Bohemia(n) Rhapsody

I was so exhausted after our jam-packed day on Sunday (and my caffeine crazed lack of sleep the night before) that I fell unconscious as soon as my head hit the pillow. James informed me that the party people of Prague sang and shouted nearby until the wee small hours, but I was completely oblivious and woke refreshed on Monday morning and raring to go.
It was another very warm, sunny day. We went back to Obecní Dūm again for breakfast because we liked it so much yesterday, and then we crossed the river again and this time took the funicular railway up to the top of Petrin Park. We strolled round the side of the hill along a tree lined path with blossom drifting through the air, and down a lovely cobbled street to the square in front of the castle. However the length of the queue was rather daunting and we decided that we will just have to come back to Prague another time to visit it. We did see the changing of the guard, complete with a tiny marching band who wore smart red jackets with shiny brass buttons.So on we sauntered, down the hill into Malá Strana, in search of a restaurant which had been recommended to us by Heather and Ewan. We invariably enjoy their recommendations! We were armed with a description of its location but no name, so we had to make our best guess at which of the several riverside restaurants it might be. The one we plumped for, which was called Kampa Park, certainly didn’t disappoint! Right on the side of the river, close to the Charles Bridge, we just sat there amazed and drinking in the view. The wide majestic river, the pleasure boats, the Old Town across the river, the horse chestnut trees, the statues and people on the Charles Bridge, I can see it all still in my mind’s eye. The air was so thick with pollen that it clung to our watches and cutlery. The food was absolutely delicious although James won the day with a very light and flavoursome pea soup - I was quite jealous of his choice even though my own food was excellent. As we relaxed and chatted James spotted a boat named “Bohemia Rhapsody” - he had been wondering when we might come across a reference to that well known song and was delighted even though it lacked an “n”. Eventually we had to move on with our day but it was a magical interlude. After seeing his Art Nouveau designs at Obecní Dūm, I was keen to see the Mucha exhibition at the Municipal Gallery in the Old Town Square so that was our next stop. It was mercifully cool in the museum and I really liked his artworks. My favourite is the one with the girl whose arms are full of fruit (appropriately entitled “Fruit”!) which is used as the cover of the menu at Obecní Dūm.We then strolled in the direction of Wenceslas Square where we paid our respects to the statue of the man himself, who was sitting resplendent astride a horse rather than treading boldly through deep snow. I must say that I was not bowled over by Wenceslas Square; it was more like a wide road than a Square and was lined with chain stores- it just didn’t have the charming atmosphere of the Old Town to which we soon returned. By this time it was late afternoon and time for cool drinks in one of the many wee cafés in the fairytale alleyways of the Old Town. I wasn’t ready to leave Prague, but after one last wander around the market it was time to head back to the airport. Goodbye Prague, I hope to come back again! 

