

PHOTOS AND WRITING BY MONIKA CSAPO

Yesterday I went for a bike ride with my Mom because she wanted to show me this field full of autumn crocuses and gentians. Since not many people know the location of it it could stay untouched and remain in it's natural state.

Given: where have I been and some new photos

PHOTOS AND WRITING by MONIKA CSAPO

So many things have happened again..Throughout my trips I met new people and reconnected with some old friends. And sometimes I could not help to remember what my grandmother used to say about accepting what is given to you.

I remember we were at my cousin's wedding and an elder lady was talking to me in German and she really liked how hardworking I was at school and how well I spoke the language. So she wanted to give me some pocket money that I get something for myself during my stay. I did not really know how to react and told the story later to my grandma when he gave the advice above. That if someone wants to give you something you should be open to receive it.

Later during my life I learned that of course not everything what is given should be accepted but it is good to stay open also as an adult to something what is given with kindness and an open heart.

So is the case with new friendships and a acquintances. In times when I travel a lot I usually get to know quite many people because I like to stay at hostels and just talk with new people at art galleries, restaurants, local places..I get often surprised by the stories I hear and conclude to myself from time to time that everyone could benefit from some cultural exchange in the world of human libraries.

The stories I hear and the people I meet teach me about individuality and courage, the joy of life, overcoming obstacles, meaning..And sometimes when I tend to focus on what is missing in my life too much a new person appears and I have an inspiring exchange what makes me look for more fulfilling ways of living, where I can show more gratitude and prepare for the next stages of my life.

For accepting love I think you have to love yourself as well. Feel worthy of receiving care and attention. It is a very strong circle of healing what is gently bringing you back to life after periods of losses and setbacks. Where you slowly learn to value the positives just as much as the negatives.

In times of sadness and exhaustion it is easy to focus on what you don't have, what you lost, on the negatives in general. Then when you become a bit more open you can see that just as the missing, there are just as many things which are already given. People who care, talents and abilities, small victories of the everyday..

All of it is given if you learn to see and not just violently trying to move your life in one direction or to the other.

Speaking of given I realized that again I have hundreds (or thousands) of photographs and at least four complete trips what I have not written yet about. I want to share what I have seen and make other people want to see them possibly so I decided to make a sort of quick travel break until the end of the year and work with materials which are already given and accumulated during last 3-4 months.

Meanwhile I can tell that I have my eyes fixed on some new travel destinations already. For example Amman, the capital of Jordan, Faroer islands and possibly Tehran/Iran.

Timeless

WRITING AND PHOTO BY MONIKA CSAPO

I wish I could let go all of the half-done things. To continue free and empty, open for new things to come. With time there are so many untold goodbyes, undone closures. You jump from one state to other because it is natural: the instinct to survive makes you continue but you are never whole because there are always these unfinished lives running parallel to each other deep inside you.

I wish that we would have rituals to grieve and mourn death- natural and also the death of friendships and love. That it would not be required and rescpected to be strong and silent, that instant recoveries would not be celebrated.

With all the not properly ended closures after a while there is no space any more for functioning in a healthy way. I realize it in moments of good times on myself how much harm half-ass goodbyes and quick recoveries have done to me. I am happy and hopeful but still something weighs me down.

I need space in my life for new things to come. I want to use my energy to establish projects I believe in. I want to be free. I want to be capable of being fully myself.

There are things what are eternal. Family, the places you belong to, the core of your personality. But from time to time I think it would be beneficial to do a life meditation and look at all the areas. Like when using a body scrub rub off dead skin cells: non functioning friendships turned into acquaintances, old habits, reflexes what don't serve you any more, exes who want to keep you in the friend zone but are not real friends who you can count on. People who promise things but never keep them.

It does not have to be a brutal explosion. It can be a gentle act like when donating clothes: you can take the past and your past selves what you are not any more, fold them and send away to the universe. With social media in our face 24/7 we forget that it is ok to put down things. You don't have to carry what you are not any longer.

It is not unnatural, it is life. It is called closures and new beginnings. 

I want to take a big breath and feel again how it is to be fully happy. Without any pressure in my chest, without the anxiety of everything I couldn't say or did not have the heart to let go of. I believe in the space created through this process. I believe it will be as if when you open a curtain in a dark room and suddenly the sun shines through. "I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become."-Carl Jung

A Round Trip Through Tuscany and Umbria: The Umbrian Region

WRITING AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY MONIKA CSAPO

 If I would have to compare Tuscany and Umbria to dating life I would say that Tuscany is like succesful first dates. Romantic and pink and Umbria is the stage when you dive a bit deeper and everything gets more complex and entangled.

Once the center of the Etruscan civilization Umbria is known nowadays like the "green heart of Italy". Italians like to spend their holidays here because the region offers a mixture of great cuisine, beautiful landscapes and historical cities and small towns. 

When I stayed in Umbria I visited Assisi, Spello and Gubbio and spent the rest of the time with getting to know Perugia better. Plus I changed trains twice in Terontola. But basically you can just point your finger on the map and go to any city or village and you will not make a bad choice. Local train and bus connections are frequent and cheap so you can visit even two or three places within a day. For sure in every town there will be a nice main square, churches full of art, nice small cafes and food places besides the local attributes. Thanks to the Etruscan heritage towns and villages are built on hilltops. Therefore when you are in the old town you will be able to enjoy a beautiful view of the surrounding wide plain with other cities built on hilltops emerging in the distance.

What did I visit:

In Assisi I visited the Cathedral. It has very beautiful architecture and there is no entrance fee. I listened to the audio guide while staying there and as someone who likes art I really enjoyed looking around while getting some background info on paintings and frescos.

Assisi is the fourth biggest Catholic pilgrimage site of the world and the place where St. Francis founded the Franciscan order. St. Francis was by the way a real rebel of his age speaking up for simplicity, solidarity with the poor and returning to modesty which was very much disliked and seen as a threat by more elitistic and materialistic church members. He also liked animals a lot and is seen as the patron saint of animals and ecology in Catholic religion. You can get to the old town by a local bus from the train station.

Then I continued my trip to Spello. Spello is most famous for its streets filled with beautiful flower creations and green plants in nice ceramic flower pots. The town was just as beautiful in reality as on the pictures you see on the internet. It is a peaceful little town which is perfect for taking pictures and wandering around.

Then I spent a day in Perugia and made an excursion to Gubbio the next day. Gubbio is built on a small mountain and when I visited there was still a bit of snow. Even though the old town is on a mountain top you have to walk only a little uphill and then you can get for free through elevators and escalators to the main sights. The oldest part of Gubbio is located close to the bus terminal. It is characterized by its typical narrow small streets and dark-grey stone houses. This part of the town has a real medieval feel!

Traveling by train and bus added so much to my trip compared to an organized trip when they bring you directly to places. I could see local people, take the same bus what high school kids took after school going home from Perugia to surrounding villages. I could look at the landscape and just take in everything in a much slower, more free form. I really recommend you to choose this type of travelling when visiting Umbria!

The places what I did not see and would like to see if I go next were Norcia, Foligno, Spoleto and also Lake Trasimeno seemed like a nice place to chill.