So, according to the weather network its 26 in Barcelona which I dont agree with, but they said it feels like 32, which I agree with.
In Rome it it 32 and feels like 42 - the forecast is for it to be 33 or 34 when I arrive there.
Im melting.
Barcelona has been pretty chill so far - Im in a smaller Hostel about a 10 minute bus ride out of town, which is nice because I was SUPER tired after my night train adventure. Today I am melting and wandering, and am taking it easy. Tomorrow I switch into the biggest Hostel in Barcelona, so I think things will change slightly.
O ya, street performers take it to the next level here. I was in a back corner near the gothic church listening to a woman with the most crystal voice sing opera, have seen a guy doing tricks with a soccer ball, saw a band with a piano player, who had an actual piano on the street. And so much more. My favourite was the living statue that was taking off his make up and stopped to interact with a little girl when she went up to him. It was gorgeous.
Ok, Im going to look for a place in Venice, I have places in Rome and Florence.
Love love love love love to you all,
Dani
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Paris, Poker and the Polka Dot Dress
The other story from Amsterdam will get finished eventually, I promise. For now let me battle this French keyboard to type about Paris.
It was bizarre and scary arriving here, alone for the first time in a long time and knowing that I was going to be on my own for quite a while longer. I found the metro, but then got quite lost and for every bitter french person there was a nice one. Note to self, when in paris, have a REALLY good map. After about an hour and a bit I wandered in a cafe and they helped me phone my host. Another interesting fact is that you need a special calling card to use the pay phones in Paris - ANNOYING! Vincent, my host, came to get me and then we went for Lebanese food and then to a couchsurfers quiz night in a bar in Paris. We stayed up chatting that night until I eventually just fell asleep. The next day I went to Notre Dame which was quite emotional, as I had one of the most down to earth conversations with a priest who basically said - you are young, allow yourself to explore, you know whats right within you. Then I wandered past the Louvre, up the Champs D'Elysses, past the Arc de Triomphe and then Home. That night we went to play poker with 5 of Vincent's friends who were afraid I would slow down the game. Until everyone else went home and I was still playing - I was the second to last one out, and broke even. Thats how to live cheap in Paris - play poker.
Yesterday me and my polka dot dress went to the Eiffel Tower in the morning and then walked to the Moulin Rouge later. I have been walking everywhere with a not so great map, so journeys can often take quite a while, but it is a great way to see the city. I love walking along the water and watching the world pass by. and yes, I have had croissants and a baguette. Last night we went for drinks with about 15 friends and it made me sad to leave. I didnt pay for one drink and they all invited me out with them on the weekend. When we got home Vincent cooked me an omlete at about one am, and then we talked about dreams and the little prince(we discovered a mutual love of it the night before) Vincent is very sweet and when I offered to do the dishes he made me promise not to because I am only here for 4 days. Couchsurfing is the way to travel, although I am excited to experience hostel life in Barcelona
This morning I woke up early and walked down the Champs again ( I live about 15 minutes from the Arc) to the Louvre, where I spent 5 hours before getting totally overwhelmed by the hugeness of the place and the gross amount of people. The morning is definietely the time to go.
Tonight we are going to dinner with Jean Paul and Arlette who I worked with in Vancouver.
I feel like this was more of a blah of information than anything poetic but it has been incredible and I love Paris - I just need a better map. Tomorrow night I experience my first night train on my way to Barcelona!
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE to you all
Dani
It was bizarre and scary arriving here, alone for the first time in a long time and knowing that I was going to be on my own for quite a while longer. I found the metro, but then got quite lost and for every bitter french person there was a nice one. Note to self, when in paris, have a REALLY good map. After about an hour and a bit I wandered in a cafe and they helped me phone my host. Another interesting fact is that you need a special calling card to use the pay phones in Paris - ANNOYING! Vincent, my host, came to get me and then we went for Lebanese food and then to a couchsurfers quiz night in a bar in Paris. We stayed up chatting that night until I eventually just fell asleep. The next day I went to Notre Dame which was quite emotional, as I had one of the most down to earth conversations with a priest who basically said - you are young, allow yourself to explore, you know whats right within you. Then I wandered past the Louvre, up the Champs D'Elysses, past the Arc de Triomphe and then Home. That night we went to play poker with 5 of Vincent's friends who were afraid I would slow down the game. Until everyone else went home and I was still playing - I was the second to last one out, and broke even. Thats how to live cheap in Paris - play poker.
