Woman and her Dog

We were at a tram stop this morning and couldn't help but notice this woman and her Greyhound. Besides the remarkable tattoo on her back, I noticed that her shirt reads "Czech Republic Coursing Team". (click on the photo to see it larger) Intrigued I snapped the photo and looked it up on the internet. Turns out that coursing is a kind of dog racing on natural terrain.

Approaching Budapest in the Round

Traveling in foreign countries can be a bit disorienting. That's part of the fun, right? And I'm okay with that. Especially when there are all sorts of lines, shapes and new perspectives awaiting my discovery! As we boarded the train from Prague to Budapest, well, we took the right train, just the wrong direction. No turning around for an HOUR. And of course we had to pay for the extra journey - both ways. Whoops. These pictures were taken as we waited to take the train back to Prague and then to Budapest.

Doesn't it almost look like a fake backdrop to some modern set? But it's not.

A New Prague Collection

It was a spectacular day in Prague today - sunny and seventies - so my friend and I tackled Petřín hill on foot. Whew! Quite the steep climb and quite the steep descent. "Ellen" was found at the bottom of the hill. 

These pieces were critically placed beneath the funicular, the motorized transport up and down the hill.You might be wondering why I'm snapping photos of graffiti. In years past I have collected glorious buildings and heavy hardware, but this year I've decided graffiti is among the cultural sights of significance for me. It should be interesting...

I spy a tramvaj

We said goodbye to Prague - this year. But the people and personality of this hauntingly romantic city have wrapped around our hearts and I don't doubt that we will return again next year. Red-tiled rooftops, red trams and red cheeks from uphill walking are just a few of my favorite things!

Legging it

This type of incline is not uncommon in Prague. You can get some mighty fine looking legs without even meaning to! I took this picture before I got to the top of the stairwell. Halfway down you can see the "h" sign, which is for a restaurant entrance. These steps are near where we are renting a flat. The spectacular views of Prague's red-tiled rooftops and gothic spires are well worth a few stairs.

Morning adventure collage

We decided to get adventurous on our morning walk today and climbed above the Strahov Monastery. As we strolled along a wooded path I glanced to my left and - wow - what a lovely view had fallen out of the trees! I was so pleased I whipped out my trusty camera.

 We continued  walking out to the street toward the garden at the top of Petřín and spied a bit of graffiti. Look closely.The only addition is the face. A door or window was removed and filled in leaving room for an artistic eye and a can of spray paint to transform it into design. Cool huh? Much better than 99% of the lame graffiti I've seen around the city. 

We arrived at the rose garden and stopped to smell them! Ahhh. A bit past their prime, really, but nevertheless fragrant and beautiful.

 Then we jumped onto the funicular for a drop down one stop to Nebozízek and the pathway through the park that would take us back home.

I don't want to get lost

Riding my bicycle in New Jersey growing up, I wanted to get Lost. Because, of course, I had my fabulous street map in my back pocket waiting impatiently to be consulted. In Prague I have no desire to get lost outside the old city center, amongst the Soviet-era housing blocks, modern houses and everything in between. So I ride the tram.

Saturday we took the #22 towards Bila Hora. We got off randomly and walked through a little park into a neighborhood with small streets and houses. We met two friendly cats and spied a curious young child. Lovely, bright flower boxes punctuated old, sagging homes looking decrepit adjacent to modern ones with sharp lines. A quiet weekend to send children into their backyards to play.

Late night prowl

I took an afternoon nap. We ate dinner. Hours later we trekked across the old city to seek out Blues Sklep, a local blues bar. We creeped down the stairs into the musty basement bar. We picked up drinks and squeezed into two seats amidst the brick and cement arches. You could probably fit 30 people in there if you shared laps.

It wasn't quite blues music that night, but it was good. They were a talented group and very entertaining. Lots of stories and joking. Someone won a pair of drum sticks. It was all in Czech. I had no idea what they were saying. Except when they were doing covers of American songs, in Czech. Very fun, foreign experience, which is what we were hoping for.

The easiest way to get across town was to walk the Charles Bridge. On our way over the sun was setting and lighted the clouds purplish-pink. On the way home the buildings were purposefully lit. We might have been entering a Disneyland facade, but instead we were entering the inspiration for it.

Oh Vinohrady! I wine for you!

In 2008, Rich and I lived in Vinohrady for five months. Named for the vineyards that used to be there, it is a comfortable neighborhood with parks and pubs and the hum of everyday life. We went back this week to visit the dentist. She charges so much less than the U.S. and does a careful job. We found ourselves walking down Záhřebská in search of a recently opened art exhibit. The exhibit was a disappointment, but the neighborhood stroll really had me feeling nostalgic. This picture was snapped as we waited for our tram at Náměstí Míru.

We have since stayed in lovely flats in the heart of the old city. It's great to be close to the beautifully restored center, but it does not feel like a neighborhood. This year it feels more like living along a cattle trail! We are on the hill above Prague Castle. You can imagine it is a very popular destination! Large tour groups pour endlessly out of the tram and downhill to the castle. The shopkeepers here do a very good business!

The Ladies who Coffee

A trunk full of coffee cups and saucers would have been more representative of my experience, but A Divadlo Pokračuje is the restaurant where a group of international ladies happened to be having coffee. The International Women's Association of Prague (IWAP) was founded for wives of company men who have been transferred to Prague. There are associations like it around Europe. This morning I was attending the IWAP American Coffee meeting.

In America we have an expression "The Ladies Who Lunch" and this group has some reflections of that. I met some fascinating people and was inspired by the retired postal worker who moved here because she could, and has now accomplished great fluency with the language. And she's a scrapbooker too so one must be impressed!