Livin' Large

After being here nearly a month I am beginning to miss a few things -like a full pantry. We shop nearly every day, which is fabulous for fresh food, and most stores are within two blocks. But it means we shop every day. And aside from fruit and bread, who knows what we buy? Reading labels is challenging! *especially* meat.

I miss having all of my jackets and sweaters to choose from too. Too bulky to pack much, but it is in the 50's and that's warm compared to recent temps. Brrrr. I have on four layers of clothes as I type...

We do get out to see people and that is lovely. It's not the comfortable conversation of native English speakers, but it is close enough because the people are so friendly. When we leave Prague in September I will most certainly miss the colors! The decorative sidewalks, colorful and ornamented building facades, fresh fruit stands on nearly every block, gothic spires romantacizing even the cloudiest day... and who knows? I might make friends with the woman in the bakery yet. I've learned to order my bread in Czech, now if I can just master my friendly phrases :-D

Friendly Fun

Does it get better than visiting with friends? This weekend we went to visit George and Beata. The weather has finally warmed up and we enjoyed taking a walk outside. Look! No jackets! Well, maybe a light jacket because the breeze by the water is still chilly.

Beata and George live in one of the hottest spots in Prague - right at Staromestka Namiesti (Old Town Square). The street name is Celetna and it is just a corner turned from the center. More than that though, Franz Kafka lived in their apartment!

In the stairway leading up to their apartment you can see the crooked window described by Kafka. And it really is crooked! In fact, there is a column of crooked windows going up the building, but they can only be seen from the inside courtyard (and the stairway, of course).

Slowly Spring Sprouts

It is raining again today! It is warmer though so I might have to go out and get wet just because a girl should. The rain is falling steadily, but gently. If it were pouring down angrily I would be rushing to the castle on the tram. Because there I would be able to witness the gargoyles on St. Vitus Cathedral, spewing the rain from their mouths and daring evil to attempt entry. The picture of the cathedral is from my first trip to Prague in 2005.

Colorful construction

Two and half weeks ago when we arrived, the construction in front of our flat had just started. They are doing something with pipes underground and replacing the tram tracks because they might as well. Someone is working on something on our street every single day of the week. Their progress has been amazing. These guys don't dawdle around! They are supposed to finish in May and they just might.

Rampant ragings

Colorful, yes? Everywhere at street level grafitti marks the buildings, like a flood line. Mostly it is the distinctly boorish black markings of youth without imagination. But this particular doorway stood out to me. Behind the doorway and the brick wall is a glorious creme and gold mansion with walkways and green things growing.

This doorway is in a neighborhood of large beautiful homes, many of which are at the top of the hill. Their backyards are frequently and appropriately full of manicured gardens that take advantage of the hilltop view of Prague.

As I approached the more genteel neighbor-hood nearby I passed through a pocket of mixed buildings. Prague never fails to delight me with very modern buildings reflecting very old buildings in their mirrored windows. Even on an overcast day one can't fail to snap a picture that tickles.

When I took this picture I did have a few gawkers wondering what strange tourist had found her way this far out of the center so early on a Sunday morning.

Prague Parking

It has been misty, drizzly, wet, cold and chilly. But this has not been able to take away my smiles. I discovered a very large, beautiful park named Riegrovy Sady, only a few blocks from the apartment. The picture is the view from one part of the park. It is a little gray, yes, but still quite romantic.


I try to get out for a brisk walk each day and I have many layers of clothes to wear to keep me warm. Inevitably I end up too hot. Not because I walk so fast, but because the hills here rival that of Pennsylvania, with the exception that the pavements are also uneven. It makes for a challenging walk.

But my challenges are frequently rewarded here. My love of hardware *and* reflections are consumated in this picture! This door can be found on our street, Korunni. I have walked past it many times now and never noticed the door handle. How could this be? But I noticed this morning and could not resist a picture, even though I was running late because I lost my rain hat from my pocket and backtracked in vain to find it... and still I was laughing and smiling. How silly I must look taking pictures of windows!!

