Magical Wanderings

home safely

2009-08-09T22:18:00.000-07:00

i just wanted to say thank you to everyone who took time to read my blog! i wish everyone the best and happy travels. see the world.

much love,

christie

the "BOTEL FORTUNA" (boat-hotel)

2009-07-19T04:40:00.000-07:00

yes ladies and gentlemen, we stayed on a boat!!

it was amazing, floating on the danube! the views of the many bridges from the deck were out of this world. saturday nite i went up and had an espresso and dessert, a traditional hungarian cake with a vanilla nutmeg sauce, and watched the sun set. it was so nice to sit and relax, read a book and listen to the slight movement of the water. i would definitely recommend the BOTEL FORTUNA, it has minimal decorations but who cares, you're there to see budapest not the inside of your "botel". the included breakfast is perfect. the "continental breakfasts" you get in the states are and have always been shite. they need to take a lesson from the europeans. in every hotel i have stayed thus far the spread was enormous. fresh fruit, scrambled and hardboiled eggs, fresh sausage and bacon, yogurt, juice, and much, much more! the BOTEL was the perfect place to launch off our adventures of budapest!

wine, cheese, and food festival budapest style

2009-07-19T04:32:00.000-07:00

while strolling around we stumbled upon a french/hungarian wine and food festival. i don't know the exact cause or reason because i can't read hungarian but the wine and cheese and yummy goodness around every corner was great!! the chain bridge was really the only place that we saw a huge mob of people otherwise budapest was pretty chillaxed. the grilled kabobs and savory paprika potatoes were great after the long trek down from the castle.

the trek around budapest

2009-07-19T03:24:00.000-07:00

budapest was glorious. so very different from prague. a bit more spread out, and for being a weekend i was surprised at how not crowded it was. there were many adventures to be had in the two short days that rachael and i were there.

above is the FISHERMAN'S BASTION and a view of PARLIAMENT from BUDA CASTLE. the view from the castle were staggering and the photos do them little justice.

the statue in front of the castle is spectacular, it depicts king matyas with a dead stag and his hunting dogs. just to the side is a woman who looks completely in despair. the legend says that one day while hunting he met a maiden in the country side and fell in love. he concealed his identity from her and only after did they return to the castle did she realize that she was to be married to the king. the mosaic is situated at the bottom of the hill where you take the funicular to the castle. it depicts the royal crest of the hungarian empire.

THE FISHERMAN'S BATION was built to celebrate the millennium (the turn into the 20th century) it was used as the fisherman's market for many years. the bridge is the famous cross bridge and also the spot of the spontaneous French/Hungarian wine festival!! free flowing wine and cheese from france and hungary? count me in, it was a lovely saturday!!

the sprawling building with the green roof is the BUDA CASTLE. it was so beautiful up there, removed and quiet, with gorgeous gardens that brought me back to reading THE SECRET GARDEN as a young girl. mom, i would have loved to walk with you throughout them :-)

i had to snap a shot of the BURG HOTEL. that one's for you cami ;-)

the church on the right is still in use. the roofing on the older buildings is magnificent, they look like small mosaics, and are mostly constructed out of wood and tile, their brilliant contrasting colors brighten up an other wise typical church. the church on the left has been turn into one of the biggest discos in budapest, it was crazy!!

so, while looking for a yummy place to eat racheal asked if we could try this mexican place we had passed earlier in the day. i was skeptical but i said why not. oh my goodness, some of the best i have had, it helps that the owner is from central mexico. it was so wonderful not to eat a meat or potato swimming with bread. a wonderful day without any gluten!!! tacos pastor, conchinita pibil sope, and chicken tostada....mmmmm.

my favorite part of the wandering was going to the NEW YORK PALACE. yipppppppeeeee, normal coffee, done correctly. this place was unspeakably grand! i started with a campari and soda and moved on to chocolate mousse cake that had a white chocolate cello adorning it and a double espresso. yup, heaven, i could have stayed all nite. if i ever win the lotto or come into a ridiculous amount of money, i will be staying at the PALACE.

