Dobrá Čaj

Hey Burlington Vermonters: This tea shop is in your town too!




Prague, Czech Republic

A hike to the top

This hotel on top of Mount Klinovec was where Michal and his eighth grade spent a ski weekend, and where one of Michal's bunk-mates forgot about a whole roasted chicken that his mom had cooked for him. After four days, when the boys smelled something "like old socks", they discovered the chicken, all wrapped in tinfoil, and decided (naturally) to throw it out the window, where it was presently discovered by a pack of local dogs who howled and fought over the chicken all night.
Now, the hotel is a ghost, covered by early snow.

Film Photos from Greece.

I finally got these developed from August on Aegina island. Makes November in Central Europe a rather dark place...

Shots of New Hampshire

I spent quite a bit of time in between New Hampshire and Vermont this past May and June, crossing the Connecticut river. I parked in the middle of a Savings Bank BBQ to take the picture of the river on this day. Other shots include: Souvenir shop near the Kancamagus Highway, and Tibetan Prayer Flags from an intern's room at my father's farm.

Velvet Revolution 2009

Tuesday, November 17th marked the 20th Anniversary of the fall of communism in the CR. We followed the original protest path from 1989, passing a few Austrian-German Banks, American fast-food chains, and British super stores. It has been 20 years, after all.
Radio Free Europe reports

Fish Haul Clip

See the fish get pulled in by nets! Hear my annoying voice! Got to love video.

Sweet Soy Log

Parsley is merely a serving suggestion

Mmm, who doesn't love a hunk of sweet soy? Next to the Milka chocolate, the wafer bars and the Orbitz gum, you can still find the old fashioned Sójové řezy bar in the Czech Out Aisle. The name roughly translates to "soya cuts," and the filling treasure costs 50 American cents. Apparantly, Sójové řezy has remained popular enough that Nestle bought up the name and recipe. The packaging however, remains the same as pre-Revolution era.
As for taste, Soya Cuts is sort of like a fatty, cookie dough with traces of coconut and almond extract. My roommate swears there is also a trace of permanent marker.

Here are the ingredients, thanks to Google Translate. All words are verbatim:
Sugar, soy flakes, glucose-fructose syrup, Plant fat, dried milk, wheat flour wafer, aromas, museums containing traces of peanuts and almonds.

Two Students of Mine.

Martin loves Lenka, but does Lenka love Martin? These two play footsie beneath the table while I teach, but are also subject to lovers quarrels. Are they just friends? Dating? The subtleties are in Czech--I'll probably never know.

Saturday Fish Haul, Manetin

First they drain the pond, then they catch all the fish-- mostly the bottom feeding carp-- in nets. All the while, people are drinking beer and grog and milling about the pond banks, watching. Also caught: two snapping turtles, and three giant catfish. Then people line up to buy. You can have it alive, or bonked on the head, gutted and put into a flowery plastic bag. Carp lunch ensues.