Some Trivia About Prague

This is not a travelogue about Prague, and after all, we were only there two days, but I thought I would mention a few pieces of trivia I picked up. Apologies in advance if I get anything wrong, I'm just recounting what the tour guide said, and what we experienced, and as much as my memory will allow. As I am having problems adding photos to my posts, I will publish the trivia first, and it will be followed with a SEPARATE POST with the images. (Sorry for it not being all together. Blame the computer being "difficult".) Trivia Item One: Apparently the first showing ever of Mozart's opera "Don Giovanni" was in Prague, and Mozart had a better reception for his work in Prague than in Vienna. Trivia Item Two: there is a bridge full of padlocks with lovers names on them to symbolize their eternal love. This is a copycat gesture from the novel "I Want You" by Federico Moccia. Trivia Item Three: Czechs like a doughnut type of sweet called TRDELNIK. The dough is wrapped around and around a metal rod and roasted over hot coals, then dipped in sugar. Very popular, both with people and wasps. I ignored the beasties and tried it. It was nice, but more of a bread texture than a doughnut. Trivia Item Four: The Communist Museum and McDonalds are next door to each other. Ironic or what? Trivia Item Five: According to our tour guide, the Star of David, as a symbol of the Jews, was first used in Prague. Trivia Item Six: Prague is a very popular city for Russians to get married in, and they like to have their photos taken in some of the historic locations. I did overhear two "body guard" looking type fellows speaking Russian in front a limosene at the castle, waiting for the wedding party, and also saw Russians having their photos taken on Charles Bridge in their wedding outfits. Trivia Item Seven: Performances of plays and literature are very dear to the Czech people, as there was a movement to try to stamp out the Czech language. So many people wanted to attend live performances that there weren't enough actors to go round, so puppets were used instead. Puppets are still a common sight in a lot of shops and people buy them as souvenirs of Prague. A whole craft industry has grown up producing some very elaborately carved and beautifully decorated puppet characters. Will post images separately in the next post. Tootles for now!

A Few Days in Prague

A few days in Prague is something I could never say if I still lived in North America. Most trips, particularly if it is to a foreign country involve hours and hours of air travel. Most times, you have to go for a considerable length of time to "make it worth it". The beauty of living in Europe is being able to "hop" to a new country and a new culture without it being a major


Da Movie Star incognito



Dinner out in my blue & white Bonmarche dress. No wrinkles!! Phone order line 0845 202 4490.

 trip. I feel like a "jet setter" with the expense of being a REAL jet setter. Put on a pair of dark sunglasses, and I can pretend I'm a movie star, travelling incognitio. (I have a good imagination.)

Is it Ascot? No, it's a Wedding!

For a moment, I could be forgiven for thinking I'd been dropped off at Ascot, except for the fact that it's September and there are no horses around. No, it's the wedding from my previous post. So many fabulous hats!!

How I Love a Wedding!

Here I am at a recent wedding, in blue and white

How I do LOVE  a wedding, and I don't need to know the bride, groom, or any of the family to have a good time.  No, I get to go as a Wife of the Bell Ringer, which is Gorgeous Husband.  He makes the noise and rings the bells, I flash the hat!

I am wearing a wonderful blue dress from the David Emanuel collection for the fashion chain Bonmarche, along with the cream collarless coat, also from the same collection. I was fortunate enough to have the lovely folks representing Bonmarche ask me if I would model some of their clothes. Be still, my foolish heart! Would I? Would I ever!! As you can see, the mock wrap blue dress is a great dress for weddings, or a dinner out. It's dressy, without being so dressy that it is a one-occasion dress. And at £22, it's great value, especially as being jersey, it doesn't wrinkle. The cream collarless coat is also a good buy at £45. The label says "machine washable" which is good, as I am a mucky pup, but I'm not sure I will be brave enough to just chuck it in the machine! (I am so timid sometimes!) I found the neck to be a bit large on me, but with the addition of a cream scarf, I felt ever so chic. The blue hat and blue leather gloves were from my existing wardrobe, otherwise known as the Endless Stash. I just saw in the fashion section of i newspaper called "Hot Fuzz" that items like my blue fuzzy handbag are the very latest in chic. Well, there it is! I was on the cutting edge before I realized I was on the cutting edge. No way my fuzzy handbag cost £150 like the one in the paper though. www.bonmarche.co.uk

What is it with Me and Shoes?