the food in budapest was much better than in prague. in the huge CENTRAL MARKET on the second floor there are food vendors everywhere. rachael and i had to try the langos. langos is deep fried bread topped with spiced sourcream and cheese with hungarian salami, it was like savory funnel cake!!!!! then later after shopping and walking around we had lunch. i got the traditional stuffed cabbage, not as good as my mom's but yummy nonetheless.

lastly as we walked around i noticed that budapest had some of the best graffiti i have seen, it was more art than vandalism. there were murals everywhere in the subways and on the sides of abandoned buildings, i appreciated that the artists did not paint on more historical buildings.

i love budapest. the people were marvelous and friendly and the views were magical! i will be back and i plan on stocking up on salami, leather goods, and paprika!!

buda and then pest!

2009-07-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

or is it pest then buda? doesn't matter, look out danube i will be seducing you tomorrow night!

i am so excited. i have been in prague for holiday since the middle of june and am going to budapest this weekend!! big open air market with everything you could ever desire...here i come. i can't wait to explore the beautiful architecture, the wondrous art, the magnificent cuisine, and thank god, i finally get to have some honest to goodness REAL COFFEE. for some reason all the czech's drink is the instant kind...craziness. however they have the market cornered on beer! hope everyone is well out there in the universe. see ya in a couple of days!

surreal protests

2009-07-07T16:19:00.000-07:00

as i walked to the tram the other day i came up the stairs from the rose garden and noticed quite a heavy police presence. i had stumbled upon a protest. surreal. twenty years ago a protest would have been met with police in full riot gear doing "what had to be done", especially if the protest was about free speech and police oppression. i won't write much else, i will let the photos speak for themselves. i did ask someone what the signs were saying. in very well thought out english i was told... the gist was freedom of speech, allowing others who are different in the eyes of the norms to be left alone to live their lives, and that no one should be a slave to their government. well said.

marianske lazne & karlovy vary

2009-07-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

hi folks. welcome back. this post centers around relaxation! a couple of weekends ago i headed to karlovy vary (KV) and mairanske lazne (ML), two of the famous spa towns in the czech republic. these towns are famous for their healing springs. the water coming from the springs is not the most appetizing but it seems to work. people have been coming here for centuries to cure all different types of ailments. the springs in marianske lazne are particularly good for renal and bladder problems. while the springs at karlovy vary heal many problems within the digestive system. the springs in KV reached temputures of 80 celcius. craziness, and the ones you could drink from were, well, you could taste the iron, i imagine that vampires would like the taste ;-) hee hee

i liked the springs at ML much better as they were cool and had a more floral aroma. however the doctor that we spoke with said if the springs do not taste could to you it is because the minerals in them are what your body is deficient in, makes sense that i wouldn't like the ones at KV since my digestive system is pretty shitty.

anyway it gorgeous here. a little touristy but still removed enough from the city to contain all of its charm. my favorite thing besides the actual spa, which i will delve into in a moment, was watching all the cute old couples walking in the gardens holding hands. aahhh, love at any age!

ok, the nitty gritty...the spas. WOW. just the right amount of heat in the pools. the mineral and fresh water therapy was amazing. there was this contraption in one of the whirpools that "massaged" your back as you stood under it. really the water beat you up, but i will say it ranks up there with one of the best massages ever.

the vitamin D & K lamps were great as i hadn't seen the sun in over 10 days! it was wonderful to switch between the warm whirpools and the cool still pools and then lie under the warm lamps. hhhmmmm...heaven.

well, i think you get the picture. oh, how could i forget...the famous HOTEL PUPP is in karlovy vary, it is where all the fancy rich people stay when they come to reap the benefits of the magical waters.

be well, much love to all

sci-fi disco with a jewish twist

2009-06-29T14:06:00.001-07:00

monday i was given tickets to the opening night of GOLEM13 at NARODNI TRIDA (the national theatre). it was described as a play but i would venture to say it was closer to an opera. there were very, very few speaking parts. first, a quick history lesson, be kind, i am not jewish and am just learning but... back in the day, i mean "way, way back in the day" RABI LOEW created GOLEM. golem was a "super-human" man made of clay. it is said that rabi loew brought him to life with help of KABBALAH, the mystical aspect of the jewish faith. he was created to protect the jewish people from the persecution that tormented them. he is said to have been put to sleep and only one who truly knows the kabbalah can awaken him, he is "sleeping" here in prague at the oldest synagogue.

