Dec. 6th - Dec.17th

Who is this woman and why does she have a live fish in the bathroom? It's Christmas time in Prague and just like turkey at Thanksgiving, Czechs are getting ready to eat their traditional meal of fried carp and potato salad on Christmas eve. Purists buy their fish live and let it swim in the bathtub until it's almost time for the meal. This cute advertisement by Vodafone encouraging people to capture every Christmas moment can be seen at bus stops all over Prague right now.


The weather in Prague has finally turned colder and we have about an inch of snow on the ground today. There are Christmas lights up on the major streets and boulevards. That helps because the sun sets at 4 PM and rises at 8 AM. The kids were so very happy to finally see snow. Here's a picture taken on a bridge over the Vltava River. The kids were excited to see the first snowflakes on the ground. They are true Minnesotans!




We celebrated Rod's birthday by going ice skating at an indoor rink for the first time this year.








In traditional Czech style, Rod also invited some friends to join him for a beer at the local pub.










Both kids have had Christmas programs at their schools this week. Max's was an outdoor caroling and nativity play. There was also a Christmas bake sale. Here he is enjoying treats with two classmates.






Katrina's class sang songs in Czech and English and did some dancing, too.

We are looking forward to some warmer temperatures and the familiar sound of Spanish as we spend next week in Spain and the Canary Islands. We wish everyone a merry Christmas!

November 23rd - Dec 5th

The Christmas season is in full swing in Prague. We had the opportunity to experience a real Czech tradition today, the eve of St. Nicholas day. A bit like Halloween and Christmas all rolled into one, the streets of downtown Prague are full of trios of dressed up kids and adults tonight.

The trio is composed of St. Nicholas, an angel, and a devil. St. Nicholas asks each child if he or she has been good this year, and then the child must sing a song. The angel and devil may argue over the child's fate, but typically the angel prevails and the child gets a piece of candy or a small gift. It's a fun tradition and also an incentive for good behavior.

Max and Katrina both sang and received a candy bar.

However, Katrina's devilish side came out, as you can see.

Christmas markets have sprung up all over town. They sell lots of decorations, ornaments made from straw, advent wreaths, and traditional Christmas foods such as mulled wine and roasted chestnuts. The kids are enjoying their candy advent calendars which seem to be very popular.

Nov 8th-22nd

We've had a quiet couple of weeks here with our usual work and school routines. Teaching six different classes has been keeping Charyssa very busy. Rod has been working on developing some new lab experiments demonstrating principles of medical physics as part of his sabbatical projects. We have however, found some time to do some fun things around Prague, several even outside as the weather has taken a milder turn. We went to the biggest mall in the Czech Republic, OC Letnany. It's big and they have their Christmas lights up. It's paradise for kids with an indoor pool and an ice skating rink. The kids had fun trying out the pool.


We also spent a sunny Sunday afternoon in a nearby park which was once the royal game park used for hunting. The white building is shaped like a star and was used as an aristocratic hunting lodge. It was built in 1556.






November 17th was "Freedom and Democracy Day", a national holiday which marked the 20th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution in this country. Things have changed so swiftly in this country as they've moved from a Communist system to democracy, and a real effort is being made to have people to look back and remember. We went to an exhibition at the National Museum that chronicles the last sixty years of Czech history and learned a lot. Just across the street you can see a McDonald's in a building decorated with Socialist art that glorified the common worker. We thought it was an interesting contrast.



On a lighter note, we took in a professional soccer game and got to see Prague's AC Sparta team beat Liberec by a comfortable 2:0 score. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone from us!

Oct. 31st-Nov.7th

Living in Prague has given us the chance to experience several different cultural celebrations this week. The first is well known to us Americans. While Halloween hasn't exactly caught on in the Czech Republic yet, there were some Halloween festivities for the kids. Katrina went to a party at the home of an American friend. Prague also has a small neighborhood that is overwhelmingly populated by Americans and they put on a fun trick or treating evening for the city. Max, wearing his coon skin hat, went as Davy Crockett, along with some friends from his school.

The next day was All Souls Day. Much like our Memorial Day in the US, it is a day when many Czechs go to the cemeteries to place flowers and candles at the graves of family members.

We were sad to say goodbye to Grandma Peggy on Tuesday. She arrived home safely and says she is looking for some hills to climb after a month of walking everywhere in Prague.

Finally, the week ended with a bang - literally. November 7th is Guy Fawkes' Day, an important event in the British calendar, and since Max is attending a British school, we were treated to an evening of fun and fireworks on Saturday night. This day commemorates an unsuccessful attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliment in the early 1600s. In England there are typically bonfires on this night, and Fawkes is burned in effigy. However, the school celebration opts for fireworks and a puppet show which is a Czech addition to the festivities.

