Prague

I made it to Prague, but spent most of my first day in bed with some sort of stomach bug. (Too many sweetbreads, not enough sleep?) I'm staying in a really nice hotel, called the K+K Central.

For some reason "good" hotels in Paris always have lovely exteriors, elegant lobbies, and often rather dumpy rooms. Getting to the K+K Central was a breath of fresh air--the room is very nice, done in a modern style with cherry(?) wood and granite. It's small, but well-designed, and the staff are pleasant and helpful.

The first thing I did when I got here was buy some tickets to the Prague symphony. Last night I was supposed to see Maxim Shostakovitch (Dmitri's son) conduct, playing a couple of dad's symphonic works. Unfortunately I stayed in bed instead. There's lots going on, though. Tonight I'm going to see the premiere of a new ballet set to the music of Smetana's Ma Vlast done by the State Opera (I don't know how well those opera singers dance, though...)

This morning I wandered up through the town square, and over the Charles bridge. Here is a slideshow.