Yesterday me and my polka dot dress went to the Eiffel Tower in the morning and then walked to the Moulin Rouge later. I have been walking everywhere with a not so great map, so journeys can often take quite a while, but it is a great way to see the city. I love walking along the water and watching the world pass by. and yes, I have had croissants and a baguette. Last night we went for drinks with about 15 friends and it made me sad to leave. I didnt pay for one drink and they all invited me out with them on the weekend. When we got home Vincent cooked me an omlete at about one am, and then we talked about dreams and the little prince(we discovered a mutual love of it the night before) Vincent is very sweet and when I offered to do the dishes he made me promise not to because I am only here for 4 days. Couchsurfing is the way to travel, although I am excited to experience hostel life in Barcelona
This morning I woke up early and walked down the Champs again ( I live about 15 minutes from the Arc) to the Louvre, where I spent 5 hours before getting totally overwhelmed by the hugeness of the place and the gross amount of people. The morning is definietely the time to go.
Tonight we are going to dinner with Jean Paul and Arlette who I worked with in Vancouver.
I feel like this was more of a blah of information than anything poetic but it has been incredible and I love Paris - I just need a better map. Tomorrow night I experience my first night train on my way to Barcelona!
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE to you all
Dani
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Apparently I have a very distinct laugh...
When we were on the bus from London to the Airport we got to chatting with three Canadians who were also doing a bit of a whirl wind tour. They were going to Brussels and then Amsterdam, just like us. We chatted and joked and then parted ways. We got to Brussels that night where Sven gave us a whirlwind tour, after making us a fabulous dinner. Literally, we were speed walking through Brussels from 9pm untilmidnight and Im pretty sure we saw more than most people see in a day or two. After a whirlwind Brussels trip, which lasted about 18 hours, we got on a train(after playing cards in the station because our first train got cancelled) to Amsterdam, where we are now. I need to go andbuy a train ticket to Paris, so consider this blog post to be continued.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
I want to Live in London!
I dont have much time, but I think highlights will do the trick. I cant type about the random party we got thrown into our first night in London, but our second day we walked to the Tate and spent about 5 hours there, then we saw a show at the Globe(standing at ground level for 3 hours - it was fabulus) then we walked past london and tower bridge, and then all the way back home to piccidilly circue(where we live, about 30 seconds away from the theatres that phantom and mamma mia are in, and Rhea Perlman is in a show across the street from our house). Yesterday we lined up for tickets and then walked to Buckingham palace and Big Ben, then to the London eye and all the south bank, and then up Charing Cross Road to Soho where we saw We Will Rock You and where I almost hyperventilated on numerous occasions and where I realised that I was put on this earth to do Massive musicals. Then we sat up chatting with our host until the wee hours over red wine and Haagan Daaz. In about an hour and a half we are going to see Orlando Bloom on stage, then more discovering and then off to see Spam A Lot, during which I will probably have to be tied down.
Ps London has no garbage cans - it is EXTREMELY frustrating, but its so that bombs cant be planted, so I guess thats ok.
Love love love love love to you all.
Dani
Ps London has no garbage cans - it is EXTREMELY frustrating, but its so that bombs cant be planted, so I guess thats ok.
Love love love love love to you all.
Dani
Friday, July 13, 2007
Darren and I both got sick, but I think he got the worst of it, so this evening Marco and I went for dinner.
I just had a steak, followed by orange sorbet and chocolat mousse with an Italian with a phd in paper who lives in Stockholm, while I was in Stockholm and we discussed musical theatre, traveling and cooking.
I didnt think it was that crazy until I thought about it and realised - its not an everyday thing to happen!
On another note, that is probably the last meal Ill have in a while because tomorrow we fly to London, and all of my money is now going to be dedicated to theatre tickets. Farewell food!
Love love love love love to you all
Dani
I just had a steak, followed by orange sorbet and chocolat mousse with an Italian with a phd in paper who lives in Stockholm, while I was in Stockholm and we discussed musical theatre, traveling and cooking.
I didnt think it was that crazy until I thought about it and realised - its not an everyday thing to happen!
