You got no idea where I've been!

Where have I been, then?

Still at the Rhine river - but from up in the air...

Familiar old Rhine river.

But no, I still couldn't get that flying potion going, so it seems I had to use an airplane instead.

Glad I had made sure to get a window seat!

About to touch down somewhere...

Flying on an airplane was very exciting and fun, especially the takeoff was amazingly exhilarating! And then I stayed glued to the window the whole time.
But it hadn't been without a little fuck-uppy, during checkup of the plane they found a problem with the braking system and had to fix that first, so the plane kept sitting on the tarmac for another while, and after fixing the problem they had to wait for another opening for takeoff, so in the end the flight arrived two hours delayed - at which time I was supposed to already arrive, after another two-hour bus trip from Dublin Airport, in Belfast, where my friend whom I was visiting was to pick me up.
I couldn't find a pay phone, but I found a very friendly gentleman at an info desk who, after being unable to reach my friend by phone (we later found the reason to be that the number was incomplete, since Belfast is in Northern Ireland while Dublin is in the south, officially a different country), let me use his mobile phone to message Amanda on Facebook and tell her I'd make my way on my own - which I would manage without trouble as I had looked it up on the internet the night before and written out some directions. Messaging her on the mobile phone was a lot more difficult since I had never used one before!

I then made it there without further incident, although I must admit I wouldn't have expected it to be this extremely difficult - next to impossible, really - to find a pay phone or to obtain a city map! The only map I was later able to get hold of was a photocopied sheet from the bus company, given for free but so inaccurate it was hardly any use.

I then had a really great time with my friend and her little son. (Although admittedly a not so great time with her two ill-mannered dogs. LOL)

But the next day we got attacked by dinosaurs!

Attacked by dinosaurs!!

A little boy on the right got killed by dinosaurs!

My friend's son (left) is courageously facing them down.

Amanda and me in center, me taking pics.

The vicious T-rex was charging at us!

I then found some shark teeth, even appropriately labeled
in English. Must have had to do with the fact
that this was in Ireland, they don't do that
German language bullshit there.

Titanic museum in Belfast - we didn't go inside.

As planned, we went to the Belfast Gay Pride parade on Saturday to represent Asexual Pride.
Unfortunately it got a bit hectic as we were running late, and I forgot my earplugs over it. It was so noisy and crowded at the parade that I balked like a startled horse and had to literally run away. And once I start running there ain't no stopping me... so sorry about that one!

Amanda and me on parade day. She got
dressed up, while I'm just my usual self.

Aside from my running away that day, we did have an awesome time.
We did a ritual together too - no, of course no photos of that one!

Then on Sunday I was leaving, and there was another fuck-uppy. I had the timetable for the wrong bus company, for Goldline Express instead of Aircoach, and my return ticket was only valid for the latter which would go nearly an hour later. I hadn't realized this error since I obtained the timetable on that chaotic parade day when I was in a somewhat fucked-up state of mind. But after explaining my problem and inquiring about prices for another ticket, the lady at the office of Goldline Express invited me to hop on board their bus, which was just about to leave at 8:45 - for free! Thank you so much!!!

On the bus back from Belfast to Dublin airport.

Airport selfie. Look, someone's feet are in the bottom
left corner. LOL

Selfie at Dublin Airport.

Back at Cologne-Bonn Airport!

The one thing that hadn't been so great in Ireland was the weather. It wasn't overly awful, it was really ok for April. Except that it was August and not April... fortunately I had been prepared for it and brought several layers of clothes.
Arriving back at Cologne-Bonn Airport and disembarking the plane, it was HOT and I liked it! I was back in summer, it was near 90 F, I could take off my jacket and wear only the tank top.

But all in all it's been an amazing adventure, of course! I'm very grateful above all to my friend who was a wonderful host - but also to all the strangers who helped me out on the way:
The awesome guy at the info desk at Dublin Airport who let me use his mobile to contact my friend.
The elderly couple at a newspaper store in downtown Belfast on parade day who, seeing I was distraught by the noisy crowds, gave me directions to avoid the party zone.
And the lady at the office of Goldline Express bus company who made sure I'd arrive back at Dublin Airport in time, at no further cost!
Some really awesome people there in Ireland. :)
Most of all, of course, THANK YOU again Amanda for inviting me!

Diane jumps the shark

First I'm demonstrating a box jump.
And then I'm gonna really jump the shark.

In fact, since that's not braggadocious enough, I'm gonna jump two at a time!

Diane meets two Christians

A chance encounter downtown that led to a conversation I consider meaningful.

My eyes are terrifying

...and I don't know why. Relating to a dream... at least mostly.
I'm also explaining in the video that the goal of Satanists is by no means to "piss off Christians", as some of the latter seem to belief. If you're a Christian, or a Jew or a Muslim, I don't hate you for it and I'm not at war with you - it's your God I'm at war with, not you. At least no longer, because nowadays there's no need. Back in my Master's time, in my past life, it was very different.
But nowadays I could stand at the town square and shout aloud that I worship Satan, and I could start preaching to the crowd if I so chose. They might say, "That kid is totally nuts, look at her, she lost her marbles!" But they couldn't drag me away to burn me at the stake for it, and for this I'm grateful. I don't pick fights. I wage war only where my own freedom is at stake or infringed upon.

