"To travel is to live" -HC Andersen

A Blog Siesta

2012-01-14T09:46:00.003+01:00

We are deep in the heart of winter, here in Central Europe. Although, this weekend is the first real snow I remember seeing this winter. Maybe the deep winter gray has inspired contemplation in me. Or maybe it is laziness trying to disguise itself as self-reflection.

But in any case, I have decided to take a "Blog Siesta". At least for the winter I'd like to step away from the online writing and live a little more, offline.

So, thank you for reading what was written in 2011. When my creative juices start flowing and my feet start walking and the introvert in me has taken all the time it needs to recover from a very public 2011, then I'll be back with travel stories, tips of places to go and Prague ideas....

To travel is to live.

Long Weekend

2011-10-31T20:02:00.003+01:00

My H works abroad, which means we don't see each other all that often...but when we do, we know how to have a good time. A car, a full tank and an open road is what we love. This weekend was a holiday weekend in the Czech Republic. We did a bit of house work for a day or two and then decided we needed a break.

We got into the car and H started to drive. I'm usually the navigator but this time he knew where he was going and I was not in the loop. Our drive took us down some very narrow and curvy country roads. Good thing neither of us get motion sickness!

At the end of the road we stopped in an adorable, historical town called Rabštejn. The small house are maintained in their original style of the 19th century. There is a lovely 5k trail that runs through and around the village. The highlights along the trail are a hunting lodge that serves mouth-watering strudel, a rickety wooden bridge, a babbling brook and a Jewish cemetery.

On the way home we got a little turned around so we pulled into the parking lot of a monastery to check the map. Little did we know that they were holding a model airplane exhibition, although I accused my airplane enthusiast husband of planning the stop. We hoped out at Mariánský Týnec monastery and were welcomed into a lovely and warm place full of Czech cultural exhibitions showing traditional clothing, celebrations and household items.

What great surprises, planned and unplanned!

"Oh, the places you will go"

2011-10-25T09:05:00.005+02:00

My first international experience was to Thailand in 1994. I was a 14 year old kid that had dreamed of nothing but foreign lands for all of her short life and there I was. The leader of our group read us the Dr Suess book "Oh, The Places You will Go" and I took that as my mantra. I wanted to "go places". I spent the next five years of my life raising money, working after school and pinching every penny so that I could spend my summers abroad. Before my 20th birthday I had been to Thailand twice, India, Bolivia and Russia. But spending a few weeks every summer exploring the unknown wasn't enough. I needed to live there.

So, I got a degree in teaching English as a means to take myself globe-trotting and when I finished at Ohio University I got myself a job in Central Europe. I landed in the Czech Republic with no expectations, no plans to stay or to wander, no idea what would come next.

And here I sit, eight years later, in the most beautiful city in the world. I didn't know back then that I would marry into this deep culture and rich land. I didn't know I'd grow and learn and change. I didn't know I'd be happier than I ever expected. But I am.

I'll be blogging some of those happy events over the next few weeks. Stay tuned to the adventures of what happens when traveling becomes living....

Run, Tasci, Run

2011-09-12T22:41:00.004+02:00

Running may not be for everyone but it is for me. I like the quiet and peace of being alone in nature, just me and sky and grass. I'm not hardcore but I try to get out for a jog about 3 times a week.

A few years ago I decided that once I turned 30 I'd make an effort to run an organized race at least once a year until I hit 60. It's a good goal to keep me in permanent semi-shape for the coming years.

I did a fun run for charity 2 years ago and loved it. The atmosphere was electric. Thousands of people lined the streets of this city that I adore so much and made me feel like a champion. It was a high. And I was hooked.

Last year I was out of town during the annual Women's 5K in September but I was sure to train just the same. This year I hit the road again. All the training paid off and I had one of the best runs of this season. I felt great the whole run and the finish was strong. I had wanted to finish with a better time (I'd like to shave off about 5 minutes for the next 5K) but overall I was very satisfied.

The girls and I are already planning a half marathon relay race for next spring. I won't be hanging up my running shoes any time soon!

Bookworm: Full Circle

2011-09-05T20:40:00.002+02:00

Back in my university days I fell in love with a book, Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman. The book is a fictional telling of the months during which Albert Einstein was developing his Theory of Relativity. It is a series of dreams that show time in different dimensions, spheres and movements. In one dream time moves slower the further from the ground one is, in another dream their are infinite universes where one person lives multiple lives, still another has time travelers hiding from the present they are confined to.

I loved the concept of time not being linear. I loved the idea of infinite possibility. The idea of free will and destination colliding. The book's author is a professor of English Lit and Physics at MIT. That explains a lot. His writing is beautiful and his prose moves effortless. I loved his writing. (If you've known me any length of time, I've probably tried to loan you or have given you a copy.)

SO, today I was on the tram reading Parallel Worlds by Michio Kaku. He is a theoretical physicist. I'm half way through the book and amazed. I'm amazed at how similar physics and philosophy can be, I'm amazed that there are equations that calculate what seem to be impossibilities, I'm amazed that their are people smart enough to come up with this stuff. But most amazing to me today was that while reading about the physics of time, I felt what I'll call a "full circle".

I realized that my Einstien's Dreams fasination wasn't just beautiful prose about "what ifs", these were actual theories that great minds had been debating for more than a hundred years. My heart skipped a little beat. I longed to get my hands on my copy of Einstein's Dreams. And then I nearly said out loud, "You are SUCH a nerd!"

I put this up on my travel blog as a reminder to myself that travel across time or continents or ideas is what opens the mind. I'm me because of the books I've read and the experiences I've experienced. I hope, out there in some distant parallel universe, another Tasci is reading this and smiling=)...

Summer Breezes

2011-08-22T20:02:00.001+02:00

Summer 2011 has just flown by. It has been full of planning, thinking, worrying, celebrating and being.

Some of the things I've neglected to post in the past 2 months are:

1. Čestr Ambiente Restaurant: In one word is YUM! This is no place for vegetarians. It is a steak house that specializes in locally produced foods and high quality service. It is mid-price, so the perfect place to celebrate a special occasion when you want to splurge out a little.

2. Třebič. A little town with a little river and a big history. The old Jewish town is protected by UNESCO and gives a peak into the lives of inhabitants at the turn of last century.

3. Hořovice. I've heard that there are more than 500 castles and chateaus in the Czech Republic, and Hořovice is proof that they will sneak up on you. What a lovely chateau with lovely gardens hidden in the midst of a tiny town just a short drive into the countryside.

4. Sazava monestary, Krakovec castle ruin, and Zbiroh chateau. Honza and I love our drives. And a few weekends ago we did just that. We drove off explore little places we'd never been before. Zbiroh chateau was such a surprise! It is a beautifully renovated property with lots of walking trails that would be the perfect place to spend a romantic day away. Krakovec is a castle ruin where we waited out a thunderstorm. The rain pounded all around and we stood in the crumbling tower and enjoyed the wonder. Sazava monastery is one of the oldest established religious institutes in Central Europe. It is peace on earth.

Jested: A Must-do!

2011-06-07T21:45:00.005+02:00

Drive north of Prague and you'll soon come to a town called Liberec. I can't tell you much about this town, but what I can tell you is that just outside the border is a small mountain called Jested.

On the top is a unique piece of architecture. Constructed in the 60s, the hotel/restaurant has the whimsical feel of being frozen in both time and space. We had lunch, which was both affordable and delicious, in the round object. The experience was such a treat.

Half the fun of Jested it getting up, and then back down. We took the Swiss-style cable car to the top. It is run by Czech Railways, so you buy a train ticket to move you to the hotel. From the top, we decided to walk down. The first third of the trip was a lovely frolic through the forest. However, the last portion had us shuffling gently down the steep ski slope. We definitely worked off our lunch!

Lovely nature, interesting architecture and good food all in one place: Jested is a must-do!

(See more photos on flickr)

Cesky Raj

2011-05-31T21:38:00.003+02:00

Cesky Raj literally translated is Czech Paradise, and that is the perfect name for this little piece of heavenly nature. The area is a nature reserve/ geopark with hiking trails, sandstone columns and castle ruins. An easy day trip from Prague, it is a must do for adventurous nature travelers. Not only will you get a good workout climbing up and down the rock formations and rolling hills covered in forest, you can get a taste of the local villages that still dot the area.

Noc kostelu/Night of Churches

2011-05-28T20:09:00.003+02:00

Prague is known as the city of a thousand spires. Once look at the skyline shows a history of devout builders of churches and cathedrals. A new way to experience some of these beautiful structures Prague's annual Noc Kostelů/Night of Churches.

This event began last year and was inspired by a similar Night of Churches held in Vienna. Throughout the city, churches open their doors and hold special events during the evening. A small booklet and map list what's available and when. You can collect stamps in the back of booklet to show which churches you have visited. There are nearly a hundred churches that participate.

Last year I found out about the Night of Churches late so I decided to explore the churches in my neighborhood. It was great to pop into buildings that I probably never would have gone out my way to visit in my normal day. I was treated to an organ concert, free cookies and a host of kind people.

This year we concentrated on Prague 1. We visited churches that we walk by daily but barely register. My favorite was a water and light show at St Salvador, near Charles Bridge. As a choir sang, an artist used a pool of water and a reflecting light to project images until the ceiling of the basilica. It was magical.

Keep a lookout next May for the Night of Churches!

Jubilee Synagogue

2011-05-24T21:49:00.009+02:00

Prague is famous for her Jewish Quarter. In a few blocks there are nestled hundreds of years of European Jewish history and heritage. But a lesser known synagogue that can't be entered with the standard Jewish Quarter sight-seeing ticket is the Jubilee Synagogue on Jeruzalémská ulice.

It was built at the beginning of the 20th century. It was called the Jubilee Synagogue because it was built during the year of Emperor Franz Josef I's silver jubilee. Now it is more commonly known and the Jerusalem Street Synagogue. It is still a functioning house of worship. Until recently it was closed to the general public. After recent renovations, the synagogue has been opened to visitors.

It is only 50,-kc (appr. $3), which is a good price for over a hundred years of history, a stunning Art Nouveau interior and an opportunity to quietly reflect in a place of peace. When you are in the center next with 20 minutes to spare, swing by Jubilee Synagogue.

(Photo courtesy of www.geocaching.com)

Going Greek: Zorbas Restaurant

2011-05-24T21:49:00.006+02:00

My appetite for nearly any type of cuisine can be met by Prague. There is a heavy helping of Chinese, Italian, Vietnamese, American, Afghani, Indian, and Czech to name just a few. However, I haven't had luck finding a Greek restaurant that really does it for more. Don't get me wrong, there are Greek restaurants in Prague. They have nice ambiance. The food smells enticing. The owners are Greek, smiling and happy. But I alway walk away feeling like I'm missing that something that makes a meal really work.

On the recommendation of several people, I decided to check out Zorbas. It is located just off of Vaclavske Namesti. It was clean and sunny and the owner was very cordial. I had high hopes. However, I must report that once more that something just wasn't hear either. The food was good, and cheaper than other Greek places I've been to in Prague. But the meals weren't cheap, and for the price paid I expected more than just skewer-grilled chicken with a dab of picked vegetables on the side for the mixed grill plate or a square of not-quite-hot-enough mousaka with tomatoes on the side.

The taste was fine but for half the price I think I'll stick with the little Turkish bistros popping up all over town. There's a good one on Jindrisska ulice if you are in the mood for nice eggplant...maybe I'll head that way now!

The Great War

2011-05-24T21:48:00.003+02:00

A few years ago there was an exhibit at Prague castle called "World War One on Foot: Through the lens of an unknown soldier" showing black and white photos from World War I. Two things made this exhibition stand out from others.

Firstly, the photographer was unknown. What he had seen was all that was known of his identity. His photos had been stored away in an archive. Secondly, these were not typical war front photos. They pictured the boyishly young soldiers smiling and relaxing around a mess table, they depicted field meals and dress and behaviour. It was a reminder that war has a human face. (Read more about this exhibit now being shown in Ljubljana: )

That photo exhibition was a spark that lead to the discovery of not only the photographer's identity but also to a plethora of WWI photography that was hidden away in attics. And it has led to a follow-up exhibition. This exhibition is called War Photographers 1914-1918. It is comprised of photos from multiple soldiers of different ranks and backgrounds. The rawness is gripping. It is hard to believe how the world has changed in less than a hundred years, and yet we humans made of our flesh and bone remain.

Go take a walk!

2011-04-25T20:35:00.005+02:00

The Czech Republic has some of the most extensive public walking trails in the world. These trails are well marked and mapped. Going for a walking day trip is as easy as picking two villages, finding the available trails on www.mapy.cz or buying a walking map of the area at the local book store and setting off.

My money is always on the Berounka River area. The train goes from Prague's main train station about every 30 minutes and the would-be-walker can hop off at nearly any of the towns or villages between Prague and Beroun and find great walking trails connecting to another village where a train going back to Prague will pick you up and take you home.

That's just what I did on a beautiful Saturday. My friend MD and I hopped on a train to Karlstejn. What better way to start a trip then with a view of a fairytale castle? Then we walked our way through about 8 kilometers of forest and fields to the village of Srbsko, where we had some soup and a beer to get our strength back before walking back to Karlstejn and catching a train home. The whole journey took about 5 hours. Delightful!

Kutna Hora

2011-04-19T21:36:00.003+02:00

I like weird stuff. I think it is the nerd in me. One of my favorite weird travel sites that I like to seek out is crypts. And for a girl who enjoys a crypt, Kutna Hora is a gold mine.

Actually, I should say silver mine because Kutna Hora made its wealth through the mines that once flooded the town with work, visitors and interest. The legacy of that one time wealth is the beautiful Saint Barbora Cathedral that sits on the highest point, overlooking the city.