let's start with the theatre. FUCKING BEAUTIFUL!! my pictures do it NO justice. it was dark and very hard to get a good shot. everything had gold on it. there were magnificent statues, paintings, you name it, it was opulence at its best. i didn't care if the play sucked, just sitting surrounded by such beauty was enough.

the play started off very slow, and VERY religious, which i normally don't mind but it was like being at a mass listening to a priest who has done the same mass over and over, the voices almost put me to sleep. however, the orchestra was MAGNIFICENT. the beginning was seemed like a history lesson. it showed how the jewish people were tormented by their neighbors and begged God for protection. the rabi loew then created Golem to protect them. he was to obey his "master" the rabi at all times. he was not given the power of speech because it is said that if this were to happen he would turn on the rabi and destroy them all. perfect example of what power can do to a person.

the second act was where it got interesting. i felt as if i were i dropped into the novel 1984 by ORWELL, it was futuristic but not; complicated yet simple; and grandiose with a hint of sparseness. and then... the sci-fi disco happened. it was INSANE. if BJORK ever wrote an opera i could see it being something like this. the moral of this story ladies and gentlemen, don't leave the theatre early, you may just miss the best part. i was throughly happy when i left.

rain, rain, more rain

2009-06-28T16:42:00.000-07:00

hi all. i hope this post finds you well. this week flew by! it was marked by a ridiculous amount of rain. i miss the sun. i spent most of my time indoors of some sort, whether it be reading or walking around in museums. i did go to the oldest brewery in prague.
U FLECKU BREWERY brews one kind of beer and they only sell it at the brewery. it is YUM!! a dark beer but not heavy, it has a very distinctive chocolate & coffee taste and smells just like roasted chestnuts and cinnamon. mmm...christmas. it is the real thing!! it is not pastuerized, and they have used the same process since the 16th century, just in bigger vats!

i have some catching up to do, so bear with me. i hope to make you laugh. along with some choice quotes, i have a portly englishman in a bright pink wig and fairy wings, the most beautiful spa you can imagination, some insider info on BECHEROVKA, among many more :-) stay tuned.

lazy sunday filled with peace ;-)

2009-06-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

today was the first day i was not on my own. one of my flat-mates, brittney joined me on one of my wandering trips. mostly that is what it was. we had lunch at BEAS VEGETARIAN INDIAN, and then proceeded to walk toward the river in search of the next hidden gem. i promised you random oddities, well ladies and gentlemen, i have delivered. we have a sweet boxer puppy playing in the old town square as his french papa watched the clock, a demure yet mischievous graffiti girl, a baby holding a rocket launcher made from a flashlight, and how can i forget, a hot trannie mess!

the best part of the day was seeing the LENNON WALL. the lennon wall was created as a memorial to john lennon and his peace keeping after his murder in 1980. being a communist state this didn't go over so well, the wall was painted white by the secret police. it is said to have been painted over 100's of times. each time it was white washed local youth would create a different and more splendid graffitti masterpiece. all you beatles fans out there if you ever come to prague, grab a marker, paintbrush and paint, whatever, so that you can leave your own mark on this tangible piece of history. i will be going back, this is one of those places you can go a hundred times and see something new.

after the 'lennon wall' brittney and i headed off for pizza and a beer. czechs love their pizza and it is very traditional. very thin, little sauce, little cheese, light organic ingredients. mmm, mmm, good. i had 'many peppers' and brittney had 'proscuitto and artichoke', both had just simple olive oil for sauce.

on the way home we stopped at a pub off the beaten path for a beer. i am so lovin' prague's dive bars!! the jukebox seemlessly switched from czech pop to folk and then over to rhianna! umm-brella, brella, brella! ;-) the bartender was a very kind and patient woman as i speak very little czech and she no english. we figured it out and everybody was happy. we also made the aquaintence of a very nice isreali genteleman whom we had an in-depth, worldwide focused, conversation on gay rights. he is a gay man from isreal trying to get into politcis theere. good luck to him.
got home around 12:30am, slid into my pjs, and ready for the week ahead.
good nite and be well :-)

2009-06-21T18:03:00.000-07:00

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!

