My Oyster

Last Day in London...

A full day.  A chillier day.  We had to break out the caps.  Too touristy? 

Here are my Five Favorite Fotos from today...

Nature... 

Really, what's more natural than a lager and Steak & Ale Pie when in London?  You can also catch a tiny glimpse of Jean's Fish & Chips. 

Beauty...

Trafalgar Square always seems to have something going on.  I thought the colored fountains tonight were beautiful.

Fun...

Skating at Somerset House.  We didn't lace up - just watched. 

Spirit...

A friend gave me a heads up about this exhibit at the National Gallery.  "Religious art from the Spanish Golden Age with works created to shock the senses and stir the soul".  It really was stirring. 

Just liked it...

Home sweet home - Parkfield Road.

And more photos here at my Flickr account.

Queens for a Day...

It's all about the Arts this trip.  And the Queens.

Yesterday Jean and I saw Billy Elliot on stage here.  Very good.  Before Jean arrived I saw Blood Brothers (with Sporty Spice!).  Good.  Today we saw Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in the West End.  Wow.  Excellent.  It is exactly what a musical should be.  Costumes, scenery, camp, music.

The pic above is us starting our day in the southeast London neighborhood where Andy & Anthony live. 

Here are my Five Favorite Fotos from the rest of the day...

Nature...

Human Nature.  You can find it all over the crowded Tube - especially on a wet, cold, Saturday night. 

Beauty...

I liked the new Millennium Bridge with the old St. Paul's Cathedral. 

Fun...

This show was the most fun I have had in a long, long time.  Jean likes to point out the coincidental placement of part of the title directly above my head. 

Spirit...

Christmas Spirt.  It's all over London right now.  This pic is in Covent Garden - where we stopped for hot chocolate and cake. 

Just liked it...

The crowds at our favorite stall at the Borough Market - fighting to get their Cheese Toastie.  If you try one of these grilled cheese sandwiches you will know what all the fuss is about.  Yum.

And more photos here at my Flickr account.

 

London Calling...

For work and play this trip.

I had some business meetings this week and decided to spend a long weekend here.  Jean has never visited so he popped over too and we headed across the Thames to stay with two wonderful friends - Anthony & Andy.

I won't go on about how great this city - but it is.  I have been thinking lately that if I lived abroad again, London would be my first choice.  It is so diverse, has so much history, is so familiar (because of it's role in anglo-american culture), and is really beautiful - though in a non-traditional kind of way.  I guess that means it's not a Paris kind of beauty.  The beauty here comes from the inside out - not just on the surface. 

Here are my Five Favorite Fotos from today - the first of our long weekend...

Nature...

 

St. James Park.  Probably my favorite in London.  It's cozy, great location, and beautifully designed. 

Beauty...

Victoria.  The longest serving British Monarch (63 years and 7 months).  Maybe not a traditional beauty by today's standards, but I love her look and she did a lot to add beauty to this city.  This is from her memorial - right in front of Buckingham Palace 

Fun...

It's fun just being a tourist!

Spirit...

Sunset over Westminster - seen from the London Eye.  There has to be the hand of someone in scenes like this one. 

Just liked it...

At the top of the London Eye.  For me, both terrifying (don't like heights) and slightly painful (the site of the worst travel moment with my favorite travel partner).

And more photos here at my Flickr account.

 

The Hills are Still Alive in Salzburg...

Just as they were when I moved there to study abroad - 23 years ago.

It is pretty darn hard to escape the Sound of Music when you are in Salzburg.  And why would you want to?  The pic above is Jean and I and across from Schloss Leopoldskron - which was the back of the Von Trapp house in the SoM. 

All day Jean and I kept bumping into scenes from the movie - both on purpose and by sheer luck!  We really had only today to see the city - so we rented a couple bikes and hit the road - for more than 12 hours.  OK - some of that time was sitting and eating.  And we did both fall asleep sitting in one of the squares. 

The Sound of Music sites were fun and beautiful - but we really enjoyed just tooling around the city on two wheels.  It is gorgeous and such an easy city to bike around in.  At several points today, as I would turn down a familiar side street, I remembered how much I loved biking there as a student.

Here are my Five Favorite Fotos from today...

Nature... 