On another note, that is probably the last meal Ill have in a while because tomorrow we fly to London, and all of my money is now going to be dedicated to theatre tickets. Farewell food!
Love love love love love to you all
Dani
Thursday, July 12, 2007
The Fairytale
Im in Stockholm right now, in the loft apartment, with the sounds of Classical music drifting up the stairs. It turns out Marco is a huge fan of Opera and Musical Theatre and Miss Marpole. How great is that?
Dinner last night was pasta with Pesto made from Marco's rooftop balcony Basil, an fresh tomatoes with Chives from the same place. We sat on the balcony until about 11pm with Marco and Alessandro, who is another couchsurfer here(he does statics in Florence where he just bought a house). There are only a few hours of night here, and even then it doesnt get very dark. I hear its sunny and gorgeous is Vancouver - I wish I could say the same for here, but it is still ok, and not raining!(but if itdoes, we always have the german umbrella).
Anyways, I slept in today and Im being waited for, so I should go.
Love love love love love to you all
Dani
Dinner last night was pasta with Pesto made from Marco's rooftop balcony Basil, an fresh tomatoes with Chives from the same place. We sat on the balcony until about 11pm with Marco and Alessandro, who is another couchsurfer here(he does statics in Florence where he just bought a house). There are only a few hours of night here, and even then it doesnt get very dark. I hear its sunny and gorgeous is Vancouver - I wish I could say the same for here, but it is still ok, and not raining!(but if itdoes, we always have the german umbrella).
Anyways, I slept in today and Im being waited for, so I should go.
Love love love love love to you all
Dani
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Well, we start our journey out of Frankfurt in 3 and a half hours(tomorrow will be a long, long day!) and what an adventure Frankfurt has been.
Yesterday Darren and I wandered the streets for about 10 hours - a highlight would definietely be finding ourselves in a botanical type garden and watching some old german men play chess(the big type, where you have to walk around the board to move things). One of the men was loud and extremely over enthusiastic - Naomi once used the following reference for Czech people, and it couldnt be more appropriate here - its like in that Simpsons episode where Lisa goes to Russia and then sees two Russian guys playing chess and yelling at each other, but the subtitles are things like - thank you for that excellent game -and - it was a pleasure playing with you- and such. ANYWAYS it was sort of like that. Then it started raining and as we wandered out of the park we stopped to watch some other people play normal size chess, and one of the old men that had been watching at chess game number one was there. He had a fabulous pink and purple umbrella. I pulled mine out and he looked at us and said something in German, and when we stared at him blankly and said English he said "you have another one?"(in regards to the umbrella) we shook our heads no and he promptly pulled one out of his rolling luggage thing, not just any one, one that was pink and handed it to Darren. We werent sure if he meant just to watch the game, but as soon as he handed it to Darren he said "ok, have a nice day, bye bye". I laughed with joy all literally all the way up the street.
We have been having an absolute ball staying with Tommy and Pavi(Im not sure how to spell her name!) They are hilarious and very sweet - I have definietely laughed until there were tears in my eyes on many occasions. Yesterday they put a bbq together for us, and we all shared a meal and then played Settlers of Catan. Today Tommy had the day off, so the three of us went into town and went to the old church, the modern art museum, wandered, had haagen daaz and then came home. We went for a fabuloud walk in the GORGEOUS forest just behind their house, with the dog of course, and then Darren and I treated them to dinner to say thank you. I have what was esstenially a giant hamburger pattie, but 1000 times better, with feta cheese in the middle. We then ended the night with another game of Settlers of Catan. Darren and I need to leave her at 5am and it is past 1am now, so....tomorrow is going to be a lot of dani whining. But we did jsut book into a b and b in Amsterdam that is very reasonable and looks very cute.
O, the first day Darren and I were here, the wandering day, we also got a German lesson from a man in a museum that was closed, bought a wooden version of connect 4 and then played in for a while in a coffee shop, had currywurst and enjoyed the river. It was a very relaxing, fun and full day.
Off to stockholm in 8 hours!
Love, love love love love to you all!
