...the end of the day

So today was the last day I will be teaching English in Prague. I should say it in the Past Tense: Today was the last day I taught English in the Czech Republic.

Two final classes today, First thing this morning, they bestowed upon me candy and Becherovka and the other this evening took me out for a great Czech "K" Brewery Group Beer in Žižkov and guy conversation below Vitkov and the great Horse.

I will miss all of my students and the many that became good friends while I was here these past years.

...then I finished the day at "My Cafe"... did you have any doubts? A nice evening, with surprisingly lots of attention from my many friends working tonight's "shift". Every once in a while, when I least expect it, as I sit and read, enjoying a glass of wine, all of a sudden "someone" places ONE very decadent piece of fancy Chocolate in front of me. I always enjoy it slowly, savoring its richness. Tonites was a dense hazelnut cream. Mnam. Thanks Klara, Tereza, Petra & Marketa. A nice evening.

Diky moc. ..and I will miss all of you too.

My Last Teaching Day in Prague

Hard to believe I wrote that sentence.

...on Vaclavské náměstí

...on Most Legií

Legions Bridge

Bridges of the Vltavá

From this morning at 10:00am.

Coffee at Vescoví Caffe

This mornings Cappuccino and something new....
Carrot Cake, the Czech version...
with a thin lemony icing and very moist

Delicious. (But what else would I say, eh? ...for I am in Prague)

Our Lady of before theTyn Cathedral, Old Town Square

The first mention of a Romanesque church in Old Town Square goes back to the 12th century; 1135. Construction started on this particular vestige, in the 14th century, in the times of Charles IV, and was not finished until the mid 15th century; in 1470, to be exact, under the rule of the last Czech king: Jiri z Poděbrad.

The two spires of this powerful looking Gothic church (with a Baroque interior) can be seen from all over Prague. If you Take a close look at the spires, they are not symmetrical. This was characteristic of gothic architecture of the time, was purposely built this way and is a representation of both the masculine and feminine sides of the world, apparently.

Prague from Petřín

This afternoon as the late February sun was getting low in the sky.

Strahovské Monestary in Petřín...

A beautiful Day today...

Petřín Hill

Vltavá

Hradčany

Castle Doors

Lunch today at the Zanzibar Café

...on Americká in Vinohrady; light and refreshing - tomato, onion omlette, with Tramín Červený vino

Most stairs have these here...

...almost all steps here have these little 'ramps' built into them at the edge. Their Purpose? They allow baby carriages and toddler strollers to easily navigate stairs...

I have seen them in stores, apartment complexes, in parks, in villages...really most everywhere there are stairs of some kind or number, you will find these tiny ramps.

...Picking up Pottery from last Friday...

In Vinohrady at 14:00, picking up our creations this afternoon
...and this is a friend's creation.
Vyborne! very cool...

and mine... well, it is not posted here. ;-)

Vinohrady na Korunní

in the middle of the street...

Mlyn on Čertovká

My Tram; #9

The tram that gets me home from Centrum every evening. Seen here on a snowy February evening....brrr.

Wednesday at Kavovarna....

Klara, dik...

Frigid cold....

-12 C; 10 F.. Brrrrrrrrrr

perhaps the same temperatures or similar to those back home,

BUT... it is not the same to sit in an office in these temperatures compared to walking through Prague, every 1.5 hours to the next lesson.... healthy, yes! Cold, Very! many cups of tea throughout the day, Yes. ...but with friends & conversations throughout the day, smiles at Kavovarna and Moravian wine, the intense cold is mellowed ... Dik.

Karl's Place

...Charlie the 4th's place...Karlstejn

An Amazing Night at the Castle

Once again I went to Prague Castle and took a close friend, for "Jazz at the Castle", sponsored by Czech President Vaclav Klaus.

Absolutely Amazing. Tonight the concert featured a fantastic Female Polish Jazz singer, Aga Zaryan, but this evening, it was held in the Spanish Hall. (The same Hall where President Obama and Russian President Medevdev signed the missile treaty a year ago.) Both Czech President Klaus and the Polish President and their wives were there seated not far from us.

After the 90 minute concert, I was personally invited along with my date, by my Friend Alex accompanied by Castle security, to a special reception in the grand hall adjacent to the Spanish Hall in the Castle. ( I mean, we were searched for out of the crowd and rushed to the head of the line for entrance into the grand hall where the reception was being held... how amazing is that!) Stunning. A buffet dinner ( the food was excellent) awaited along with great Czech wines and tables of decadent desserts, plus the opportunity to "rub" shoulders with Prague's elite. Amazing.

Plus the President of the Czech Republic wandered causally about the hall talking to people as though he was just one of us all. I could have ( and should have) on several occasions, just turned around and introduced myself as he was that close to us on several occasions this evening.

The Halls of the Castle are stunning. Elegant, white with gold leaf with corridors lined with oil paintings of historic battles and ceilings as high as the moon.

My friend and I also warmly introduced ourselves to the guest Jazz artist, Ms. Zaryan, towards 11:00PM and talked with her for quite awhile and Then she sincerely invited us to New York in April for her state-side debut concert. ...and Perhaps I will do just that!

So a terrific evening, with a wonderful person, in amazing historic surroundings.
My words here just do not do this experience justice. You really Have NO idea.


...and Zheee.....a pleasure, so nice, great company, thanks for being there.

and a big thanks to my dear friends Alex and Ada... Dekuju MOC!

Decorations on window panes

Řip

Rip (pronounced Zhee-iip) is a famous landmark north of Prague, alone on the fairly flat plains. An ancient Volcano core, worn round by the ages, it has been a site of Pilgrimages for many centuries and there is a chapel on the mount top.

Seen here from the Chateau in Mělník

A Very Cold & Gray Snowy Sunday

Kavu v nedeli

The future is called "perhaps," which is the only possible thing to call the future. And the only important thing is not to allow that to scare you. ~Tennessee Williams

Another Sunday Morning on Ujezd with a great coffee and a plum tort with a really thick cinnamon-sugar topping

Občerstvení

Občerstvení = Fast food.

one of the several Fast food stands on Vaclávské náměstí. Their specialty: Klobasi or Kielbasa(in English), and several other types of European Sausages, as well as, many types of Czech beer and hot wine.

This particular one is located at the "bottom" of Vaclávské náměstí, on Na Príkopé Ulice.

Moravský ples v Praze na Smíchově

Již 55. ročník Moravského plesu v Praze uvítá návštěvníky a krojované účastníky v sobotu 19.února 2011 v Národním domě na Smíchově.

I was invited to a Moravian Ball this evening. It was held at the elegant National House in Smichov. February in the Czech Republic is a time of Dances and Balls and Masquerade Balls.

This particular Ball was all about cultural-folk dancing and included many folk dance groups from all around the Czech Republic, especially Moravia. Just showing their different costumes and sharing stories and dance with each other. It was very interesting and entertaining.

Thank you to a friend, Ondrej for giving me a ticket to his world. It was a great experience and I very much appreciated your kind thoughts. ...and thank you as well to his friend, Zita, for such a lovely evening. Cheers.