Hellbruner Allee.  A beautiful long dirt road lined with lush, green trees and bright green meadows. The building on the left was used as the Von Trapp front yard in the SoM - and was where I lived. 

Beauty...

Me with my newest piece of art and the artist who created it. 

Fun...

Jean and I two wheelin' it in the Mozartplatz!

Spirit...

This crystal clear reflection in the still waters of a silent fountain was in the shadow of the Cathedral and really captivated me. 

Just liked it...

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Everywhere you look in Salzburg, there is something beautiful to see.  Amazing.

And more photos (including Sound of Music sites) here at my Flickr account.

 

Back Home in Salzburg...

I spent a year here in college but have not been back in 23 years.  Jean and I arrived this afternoon. 

We left Bohemia this morning and stopped at the Mauthhasen concentration camp along the way.  That was, as expected, a draining and emotional experience.  I have been to Auschwitz and so was somewhat prepared.  But you are never really prepared for the details of that kind of horror.  It is overwhelming.  It was Jean's first experience.  As hard as it is to experience and re-experience, I think it is important to force us to remember what happened in a visceral way.

Here in Salzburg, it has been wonderful getting to know the city again while I introduce Jean to it.  It is as beautiful now as it was then.  Maybe even a bit more trendy and energetic.  We pretty much ate our way through today with some good sightseeting between nibbles. 

We start the hardcore touring tomorrow - we really only have one day here - this trip.

Here are my Five Favorite Fotos from today...

Nature... 

That is me with the Untersberg. Part of the Alps and only 10 miles from Salzburg. 

Beauty...

We walked into this concert at the Salzburg Cathedral. Beauty in sight and sound.

 

Fun...

Prost! Beers at Augustinerbrau.  It doesn't get much better. 

Spirit...

The "Stairs of Death" at Mauthausen.  Unbelievable inhumanity.  But somehow you sense the humanity of those that suffered there. 

Just liked it...

I have been waiting 22 years for a Bosna and a Kaisekrainer.  Yum.

And more photos here at my Flickr account.

Hiking and Scootering the Mountains of Southern Bohemia...

Today Jean and I decided to take a break from museums, and sightseeing, and shopping and get back to nature.

We hiked up to the top of Klet' (pronounced Kletch) - the highest mountain (1084m/1185yd) of the Blanksy les (Blansko forest).  It was a pretty easy hike and the top was a real reward - including the oldest stone observation tower in Bohemia.  The views were incredible and the restaurant served ghoulash.

We read and relaxed for quite a while on the top of Klet' and then we rented a couple of scooter-bike hybrid things and zipped down the mountain access road.  Very fun - if a bit scary at first.  Here is a video...

And here are my Five Favorite Fotos from today...

Nature... 

A bee doing what a bee does. 

Beauty...

We looked at this view for a long time and it could have been longer.

Fun...

These things looked fun and they were fun. And fast.

Spirit...

The peacefulness of the forest in the early morning was just the calming we both wanted at this point of our vacation. 

Just liked it...

I took this pic and it is totally posed but it is what we did all morning and...I liked it.

And more photos here at my Flickr account.

Sprites, Goblins, and the Kiss of Death...

You gotta love central European folklore! 

But maybe I should have titled this post "rain, wind, cold, and bats!"   We had all of those too.

Tonight Jean and I went to a performance of the opera - Rusalka.  It is probably one of the best known Czech operas - composed by Antonin Dvorak.  It's based on Czech fairy tales.

The performance was outdoors in the beautiful gardens of the Krumlovsky castle (which we had visited earlier in the day).  The seating revolves to see different scenes on different parts of garden grounds.  Really spectactular.  Of course, when it is raining its a slightly different experience - but still wonderful. 

These people REALLY love their opera.  It started 30 minutes late at 10pm.  In the rain.  everyone was already drenched from waiting in the downpour to see if the show would go on.  It did - but stopped once - when the rain got really heavy.  Once it finally stopped raining (sometime in act 2) the wind grew out of control and it got really cold.  And then there were bats swooping around - especially in the upper seats - where we were.  Lots going on.  But it was still a great show. 

Here are my Five Favorite Fotos from today...

Nature... 

As in Mother Nature.  All over my opera!

Beauty...

This woman was surrounded by renaissance castle and was totally just into her dog. Very sweet.

Fun...

This sign at the castle made me giggle. Don't impale yourself?