Dani
Yesterday Darren and I wandered the streets for about 10 hours - a highlight would definietely be finding ourselves in a botanical type garden and watching some old german men play chess(the big type, where you have to walk around the board to move things). One of the men was loud and extremely over enthusiastic - Naomi once used the following reference for Czech people, and it couldnt be more appropriate here - its like in that Simpsons episode where Lisa goes to Russia and then sees two Russian guys playing chess and yelling at each other, but the subtitles are things like - thank you for that excellent game -and - it was a pleasure playing with you- and such. ANYWAYS it was sort of like that. Then it started raining and as we wandered out of the park we stopped to watch some other people play normal size chess, and one of the old men that had been watching at chess game number one was there. He had a fabulous pink and purple umbrella. I pulled mine out and he looked at us and said something in German, and when we stared at him blankly and said English he said "you have another one?"(in regards to the umbrella) we shook our heads no and he promptly pulled one out of his rolling luggage thing, not just any one, one that was pink and handed it to Darren. We werent sure if he meant just to watch the game, but as soon as he handed it to Darren he said "ok, have a nice day, bye bye". I laughed with joy all literally all the way up the street.
We have been having an absolute ball staying with Tommy and Pavi(Im not sure how to spell her name!) They are hilarious and very sweet - I have definietely laughed until there were tears in my eyes on many occasions. Yesterday they put a bbq together for us, and we all shared a meal and then played Settlers of Catan. Today Tommy had the day off, so the three of us went into town and went to the old church, the modern art museum, wandered, had haagen daaz and then came home. We went for a fabuloud walk in the GORGEOUS forest just behind their house, with the dog of course, and then Darren and I treated them to dinner to say thank you. I have what was esstenially a giant hamburger pattie, but 1000 times better, with feta cheese in the middle. We then ended the night with another game of Settlers of Catan. Darren and I need to leave her at 5am and it is past 1am now, so....tomorrow is going to be a lot of dani whining. But we did jsut book into a b and b in Amsterdam that is very reasonable and looks very cute.
O, the first day Darren and I were here, the wandering day, we also got a German lesson from a man in a museum that was closed, bought a wooden version of connect 4 and then played in for a while in a coffee shop, had currywurst and enjoyed the river. It was a very relaxing, fun and full day.
Off to stockholm in 8 hours!
Love, love love love love to you all!
Dani
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Frankfurt and air mattresses
Trained into Frankfurt, where I met up with Darren after stumbling my way through a UNNECESSARILY LARGE airport. (When did I ever think traveling by myself was going to end well?)
Darren and I are now in the living room of a young Finnish couple and their dog, in Frankfurt. Yup, thats right, we are couch surfing across Europe. We have had some wonderful chats with them,and their dog likes licking hands and feet ALOT. Tomorrow is off to the city and then a game of Settlers of Catan.
I think I saw a poster for the Queen musical - I WILL FIND IT, I have a 6th sense for these sorts of things.
O yes, on my 5 hour train with 4 chatting czech girls a german train attendant came into our section and then rambled at us in german - Which they all seemed to understand. Then they all stood up. I was confused and they just looked at me and said - Nurmberg, next coach, which is lucky, because thats where I was going. Otherwise, I would be somewhere thats not Frankfurt right now, and frankly, that would just be awkward.
Love love love love love to you all
Dani
Darren and I are now in the living room of a young Finnish couple and their dog, in Frankfurt. Yup, thats right, we are couch surfing across Europe. We have had some wonderful chats with them,and their dog likes licking hands and feet ALOT. Tomorrow is off to the city and then a game of Settlers of Catan.
I think I saw a poster for the Queen musical - I WILL FIND IT, I have a 6th sense for these sorts of things.
O yes, on my 5 hour train with 4 chatting czech girls a german train attendant came into our section and then rambled at us in german - Which they all seemed to understand. Then they all stood up. I was confused and they just looked at me and said - Nurmberg, next coach, which is lucky, because thats where I was going. Otherwise, I would be somewhere thats not Frankfurt right now, and frankly, that would just be awkward.
Love love love love love to you all
Dani
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Serendipity and the City
After I finished my blogging yesterday I wandered through the city some more, and ended up at a restaurant called Slavia where I stopped to have a cup of Green Tea. Slavia is a restaurant that is right across from the National Theatre and is somewhere that my grandparents used to go together. I sat an wrote and watched the world go by for a while. Then more wandering - on Charles Bridge where I heard a fabulous celtic group and some great Czech jazz, through the old town and to a puppet makers shop where I stopped for a while. This is a place that Jason showed me and that I feel in love with. This man makes marionettes that dance with each other, play basketball, and best of all, paint beautiful pictures.
