A Goodbye to a Great Year

2011

Fireworks over the Vltava River in Prague, as seen from Letna Park

As the year came to an end, I thought back on the past year, and couldn't help feeling completely blown away. The year 2011 was one of the best years of my life, hands down. I feel so grateful for the opportunities I have had this year, for the places I've gone, the people I've met, the life I am living. If someone had told me a decade ago that my life would turn out this way, I wouldn't have believed it. But in this one year, I lived in Korea, the US and the Czech Republic. I traveled to Canada, Austria, the UK, and Germany. I saw family and friends whom I hadn't seen in months and years, and met new people who have enriched my life in so many beautiful ways. I began graduate school to study issues I am passionate about, I feel supported by the people I love, and I am excited about the present and the future ahead. 

As the year 2012 begins, I can say with conviction that I am truly happy, and that is no small thing. 

Lots of love to all of the amazing people in my life from all over the world. I wish you happiness in 2012 (and beyond). <3 

Happy New Year!

A Busy End to 2011 Part IV: Christmakkuh in Prague

Back in: Prague, Czech Republic

Old Town Square

 Prague was completely transformed into a kind of magical Christmas wonderland this winter. While fluffy white snow would have made it even more stunning, I'm sure, I can't complain about the warm weather. It has been a bit chilly, but for the most part it has been unseasonably mild, which means I get to enjoy walking around outdoors even in the winter.

New Town Square

On the 24th one of my closest friends from college came from Israel to visit me for the holidays. It turns out that Israel is much closer than I thought, and a cheap round trip flight, which has me pondering a possible trip later this year if time and money allow. 

Christmakkuh Dinner

Here in the Czech Republic the 24th is the day when everyone celebrates, and the dinner has a few staple foods, including fried carp and potato salad. If my older brother had been here, I'm sure the carp would have been on the table. I, on the other hand, had no idea how I would go about buying and cooking carp, so I stuck to the potato salad. My friend and I also cooked up a tasty mushroom-parmesean risotto, green beans, a salad, and a fruit salad. Other friends brought tzatziki, pork, and more. The dinner was delicious, and the company was great. We even played Apples to Apples, which is a holiday tradition in my house in Wisconsin, and I found out later that my family had been playing at the same time as my friends and I were on the other side of the world - coincidence? ;)

Our "Hannukiah"

Since three of the guests were Jewish, we also made a...unique...Hannukiah to light in honor of Hannukah. In true Christmas spirit I also decorated a cute miniature Christmas tree. For our Christmakkuh celebration we were joined by several other friends, resulting in a very international group, with four countries represented around the table, and all of us celebrating far from home. While I missed being home with family for the holiday, I was happy to be surrounded by such a great group of people here in Prague. 

My neighborhood,
seen from Vysehrad

With DK here, I finally went to Vysehrad. The castle is less famous than Prague castle, but is beautiful and is a mere ten minute walk from my house. It is up on a hill, with a lovely view of parts of Prague I hadn't seen before, as well as a view of my neighborhood - since it is actually kind of in my neighborhood...

Staropramen Brewery

DK and I also enjoyed a tour of Staropramen Brewery, though we laughed so hard at the ridiculousness of the audio-visual guide in one room that I tripped and over a box of hops, spilling them all over. It only made us laugh harder. The tour was more expensive than Pilsner Urquell but less cool. Still, the hop fall was pretty memorable.

Vaclav Havel Memorial

We also were lucky to enjoy the post-Christmas Christmas Markets. I had been afraid that DK would miss them, but they were still around after the holiday, so we enjoyed eating holiday foods, drinking mulled wine, listening to street musicians, and looking at the kitschy trinkets for sale. In addition, we stopped by the memorial to Vaclav Havel at Vaclavske Namesti.

Charles Bridge, Castle in Background

Later, we headed up to Prague Castle, which I've been to before, but at a new time of day, so of course I took loads of pictures that are nearly identical to other pictures I've taken. Every time I go, I can't get over how beautiful it is...

Jewish Cemetery

But we also went to new places, like the Jewish Quarter, which includes one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in Europe. It also has a museum dedicated to the Czech victims of the Holocaust, with pictures from children in the Terezin Concentration Camp, many of whom went on to die in the gas chambers at Auschwitz - where I'll be heading this weekend, actually. One of the synagogues also lists the names of the approximately 80,000 Czech Jews who died in the Holocaust. I can't really describe the feeling of being in that room.

Narodni Divadlo

On the evening of the 28th we were able to get standing tickets for just 30ck each (about $1.50) to see the Nutcracker Ballet in the beautiful National Theatre (Narodni Divadlo). The performance was interesting, because it combined the story of A Christmas Carol with The Nutcracker, all set to Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet.

