Spent the weekend in Bratislava, Slovakia

Left Friday afternoon, got into Bratislava around 8pm. Met my Czech teacher and friend from America, actually from my home town, and her husband and 3 kids. It was a lovely time, in a really nice city... The big Little City of Bratislava.

A Flight of Ducks

Taking Flight....

...looking down on a mess of ducks in Poděbrady

Slippery Slope, but none-the-less, Up

The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps - we must step up the stairs. ~Vance Havner

Photo: Stairs on Holečková Ulice

Photo: Old Town Square in B&W;
foreground - memorial to Jan Hus;
background - Old Town Hall

Yesterday, immensely Cold!

Yesterday was THE coldest day of the season so far this year in Prague and in most parts of the Czech Republic.

Here in Prague, I woke up to -20 C, or -4 F, BELOW "OUR" ZERO! But, as I took tram #9 into Centrum and was crossing the Vltava, what a spectacular sight... the river was warmer than the air, and "steam" was rising from every part of the river, and then freezing onto the branches of trees lining the shoreline and on Marksman Island.. The trees were all "frozen" with icy white branches...just amazingly beautiful as the full sunlight was shining through it all... and then looking toward the castle through the frozen mist.... incredible!

..and I didn't even have my camera! though perhaps another day.

But Just beautiful.

Winter Respite

Winter Respite

A warm Café,
a little place I know,
Its walls covered with framed old photos,
and paintings in Art Nouveau.

Tables for four,
or perhaps just for two,
topped with streaked marble,
each with a long skinny menu.

Dimly lit,
rumbling conversations,
filled with drifting old music,
and smoke.

Relax with hot wine;
Cappuccino in thick foam;
a glass of Beaujolais;
spirits from home.

Yes, a Winters Respite,
"Kávovarna" by name,
found in Prague 1,
...Lucerna passageway.

Just a nice place,
for a while to stay.

- poem by Me (or it is Prose? or maybe neither ;-)


Kávovarna Café
Lucerna Pasáž
Praha 1
My café

Photo: Courtyard entering Kampa Park

Climb to new Heights

The important thing is to strive towards a goal which is not immediately visible. That goal is not the concern of the mind, but of the spirit. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Flight to Arras, 1942

Prague is filled with Sculpture, it is everywhere and many times in places where you might least expect it.

I happened upon this piece of artwork one day as I was walking along the Vltava, near the dancing house, but down at rivers edge.

A sculpture of a boy climbing this wall... working towards his goal.

Fill the world with Colour

Maybe we should develop a Crayola bomb as our next secret weapon. A happiness weapon. A beauty bomb. And every time a crisis developed, we would launch one. It would explode high in the air - explode softly - and send thousands, millions, of little parachutes into the air. Floating down to earth - boxes of Crayolas. And we wouldn't go cheap, either - not little boxes of eight. Boxes of sixty-four, with the sharpener built right in. With silver and gold and copper, magenta and peach and lime, amber and umber and all the rest. And people would smile and get a little funny look on their faces and cover the world with imagination. ~Robert Fulghum

one more week of January. The month IS going by fast. Thought I would drop just a hint of color here. The flowers shops provide great color when you need it most.

and now perhaps, I will get out my Crayola Box of 64, and Color.

Finally, a sunny Sun-day

Frigid cold here, but the sun came out, so did I... First sunshine this year. We only had to wait 23 days... so, went out and about to get some shots of Prague, with BOTH sun and snow.

The Black & White of Winter

Photo: Střelecky Ostrov (Marksman Island), Hradčany (Prague Castle) and two Swan

Winter Mulled Wine...

Hot Spiced Red Wine... enjoyed within one of the many wonderful and warm Cafes of Prague... and one of the best things about winter, and Fridays

Hidden in an Alley

Poděbrady's winter wonderland

Another from Poděbrady from last weekend... What an amazing winter wonderland.

Mid Winter Colour

Photo: From Behind Our Lady of Tyn Cathedral, Old Town Square

More Poděbrady... a path with lots and lots of snow.

A snowy Sunday in Poděbrady

Spent the entire day with a friend in Poděbrady, a town an hours train ride to the East and what a wintery wonderland it was. The snow fell steady from time we departed Prague station to the return this evening. It was a gorgeous snowy day, quiet and a bit cold. Many people were out and about in the snow.

Poděbrady has a castle along the Labe(Elbe) river dating from the 1200's. It's most famous king, Jiří of Poděbrady, who was elected king in 1458, a king whose name is found in many places in the Czech Republic. You may recall last year I lived in Jiřího z Poděbrad, a section of Vinohrady in Prague 3, that bears his name. He was a good king and one that ended up binding the country together in the period just after the 30 years war ended.

This town is also a Spa town with many mineral springs that bring good health to people who partake(apparently). One tasted just like liquid metal(rust), blah. Also Poděbrady is a town rich in gardens, which were not to be seen here today. Will have to come back in the Spring or Summer.

An Important Diversion...

...for mother and daughters.

Photo: Mill's Water Wheel on Kampa Island

and another.... on This Friday evening.

Was taking the tram ( #9) "home" to Smichov over the Vltava on Most Legii ( Legions Bridge), noticed the beautiful evening views... got off at the next stop and walked back across the bridge in order to attempt to capture what you see here....

This Friday Evening... 5:00pm

Taken this Friday evening here in Prague...on my way home to my flat.

Photo: Mala Strana Charles Bridge Tower, again, taken Last Saturday

A Kalamity

The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found? -J. B. (John Boynton) Priestley

The Snow Event of last Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday was termed a Kalamity, which in Czech means a major disaster, and Kalamity's are given names here, similar to Hurricane's in the states. This one was named "Daisy". Most of the Czech Republic was affected, but Prague and parts north and northeast of Prague got the lion's share of the snow. Officially Prague received between 32 and 40cm of snow over these 4 days, which is about a season's worth in normal years. This was the largest one event snowfall in 20 years.

Photo: green railing along Vltava (From Last Saturday)

Good News.... have Posting abilities

Seems as of Yesterday, I can now upload pix to blogspot. After having sporadic abilities over the weekend to even get on the internet, on Tuesday morning for some reason, I was able to post a picture, then took this window of opportunity to post over a weeks worth of photos to my blog...just in case. This morning I was able to upload a photo as well. So perhaps I will continue to have this ability going forward. !!

Very Good News. Now to see if Skype will work via this wifi signal, as well as the internet banking connection to my bank in the US. I will Cross my fingers. Cheers.

Classic Prague Picture... in Winter

Winter Trees....

Of winter's lifeless world each tree
Now seems a perfect part;
Yet each one holds summer's secret
Deep down within its heart.
~Charles G. Stater

Photo: Snowing, Franciscan Garden

The Quiet of Snow

Photo: A Snowed Covered Cemetery; about one block from my flat in Smichov

Scarlet Entry...

Yesterday, looking at the National Museum...