Now to crypts! Outside of the center, about 2 kilometers, there is a church where a semi-blind monk once lived. The town had experienced wars and plagues and many people had been buried in the church graveyard. So many, in fact, that the bones began to pile up. So the semi-blind monk began his life project: to transform the pile of bones into art in order to remind the worshipers that life is short and we will all be only bones one day so we must do good while on this earth. A chandelier of bones, a coat of arms from bones, a candle holder of bones, and as odd as it sounds it isn't one bit "icky". It does really remind us that this life is temporary, but the works we do live after us.

So, if life is short then get out there and see Kutna Hora before you are turned into a chandelier too!

SP: Came, Saw, Conquered Prague

2011-04-18T10:33:00.007+02:00

I have vague memories of high school, most of them involve studying. I was a bit of a nerd. (I guess nothing has changed.) But some of my favorite memories involve my friend SP. She made me laugh, a lot.

And nothing has changed in 13 years! SP came to Prague and we laughed. A lot.

Having a visitor is what I like best about living abroad. I can show off what makes me tick: travel. The plan was to give SP a glimpse into the real Czech. We headed down to wine country in southern Moravia, a little town called Mikulov. It is my little France. Vineyards spread as far as the hills allow you to see. The people have that joviality that comes with uncorked bottles. We spent an evening in a wine cellar with a lovely bottle of Vlašsky Ryzlink (Riesling).

We took a little detour south to Vienna and took in the imperial sights for a few hours. Then on the way home we slept and supped in Český Krumlov, a fairy tale of a city. We toasted to Bohemian beers as a traditional Roma (Gypsy) band played in the corner of the pub.

I hope SP comes again soon. My stomach hadn't been treated to so many Czech dishes and so much Czech beer in years.

Oh, Ohio

2011-03-16T09:52:00.003+01:00

I've been silent. I dropped the ball in February and March when it came to my blog. That is due in large part to my jaunt home to visit a new little bundle of life. Her name is Lucy Soell. I've loved her mom, January Newbanks, for years and years. She has held my hand through all the ups and downs life has thrown at us, she makes me stronger.

And now I get to love her little one. I flew back to Ohio for the sole purpose of sitting on Jan's couch and holding little Lucy. And that is in fact what I did most of the time in Ohio.

When Lucy and I weren't bonding, I was in Zanesville hanging out with my mom and little siblings. I was also able to attend my cousin's baby shower and have breakfast with an old, dear friend.

Usually, when I'm in Ohio I feel like I am a visitor. I run around seeing people and being busy. This is nice because I love these people and I love hugging them. But this time I felt like I was home. There wasn't any running, it was just being. I like being when it involves family, a sweet Lucy, a best friend and her husband, pints of ice cream and Becherovka cocktails. Viva Ohio!

My Valentine

2011-02-17T11:20:00.003+01:00

This blog entry is only for me. It concerns my sweet Valentine and the Valentine gift he gave me. The question really is: How to explain and convey this experience? Well, it involves food. Anyone who knows me (especially my students!) know that I am a "foodie". Good food means a good life. This doesn't mean that I don't have the occasional iced coffee at McDonald's, but it does mean that I don't recognize this as food. It doesn't nurture, it doesn't take time, it doesn't bring people together. Those are the things real food do.

My Valentine gave me a gift of food because he knows me. H told me that he wanted to take me to dinner for Valentine's Day. Fair enough, that is a standard for Valentine's Day. But he wouldn't tell me where. Last time he pulled this trick for my birthday a few years back, I found myself at a Michelin starred restaurant. My curiosity was sparked. I put on a skirt and shined my shoes and when we got to the tram he gave me a clue. "Starts with "l""Hmm, didn't ring a bell. "Next letter is a". Still nothing. "D" And it is more than one word? "Yes." Oh my gosh! I think I know.

It was La Degustation Boheme, a world renowned restaurant that specializes in Czech infusion food. The menu consisted of names which anyone who's lived in Prague for awhile should know, but nothing was served as expected. I guess that's the beauty of infusion food. We were served such luxuries as cauliflower puree with caviar, quail egg in aspic, beef tongue and mini crepes.

The meal lasted of nearly 3 hours, during which time we were waited on as if we were the only diners in the restaurant even though it was full. The manager greeted us at the beginning of the meal and checked on us throughout.

It certainly isn't an every day experience, or even once a year. But at least once one should take part in this food theater. Bon apetit!

The Snow Queen

2011-02-08T16:42:00.008+01:00

Not long ago I wrote about the National Theater here in Prague. I suppose it is the long winter but I've had a taste for the theater lately. So a few weeks back I bought myself a couple of tickets online and printed them at home (yep, it's that easy), sent a facebook message to H's little sister inviting her out for the day and headed the Stavovske divadlo (The Estates Theater).

I chose a play this time. Hans Christian Andersen's "Snow Queen". A little known fact about me is that I adore fairy tales. I have a collection of fairy tale books back in my mom's house. They are a look into the collective psyche of a culture.

When we arrived at the theater, there were crowds of children quietly filing into the theater. Logically, a fairy tale theater production was a huge draw for the family crowd. The kids were dressed to the nines in frilly dresses and mini tuxedos. Adorable! Every kid should have such a luxurious experience.

The play is the story of a little boy who is abducted by the evil Snow Queen. His best friend goes in search of him, eventually finding him and freeing him from the Queen's clutches. The acting was engaging for both children and adults, the scenery was simple yet layered so that one or two props could be used to illustrate different scenes and the costumes were well designed. My favorite was the Reindeer. The costume was a full reindeer suit for the actor, the clever bit was that the front "legs" were a type of crutch or stilt held by the hands that allowed the actor to lean on them, bent over a bit from the waist so that he imitated the movements of a reindeer.

I can't sing the praises of Czech theater enough. It is affordable. It is culture. It is surprising. It is fun. It just has to be done!

Bohemia Cafe Culture

2011-02-07T13:42:00.003+01:00

There is something about an artistic, beautiful piece of cake being whisked to my table in a 1930s cafe that fulfills a need deep inside me that I can't even articulate. Cafe culture is a quiet and centering experience. It isn't a pub. People don't speak loudly. Friends lean over their coffees and whisper secrets and hopes. That cake takes an hour to eat because each bite is savored. The fork slides slowly through the chocolate mousse and lingers in the mouth. Coffee is sipped. Minutes float on.

Here are a few of my recent haunts:

La Creperie
www.lacreperie.cz

Come here to find yourself in France. The staff is friendly and busy, but the crepes come in their own time. Don't come here for a quick lunch, but for a lazy afternoon. The savory crepes are delicious, but it is those sweet caramel and dark chocolate crepes with ice cream that will draw me back to this little creperie.

Erhartova Cukrarna
www.erhartcafe.cz

You will go broke buying the most beautiful little cakes and torts and pies and bonbons and and and...that you have ever seen. Every mouthful of creation is delicate and delicious. Don't count calories here, it is worth the indulgence!

Cafe Slavia
www.cafeslavia.cz

Here is one of my lasting favorites. Slavia sits across from the National Theater and is a great place to admire the beauty of the Vltava River, Charles Bridge and Prague castle at one table. A pianist plays melancholy tunes on a baby-grand. I recommend the hot chocolate with whipped creme.

Cafe Imperial
www.cafeimperial.cz

Imperial is right! This place is pure 1920-1930s Art Nouveau. It is covered in tiles from floor to ceiling. I don't go here for the coffee, although that is nice too; I go here to feel just a little bit like Audrey Hepburn. It just does that to me...

Bookworm: My Life in France

2011-01-27T21:27:00.002+01:00

I love reading, cooking and traveling so when my friend A handed me a copy of Julia Child's autobiography "My life in France", I should have known I was about to fall in love. Julia was a woman who seemed to be before her time. She was independent and forward thinking and liberal and yet warm and diplomatic and caring. The ease with which she intertwines stories of food with the open road and with settling in a new place was page turning for this foodie traveler.

I related to her lament about the lose of relationship to food in our modern age. I am lucky enough to have a bakery, butcher, cheese shop and sweet shop all within meters of our flat but even with that luxury I tend to end up shopping in the big super markets for convenience.

On a political note, it was also a sober reminder reading of her husband's experiences during the McCarthy trails that the ebb and tide of right and left cycle and circle. A country drifts one way and then the other and there is never really a golden age. It's just that collective memory is colored rose by nostalgia.

There are some fabulous quotes about adjusting to life abroad. For those who have taken that plunge, they will find a kindred spirit in Ms Julia Child.

"It's easy to get the feeling that you know the language just because when you order a beer they don't bring you oysters," Paul Child, husband of Julia Child, on his French language knowledge

"Travel, we agreed, was a litmus test: if we could make the best of the chaos and serendipity that we'd inevitably meet in transit, then we'd surely be able to sail through the rest of life together just fine." -Julia Child, on her memory of moving to Paris with husband Paul

Miniature trains and big taste

2011-01-20T13:24:00.004+01:00

I met a friend for lunch this week. Actually, I do that often because as I have raved on this blog before the lunch specials in Prague make cooking or packing a lunch obsolete. She said to meet her "under the horse". So I dutifully went to Muzeum metro, exited to Wenceslas Square and found her standing under the statue of Saint Wenceslas, who is featured sitting on a horse.

My friend M promised a "fun" lunch. Hmm, fun? We entered a glass fronted building and walked up the wooden spirally steps. As we emerged into the restaurant, I felt a wave a childhood engulf me. The restaurant was abuzz with the sound of model trains. The tables were divided by model train tracks and small model homes and stores and trees. Vytopna restaurant was definitely themed around model trains. The child in me jumped up and down; the adult in me stood still and said, "Yes, M, this is a "fun" lunch!"

The lunch menu consists of soup for 20,-kc and then three main dishes ranging from 59,-kc to 99,-kc. Beware that the daily menu is only in Czech and the normal menu is significantly more costly. So, if your menu Czech isn't up to par then I recommend taking a good dictionary or a good Czech friend. Also, the daily menu isn't for the vegetarians out there.

We ordered our drinks, which came to the table on a little train! We had the kielbasa served with a side of spicy kidney beans. It was YUMMY! And FUN! Choo choo, all aboard for a hearty cheap lunch in the center of Prague!

www.praha-en.vytopna.cz/praha/

A Ballet Critic in One Act

2011-01-20T12:50:00.004+01:00

Ok, I admit that I am the worst person in the world to critic ballet. Firstly, I have never been that physically disciplined in my whole life...ever. Secondly, I know nothing about ballet really. And last, but most importantly, I'm a half show attender. Yep, I usually leave early. I know that is dreadful and I don't usually go with that intention but it does seem to work out that way. Whether is is a long day of work ahead, headache, semi-interested co-attendee or impatience in general I have lots of half viewed theater productions under my belt. However, I don't apologize. Even if I don't always make it to the end I go because it is moving and stunning and surprising. And all these emotions can come in an hour and half the same as three hours.

My latest excursion was to see the National Theater's Nutcracker. Everyone knows the Nutcracker, but I can assure you that you have never seen the Nutcracker quite like this. Youri Vamos, the Hungarian choreographer, used A Christmas Carol as his inspiration for the ballet. There was a touch of Nutcracker, a hint of Scrooge and whole heap of creativity. My absolute favorite was the transformation of the Mouse King into a very camp Devil. The whole theater erupted in laughter as a red-tighted, leather-clad devil shook his stuff to Tchaikovsky's classic orchestra notes.

Why do I go to the theater? Because in Prague, it is always a thrilling adventure in experimental creation.

For photos, info and booking of tickets visit: http://www.narodni-divadlo.cz/Default.aspx?jz=en&dk=predstaveni.aspx&sb=3&ic=4598

Cafe Amandine

2011-01-15T23:23:00.002+01:00

If I want to try a new cafe, I call my friend A. She does the same. We've been in and out of lovely coffee and tea spots all over this city (and Budapest!). But our favorites seem to always be the ones that style themselves after the French. That could be because A was a Francophile in a former life, teaching French in high school...but I digress.

So this week we found ourselves in Cafe Amandine (http://www.cafeamandine.cz/en/), which is located between Karlovo Namesti and Palackeho Namesti. It is all about the French. The sticky sweet lovely pastries are displayed in a glass counter, the pink and green remind you of Moulin Rouge and the music transports you to Paris. The service was promt and helpful and friendly. The cappuccino was frothy and properly strong. The chocolate bomb mousse cake was...well, the bomb.

I recommend this little spot as a place to meet a friend or read the paper. It lends itself to a lazy afternoon. Two cautions for the cafe-goer: 1. It is a smoking cafe. There is a designated non-smoking area but there is no partition. Luckily no one was smoking the entire time we were there. 2. The prices are mid-range. It isn't as bad as the foreign coffee chains, but also isn't a place to grab a cheap coffee for the road.

Bon apetit! Sante!

Třeboň: Land o' Lakes

2011-01-09T22:27:00.003+01:00

The year has begun and we have been on the road again. We spent last Saturday and Sunday driving around Southern Bohemia. We knew that we needed a bit of open road and we'd been toying with different ideas of places to go, but as the weekend got close and the weather was forecasted to be drizzly then we decided to go someplace small and quiet.

Třeboň is a small town with a big reputation for carp. The traditional Czech Christmas dinner is fried carp and potato salad. That was about the extent of my carp knowledge up until last weekend. It turns out it is a huge industry that spans hundreds of years. The modern fisheries are basically mass fish farms. The lakes that make the geography of Southern Bohemia are actually artificial. The nobility and the priests, for hundreds of years, carved out lakes in the landscape and filled them with carp. Why? For the nobility, it was extra cash and it created jobs for the people. For the monasteries it was a to stave off hunger. In the middle ages these fish farms kept the church and the state and the people from starvation.