Yippppeee, i did it :-)

2009-06-20T02:29:00.000-07:00

i figured out how to put pictures into the body of the blog. thank you for your patience! send me a comment if you would like for me to post them in a bigger format.

big hugs to all :-)

Friday 19th June

2009-06-20T01:12:00.000-07:00

i spent most of my day listening to the rain pitter patter and occasionaly beat against the windows in the flat. i started and got caught up on my blog, and just relaxed.

i made an incredibly yummy lunch of salami (polican & paprikka), herb and crusted cheese, boiled egg, and bread. oh, and beer, i can't forget the beer. it was yummm! yes that is BUDVAR, made by budweiser. it is actually pretty good unlike its american counterpart.

once the rain stopped i got ready to meet machin's friend david for drinks. very cool guy! we decided to meander around until one of us got hungry. while on our adventure, we stumbled upon a music festival, UNITED ISLANDS OPEN AIR FESTIVAL.

http://www.unitedislands.cz/

like any other outdoor music festival there was lots of beer, quick food, in this case it was yummy looking sausages, drunk guys sleeping under trees, oh, let me re-phrase, passed the fuck out under trees, and TRDELNIK; which is a sweet czeck and slovak pastry. it's plain dough wrapped around a metal rod and then doused with butter and sugar and cooked over coals. the result was a flaky/crunchy outside and a lovely chewy interior with a slight almond, honey taste. mmm...mmmm...good. however, it is super sweet so i am glad to report that david and i shared. it was then off to beer, oooohh the nectar :-) oh how can i forget the guy with the button...the picture explains it all!

while at the festival we listened to MAD MANOUSH from Switzerland. they were pretty good, they had an interesting wow factor....what you might ask...? well, they incorporated an accordion, violin, stand up bass, amongst others. they are described as a crossover from gypsy jazz to pop-rock-punk, they were super upbeat. i think i will venture back saturday. from the festival we headed over to NOSTITZ. started off with 2 GAMBRINUS and then ordered the steak tartar. wow what a dish. fried bread with raw garlic cloves came out on the first plate. on the second, minced raw beef with a raw egg on top surrounded by white and red onions, paprika, and mustard which david mixed all the ingredients together into a paste. we rubbed the garlic on the bread then spread the tartar on top. mmmm....

after dinner we headed back to my flat and his metro stop for his 25+ minutes ride home. got home, made some tea, had a chat with my mom & jp, and then went back to mimilandia.

Random Moments

2009-06-19T07:03:00.001-07:00

photos: Thursday 18th round 2

2009-06-19T07:01:00.001-07:00

photos: Thursday 18th

2009-06-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

Thursday 18th June

2009-06-19T06:16:00.000-07:00

today was a guided tour of the castle. we walked from the bridge, up the hill, a very big hill might i add, to the top. it was the first warm day, 85f/29c. of course, when we have a huge trek ahead of us. but, it was worth it! on the way up i stopped for a bottle of water (voda) and a bueno bar, an explosion in your mouth. BUENO BARs are delicious hazelnut nougat filled chocolate morsels :-) the views as you go up are astounding. we saw the castle, buildings of the czech parliament, and where the president holds office. the photos following this post show these buildings with just a couple of the castle. on the way down we walked past the small vineyard on the castle grounds. i will be going back to have a glass there sometime this week. i promise to remember what it is exactly that i drink.

in the beginning of the bridge is the statue of CHARLES IV, the most important figure in czech history next to ST. WENCESLAS, you know, the christmas carol guy ;-)

after the walk down, i headed back to the TESCO. TESCO is the "supermarket" of prague. it is like a huge target! although, i prefer the small market by the flat, i knew the tesco would have what i needed for class.

