Seriously....

It is snowing.

Oktoberfest 2009

Back in September Chris and I achieved a life long dream... we joined 5,999,998 other nuts in Munchen for Oktoberfest! This was one of the first trips we booked upon landing in London back in October of 2008. We rarely plan anything a year in advance but this... well, this was special and required considerable planning. I think about 10 or 12 people were in on the tent hunt, trying to locate a tent with a table for 20+ that didn't require our first born as a deposit. Thanks to our good friend Tim and his American Express Platinum Concierge for getting the job done in the 11th hour! We landed on Saturday morning, made a b-line to the nearest German consignment shop to purchase some traditional Bavarian threads, and spent about 2 hours enjoying the calm before the storm.

Saturday night we headed to the Oktoberfest grounds and made our way into the first tent we found with open doors, Hofbräu Festhalle! I experienced a few moments of sensory overload. Pictures could never do it justice. There were thousands of people, thousands of litres of beer, an oompa loompa band, Bavarian damen carrying 8, 9, 10 litres at a time and... everyone was in dirndls and lederhosen!!! I instantly knew this was going to be a good weekend!

The Hofbräu Festhalle was a bit insane. We arrived just after 9 pm to find thousands of people who had been drinking all day and we were just getting started. We had decided to save our traditional wear for Sunday, thinking it would be a novelty. Little did we know that lederhosen and dirndls are common place in Munich during the fest. We were the novelties in street clothes! After a litre or 2 of beer, we fought over a pretzel. It was a good thing when the lights were turned up and the band played Ein Prosit Gemütlichkeit for millionth and final time. We headed for the door and back to the hotel to prepare for the next day which would be starting sharply at noon!

11:30 am, Sunday, September 27th, post coffee but prior to beer!

The rest of our 25 will be join us inside the Hippodrom Tent.

Prepared for the day in our Bavarian working class threads and our first litres of beer. Das Leben ist schön!

There are probably only about 3 or 4 people in this tent without litres! Somewhere down there smack in the middle is a 18/19 year old German guy wearing a University of Florida hat! I said "Go Gators" to him and he looked at me like I had a second head! Maybe "Go Gators" means something different in German?!?

It was next to impossible to get out entire group into one photo, especially post second round! It looks like about 18 in this picture so we are only missing about 5... not to shabby!

From Hippodrom to Armbrustschützen-Tent (aka Paulaner). We were unsure if we would be able to get 20+ people into another tent but Tommy and I sweet talked the group into the Paulaner tent. Tommy did most of the talking, seeing as how he speaks German, and I smiled and looked innocent. As it turns out, there was no need to sweet talk because they had just opened the doors for free seats. It took a while to find a bench for the lot of us and along the way Chris and I made friends with some very drunk Germans. These guys were so excited to meet Americans and wanted us to take pictures with them. For every picture they would yell "Usain Bolt" and assume the pose. Most of this pictures were blurring because I was laughing hysterically and couldn't hold the camera still! But the picture of Chris above tells the story well enough!

This is the end of the pictures but not of the adventure. It was around this time I decided to put the camera away to prevent it from being broken, lost or stolen. Shortly after the camera was tucked away, Chris made his way back to the hotel. He hadn't bought in to my plan; a litre of beer, a litre of water, a litre of beer, a litre of water... you get the picture. In the end, a good time was had by all and everyone made it to their respective homes safe and sound. The plan worked brilliantly and I was sans hangover on Monday morning!!! Come back soon for Gnew Gnoah Gnomes adventures in Deutschland!

Until then... XOXO

Grr... Silly Bus

The number 16 bus stole my umbrella.

Which brings the total number of umbrellas claimed by the city since our arrival to 6. Chris left one at Bodeans on our 4th day in London, then two were sacrificed to the Tri-fecta Gods on the same day in November 2008, Chris lost another (on a tube, in a pub, on a bus... no one really knows for sure) and we managed to leave the massive Atlanta EY "borrowed" umbrella in the back of a taxi the day we moved into our first flat. The saddest part of the last one is that we never even got to use it! We carried it around the city several times but never actually opened it on this side of the pond!