Inside Narodni Divadlo

Instead of starting with the Christmas Party and Clara, it began in the town square with Scrooge ruining the day for the villagers. He breaks Clara's Nutcracker, and that night he dreams that the Devil comes with Zombies to his room. But then, an Angel arrives, and she shows him the way to good. The Devil and Angel are important figures in the Czech holiday season, as on December 5th, St. Mikulaus Day, the Devil and Angel join St. Mikulaus in visiting children to give them presents (the Angel) or to throw them in a sack and take them to hell (the Devil). You can read more about it here. So the first act had the Devil and Zombies instead of the Army of Mice, and the second act had the Angel showing Scrooge the magical land with the same characters from the Nutcracker. In the end, Scrooge learns his lesson and brings Christmas back to the village, and fixes the broken Nutcracker. I was happy to go and see the ballet, which was a Christmas tradition in my family for many years, but to also have a new Czech twist that made it a different experience.

View of Prague from Vitkov Hill

On the last day of DK's visit we headed to Vitkov Hill, where there is a national monument and a national history museum, which includes the mausoleum of former Communist President Gottwald. It's a pretty intense place, very dark and imposing, as one might expect.

National Monument on Vitkov Hill

The history museum had a special exhibit about the influence of Communism on Museums (a very meta exhibit). In addition, it had a general timeline of Czechoslovak and Czech history since 1918. The location was in Prague 8, a neighborhood I hadn't been to before, and the hill provided a stunning view of Prague at sunset. I was glad we discovered the museum, since it's a bit off the beaten path and no one had mentioned it to me before. I would recommend it to history buffs who have the time to make it part of their visit to the city.

All in all, it was wonderful to have DK visiting for the holidays. I was so happy to actually have the time to enjoy Christmas this year, since I worked teaching English on the last two Christmases in Korea. This year I was more homesick, with the time to really appreciate the holiday season approaching, but I was also thrilled to be surrounded by people who made me feel at home in Prague nonetheless. Thank you to DA, DK, MP, ME, RG, RB, and LP for making it a memorable and fun holiday.

At the John Lennon Peace Wall

A Busy End to 2011 Part III: Vienna (Take Two)

Vienna, Austria

View of Vienna and Schonbrunn from the Palace Gardens

In mid-December I had to head back to Vienna, where I went in September, to deal with my (extremely long, frustrating, exhausting, discouraging and woefully bureaucratic) visa process. Unlike the last trip, which ended in tears, this trip was a roaring success, and I celebrated with a return to the Palace garden where I had picnicked in September (then as a means of cheering myself up). Although the trees were no longer green, and some statues had been covered for the winter, it was a lovely, sunny day. We fed some birds and enjoyed a walk around the palace gardens and up the hill, which afforded us a picturesque view of the city. 

At Naschmarkt 

For the rest of the weekend, with my visa status happily stamped into my passport, I was able to relax and enjoy the visit immensely. One of the best parts was reconnecting with my very first Couchsurfer. He had come to Ithaca in 2007 to surf our couch, and had then offered his couch if I were ever in Vienna. 

Typewriters for sale at Naschmarkt

Happily, the timing was right and we enjoyed getting to know him and his girlfriend better, and enjoyed a delicious Sri Lanken meal as well as a traditional Austrian one. In addition, he took us to Naschmarkt, a street with a long outdoor flea market, food market, clothing market, and more. We had some hot mulled wine, tasty olives, and even a tropical fruit from South America! In fact, in our weekend in Vienna we ate food with origins in at least five different countries - it was a bit of a gastronomical world tour. 

Downtown Vienna at Night

Vienna is a stunning city, and I was happy to have a few days there to walk all over and take it all in. We were able to visit three art museums: the Leopold, the Albertina, and the Belvedere. All three were beautiful buildings in their own right, and their collections were impressive. We spent a good amount of time in the first two, but had to squeeze in the Belvedere before leaving. 

Vinegar at Naschmarkt

Merry Christmas!

Sauerkraut at Naschmarkt

What I loved most about visiting Vienna were (and this is going to be no surprise to anyone who read my last post on Dresden) the markets, both the Nashmarkt and the Christmas Markets all over the city. While I love Prague and the Christmas Markets here, I have to say that Vienna's range of stalls was astounding and impressive. 

Christmas Market at Rathaus

I was a bit enamored with them all, and I was happy to be traveling with a level-headed person whose frugality and common sense prevented me from spending money on every cute thing I saw. Instead, I just took pictures - which are almost always free (I say almost because a number of museums and tourist attractions make you pay a fee to take pictures). Now I have the memories without the hole in my pocket - though, funnily enough, I also have a literal hole in my coat pocket... 

To Give You an Idea of What the Christmas Markets Offered:

A Stationery Stall

A Gingerbread House

They even sell football (soccer) jerseys from around the world!

Beautiful paper star decorations

I thought my nephew would like these a lot :)

A Busy End to 2011 Part II: Dresden (Plus Why I Love Markets)

 Dresden, Germany

Hofkirche...and other pretty buildings...