October 26th-30th

Owing to Max's half term break, we were able to spend several days in the area around Salzburg, Austria this past week. If you've ever seen "The Sound of Music" you've seen Salzburg because the movie was filmed there. We have to say that when Julie Andrews sang "The hills are alive" she really understated the Alps. Those aren't hills, they are huge mountains!


Our trip gave us the opportunity to rent a car (a Czech-made Skoda) for the first time since coming to the Czech Republic. The rental agency has a steep discount if you rent a car with advertising on it, and we thought that sounded fine to us. As you can see, it had a bit more advertising than we anticipated! However, it drove well and got us where we wanted to go.


We chose Salzburg because it had a good location and many activities for children and families. We arrived in Salzburg at 6 PM, and much to our surprise EVERYTHING was closed. However, it happened to be Austrian Independence day. We were very happy to find a gas station open where we could buy some food for supper. We stayed at a terrific place, Haus am Moos, whose owner was extremely nice and helfpul. We would recommend them to anyone visiting the area.


There were so many fun and interesting activities. For us the highlights included going up a funicular on the Untersberg Mountain.







We toured a working salt mine where we put on our miner's uniforms and rode a train deep into the mountain and across an underground lake.








We also toured the Wasserspiel garden at Hellbrunn Castle. Here during the Renaissance, the Prince Archbishop held parties and the guests got all wet from the suprise sprinklers. Seems that what was fun then is still fun today, especially for Max!







In the city of Salzburg, there is a fortress that was so forbidding to look at, that no one ever dared to attack it. The views from the ramparts were lovely. We also toured the Mozart Museum. Although Mozart was never happy in Salzburg because it was too small and provincial, it is his birthplace and they are very proud of their native son.



We spent our last day in the Lakes region to the east of Salzburg. The scenery is incredible, absolutely jaw dropping to us flatlanders. We'll leave you with some pictures of this beautiful area.

The Dachstein range.






Halstatt, Austria









The Wolfgangsee, from the town of St. Gilgen

October 12th-23rd

With Grandma Peggy visiting us, we have done quite a bit of sightseeing in the past two weeks. The big highlights for us were the Jewish synagogues of Josefov dating back to the 1200s, and Prague Castle where Katrina and Peggy found their knight in shining armor.




We also got in a day trip by train to Kutna Hora, the site of medieval Europe's largest silver mine. Rod, Max, and Charyssa donned medieval miners' gear and went down to explore the amazing tunnels which run underneath the town. It was really impressive to think that it was all dug by hand. While we toured the mines, Katrina and Grandma enjoyed desserts of gingerbread with lingon berry sauce at a nearby cafe.

Down in the mines!

We have also taken advantage of Grandma's visit for a couple of nights on the town. For Rod and Charyssa seeing Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" at the Estates Theater where it originally premiered was a real thrill. They also went to a Black Light Theater dance production as well as a local jazz club. Rod and Peggy attended a classical music concert at Lichtenstein Palace. (The Liechtenstein Palace is on the left in the picture.) We also took an actual taxi ride one evening. The kids had forgotten what it was like to ride in an actual car. Katrina was so delighted with it that she has requested another taxi ride for her birthday!


In terms of weather, Minnesotans we feel your pain. We actually had some snowflakes here last week, too, and the weather has been unseasonably cold. Locals are complaining and predicting a very cold winter for Prague. The weather for the next week should be in the 50s which will be a lot more pleasant.

Max's school had a Harvest Festival program full of music and skits about giving and sharing with others. On a more mundane level, we also got flu shots at our medical center. We also turned the clocks back an hour this weekend, so darkness will be coming very early. We are at 50 degrees latitude, north of the Canadian border. Max's school has a half term break this week, so we will take the opportunity to spend a few days in the area around Salzburg, Austria before Grandma leaves. We're watching "The Sound of Music" to get in the mood.

Swinging Into Fall, Oct 1 -11

Fall is slowly making its arrival here in Prague. We've had a few rainy days now and the leaves are starting to turn color in earnest. The temperatures have turned cooler in just the past two days. The last two weeks have held several highlights for us. The first was the arrival of Grandma Peggy from Rochester. She will be staying with us for several weeks. We are looking forward to showing her the sights.


Rod spent the first weekend of October in Nachod, a small town in the northeastern part of the Czech Republic taking part in a workshop for high school and college physics teachers from Central Europe. In addition to learning some new class demos he learned some new Czech folk songs since the workshop attendees played and sang together into the night.



