random Prague October 21, 2009
Posted by Sarah in art, museums, Prague, Vacation.add a comment
Since I was in Prague for a week, I had time to check out lots of things that, while cool, might not merit an entire blog post of their own. Therefore, I present the following tidbits:
Franz Kafka! Of course, the Kafka statue begs a Kafka quote, and here’s one of my favorites:
“From a certain point onward there is no longer any turning back. That is the point that must be reached.”
Museums:
I visited the Mucha Museum, a small collection of prints by the Art Nouveau artist. The Sex Machine Museum was also interesting, but not particularly shocking coming from San Francisco. My favorite exhibit was the his and hers nightgowns with slits at groin level to allow intercourse without the sinful touching of skin – I’ve read about them, probably in some Latin American novel. Gabriel Garcia Marquez? Laura Esquivel? Someone else entirely? It’s been too long since I’ve immersed myself in magical realism.
The National Museum was cool in a sorta steampunk way. The halls are filled with cabinets upon cabinets and a musty smell that immediately rocketed me back to my childhood days. Rooms were filled with minerals, more rooms with the work of a hundred taxidermists, and yet more rooms were filled with dried, pinned, and pickled creatures ranging from beetles to starfish to amphibians. This is a museum like museums used to be, an exhibit of how knowledge was stored before the internet and before Google.
Shopping:
By far my favorite shop was Dr. Stuart’s Botanicus, filled with wonderful soaps, lotions, candles, etc. Other things to shop for in Prague are marionettes, hollowed and decorated Easter eggs.
Prague Castle (Prazky Hrad) October 19, 2009
Posted by Sarah in Architecture, Prague, Vacation.add a comment
You can read all about Prague Castle, but here’s what struck my fancy. Note that these pictures were taken between waves of torrential downpours. The Eyewitness Travel Guide to Prague was not kidding when it described the winter weather as “changeable.”
Gothic Spires of St. Vitus' Cathedral
rainspouts on St. Vitus' Cathedral
faceless knight of the wall
Golden Lane. Guards and gunners lived in these tiny houses along the inside of the castle wall.
Prague houses October 16, 2009
Posted by Sarah in Architecture, art, Prague, Vacation.2 comments
From a quick glance at a map of Prague, you might be be able to guess that the city grew without the benefit of city planning. While the maze of streets is confusing to the first time visitor, one of the more charming results of unplanned growth is that houses relied on various decorations to identify themselves instead of using a numbering system. A few of my favorites:
The Seldec Ossuary October 14, 2009
Posted by Sarah in Architecture, Prague, Vacation.Tags: Prague
3 comments
On the way to Kutna Hora, our tour stopped at the Sedlec Ossuary, a bizarre church filled and decorated with the bones of 40,000 people. The remains are from the 12th through15th centuries, mostly from natural deaths like the Black Pague, but also from the Hussite Wars.
The intent of the display was to remind the faithful of their limited time on earth and inspire them to live a peaceful life.
I’m currently switching between a morbid curiosity and being creeped out to see human remains treated like so much tinsel.
Elephant Parade October 9, 2009
Posted by Sarah in Amsterdam, art, Vacation.add a comment
I arrived in the Museum Quarter about an hour before the Van Gogh Museum opened, figuring that something would catch my eye, and wouldn’t you know it, it was the Elephant Parade! Here are a few of my favorites:
Communicator by Bart Hofman
Jumbo's Nightmare
Dutchelephant.dot.com by Manon Elie
Iron Elephant
Nightfall by Jacques Tange
Biking Amsterdam October 7, 2009
Posted by Sarah in Amsterdam, bicycles, Bicycling, Bike advocacy, bikes, Vacation.2 comments
My rental bike
It’s true. Biking in Amsterdam lives up to every single fantasty that American cycling enthusiasts hold about it. The infrastructure is amazing, the drivers actively avoid cyclists, and even the pedestrians are aware of cyclists! After about a mile of riding, when I realized the shocking truth that nobody was trying to kill me, my hyperawareness began melting away, and I felt relaxed and free.
I watched friends meet up by bike, pedalling along and chatting. Parents joked and sang to their young children, and nobody screamed at them for endangering their child’s life by taking them on a bike. Lovers rode side by side holding hands. Nobody wore a helmet.
And on Monday morning, an even stranger thing happened. During rush hour, bikes outnumbered cars on the road. My mind exploded. So this is what a city can be.
I like it.
CitizenM October 5, 2009
Posted by Sarah in Amsterdam, Architecture, Vacation.3 comments
This is my hotel room in Amsterdam and I am loving it! Coming home to a bed more comfortable than my own, an amazing shower, fun adjustable lighting, and free wireless instead of a dreary cookie cutter hotel room has made such a difference on this trip. More about Amsterdam later, but for now, check out the photo gallery for the rest of the hotel.
Pinnacles! September 16, 2009
Posted by Sarah in Hiking, National Parks, Outdoors, Vacation.1 comment so far
I rounded up a few friends for a weekend trip to Pinnacles National Monument, only 2.5h away from San Francisco. The weather report promised cool night temps in the mid 50s and daily highs in the mid 70s. Perfect weather, I thought, since I thrive in the cool and the fog and my friend is five months pregnant.
The weather report lied. It was hot as hell during the day – 104 the day we arrived and 97 the day we hiked all over the damn park. (All over being a short 5mi hike, not a literal hiking all over the damn park, which would have been more of a death march and less of a hike.) Fortunately, we found a pleasantly cool and shady spot for lunch and enjoyed another cool down in the talus caves.*
My friends mustered the energy to hit the pool apres hike, I simply passed out in the tent until things cooled down a bit.
Despite that little misunderstanding about the temps, it was still a really fun trip, especially the parts where the sun had set and temperatures dropped to pleasant levels. We saw lots of bunnies, turkey vultures, deer, quail, mice, raccoons, one of the park’s famous condors, and get this city dwellers – the Milky May, some shooting stars, and a bunch of satellites. Click here for a few of my pics.
Fuzzy critters and night sky theater aside, I’m still amending my I’m amending my “No Pinnacles in the summer” rule to read “Pinnacles might be nice in December, but only if we bring an RV with air conditioning.”
*Baby’s first spelunking experience!
not long enough in Lassen July 8, 2009
Posted by Sarah in Hiking, Outdoors, Parks, Vacation.add a comment
I made a quick 4th of July trip with some of my favorite people up to Lassen, and I kinda wish I was still there!
My highlights:
Laughing. I cannot remember the last time I laughed so much.
Being able to ice my feet in a snow bank after a hike.
The bear! The bear! Fortunately, it was not interested in us, despite that whole rearing up on its hind legs to get a better look at us thing that it did.
Big quiet open space.
Swimming in alpine lakes.
Yellowstone – me September 17, 2008
Posted by Sarah in Outdoors, Parks, Vacation.2 comments
K just got her pics up on Flickr and T posted his on Shutterfly. Their sets are certainly worth a gander, but here’s a quick look at the shots that I star in.