6 umbrellas in 13 months. Not bad at all.

On a side note: Can I add an umbrella with lo-jack to my Christmas list???

Revisiting the Anniversary

Back in October on my 5 year anniversary post I promised a picture of Chris and I from the wedding... Here it is almost 2 months later and I have not followed through with my promise. Problem is that I can't find the silly pics! I know they are on a CD somewhere but whether that somewhere is London or my dad's spare room in Jacksonville is beyond me. But I did find these pictures that Laurie took a few years ago of the famous rock...

Maybe for our 6th anniversary I will track down the wedding pictures!

Christmas Time in the Big City!!!

It is no secret that I loathe Christmas music. I think it was the year I worked at Gap Kids for the holidays to make some extra money that put me over the edge. The same 30 songs in the exact same order played over and over again for almost 2 months straight is enough to send anyone to the nut house. However, pair that up with people coming into the store, singing along and commenting about how great the music is... well, that made me the pseudo scrooge that I am today! I say pseudo because I love all other things Christmas. I just wish we could leave the music out of the holiday!!!

Since we are heading home for the holidays this year Chris tried to convince me that we should skip the tree. Ha! Like he ever had a chance of winning that argument! I have been daydreaming about all my ornaments and fun holiday stuff since the 1st note of crappy Christmas music hit my ears! I almost refused to go on our weekend get-away to Isle of Wight because I wanted to get the tree on Friday. So today after work I got the bus to the Flower Station and picked out a tree London style. Basically that means that I picked a tree that I never saw unwrapped because when I asked the guy to unwrap a few he laughed! It was a rather grumpy laugh so I decided not to push my luck, paid for the tree and hailed a black cab! Yes, I brought my tree home in a black cab!!! I must say it was a bit easier than carrying it the 6 blocks home like we did last Christmas.

Luckily, when I got the tree home and opened it I was pleasantly surprised to find a decent tree. All that is left is to toss the lights and decorations on it and wait for the presents to show up!!!

Isle of Wight

A few weeks ago we started talking about getting out of London for the long weekend. I told Chris that I pictured us hold up in a cabin along the shore with a fire burning, warm blankets and nothing to do but relax. I must have looked at a hundred rentals on the web and found nothing that was close enough, far enough, cheap enough, cozy enough... or just plain enough! When Wednesday rolled around and we still had no confirmed plans I started making a mental list of things to do over the long weekend... laundry, cleaning, Christmas shopping, more laundry... I was prepared to give up the idea of nothing but R&R. But Chris came through in the eleventh hour... literally... we emailed an Inn on the Isle of Wight on Wednesday night, they responded midday Thursday, Chris booked the room and 2 train tickets for noon on Friday! By 1 pm on Friday we were munching turkey sandwiches as we chugged through the English countryside and the rain!

The other hope I had for the weekend was a nice long walk along the coast and a chance to break-in my Hunter Wellies...

Check!As soon as we got checked in and dropped our bags in the room we were off to check out the area. Here is Chris admiring our future summer home. And yes, this modern monstrosity sticks out like a sore thumb... I preferred the more traditional English cottages.

Now this is the kind of place where I could cuddle up in front of the fire with a good book, a glass of wine and a fat cat at my feet... when will Chris be making partner???

The beach is not the white fluffy sand that I grew up with in Florida. But I have to admit that I enjoyed the natural pebbles and sea shells that were scattered along the shore. I just needed a bucket to help collect all my treasures!

The end of November is the off season for the Isle of Wight. And for good reason... it was freezing! I asked Chris if he wanted to pack his hat, gloves, scarf, etc and he said no. I tossed his hat in my bag"just in case" and by day 2 he was wearing my scarf! Next time I just pack for him ;-)

We only had a few hours to explore before the sunset. We walked along the shore and then made our way inland before heading back towards the hotel. I loved these puddles and was really wishing I had a tripod to prevent the pictures from being so blurry.

