This is the end....(or maybe the beginning)

It is the last day of 2010 and my Facebook shows me that everyone is taking the opportunity to blog their thoughts on the year. Mine is a travel blog, intertwined with my own little life as travel often is. This year has been full of new places and old places, new faces and old faces, new ideas and old habits. And I expect more and more in 2011.

Here are some of my life and travel thoughts from 2010:

-Revisit places you have been before. There is always something you have left undone, there is always a new exhibition, there is always a little cafe waiting for you. A city, town, country, a place is a growing and living and breathing creature that will always surprise you... no matter how well you think you know it.

-Go to a place of worship. You don't have to be spiritual or a Christian or a Hindu or a Muslim or any other persuasion to enjoy the calming affect of a holy place. Stepping into a local cathedral or mosque or temple will give you insight into the soul of the nation you are visiting. People who gather in these places are often welcoming and open, and a wonderful source of knowledge about the very place you want to get to know.

This year we met at our church a lovely retired couple from Maine who are in Prague for four months visiting relatives. We've been able to give them advice on trains, buses, places to stay and adventures to have while in the Czech Republic. And in exchange we've been able to see "our home" through their eyes...And if we are ever in Maine, we have friends who have offered to host us in their cabin on a lake.

-Pay more sometimes. I remember years ago my great travel friend Jamie advised, "Sometimes you have to decide if you have more money than time, or more time than money." Wise words for travel. Now that Prague has a direct flight to JFK, I'm more than happy to shell out an extra $75 if it cuts five or six hours off my travel time.

-You don't have to go far to have big experiences. Some of our greatest discoveries were within an hour drive from Prague, for example: Soos Nature Reserve.

-Travel for someone else. Now, this one is a challenge and requires planning and research but was by far the most rewarding of our adventures this year.

After being introduced to my grandmother's friend Virgil, a World War II veteran who had been in Czechoslovakia during his service, we decided to find out exactly where he had been and go to those small Czech towns and villages, take photos and make a book for him. We hand-delivered the book at Thanksgiving. Virgil was surprised and at first wasn't sure he'd recognize anything, it had been 65 years! But after leafing through the book He did remember a bridge and a street, a building and a square. He was pleased to see how bright and colorful the towns are and that the people are happy.

SO, what are you waiting for? Put on your travel boots and get yourself out on an adventure!

Giving Thanks

December is upon us, the snow falls thick and my favorite holiday is past. Yes, past. Most people would say their favorite holiday is Christmas. Although, I can understand that its promises of peace and joy are alluring, it is Thanksgiving that really holds my heart strings. This is because Thanksgiving really is peaceful. There is no crazy shopping and demand to buy gifts that will be forgotten. There is only food and family and friends and football. People of all creeds and colors and nations can celebrate. Thanksgiving unites.

So to avoid the chaos of the Christmas season that left me with a headache, sniffles and laryngitis last year, I decided to go back to Ohio for Thanksgiving this year. It was my first Thanksgiving in the US since I moved to Europe. I made the right choice. The days were full of meeting friends and hanging out with family but there was none of the hustle and hurry I associate with Christmas. My loved ones were relaxed, not sneaking glances at their watches. I think Thanksgiving is my home holiday of choice from now on.

Highlights:

-H and I stayed in a hotel with a swimming pool so my little brother (7 years old) and sisters (6 and 4 years old) could come hang out and swim. We had a blast! We ordered pizza and ate it by the pool. We gave them chips, we gave them chocolates, we sent them home to Mom.

-In the spring I wrote about a project H and I made for a WW2 veteran, who is a friend of my Grandma. We were able to deliver the book in person of the photos we took documenting Virgil's travels through the newly liberated Czechoslovakia in 1945. He was gracious enough to spend an afternoon telling us stories about his life. It was an honor.

-I grew up just a drive from Amish Country, but until I started dragging H around this little piece of history I don't know that I had really seen it. We spent a morning exploring towns and villages with names like Millersburg, Sugar Creek and Berlin. My favorite memory was, in a moment of modern panic at not being able to get a signal for my cell (mobile) phone, I asked an Amish check-out girl in a farmers' market where the nearest pay phone would be. She went to ask another clerk and came back to direct me about 8 miles down the road to the next village!

