Back in the Czech!

A birthday present to remember! My roommate got me five tickets (three free) to see Don Giovanni in the very theater Mozart premiered it in in 1787! She knew someone in the orchestra, so we even got to go backstage and see the orchestra pit. I got so exciting thinking that Mozart must have stood right over there! The opera was wonderful, lavishly done, and wonderfully sung and acted. The theater is gorgeous--an unusual greenish color on the outside and a beautiful royal blue and gold inside. It's tucked away behind some buildings, so it's maybe not so noticeable, but if you're walking from Vaclavske Namesti to Staromeske Namesti and keep your eyes turned to the right, you'll catch sight of it. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present.

There's no castle I love more than Prague Castle. It's huge and historic, spanning centuries, sits up on a hill, beautifully lit at night, Sv. Vit's cathedral reaching into the clouds. There's nothing like it in the world. Taking a tour is great if you have the time, you'll find out so much about the history and just how far this castle goes back. And don't miss Zlata Ulice (Golden Lane). Tiny, cute little shops that were once houses; even I had to duck to get in some of the doors. And I'm short! This is a castle of kings, presidents, and (unfortunately) one Nazi dictator.

This bridge is the site of my own personal happy place. It was built over 500 years ago and is lined with statues of saints. In any season, this bridge is beautiful. Last time I was there, I took a photo for a couple that had just gotten engaged. Nice choice of spot, young man! One of my best memories of Prague is sitting on the side of this bridge, eating my dinner, looking up at the gorgeously lit Prague Castle on the hill. It's a pedestrian bridge, so it's a great place to stroll. In summer there are artisans selling their wares, and in winter it's quiet and peaceful--if you don't count the mighty Vltava flowing underneath, but then that's a peaceful sound, too.

This is the start of my favorite part of Prague. Every other part of Prague fades in my memory, but not Old Town. And Old Town Square is the culmination of it all. It's just mesmerizing to see all those historical buildings 360 degress around me. My favorites are the Old Town Hall with the Orloj and the Tyn Church. I love the juxtaposition of the Gothic church with the more Renaissance building in front. And if you ever needed an idea of why Prague is called the "City of a Hundred Spires", that church will tell you why. And of course, you have to stay in that square long enough to see the Orloj go off on the hour. Get there early to get a good spot.

The Czech Republic is known for its porcelain and it's best porcelain is the Royal Dux. You *could* buy it in Prague, but you can buy it cheaper at the source. The source just happens to the be the town I taught English in, Duchcov, about two hours out from Prague to the northwest. It's a small town off the beaten path, but hey, Casanova liked the place. He spent his last days as the librarian in the Castle Dux. Royal Dux porcelain is made here. You can buy figurines and clocks and dishes, all of the finest quality. And no middle-man costs! Still, this is the Royal Dux, so it will cost more than lesser names, but there's enough variety for every budget to take home something.

I've seen Paris (beautiful) and London (intriguing). But when I first stepped foot in Prague, the word that came to mind has matched no other city I've ever seen: magical. This city will take your heart and fill your dreams. I smile at even the slightest glimspe of it. I beam when I speak of it.

I love history; that's no surprise, and it's everywhere in Prague (or at least in Old Town). So old and so well-preserved, so gorgeous. I hate winter, yet I love Prague in every season. Standing on Charles Bridge with the Vltava beneath me, looking up at Prague Castle... there's no other place I'd rather be. On my last trip there, I went to that bridge as often as I could, in the daytime or at night. It's the best sight in the world. And it's just magical.

Teplice? What's Teplice? My Czech hometown, that's what. I lived in the Czech Republic for one year while teaching English and Teplice is where I lived.

It's a small city near the border with Germany, in mountains, and about 2 hours out from Prague, in the northwest corner of the country. It's a spa town, known for it's healing waters. Legend is the town was founded when a farmer's pig fell into some water and died because of the heat. The rumor is that the water is slightly radioactive, and that gives it its healing attributes. It's said that Beethoven visited the spas here.

It's an off-the-beaten path place to go, but it's home, of a sort, to me. I lived in an old family house converted into two flats. My roommate, Marenka knows half the country (or at least it seems like it). She got me into concerts and operas for free with those contacts and she was a great friend, too.

I could see a castle on a hill (Dobrovka) from my flat window and I was five minutes walk through a garden (Zamecka Zahrada) to another (Teplice castle) which is now a museum. The most striking part of the museum is the Blue Room, where everything is porcelain or made to look like it: the door, the floor, the chairs, the table, the chandelier, etc.

There's a festival on May 1st where a king is elected (kind of a farcical contest and a lot of fun) and a festival when the spa season opens. There's shopping off Benesak (Benesovo Namesti), concerts and movies in the Kulturny Dum, operas in the theaters, chamber ensembles in the park, ice cream at Pinocio's and Sunday lunch at Septim.

It's just 30 minutes to Dresden, an hour to Terezin, and two hours to Prague. The mountains aren't the highest, but with all the walking (up and downhill), I stayed in great shape without even trying.

The pace of life is so different from here in the U.S. I could swear the Czechs get more hours in the day. There was time to work, read, write, listen to the BBC World Service, take in a movie, and chat all night in a pub with friends. It's a beautiful city, and I still remembered my way home from the train station after 9 years away.