What was to come would then onwards be a discovery. I had stuffed paper and paints and pastels of every nature, pencils and carving tools, charcoal and winter clothes (and strangely), a pair of high-heeled shoes in my over-weight baggage.

I had no plan, only that I wanted to dedicate as much time as I could possibly dedicate to artistic creation. I thought I would go on little excursions and explore a section of this incredible country I had never even imagined visiting but my determination to create as much as possible prevented that from happening fully.

On the evening of July 1st, I stepped off a bus in a practically desolate train station with pine trees in one direction and a few modern looking supermarkets across the tracks. I tried to imagine where the town could be hidden as my eyes and legs dragged me and my two suitcases full of art materials to the familiar " Lidl", a supermarket I would later, on regular occasions venture to on an old blue bike with a pedal brake not unlike the ones I used to ride as a child, compliments of Hub Feenix.

The month went fast. The weather changed from cold and rainy and layers of clothes under the blankets at night to long warm sunny days where the beautiful, enormous lake tempted me and drew me into its fresh waters every day. I swam with watchful swans and jumping frogs, and out far away from the large green lilly pads skirting the banks . Every evening revealed ever-changing wide skies as I lay on my back and paddled. Pine and birch tree hugged the lake and hid families of deer and huge quick running hares. lush tones of green and brown everywhere. Was this paradise?