-Holding hands, praying and giving thanks around the table at my Grandma's house on Thanksgiving day.

-Dinner with my best friend and her husband before going to see the Columbus Blue Jackets hockey game.

-All the dinners and lunches and coffees and teas that filled our days with friends and family and happiness.

Walking with Saint Jan

About an hour from Prague there is a little town called Nepomuk. If you've read up on the statues of saints lining Charles Bridge, you may remember St Jan of Nepomuk. Legend has it that he was thrown into the river and drowned by the king when he wouldn't divulge the secrets of the queen's confession. His end was dark, but his hometown was anything but...

We arrived in the center square to find brightly colored buildings and bubbling fountains. There was a brewery and a hotel and a city hall. Everything you need for living was on that square. We hadn't done any research into the area so we were happily surprised when reading the information board, we discover that there is a 5 kilometer walk that circles through the woods around Nepomuk, leads through sweet little villages and rounds out back at Nepomuk square.

Along the trail there were about 12 pilgrimage stops connected in someway to the history of the area and the saints who watch over the villagers. Each stop was marked with a number and an information board. It was the perfect combination of healthy exercise and exploring history. If you want to get out and about for a day, move your legs and learn something then an outing to Nepomuk is for you.

German Wedding Bells

"It's all Greek to me." "Are you Dutch?" "This is a Spanish village." No matter what the idiom, it all comes out as a bit confusing. Our own idiom for last weekend could have been, "It's a German wedding." because we attended a wedding consisting of a German groom, New Zealand bride and guests from three continents (American, Europe and New Zealand). What an adventure in culture!

Highlights:

-H and I drove 10 hours across the whole of Germany. This might sound boring to some, but given that most of it was on the Autobahn (German highway) that only has a "suggested" speed limit, we were able to entertain ourselves.

-We stayed in a lovely pension/guest house stocked with snacks and drinks. But at around 11pm the night before the wedding we decided we needed pizza. With a stack of tourist brochures and a GPS, we found our little hole-in-the-wall diner/pizzeria. It was American style and decked out in Halloween decorations. Tacky and yet so cool!

-Wedding: Beautiful! I loved that the poor town hall officiant who preformed the ceremony apologized at the beginning for being nervous in front of all the foreigners...in German, of course. We foreigners were half the guests.

-Clown car and the German police: The town of Kalkar where our friends got hitched is on the border of the Netherlands. So in the evening, we took advantage of the proximity of the border and headed over the university town of Najmagen for a walk, a look and a drink. We found a cute little bar, enjoyed the atmosphere for a few hours and then headed back to Germany. Due to the Netherlands liberal cannabis laws, the German police often check vehicles returning to their territory (although all European Union borders should be open with no controls).

We pulled over and the policeman asked for our documents. We promptly handed him a New Zealand passport, German passport, American passport and Czech passport. He shined the light in the car, "Anything in this car I should know about?" was his reply. "No, officer, just us."

As the first policeman went to scan our documents in his car, his colleague stayed around for a chat. Our German friend explained it was his wedding day and we crossed the border just to find a nice bar. "You had your honeymoon in Najmagen??" the policeman asked. "Well, if it's your wedding day, then let me go see if I can speed this up a bit." He came back a few seconds later, handed us our passports and wished us a pleasant evening.

-And then we drove home...full of food, happiness, love and friendship.


True love stories never have endings. ~Richard Bach

Photo studio weekend

I have a friend. We'll call him R. I've known him as long as I've lived in this city. I don't remember meeting, I don't remember becoming friends. I just know that R has been in my life as long as my life has been in Prague, and I'd be a little lost without him.

R is the one who introduced me to the world of photography. We took a workshop together a couple years ago and those eight weeks opened a beautiful world framed through a camera lens for me. A couple weekends ago we went for a "photo studio weekend". We took off to the mountains in the north, seeking castles and autumn leaves falling.

Here are some of the fruits of our labour:

There's nothing like fair food

Every autumn the quiet monastery across the street hosts a "pouť". This is a festival or fair that has its origins in the medieval pilgrimages. This pouť was dedicated to Saint Margaret and occurs every October. The piety of the occasion has been lost in time and replaced with twirling fair rides, flashing lights, fried foods and lots of alcohol.

