In Mourning:

This morning we had to part with a beloved friend. Our eldest ferret, Indy, suffered a stroke or something like a stroke yesterday; when we got home last night Indy was not moving from his neck down. We bathed him and loved on him, and this morning he was still not moving from the neck down. He was also grinding his teeth, which is the probably one of only a few ways that a ferret can tell you he is in pain. We took him to the vet to have him put down. We are getting far too familiar with the very fine folks over at Pender/Eastern Exotics; we had Sheridan in yesterday because he has a torn cornea and a mild infection, and late in May we had to put down Sinclair the great bottle-thief because his many cancerous tumors finally overtook him.

The cage and the house seem a little more empty now. We are missing the fastest racing ferret we have seen, one of the best kissing ferrets yet (Indy in both cases), and the great bottle-thief (Sinclair). Hopefully Leonardo and Sheridan can adjust to the quiet. We are going to experiment with letting them roam more freely to keep them from getting too lonely/bored.

Monday evening we got back from a fabulous, if far too short, trip to Prague in the Czech Republic. Erci's Aunt was there on business and invited her husband and us to come along for some tourism. I fell in love with a city.

Last Wednesday evening we jumped on a plane at Dulles. At that hour, with only a few people all heading for Europe, even the worst airport in North America is tolerable. We flew Air France to Paris (CDG) where Erci managed to catch a brief glimpse of the collapsed terminal roof (2E) while the plane was rolling towards our gate. We spotted an elderly woman with bright purple hair and wandered over to the old terminal 1 building that is famous from all the Hollywood movies. We could not find a bookstore in the airport to grab a copy of the new Paris 1400 (www.louvre.fr/archives/paris1400/paris1400/ book. We arrived in Prague early Thursday afternoon, and met Erci's aunt and uncle at the airport, and caught a minivan/taxi to the Hotel Rott (hotelrott.cz).

After a quick shower and change of clothes, we walked around Prague's beautiful old town square, watched the astronomical town clock mark the passing of an hour, and found a local restaurant serving beer and traditical Czech food called "Sveck" - which was hearty, good, cheap, though quite smoke-filled. We walked around the corner to the Cremaria Milano for some of the best gelato any of us had experienced (it was so good that all of us returned to this same establishment two more of the remaining three nights we were in Prague!).

Friday morning, Erci's Uncle, Erci, and I made our way over the beautiful Karlov Most (Charles Bridge) and through some of the winding streets of old town and the little quarter, stopping often to shop or shoot pictures and visited the beautiful Vrtbovska Gardens (a UNESCO heritage sight, and beautiful Baroque terraced garden with views of Prague). Later that evening we all went to Ambiente, a Brazilian restaurant in a gothic cellar where we had excellent food and drinks.

Saturday, the whole group headed up to Prague's enormous castle via the beautifully clean and efficient Soviet built metro and then electric tram (slower, but better views). The whole public transportation trip cost 12CK (about 50 cents) and only a few minutes. The Cathedral of Saint Vitus, the statue of Saint George slaying the dragon, the old royal palace, and the "Street of Gold" were the sights we went to in the Castle. The tomb of Charles IV was disappointing because the gothic effigy is no longer around, having been replaced with a Soviet era modern marker. The hall of the old royal palace is huge and has an amazing late 15th century vaulted roof. The street of gold is very picturesque, but has been entirely given over to cheap tourist junk sellers - and I get annoyed when I find out I have been charged money just for the "priveledge" of shopping... sigh. The group split up and headed different directions. Erci and I left the castle, and visited a folk craft shop, then rode the tram and metro/subway back to Charles Square where we glimpse the "Fred and Ginger" building from a distance, then to Wencelas Square where the Velvet Revolution took place. We wandered up Na Prikope and found Marks&Spence where I secured another installment of excellent men's socks (why can't American clothing companies figure out how to make proper socks?). Saturday dinner was simply stunning. We went to Mlynec (Novotneho Lavka 9, Prague, 221 082 208), which must be the best restaurant in the Czech republic. Truely stunning meal where we were served excellent Moravian wines (perhaps the best Riesling I have had, and a very good Pinot Noir), and had a meal to remember. Erci's Uncle thinks it warrants a single Michelin star, though it is not listed currently.

Sunday morning we walked around the old town again, heading for Wencelas Square and modern shopping, then went to Obecni Dum (Municipal House) for lunch. Obecni Dum is a beautiful example of Art Deco, and it is opulently restored recently. Some of the group headed for the Jewish Museum and old Ghetto, the rest of us went shopping.

We need more time in Prague. I never did get to see the collection of 14th century Gothic Treasures at the Saint Agnes Convent, nor the Museum of Decorative Arts with it's collection of Mucha paintings and a public library with early Guttenburg printed books. The whole town is a delight of short walks, coffea houses, affordable but excellent beer, delightful people, and great historic beauty.

# posted by Scott Nolan @ 3:05 PM