Strč prst skrz krk

Not all those who wander are lost in translation, but I find myself doing exactly that lately. In these past days I often catch myself traveling around in public while mumbling and whispering the dozens of easy-to-understand-but-difficult-to-pronounce words I’ve learned during 4.5 hours per day in my first week of intensive Czech language immersion at […]

Background Czech

Last stop on this 7.5-week journey?: Prague! It’s been a wonderful visit because I’ve been able to spend so much time with Sofia! We’ve of course had some meals, drinks, and walks together, and we also enjoyed a classical concert and a day trip to Czechia’s second city, Brno, where some American friends of ours […]

Konec (The End)

So this is it, the final post for the nine-week trip around Central/Eastern Europe and Portugal. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the posts as much as I have enjoyed writing them, and thank you for following along on this adventure! I’m signing off for now, though perhaps I’ll come back to this blog one day […]

Missile Lane Knee Us

Before I sign off tomorrow, I thought I’d share some stories today in this penultimate post. Unintended consequence Back in Budapest, on the day I visited the mineral bathhouse, I minimized my possessions for the subway trip up there from my apartment so as to minimize any potential losses when I stored my valuables in […]

Czechmate

This nine-week trip is winding down now, with just a few days left. Prague is the only city I’ve visited during these weeks where I wish I had more time. Everywhere else I’ve felt sated, and comfortable to move on. That said, I’m excited to return to Asheville, mainly to be able to see Colleen, […]

Pick Up the Czech

I’m back in Prague! It’s hard to believe that I was gone for over seven weeks. A lot has happened since I said goodbye to Colleen when she left Prague to fly back to NC! I got to meet Sofia on Friday evening for dinner! It was great to catch up with her again, and […]

Miscellaneous Prague

While wandering Prague’s streets, you begin to learn some Czech words due to their repetition and context, such as “pozor” (caution) and “zákaz” (prohibited), as you’re often told what not to do (just like anywhere else). There is a lot of prominent Jewish history in Prague, and the historic Jewish quarter Josefov remains intact today, […]

Mug mugs

Below is Major Meander’s first installment of a series on Google Maps translations of establishment reviews from foreign languages. Here, the source is a set of Google Maps reviews (translated from Czech) for a museum bistro in Prague. Today’s travel quote: Travel far enough, you meet yourself. David Mitchell

Around Town

Here are some photos from the lovely city of Prague in September. It’s rainier and colder than this time last year! So these photos were captured between showers. Today’s follow-up note: With regard to the smart watch cable, I did eventually receive a text message notifying me that the cable I had ordered was now […]

Cold War Bunker

Once per month, the municipal district of Prague 2 (our favorite neighborhood) opens an underground shelter built in the late 1950s and early 1960s for civil protection. It could house up to 1,300 people for 72 hours in case of aerial bombardment, and it includes toilets, showers, a first aid room, a power generator, multiple […]