Rusalka

We have had some amazing experiences already. The grandchildren are the most delightful little people imaginable. I got to present my magazine article and write a poem with M's first grade class. We also saw the school play which was a very elaborate production of Peter Pan. We had a day with the four year old. We took her downtown and filled her up with chocolate gelato and McDonald's. Funny how we turn into our parents. My daughter and I played a piano duet at church. Almost a total success except that our page turner didn't realize there was a last page. MF flipped the page quickly and we were on our way again. We've read a million books to the toddler who is the perfect age for board books. We had a most wonderful dinner with my daughter and husband. The kids were asleep when we left so the babysitter had easy duty and we had a lovely time.  I had sea bass, Michael had veal filet mignon. How posh!

Last night we went to the National Theater to see Dvorak's Rusalka. What an experience! I love Dvorak anyway, and here were three hours of his divine music with a fabulous orchestra. Lots of English horn, two harps who played almost continuously in acts one and three and a great set of singers and dancers. I think there might have even been enough tuba to satisfy Michael. The staging of the opera was passing strange but wildly impressive. They had opened up the stage. I've never seen one so deep. It was a city block deep from front to back. Characters who weren't in the scene made their entrances slowly from the back and there were other background activities going on. Fire and water and enormous shims coming and going. Quite impressive. And the building itself is a marvel. Most people who've read up on Prague know the story. The Czech people from richest to poorest donated to build this gorgeous building and within a year it was gutted by fire. So they just ponied up again and rebuilt. MF used to live a block away from the theater but now lives in the suburbs. So for once we weren't lost. We knew our way around.

We did have a bizarre experience getting home from the castle one day. MF was home with napping baby, NL our son-in-law was working in his home office and the kids were at school so we took off to go to the castle. But it's rather difficult to get there from Morgan's house so she drove us. The plan was to take a taxi home which we did. Unfortunately we chose the wrong taxi driver who didn't know where MF's street was, and he had no maps and no radio or GPS. So he just left us off at a big intersection which was somewhere near MF's house. This is where the total lack of language really kicks in. We couldn't find English speakers, we couldn't read the instructions on the payphone, etc. So we ended up in a Kodak store where they really didn't speak English but we paid 20 crowns (1 dollar) to use their cell phone to call Morgan and try to explain where we were. NL came and picked us up. Highly embarrassing. We were within walking distance but had no map and no clue where we were. With four college degrees between us and at least working knowledge of five foreign languages we were completely nonplussed. So amusing. We now have a map which MF printed out for us to show taxi drivers.

Today we're off to Cseky Krumlov (I almost certainly spelled that wrong) for several days. For MF it's like planning the Normandy invasion. For us, we just throw a few things in a bag. We'll have an awesome time.