will not have to worry about vampires tonight
December 31, 2010
Where I am, two hours from now, it will be 2011. I hope yours is all you might hope for.
We just finished a fierce Apples to Apples game with all of the kids, which we started shortly after we got back from a Czech pub where we had really good beer and I had old Czech garlic soup (Staročeská česnečka s chlebovými krutony, šunkou a sýrem), which was something like this recipe but also with little chunks of ham. It was perfect, frankly, for a cold night.
Before that, the adults went to a performance of Handel's Messiah, where we discovered that no one in Prague stands during the Hallelujah chorus. Also, like in the U.S., the women's restroom line is always 3 times as long as the men's.
Before that, we went to the Christmas markets in the Old Town Square.
There was ham. Yummy, fire roasted ham.
And this, the name of which has escaped me:
It's like an Elephant Ear covered with garlic sauce, ketchup (yes, really) and cheese. It's good - but far too much for one person to eat.
The kids climbed a chunk of ice while the adults wandered and ate:
We climbed the astronomical clock tower and took some pictures of cool old stuff.
And some cool newer stuff.
And a shout-out to Slovaquie, because humans can't resist leaving their mark.
For all of the old, there's also new. Like Starbucks.
And subways. Which the kids are learning to ride like pros.
On New Year's Eve here, the locals set off unlicensed fireworks wherever they can. Right now, it sounds like we might be being shelled. Soon, I will be going to bed. While we've mostly adjusted to the time change, every so often, it feels like being hit in the head with a brick. This is one of those times.