Archives for January 2020

January 26, 2020

Strahov Monastery

This Premonstratensian monastery was founded in 1140. In the complex there is the church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Strahov Library (with a number of medieval manuscripts, maps and globes, the Baroque Theological Hall, the Classical Philosophy Hall decorated with frescoes), and the Strahov Gallery, one of the most significant Central European collections of Gothic painting, Rudolfian art, and Baroque and Rococo paintings.

It was a dream of mine to see the Strahov Library! Can you blame me? There’s one notch off my bucket list.

I snapped a couple of interior shots rather inconspicuously and quickly.

I mean, that ceiling.

I was overcome with gratitude for having had the opportunity to see this historical vision in person. Off to explore more of the city!

January 25, 2020

Prague’s Jewish Quarter

Early on in my Prague voyage, I did a small tour through Josefov (also known as the Jewish Quarter). In the 13th century, Jewish people were ordered to vacate their homes and settle in this one area. Jews were banned from living anywhere else in Prague. The monuments here even survived the Nazi occupation. Hitler decided to preserve the Jewish Quarter as a “Museum of an Extinct Race”.

This is the exterior of the Spanish Synagogue.

Maisel Synagogue was erected in 1592. It burned down in the ghetto fire of 1689 and was rebuilt several times.

On display at the Maisel Synagogue is a rare collection of objects. The interior was warm and beautiful.

Pinkas Synagogue has names of the Holocaust victims from Czech lands covering the inner wall. I didn’t take a photo of the names with my camera, because I wanted to be respectful.

The Old Jewish Cemetery is one of the most important Jewish historical monuments in Prague.

It ran from the first half of 15th century until 1786 and is now among the oldest surviving Jewish burial grounds in the world.

There are about 12,000 tombstones in the cemetery, many decorated with animal and plant motifs.

As space was scarce, bodies were buried on top of each other, with graves layered.

Walking through the cemetery alone in the crisp fall weather was an important moment in my life, and I carry the sensation with me. I felt the power of my culture and the wisdom of my ancestors.

January 24, 2020

My First Prague Morning

On my first full day in Prague, I made sure to wake up bright in early, despite the jet lag and different time zone. I had a packed itinerary, as I planned meticulously (see also: psychotically) in advance. There was so much to see, and I didn’t want to miss any of it!

Imagine turning the corner and happening upon this! This is the Powder Tower, the entrance by which Czech kings entered Old Town; it’s one of the most significant monuments of Late Gothic Prague (completed in 1475!) My jaw literally dropped.

This is the French Breakfast at Cafe’ Savoy. One of my best friends had recommended going there during my stay, and oh, how I am glad she did! Embarrassingly enough, this entire spread was all for me! The meal included scrambled eggs in a croissant, grilled pork sausages, mustard, potatoes, pickled vegetables, lettuce, French toast, freshly-squeezed orange juice, and café au lait. (This was before I went back to vegetarian lifestyle, of course). As if that wasn’t enough food, I had to try a little cream puff straight from their on-site patisserie. It was the loveliest atmosphere- perfect for a rainy morning. The walk there was magic, too.

Frescos

I kept ending up in front of this hotel, somehow! I’m convinced it was following me. Luckily, it wasn’t so bad to look at!

January 23, 2020

Radical Media (And Some Women Behind It)

If you want to learn more about how deep corruption runs in media, be sure to check out this book! I just started a class called “Radical Media, Film, and Social Movements” (dream class!), and this is the text we’ve been reading from. I’ve been interested in radical, anarchist and alternative forms of media and art ever since I learned about it (especially as a device of resistance). This book is especially dense and not always the most accessible, but the concepts are incredibly valuable to citizens.

Speaking of anarchist communications, my class reminded me of a special place I stumbled upon in Philadelphia. Founded in 1976, the Wooden Shoe is an all volunteer, collectively-run, anarchist book store. They also identify as an infoshop, meaning that they serve as a space for people to gather, learn, and find out more about like-minded activities happening in their communities.

I’m lucky to have had the opportunity to see Patti Smith read from her new book, Year of the Monkey, at the Adrienne Arscht Center in Miami Beach. She played a couple of acoustic songs, including “My Blakean Year,” which is one of my favorites that she’s written.

Additionally, I got to hear the poetics of Joy Harjo live at the Palm Beach Poetry Festival. She read and performed some of her staggering poems, played the saxophone (which she jokingly referred to as a “demon instrument”), and also played Native American flute- enveloping the crowd in ancient ritual and ceremony.

Here’s a photo of Joy’s beautiful hand covered in these elaborate indigenous tattoo patterns; I took it when I met her after the performance. Joy was recently named the first Native American U.S. Poet Laureate, and she absolutely deserves the honor. I said, “Hello, Human-Bird. Thank you for singing to me.” During her performance, she mentioned how she carried Emily Dickinson with her, and how the poet used to “sing” to her.