I have several favorites that keep me coming back every year. I love the small market of handmade crafts, including candles, jewelery, glass and ornaments. Fresh baked goods, smoked cheeses, hot crepes, spicy sausages all make my mouth water and my tummy happy. The bumper cars are a family tradition with H's brothers and sisters. Small paper flowers won every year from the fairground shooting stand. Fireworks sparkling and dancing over the ancient monastery.

Bookworm: Krakow

I had a student once who would buy a cookbook as a souvenir from every country she visited. I loved this creative idea. I decided to adopt it and make it mine...but I gave it a Tasci twist.

I began buying famous authors translated into English from each country I traveled to. It gave me a great chance to have an insight into the culture, give me some familiarity with the local concerns and read some books I'd have never found otherwise.

In Krakow I picked up Mercedes-Benz by Pawel Huelle. I sought out the English bookstore Massolit Books and Cafe (www.massolit.com). I had stopped by this amazing two-room collection stuffed and overflowing with books books and books last time I was in Krakow, and left a little piece of my heart there.

I asked the shop assistant to recommend a Polish author that was well-liked and respected among Poles, and who could give me a nice insight into Polish culture. He offered me several books by Pawel Huelle. It struck me as just the thing I was looking for. The novel is based loosely on the author's own family story and background.

A young man is taking driving lessons in Gdansk after the fall of the Communist government. As a way to entertain his pretty driving instructor, he tells her tales of his grandfather's Mercedes-Benz.

One of the most surprising, and serendipitous, details of the novel is that it opens with a sentence written in Czech. This is because the novel is written as a letter to the Czech author Bohumil Hrabal. Mercedes-Benz gives a unique glimpse into a pre-war Poland where people moved freely and expected much. And it ties together a Central European history that is deep and heart-breaking and human.



Buy at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mercedes-Benz-Pawel-Huelle/dp/1852428694

Bookworm

I've decided to add in a little section to this blog called "Bookworm". I firmly believe that books can make you live and travel and grow and love and learn just as much as any plane ticket. When a book particularly moves me and brings some place or some time alive, you'll hear about it under "Bookworm"....

Stay tuned

5 Things that Krakow Reminded Me about Travel

1. Things Change
You never travel back to the same city that you've been to before. Whether it has been a few months, a few years or a few decades places are alive. The city you remember will grow and change and continue to live while you are away. From shopping centers popping up like mushrooms to a blossoming tourist trade in a once quiet main square, things change....

2. Take is lying down:
Overnight trains are a great way to save time, save money and save sleep! It was so easy to reserve a sleeping compartment with our own little sink with fresh linens and towels. If you have a long journey ahead of you and you can do it overnight, sleeping peacefully to the lull of train tracks, do!

3. Google it:
I don't always read the accommodation reviews on Google Maps, but I did this time and was pleased I did. We stayed in The Secret Garden Hostel , which I chose over a hostel I'd stayed in before based on its overwhelmingly good reviews. The service was friendly, the breakfast was tasty, the location was amazing. Way to go Google!


4. Trust the Locals:
I love you, Lonely Planet. But what I discovered in Krakow is that if you can find a guide that is published locally, it's worth the few bucks it might set you back. We used the "In Your Pocket" guide, which publishes local guides to cities across the world. It is cheap and gives you inside and up-to-date tips on all things local. We found some hidden goodies using our "In Your Pocket: Krakow". (Tasci's tip: If you are scrimping on money, see if your hostel will give you an out-of-date guide for free, as most are published quarterly. It might not have that festival going on down by the river in it, but the basics will all be there.)

5. Weather the weather:
Some say weather makes the trip, that may be true but it doesn't have to be negative. Saturday we had gorgeous weather and I enjoyed the sun, took photos, meandered through parks, ate ice cream. Sunday it drizzled on and off all day. With our handy "In Your Pocket" we discovered that many of the museums are free on Sundays. I wasn't expecting to find a new favorite artist, Stanislaw Wyspianski, nor to see a mummy in a sarcophagus from 2000BC at the Archaeological Museum...but I was lucky enough to have a day of rain to show me both.

West Bohemia Day 2: A look back at history

Saturday was a day full of history. We went from primeval sludge to WW2 monuments.

