Fringe Festival+ Weekend in the park

This week the fringe festival is on in Prague and the weather has been lovely!

Martin knew about it when I came back to work in Wednesday, and had already been to one theatre piece : 40 featherd winks.

On wednesday we went again to see some one man show about ‘the war on terror’ which made us not wanting to see any more of the festival.

The audience (5 +us) was disappointed, and the artist asking us after the show why we didnt laugh in the moments he was supposedly telling funny stuff…

He explained that in case we hadnt understood what the donkeys stand for in the whole story, we had missed the whole point.

We had no clue, not even after reflecting the whole trip back, what the donkeys could represent.

Then on Friday I had another night out at the fringe, a lovely one: ‘Sax to the Max’!

First was a show with the British Saxophone association, bringing along 8 different saxophones played by 20 people. Loud and Lovely

They introduced us in the different kinds of saxophones, each playing a typical piece for that very instrument. The biggest one measured more than 2m and stood on a bucket..

Cant imagine the parents who allow their child to practice playing that one..

What a show! one could see they love their Sax

Afterwards, when they had finished some bonus pieces, I was hungry and went into the next restaurant, that happened to be an Italian, I had already been to.

They offer bread before the actual meal arrives, so I was sure to get food quickly

Nice this time, as last time the pizza was a bit sugary?!, I had Quattro Formaggi.

Spent some time in the park at Kampa before seeing the recommended ’40 feathered winks’.

That play was also well attended (right decision as I would know later on)

One third of human life is spent in bed; resting, crying, hiding, lovemaking, sleeping, dreaming and dying. The conscious and unconscious mind interweaves forming a patchwork story of 8 characters as they journey in, under and over their beds.
Live original music accompanies this spectacular visual and physical exploration of time passed horizontally from sleepovers to hangovers, orgasms to clinical depression.

Lovely! Imaginative!

They had 1-3 beds on stage, and would appear suddenly on any of them (as they could crawl under them without being seen). Story was basically covering main daily actions on/in bed.

Even the old american fogey in front of me was smiling (not laughing) at some points

Saturday was left to Troja, with its Chateau, that served as summer residence (not mine unfortunately), a quick look at the Zoo, and a couple of hours in the proper Botanical garden.

The botanical garden was lovely, worth the way up the hill at 30°C.

I ordered the ticket incl. student discount in Czech!

But then I forgot to ask what time they close, and having spent wonderful time reading, relaxing and wandering round, rushed to the exit at 5 to 6, thinking it might close at six

(closes at seven, by the way; that wasnt even clear after I studied some prospectus at the entrance in depth..)

Now I’m on the way to go clubbing, just had some nice (but quiete expensive) dinner with martin down the road. I chose mixed vegetables with potato pancakes, because it felt well healthy.

When Martin got his steak guess what I was desperate to have

Have a lovely weekend!

Tags: festival, park, Prague

Visit Mala Strana

Thursday:
Public holiday: started out on a walk from 12 to 4pm, with my new shoes. At 4 I had many and big blisters, forcing me to go back to change to flip flops, but at least I was wandering round in new shoes….
After wandering round in the area, visiting tesco express (to look where in caseI turn out to get workaholic or suddenly hungry one can get food during the evening) I caught tram no 22 and got off where I thought it was beautiful. That happened to be in mala strana, next to seminarska zahrada, a peaceful, steep, even though crowded hill to climb on and have a wonderful view of Prague (see pictures). I’m keen on getting to the top of whatever is available to get a glance of the city before I jump into the crowd.
By the way very relaxing atmosphere people reading or lying on the grass, I’ll definitely go there again.
On the top is Petrin Tower, a reproduction of Eiffel Tower, just much smaller, and a plateau with nice gardens. Here I felt like meeting Kiron Toner, pursuing his summer job selling postcards with individual pictures under a too-low sunshade
I continued down the hill, across mala Strana, short detour to Tesco II and another shopping center (even open on public holidays) to look for a pick nick blanket, deciding on a stop for something to eat. The pizza place I chose was comfortable, even though one couldn’t sit ourside, and reasonably priced -> Tonno Pizza 
After eating I joined the crowd going over the Legion Bridge, stopping at the island in the middle of the river. It wasn’t too nice, and the promised beach was muddy, supposedly still due to the repeatedly heavy flooding.
On the way to the pedal boat hire my blisters complaint and I decided to go home, change shoes and leave to a park nearby.

My intentions to learn some Czech disappeared and I kept reading the lonely planet guide to plan further excursions

The evening Martin and I went out for a drink, came back thirsty but happy, having fled the swarm of tourists around Charles bridge and old town square (we ended up there, because I wanted to see these places at night, but couldn’t find a cosy place to have a drink).

Tags: drink, park, Prague, visit