We headed back to the hotel where we enjoyed a few pints in the pub along with a game of darts. Neither Chris nor I have any clue how to play darts; other than the basic concept of throwing the pointy end of the dart in the general direction of the bulls eye. So we made up our own rules and laughed our way through the afternoon as Chris threw for Yahtzee! After darts we enjoyed dinner and then headed to the room for a pleasant surprise...

The BEST turn down service EVER, hands down!

We returned to our room to find the radio playing relaxing tunes, the bed turned down with hot water bottles warming each side of the bed, slippers laid out next to the bed and the lights in the bathtub glowing blue!!! I don't think I could have asked for anything more... except maybe a chocolate on my pillow ;-)

This picture does not do the bathtub justice but it will have to do! The tub was big enough for 3 or 4 people. It had blue lights inside the tube and the faucet is that little silver circle in the picture on the ceiling next to the rain style shower head! Yes, the water falls from the ceiling into the tub! Oh and did I mention that there is a TV embedded in the tiles? Calgon take me away...

As we tucked in for the night (after hour long bathes each,) the rain started to fall and lulled us off to sleep. Needless to say, we both slept like babies and woke up to sunshine!!!!


And a few clouds... but look at those blue skies in between the clouds!

So I realize that it looks overcast in the picture but when it is November in England beggars can't be choosers! We take any hint of sunshine and blue sky that we can get! Here is our hotel, the Seaview Inn... doesn't look like the sort of place that would have TVs in the bathtubs!

We looked online, spoke to different people at the hotel and even chatted with a guest at breakfast about things to do. However, in the end we decided to go out for a wonder and enjoy getting lost. We figured the island is not that big and we had plenty of money to catch a cab back to the Inn if we got too far away so why not! Plus, Chris had been out for a run in the early morning and had scouted a potential path.

We started off along the water since the tide was heading out and we had plenty of room to walk.

It seems like every house we passed had a cute name on the gate or over the door. This was one of my favorites...

Eventually, the beach became impossible to walk on so we headed inland along a muddy path. We were flanked by green fields and woods. The air was crisp and my wellies kept my feet bone dry! I had a ball splashing through the puddles and trying not to avoid the mud!



I can definitely understand why Londoners have country or coast homes. It was so peaceful and relaxing to be out walking without doubledecker buses brushing past at 60 mph or having to dodge tourists. One thing is for certain, if we ever lived in a place like this we would have to get a doggy! We must have seen about 20 Border Collies in our 2 days and they were all having the time of their lives running, barking, and herding any and everything in sight!

We walked along the edge of the Priory Hotel and gates like this one marked the entrances on either end. Unfortunately, we had to continue our walk along the main road. I tried in vain to snap pictures while dodging cars... wasn't I just saying something about not missing this???

We walked through St Helen's and then headed back to the coast and enjoyed the houseboats in Bembridge...

Leave it to me to make friends with a pirate along the way. I told him on of my pirate jokes... he didn't seem to be very amused. He must have had barnacles in his ears ;-) It was at about this point in our walk that I realized just how heavy rubber boots are, especially when you have walked about 4 miles... We found a cute little pub and were ready to tuck in to a pint when Chris decided to see what else was around. The Lobster and Crab Inn was recommended and right on the shore... it looked deceivingly close on Chris's Blackberry map so we were off again.

In the end, it was worth the extra mile we walked. We sat outside and drank a pint, enjoying the sea views and then headed inside for crab cakes by the fire.

For the record, the camera is level... it is the fence that is going downhill!

England's coasts are known for their chalk cliffs and Isle of Wight is no different. Most of the southern and eastern coast on the island are nothing but cliffs. We only caught the edge of it but is was lovely to say the least. We considered a walk along this beach but decided that it was time to head back to the hotel for a quick nap before our massages!