Soos National Park:

Soos National Park is a wonderful national park that takes the park-goer back to primordial beginnings of our earth. The park sits on top of an ancient volcano that is dormant, aside from creating a bubbling and brewing cauldron of mud. The warm earth creates a micro-climate with lizards and rare species of birds and unique plants.






www.czecot.com/tourist-attraction/3895_soos-national-nature-reserve-national-nature-conservation-area-educational-trail-with-posted-information-museum-treben








Finding 1945:

A few years ago H and I met a man from a small town near my hometown. His name is Virgil and he's in his 90s. He's a friend of my grandmother. He fought in WW2 and we were lucky enough to hear his story during an afternoon of tea and sharing.

Virgil was in the 656th Tank Destroyer Battalion, which arrived in England in December 1944. On February 6, 1945 they set foot on French soil at Le Havre carrying M18s. The troops advanced toward the Rhine River and crossed beginning on March 7. The 656th were attached to the 9th Armored Division and pushed eastward along side them. At the beginning of May they turned south and entered Czechoslovakia on May 6 near Stare Sedlo (Alt Sattl), advancing with the 9th Armor Division on the Sokolov-Karlovy Vary (Falkenau-Carlsbad) roadway. On 7 May they were in Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad). Their headquarters was located in the small town of Loket (Elbogen). This boarder region was known as Sudetenland.

H and I went to each of these towns where Virgil had been and took photos for a project we made for him. It was a little glimpse into a personal piece of history. The research into the project led us to tiny villages, beautiful spa towns and castles. It was such a privilege to spend time exploring and delving into the past of a brave soldier and the history of a continent.


www.flickr.com/photos/honza-tasci/sets/72157624774496209/

South of the Border

Last night I met some friends for dinner. Two are from Texas and one from California, so when the idea of Mexican came up for dinner I thought, "This restaurant had better be good!" AND boy, was it!

We headed to a little place in Vinohrady (Prague 2) called Las Adelitas. My first clue of its authenticity was when I asked in Czech for a table for four, the waiter said he could hear the American in my accent and responded in English. He hails from Tijuana, Mexico as does the rest of the staff and cooks. This was a good sign.

We ordered a large plate of nachos to share around. The waiter was more than willing to make the nachos to order, to add and subtract ingredients and bring sauces on the side. Everything was delicious and was authentic enough to get applause from the Texans and Californian alike. We also had the house margarita. That little frozen drink packed a punch. Delicious and certainly had its money's worth of tequila.

Viva Mexico!! Viva Las Adelitas!!

www.lasadelitas.cz (photo courtesy of webpage)

www.milujikavu.cz

I've found a new little piece of the city that I love. It is called Friends Coffee House. It is smack dab in the center, just off Vodickova. The staff is smiley and friendly. The colors are bright. Photos of smiling people cover the wall. There is a fountain bubbling in the center of a glass covered passage. The coffee house also has excellent coffee, good prices and free internet. Sounding too good to be true? Head to Vodickova and see for yourself.

Let me know what you think! Leave a comment about Friends Coffee House!

http://milujikavu.cz/
(All photos courtesy of the website)

West Bohemia Day 1: Hidden Loket

I'm spoiled. I know this. Nearly every time I venture out of my little home I find some bit of adventure. This weekend was another lashing of adventure and being utterly spoiled. H. and I didn't have a big summer holiday so we've been planning long weekends out of Prague exploring edges of the Czech Republic that we haven't been to. We decided to spend this weekend in the western border region. Boy, what a treat!

We stayed in the little town of Loket. Loket is literally translated as "elbow". The name of this town is fitting because it consists of a castle on hill nearly completely surrounded by the Ohre River, this meander of the river reminds one of the sharp bend of the...elbow! We arrived and I was like a kid at Christmas. I didn't even want to unpack, I just wanted to get to the center and see the castle. Walking into the city you feel as if time stops and you are transported back to a place where time moves slower.

Just as I was saying this to H., a group of goats came strolling down the street in the opposite direction. Hmm, that doesn't seem very 2010. And then, some way behind the goats came a policewoman. Her face was red and she was prodding the goats forward with terms of endearment sprinkled with curses. We didn't hide our laughter. I whipped out the camera and snapped photos in between giggles. The policewoman was not nearly as amused. We continued on our way, leaving Miss Police to the herding.