One of the shop owners old friends was there, and he was an old business man that regaled me with stories of selling 60 million yards of textiles to a company in Montreal, and so on. I bought a set of ceramic drama masks there, which are gorgeous.
As I left another man with dreadlocks was walking in.
The old man looked at me and said - you should come back whenever you want, you are at home here. I was almost in tears. It was so beautiful there.
I had my dinner of 2 tomatoes and a bun and then went to a show by an American Company at one of the theatres at DAMU.
I need to go to DAMU. I simply must.
As I watched the show I noticed the man with dreadlocks sitting in front of me. After the show we recognized each other and introduced ourselves. He is an American writer who has been living here for 8 years. Some of his friends were there and they invited me out with them, so I ended up sitting and drinking Beton(which means cement - its Bechorovka(a herb liquor) and tonic), which is my new gin and tonic with 6 new friends. 2 were artists, one from arizona and one from new york, one was a music therapist from arizona, the other two were writers, also from arizona. The one writer used to be a peditrician, but left the profession to write. He and I ended up chatting quite a bit. So, there I was talking about art and running in Vancouver and having Poetry read to me and then discussing it at some wine bar with a glass floor and broekn table in Prague. Serendipity and the city.
They invited me out to a party tonight which sounded like it may be similar to a kidsfest closing night party, but I think tonight is hanging out at home and packing night.
I dont know if this blog did the openness and joy of yesterday any justice. It was one of the best days I think Ive had in Prague and was the lightest Ive felt in a while - I felt very much myself again.
Tomorrow off to frankfurt for the next chapter of this adventure to start. I am very excited, but will miss Prague and will definietely be coming back here soon.
Love love love love love to you all.
Dani
One of the shop owners old friends was there, and he was an old business man that regaled me with stories of selling 60 million yards of textiles to a company in Montreal, and so on. I bought a set of ceramic drama masks there, which are gorgeous.
As I left another man with dreadlocks was walking in.
The old man looked at me and said - you should come back whenever you want, you are at home here. I was almost in tears. It was so beautiful there.
I had my dinner of 2 tomatoes and a bun and then went to a show by an American Company at one of the theatres at DAMU.
I need to go to DAMU. I simply must.
As I watched the show I noticed the man with dreadlocks sitting in front of me. After the show we recognized each other and introduced ourselves. He is an American writer who has been living here for 8 years. Some of his friends were there and they invited me out with them, so I ended up sitting and drinking Beton(which means cement - its Bechorovka(a herb liquor) and tonic), which is my new gin and tonic with 6 new friends. 2 were artists, one from arizona and one from new york, one was a music therapist from arizona, the other two were writers, also from arizona. The one writer used to be a peditrician, but left the profession to write. He and I ended up chatting quite a bit. So, there I was talking about art and running in Vancouver and having Poetry read to me and then discussing it at some wine bar with a glass floor and broekn table in Prague. Serendipity and the city.
They invited me out to a party tonight which sounded like it may be similar to a kidsfest closing night party, but I think tonight is hanging out at home and packing night.
I dont know if this blog did the openness and joy of yesterday any justice. It was one of the best days I think Ive had in Prague and was the lightest Ive felt in a while - I felt very much myself again.
Tomorrow off to frankfurt for the next chapter of this adventure to start. I am very excited, but will miss Prague and will definietely be coming back here soon.
Love love love love love to you all.
Dani
Friday, July 6, 2007
O ya
The Magic Flute was AMAZING.
Ill try to remember to write about it next time - but I have never watched performers enjoying themselves more on stage. So refreshingly incredible - the stage was bare when it started, and the set was deceptively simple. INCREIDIBLE - bah, Ill be back here doing theatre if its the last thing I do!
Anyone wanna come with me?
Dani
The Magic Flute was AMAZING.
Ill try to remember to write about it next time - but I have never watched performers enjoying themselves more on stage. So refreshingly incredible - the stage was bare when it started, and the set was deceptively simple. INCREIDIBLE - bah, Ill be back here doing theatre if its the last thing I do!