Max's school had an International Food and Craft Fair. Max's class represented Macedonia since he has a classmate from that country. The kids sold Macedonian meatballs at the fair. It was fun to sample the many different foods there. People have also been asking us how Halloween is celebrated in Prague. The answer seems to be that it isn't, much. At school, Max's class will be studying Halloween since most of the kids know very little about it.

We are going native with our menu choices. Here is a picture of sausage, saurkraut, mashed potatoes, bread, and Pilsner beer that we made as an introduction to Czech cuisine for Grandma.


Finally, Rod, Charyssa, and Max have undergone that true test of their Czech skills -getting a haircut done by a Czech speaking stylist. The results - nice haircuts for all three! Our Czech tutor will be proud.

Oktoberfest

A three day weekend (Monday was St. Wenceslas Day in the Czech Republic) gave us the opportunity to take our first overnight trip. So on Saturday we traveled from Prague to Munich, Germany for Oktoberfest. The trip took several train changes and most of the day, but the weather was beautiful and the countryside picture perfect. The trip took us through the border town of Zelezna Ruda in the Sumava mountains. The train station is unique because it straddles both sides of the Czech and German borders. We have to reflect on the dramatic changes that have occurred here in just the past twenty years. Twenty years ago this was a heavily guarded border between the West and the Soviet Union. There was a buffer zone or no man's land of several miles on the Czech side which no one except soldiers could enter. Even five years ago, we would have had to show our passports and go through immigration to enter Germany. Today the Czech Republic is part of the European Union and all that is left of this border is a white line on the platform that we stepped across to board the next train. The no man's land is now a national park on both sides of the border and we saw lots of backpackers and mountain bikers on the train.

We arrived in the central Munich train station on Saturday afternoon and immediately noticed a lot of men wearing lederhosen and women in folkloric peasant dresses. We thought they must be from the tourism bureau or part of a folk dance group. What quickly became apparent was that they were just local people dressing up for Octoberfest. It's really true - people of all ages from little toddlers to senior citizens dress up for these two weeks. Locals told us it is even acceptable to wear them to work if they want.

We spent the day Sunday at the fairgrounds. For those who have been to the Minnesota State Fair, it's kind of like that. We would say that those in leiderhosen and folk dresses outnumbered those of us in jeans. We started the day with the concert of the Bavarian bands complete with Alpine horns. Then it was on to a lunch of sausage, saurkraut, and roasted chicken in the Paulner biergarten. It was a gorgeous day and we had a nice chat with a family from Munich who we shared the table with. They spoke English well and told us that it is a tradition for them to come at least once each year. They complained that it is getting too big and too commercial, but they still like to come. Unlike the Minnesota State Fair, there isn't any food on a stick. What they do have are lots of roasted nuts, candied fruits, and huge pretzels!


The midway rides did not disappoint either. The kids had fun. The highlight was the tall ferris wheel which really gave us a full view of the grounds. A real organ grinder was another thing we had never seen before.

The beer tents were also something to experience. They are not exactly tents but huge buildings, fourteen in all, which are rebuilt each year. They are beautifully decorated inside and can hold up to several thousand people each. In the middle is a large platform with live music from big brass bands. Even in the middle of the day, it was hard to find a seat. There must have been several thousand people eating, drinking, linking arms and singing along with the oompah band. A surreal moment for us was hearing John Denver's "Take Me Home Country Roads" played by a brass band and sung in English by thousands of German fair goers. This happened not once, but twice. Apparently, it's a popular song at Octoberfest. With the beautiful weather and festive atmosphere Oktoberfest will certainly be a special memory for us.








Here's a final picture of Rod getting in touch with his Milbrandt ancestors in the Pschorr beer tent.

This is the Way We Go to School

People have been asking us what it is like to live without a car, so we thought we'd focus on how we have been getting around. With the kids in school and both of us working, our life depends heavily on public transport. Luckily, Prague has a vast network of public transportation. With street cars, buses, trains, and the subway, it really does seem possible to go just about everywhere. Max says it's his favorite thing about Prague! Here's a look at all the different ways we go to school. We'll start with Katrina since hers is the easiest. Her preschool is a 15 minute walk from our apartment. It's a nice walk which takes us through the grounds of a Franciscan Sisters convent. For those from Rochester, it's a nice connection to Assisi Heights. It's a beautiful park like setting in the middle of the city. The walk to school is always shorter since it's mostly downhill. The walk home, however, takes longer. We've found that the promise of a yummy snack helps speed up the pace.