i needed to pick up a few more groceries, so i began the scavenger hunt. because everything is in czech i had to go up and down every aisle and rely on the pictures on the products. it was pretty fun, although the sugar was hard to find. yogurt on the other hand, not so hard. czechs LOVE their yogurt. there are 3, count 'em, 3 full aisles of every kind of yogurt you can imagine. at least my digestion will be regulated and hopefully help with the constant bellyaches, yea for probiotics! i grabbed my veggies, some salami & cheese, MARESI which is the milk/creamer i use in the instant coffee, and these yummy chocolate dipped rice cakes and then went to the upper floor to get school supplies. total bill....about $13 dollars. it so freakin' cheap to grocery shop here.

OH!!! i totally forgot to tell you about the nutella aisle, that's right ladies and gentlemen, NUTELLA AISLE. along with lovin' their yogurt, czechs have a crazy sweet tooth! there is nutella, nutella knock offs, vanilla & nutella mixed, and don't even get me started on all of the candy down this aisle. so, anyone out there reading this that knows me at all, knows the first thing i bought on sunday at the store was nutella, peanut butter, and crackers. heaven, once again!

headed home, made some chicken fried rice for dinner and retreated into my room to do some homework, write in my journal, read my book, and go to mimilandia.

Photos: Cafe Louvre

2009-06-19T05:42:00.001-07:00

I totally forgot... (weds. 17/6)

2009-06-19T05:35:00.000-07:00

i totally forgot that on wednesday i ventured to the IKEA. yes folks, the IKEA. when i arrived on saturday to the flat the pillows that were here were, well, were smelly. all i had was my tiny pillow from home, my neck was not happy. after checking all the stores by my flat and not finding anything under $30, my ISA coordinator told me the metro to take to get to IKEA. it took about 25 minutes and voila! i was there. i was happy for the arrows on the floor as everything was in czech. 2 pillows, 2 candles, about $12. yea, me :-) my back and neck are much happier.

photos: Wednesday 17th june

2009-06-19T05:24:00.001-07:00

Wednesday 17th June (day 6)

2009-06-19T04:56:00.000-07:00

today was my first visit to PRAGUE CASTLE. it is the largest castle compound in all of europe. ST. VITUS CATHEDRAL is what you mostly see from the center of prague. the compound can be a little overwhelming. so much to see, details everywhere. i don't know how people do it all in one day. i went with my class and we had little time to really experience its idiosyncrasies. it was super packed with tourists. i plan to go back one morning around 6am, i should be able to have the place mostly to myself.

after visiting the castle i took myself to late lunch/early dinner at CAFE LOUVRE. can you say amazing?!?!?!?!

i sat on the patio in the wonderfully splendid sunshine, it was about 70 degrees F/21 degress C. ordered a glass of wine and relaxed. first came the bread. yes, people, i said bread. i have consigned myself to the fact that i WILL have a bellyache the entire time i am here. that's what chewable pepto is for, right? anyway, back to the wine and bread. it was braided bread baked with sea salt and fennel seeds, it was like a gourmet soft pretzel. mmmmm...

next came the salad, SOPSKY SALAT; chopped cucumbers, red bells, and tomatoes dressed with a light creamy, tangy dressing with shaved ricotta salat on top. another glass of wine, white this time, a little sweet for my taste but good none the less. i do not remember the names of the wines, i know i should have written it down, i was too excited, i promise to record next time ;-) main course...drum roll please... PECENE KRALICI FILETY; roasted rabbit filets with a traditional french sauce and basmati rice dressed with fresh chives. yea, totally amazing!!! check out the photos. i finished my spectacular meal with some hot chocolate. however, this was no ordinary hot chocolate. it was like melted milk chocolate infused with nutmeg, clove, and a touch of cinnamon. i know i keep saying it but, HEAVEN!!!

i walked home instead of taking the tram, i was too full to sit. arrived at the flat, did some homework, and fell asleep with my face in my book. woke up at 4:27am ready to start the adventure all over again on thursday.

last photos for day 5

2009-06-19T04:44:00.000-07:00

continued photos: day 5

2009-06-19T04:34:00.000-07:00

photos: madonna, virgin marys, repeat, repeat

2009-06-19T04:30:00.000-07:00

day 5 (tuesday 16th june) continued...