In early December we headed to Dresden, which is only about two hours north of Prague, just across the border into Germany (formerly part of East Germany). Before going I had known nothing of Dresden outside of the firebombing by the Allies (US) in WWII. Related to that, I had only the image carved in my own imagination from reading Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut (a great book, if you haven't read it). I was therefore interested in going for historical reasons, but had a very fuzzy image of what was actually awaiting me there. 

We found a last minute Couchsurfer to host us (see http://www.couchsurfing.org/ for more information about that) in a big student flat, and all of the flatmates turned out to be welcoming and friendly. They had a huge party the second night we were there, which gave us the opportunity to meet lots of unique and memorable people. 

Frauenkirche

We had basically one day to see everything, because we had gotten a special deal on bus tickets, so we had to maximize our time. This meant waking up at about 7am and walking around the city the whole day, until 11pm. It could have felt like a miserably long day, but the city was so lovely, and the company so pleasant, that I didn't even notice the time pass - until about 9pm, when it grew dark and cold...

Among the sites we saw were some beautiful cathedrals, museums (but we didn't get the chance to go in because of time and money constraints), a beautiful opera house, and the Zwinger palace. Many post cards showed pictures of the city after its destruction in 1945 compared with current pictures, and the contrast is stark. It is a stunningly beautiful city, with real charm. It is entirely possible that a good deal of charm was due to the markets. It was Christmas Market season, so we walked through the stalls selling foods, arts, crafts, drinks, trinkets, and more. 

I'm also in love with this guy, at Zwinger Palace

Side Note on Markets:

This brings me to an epiphany of sorts that occurred to me in my travels this month: I am completely in love with these markets. I am in love with all markets, in fact. When I think of all my travels around the US and the world, I remember markets vividly. My experiences of markets - walking past them, walking through them, "window" shopping, buying things, smelling things, tasting things, trying things on, checking things out, communicating (verbally or non-verbally) with people - these have been some of the most memorable experiences of my life. So, for just a moment, I would like to honor the markets which have contributed to my love of traveling and interacting with people all over the world: the Farmers Markets in Madison, Ithaca, and Prague; the outdoor markets in Paris,  Milano, Venezia, Firenze, Roma, Kumasi, Accra, Medie, Klikor, Seoul, and Busan; and the Christmas Markets in Prague, Dresden and Vienna. 

Back to Dresden:

After seeing the sights, we went to see the Dresden Philharmonic. We got last minute student tickets in the very first row, which distorted the sound and the sight lines, but didn't detract at all from the fantastic performance. Plus, from my seat I could see the facial expressions of the conductor, who was easily one of, if not the most, animated and excited conductors I've witnessed. It was clear from start to finish that he was passionate about his work, and the orchestra responded in kind. I was thrilled to be there.

A Busy End to 2011 Part I: Plzen

December flew by. I was so busy with classes ending, exams beginning, and weekend traveling, I never once sat down to write a new post about it all! So, I decided to divide the month into several retro-active posts, so you don't have to read them all at once :)

The last month (-ish) was full of great trips in the region, and I was lucky to have a good travel partner to join me in my adventures. In addition, for the holidays I had a friend come from Israel to join me for the week, which meant more great company. While it was hard to be away from family over the holidays, I feel very grateful for the wonderful people I have met here who made the month fly by and filled it with happy memories.

Plzen, Czech Republic (Nov. 20)

Plzen, through the window of the tower

I last wrote right before taking a trip to Plzen (Pilsen), the home of Pilsner Urquell brewing company. The town is small, but is known for a cathedral with a high tower, a beautiful old synagogue, an opera house, and, mostly, the brewery. We went to all of these places in a whirlwind day trip. The tower offered a beautiful view of the city, and the bells rang out while we were at the top, so we were able to see the massive machinery that worked to make them chime - loudly. The synagogue was closed, but even so it was a lovely building, as was the opera house.

Pilsner Urquell Brewery - if you have a bottle,
you can see this gate on the seal and imprinted on the side

Our primary reason for the trip was to check out the brewery. Despite being born and raised in Wisconsin, home to hundreds of microbreweries and the Brewers baseball team, I had never been on a brewery tour. Pilsner set a pretty high bar, too. From the moment we stepped into a bran-new glass and chrome elevator with a 70 person capacity, I knew we were in for quite a tour. First, we saw a video about the unique brewing process in a surround-sound and 180-degree screened theater.

Nazdravi! 

Next, we walked through a room with waterfalls and water under the glass floor to learn about the special water used, before going into a room with hops you could touch and with tvs to see the special yeast used. We moved on to the furnace rooms, and then down to a museum with famous stuff...But the best part came at the end. The last part of the tour goes through part of a massive underground maze of caves, where the beer ferments and is iced. It was very cool, especially when we got to try the unfiltered freshly brewed Pilsner at the end. It really was about 10 times better than the stuff you get from the bottle, and 5 times better than on tap.