Goulash with dumplings

I shouldn’t have had a double espresso on Saturday night after our concert. Especially since it was actually after midnight so it was really Sunday morning! It had been such a lovely evening that we stopped at a café in the old town and sat outside chatting in the warm darkness. We didn’t realise how late it was. However the late night coffee meant that I was absolutely hyper when we got back to the apartment. James fell asleep straight away but I was wide awake for another two hours or so. I read my book and prowled around the room. It was also party time in Prague and a number of revellers sounded as if they were just underneath our bedroom window. But to be fair that wasn’t what kept me awake, it was my self-inflicted caffeine hit that did that.
So I was a bit tired when James woke me, but I did want to get out and see the city so I forced myself into the shower and that revived me a bit. At the recommendation of James’ colleague Gerry, we had breakfast at Obecní Dūm, five minutes walk from our apartment. It’s a splendid grand old café decorated in Art Nouveau style. We sat outside and watched the world go by while I ate my muesli with yoghurt and fruit followed by bread rolls with honey. Meanwhile James got stuck into a Czech breakfast which consisted of sausages with horseradish sauce, followed by apple strudel!
And now our explorations really began. We looked at the amazing buildings in the picturesque Old Town square before heading into the Jewish Quarter. We visited the Pinkas Synagogue which has the names of the 80,000 Czech victims of the Holocaust painted on its walls. It was very moving, and so was the exhibition of drawings made by the children confined in Terezin, most of whom died. I noticed that most had birth dates in the early 1930s (like my Mum) but they had died between 1941 and 1944. The drawings were so innocent, of everyday things - it was very sad. We emerged blinking into the sunshine in the Old Jewish Cemetery which was very peaceful with hundreds of gravestones all leaning against each other. Here is buried Rabbi Loewe, who made a stone golem to protect the people in the Jewish ghetto. Until one day it ran amok and he had to shut it in the attic of the Old-New Cemetery!
We then crossed Charles Bridge - oh my goodness it was very busy! We found a pleasant restaurant called La Patrona for a restoring lunch, before heading up a steep flight of stone steps to the Castle. It was so warm and sunny that we decided to stay outdoors to enjoy the sunshine, so we continued up the hill a bit and crossed into the upper part of Petrin Park which is beautiful and overlooks the red roofs of the city. There were lots of lilac trees in the park and their scent filled the air.
Andersons always ascend to the highest point possible, so how could we resist climbing the 297 steps to the top of the Petrin Viewing Tower? It was hot and I was well out of breath by the time I got to the top, but oh boy the views of the river and city were stunning.
We zigzagged down through park, all the while being treated to views of beautiful Prague laid out before us. By the time we crossed the Legii Bridge and walked for about fifteen minutes back to our apartment in the Old Town I was hot and bothered. I tried really hard not to grump at James, who was doing a grand job of navigating us through the streets, but I’m afraid that I didn’t fully succeed. It was so great to fling open all the windows and lie down on the cool bed for a rest.
We decided that we wanted to eat at a traditional Czech restaurant so after consulting our trusty guide book we chose Staromestská which was right on the Old Town Square. It turned out to be an excellent choice, and my goulash with dumplings was mouth-wateringly good. After a long and lingering dinner we wandered round the square and the narrow streets of the Old Town, enjoying the atmosphere of this amazing city.

Kafkaesque

Our weekend in Prague started on Saturday morning with a train and a bus. Long term readers of this blog will recall that I have serious doubts about public transport, due to many disturbing and sometimes unpleasant experiences in the past. As we sauntered from Glasgow Central to Buchanan Street bus station with our little wheeled cases in tow, a seagull shat upon BOTH of us from a great height. It splattered right down the front of James’ jacket, and also hit me right on the forehead and down my nose. I believe that this can be regarded as good luck! We nipped into a wee city supermarket and bought a packet of baby wipes to clean ourselves up a bit. So there we were, standing in the middle of Buchanan Street, wiping each other down with the wipes!
The bus station was bustling but James bought me a wee coffee and we found the bus to Edinburgh Airport with no difficulty. The passengers were a strange looking bunch. Some had backpacks, some were scarily elderly, one poor lady was just sitting there crying her eyes out as she waved goodbye to a very cheerful looking man. The bus driver engaged in a loud and lively argument through the window with his supervisor about when he was supposed to set off, and used some distinctly non politically correct language. Ah, public transport! It’s never dull.
As we walked across the tarmac at Edinburgh airport to our aeroplane we were assailed by a heady odour of manure from the nearby field mixed with the smell of kerosene. James suggested that we market it as a perfume for “the rural aviation enthusiast” which I thought was very funny.
During our flight I listened to the ninety minute BBC Radio Scotland Outdoors podcast about John Muir. Originally recorded in 2016, it has been put back onto the website since the recent 180th anniversary of his birth. It was both fascinating and informative and has inspired me (even more!) for our visit to Yosemite. What a great person John Muir was.
When we arrived in Prague our taxi driver took us into the old town through picturesque and twisty streets until he finally stopped and pointed us towards a narrow passageway. Within it we found the tiny office for our apartment which is situated in a large old building. We followed the receptionist’s directions as best we could, but found ourselves searching up and down sinister staircases and labyrinthine corridors with strangely numbered doors for what felt like ages. As James pointed out, the situation was positively Kafkaesque - which I suppose is appropriate for Prague.
We did thankfully find our apartment which was surprisingly airy and spacious compared to its surroundings, and soon it was time to negotiate the metro to our concert. It was such a warm evening - no need for jackets - and we joined the crowds at the O2 arena to see Roger Waters. The tickets were my Christmas present to James, and Roger Waters is his taste rather than mine. However I enjoyed the concert too; I knew most of the music and I was impressed by the truly gigantic model of Battersea Power Station which descended from the roof during the second set and on which were projected some amazing images. The light show was great and ended with a Pink Floyd prism made out of beams of white light, with rainbow colours added in.