This is Joy’s latest release, American Sunrise. Do yourself a favor and connect to her language immediately!

January 18, 2020

Arriving in Prague

It was a dream of mine to travel to Prague for many years. I had seen photographs of the city’s gothic architecture and red roofs in my grandfather’s National Geographic books. Growing up in America, (and South Florida, at that), I had recurring dreams about Prague’s ancient landscapes and earthy color palettes; the images shook me out of strip-mall monotony.

After going back to school and completing my Associate’s Degree, I needed a break to focus on my own personal growth. With the recent loss of one of my close friends, I started to rethink our tendency to put off dreams for a “better” time. The truth is, there may be no other time than right now.

I decided to take off the semester to see another part of the world (and develop my podcast project). I organized a budget-friendly experience and stayed in an Airbnb room in the heart of Prague 1. I had never traveled alone in a foreign country, so I was a bit nervous about the language barrier and my dreadful sense of direction. To prepare, I did a ton of research beforehand.

On my first evening there, I walked around the narrow, cobblestone roads with pink buildings and pistachio rooftops towering above me. I wanted to have dinner somewhere that offered a breathtaking view of the city, and Kate, who runs the instagram account @praguetoday, recommended T-Anker restaurant. I was overwhelmed by the panorama! My periphery was submerged in flower boxes of vivid red, and just beyond that lied a medieval skyline that looked straight-outta-fairytales. I genuinely questioned if I was dreaming it all. Turns out, I wasn’t!

January 6, 2020

Recording CC01

Last night, I recorded an overview of my health journey at Dream Machine Recording Co. for Episode 01 of The Crimson Coyote podcast.

For most of my life, I taught myself to hide what I was going through and what I had been through, because I felt a great deal of shame around being unable to function like most. As I work to collect transformative stories from my fellow creatives, I thought it was important to kickstart the project with my own path. I also hope that sharing my story will help others who may be suffering in silence to be less afraid to reach out.

Stay tuned to learn more about my experience with invisible illness, and how creativity has helped me persevere.

January 4, 2020

A Peek into Friedrichshain Cafés

These are some of the lovely cafe’s I came across during a saunter through the Friedrichshain neighborhood in Berlin, Germany.

Love everything about this: the imperfect wall combined with the black table, the antique mirror with the little botany illustration next to it, and the exposed brick.

This is Louise Chérie Café, a little French cafe’ where I had a pear tart. The owner was such a dear to me, and she made me feel so welcome when I was starting to become lonely on my solo travels. I was grateful for her company and hospitality!

Many of the interiors and exteriors of Europe look unfinished and patchy (it’s so old!), and I love that. You might find mixed and matched furniture, peeling wallpaper, creaky wood, and unique objets d’art. If I’m being honest, most modern architecture and decor in America sort of… repulses me (unless it’s extremely futuristic, like the houses of Palm Springs!) These spaces were a treat.

January 2, 2020

A Historical Walk in Berlin

As a Jewish woman, it was very important to me to visit some of the historical sites in Berlin. Still, I couldn’t quite process the acts of barbarity that took place there, even when I was there; it was too much to digest cognitively. I did feel the presence of souls-taken-too soon as I rode from Czechia into Germany, however. It was a powerful experience.

I decided to go on an Airbnb walking tour with Jack, a mightily knowledgable man from London. He was well-versed in German history and shared notable stories.

Here are some places I visited:

Bebelplatz, where a Nazi book-burning ceremony took place. A line from Heinrich Hein’s play, *Almansor*, is engraved on a plaque in the square; it translates in English to “That was only a prelude; where they burn books, they will in the end also burn people”.

Brandenburger Tor is considered both a symbol of Europe’s volatile history, and also European unity and peace.

Reichstag: the beginning of the end, where Hitler’s enabling act was passed. This began the removal of rights.

As you start literally going down hill, the the pillars grow and you begin to feel lost and suffocated. There are many interpretations of this installation, including forced segregation, isolation, loss of identity, and the rise and fall of the Third Reich.

Designed by architect Peter Eisenman and engineer Buro Happold, the slabs are designed to produce an uneasy, confusing atmosphere, and the whole sculpture aims to represent an “ordered system” that has lost touch with human reason.

This site is where Hitler’s bunker and office were located. It is now apartments and a children’s playground. So creepy.

This used to be the Nazi Air Force location.

Anhalter Bahnhof was a railway terminus. It functioned as a Holocaust deportation station, and from 1942-1945, around 9600 elderly jews were transported from Berlin to their deaths in the ghettos and extermination camps in Eastern Europe.

All that remains of Anhalter Bahnhof today

January 1, 2020