We made it back just in time, too. As we kicked off our shoes in the room it started to pour! This was the theme of our weekend. When we were outside if was cold, windy and damp but not raining but as soon as we headed inside it would come down in sheets! After a quick nap, we headed to the Inn's spa room. Chris enjoyed a 60 minute massage while I was pampered with a 60 minute facial and 30 minutes neck, shoulder and back massage. So this was not on my original weekend wish list but I consider it a compromise since our room did not have a fire place!

After a nice long dinner, a bottle of vino and some sticky toffee pudding, we were ready for our nice warm bed and the sound of rain on the roof top. We slept-in until after 9:30 this morning before heading down for a Full English fry-up and fresh squeezed juice! It is hard to believe that we actually left this little bit of heaven to return to London! What were we thinking???

Until next time... XOXO

Happy Thanksgiving

4 Americans, 2 Brits, an Irishman and a Bengali... No, it isn't a joke! We had some friends over for a traditional Thanksgiving meal on Thursday. The food was delicious (if I do say so myself) and the company was even better. I learned another valuable lesson... convection ovens cook much faster than regular ovens... However, since I was basting the bird every 30 minutes I was able to pick up on the fast cooking and in the end it was cooked to perfection. I love this Tom Colicchio recipe and don't think I will ever like another turkey as much. Even Chris said he thought this was my best turkey yet! Add the sweet potatoes with praline topping, green bean casserole, roasted garlic and sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes, and top it all off with bourbon spiked pumpkin pie... We had a feast fit for the Queen!

After all the work we put into the feast we decided to get away for the weekend. Chris found a last minute deal on the Isle of Wight, booked the train tickets and away we went... after all the dishes were done! More to come on the Isle of Wight but not now... we have massages in 10 minutes ;-)

Until then...

XOXO

Budapest at a glance...

It is hard to believe that it has been almost 3 months since our trip to Budapest! It is even harder to believe that I am just now posting the pictures!! I am going with the old cliche; Better late than never.

Budapest is a city that has experienced every possible up as well as every possible down. It was once a capital for the Austro-Hungarian empire and that is when Parliament was commissioned. Designed by an architect who studied in London, it closely resembles the English Parliament building in London. However, I must admit that given Hungary's current position in Europe and the world, this building looks incredibly out of place. We toured the interior and were amazed by the marble floors, walls, columns... it was everywhere and then we learned it was all fake! The hundreds of stained glass windows on the other hand are 100% real and 100% originals! During the German 'occupation' the windows were removed and stored under the building in sand and miraculously survived the war.

I use the work 'occupation' lightly because in the beginning Hungary was a German Ally. They tried to skirt the line they said in hopes of protecting their Jewish population but in reality... they were just as angry about their loses in World War I as the Germans were so they hopped on the Nazi bandwagon in an effort to regain their once prominent status in Europe. Before it was all over, Hitler ordered the country occupied and the Soviets 'liberated' the country in 1945 following a months-long siege in Budapest that left the city in rubble. One in ten Hungarians died in the war and those that survived experienced 44 years of Communism. In the end, the Hungarian experience from golden era to communism has left the people somewhat pitiable. They feel like everything 'happened' to them.

It has taken the city longer than most to rebuild and repair the opulence of their streets, buildings, etc following the fall of the USSR. However, a few days in the city and it is easy to see that the efforts are heating up...

There is scaffolding on just about every street which is not an unusual sight in Europe... but it is chunky wood scaffolding! The last time I saw wood scaffolding was when my grandfather had Mennonite carpenters working on his home in Tennessee!

Budapest was constantly trying to out-do Vienna in it's golden age. For Hungary's 1,000th birthday in 1896, the country commissioned buildings, parks and monuments by the hundreds including the Parliament building. However, I think the main thing they copied from Vienna was the cafe culture. Many of these cafes, like the one above, are being returned to their former glory. Most of the cafes are enormous and with the exception of a few utterly empty! The picture above was taken at about 1 pm along Andrasst Ut, one of the busiest streets in Budapest!

