Little Things I Left Out...

I've gone back to my old posts and added "hind notes" where appropriate, but here are a few little things I left out completely:
Miss Anna the lovely of Moscow came to visit Prague on her way back to NYC, and we walked up Petřin in the ice and snow, and found a magical little gallery in the middle of Petřin full of paintings by an artist named Reon (www.reon.cz -- surrealist in a good way). He had created an environment, not a gallery-- filled with cavernous nooks and crannies, painted fantastic colours, and in-stereo celtic music to match his fairies and mythical creatured paintings and sculptures-- way cool. Then we we walked up to the mirror-maze (none of us brave or young enough to go for that), and Prague's "eiffel tower," which offers a freezing cold view of the entire city, and no elevator, unless the former communist gate maid deems you unable to walk. But then, hey, we got to slide down the mountain (complete ice) gripping each other by the arm, so I got my satisfaction of Anna hugs:) We then went a a restaurant at the bottom of Petřin (where stairs leading nowhere sport metal statues of disappearing men), which I loved called "Le Bastille." I also love "Le Patio" and "Pizza Coloseum." I'm starting to see a pattern with my taste for all restaurants not Czech...

Also, I've been told I'm officially a Prague citizen, now that I've bought a Metrocard that lets me ride all the city's buses, trams, and subways-- and disappoints the conducters, whose eyes glow in the hope they've found another tourist to fine, when they hear me butchering their language. I don't like the picture.

A good friend of Raph's, Andre of Portugal, has left for a new job in Amsterdam, and I shall miss the early morning barging into our room, one of our pieces of fruit in hand, and "so what are we doing today?" moments. Never fear, Andre and Raph are already planning a road-trip from Berlin to Brussels...
A new housmate, Will, from Kansas has arrived, so that adds to the already english-speaking Andel clubhouse of me and Raph, Erik from Vancouver, Jenny from China, Adam from Poland, and Geri from Bulgaria.

This coming Thursday is Australia Day, so Raph and I stayed up making Lamingtons-- that's right-- BY HAND last night, so they would ripen to the traditional Australian staleness by tomorrow. Meanwhile, Chinese New Year was celebrated by the whole house, managed by Jenny, in a Chinese food pot-luck mixed with a viewing of "The Corporation." Questionable combination, but good for discussion.