But what I was really interested in was tasting. And that we did...and well! We went to the restaurant Šupina a Šupinka (www.supina.cz), which translates Scale and Little Scale. To say they specialize in fish is putting it mildly. Restaurace Šupina a Šupinka created a dance of beautiful flavors in my mouth. I'm not even a huge fan of fish, but every bit of the starter and main course (mine and H's) was perfect. Go see for yourself, it is worth the trip! And if you book online before March, you also get a 10% discount.

My second reason for thinking Třeboň was just wonderful was that it is also a spa town. We stayed in Hotel Zlata Hveda, right on the main square. Again, because it was out of season, we got a good deal on the room. They have a wellness center in the hotel so I booked myself a warm peat treatment with massage.

After our little adventure out of Prague, my stomach was happy and my muscles were happy and my head was full of happy Třeboň memories. Třeboň is an excellent place to slow down and enjoy the good things of life.

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

2010-12-31T12:14:00.004+01:00

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

2010-12-07T16:00:00.004+01:00

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

2010-11-03T10:14:00.005+01:00

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

2010-10-30T22:49:00.005+02:00

"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

2010-10-30T22:00:00.008+02:00

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

2010-10-12T22:06:00.005+02:00

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

2010-10-11T22:38:00.002+02:00

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

2010-10-11T22:35:00.002+02:00

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

2010-09-27T12:57:00.006+02:00

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

2010-09-19T18:18:00.003+02:00

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

2010-09-19T17:27:00.002+02:00

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

2010-09-16T22:03:00.002+02:00

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

2010-09-04T21:22:00.005+02:00

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

2010-08-29T22:07:00.002+02:00

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

2010-08-23T20:56:00.005+02:00

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

2010-08-17T21:51:00.003+02:00

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

2010-08-09T22:19:00.006+02:00

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:

2010-08-06T06:19:00.001+02:00

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

2010-08-04T20:19:00.000+02:00

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

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

Hloupý Honza

2010-08-01T19:59:00.004+02:00

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

2010-08-01T10:30:00.006+02:00

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

2010-07-29T22:02:00.004+02:00

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.

Orlicke Hory: The final installment

2010-07-27T06:03:00.009+02:00

Sunday: Home and Away

Sunday morning, our tummies full of ham and eggs, we set off for home. But on the way we made a few stops to see what local culture could offer us. Because of Karel Polacek, we were inspired to dig a bit deep into the Jewish history of the area. We started in Rychnov at the Karel Polacek Memorial. This building had once been the synagogue of a small but thriving Jewish community. About forty men, women and children were removed from their homes and sent to concentration camps with millions of others during the Nazi occupation and the Jewish community that had lived in Rychnov for around 400 years "ceased to exist" as the memorial states.

How does a culture and a community cease to exit? It's hard to imagine a place like this, when I grew up so close to my hometown's Jewish community. Of course, I'd studied WW2 and I was as mortified and horrified as any rational human is by the facts. But growing up I was surrounded by a very local vibrant Jewish community with a synagogue across the street from my high school. To be in a place where that community "ceased to exist" makes racism and nationalism and fear and ethnocentrism things not of the past, but demons we need to conquer today as well because they are very very real and relevant.

A short drive and we found ourselves in Dobruška (www.mestodobruska.cz), birthplace to František Kupka and F. L. Věk. (Don't worry, if you aren't Czech then I doubt you've heard of them. I never had until my history lesson from H!) Like dozens of small Czech towns, it was centered around a cute little square with cookie-cutter buildings and a clock tower that we climbed our way up to get the bird's eye view.

The last stop on the Orlicke Hory tour was Třebechovice. Blink and you'll miss Třebechovice. The claim to fame is the Nativity Museum where the prize possession is a 7 meter long, hand-crafted wooden Nativity from the beginning of last century. It is a sight to behold. Every crevis and corner revealed another scene. WOW sums up anything I could write about it.

And then we drove home and went to bed early, exhausted from all the mountain air, walking, good beer and Czech-ness of Orlicke Hory.

Orlicke Hory continued

2010-07-27T05:37:00.005+02:00

Saturday: Finding Bunkers

Saturday morning the clouds were thick and full of rain. That was ok because we planned on spending a lot of the day underground in a bunker. After a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs and all the trimmings, we were off.

Prior to WW2, the Czechoslovaks could feel the world around them changing. As a preemptive measure against invasion they made several alliances with France and Russia and then began fortifying their borders. They built scores of bunkers in the hopes of staving off invades long enough to give their allies time to swoop in and save them. Unfortunately, Czechoslovakia was carved up in the Munich Treaty, betrayed by her allies and invaded regardless of her efforts at defending herself.

Now, when H said bunker I was thinking "tank size" with a soldier or two manning some guns. There are bunkers in the system like this, but Haniča was on a scale I couldn't imagine. It was designed for 420 soldiers (!!!) and had the feeling of being in the bowels of a ship. (www.hanicka.cz) The parking lot is about 2k from the entrance so there is a nice walk through the forest before going the 38 meters below ground. The tour takes about an hour and is very cool, as well as cold as the interior stays around 8 degrees Celsius.

Our second stop of the afternoon was less heavy, definitely lighter. It was in the village of Vamberk to see a lace exhibition (http://www.moh.cz/2010_img/vamberk201006.pdf). Vamberk and the Orlicke Hory region is known for their long history of handmade lace. It just goes to show how those Czech golden hands really can do anything!

After dinner in Rychnov's local pizzeria, which surprised us with its sophisticated menu including veal, saffron rice and wild mushroom dishes, we decided to follow the trail of Karel Polacek's book "Bylo nas pet" (There were Five/translated: We were a Handful). The book is a memoir of his childhood. As you follow the map from sign to sign you learn about the places and people of a small town in the 1930s through the eyes of this little Jewish boy. The signs show photos of how the town looked at that time and give the historical significance of each site.

Traveling in Time

2010-07-24T07:52:00.007+02:00

When I find myself in a new town for the first time, it isn't just the visual I'm looking for. I want to feel the "time". Every place moves through the universe in its own time. Sometimes it is fast and modern, sometimes slow and traditional, or with an ora of the Middle Ages.

Orlicke Hory (Eagle Mountains) takes me back a hundred years or

so. The houses are wooden, with low steep roofs for the heavy winters. The town squares have families walking slowly with ice cream greeting one another. I feel my heart beat slow and I breath deeply as this old time washes over me.

Our weekend getaway: The perfect 3 day escape from city life

Friday we drove off to find Rychnov nad Kneznou (www.rychnov-city.cz), a little town that sits in Orlicke Hory, not far from the Polish boarder. One of our main objectives for this trip was to go back in time (it's a theme!) and find the bunkers that run along the border. These bunkers were built in the 1930s as the first line of defense. But more about bunkers later...

On the way we took a slight detour to lunch in Podebrady. We'd been to this town before and knew finding a good inexpensive meal wouldn't be difficult. We parked and were seated for lunch in less than five minutes. With full tummies we continued our journey.

Rychnov proved to be a sweet little town with a square, chateau and church. Also, it was the birthplace of author Karel Poláček (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karel_Poláček). We arrived in the late afternoon so we checked into Pension v Chaloupce (www.penzionvchaloupce.cz). The owner is a cheerful woman who was more than accommodating. She thought of everything. Breakfast isn't included in the price but is well worth the 80,-kc extra, as we discovered in the morning. We felt at home instantly.

Dinner was on the main square at the town's finest hotel, Havel Hotel. They served a delicious local unfiltered beer called Kastan. We liked it so much we had two, and we never have two. My schnitzel dinner was also very good: hot, fresh and tender.

In the cool of the evening we walked through the center and found that the city has placed 12 signs throughout the city marking important sections of Karel Poláček's book, Bylo nas pet (There were Five of Us) which is a memoir of his childhood. We decided we'd have to find all the points before leaving. But for us, the day was at an end. We needed to hit the sack in order to be up early in search of bunkers and World War 2 history....

(Find more photos at: www.flickr.com/photos/honza-tasci)

Co Mohamedu Mekka, to Čechu Říp

2010-07-20T19:38:00.005+02:00

"What Mecca is to Muhamed, that is Říp to the Czechs" so goes the saying in yellow letters across the pub at the top of Říp Mountain.

I use the word mountain loosely because it is actually more of a hill. It takes about 25 minutes to climb, but don't think it is easy. The incline will challenge muscles in hard to reach places. (I run 4 times a week and it still winded me!)

The legend of Říp is that in a distant time there were two brothers, Čech and Lech who were leading their Slavic family clans across middle Europe.

When Čech climbed to the top of Říp he looked out over the land that would one day be the Czech Republic and said he could see a land of milk and honey. He and his family stayed and founded the Czech people. (Lech moved further north and founded Poland.)

As I looked out over the golden land and quaint villages, I understood Čech all the way to my bones. I want to stay in this land too.

www.hora-rip.cz

Finding the Balkan taste in Prague

2010-07-12T20:41:00.003+02:00

Let's stay with our Balkan theme this week, but move on to the happier side of life: FOOD! This weekend I met up with an old friend who has just arrived back from a trip to Belgrade, Serbia. He heard there was a new Balkan restaurant open in his neck of town so we decided to test it out.

The name is Restaurant Boem and it is situated on the ground floor and in the courtyard of Hotel Lublanka on Lublaňská, near metro I.P. Pavlova. The space is quiet and simple. The restaurants choice of music made it sound more like a disco then the Balkans, but that just meant we had to keep the conversation flowing to drown out the lame beats.

I ordered the chicken stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes and cheese. R. had the Pleskavica, which is a patty of fried ground beef stuffed with cheese and served on a bed of vegetables. A side of rosemary potatoes came with each meal. The average meal price was between 120-220kc, each of our meals were in the 165kc range.

When I'm in the I.P. Pavolova area around lunch I will remember this little oasis of the south. I will be ordering the Pleskavica next time around, it made me remember my travels in Croatia.

http://www.restaurace-menu.cz/restaurace?id=657

(photos courtesy of the above mentioned website)

Another lesson of travel

2010-07-12T08:36:00.008+02:00

It is 15 years since the mass killing of men and boys in Srebrenica. It is a day of pain and heartbreak, a day to reflect on the "why" of human inhumanity. And for me, it reminds me of my travels through the Balkans in 2005. I was in Sarajevo, Bosnia during the 10th anniversary of the massacre. There were posters remembering the dead, an exhibition was held in a museum and the U.N. peace keepers were very visible.

This is the other side of travel. When people think of holiday it usually involves sun and smiles and friendly locals. But when you really go to get into the lives of the people you are traveling among, then you leave yourself vulnerable to their history, their story, their hopes and their pains. I remember this burden I took on in Sarajevo during my travels. Traveling from one place to another isn't about taking photos or broadening your own horizons, it is about becoming one thread in the vast tapestry of humanity. And understanding that our shared humanity unites us far more then culture divides us.

Read more at BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/europe/10593799.stm
(photos courtesy of S. Galea)

Farmin' it up in the city...

2010-07-11T17:48:00.006+02:00

I live in a big city. I grew up in a small city. I've been surrounded by buildings my entire life. But as a child, I spent lots of time in my grandparent's garden weeding, picking and planting anything and everything. Some of that earth sunk into my soul and, although I'm terrible at getting green things to grow, I love fresh-from-the-soil fruits and veggies.

So, this summer when Farmers Markets started springing up all over Prague, I was up and out early on Saturday mornings to collect the lovely produce for my fridge. This past Saturday I spent the morning at Dejvice. The market covers all your basic needs. Of course there are the standard fruit and veg stands, with a sprinkling of herbs thrown in for good measure. There are also stands for goat cheese, turkey, kolbasa and sausage, baked goods, field mushrooms, grilled carp, fresh juices, honey and bee products...and on and on. It's really a foodie's dream.

This weekend I brought home parsley to do up some traditional tabouleh along with some tomatoes, onion and cucumber, sweet cherries because when it is cherry season I can't resist, sprigs of mint for cooling mojitos, 5 liters of fresh apple/carrot juice and turkey kolbasa.

Check out a Farmers Market near you:

for Prague 10 and 2- www.farmarsketrziste.cz/kde-nas-najdete

for Prague 6- www.farmarske-trhy.cz

Taking the Waters- 48 hours in Budapest

2010-07-05T10:14:00.005+02:00

It is interesting to me that I don't return often to cities that I adore, but to cities that I have mixed feeling about. Maybe it is this unsureness, this lack of adoration, this desire to make a place mine when it eludes me that draws me back to places that aren't on the top of my list of favorites.

Budapest is just such a city. This was my fourth trip to "Paris of the East", as she once was known. It's a large, imperial city that time and regimes have not been kind to. The edges are frayed, it's raw and a bit rough but with small glimpses of the past regal. My friend Angela and I wanted a weekend away to relax and be girly. Where could be better than the Turkish spas and baths of Budapest. So we traveled the seven hours by train to soak, walk, eat, relax and observe.

Friday

We arrived at the bustling train station to mounds of construction. After a few false starts we figured out that our hotel was just a short walk away and headed in the right direction. Budapest has a very southern feel. The vegetation is palmy and green, the people walk slowly and in the shade, the streets look like they need a good scrubbing.

Something that was striking, that I don't remember from previous trips, was the number of homeless. There were colonies of men and women set up in squares, in metros, along the streets. I knew that Hungary has been having economic troubles, as many nations, but the city wore this downturn very visibly. We felt safe, we were never bothered. But both our hearts were heavy with the overwhelming human need.

