pics #275 - #283

Saturday December 4th - Yellow Rythmic Sun
Last change of host today. Last interesting talks with Dušan, maybe we will meet again in Spring in Turkey. Not more to say except that it’s a drag to cycle on the pavements with a loaded bike, snow in the streets, tramways...  Nothing new. My host Eva lives in a district in a meander of the Vltava, she's an easy going person, living in a flat with other students.

Sunday December 5th - Red Resonant Dragon
Sleeping in, extremely late. At 15.00 I am heading to the Music Museum, going atop the hill of Prague Castle first, and going down stairs with the bicycle on my shoulder. Finally the Music Museum, this one is public, thus cheap: 150ČK - around 6€. It is a collection of musical instruments, showing their evolution through times. Downstairs, there is an exposition about the Beatlemania in Czekoslovakia.

          A microtonal piano, allowing to play quarter tones

Monday December 6th - White Galactic Wind
Successful attempt to wake up earlier and not waste my day. I am partly cycling, partly taking the bike to the Národní Museum, which is free first monday of the month as read in a guide. First event is falling of the bike and breaking my side mirror, then getting lost in the old town center, carrying the bicycle in the snowy streets: history repeats itself.

          The giant metronome in Letná park

First Monday of the month, the Museum is actually not free, the guide was wrong or outdated. But it is cheap anyway. Next time I will follow the advice of taking an audio guide: there are limited comments in English through the huge historical, zoological and paleontological collections. The temporary exposition sounded appealing: “Czech myth and legends” it said outside, but there is nothing else in English about the topic. Bummer.

          Blurry view of the castle at night -picture taken in the cold without stand-

Back at the student house, where every time that I meet a room-mate, he/she offers me tea. It is apparently more popular than coffee in this country. And they are also very fond of chocolate, with huge spaces for it in supermarkets. And carrots, all my hosts always had a big bag of carrots.

Tuesday December 7th - Blue Solar Night
Today I am waking up very early, consequence of not wasting time on Internet at night. Addictions... The good thing of the day is the yoga practice. I am feeling very well after two hours, and I could take some weight on my wrist, doing a couple of Chaturangas Dandasanas and jumping Vinyasas. A mindfull use of the wrist should bring it back to its full capacity. Though the right knee still aches at times, I should have gone to a doctor while I had time, not now that I am going to leave the city. It is raining in the morning, which is a good news, it will melt the snow on the roads.

          Kostel sv. Antonína

It is satisfying to read positive answers from couchsurfers hosts about spending Christmas in Vienna. I hope for a couple of degrees more and a few extra minutes of daylight -if still no sun-. Still the package with the bicycle stand has not arrived yet. I am actually looking forward to move away from Prague, I have seen much of it, snow isn't enjoyable anymore. I want to make a bit of distance, and find my lonesome traveller routine. Oh wait I got it now: that's why there is so much shelving dedicated to chocolate in shops: To boost the moral, avoid depression, Keep up! Almonds and date would do the same, healthier. So I'll have chocolate AND almond-date. Despite my moral getting temporarily down, the city of Prague is a blend of nice architecture and panoramas, and I enjoyed great food, while missing the sun. I want to come back in spring, summer, fall, or all three of them, well especially Prague spring is interesting eh? The language is hard but I can pronounce it fine enough now.

         A beer with my name!

Wednesday December 8th - Yellow Planetary Seed
Sleeping in again, I have nothing to do better than wait for the package... and it is not there. So I work on the bicycle, get a new tire for the back wheel, which will certainly grip better in the snow that I will encounter on my way south. After having goulash in the center, I meet Eva under the horse of Lucerna Passage to go to -hold your breath- The Chuck Norris movie festival. It's been ages I've been to the cinema, and this time two movies and a T-shirt, for only 30ČK. Please don't be jealous.

I had never entirely seen any Chuck Norris movie yet. Now I finally understand the foreign policy of the USA especially under the Texas family presidents. After watching "Delta Force", it is not conceivable that the US army would spend more than a week in Afghanistan to kill all the evil guys with dark curly hair and beards. "Texas Ranger" explains how to find enemies of the USA inside the USA. Blonds are good, even if badly shaved, people doing things for money are bad, black people who are not too dark skinned AND working for the F.B.I. are good too. And the girl with a nice ass only wants the good of the hero even if she did throw all his beer cans away. These stereotyped action movies bring big laughters from the audience, beer in hands.

Thursday December 9th - Red Spectral Serpent
On my agenda this day was marked "Wien". I thought thinking that I would be in the Austrian capital at that time... Delay... BUT the package is finally here. Maintenance of the bicycle: new tire, put the stands, new mirror, oil the chain, change the brake pads, ... ready to cycle through the snow. My two first hosts have no problem with rescheduling my stay, but the next one can't. It's a work to find a new one, but let's hope, there will always be a hostel in last resource. I have a walk in Letna park, completely frozen. The temperatures are supposed to drop on Monday after a very good Sunday. It is far from being a good news, but heading south is always better than staying here. The more I stay the colder it gets. Ready to hit the road tomorrow morning! In about five days of cycling I should be by the Donau, in Linz