April showers

The weather was pretty amazing today. Although it was warm and sunny, the sky above looked wild. Against the bright blue sky there were big solid grey-white clouds and also wispy wind-blown clouds that looked like torn hankies. It was beautiful but also incongruous; it looked more like an extravagant painting of an imaginary sky than a real sky! When I got home from work I walked down to the doctor’s to pick up a prescription and the temperature was most pleasant, warm with a slight breeze. However when I was on the way back home, the sky to the west had turned into one big black cloud, all the more ominous because I was still strolling along in sunshine. About an hour later there was torrential rain followed by a sudden hailstorm. Flora was intrigued by the sound of the hail hitting the garden path and she jumped into the window sill and stared at the hailstones bouncing on the slabs. 

It has all been fascinating but we will miss the next exciting instalment of Scottish spring weather because tomorrow we are setting off to Prague for a wee break. 

Royal Baby

On Monday morning, while I was having a swim before yoga, the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to her third baby, a little boy. I have been teased by various friends for being a bit of a monarchist, and I suppose I am. I think that Britain would be duller without the royal family, and I also like the idea of their own history being linked so directly with the history of the country, going back for many centuries. The Duchess of Cambridge appeared with the baby on the hospital steps only about seven hours later, looking absolutely fantastic and with no sign of the swollen ankles that I used to sport at the end of my pregnancies. Although to be fair, my ankles are not my best feature at any time!
Having three babies changes your life. You and your husband are outnumbered by your progeny. It’s really hard work and you worry about giving them all enough attention. And then somehow they grow up to be funny, strong, amazing young people. And it’s all worth it! 

Happy Birthday John Muir!

In preparation for our upcoming visit to Yosemite National Park, I have been reading John Muir’s book on The Yosemite. Born in Dunbar, Scotland in 1838, John Muir moved with his parents to America and spent his life exploring, recording and protecting the beautiful areas of wilderness that became, in part thanks to him, America’s National Parks. He was an amazing and adventurous man, and his love of nature shines through in his vivid descriptions of the mountains, waterfalls, flora and fauna of the Yosemite Valley.
How appropriate then, that on his 180th birthday (yesterday, 21st April) James and I should go on a beautiful walk along the Fife Coastal path and share in his love of the outdoors. We set off reasonably early and after the hour and a half’s journey we were just in time to catch the ten to ten bus from Crail to Boarhills. We then walked back to Crail which was 15 km along the coast. The weather was beautiful with a gentle breeze and it was an absolutely brilliant day. The sea was a gorgeous deep blue with tiny choppy waves, and we sauntered along sandy beaches and rocky coves, and past several golf courses. At one point a golf ball smacked into the sand just beside us and we threw it back to a grateful golfer. We spotted a memorial stone which marked the place where Mary Queen of Scots’ mother, Marie de Guise, had landed by boat in Scotland on her way to marry James V in 1538. We gathered wee smooth pieces of translucent sea glass from the tide line. We saw stone ripples in the rocks formed by ancient rivers. We lay down on the grass at Fife Ness to relax in the sunshine for a while. When we arrived in Crail we had tea and scones sitting outside the Crail Harbour Gallery in its small sunny garden overlooking the sea.
It was such a good day and it was great to be outside for so long.
To quote birthday boy John Muir,
“I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.” 

Cranachan

I visited the dentist this week to get a chipped tooth repaired. I explained to him that the damage was caused by a piece of caramelised oatmeal in a Cranachan that I made recently. My dentist objected that you don’t need to caramelise the oatmeal for Cranachan, merely to toast it. As I acknowledged this but countered that caramelising (and then reducing it to the size of sugar granules with a pestle and mortar) is my own adaptation because it makes it even more tasty, it occurred to me that we were having a very gastronomic conversation!