Our hotel was in the center on a road lined with kebab and pita sellers. We collected ourselves, tried to cool down a bit and then head to Margaret Island to experience the evening cool near the Danube river. On the way back we stopped at a brightly painted restaurant Hummus Bar (www.hummusbar.hu) where we nourished ourselves with good lemonade, beer, hummus and tabouleh salad.

Saturday

We were up early and at the spa by 9.00. We choose to go to the Széchenyi Gyógyfürdő (www.szechenyibath.com), which sits in the middle of the National Park. The park is a grand complex with museums and a replica castle and the spa. It's a perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. After 3 hours of soaking in mineral water and having our tired backs rubbed in a traditional Hungarian spa massage, we were ready to get some lunch and take a nap.

When the fiercest heat of the day began to subside we ventured back out to find ice cream and some dinner. We walked up to the castle grounds, perched high above the city. As we wandered back across Chain Bridge, we found a weekend festival with handcrafted goods and lots of sizzling sausages. Dinner! The atmosphere was alive and energetic. We couldn't understand a word, but happiness is universal.

Sunday

We wanted to catch the midday train home so we scooted ourselves out of bed with the dawn and were at the spa by 7am. We were the youngest people there, as most bathers were pensioners with State Health Insurance passes. (How great is that! Spa treatment covered by the State!) By 9 it had started to fill up with people and it was time for us to run back to the hotel for a shower and lunch before catching the train.

Every part of me was satisfied: my stomach was filled with good food, my muscles were massaged, my skin was refreshed. Budapest has her quirks, but she's worth the adventure.

June 2010

2010-06-29T06:54:00.004+02:00

June is a blur. I worked hard and I played hard. But I didn't blog hard, obviously as it is the end of the month and this my first entry for June. So, here are the highlights...

Music
Thanks to Alasdair Bouch (www.myspace.com/myalasdair) and his mellowy jazzy soul sound, I had some good tunes to guide me through the heatwave at the beginning of the month. Alasdair's performance at The Fringe Festival (www.praguefringe.com/2010/) started out the month on a good and groovy foot.

Museums

June is one of the months I always look forward to because it brings Muzejni Noc/Museum Night (www.prazskamuzejninoc.cz/2010/). I've blogged about this annual event every year because every year it impresses me. The city organizes for the museums to be open 7pm to 1am on a Saturday evening, as well as free public transport and live entertainment. It's quite literally a city wide party. We waited until sundown and went to check out the Jewish Quarter's offering of breathtaking synagogues. The photos here are courtesy of The Jewish Museum website.(www.jewishmuseum.cz/cz/czspanish.htm)

In Kbely, a little suburb of Prague sits the Aviation Museum, run by the Czech Military. (www.vhu.cz/en/stranka/letecke-muzeum/) There are several Military museums around Prague- all of which H. and I have wondered through over the years. But of course the Aviation Museum holds a place close to our hearts. (Mostly because H. loves airplanes and I love him...and history!)

Team Building

Kids maybe counting the minutes down to when they are free for the summer, but in the adult education world teaching has no breaks. However, we at The Villa (www.thevilla.cz) did decide to celebrate the summer with a climb and a pint at Gutovka Park (www.gutovka.cz) in Prague 10. Their climbing wall fits all levels, including we beginners. The instructors were helpful, thorough and made what could be a stressful situation motivating and relaxed.

Part 4: New York City

2010-05-19T21:16:00.006+02:00

Our last long drive was across Pennsylvania. We found a cute little town to stay in just off the highway and we also found two of my favorite friends, Jan and Katie. They were also headed to the Big Apple to spend some quality time with H and I.

I'd been to NYC twice before but this time I really "got"the city. I fell for her, hard. The sun shone softly. The wind blew through my hair. People passed by on all sides. The city is full and busy and overwhelming and moving and alive. I fell in love with that life. I'll be happy to go back to NYC again and I'm sure that I will.

We did the Empire State Building, of course. It is a must. We ate at Katz's Deli (www.katzdeli.com). We strolled along the streets of China Town and Little Italy, soaking in two worlds at once. We went to Times Square. It is a place where you see that life goes on, it doesn't stop or sulk or panic. Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art gave us peace in a bustling city. And we ate Indian at a hole-in-the-wall in Queens that was so good we went back two nights in a row.

At the end of our time in NYC, I was full of friendship, experiences, good food and happiness. I was ready to sleep in my own bed again but I knew I'd be dreaming about hugs and oceans and lighthouses and seashells and smiles and driving and all the good things I love about America.

Part 3: Niagara Falls

2010-05-12T23:00:00.006+02:00

If you want to impress your family on an American road trip, I recommend Niagara Falls. Big nature equals big smiles.

I was looking forward to Niagara most because my mom was driving up to hang out for a few days. With so much family running around the Falls there wasn't a dull moment.

Honza took his mom and sister on The Maid of the Mist boat ride while my mom, the kids and our friend Megan had a nice walk. In the afternoon my agenda was swimming and sauna while H got roped into taking the family shopping. The weekend was lazy and casual with no rushing. The only thing rushing was the water.

Part 2: Cape Cod

2010-05-10T22:06:00.008+02:00

H and I have been to Cape Cod twice before. That's why it was a shoo-in for our itinerary. I love the gentle rumble of the Atlantic Ocean. The off-season empty beaches. The locals' knack of making tourist feel like they are home. And the scenery! Nature has done some of her top work on this little peninsula. The sand dunes roll brown and green stretching miles along the shore.

We spent three days on the Cape, which isn't enough time to relax and enjoy and take long walks but is certainly enough time to tackle the important stuff. Our first day we drove up to Provincetown on the very tip. P-town, as the locals call her, is a small town where the pilgrims first landed. There is only one main road lined with quirky shops, yummy diners and lots of ice cream parlors.

Day two took us on a driving expedition of little fishing villages and local fare and lighthouses. The weather was changeable with a bit of rain and wind. The car was my friend as I had a head cold and the last thing I wanted to do was stand in the rain and wind and blow my nose at the ocean. In the afternoon it cleared a bit and I walked around on the beach. For dinner we drove back to the mainland to have H's favorite Chinese buffet in the world (quite literally!)-Peking Garden. It's in Dartmouth, MA and we've eaten there every time we've done this road trip. (www.menujoy.com/menu61.htm)

The last day we took a ferry over to Martha's Vineyard to get a taste of island life. Being that it was out of season, most shops and eateries were closed. But we found a great little coffee shop in Edgartown, Expresso Love (www.espressolove.com/mainfr.htm) where we were served some sweet chai and toasted bagels with smiles all round.

If I could have, I would have stayed on Cape Cod. I would have sat and listened to the Atlantic tide roll in and roll out for hours, writing nonsense in my journal. I would have hiked one of the many nature trails that criss cross the long thin cape. I would have soaked in all the great blue sky and deep green leaves and let the city slowly seep out of me. But I couldn't stay, Niagara was waiting....

Part 1: We're out of here!

2010-05-10T21:37:00.005+02:00

This trip may appear similar to other trips that H and I have done in the past together. But this trip came with a twist. It wasn't a relaxing holiday for the two us, it was a gift for his mom. His mom had never flown and had certainly never been to the US before. At first she flat out refused to go, I think the flying thing was the hang up, but when we agreed to bring along H's sister as moral support then the trip went ahead.

The plan was to do a nice sampler of American nature, culture and sites. We'd start off on Cape Cod, move on to Niagara Falls and end in New York City before heading back to Prague via JFK airport.

At Prague airport our travel mates were visibly nervous but they took it all in stride and after take off loosened up and relaxed. I'd never flown with someone who had never flown. I'd forgotten how nerve wreaking of a concept it could be. I love flying and fear has never been a factor.

At JFK, the Czechs got a full-on dose of American hospitality when the guys sitting next to us on the sky-train started giving us advice on rental cars because they all happen to work for a rental car company. They even offered to try to get us a deal. The deal didn't work out and we went with the original company we'd reserved with but they effort to help out strangers was appreciated by me and a little dumbfounding for the newbies to American ways.

We hopped in our rental car, sped out onto the highway and head north to the Cape...

Friends

2010-05-05T13:47:00.008+02:00

There is something mysterious and lovely about friendship. It is part of us and yet beyond us. It finds us when we aren't looking and eludes when we do. It is beautiful and painful and generous and overwhelmingly humble.In the past few weeks I've had the pleasure to savor nearly all of my favorite friendships.

I've been traveling with H, who is the friend who gets to see me in my best of moments and worst of moments. It is such a rarity to spend 24/7 together, I'm basking in the ability. I love sitting next to him in a car, knowing there is an open road in front of us full of adventure.

My mom came to Niagara Falls to spend a little

quality time w

ith us. She might be my mom, but she's also an amazing friend. She drives across states, goes across continents and puts herself at any lengths of inconvenience to be with me. I adore that woman.

There are friendships that come to us. We ask for them, we need them and they come. This is my Nan and my Kate. These girls and I have clocked some mileage over the years. We come and we go and we love and we share. I couldn't be me without them. The affirm me and

challenge me. I know that with these people in the world, it is an infinitely better place to be.

The End of the Road

2010-05-05T13:20:00.007+02:00

I'm sitting in Jamaica, NY, listening to the traffic go by. A few horns toot, sirens go by now and again and I sit listening. What I'm really listening to is the end of our trip. A few legs of the journey are missing from this blog, but I promise a faithful and full depiction when I'm back with my own computer and internet.

Until then, some thoughts:

-New York City is grand. It took three times of visiting the Big A

pple to get there, but I've definitely fallen under her spell.

-Niagara Falls has "wow" power.

-Children don't care if you take them to the moon, as long as the hotel there has a swimming pool.

-Traveling in the spring means frequent stops for tissues and allergy medicines. Oh, and bring the bug spray.

-The greatest last minute road trip helper you nee

d is the Room Saver magazine. Pick it up at any roadside rest area. It'll save you cash on last minute hotels and get you to visit cute little place you'd never have expected, ie Danville, PA. (www.roomsaver.com)

-Whenever the tr

aveling becomes too much and the pressure is building, feed people. We've found a

little food, drink and rest go a long way to healing conflict.

-On a road trip one should stop often and enjoy the quirky.

The Cape

2010-04-27T12:12:00.009+02:00

Things I LOVE about Cape Cod:

*Nothing is more than an hour drive away.

*People expect that you are a tourist, and still like you.

*Off-season you might not swim, but you get the whole beach to yourself.

*Lobsters.

*Rain never lasts the whole day.

*Shopkeepers chat with you like old friends.

*People leave their shoes by their car when they go to the beach.

*Provincetown's ice cream.

*The smell of ocean filled air.

*National Parks.

*LIGHTHOUSES!!!

*I've been here 3 times, and I always find something new to treasure.

*Cape Cod style wood shingle houses.

Home Coming

2010-04-27T11:49:00.003+02:00

When you travel, you reflect. What is "home"? Home can be your birthplace. It could be that adopted town or state or country you've spent the last months or years dwelling in. Home might be a place you've never set foot in but you feel in the depths of your being is where you should be.

I'm sitting in a hotel on Cape Cod, MA. I'm here with my boyfriend, his mom and his sister. Mom and sister have never been to the USA, my home, before. I'm American but not a New Englander, but that makes no difference. They see this as my home. I'm the link to this vast and dynamic nation. And here is here my reflecting began.

My home will always be Ohio. I was born in Ohio. I spent my formative years in Ohio. My speech patterns get a little Appalachian when I'm tired or angry. I love the green rolling hills, the red barns, the meat and potatoes, the farmer's tractor that creates a traffic jam. All of this is stored deep in me.

I'm told there is a bit of Viking blood roaming and roaring in my veins. When I stand next to a body of water, I'm sure this is true. I am pulled by the vastness and silence and power and infinity of water. If I had several lifetimes, I'd dedicate one to the Atlantic. A place with water will always have a touch of home.

There's Prague. The city that I showed up in and demanded of her that she take me in a create a home for me. Over the past 6 years, Prague has done just that. Prague is my home. There I have family and friends and work and hobbies and happiness. She will never be mine, but she is home.

The Lost Continent

2010-04-24T09:25:00.003+02:00

I'm on a Bill Bryson kick. This is my second book in so many weeks. I like his play with words, the abundance of fun adjectives and the sarcasm that makes you wince and then laugh out loud.

I picked up The Lost Continent because soon I will be on my own road trip through the North East US with my sweet boyfriend, his mother and his sister. This is a trip H and I have done together several times, and he wanted to give to his mom as her "trip of a lifetime". It'll be an adventure. Stay tuned for updates, photos and more.

What I love about Bryson's book is that although it is over 20 years old, it is still so relevant. He points out the good of America- kind people, gorgeous nature, abundance of nearly everything.

But yet he also, with dry humor, brings out the less than desirable aspects of life in the continental US. He address such questions as: Where are the small mom and pop stores? (They've been eaten by chains.) Why do we tear down old historic things to build new ugly things?

Bill Bryson has inspired me. I'm ready to go, to meet, to embrace and to laugh...Here we go!

Botanical Garden Paradise

2010-04-23T19:04:00.006+02:00

On the edge of Prague, along the river, is a quiet and green stretch called Troja. Here you can find the Prague Zoo, Troja Chateau (Trojsky zamek) and Prague Botanical Gardens. Last Saturday we spent a leisurely afternoon enjoying the Botanical Gardens.

Every month the Botanical Gardens change the exhibition. April and May bring a flutter of butterfly wings. The large greenhouse is full of tropical butterflies, blue and brown, red and yellow wings.

The exhibition is well developed. The green house is long and narrow, which keeps the crowds moving forward. There are beautiful tropic plants and mini waterfalls, interspersed with a creative use of plastic bottles modeled and shaped into flowers, crocodiles, insects and cactus.