Another area undergoing renovation all over the city are the hotels. Budapest's fastest growing money maker is tourism so it makes since that the hotels are being spruced up. We stayed at the Art'otel along the Danube on the Buda side of the city. Our guide book listed the hotel as a $$$ splurge especially in peak season (when we were there, of course) but our room with it's amazing view of the river and Parliament was only a little over $100 a night!

The reception area and most of the rooms are in a modern, recently built building that is connected by a courtyard to a renovated row of townhouses. It was an interesting mixture of old and new that somehow worked. We ate our breakfast on the courtyard with the above balcony as our view.

Our room had views to the north of Parliament and to the south of Chain Bridge. Directly behind us was Castle Hill and an area known locally Buda Hills. Budapest was once two distinct cities, hilly Buda to the west of the Danube and flat Pest to the east. We tackled Buda in less than half a day and were disappointed to learn the the guide books were right to say that Castle Hill is much better from afar. The castle itself is a fake made to look real from a distance with faux painting. And while the Fisherman's Bastion was beautiful, it is more impressive to look up at it from the Pest side of the Danube. Amazingly enough, they charge you a few dollars to climb the stairs and walk about 25 yards along the top of the bastion. We watched tourist after tourist pay the fee and then exit within minutes a bit dejected only to find a free viewing area at the exit! Sometimes it literally pays to do your research before hand!

For a rather small city, Budapest has half a dozen bridges over the Danube. Above is the Liberty Bridge which leads right to the Gellert Hotel and Baths. Taking the waters is a Hungarian tradition that should not be missed! In our five days in Budapest we visited three thermal baths, once of which was also a water park, complete with wave pool and slides! There is nothing like soaking in hot, thermal pools after hiking all over the city.


We ended our time in Budapest at Keleti Station. Nothing makes me feel further from the US than a European train station. Though most are damp, dusty and covered with centuries of grime, it is impossible to not see what they must have been like in the hay day of train travel. They were built with attention to detail and make most modern day airports look like bus shelters! Too bad for us, our night train to Prague would quickly erase the romantic feelings of nostalgia for a bygone era and if the train ride itself didn't do the trick, the communist era train station on the other end would get the job done!

Next stop... Praha!
Until then, XOXO

Playing Catch Up

I realize the posts are few and far between these days! Things have been incredibly hectic with travel, work, move, etc. As a matter of fact, it is Sunday and I am at work!! So here is a quick catch up and yet another promise that I will be posting about our trips to Eastern Europe and Munchen soon!!!

We have officially moved! Woo Hoo!! The new place has been a voyage of discovery with new things going wrong everyday. We are living without a sofa or dining room table but we do have satellite TV including ESPN America so Chris is happy ;-) Yesterday we went furniture shopping and got a sofa and table and have our fingers crossed that they will be delivered before or during the Kipphuts' visit... if not, please accept this as a formal apology for having to sit on the floor.

About 2 weeks before the move, we went to Munchen with 25 of our not so closest friends (truth be told I don't think I actually knew 25 people until the trip!) to celebrate Oktoberfest. Chris and I had been planning this trip since first visiting Germany a few years ago. Oktoberfest in Munchen is like Mecca for beer lovers... and as you all must surely realize by now, we are beer lovers! Take a moment now to imagine what the weekend was like... just think litres of beer, pretzels the size of my head, lederhosen, dirndls and of course Gnew Gnoah Gnome!!! Combine all of these things with a tent full of about 5000 litre drinking Germans! Good times!!!

And about 2 weeks prior to Munchen we spent a week in Budapest and Prague, as you may have guessed from the homeless disco tech post. I have a ton of pictures that capture the fun of eating pork knuckle, soaking in thermal baths, and enjoying the last days of Eastern European summer... Now if we could only get Internet access in our new place to upload pics!!!