What is delightful about Loket is that there are tiny pockets of cuteness everywhere. The square is surrounded by brightly colored buildings from the 16th century. The streets leading to the castle contain statues of lions and gnomes and saints. The castle makes you believe in fairy tales and happy endings. The river passes quietly along gardens of perfect rows of perfect flowers.

Zvikov

H and I once calculated that if a person spent nearly every weekend of the year going to a new castle in the Czech Republic then it would take at least 10 years to see them all. I'm not sure where we got our numbers from and if our calculations are remotely accurate, but at any rate there are a lot of castles in this country. And my goal is to get around to as many of these lovely structures as possible.

This weekend our pursuit of castles took us to Southern Bohemia to Zvikov. Zvikov sits on a peninsula jutting out into the confluence of Vltava and Otava Rivers, which run into Orlik dam. You have to park about 500 meters from the castles and walk on a winding path through trees draping overhead. As we walked along enjoying the cool fall air, the castle tower seems to appear in the thick green. I have to say, it is a magical feeling place.

There was a wedding going on in the courtyard so we took our time strolling though the castle grounds until the bride and groom finished their business and were swept off to their reception. The surround hills and trees and water are pure peace. There weren't many tourists and we could walk around playing at being the king and queen of this green land.

The castle tour was a self-tour. You pay an entrance free of about 100,-kc ($5) and you follow the arrows through the halls and corridors and dining room and chapel. The ability to walk through the castle without any tour group or tour guide was freeing.

After working up an appetite running up and down castle hallways we stopped at a microbrewery and pub just up the road from the castle. The beer was crisp and cold. The food was perfectly prepared and very Czech. We stuffed ourselves grilled eggplant, zucchini and corn on the cob, steak, baked potatoes and cabbage salad. Then we rolled our full bellies out to our car and drove home through sun, rain and rainbows.

It's just like the movies

What do you do when you don't have money to travel? Or there is no time? Or there are too many places calling to you? My solution is the miracle of television. Nothing takes you to another land like a good film, for cheap.

It can be tricky locating "foreign films", but if you live in the US and have a good public library near you then it shouldn't be impossible. Here in Prague, you can buy cheap DVDs at every tabak shop.

I learned how valuable the escape of film is the first few months I lived here in Prague. I wanted a little booster shot of America and went to see the Kate Hudson film "Divorce". However, the film was based in Paris. I remember feeling very dissatisfied (not just from the acting) and realizing that I hadn't wanted to see more Europe, I'd wanted to see "home".

So when you need to just get away, look no further than your couch. And it doesn't hurt to throw in a good bottle of wine and a box of Swiss chocolates too...




My escape recommendations:

To The Czech Republic:
-Román pro ženy
-Účastníci zájezdu
- Grand Hotel
-Samotáři


To Europe:
-A Good Year
-Sabrina (remake)
-Amelie
-Chocolat

To America:
-Music and Lyrics
-Garden State
-Sweet Home Alabama
-Run Away Bride
-Gran Torino



I would love if you'd post your favorite "escape" films too!!

'Shrooms

It's that time of the year again! The mushrooms are popping up and the forest floor is covered with shroomy goodness.

This weekend we went out to our favorite (secret) spot with some new friends and walked around picking mushrooms. It is the Czech national sport. Each summer I get better and better at identifying the edible ones. I still verify with the boyfriend but I'm fairly confident.

Even though H has been collecting mushrooms for his whole life, he still runs them by his mom who is an expert on mushrooms. So, before whipping up a wild mushroom risotto, we stopped by mom's house for the final approval.

The remainder of the the mushrooms were sliced thinly and laid out to dry in the waning summer light so they can be stirred into soups all winter.

On the Cottage

As you take a train through the Czech countryside, you will see little villages and collections of small houses. Some are wooden and some are brick, some are small and some are big. But these little house represent one of the sweetest aspects of Czech culture: The Cottage.

Nearly every family has a cottage. "Praguers"go to their cottages on the weekends to escape the city and grow some veggies. If a girl is very lucky, she will have friends with a big cottage in tiny village who will invite her to spend the weekend with them. That's me!