Once the greenhouse's flora and fauna have been exhausted, there are many little trails to tramp around leading through leafy forests, Japanese gardens and beautifully groomed flower beds. An excellent day of feasting the eyes on color and beauty, and exercising the legs.

www.botanicka.cz/hlavni-stranka.html?page_id=95

Meeting the Tourists

2010-04-14T23:17:00.004+02:00

Everyday I think to myself at least once, "Ahh, THIS is why I love living in Prague." The THIS changes, but the sentiment remains the same.

This week what inspired my sigh were tourists. Now, most living in a beautiful European capital that gets more tourists in a year then inhabitants of the entire country wouldn't use the words "love" and "tourist" in the same sentence. And I do have days where I'd like to take all the slow-walking, take-your-time-in-the-middle-of-the-sidewalk, loud foreigners and dump them in the Vltava River.

But this weekend, I had two separate tourist interactions that reminded me that people are people, and some are even lovely. The first was on Saturday night. I went to a friend's flat that is in Prague 8. If you know Prague, you know this isn't in the center and tourists aren't usually hanging out at tram stops in this area of town.

There was a young couple and a middle aged woman pouring over a map as I approached the tram station. I was traveling back into town with a Canadian girl who has been living here a few months, a teacher as well. We must have looked safe. The man approached us and asked if we spoke English. Yes, we do. And his next question was if we could get them back to the exact opposite side of town. As luck would have it, my new Canadian friend was heading to that exact location and could guide them all the way.

We passed the 20 or 30 minute tram ride in pleasant conversation. The lost tourists were from Turkey. It was their first time in Prague. They had done a central Europe tour involving Poland and Hungary. The Czech Republic was their last leg of the trip. They'd left the organized tour to explore the city and ended up in the middle of nowhere. Lucky we found them. I loved that in the scheme of eternity, I passed a flash of a moment exchanging laughs and stories with complete strangers I don't even know the names of. But we are forever connected by a tram ride on a Saturday night in Prague.

My second happy tourist moment was the next day. I was again on the tram, this time on the way home from church. I was reading Bill Bryson's Notes From A Small Island. Side note: I love Bryson and his scathing humor. Ha! I was sitting and suddenly I realized that there was a woman standing above me, enjoying a page of my book with me.

"So, this book is about the UK? I love Bill Bryson. I read the book he wrote about Europe. I met him once. He's funny in person too." The eccentrically dressed middle age woman above me dove into a one-sided conversation with the top of my head.

I looked up and smiled, "I really like his writing too." I offered.

"So, I guess you are trying to keep in touch with home...." She ventured.

"Oh no, I'm American. But I've traveled around England a bit and can relate. And where are you from?"

"I'm Dutch. Just here for a long weekend. This is my stop, I'm off to a concert...Enjoy the book!" And she was in and out of my life in the span of three tram stops.

But yet again, a little connection of humanity through this moment of sharing made this city even more mine.

My New Favorite Haunt

2010-04-06T21:35:00.005+02:00

France. I've only been there once in flesh, but a million times in spirit. One of my all time favorite films is Sabrina. I love both the original with Audrey Hepburn and the remake starring Julia Ormond. The image of a young American girl sitting in a French cafe with a café au lait on her table next to an open journal in which were scribbled her deepest thoughts. Aww, this was my dream. It would be me one day...

And that is why I love Milleme so much. In this little French cafe set on Náměstí Jiřího z Poděbrad (George from Podebrad Square) I can be that American girl with a journal and a milky coffee in far off country dreaming dreams.

The facade is a fresh deep red that puts me in the mind of lavender fields and sunshine. The interior is bright and open. The pastries, quiche, fresh fruit and sinful cakes are displayed in super modern stainless steel and glass enclosures. The tables are large and beg for a journal or newspaper to be spread on top. French music spills softly into the room.

And the food...!! I've had the quiche. Several times. Every time it was a lovely perfection of egg, cheese, flaky crust. There are several filling choices, but I always go back to the leek. I also had the omelet. Simple, with just egg, onion and olives. No cheese, but the flavor was so fresh that cheese wasn't needed. The inside was still a bit soft, to give it the perfect texture. And the coffee is happiness in a cup....

Save the money you'd spend buying a plane ticket and go stock up on croissants and quiche in Prague 3.

MILLEME, s.r.o.

nám. Jiřího z Poděbrad 1407/4

120 00 Praha-Vinohrady

T: +420 223 002 274

E-mail: EMAILmilleme@email.cz


Pondělí - Neděle/Monday-Sunday	8:00 – 21:00

March '10

2010-03-31T14:49:00.004+02:00

Do you ever wake up and think "Oh gee, another month is gone! How did that happen??" Well, that's my March 2010. Here's a little recap to keep you in the picture:

March 3 was Free Museum night. I love the first Wednesday in Prague for this reason. I met up with H's little sister, and learned a valuable (and time-saving) lesson. Always check to see if the museum you are planning on visiting is in fact open. We went to two different museums that were closed for reconstruction before going for the safe bet of the Castle. Of course the Prague Castle museum was open. There was a temporary exhibit of Romantic landscape paintings from the 19th century by August Bedřich, Charlotta and Louisa Piepenhagen.

Mid March H came home from work (he works abroad, for those out of the loop) and we decided a little bonding trip was in order. We hopped over the border to Germany and enjoyed an eclectic museum of everything technical under the sun. It was a bit like you cleaned out your grandparents' attic times a thousand. Then added a few tanks, airplanes and cars and turned all the random objects into a museum. We loved it!

H was home for two weeks, which also gave us some time to bond with his mom. We went to Terezin on Saturday. Terezin was originally built as a fort in the 1790s to protect the Habsburg empire. But it is notoriously known for being turned into the Teresienstadt Concentration camp during Nazi occupation. We took the guided tour. The tour guide was a woman in her mid-30s. She was excellent. She brought the history alive with her passion for the story. It is important for all generations to know what cruelty and lowness humanity is capable of. With guides like this woman, I'm confident the history will be told. www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/terezin.html

We also treated H's mom to some fancy cooking, but not mine! We went to the Indian restaurant on our street, Tandoori. Then we went back to Kardamon Klub, a restaurant I praised in an early post. If I could give them FOUR thumbs up, I would. Just as impressed the second time. www.hedvabnastezka.cz/kardamon

And that brings us to the end of March. See what I mean?! It flew by! The sun shone, the rain fell and March passed.

Thai Oishi: Eating Good

2010-03-07T16:50:00.002+01:00

I met with a friend recently. We met over a meal of Asian dishes: friend noodles, rice, stir fry. It was good but it was a Western version of Asian foods. My friend began to spout about this amazing new restaurant he'd discovered in a part of town I wouldn't have believed had anything but pubs and goulash. But he claimed this Thai and Japanese restaurant had fresh sushi and great crab cakes. I was game and we made a plan to eat.

We met up on a Saturday afternoon and headed to Palmovka metro station. The restaurant is a short walk, only one street from the metro. It sits in the ground floor of an old residential building, surrounded by a street of old residential buildings. If you weren't looking for it, you wouldn't find it.

Everything in the restaurant is new and bright and welcoming. The walls are covered with posters of the Thai King, Thai dances and Thai dishes. There are two menus: Japanese and Thai. We ordered dishes from both. The food was genuine and fresh and everything you'd want from a little known gem. Plus, it won't break the bank because all the dishes are reasonably priced.

If you are looking for fresh sushi, well done maki, tasty Phat Thai, spicy shrimp or piping hot crab cakes you don't need to hop a plane to Bangkok, just get yourself to Prague 8 and fill your tummy.

http://www.thaioishi.cz/

The First Wednesday of every Month

2010-02-24T20:27:00.006+01:00

The end of February is near and March will be rushing in like a lamb, I hope. But until spring has sprung and you can spend all your evenings drinking Pilsner at the local beer garden without fear of frostbite, there is a warm FREE activity I can recommend to get you through the last days of winter.

The first Wednesday of every month, the National Gallery of Prague opens its doors to the public for free from 15.00-20.00 (3pm-8pm). The Gallery has eight locations in Prague, including the House at the Black Madonna (Dům U Černé Matky Boží), Kinsky Palace (Palác Kinských) and Waldstein Riding School (Valdštejnská jízdárna).

Each location offers a different type of visual art experience, from medieval to art nouveau to contemporary. You can choose whatever you are in the mood for. Or maybe choose a type of art you've never seen before, or something you never want to see. When it's free, there is just no excuse not to.

www.ngprague.cz

Kardamon Klub

2010-02-19T14:02:00.003+01:00

I love to eat and I love to travel, and Kardamon Klub may just be the restaurant that fills both those loves to a T.

The Kardamon Klub is located in the center of Prague, near Betlemske namesti. It is hidden down an alley, behind an imposing wooden door and down into a cheerful cellar.

The thing about the Kardamon Klub is there isn't just one menu. There are several menus based on Middle Eastern, African and Indian dishes. The menu you order from depends on how many times you have visited the restaurant. The first time you visit you have the Lebanon menu, the second time Persia, your third trip takes you to Yemen, then Zanzibar and finally you land in India. Throughout your visits to the restaurant you travel through a variety of culinary traditions. What a clever idea.

As it was our first visit, we had the menu inspired by Lebanon. We started with humus, pita bread, and salad. The next course was a variety of chicken, liver and tomato stews. Then we had small savory pastries stuffed with spinach and lamb. The whole meal was topped off with strong coffee and honey drowned pancakes.

I can't wait for the next journey!

www.hedvabnastezka.cz/kardamon

Soul-warming Soup

2010-01-28T08:40:00.003+01:00

My resolution this year is to try a new restaurant every month. My pick for January isn't your typical sit-down and dine restaurant. Instead, it is a healthy happy experience.

About a month ago, one of my students told me about Bio Zahrada (Organic Garden). It is a little shop in Prague 2 which sells organic vegetables, natural cleaners, whole grains and cereals and has a lovely little cafe as well. It sounded like a place I just had to check it out for myself.

I popped in on a Wednesday afternoon. The staff was delightful. They were friendly and helpful. I was given several suggestions about products that were spot on for what I was after. I quickly accumulated an armful of goods. (I can suggest the honey products...yum!)

I still had some time to kill before my next class so I asked what was on the menu. There were several small tables with books, magazines and newspapers at the front of the store. Everything was made of natural wood making it inviting and cozy. Pumpkin was the soup of the day so I decided to warm myself up with a bowl before braving the cold again.

The pumpkin soup was smooth and creamy. It reminded me more of a thick pea soup. The bowl was large, the perfect lunch portion. The homemade bio bread on the side was an excellent companion.

So, Bio Zahrada is a great little place to warm your belly, fill your bags with healthy groceries and have a nice chat with friendly staff. Two thumbs up!

www.bio-zahrada.cz/en

Zanesville Art Museum

2010-01-16T09:30:00.004+01:00

When I was a teen, I was a bit of a romantic. I read Jane Austin and Emily Bronte, I listened to Mozart and I had Vincent Van Gogh's works hanging on my wall. I wanted to experience this wider world that I'd heard so much about and had seen so little of. I wanted to be sophisticated.

One of my favorite places to get away and feel fulfilled in my hometown was the Art Museum. For a small town, Zanesville has quite an impressive collection. The museum building is a glassy, open, modern building full of permanent exhibitions of pottery (both local and international), paintings and an Asian art collection.

While I was at home during the holidays, I had some visitors from out of town. I decided to show off the local culture and take them to the Art Museum. It really is a great place to spend a few hours. And a great asset to the community. There was a featured exhibit called: The Photographs of Jane Reece: Will and Energy. She was a Zanesville native born in the late 19th century and one of the first women to really break into the photography industry. Beautiful strong images.

Unfortunately, I also learned that the museum has lost 50% of its funding and is struggling to remain open. If it closes its doors then that would shut out so many people from experiencing art first hand. I see art as important to life because it isn't the creation of one person but a reflection of a people's collective experience. The pottery alone represents Zanesville's people, land, culture, history and world view.

If you are in the Zanesville area, I encourage you to get out and go support the museum. Go alone, take a friend, get your grandparents to go, take a child..... Go.

www.zanesvillemuseumofart.org

Happy 2010!

2010-01-16T03:14:00.007+01:00

It has been over a month since I last wrote. It was an exciting, loving, moving, eating, celebrating month.

-I went home! I went to spend three weeks in Zanesville, Ohio. It was great to reconnect with the people I love. Christmas was wonderful, as I have three new little siblings under the age of six. Watching them enjoy the holiday was the best gift.

-I was ill. I had a cold which developed into laryngitis. I couldn't talk for five days! It was a lesson in patience and humility.

-My list of New Year Resolutions is nowhere as impressive as last year. I'm going to continue with last year's (run a 5k charity race, call my best friend once a month, read...) but really my two for 2010 are:

1) Try at least one new restaurant in Prague every month. Considering the great lunch menu deals that most restaurants have during the week, I'm doing my taste buds an injustice by not letting them experience new cuisine.

2) Take at least two cooking classes/sessions. I've found a couple cooking schools that offer a one off course in different international dishes. The most interesting so far is Chef Parade (http://www.chefparade.cz/en/about-us/). I'll let you know how it goes!

So, basically, I want to eat my way through 2010.

-It snowed 30cm here in Prague. Beautiful on the weekend. Incredible inconvenience for workdays.

That's the last month in a nutshell. Expect more blogging from me soon!

Ode to my Twenties

2009-12-02T23:16:00.004+01:00

As I sit at my computer on the eve of my 30th birthday, I am contemplative. I don't remember slipping into 20 from my teens. Perhaps life was new and fresh and there wasn't much to contemplate. Or perhaps it was my deep desire to leave my teenage angst behind me, and begin "again". But 30 is different. It is an age to look back and reflect on my 20s.

