Marci and Steve Go Back to Europe

Leaving Lasting Impressions as we Leave Prague Every city makes a distinct impression. It probably depends on the time of year, where you stay, who you meet, and the sights you see. It is usually during a fleeting three or five or seven day stop. It is usually made of whirlwind days and late nights, pre-set tours or researched dining spots.  This was not our Prague - Instead,  we had to time to soak up the small sights and observe people, both tourists and locals, so in no particular order...... There are so many pregnant girls and every one carries like she is having a boy with nothing but a big basketball belly.  Czech women range from tall to really tall. You never wait to be seated at a restaurant, you just sit at any empty table ( how refreshing! ). You have to PAY for TAP water at the restaurant.....no, really. Like 30 CZK for a glass bottle of tap water, with maybe a lemon slice....much more for San Pellagrenio, etc. Czechs help create, and inspired, cubism, modern...

Winding down in Prague The weather is heating up and we are winding down. Our long list of sights to see, whether they were opened or closed, is mostly ticked off and our bellies full of mostly good mostly non-Czech food ( Steve really likes the traditional food, but in cooler weather). We made it to the top of a couple of towers, to the depths of the 10th century and climbed up and down more hills than we knew Prague had.  We mastered the trams and metros, explored the center and the 'hood. We have a few last chores like laundry and a hair touch up before we say goodbye. Each day we seem to relax more and sit longer at our morning coffee at Cafe Jen just around the corner while the morning still has that hint of coolness and outdoors is delightful. Dominica, the young friendly owner who recently opened this adorable cafe, knows what we drink and that we don't take sugar so I guess we have almost gone native.  Half of the nights we eat local where practically the only English ...

New Metro Stop, New Sights The morning was for chores, first heading to the post office,    (THERE'S THAT BLUE COLOR AGAIN!!!) sending a package home (#5) and figuring out how to fill out the form all in Czech. Then onto the farmers market to resupply for our last week and looking forward to another delicious smoked trout for our lunch.  But our smoker must have another weekday job or market, as he was not in his spot and so my search was on for interesting lunch food. We could do produce and make a salad, or buy some fresh yogurts and cheese and bread OR we could try this unusual looking food cooking in a hugh paella pan being stirred by a pretty young girl who luckily spoke a bit of English and could kinda sorta tell me what was in the delicious smells wafting out. So even though her words were sauerkraut, potato, bacon and ham, I bought 200 grams knowing Steve would at least try it - "when in Rome" -Turns out it was delicious, much lighter than expected and the potatoe...

Bloging doldrums Today was a great day but a total repeat for a blog. More art, more museums, more languid lunches on terraces overlooking the Vltava. So today, we have a trade off-we post a photo essay, of the Prague we are seeing, walking and eating our way through, and in return the quid pro quo for everyone reading is this: we are planning our eastern euro road trip and are asking for any recommendations for sights or eats in Vienna or Budapest or Krakow or anywhere in between, including a drive through Slovakia, for which I am guessing I will get NOTHING.   We have been giving you our best " Rick Steves" style tips all along, so please send us yours. Is there a spot everyone goes that can easily be skipped,or is overrated, or a gem we might overlook, or a little cafe for the best of something? Our hotels are booked but if you have a great one, send that too.  So starting with today's tasting menu for lunch, here is our Praha.

Hollywood Glamour and Prague Target

How Art teaches History and World Perspective Yesterday was a lazy morning, mostly from trying to catch up our readers with a very long post of Prague news. Our plan to head out by 11 was a bit derailed by the blog handoff at 10:30 to Steve whose daily job is proofing and adding photos.  But we finally locked the door a bit after noon with our first destination the Veletrinz Palace, aka the Trade Fair Building. This houses Prague's quite large modern and contemporary art .    The building has an interesting history starting when it was designed to be a four building modern complex devoted to commerce across four continents. But history intervened, only one building was built, and art was exhibited there until during WWII it became the way station to assemble Prague's Jews before deporting them to concentration camps. Back to trade use in the 50's and back to art in the 90's with an impressive six floor collection. Alfons Mucha and the Slav Epic, the short story ...