Escape to the Continent: 8/1 Another branch on the Tree and the Last Supper...

8/1 We slept in and lounged around the flat playing with Matthew before venturing out for a long slow walk back into Old Town where we were to meet the two remaining Masek's at a restaurant across from the National Theater - the third and final venue of Frantisek Zenisek's known works. The theater was closed and evidently only opens for performances, not tours - preventing our second opportunity to see his work first hand.

fun, fun, fun ...

happy times ...

enjoying the river view while waiting for the young Maseks'....

As we stood in the foyer of the restaurant, two handsome young men came out from the dining area and inquired if we were looking for someone. The first introduced himself as Martin the Translator, the second as Jan, and with that we were ushered in to a table where Vera was waiting. Vera works in the second largest theater in Prague where she is involved in the production of a play based on a Joseph Heller story that unfortunately will not open until well after we have left. Jan is an aspiring actor planning to attend university to study, and Martin is an aspiring filmmaker. Coffee was ordered and the conversation begun - which roamed freely from family history to Czech history, from local politics to international politics - the thoughtfulness and artistic sensibility of the three quickly apparent and appropriately summed up in the gift they presented us, two books by Czech authors translated into English: I Served the King of England, a modern novel by Bohumil Hrabal, and The Grandmother, written by Bozen Nemcova, composed in the mid-1800's. The combination of the two promises to expand our perspective on the homeland of our Czech ancestors. We countered with a gift of our own - native Oregon treats, food for the senses rather than the mind we explained. Everyone seemed satisfied with the exchange and at our request, left the restaurant and walked across Old Town to the theater where Vera works. Pictures were taken, addresses exchanged, farewells engaged, and we parted - feeling blessed for the connections we had made with people we are happy to recognize as family!

with Martin (the interpreter), Vera (oldest daughter of Eda & Vera), Jan (Yan - son of Eda., Jr.)...

happy family ...

the young Masek & Zenisek ...

We headed over to the Municipal House to try one last time to see some Zenisek paintings, but alas! we had missed the last tour while meeting with Vera and Jan - who we at least are certain are family. Mamer and Merlines met us nearby and took us to dinner at their favorite Asian restaurant.

the dancing building ...

After dinner, Mamer drove us back to take pictures of the Zenisek plaque while there was still some daylight left, then they took us to Vysehrad, a historic medieval fortification overlooking Prague. While there we enjoyed exterior views of the Vysehrad Church with its internally lit slotted spires. While walking the walls we heard fireworks and raced to get a view of the distant display being put on over the river several kilometers away for reasons we were unable to determine. That didn't prevent us from enjoying the burst of color and delayed 'booms' with the night-lit city and especially the royal palace and cathedral on the distant mount.

Frantisek Zenisek's (the artist) plaque ...

could be a relative or just another non-related Zenisek in Prague...

Mamer & Merlines - Vysehrad ...

another historic church inside the Vysehrad ...

last night in Prague ...

From here we visited our last, least historic, and certainly interesting feature in Prague - the Zizkov TV Tower - a 700ft tall alien-looking structure on a hilltop overlooking the city that was built by the communists during the occupation and was rumored to have been designed to jam radio transmissions from the West. We were much too late to climb to the viewing platform, our evening visit was perfect to enjoy it in its nighttime blue, red and white lit splendor. We decided that the time of day also brought out the alien factor including the creepiness of the large faceless baby figures that were climbing up and down the huge structure - an artistic embellishment added in the 90's after the communists left. We returned home to visit over a nighttime beer and finally went to bed ...