Diane is drunk & rambling

Talking about... all I can really think about, my beautiful Master.
Right, here's the one thing I still failed to mention: There's been confusion various times when people thought, especially fellow Satanists, that I was talking about Satan when I said "my Master".
I wouldn't do that, especially since I do have other Satanists in my friends list - if at all, it should be "our" Master then, right?
No, to me My Master is the one I came to know as Satan's son, and who once was a mortal man, albeit a mighty witch, who lived on Earth in the late 17th century - just as in the start of the movie; otherwise the story line in it is of course fictional. But this is my Master, whose companion I am and whom I adore - the person the character is based on. It's a spiritual relationship with its origin in a past life.

So often I wish he could just take me home. Why wait? What to wait for?
Maybe this is the year of the Great Apocalypse. I sure hope so.

Amsterdam: 2) Bright night over Vondelpark

I didn't go on any major trips out of town since the weather was cold most of the time. I stayed at the library until closing time (10 PM) the last evening, thereafter I had to leave the area quickly because of the freezing wind by the open water area, the library building being situated just between the Oosterdok and het IJ/the IJhaven, the vast waters just next to Centraal Station.
Back at the park it felt less cold, and on the way there, riding my MacBike, I still took in the beautiful sights of the city at nightfall.

Is this Sparta or is this cheese?!

View from the 6th floor library window where I sat reading
"Leven tussen geesten".

De Waag (Old Weighhouse).

Bike tires on the bridge reflecting the flash of my cam. :)

Nearly midnight at Vondelpark.
This is how bright the sky still was.

The next day would bring the best weather... but then it was nearly time to go home.
As always, I left with considerably more baggage than I'd arrived with, although most of my souvenirs consisted of food, and also incense sticks, and a candle snuffer I had found at Waterlooplein Markt. I've used it since, and it's a great help, enabling me to extinguish my sacred ritual candles without getting all the wax covering my long nails.

No, this ain't how I traveled back home - too
big to go up the Rhine river, it wouldn't fit
through under the bridges!

Stuff I brought home. Incense sticks, spelt noodles (at a bargain),
deodorant, peanut butter, granola bars, energy drink, orange/ ginger
jam, hemp seeds (you can add them to granola, and no, you can't
get high from it), & the brass object in center that looks like a
pipe is a candle snuffer.

,

This book was for me to buy & keep, unlike
the one at the library.

Cute calling card from Magic Mushroom Gallery.

Amsterdam: 1) Spirits Among Us

On Sunday, June 17th, I set out to visit Amsterdam once more, and once more the train journey wasn't without complications. The train supposed to go from Dusseldorf to Venlo only went to a town with the unpronounceable name of Monchengladbach, which was full of annoying German soccer fans, from where bus service was provided to the next available railroad station on the route.
As a rule, I nearly always arrive about an hour behind schedule due to some delays & stuff, and the weather was extremely cold for the season and also rainy, so the ride was a bit depressing.

But once I'd made it I found the hostel to have been newly renovated and the interior quite a bit changed, but in a nice way.

"Stupid rain..." LOL

Greetings!

After putting the sheets on my bed and storing my stuff in the box rolling out from under the bed, I walked into Vondelpark once more that night, although it was freezing. Beyond the pagoda-shaped cafe with the many colored lights, there's a sort of theater stage in the vast park. Young people had gathered there and put up colorful disco lights too and using the stage as a dance floor. I settled in the bleachers positioned around the stage, enjoying watching those lights while trying to meditate a bit and connect to my Master. I stuck around until it definitely got way too cold.

Cookie monster on a bench. LOL

My bed - top bunk (as requested), as can be seen from the angle.
I was standing upright when taking this photo.

The first night I slept until noon, and thereby through most of the rain. It was only drizzling when I eventually left the hostel and would brighten toward the afternoon. Passing by a cosmetics store, a very nice lady chatted me up, trying to sell me some products. I guess she was bored due to lack of customers, so I talked to her for a while even though I don't use such products, let alone expensive ones. I'd have bought from her if I had more money though, just for how nice she was, but I guess 40 € is to me what 400 is to most other people. But of course, the Magic Mushroom Gallery was far more interesting to me...
I was still on foot then, walking to Waterlooplein where there's the market and also a MacBike rental.

Police office #14 - formerly. Now a coffeeshop. :)

Canals with boats everywhere.

Look at my hair, my jacket, and the parasols behind -
it was very windy indeed.

Knuffels. Knuffels are what you can find at this store -
I bought my first shark there 10 years ago.
(Knuffels are plushies.)

Ducks at Vondelpark ain't shy of people - only from
dogs they'll run.

Sitting at Dam Square, eating an orange & stuff.

I rode to my favorite bridge once more to take photos, and also went to the public library. A young man of the staff who helped me find the esoteric section asked me about the skulls on my backpack - what do they mean? I was puzzled - those skulls are brightly colored, and I once saw a little boy with the very same backpack as mine, he was probably using it for school. This is a regular sort of backpack even children use, it ain't Goth or anything - you see, I was wearing my battle jacket all this time, with the metal band patches, Warlock "The Armageddon" pin, and the large Watain patch on the back on which it says "Fuck the World" - and this guy asks me about the innocent backpack? LOL
I told him I'm into metal music and that skulls are quite ubiquitous in it, and then I even told him that I'm a Satanist. In the end he gratefully told me I was the friendliest Satanist he had ever met. Which made me really wonder how many he had met already... LOL

I found a really awesome book there by an author who was presented as a very famous medium, but I hadn't heard of him before. He's American but the book was a Dutch translation, "Leven tussen geesten," which translates as "Life among spirits," but the original title was "Spirits Among Us." I found it surprisingly easy to read though. I went there once more the next day and found it back to read another chapter. I'd have bought that one, even in Dutch, but sadly it wasn't for sale, of course.

Check out this cool roller coaster...

...it's a bridge!!!

The book I read at the library.