art. art. art. need i say more? mucha, dali, kafka, chocolate; you name it i probably saw some form of it today :-) like most other days i woke up, got ready, packed my bag and headed out to amble the streets of prague, but on this day i stumbled upon a very exciting exhibition and an even cooler community event.

the stumbled upon exhibition: while in OLD TOWN SQUARE watching the ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK strike on the hour, don't ask what hour because i have no idea. it is pretty cool when death comes out of the clock :-) i turned around and saw...DALI , yep, good 'ole sal! i went in, paid my fee and was pleasantly surprised that my chance meeting with one of the great artists was a "two-fer", DALI & MUCHA. i spent at least two hours looking through the dali exhibition alone, this was no small collection. there were photographs, lithographs, prints, paintings, plates, etc...and mom, i took a picture of almost every one so you could feel like you were there. it was breathtaking to see paintings that are so reproduced, i was awestruck. although i was moved more by the more obscure and less famous works, there were two in particular that brought tears to my eyes, i could feel the agony and despair. dark, i know, but its what i felt. the other did the opposite, there was this feeling of intense light and knowledge traveling through my being.

mucha on the other hand was interesting and i have so much respect for his perfection, but it lacked depth and change. it was very aestaticaly pleasing and beautifully meticulate. maybe if i would have seen that before dali i would have had a different opinion.

i left the museum and headed in search of food. earlier in the day i had visited ANAGRAM BOOKSHOP, a place for new books, but it had the feel of a used bookstore. it was there that i met a nice english gentelman who suggested a very good indian spot. well, after my expereince at dali i had totally forgotten where he said to go so i had to go back for directions.

one the way there i was lured into BAR & BOOKS, a quaint and pricey, scotch and whiskey bar. mmmm...whiskey and a my new book THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING by KUNDERA. my day was shaping up to be a perfect day. after my whiskey, i found the indian joint...BEAS VEGETARIAN INDIAN. yes, ma'mam, it was good. homemade lentils, curry and pappadam. it was here i met jakab and ondra. i commented on jakab's fresh and i mean 2hours fresh tattoo work, it was gorgeous, traditional japanese black and white shading with slight accents of color. i spent the next...well, i don't know how long, chatting and getting reccomendations of tattoo shops in prague as well as the hidden aspects of the city. it began to get chilly so i got both their facebooks and headed on my way, not really knowing my next stop.

on my search for a post box to send off my postcards i was met with throngs of people in front of the NATIONAL MUSEUM. it had totally slipped my mind that tonite was PRAGUE MUSEUM NIGHT http://www.prazskamuzejninoc.cz/index.php?&l=en this is where many of the museums and galleries all around prague are open, FREE to the public. there is a special bussing system and everything. if you are ever in prague when this happens, it is well worth it. it is a smidge crowded, but the beer and yummy morsels at many of the stations help. i saw many exhibits. one my favorites was an exhibit of guided mixed media...video, photograph, paintings, news clips, documentaries, strike posters, etc; chronicling the transformation of the czech republic from communism to the government of today. the other one that was really interesting was the POLICE MUSEUM.

after traipsing around the city until 1am looking at museums and galleries it was time to head home.

look out people with all this art i may be "cultured" ;-)

be well and good nite!