Rod takes Max to school using two city buses. With a transfer, it takes them about 25 minutes. It's interesting to note that it isn't unusual at all to see young elementary school aged kids riding public transportation alone to and from school. This is because there are no school buses in Prague. Everyone looks out for the children, and it is considered completely normal. In fact, Rod's Czech colleagues expressed surprise that he would actually accompany him to school. Given the language barrier and his limited experience, however, we know it's a good idea!


From Max's school, Rod catches a commuter train and rides to the train station. From there he takes a city bus to the university. His total commute time is about an hour.


Charyssa teaches in two locations, one in the city center and one in a suburb. Depending on where she is going, she takes a street car and then the subway. The city bus is also an option depending on the time of day. So, as you can see, in a single day we take just about every possible type of public transportation option in Prague. There is even a small ferry that Rod intends to use one of these days. Then we can say that we have done it all.

This week we have lingering summer like temperatures. The week had two highlights involving school. Max was able to Skype to his class in Minnesota. They had emailed him some questions about his experiences here. He loved being about to see his teacher and friends and talk in real time. We also attended the Welcome Back picnic at his school here. It was fun to meet his new friends' parents and sample foods from so many different places.

School Days

This week truly marked the beginning of a routine. With school and work starting, we really are beginning to feel that we actually live here. Max began school on Monday. He was really ready to go and meet some new friends his age. Because it is an international school, there are a number of new students each year, and the children are quite friendly. The students is his class are from the UK, Begium, the Czech Republic, Russia, Thailand, and the US. How is it different from home? Well, there is a uniform, for one thing. Navy pants and a red or navy shirt make getting dressed easy. Also, an indoor pair of shoes (crocs or slippers) are always worn inside the classroom. The schedule is also a bit different: 8:30-3:20. There is also chapel twice a week as the school is affiliated with the Church of England.
Max has joined the school soccer, er "football" team and also looks forward to being in the digital photography after school club. Many things are the same, however. His teacher is from the US and the curriculum is very similar. All the classes are taught in English, except for the Czech language class he has. There is hot lunch, recess time, and the things 8 year old boys find funny seem to be pretty universal!


Charyssa also began teaching Business English as a large Czech bank. It was recently bought by a Belgian bank, and it seems that English is the language used for communication between the two, so the employees need to improve their English skills. This has really made us realize how important English has become so for international communication in many parts of the world. It should be a really interesting experience for her.

Rod has learned his way around the transportation system of Prague as he picks up the children after school. This has involved considerable effort and timing on his part. Let's just say that it involves a commuter train, two city buses or trams, and walking by foot. We'll have more on the transportation piece in a later post.

Our weekend included a sightseeing trip to Vysehrad castle grounds dating from the 900s with a beautiful old church and children's playground. It is on a high point overlooking Prague. We also went rollerblading and shoe shopping at the mall. Katrina needed new shoes, already. We're not kidding about the walking!
Here is a picture of the church at Vysehrad, and then a view over Prague from Vysehrad.

August 31st - Sept 5th

This week marked the beginning of new routines for us. Katrina began attending a neighborhood preschool three days a week. It's a bilingual Czech/English school, and we joke that because of her age and the exposure she will get, Katrina is our shining hope to have a fluent Czech speaker in the family by year's end. Her classmates come from all over the world. In addition to the Czech Republic there are kids from Hungary, Slovenia, Ireland, and Japan. Talking with other parents at drop off and pick up time is fascinating. Katrina's reaction so far, "When do I get to go again?"

Charyssa was also busy this week gearing up to teach. She was hired by a language school to teach English for Business and International Communication. She will teach classes four afternoons a week beginning next week. It is sure to be interesting.

Rod had his first "normal" week of work after traveling to conferences in England and Brno (Brno is about two hours east of Prague). He doesn't begin teaching until the beginning of October, so is working on various projects, preparing for a seminar, and eating Czech cafeteria food for lunch. His coworkers are very nice but his Czech needs work before he'll understand a lot of what they're saying.

However, this week wasn't all about work. This is the time of the traditional grape harvest festivals. We took in a celebration at Prague Castle on Saturday afternoon. There were folk groups singing and dancing, and we had the chance to sample the drink called "Burchak", which is unfiltered freshly fermenting grape juice. It looks like cloudy white grape juice with some fizziness. It's quite good, but can be dangerous... you can't taste the alcohol, but it's there!

The kids had fun turning the wheel of the grape press.



















There were also children's activities, the highlight of which was trying on medieval armor and weapons. A good time was had by all.