Yes, I was happy to wave good-bye to my teens. It was a time where I had found a few glimmers of a brave world in which I wanted to dwell, but most of the time I lived in suspension waiting for those glimpses. My twenties led me into that world I longed for.

Twenty, 21, 22 and a part of 23 were spent at Ohio University. I can't even type that name without a smile creeping across my lips. I love my alma mater. She taught me to respect, to be open, to tolerate, to question, to reach out. Although there are many professors, friends, classes, jobs and so on that were influential, there are two influences that spring to mind above all else: girls and boys.

These "girls" are the three women that I lived throughout my years at OU. We met on the first day. I still remember sitting in the grass behind Biddle Hall, nervous and expectant. During our four years together we lived a lifetime. Through them I learned to serve and to be served. I learned the art of diplomacy. I learned to compromise, to give and to take. I simply adore these girls. And the "boys" were not romanitic interests, not boyfriends. They were Danish students that became dear friends who created a warm European cocoon in the midst of a Midwest campus and allowed me to feel apart of this European world long before I stepped foot in it. When I was offered the job in Prague it was their resounding "GO!" that gave me that little bit of extra courage to really strike out on my own European adventure.

So, off I went to Central Europe at the age of 23 to teach English. At 24 I backpacked around Europe for nearly 2 months. I saw Italy, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark and England. I found myself in the course of those many many miles, I found a self I'd always hoped had existed. But my poor mother. When I think of those messages I left her once a week from some new city, new land. She must have spent a lot time praying during my travels.

I decided that one year in Prague just wasn't enough. I needed more goulash and more language and more trains and more. So, at 25 I stayed. And one January evening I met a Czech. My Slovak roommate introduced us. This Czech knew where to find a painting that I had been wanting to see. The painting is of an old woman standing on a bridge. I remember standing on the metro platform waiting to meet this Czech. It wasn't about the painting any longer, it was about him.

And so I stayed. I planted my roots in this country in the heart of Europe. I spent my 26th, 27th, 28th, and finally my 29th year in the Czech Republic. I did so much loving and growing and learning and reading and traveling and cooking and meeting and feeling in those years that it would take me longer than a reader would have time for to write it all out. Let's just say that my twenties "lived happily ever after" and I'm looking forward to what this next decade will bring....

Thank you to all who have been with me throughout my twenties, and teens. I appreciate your friendship. The books we've read together. The giggles and smiles, and maybe we've even had some tears. I won't list all your names here. But if you are reading this, then know I was thinking of you as I wrote it. I was thinking of that next cup of tea we'd share and a warm embrace. Thank you.

History Hunting in Žižkov

2009-11-25T20:36:00.009+01:00

Twenty years ago this November the world changed. I'm sure in the past month you've been bombarded with images of the Berlin Wall falling, of crowds tinkling keys in Wenceslas Square and Romanians fighting in the streets back in 1989.

Prague did much to commemorate this event. There were outdoor exhibitions, radio and tv programs, newspaper articles. I felt close to this Czechoslovakia I've heard so much about but never actually seen. The country I live in is not that nation that I see in the photos and hear stories about.

And that connection to history is what excited me so much about the newly opened National Memorial on Vítkov Hill. The Memorial was built during the First Republic, in the 1930s, to commemorate the soldiers who fought in World War I. But under the Communist government it was converted to a mausoleum for Communist Leaders. The fate of the Memorial was uncertain in the 90s, but recently extensive renovations have been done and it now exhibits a complete and interactive history of the Czech Republic.

It's a must see for those interested in time travel, because it will open up a portal to the Czech past as you've never seen before.

www.nm.cz/expozice-detail.php?f_id=95

J word

2009-11-10T20:31:00.003+01:00

Usually this is my platform to air my travels and experiences. But today I'm turning it over to H. We were both were saddened when we heard about the recent shootings at Ft Hood and our hearts went out to the families. And we also discussed the implication of this on the men and women of Muslim background serving in the army. Our discussion of the backlash came to fruition in various heated and inflammatory remarks found throughout the Facebook community.

Here is H's reaction, as someone looking in from beyond the borders:

Jan Autrata November 10 at 8:26pm

"Reading all your posts makes me feel better. I'm from a country you've never heard before from the middle of the Europe. Our democracy is quite young in comparison to yours, and our constitution was based on western democratic constitutions as yours. It's nice to hear that just not in my country people are ignoring basic human rights, that they are thinking that human beings are not equal and that some religions are better than others. I thought for awhile that we have a long way to go, but I see now that we are already there or even in front of you. Thanks to xenophobic people like you we see that just having democracy for ages is not enough. You need some intelligence to use it as well. You are just like people we fought some sixty years ago. They thought that Jews were not good enough. They thought that Slavic people were not good enough. They were wrong. And that's why I can write this.

But on the another hand, It's so foolish to judge whole community by acts of a sole person. Otherwise we should have put all the Germans in jail, do not let them to live in the free world. We should have to eliminate all white people in the US because some of them were slave owners. But that would be a big mistake. Because most of them are people who are open minded. Who fought for rights and freedom of other countries. Who are not negligent. Who are trying to help other nations, communities to come over their dark present. If you think that by separating them from your lives you make world better you are wrong. You are just going to make gap bigger.....

Just want to let you know that you should read and think what you are going to post before you do that.If anyone wants to talk to me about this I would more than happy, because I don't like other people to think that they are better than anyone else and I would rather talk to people I disagree with than shoot them. I know how is to be treated like person of second class.I'm always treated like this when I go to the US .....

PS: Just want to say that I'm a white male from a country with a Christian past which is even longer than your country's history...."

Jan

"Munch"-ing on Halloween

2009-11-02T08:13:00.003+01:00

If I had to design the perfect way to spend a Halloween afternoon, it would have to be exactly the Halloween I just had in Vienna.

I went back to Vienna to visit H, as it had been some time since we'd seen each other. We had no plans, except to hit up the international food market again for some brilliant Lebanese bread and hummus.

As we meandered down the long avenues we ran into Leopold Museum. A huge banner hung on the museum inviting us to come in and visit their exhibition: "Edvard Munch and the Uncanny". It sounded intriging. H had heard a piece on the radio praising the exhibition, and years ago when I was in Oslo, Norway, I'd wanted to go to the Munch Museum but it had been closed due to the daylight theft of "The Scream". So, it seemed an opportunity we couldn't pass up.

Leopold Museum is 5 floors of exquisite art. H and I started on the top floor and wondered through collections of Impressionism, Expressionism and art nouveau. We got lost in the world of artist Albin Egger-Lienz, with scenes of mountains and agriculture and rural life. And we discovered that Egon Schiele had spent significant amounts of time in the Czech Republic. Armed with this knowledge, we were able to pick out buildings we knew by heart in his patchwork quilt images of quaint towns.

The Munch collection was located on the subterranean floor. The lighting was dimmed and the paintings were hung on dark blue walls. The emotional turmoil of his subjects, the twisted images and mood lighting all contributed more to an aura of haunted house than world renowned museum. If someone had said "Boo!", I'm sure half the people in the exhibition would have jumped. In fact, the museum was giving special Halloween tours around midnight to brave patrons who thought their nerves could handle Munch on Halloween at midnight.

We didn't stick around to find out if "The Scream" would live up to its name.

www.leopoldmuseum.org/index_en.html

Otakar Lebeda

2009-10-24T19:44:00.003+02:00

Paintings and exhibitions seem to be my theme for cultural tips recently. This weekend is no exception. I spent part of Saturday afternoon in the Waldstein Riding School Gallery (Valdštejnská jízdárna) enjoying paintings from the late 1800s by Otakar Lebeda.

The young man showed an interest in art from a young age and was accepted to the Art Academy at only 15. He was a trained in landscapes.He traveled throughout the Czech Republic, as well as France, painting the scenes around him. At only age 22 he shot and killed himself due to a long suffering with depression and dissatisfaction with his work.

His early work is quite "correct", with each blade of grass as it should be. But as he develops as an artist, his talent for taking an every day scene and transforming it into lights, shadows and strokes of the brush that are full of emotion also develops. Had he lived, I'm sure he would have rivaled other well-known impressionists.

Most of the works in this exhibition are on loan from private collectors and haven't been exhibited before. A few of his works hang in the National Gallery, but this is the largest exhibit of his work ever organized.

A walk through this exhibition will make you long for the country side, feel color as an emotion and give you a greater appreciation for talent.

(If you go after 16.00, then the ticket is discounted 50kc)

www.ngprague.cz/cz/10/0/2433/sekce/otakar-lebeda-1877-1901/

Nuremberg

2009-10-18T13:48:00.002+02:00

Near our flat is a highway. If you get on this highway and head west for about 300 kilometers you will find yourself in the delightful little town of Nuremberg, Germany.

The name might strike the scholar of WWII history as having a precarious past but today the medieval town has so much more to offer.

H. and I decided to do a day trip a few weekends ago. The destination wasn't as important as the journey, as my reason for wanting to take the day trip was to see what our VW Passat could do on the German autobahn with no official speed limit. All I'll say about that drive is "WOOHOO"!

Nuremberg has a delightful old town with a lively central square, castle and strong city walls. Nuremberg's attraction is its atmosphere. There are small open markets scattered throughout the old town. People walk slowly and enjoy the colors, smells and music of street musicians.

A must for any visitor to Nuremberg are its famed sausages (Nürnberger Bratwürste). They are small white spicy sausages served three to a bun at the outdoor stands or a plate of six to eight served with sauerkraut if you prefer to sit in a local pub with a pint of local beer.

We couldn't have spent a better day than one filled with fast driving, good food and smooth beer. Maybe we'll journey down that highway near our flat again in the not too distant future...

60-second smiles

2009-10-17T07:20:00.002+02:00

Here are a few little snapshots of life that have made me smile recently:

Pick a language, any language

I've begun my Christmas shopping. The cold weather and the realization that I'll be home soon has prompted me to get started. But I'm not a great shopper or gift-idea person, so I brought along my better half who happens to be an excellent gift-idea person.

H. and I communicate in English, with the occasional Czech word thrown in when necessary. However, as we popped in and out of small stores we found ourselves in a bit of a linguistic puzzle. We realized that the language we used in the shop depended on who spoke first, us or the shopkeeper.

The first store we went into was a wooden toy store and we were in the midst of a discussion when we crossed the threshold, so the shopkeeper greeted with a strong, "Hello!" and addressed us in English. The second store was full of traditional crafts and handmade goods and we were quiet as we entered, so the shopkeeper greeted us with a friendly "Dobrý den" and continued to us in Czech. After conversing with her in Czech for five or 10 minutes, Honza turned to me and asked a question in English. The shopkeeper made a funny face and asked if it was ok to continue speaking in Czech or if she should switch to English. Honza and I agreed Czech was fine, to the amusement of the woman.

And so we spent the afternoon experimenting with sociolinguistics and confusing poor shopkeepers all over Prague.

Nuts for Nuts

I arrived at the office of one of my students and on his desk was a large plastic bag of walnuts. He asked if I like walnuts and asked me to take as many as I would like. I asked if he had brought them from his cottage, as I know many Czechs that gather nuts and fruit from their cottage trees.

No, they weren't from his cottage. The nuts, in fact, were from an elderly man that was looking for spare parts for a home appliance. As my student's company sells and deals with new and used appliances, the elderly man came to request some small nuts and bolts that he wasn't able to find in the hardware stores in order to repair his home appliance.

These small pieces didn't have a real monetary value so my student gave them to the man for free. A few hours later the old man returned to the company with a bag of nuts from his own trees to thank my student. Nuts for nuts, what a fair and tasty exchange!

Pantomime in the morning

Public transportation makes me happy for many many reasons: environment, economics, convenience and free entertainment.

Last week a mom with her two little girls, about 6 and 3 years old, got on the early tram with me. Usually I'm engrossed in a book when I'm on public transport, but that morning it was just too early to get the brain moving so I was people watching. The youngest girl sat in front of me and the mom and older sister took seats further up the car. The little girl refused to sit with them, maintaining her independence. The mom kept an eye on the little one, but let her have the freedom to stay where she was. All over the little girl was written that childhood pride of "being big and being on one's own". She counted her fingers, looked around at the people standing and generally entertained herself.

Then something caught her eye. She began to do a curious series of pantomimes. First her hands on her cheeks in surprise, then putting her hands up and shrugging in confusion, next she put one hand on her mouth and the other on top of her head. I was quite interested in what she saw that was prompting her little drama. At the next stop the family got off the tram and I had a better view of what the girl had been looking at. It was an advertisement for a new play at one of the many theaters. The ad was done in the Andy Warhol style of blocks of photos colored brightly. The woman in the ad was making various faces and poses. The little girl had been imitating the ad.

Now, when I'm on the tram and I see this ad I have an overwhelming desire to imitate the woman in the poster. Oh, to be a child again...

Vienna: Taste and Sight

2009-09-27T09:24:00.005+02:00

If Vienna is anything, it is grand. This city shines imperialism. Vienna was the capital of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire for several hundred years and this regal past is displayed everywhere. The streets are broad. There are no meandering cobblestone lanes to get lost in. Any moment Maria Teresa herself could appear in a horse drawn carriage from the feel of things.

The palaces are grand, the gardens are grand, the music is grand and the museums are grand. To keep my head level and feet moving I had two main objectives for this trip to Vienna: the Impressionist exhibition at the Albertina Museum and the Saturday morning flea market.