As I have mentioned before, I do like to travel light. Or, more accurately, airlines are making it expensive to do anything other than travel light. So, on a recent trip to Prague, I may have gone overboard. I packed only 3 outfits (which as it turned out, was more than enough) but only wore ONE pair of boots. I didn't wear anything new, as I had intended perhaps to ditch them, and come home with something new. Well, wasn't that a good plan? BUT...(oh, yes, there's always a "but", isn't there?) Who knew that this particular pair of "old faithful" boots were going to give up the ghost on the way to the airport?

My left boot, with its sole flapping like a duck bill.

So, OK, here we are in the airport, and I can hardly walk without tripping myself up.  Gorgeous Husband helpfully said that perhaps there would be a shoe repair somewhere in the airport, or we could buy some glue.  Was there?  Not in a million years!  Who goes to an airport to have their shoes repaired?!

Also, glue apparently is one of those "dangerous substances" that they don't allow on airplanes, and so no one sells it in any of the shops.  Well, what is a person to do??

I've got to admit, it was a ridiculous situation, and so, also called for some creative thinking.  We purchased a pack of gum, (yes... chewing gum) and between us, chewed up enough gum to stick down my sole temporarily.  I'll bet I was the only woman in the airport whose shoes smelled minty.

Fortunately, when we went through airport security, they didn't ask me to remove my boots, as I don't know if they would have believed that sticky substance holding my shoe together was actually chewing gum and not something new from the terrorist's arsenal.

Has anyone else had a travel wardrobe mishap?  Moral of the story: travel with more than one pair of shoes.  Just in case.

The Victorians Shake a Leg

Yesterday, Gorgeous Husband and I went to a local historic church to help out with what was loosely termed "a history day". You, know, how things were in the past, and how they are now. As many of us as were interested were invited to show up in costume and do a few dances. Well, we never pass up the opportunity to get gussied up, so off we went: this time wearing our Victorian gear.

This is my friend Christine, dressed in what she termed "her Titanic dress".  It was gorgeous.  She not only sewed the dress from a pair of old curtains, but had also embellished the hat and made the lace handbag.

Here we are "taking tea" in the church after a bit of not very strenuous dancing.



The "Victorians" pause for refreshments



Rear view of Christine's hat and lace shawl over her dress.

One Day in Summer

I've always loved the idea of a picnic, but in practice, we seldom actually do it. Is it having to make the sandwiches, or fill the flask (thermos) or what? I mean, really, how difficult is it anyway?? One day this summer we got our act together and decided to head out to Boscobel House, which isn't too far away. History note: Boscobel House is where Charles II hid in a tree in 1651 to hide from Parliament's forces after the Battle of Worcester. He was (literally) on the run, and if they had found him, it would have been "curtains" for him! (Well, he would have suffered the same fate as his father, which is to say, "off with his head!" The tree that he hid in is called the Royal Oak, and is still there and you can buy saplings from that very tree with a certificate of authenticity.

Here I am at the duck pond with our picnic.  Who wants a table when there is such a pretty setting as this?  (Although I was glad I didn't sit on any goose poo.)  We had a fantastic meal of crusty bread with brie, grapes, and some yummy salads.  I must say, I'm thrilled with my picinic basket, not just because I never had one before, but also because it was FREE.  Someone was throwing it out.  (Are they insane??!)

I especially like this navy and white polka dot sundress because of the lovely latticework on the back. It must have come from a charity shop, although it is one of the few items that I can't remember where it came from.  I just remember it was dirt cheap and originally didn't fit me.  Thank goodness I can sew.

The geese around the pond came to have a snoop and were hopeful of some crumbs.  They did get some, but not many.  It was too good to give away!  I'd forgotten the chutney, so we bought a jar of Red Onion Marmalade from the Boscobel gift shop.  Darn good it was too!