2009-06-19T03:53:00.000-07:00

hi all.

from jewish communities i went to art & architecture of prague. it was the day of religion!

we trekked over to the NATIONAL GALLERY of PRAGUE. the exhibition; BOHEMIA & CENTRAL EUROPE 1200-1550. if i never see another statue or painting of the virgin mary/madonna again, it will be too soon. i can handle a few and yes it was amazing to see these works of art that were done in the 12th century, but i think it was a little overload. i will just post photos for this because honestly, my "awe" wore off after about an hour.

after class brittney and cassandra (two of my flatmates) and i went on an adventure to find a sketch book needed for class. we didn't find one. things close pretty early unless you are a grocery store. but we did come upon some very interesting sites. i'll let the photos speak for themselves.

i left them at the tram and decided to watch the sunset over the charles bridge, wow! so ya ready...close your eyes and envision this...i am standing on the CHARLES BRIDGE looking towards the PRAGUE CASTLE and listening to this lovely czech man serenade all of us on the bridge with his violin, the only thing that could have made it more perfect was a great glass of wine. my bottle of water had to do, i didn't want to interrupt the bliss that my senses were experiencing.

i ended the nite at a lovely jazz restaurant. pork and potato goulash with potato dumplings and a KRUSOVICE czech beer. another serenade, this time by the house jazz band. yeah, i'm thinkin' heaven.

went to bed full and happy, ready for the adventures of wednesday.

photos that go with "getting caught up" day 5

2009-06-19T03:48:00.000-07:00

getting caught up

2009-06-19T03:03:00.000-07:00

i woke up this morning to the sound of rain dancing on the window. what a beautiful way to greet the day. it was late considering the last few days i have been waking up, of my own volition, around 4:30am. i got up and instantly enjoyed the silence. my flat mates are on an excursion today. why did i not partake you ask? well, first and foremost they were going hiking, and if you know me at all, i do not like hiking. walking, meandering, wandering; yes. hiking no. plus, i have that pulled groin muscle and it's just starting to feel better.

with rain i figured i would get caught up on this blog thingy. i am pretty sure i can't insert pictures wherever i want so i will write the blog and then post the pictures pertaining to that blog directly after. hope that's ok ;-)

i drank my instant coffee (don't judge, it's all i can get) with tons of sugar and MARESI, which is some kind of milk/creamer that czechs put in their coffee and began typing.

i think i left off on monday...

day 5 (tuesday 16th june)

today my jewish communities class ventured to the JEWISH QUARTER. i saw the oldest synagogue in prague KLAUSOVA SYNAGOGA (photo). you can feel the pride and pain in this area of the city, it resonates here. it was awe inspiring to go through the synagogues and see how they began and what became of them during WWII. i was unable to take photographs inside, but don't think any photograph can do it justice. the craftsmanship of the woodwork is incredible and the detail of the paintings on the wood and walls are immaculate. there is every color imaginable, and gold was in common use. i got so close that i could see the artist's brushstrokes and when i closed my eyes, i could envision the curve of the artist's hand and the love that was put into each individual scene. here is a link to a photograph of the interior of the SPANESLKA SYNAGOGA

http://www.bmart.cz/userfiles/image/spanelska_synagoga/spanelska_synagoga_interier.jpg

the interior of this synagogue is completed hand-painted. inside of this particular synagogue there was a box full of tallits and tefillins (prayer shawls). they were confiscated by the nazis when the jews were taken from the ghettos to Terezin and Auchswitz. a simple wooden box with hundreds of them behind a thick piece of glass. even now writing this i have a feeling of pain and anger in the pit of my stomach.

class finished and i made a promise to myself to go back and REALLY experience this part of town.

this is also the part of town where the statue of FRANZ KAFKA sitting on his own shoulders stands (photo). I will be going back to the museums that house his works. photos to follow.

i think i'll post this part and the photos and then continue the rest of this day on a new post...

