We moved into the apartment. Yay! It is so cool. We left the hotel just after noon. Once again we amazed (shocked) our driver with the amount of baggage we had. “Just the two of you?” Ha ha. In any event, he was really nice and refused to let Karl help with the bags. When we arrived at the apartment he made us wait in the car to keep warm while he dragged our bags through the snow into the courtyard, plowing a nice path for the other residents. The apartment is a loft style with an eclectic blend of old (exposed beams, wood floors, furnishings, etc.), industrial (steel beams/supports, steel stairways, and hardware), and new (appliances and fixtures). It is also huge (as big a house). We got lucky because they gave us a major discount for the last minute rental since it was otherwise vacant. The apartment is a bit excessive (two floors, 2 bedrooms, small kitchen, living room, PIANO (that is obviously just for looks because it is desperately out of tune), surround stereo t.v. system, a little park/garden area out front, etc.), not to mention the amazing neighborhood, but that’s the way Karl rolls (I am working on changing that…ok maybe just a little). It is very warm and romantic, despite some of its industrial characteristics…very classy. After tucking away our belongings we ventured out for a bite to eat (late lunch as usual, but that always means we have the place to ourselves). It was not hard to find a nice spot. Just around the corner from the new pad we found Café de Paris, a reputable French restaurant, where we enjoyed amazingly fresh food, including steak tartare, lasagna (ok, I can’t help it, I love Italian food and it was their special….it was unlike any other lasagna I’ve ever had, yum), and of course crème brulee and tarte au chocolate…not to mention of few glasses of red wine J. Karl of course went into his French accent routine, making fun of the French. But, since a) his mother is French, b) he has actually lived in France, and c) he speaks the language, I approved...this time, even joining in a little. After eating we ventured to a local super market to get some staple items for the new pad (ok….they really don’t have “super” markets around here…just a small corner shop with the basic necessities…eggs, yogurt and wine). I have to say... I really enjoy Hannafords (Whole Foods for the brat). On the way back we spot another restaurant and, after seeing a sign for fried cheese, I decide this is where we would eat dinner tonight (we have been here a week already and have not tried this local specialty yet!). We walked back just as dark set in. It was still snowing lightly, something that had been happening all day. Admittedly it was a bit sad not to see all the wonderful cobblestone sidewalks, alleyways and roads - they are now blanketed in snow - but the old roadway lighting makes for a picturesque (and romantic) setting, as well as brings us the warmth of the Christmas spirit. Back at the apartment we crack a nice bottle of South African red and kick back to relax with some itunes. Life is good.
Emptied the bottle of wine then headed to the restaurant...basically all the hype about fried cheese is just that. It was just a your typical breaded and deep fried cheese stick, but on steroids…literally about the size of a filet-o-fish at McDonalds (I find it funny that this is the comparison Karl made considering he swears he has not and never will set foot in that establishment)….and equally as unimpressive. Oh well, I tried it. So far pastries and mulled wine are the big winners as far a Czech cuisine goes.
No real photos today other than a few apartment shots below and a few snowy scenes from the hotel window so that you can see the overnight change from green to white. Now that we are finally settled in I am expecting a good week of shooting (hopefully the weather will cooperate).
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