H. had recommended the exhibition. He's working in Vienna currently and had seen an advertisement for it. He knows my taste well, because I am an Impressionism devotee. I've seen Van Gogh paintings in almost every major European city and I've spent hours with Monet. (In fact, an Impressionism painting was actually the reason for our first real date...but that's a story for another day.)

The exhibition was executed incredibly well. The paintings themselves were, as to be expected, marvelous. But the real icing on the cake was how well detailed and educational the information was. There were genuine easels and artist chairs and props from the time period set up in mock studios for the museum-goers to get a feel for how the artists worked. When there was an interesting fact about the painting, canvas or method then there was a large detailed print explaining what to look for. An example is a painting of a wind swept beach. Tiny grains of sand were actually embedded in the paint. There was a printed blow-up poster detailing the grains and giving an explanation of how the artist would have painted on location.

www.albertina.at/jart/prj3/albertina/main.jart?rel=en&reserve-mode=active&content-id=1202307119317&ausstellungen_id=1229505194745

Art is art, but the Viennese flea market is an art form to be savored with eyes, ears, tongue and fingers. The market is not just a few tables and stands, but city blocks and blocks of happiness. The first part of the market is for food items, most of the stands are actually small brick and mortar shops. You can whet your appetite with nearly any food item from any corner of the world: French cheeses, Swiss chocolates, Lebanese breads, Greek olives, Indian spices. I was quite literally a kid in a candy shop. I think I embarrassed my dear boyfriend more than once with my exuberant outcries of joy at some new found food item.

The second half of the flea market is for the normal folk to rent a table and set out whatever treasures or junk they would like to pawn off at an unreasonable price to locals and tourists alike. There were a few items that caught my eye. I'm a sucker for old books. I love the feel, the smell, the must. The costume jewelery always reminds me of playing dress up as a little girl. And the porcelain and china almost always draw me in with unusual color or shape or design. But all my money had gone into my tummy by the time I made it to the stands, so I browsed and made a mental note to begin to set aside a flea market fund for my next trip to Vienna, which I hope will be very soon.

www.wien.info/en

Vinobraní!!!

2009-09-20T18:53:00.003+02:00

Many nations are known for their wine culture: the French, the Italian, even Hungarians. The Czechs don't have this international reputation but for those who are lucky enough to be in this lovely little country in the early autumn there is an experience like no other.

Vinobraní is the traditional celebration of the grape harvest in the autumn here in the Czech Republic. If you go to the southern region of Moravia, you will find villagers dressed in traditional clothing, large dances and tiny towns decorated to the hilt....and of course WINE. And here in Prague there is also an annual vinobraní celebration, although there are stages with large screens and rock bands instead of peasant women.

Now, you must understand that the wine of vinobraní isn't what you are used to buying at the local shop. This is a specialty called burčák. Burčák (bor-chak) is "new wine". It's a little like hard grape juice. The key is to drink the grape juice that is being prepared to become wine just before it begins to ferment. The Czechs have many various legends and wives' tales involving the health benefits and how many liters will bring those desired benefits.

I went to the festival in Vinohrady with my lovely friends, the Princs. (Thanks for the photos, Angela!) We ate and we drank. Kolbasa and potato pancakes helped coat our tummies with a nice layer of fat to help in the digestion of burčák. We discussed love, life, religion and politics...all with the help of a little burčák. At the end of the evening, the vineyard hillside of the park was lit up with fireworks and the ooohs and awwws of happy people.

Only winter, spring and summer until another vinobraní celebration...I guess absence will make the heart grow fonder (and the stomach stronger).

Run, Tasci, Run

2009-09-13T18:01:00.004+02:00

In the spring I wanted to run a charity run. I got very ill the night before and spent the day in bed. I'd have rather been running...

So, I was determined to make the Tesco 3.8k Run for Life. The run supports cancer research. Now, 3.8k isn't a marathon but it's nothing to sneeze at. I've been running about 3k three to four times a week for the last few months so I knew I could do it physically, but still I was a bit nervous about running with, in and around so many people.

When I arrived at Old Town Square on Saturday evening, I had a little relief when I saw my co-runners. About half of them were either under 5 years old or over 60. Also, I could see by the footwear and clothing that many people were planning on taking a leisurely walk to the finish line.

The start was good. I felt strong about my pacing, even when I was passed by a woman with a baby stroller and her toddler. In fact, the first 3 kilometers were excellent. The only point at which I thought "Why??" was running on the cobblestone covered Mánesuv most (bridge). Cobblestones + Running = Sore Ankles.

The last 0.8 was the most rewarding. Nearly the entire length the finish line was in sight. Spectators were cheering and the mood was electric. There was also such a sense of community. There was one girl who wanted to give up. She was running with friends but she had stopped and was trying to climb over the barrier gate. She just kept saying, "I can't..I can't.." So several runners, including myself, started yelling "Come on!" and "You can do it!" Then the people watching began cheering her on and yelling encouragement. She put her head up and chin out, yelled "OK, I can" and made a mad dash for the finish.

I came in a few steps behind her, with a huge grin from ear to ear. I hope to see you there next year...or at least hear about the local charity run you will do in your community for your health and for the wellbeing of others.

www.praguemarathon.com/en/2009/tesco-prague-grand-prix/tesco-running-for-health-3-8-km/about-the-race

Growing up Kladno

2009-09-05T21:36:00.006+02:00

I've always said that you couldn't pay me enough to go back to high school. Well, I guess that wasn't true because I spent last week making my bread and butter at a high school in a town not far from Prague called Kladno.

There were seven of us English teachers from the USA, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Our job was to lead conversation sessions on aspects of our own country and culture. I chose "Ohio" (none of the students had been there...big surprise!) and "Rites of Passage in Childhood and Adolescence".

The students were all last year students, preparing to take their final exams and spread their wings and fly out into the real world. We teachers were there to give them a booster shot of English conversation to help them with their English exams. But I think each of us probably were given as much by the students as we gave to them.

These young adults were lovely. They were well-mannered, polite and had that Czech sense of humor where one line can make you chuckle all day. I was impressed that compared to the high school where I went, these students had a lot of freedom. They could have a snack in class, they carried around bottles of water and they went out for lunch because there was no cafeteria in the school. But they were so responsible with the freedom given. They weren't late for class, they didn't disrupt the teacher or other students and at the end of the day they picked up the extra papers, threw away any trash and put the chairs on the desks without being asked or instructed. Lovely.

Although Ohio isn't quite as fascinating as New Zealand when you first introduce it, it does have some unique points. The obsession with the buckeye, our history of a love of flight, skunks and peanut butter all led to lengthy conversation pieces.

Rites of Passage such as the tooth fairy, driving at 16 (it is 18 in the Czech Republic) and a drinking age of 21 (it is also 18 here) showed that we all grow up in a community that tries to make us happy, healthy and safe- if that is always successful is a topic for another day.

I would still say you couldn't pay me enough to go back to my high school days, but I'd gladly spend a few more days at high school here in the Czech Republic.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We played the game "Have you ever...?". Here are some of my favorite questions that students asked, they show that kids are the same all over the world:

-Have you ever missed your school bus?
-Have you ever been on a date with someone you thought was cute, but now you think is horrible?
-Have you ever slept all night at the school?
-Have you ever been to driving school?
-Have you ever drunk alcohol when you were under age?
-Have you ever got lost when you were young?
-Have you ever been in a circus?
-Have you ever been angry with your parents because they didn't allow you to go to a party?

www.gymnasiumkladno.cz

Trains and Presidents

2009-08-29T23:46:00.002+02:00

Without straying too far from home, we can find lots of great adventures to fill an afternoon. This Saturday we entertained ourselves with a few local museums.

The Train Museum at Rakovník was our first stop. Our noses were filled with the smell of coal and oil. Our eyes were full of muscular engines. It was great fun to climb into the conductor's controls and stand on a bit of history.

www.os.cd.cz/muzeum/

Staying with the theme of engines, we next headed to the presidentia-holiday-home town of Lány. A small car museum, which is hidden around a corner and behind a posh hotel, is full classic Fords and ultra-modern race cars.

www.auto-muzeum.cz

Lastly, and almost as an afterthought, we stopped at the Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk museum. Known as TGM, he was the man who fought for an independent Czechoslovakia in 1918 and became the first president of the Republic. He is held in high esteem and much admired by the Czech people. (And he was married to an American!!)

www.muzeumtgm.cz/cz/

Southern Charm

2009-08-25T22:07:00.004+02:00

Rain, rain, go away.
Come again another day.

Well, the rain didn't go away so we decided we would go away last weekend. We drove down to the south of the Czech Republic to find windy roads and charming castles.

Our first stop was Červená Lhota. The red chateau sits on a tiny island which connects to an outcrop of land jutting into the lake by a stone bridge. Tourists in rented boats row
under the bridge and around the still lake. I was so warmed by the perfection of it all that not even a little rain could dampen my fairy tale visions.

www.zamek-cervenalhota.eu

It is cliche, but Hluboká nad Vltavou is the stereotypical Disney castle. Now, this castle was built long before Disney's great-grandfather even was a tinkle in somebody's eye but it is the perfect place to run into Sleeping Beaty having a bit of a nap.

I have done many castle tours, but this one was one of the best. The castle was very well curated. I felt as if I was really peaking in on a long ago century. Perhaps a servant would pop out from around the corner or the lady of the house would be surprised by a group of tourists as she mediated in her private chapel.

www.zamek-hluboka.eu

And as we transported ourselves back into the 21st century and headed back to the big city, this quaint view of farm life greeted us....

One Minute International Relations

2009-08-17T21:51:00.002+02:00

Tonight we went for a long walk down the hill to the center and decided to take the funicular back to the top of the hill. As we were waiting for the cable car to fill with tourists going up for the view and students going up to their dorms, a couple in their 50s sat down next to us. They were smartly dressed and obviously well travelled.

The man asked us how often the car went up and down the hill and if the ticket would be valid for the journey down in hesitant English. We answered him simply and slowly. He consulted his wife in a speedy and energetic language I didn't recognize. She repeated the questions to us in a stronger English and we confirmed what we'd told her husband.

And then the American in me couldn't hold it any longer..."Where are you from?" came spilling out of my mouth. She paused, considered and then said, "Iran...Do you know Iran?" I smiled warmly and said of course I knew of Iran. "REALLY? You know Iran?! How?" Now it was my turn to pause and consider, "From the news. Your country has been in the news a lot recently."

"Yes, we change. We change slowly, but we change. There are many young people. They make my country better. We aren't like these leaders...we are different. See me, I have nothing on my head or on my face. We want to be like you. We change." She spilled these sentiments out desperately, assuring herself as much as trying to make me understand the plight of the Iranian people. It was moving and sweet, I wanted to hug her and immediately protest in front of an embassy. She was satisfied to be able to show a modern and democratic face to this westerner and this westerner was honored that she choose to speak so freely about her country.

Koněpruské jeskyně

2009-08-17T17:58:00.002+02:00

This isn't the moon, it's the depth of the Czech Republic. On a blazing hot afternoon we were desperately seeking a way to be cool. Summer cinema is in quick decline and swimming would only take us into that evil sun. So, we decided to go to the bowels of the earth where it is dark and cool.

We drove a little ways outside of Prague, near the river town of Beroun to Koněpruské jeskyně. These caves gave us the refreshment we craved, and quite an education as well.

The tour took us through tight passages and echoing organ rooms. Each stop on the tour had a little piece of history waiting for us. There was a room where ancient extinct monkey bones had been found and another room where counterfeiters pounded out cooper coins covered in a thin layer of silver just a few hundred years ago.

Koněpruské jeskyně was an oasis of chill in the dessert of summer....But I would recommend it for any time.

www.konepruske-jeskyne.cz

Eating Out

2009-08-16T22:00:00.004+02:00

I'm a slow-fooder. Food is almost as interesting to me as travel. Sweet, sour, salty, exotic or local, vegetarian and meat...anything that is fresh and tasty can pass my lips. Here are some of our favorites...

U Bilěho Lva
This is a great little local restaurant for us. The menu is basic and yet creative. The stables are a variety of traditional Czech meals, meats and pastas. They change the menu every few months so you can't get addicted a favorite and never try something new. The herbs are always fresh and the taste bursts in your mouth. But the real treat at U Bilěho Lva (At the White Lion) is the staff. Every waiter is friendly, smiling, helpful and informative. This is worth more than it's weight in chocolate.
www.u-bileholva.cz

Malý Buddha
As the name implies, this one is an Asian themed restaurant with a Mongolian owner who personally oversees the food and seating. If fresh is what you dig in your food, this is the place for you. The ginger tea has the ginger root floating in the pot, the bean sprouts crunch and pop in your mouth and the spring rolls lovingly hand folded. I recommend sitting in the back by the Buddha statue. These back tables are Japanese style, low to the ground with diners sitting on cushions.
www.malybuddha.cz

Restaurace na Prachandě
You need a car to get to this one, but if you are anywhere in the vicinity of Dobřiš you should stop by. If you are lucky enough to be there for the daily menu, you'll be served a very healthy serving of Czech fare that won't make a dent in your wallet. The normal menu is also chalk-full of old favorites and some very yummy house specials.
www.prachanda.cz/?A=homepage

Tandoor
Looking for spicy and affordable Indian in Prague? Look no further, Tandoor will make your nose run but your eyes won't water when the bill comes. The owners are very friendly. Plan for a long meal, it can take a bit of time for the goodness to come from the kitchen.
www.tandoor.cz

Forest Theater/Lesní Divadlo

2009-08-16T21:36:00.005+02:00

What's better than nature and culture? Culture in nature! On Saturday night H. and I joined his family for a night of theater in the forest. In the town of Řevnice, about 30k from Prague, there is an outdoor amphitheater and stage. This hosts various events throughout the year, including concerts and theatrical productions.

