Last weekend I went to London to visit my friend Katie from school. She is attending BADA (British American something about theater). She is studying theater and having a great time. The weather was gorgeous upon arrival early friday morning. We went to Camdentown, the area around her school with a lot of funky little markets and interesting people. I felt very un-stylish compared to everyone we saw. Everyone had a style (good and bad), but everyone had something. It was interesting to see, because Czech fashion is all bad and non existent. We’ll see what pops up when the weather warms up here. We also went to Primrose Hill, a park that overlooks London and sat in the sun for a while. It was nice to see something I didn’t get to see when I visited London last time in 2004…4 years ago. Then we went back to her apartment and met some of her friends and had fish and chips at a pub across the street. It was nice. Since everything was really expensive (club wise) we just hung around her flat.
The next day was a little cooler and rainy, but we went around the city and saw the main sights again. Just a quick overview and orientation. Then the fun part. We explored the Tate Modern museum for a very very very long time. It was amazing. It may just be my favorite museum in Europe. I didn’t get to go there last time so I was very excited. They also had an awesome exhibit about Du Champ, Man Ray and Picabia, the main leaders of the dada movement. I really find this artistic movement interesting because it was a reaction to a social event. They’re motivation and execution interest me more than the art. It is a little silly and when looked at with a detatched eye, I could understand why someone wouldn’t like it. But to me it is interesting. I had a background in what Dada is and how it started so this exhibit was interesting and took a different angle because it was about the relationship of the three artists and how their friendships formed themselves as artists. The influences they had on each other are astounding. There was one work by each of them next to each other, and I had a hard time deciphering who’s was whose because they were ridiculously similar. It was a very large and extensive exhibit that was well curated and nicely divided into time periods with fantastic quotes by all of the artists and of course their art works. It was glorious. We really spent over 3 hours there not realizing the time. It was late and on the way home we walked across the millennium bridge at sunset and stopped at St. Pauls which is beautiful. Then we bought some cheap wine and beer and hung out at the apartment again.
Sunday we woke up to 2 inches of snow and rain outside. We ate at cafe and I read my book until it was time to go to the airport. Nothing else to eventful but the plane ride home. Got back to Prague and felt home.
This past weekend was Budapest trip with the group. The weather was the most glorious fantastic wonderfully amazing weather I have seen in a long long long time. It was in the 60’s/70’s practically the whole weekend. Even at night. It made the whole trip so much more enjoyable. We also had a lot of free time to ourselves which was nice. Friday the group went to a place outside of Budapest called Szentender (? St. Andrews). The town was sickeningly cute like every other town outside of a city in Central Europe. There are no suburbs. The city ends and farms begin. It’s kind of nice, but strange because in the US the lines between city and town and village are skewed and blend together, but in Europe its very clear cut what’s what. We also did the Turkish baths. Basically a pool sized hot tub with and outside and inside and multiple pools, also men in speedos, I forgot we were in Europe. It was quite the people watching spot. Sunday we had a few hours before we had to get on the bus again for 8 hours (mom would have died) so we had a picnic in the park with some champagne and real cheddar cheese (it doesn’t exist in Prague)!! So good. Then we got on the bus to come home getting into Prague around midnight. Only to get up for classes the next morning. It was long day.
My family comes to visit next week! WOOHOO! I’m so excited to show them Prague and the places I’ve come to know and love. Its similar to having them come visit DC but much better. Prague beats DC in terms of the city, but not the people. After parent’s leave Kelly and I travel on to Barcelona! Then it’s time to go home. I have exactly one month from Thursday left. I cannot believe it. Time is flying, I’m going to continue to say it, because its true. The weather is finally getting nice here and I’m loving it. We ate lunch in a park today behind our school and it was fantastic. I’m looking forward to getting some color. I’m very pasty. Wearing a bathing suit was not fun.
Hope all is well in the states and I’ll see everyone in a month!
Also, my camera wasn’t working for Budapest, so I have no digital photos. Sorry : ( You’ll just have to wait for the prints.