Food Fairy

For those of you that know me well, you know that I just can't cook. I don't like it and I'm always trying to rush it. Tonight I defied my disastrous culinary history and made the most delicious goulash!! I can't believe it either but it's true. Rich bought some beef and cooked it yesterday. It was nearly inedible. Very, very, chewy. What do you do with tough meat? Stew it! I said. He was sceptical, but while he was away today I poured a goulash spice mix into the pot and let it simmer for hours. I even threw in potatoes from the fridge. The vegetables escaped me, but the flavor was fabulous. I only wish I had thought to take a before instead of after picture!

The Work Week

Originally I was working at the kitchen table. Considering the apartment has nearly 15ft ceilings, this was a pretty beautiful place to be with large windows facing the street. But I moved into the spare room because sometimes I just want undisturbed quiet. And besides, since the phone has to be in the kitchen because of the wireless box, it gives me a reason to *run* to the kitchen now and again.

Thankfully there is a tall window here too. And it looks out to a forbidden flowering courtyard where a pampered pet gets walked at regular intervals.

Vysehrad on Sunday

It being the weekend I decided to visit Vysehrad. You may think the monster at left is scary, but heck, doesn't it look like he's laughing a little? It's the metro that's scary. And then off the metro on a tram to which stop? hmmm. The twin spires atop a fortified wall give me the big hint. Vysehrad is an area just a bit down the river from the Charles Bridge. A bit enough to make it worth taking the tram and not walking. Because once you get there you go uphill.

I decided against tyring to find any main entrance and opted to explore the neighborhood a bit. I turned up a wee little alley and up and up I went. I couldn't believe it when a biker whizzed by me, but he stopped halfway to catch his breath and I was reassured he was human. Naturally while attempting to take the path less trodden it led me directly to the "castle" complex. There's no real castle anymore. There are a couple of lovely parks and hilltop views of Prague.

Most importantly there is a cemetery. It is full of some of Prague's most famous artists, especially musicians. Do you think one might be a conductor? Dvorchak rests his weary bones in this cemetery too.

All of the tombs are very elaborate and so many of them have sculptures of one sort or another. It reminded me of the idea that these famous, beloved artists might have been thought to need a tangible representation of themselves (or their hands) to take with them into the afterworld. But that thought was undermined by the towering church adjacent.

Week Won

Did you know that Friday is trash day? Well it is and from our balcony you can see the trash truck arriving!

It has been too cold to enjoy the balcony much, but trees and bushes are just beginning to flower here...

Go to the light! Cross over to the other side! Like moths to the flame, follow the light!

Ahh me, the metro! I have come to believe the only decent means of transport is the tram. But then, some say that about the bicycle and others about walking.

The metro is fast and furious. And deep. And can you believe how steep this escalator is? Awesome comes to mind. It is very steep, very fast, and very windy. I jump a little onto it every time.

No work for the weekend! (well, very little anyway) We have been through an entire week and this weekend have finally gotten out to play. Truth be told, our flat is within blocks of quite a few parks, lovely hotels, small markets, a post office, a bakery, a meat shop, and numerous restaurants and cafes. We are in a hot spot!

Our landlords went to dinner with us last night and took us to their favorite restaurant (of course, only three blocks away). They brought their eager-to-please small dog (but not too small) and he was very well behaved. Prague is full of dogs and most are well behaved. I passed a man feeding pigeons in the park this morning - and his german shepherd was sitting watching him -with some obvious restraint!

We are in Prague 2 and that means walking into the center of the city is comfortable, although there is a metro and tram stop two and a half blocks away that gets you there, just more quickly and without the knee pain that insists on pestering me. See the picture to understand what awaits those who metro - or for hilarity search YouTube for some funny footage. hmmm. I should post my own video...


I always enjoy people-watching and nowhere is this more entertaining than the old town square. It is a large square and many sheep parade behind their goodly tour guide shepherd. Even better are the smaller, gender homogenous groups. They are often boisterous and/or giggly and do ridiculous things.


Soon I shall have the map in my head properly oriented and we begin our Czech language lesson not this coming week but the next. In the interim I will be learning some basics from a CD. Rosetta Stone may not feel the Czech language is worth covering, but thankfully many others do.