Going to the cottage consists of two main things: eat and drink. A steady round of Fernet, a strong herby liquor, was served all day. And, as the whole weekend was in Czech, I was grateful for the Fernet which gave me courage to speak with a loose tongue.

In the afternoon we went to the local pub, which doubled as the fire station. In order to be served, one member of the party must be a volunteer firefighter at the station. So, my friends pay 50,-kc (about $2) per year membership fee to be volunteer firefighters in order to have an occasional beer.

The table was always full of food. There were three types of cake, fruit, pretzels, chips, chlebicky (open face sandwiches). In the evening the grill was fired up and there was a mound of chicken, pork and beef.

We played board games late into the night. After hours of laughter, and more drinks, I was ready to sleep. The fresh air had cleared my head and cleaned my lungs. I know why the Czechs have cottages. The cottage is a little piece of heaven on earth.

Neoclassicism and Biedermeier:

Bored this weekend? Weather got you down? Go to the center and get a little light and color from the wonderful exhibition at Valdštejnská jízdárna (Waldstein Riding Hall) of neoclassic art. There are paintings, statues, china and drawings.

The colors will lighten your heart. The romantic scenes of lovers and nature and villages will warm your heart. Believe me, your heart will just be happy.

Hezky vikend!



http://www.upm.cz/index.php?language=cz&page=123&year=2010&id=141&img=1250

http://www.pragueout.cz/umeni/articles/klasicismus-a-biedermeier-z-knizecich-lichtenstejnskych-sbirek

Amy and Dennis go to Krivoklat

Read about our adventure on Amy and Dennis's blog:

http://hello-unknown.com/?p=380&preview=true

Hloupý Honza

I love the concept of "Daily Menu" (Denní Menu). In most restaurants from 11.00-14.00 there is an offering of three or four meals that are ready to order. The menu usually comes with soup, and sometimes a dessert.

My boyfriend (whose name is Honza) found a restaurant last week called Hloupy Honza, which translate as Stupid Honza. We had to try it. The restaurant is right in the center, off of Vodičkova. The tables are made of wood and it feels like a modern pub. The meals were fresh and delicious. H had soup, a grilled steak, French fries and a small drink all for 139,-kc. I had salmon and spinach baked in pastry dough over a bed of fresh vegetables including soup and a small drink all for 99,-kc. And with your meal you get a little card and you get a stamp with each meal, after eight you get a free one! Good food, free food, what a deal!




www.hloupyhonza.cz

I'm keen on KEEN

I don't endorse products often, mostly because I don't get paid anything for it! But I thought today I should tell you about shoes that I've fallen in love with. Anyone who travels any distance knows that shoes can make or break the experience.

I'm not usually a big sandal person because I don't like having my toes exposed in the city. You just never know. But I recently saw that the shoe brand KEEN has specially designed sandals that cover the top of the foot. I was curious. When I found them on sale, I made the plunge and bought them.

These sandals are a dream. (An expensive dream, be warned they weren't cheap even on sale but so worth it). My whole foot is supported and protected. My toes are covered. The soles are spongy on the inside and have hiking tread on the bottom that are up to hiking, cobblestones and pretty much anything you can through at them. Also, they are machine washable so no worries about muddy paths.

I'm looking forward to purchasing a pair of KEEN shoes for autumn or winter. I'll let you know if I'm as impressed with their hardier designs.

www.keenfootwear.com

Death by Elevator

Back before "Health and Safety" standards were a twinkle in the eye of law-makers anywhere, there existed a type of elevator that could thrill and chill at the same time. They are a dying breed (due to the fact they are ILLEGAL under EU law) but they can be found floating around a few old Prague buildings.

These are elevators that have no door and move in a continuous conveyor belt style. It doesn't stop on each floor, it just slowly goes continuously until it gets to the top and then slides over and begins the decent downwards in the same way. The brave traveler must carefully wait until the elevator is just at foot level and then jump in. The floors pass by in front of your eyes, and finger tips if you are brave enough to put a hand out. Then when the correct floor arrives, you jump out again. Calculate incorrectly and you

will find yourself sprawled on the marble floor.

Those elevator riders of the 1930s were living on the wild side.