Anyone wanna come with me?
Dani
Being czech 101 - ish/how to sneak into international movie premieres/I bought a VERY yellow dress
I find that when I am in cars and lost in thought I come up with wonderfully poetic Blog entries, and when I sit down to write them - its all gone and comes out in random Dani mush!
Its been a big few days - on Tuesday I went to the Prague Castle with Peter and Adam and we spent the day there. Its great having them around - like two personal tour guides. The castle is stunning, we spent a long time wandering the gardens and the like. The churches here are amazing. But Im sure you all knew that. I went to a toy museum there as well(of course). Reaffirmed that children are the same everywhere. The are all full of life and love to laugh and full of wonder. Reaffirmed my love of doing children's theatre. Made me miss work even more. We also went to an old fortress in prague and then watched people practicing sword play.
There was a cemetary there and we saw the grave of Capek and Dvorak. Eerily, as we walked past Dvoraks the music from the castle began drifting into our ears - it seemed rather appropriate.
O, the day before that my aunt had taken me shopping and we spent the day together. We are getting along well - alot of pointing and laughing, and when it started raining we starting singing to each other. It was lovely.
Ah - I know so many beautiful things have happened to me!
The next day We went to another part of the castle, and to that cubist exhibit. Watched, well sort of watched the changing of the guard, through the heads of the throngs of tourists. There was also this crazy architectual tunel that we happened upon(I know, I know, all tunnels are architectual, but this was some special one...again, my tourguide friends know these things) We camped out at Adam's when the CRAZY rain started again and then went to get my train ticket. I dont know how Dani Fecko alone in international train stations is going to go. There is a large gong show potential. But then, Dani Fecko travelling in general lends itself to a large gong show potential.
Sidenote - to all of you who claimed you lose alot of weight when you are travelling, you obviously werent in Prague. and if you were, you obviously werent eating. And if you were eating, Id like to know where/it wasnt with family. With the language barrier with my aunt, she just feeds me. Thats all. Its insane.
I miss lettuce.
After the train station adventure we went to the opera, the same one I had seen before. I love what I do and need to do it here eventually. Guess who is learning how to read music when she gets home - this little girl sure is!
Yesterday we rented a fun little french car, a peugeot(I think thats how you spell it) and went to The International Film Festival at Karlovy Vary. We bought day passes, but all the tickets were sold out, which basically means you stand in a throng of people and hope that other people dont show up. We randomly chose one called Lonely Miles in the biggest theatre there(a theatre theatre, Id reckon about 1500 to 1700 seats) and joined the throng.
GETTING INTO AN INTERNATIONAL FILM PREMIERE 101
1.) rent car and drive to film festival
2.)pull off the most amazing paralell parking job EVER(literally inches surrounding us)
3.)by day passes
4.)eat
5.)join throng, but stay on outside of throng
6.)have random person ask if you want to take 2 free tickets
7.)take them without thinking
8.)as the honest canadian hesitate about trying to get three people in on two tickets
9.)have czech friend tell you to act more czech, aka, just suck it up and try
10.)cluster together very closely, and fold tickets together, so it is unclear how many are there. Wait for surge in crowd.
11.)walk with surge in crowd
12.)Be successful.
13.)Get AMAZING 10th row centre seats. Some reshuffling may need to occur. Just go with the flow.
14.)All have seats.
15.)When introduction to film starts, realise that this is in fact the international premiere and two of the directors are sitting about 2 rows behind you.
16.)enjoy film
We also saw a fabulous french film about the gold mines in senegal, and then stayed for the question and answer period with the director afterwards. That was erally beneficial, it was a film that I sunk into eventually, but hearing the director talk about it made it that much better and beautiful.
O yes, on the way there, I bought a very yellow dress. It makes me happy.
This morning Peter and I drove to some random castle outside of prague before we returned the car. On the bus ride back into prague we met an american girl who had just landed and we meeting a friend in a few hours. I took her into town and we wandered through the streets of prague and then ate lunch together. She is an artist and art teacher from the us who has lived in bulgaria. Right now she is working with kids that went through an orphanage there and helping them discover the photographers in them. We had a fabulous chat.