The play we attended was called Sbalí Karla z Monte Carla? (Is she going to get Karl from Monte Carlo?) A host of characters are holidaying in a posh hotel in Monte Carlo and the audience gets little glimpses into their everyday lives. The actors, who were local amateurs, did a wonderful job bringing to life stereotypical characters, such as the desperate housewife, redneck travelers, politicians, and young blondie girls after old rich men. The audience chuckled for the entire 2 hours, enjoying every joke.

www.revnice.cz

Hvezda Park-The Star of Prague 6

2009-07-29T19:53:00.004+02:00

I missed out on the 3.8k Family Fun run in May due to a stomach bug. But there is another charity run coming up in September and I am determined to get myself, healthy and whole, to this run. That means...I need to train.

Normally, I run up the hill near our flat to Ladronka Park (www.ladronka.com/cs). Ladronka deserves its own little blurb but that will come another day. But today I had a little more time on my hands and I wanted to push myself a bit so instead of going up the hill (which is a push in and of itself!) I decided to head to Hvezda Park.

The word hvezda means star in Czech. The park is called this after the shape of the 16th century hunting lodge that sits in the center. The hunting lodge is built in the shape of a 6-sided star. The park was built originally for the kings to have their own hunting playground. The park is surrounded by thick walls which allowed deer and other game to roam freely, until the hungry king was ready for a hunt.

Aside from all the great history, it's the perfect place for a run because it is exactly 1 kilometer from the main entrance gate to the hunting lodge. There are several other paths, some well maintained and graveled and some paths wander through the trees. You really feel like you are a million miles from the capital city.

After a few circuits around the park my muscles were happily tired and it was time to come home to dinner.

www.worldspan.homeandabroad.com/browse/details/sites.ha?mainInfoId=117420&tabRef=details&rqs=$rqs

www.prague.cz/summer-residence-hvezda/

Tip in Praha 10

2009-07-22T22:31:00.005+02:00

This one is for my friends in Prague. I've discovered a small leisure gem in the midst of Prague 10. After a rather intense couple weeks of classes some colleagues, students and I met up for a relaxing afternoon. Someone suggested a recreation park near Strašnická metro. I'd never heard of it but I'm always up for something new so was excited to give it a try.

As I said, it is a gem. The park is a kid's paradise, and not too shabby for us adults either. There are spraying water fountains that children can run through and jump on, swing sets and jungle gyms, sand pits, several refreshment stands, picnic tables, a full restaurant, courts for various sport and a rental for sports equipment, and a climbing wall that is reported to be the largest in central Europe.

Check it out for a day of fun in the sun.

www.gutovka.cz

Spitfires and Shakespeare

2009-07-20T21:40:00.001+02:00

When most think of summer holidays, they dream of beaches and salt water. But my dear and I had our sights set higher-We were looking to the skies. We decided to head off to jolly England, the West Midlands to be exact, to be enchanted at the Flying Legends air show at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford.

Day 1

Early start! Our flight left Prague at 7.30am. We flew with SkyEurope. It was a relief that we actually had a flight, considering their bankruptcy announcement days before we were due to leave.

We arrived a Luton airport and rented a car. As we all know, England drives on the left side of the road which means the steering wheel is on the right hand. I have to say it took me a minute to get used to sitting on the "driver's side" and being the passenger!

We drove up to Coventry and picked up our friend A. Our destination was the Royal Air Force Museum at Cosford. The museum was very well curated. The displays led you through a century of history, all located on an actual RAF base with airplanes flying overhead and soldiers in boots marching in the distance.

In the evening we sat beside a canal at The Blue Lias Inn in rural England sipping ale and laughing with friends.

Day 2

This was the big day. We had a full English breakfast from the hands of our B&B owner and hopped into the car towards Duxford. H knew what to expect, but this was all new to me. My first surprise was how many people were there. I knew the air show was a big deal, but just how big had escaped me until then. Thousands of people, mostly with telescopic cameras, milled around looking for a piece of grass with a good view.

The show was breathtaking. The airplanes were beautiful, really and truly with goose bumps beautiful. I've always admired aviation and enjoyed flying, but on this day I fell in love. History flew in front of us for three hours, swirling us up and down and around with dog fights and smoke.

At the end, I felt so full I could burst. As we drove away from the airfield, the show was wrapping up. A Spitfire and Messerschmidt from WWII flew over us and for an eerie moment we were transported back to a time where the greatest generation of men and women strived for freedom and justice.

Day 3

No trip to the West Midlands can be complete without a jaunt to Stratford-upon-Avon to pay respects to the master of our language, Will Shakespeare. We began with a pilgrimage to the church where he and his family are buried. Then we briefly walked through the city center, which was so packed with tourists that it was nearly impossible to actually see the buildings. We found solace in a park, near the church, where a free production of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" was being played.

The outdoor performance was nothing that we expected and everything one could ever hope for out of Shakespeare. The cast were dressed in odd ragamuffin clothing and had white clown makeup on their faces. The performance was in a park, and each scene was moved to different locations to make the audience feel like they were moving in time and space with the characters. The cast members who weren't in the current scene stood intermingled with the audience and whispered funny bits, such as, "This guy is a bit rubbish, but in a few minutes I'll be on and you'll see a real actor." You felt like you were in the play, you became part of the scene. Superb!

Day 4

Castles, castles, castles.

Warwick Castle was our first stop. It is a proper medieval castle that has been transformed into a kid amusement park with trampolines, jousting and dress-up. As people without children, we avoided spending too much time there! The village was classic winding streets and antique shops that could suck me in for hours.

Blenheim Palace was second. It was built in the 18th century to commemorate the Battle of Blendtheim. Most recently it is memorable as the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. In one word the palace is: Grand. The parks and gardens spread and twist and delight for acres. The palace interior is a maze of glitz, glint and glamour. Next to Blenheim is the tiny village of Woodstock. A good place for a sandwich and photography.

In the evening we had a very English dinner of fish and chips. As dusk approached, we spent our last moments of daylight trampsing around the ruins of Kenilworth Castle vanquishing dragons and conjuring up the spirits of "Google" to divine the mystery of the area's history.

Day 5

We had an early breakfast, fresh and yummy as it was each day, and headed back to Duxford Imperial War Museum to spend the morning exploring the hangers we hadn't been able to visit during the air show. It was stunning to see these machines that were captivating in the skies, as captivating on the ground.

Finally, it was off to Luton again to fly into the skies ourselves and head home. Oh, home sweet home.

Prague Museum Night 2009

2009-06-20T22:48:00.000+02:00

I look forward every summer to Museum Night. It has been a fixture of the Prague cultural program for 5 years. I was introduced to it by my boyfriend, who used it to woo me and win me over to be his years ago. Museum Night is always a Saturday night in the middle of June when all the museums of Prague open their doors from 6.00pm-1.00am to the public for free.

Every year the crowds have grown, and last year it was overwhelming trying to get into any museum. So I decided this year I would only choose one or two I really wanted to see and try to avoid massive crowds. I went with my a place that always comforts me, and where smiles come easily. I visited the third floor of the Prague National Gallery in Veletržní palác. Czech and French artist from 1900 to 1930. I adore impressionism. The straight lines, the dabs of color, the world seen not as it is but as it is felt. I spent some time with Václav Špála, traveling on lines of rose and green to rivers of blue that flowed and pulled me into their depths.

I wanted to also go to the Museum of Czech Cubism at the Black Madonna house. However, the line was down the steps and backed out the door. I am willing to come back on a sleepy day in the future and pay for the privilegde of walking alone in the gallery. I walked from the Black Madonna house through bendy alleyways to Old Town Square. My camera came along on the trip with me and we got some good photos.

As the night dripped and covered the daylight and dark clouds rolled in, I found a tram to take me home.

www.prazskamuzejninoc.cz/clanek.php?id=1&l=en
http://www.ngprague.cz/en/16/sekce/national-gallery-in-prague/

Budapest 09

2009-06-20T06:06:00.000+02:00

It wasn't my first trip to Budapest. It wasn't even my second. This was my third time I boarded a train and headed to Budapest. And I was hoping third time would be the charm for me, because up until now I had not been converted into a Budapest fan.

The first two trips had involved dodgy accommodation, gloomy weather and unfulfilled expectations. But I decided that this trip, this third time east, would be the trip to make me fall in love with Budapest. And it worked! Well, I can't say I'm in love with Budapest but I now have a strong appreciation and affection for her.

I took the train to Bratislava to meet T and G on a Friday afternoon. We had a nice traditional Slovak meal in the center and then hopped a train to Budapest. We arrived in the cool of the afternoon and found our hotel easily. The hotel was actually a building of family apartments that had been reconstructed into rented apartments. Great location, clean and comfortable with internet, a kitchen, washer and fridge (www.agapetours.hu). Home away from home.

Dinner was a nice traditional Hungarian meal with a live Hungarian band serenading us, and then trying to badger us into buying them a round of shots. The beer was a sweet Pilsner and went down smoothly, facilitating my sweet dreams.

Saturday the only plan was the spas. We spent hours soaking and swimming in the warm waters of Széchenyi Medicinal Bath. We had a long walk to the park, enjoyed a wine festival that offered not only wine but cheeses, meats and sweets...a feast for eyes and mouth.

Sunday we walked through the center and watched the sleepy city wake up. Our journey ended at the Castle, where we parted ways. I found my way to the train station, fully satisfied with my third Budapest experience.

A Walk in the Woods

2009-05-10T18:36:00.000+02:00

My faithful travel buddy C. and I hit the road for a day trip this weekend. The original plan was to take the train to Beroun, walk to a village called Koněprusy where we'd have lunch and then continue on to Srbsko for a drink and catch the train back to Prague.

Well, after an hour or so of wondering around the village of Jarov, the surrounding forest and rock quarry with no success of finding the trail markers we figured out that there was in fact no trail. It had probably been destroyed by the quarry and we were making ourselves crazy.

So, we went back to Beroun and had lunch and took a look at the map. We discovered there was another trail quite near going from Beroun to Srbsko on the other side of the hill, going through the villages of Tetín and Koda.

What a pleasant journey! Tetín is a lovely village. It has a small square with a pond and a museum. The brightly painted church stands off to the side with its steeple stretching into the heavens.

From Tetín we headed up a hill, through the trees and found tiny Koda. Another 3k walk and we were in Srbsko sitting at a great restaurant cooling off with the Czech national drink Pilsner...

Jenštejn

2009-05-08T13:02:00.000+02:00

For my 16th birthday I asked for a current world atlas. This sentence may be the best way to sum up my love of maps. Every border, river and small circle indicating a city that could be explored fills me with a feeling something like wonder and delight. And many a map has introduced me to some little wonderful bit of the world I'd never have found on my own.

And that is how we came to Jenštejn. After visiting the Prague Aviation Museum, which is a much visited and much loved favorite of ours, we had some time to kill. Out came the trusty old road map of the Czech Republic with its well marked "points of interest". The map told us that not far from the museum there was a small village called Jenštejn that had some ruins of a castle.

My experience with villages that are suppose to have ruins is that it involves a long walk through tall grass until you find a few old stones. That's it. But Jenštejn proved to be different. As we drove into the village the tower of the ruined castle stood in the center. We parked and walked towards the tower. A tiny street led us in a circle around the castle tower. A century or two ago the villages decided to build their little village houses around the base of the tower. Intriguing!

www.jenstejn.com/index.php?nid=6150&lid=CZ&oid=996475

(More of my photos at www.flickr.com/honza-tasci)

A weekend away..

2009-05-03T21:16:00.000+02:00

Basel, SWITZERLAND

As I wandered through the winding lanes of Basel, I found a city that encapsulates everything I love about living in Europe in one little nutshell of a town.

A group of elderly men walked leisurely down the street and discussed the European central bank system in Italian. (Those semesters of Italian classes are still paying off...) Children ran home from school, making plans in French. The shop keepers greeted me in German. In this small town language, nationality and roots mix and blend and run into a beautiful tapestry. That is what I love about Europe.

Les Vosges Mountains, FRANCE

Drive out of Basel and the calm pastoral countryside of France welcomes you with peace and quiet. The mountains roll and meander, hiding deep blue lakes and snow covered peaks. We laid on the soft grasses and breathed deep the cool air.

Colmar, FRANCE

Charming. I don't think I ever really knew the full meaning of the word charming until I walked the streets of Colmar. Every step, every new street, every small canal made me catch my breath. It is enough to know that such beauty exists and that we humans had a hand in creating it. Charming.

Foot Soldiers WW1

2009-04-18T11:26:00.000+02:00

There are many many many reasons why I adore my boyfriend. One of my favorites is how he gets as excited about history as I do. So, last weekend as we were taking a lovely walk in the lovely spring sun we passed a poster for an exhibition of photographs from anonymous foot soldiers from World War I our faces lit up and we both knew how we'd be spending the next hour.

The photos were touching. I expected to see a lot of photos with young men lined up and posed. However, the bright-eyed young men looking out at me from a time and a place I can hardly fathom were natural and authentic. There were images of camp sites, villages, military drills, coffees with friends as well as the more stark reminders of war such as charred churches and fallen comrades.

The exhibit groups photos according to themes. The opening photos all pertain to the daily life of the foot soldiers. The next grouping was photos of artillery used by the foot soldiers. Slowly, as the exhibit drew in the viewer, the groupings took on darker themes. There were a few "before and after'' photos of villages ravaged by the war.

Each photo was a reminder of how far we humans have come and how incredibly far we still have to go in our growth towards peace, harmony and respect.

www.hrad.cz/en/prague-castle/calendar-of-prague-castle-actions/74.shtml