Thanks for your patience!!!
Until next time,
XOXO

5 Amazing Years .. and Counting!

5 years ago today, I walked down the aisle, clinging to my father's arm and willing myself not to cry and destroy my make-up. By the end of that amazing night the following events had occurred: My mom cried as I twirled in my dress, I shared a laugh with my dad as we shared a Miller Lite, Chris held my hand in his as he said our vows, I struggled to get the wedding band on my plump ring finger, I shared a toast with 6 amazing friends and 1 amazing husband, Amber yelled 'Git'er Done' as we were introduced, Chris dipped me at the exact perfect moment as we finished our first dance as Mr and Mrs, Katherine Smith-Moreno handed me a perfectly poured Captain and Coke when I needed it most, Laurie hi-fived me to celebrate everything coming together, Kirk gave the longest and greatest best man toast EVER in the history of weddings including a shout out to his new favorite Aunt Sue, I enjoyed a slice of the BEST wedding cake ever made, I had an impromptu dance with my father to Skynards "Gimme 2 Steps', I watched Chris's eyes smile with delight when he realized I was wearing the garter belt he had given me years ago as a joke after a business trip to Amarillo, we then laughed hysterically as Kirk and Vanessa put on an R rated show with said garter, I shared countless stolen looks, soft kisses and loving smiles with my new husband, I spun around in circles with Vanessa like we had done so many times before and I drove away, beside Chris as bubbles floated around us.

I remember thinking that night that it may never get any better than so many of those small but amazing moments. And then the next 5 years happened! Now as I walk past the Italian Fountains in Kensington Gardens or ride the bus past Buckingham Palace or spend the day planning our next adventure, I find myself thinking the same thing again... it might never get any better than this!! Or maybe, if the coming years follow the last five it will only get better.

Happy Anniversary Florida Boy!
ILU ;-)

PS: My wedding picture discs have been packed and this picture is the only one I have on the computer... I will post later with one of me and the hubby!!!

2 Pints of Guinness to Celebrate!

Florida Boy is moving up in London... and subsequently the world ;-)

Chris just got word today that he is being promoted to Senior Manager in October! There was some nervousness about the outcome of this years promotion since Uncle Ernie London only had a few months to see what Uncle Ernie Southeast Area and I have come to expect... udder perfection. (Laurie, that was for you ;-)

Chris thinks this post is a little too much but... when it comes to my amazing husband, nothing could ever be enough!!!

To celebrate we are enjoying a few pints of Guinness...

On a side note, Happy Anniversary to Guinness! Today they are celebrating the 250 year anniversary of signing the lease on the St Jame's Gate Brewery in Dublin... not to be too picky but the celebration is about 2 months early! Guess we will just have to toast with more Guinness in 2 months time!

Florida Girl finds the Florida Crowd

Nothing like watching the Gators with a crowd of Florida fans!!! Last night we headed to our normal football spot from last season, Bodeans BBQ, to meet up with the London Gator Club. Figured there would be 15, maybe 20 all together... in the end I think we took over the entire 3 floor restaurant! The reservation for 25 was not even close to enough so the group spread out... I feel a bit sorry for the other dinners who came in for a good ole fashion Saturday BBQ... instead they got to experience a taste of the Swamp! No AC and lots of people lead to high temps and high humidity, the yelling, cheering and trash talking rounded the experience out nicely. Good Times!

BOLO

On my walk home from work a few days ago I came across an interesting scenario. About 2 blocks from the flat, I found a pair of men's trousers on the sidewalk. It looked like someone had just walked right out of them. I ponder for a moment how a man could loose his trousers and just keep walking which is when I came upon a jumper (aka sweater)! Now I was baffled... trousers and a jumper within 10 yards of one another... could this be a coincidence? Now I felt like I was on the hunt... so when I came across a pair of men's underpants, I nearly jumped with delight!!! A few yards later, there was a men's button down dress shirt... and then it hit me.

There is a naked man roaming about my neighborhood!

West London be on the look out for (BOLO): a naked man!

Blogging from my travel journal...