My first few days in Prague

2009-06-18T00:52:00.000-07:00

Ahoj everyone!!!

wow. yup. that's appropriate. where should i start? my hope is to give you the interesting tidbits of my journey here in prague. i will try to make you laugh and hope you don't get bored. if there is anything specific you would like to know please don't hesitate to ask. if there is something that you would like for me to photograph, shoot me a message. this is a breathtaking place filled with so much history and wonder. my hope is to do as many "local" things as i can while seeing the "must sees" such as the castle and such. welcome to my world. i am so excited to share it with you :-)

since this first post spans a few days i will break it up so you can jump around if you'd like.

day 1 (friday 12th june)

i left austin this morning and flew into houston,

smooth sailing! from houston flew to amsterdam, 9 hours and 25 minutes. i slept a little but excitement had begun to set in and i was like the kid ready to go to disneyland.

day 2 (saturday 13th june)

my adventure truly starts here. i arrived in amsterdam 30 minutes late, NOT a good thing. i had to run, yes, literally run for a half an hour across the whole airport, and we all know how much i like running, NOT. on my intense run, i passed an amazing CHEESE STORE, the kiosk was a giant wheel of cheese!! i will be stopping by on the way home, if i have to miss my plane...so be it. so, i make it to customs, and run a smidge more and get to my gate, by this time, i can't breathe and my leg is strangely throbbing. i get on the plane, and sit down to decompress. get up to go to the bathroom and...HOLY SHIT, my leg is on fire. with the intense run and the weight of my carry-on bags, i managed to pull my groin muscle :-( i popped some tylenol because right then, nothing mattered, i was going to PRAGUE!

land in prague and head off to baggage claim...well folks, its true what they say, THEY WILL LOSE YOUR LUGGAGE. i went, gave the very kind woman my flat address and headed off to meet my contact person. i was very thankful to have thought ahead and packed the essentials in my carry-on.

Arrival at the flat...SERIOUSLY!! the first thing i see when i walk in the door...ADAM & EVE. there are replication mural paintings of MUCHA's works all over. i live in a 3 bedroom flat with 4 other girls. i have my own room, yup that's right, what can i say, i am a textbook "only child". My flat is amazing.

i unpacked my one small bag and decided to head out! i spent most of the day walking around.

as i was walking i heard this woman screaming/singing to Anastacia. After a moment I figured where it was coming from..."BAR 5" a local dive bar right down the street from the dancing building. i went for my first czech beer. the girl singing was veronica and annie was her friend the bartender. they spoke some english but were very fun to hang out with. after a couple of minutes a huge group (9+) scotsmen came in, as rambunctious as ever. they started to irritate annie, so she started ignoring their drink orders and paid much more attention to veronica and i. it was really funny. she would only help the ones that said please and thank you in czech. so, the three of us sat there and drank beer and did shots of some czech herb liquor. i don't remember the name, bill, i'm sure you know what i am talking about. a hour passed and i could feel the booze, i decided to leave, i wanted to make it home on my first day. the rest of the day was spent wandering.

day 3 (sunday 14th june)

woke up early and headed off to find breakfast. "CAFE BECHER" . what an amazing breakfast. 2 'just baked" croissants with homemade marmalade and honey, and 1 soft boiled egg that i dipped my homemade rye bread into. the coffee was not something to be desired. i am learning that czechs really love their instant coffee, that's right folks, i said INSTANT. very sad for me, but if that is my only bad thing, i am in good shape. spent the rest of the day walking around with a magical smile on my face.

day 4 (monday 15th june)

BEST BREAKFAST ever!!! "PRAHA BAKESHOP" i ventured into old town, this city is so quaint and wonderful at 7am, no tourists, very little people out and about. i had a double espresso, which was yummy, i was so thankful. but for breakfast i had local tomato & goat cheese czech style quiche, oh my fucking goodness. i was in heaven. sitting there eating this beautiful meal staring out at the astronomical clock. then it was off to class, history of the jewish communities. after class i wandered some more and took tons of photos. i just realized, i am having technically difficulties with posting pics. forgive me, i will figure it out soon.