Spirit...

I thought all this sunlight bathing an otherwise cold and dark castle corridor was kind of inspirational.  That is Jean in the corner. 

Just liked it...

They have really nice manhole covers here.

And more photos here at my Flickr account.

Cubism, Communism, Hussitism, and finally Cesky Krumlov...

Today was a pretty full one for Jean and I. 

We spent our last half day in Prague by hitting a couple museums.  I loved the Museum of Czech Cubism.  There was a major cubist movement in Prague in the early 1900s and the museum captures a lot of it.  Yum. 

We also went to the Museum of Communism - which, somewhat ironically, shares a building with a huge McDonalds and a casino.  Go figure.  Lots of kitschy communist-era stuff to see, but a series of videos on the Prague Sping (uprising squashed by the Soviets in '68) and the Velvet Revolution ('89) were riveting and emotional and brought home just how hard and recent this history really was.

Jiri (very cool guy from our hotel in Cesky Krumlov) picked us up at 2pm and we hit the road for our next adventure.  Along the way we detoured a tiny bit to see Tabor - founded in the 1400s by the Taborites - radical reformist Hussites.  It is a beautiful, well preserved, maze of medieval cobblestone streets.

Finally, we rolled into Cesky Krumlov around 7pm.  Jean and I were both really amazed.  It is as beautiful as all the books say.  It is a renaissance city built on hills sloping into an S curve of the Vltva river.  Our hotel is great - right in the old city.  We are on the top two floors with a balcony (see pic above) and a view of the castle on a hill.  Vacation perfection!  You can see the room here. 

There will certainly be lots of pics of Cesky Krumlov to come, but for now here are my Five Favorite Fotos from today...

Nature... 

I love stumbling onto a little square (with church) to sit under some trees, hear a fountain gurgle, and just relax.

Beauty...

From the Cubism Museum.  One of many that I liked. 

Fun...

James as a renaissance Mylie Cyrus.

Spirit...

Dekansky Kostel - unusual church with three gables in Tabor.

Just liked it...

Performer in the main square of Cesky Krumlov.  I liked the little boy.

And more photos here at my Flickr account.

Kutna Hora...Hmmm...

Today Jean and I bussed and trained to and from Kutna Hora as a little daytrip from Prague.  Can't say I am a huge Kutna fan, but I am definitely glad we went.   

Apparently this city, built (literally and figuratively) on silver mines, was as big as London back in the middle ages and rivaled Prague for its wealth and importance.  At some point the silver market cratered and there was a big fire and now the town has a lot of history and only 20,000 people.  The same size as Augusta, Maine - but with nicer churches.

We had some good food and beer and walked around for several hours. 

Here are my Five Favorite Fotos from today...

Nature... 

OK, there weren't a lot of pics to choose from. I liked these flowers at the otherwise kinda drab Kutna Hora train station.

Beauty...

I actually thought this "guy" was kind of attractive. I liked his pouty lips.

Fun...

Mmmm.  A beer from Plsen.  G-something or other.  Tasty.

Spirit...

Walking among the (statues of) saints and cherubs on the approach to St. Barbara's Cathedral was pretty inspiring.

Just liked it...

Jean snapping a pic of St. James Church from the grounds of St. Barbara's Cathedral.

And more photos here at my Flickr account.

Outdoors in Prague...

We have barely been inside this trip. There is so much to do and see outside here.

We started the day with an early morning walk through the botanical gardens and a couple other parks, had a quick breakfast, and then just stayed outside.  We went on a walking tour of the Old Town (with breaks for shopping) and traipsed through the gardens of Mala Strana.  We actually got locked INSIDE one of the gardens.  Oopsie. 

We ate outdoors.  We looked at art outdoors.  We ended the day walking along the Vltva river.

Here are my Five Favorite Fotos from today...

Nature...

 

This woman seemed to have a personal relationship with the birds.

Beauty...

 

Jean and I sat on a bench across from her for some time.  Love the bent leg.

Fun...

 

I was going to try to crawl on top of this giant baby sculpture but ended up with this unfortunate pose.

Spirit...

 

A church.  Spires reaching upward and reflecting the sunlight.

Just liked it...

Grrr.  Scary sculpture in the Wallenstein Garden.

And more photos here at my Flickr account.