I love my travel journal. I take it pretty much everywhere we go but I rarely write in it. I always have the best intentions but hours of walking, sight seeing, pubbing, and the like always get in the way of my literary goals! On our recent trip to Eastern Europe I vowed to do better... I thought my 5 loyal readers would enjoy a peek into the private, travel blubberings of Florida Girl!

23rd August 2009 Day One
Not as early a start as we are used to... we slept til 4:45 am! Ha! Should be in Hungary in about 3 hours. I read the guide book over 3 weeks ago and remember only minor details... for instance, a Hungarian invented the Rubik Cube. Should be a fun trip, full of surprises!!!

24th August 2009 Day Two
We found a Belgian Pub in Budapest. Go figure.

Budapest is a city on the cusp of of dilapidation... it must have been brilliant before wars tore it apart and Communism left it in disrepair. Grand buildings with boarded up windows are the norm but occasionally you see one of these giants in the throws of renovation. Kind of makes you wonder...

The "underground" is laughable when compared to London. Barely below the road... walk down less than 20 steps and you are at the tracks! Funny little musical tunes play to signify a stop or when the doors are closing!

26th August 2009 Day Four
On the night train to Prague... It is an adventure that we will look back on with find memories (Note: Maybe in 20 years!!!)

Learning about Hungary's experience during WWII and then under USSR occupation has been interesting. I have not made my mind up on how to feel. Hungary allied with Germany during WW2 in a effort to regain land last following WWI... All in all, Hungary suffered worse with Communism that with the Nazis! Walking around the city, I can not imagine what it must have been like during those years...

Notes about the Night Train
No dining car.... seriously?!? Can buy small items from guy in our car but we spent all out money at the station!
No A/C! It is hot but with the window down it is loud. Note to self: Should have brought ear plugs!
Window open = Stinky farm smells every 10 to 15 minutes!
Sleeper car does not mean that you will actually sleep!
Why does the train keep stopping?
Who's idea was this stupid night train thing??? Why did I agree to this???

Note from Florida Boy
I think the best part of any trip is the moment you realize it is over... when you have a chance to first remember. I really enjoyed this one. This is what we moved to London to do. And I am happy!
Culturally, not as different as I expected, though knowing the people there experienced a very different past. amazing how quickly a country can move forward. Though my favorite part was that thermal baths, probably the oldest part of the city, they just seemed like such a natural part of the city.
I will never forget the night train to Prague. What seemed like an uneventful trip turned in to much more: After the 4th stop in about 2 hours, I realized our plans of sleeping and saving money on hotels were out the open train window!

Have you ever...

laughed so hard you peed your pants?
No?
I guess there is a first time for everything...

Florida Girl presents

Homeless Prague Discotheque 2009

Notice that we aren't the only ones snapping pics as the show gets under way.

Is she alone???

I think she has a partner....

Yep... there he is, peeking over her shoulder.

He is warming up...

But his woman keeps stealing the limelight.

She is about to break it down...

What is this? A new move...

I think her man may be embarrassed.

He is kind of acting like he doesn't know her.

Maybe he is just considering a Kebab for dinner?

And he is back with his signature wide leg stance.

She is still strutting and he is... well... he is standing...

Ut oh... I put my camera down and looked away for just a moment... and this is what I found when I looked back. Notice the Kebab shop workers, we could hear them laughing from across the street. There are also 4 police officers out of view that are doubling over with laughter...

At this point, the tears started to well up in our eyes... the anticipation of what might happen next was almost too much to bear!

Yes, she did wrap her legs around his neck while lying flat on her back. And yes, he did lift her into his arms. And no, neither so much as stumbled!

I realize that the pictures can not possibly do this event justice... I strongly encourage everyone to print these pictures out and fashion a crude flip book. This will be the best way to recreate the moment. I recommend playing Billie Jean for the first few moves, then move on to Walk like an Egyptian, and close it out with Time of my Life... I think the moves sync nicely with the songs.

Oh... and we will be buying a video camera just in case this EVER happens again!