Tomorrow might be the zoo, who knows, and then Sunday morning is off to Frankfurt for the next leg of my adventure. I am sad to leave prague, but know I will be back before the summer is over, and know that Darren and I will have a huge adventure.
Love love love to you all.
Dani
Its been a big few days - on Tuesday I went to the Prague Castle with Peter and Adam and we spent the day there. Its great having them around - like two personal tour guides. The castle is stunning, we spent a long time wandering the gardens and the like. The churches here are amazing. But Im sure you all knew that. I went to a toy museum there as well(of course). Reaffirmed that children are the same everywhere. The are all full of life and love to laugh and full of wonder. Reaffirmed my love of doing children's theatre. Made me miss work even more. We also went to an old fortress in prague and then watched people practicing sword play.
There was a cemetary there and we saw the grave of Capek and Dvorak. Eerily, as we walked past Dvoraks the music from the castle began drifting into our ears - it seemed rather appropriate.
O, the day before that my aunt had taken me shopping and we spent the day together. We are getting along well - alot of pointing and laughing, and when it started raining we starting singing to each other. It was lovely.
Ah - I know so many beautiful things have happened to me!
The next day We went to another part of the castle, and to that cubist exhibit. Watched, well sort of watched the changing of the guard, through the heads of the throngs of tourists. There was also this crazy architectual tunel that we happened upon(I know, I know, all tunnels are architectual, but this was some special one...again, my tourguide friends know these things) We camped out at Adam's when the CRAZY rain started again and then went to get my train ticket. I dont know how Dani Fecko alone in international train stations is going to go. There is a large gong show potential. But then, Dani Fecko travelling in general lends itself to a large gong show potential.
Sidenote - to all of you who claimed you lose alot of weight when you are travelling, you obviously werent in Prague. and if you were, you obviously werent eating. And if you were eating, Id like to know where/it wasnt with family. With the language barrier with my aunt, she just feeds me. Thats all. Its insane.
I miss lettuce.
After the train station adventure we went to the opera, the same one I had seen before. I love what I do and need to do it here eventually. Guess who is learning how to read music when she gets home - this little girl sure is!
Yesterday we rented a fun little french car, a peugeot(I think thats how you spell it) and went to The International Film Festival at Karlovy Vary. We bought day passes, but all the tickets were sold out, which basically means you stand in a throng of people and hope that other people dont show up. We randomly chose one called Lonely Miles in the biggest theatre there(a theatre theatre, Id reckon about 1500 to 1700 seats) and joined the throng.
GETTING INTO AN INTERNATIONAL FILM PREMIERE 101
1.) rent car and drive to film festival
2.)pull off the most amazing paralell parking job EVER(literally inches surrounding us)
3.)by day passes
4.)eat
5.)join throng, but stay on outside of throng
6.)have random person ask if you want to take 2 free tickets
7.)take them without thinking
8.)as the honest canadian hesitate about trying to get three people in on two tickets
9.)have czech friend tell you to act more czech, aka, just suck it up and try
10.)cluster together very closely, and fold tickets together, so it is unclear how many are there. Wait for surge in crowd.
11.)walk with surge in crowd
12.)Be successful.
13.)Get AMAZING 10th row centre seats. Some reshuffling may need to occur. Just go with the flow.
14.)All have seats.
15.)When introduction to film starts, realise that this is in fact the international premiere and two of the directors are sitting about 2 rows behind you.
16.)enjoy film
We also saw a fabulous french film about the gold mines in senegal, and then stayed for the question and answer period with the director afterwards. That was erally beneficial, it was a film that I sunk into eventually, but hearing the director talk about it made it that much better and beautiful.
O yes, on the way there, I bought a very yellow dress. It makes me happy.
This morning Peter and I drove to some random castle outside of prague before we returned the car. On the bus ride back into prague we met an american girl who had just landed and we meeting a friend in a few hours. I took her into town and we wandered through the streets of prague and then ate lunch together. She is an artist and art teacher from the us who has lived in bulgaria. Right now she is working with kids that went through an orphanage there and helping them discover the photographers in them. We had a fabulous chat.
Tomorrow might be the zoo, who knows, and then Sunday morning is off to Frankfurt for the next leg of my adventure. I am sad to leave prague, but know I will be back before the summer is over, and know that Darren and I will have a huge adventure.
Love love love to you all.
Dani
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