Conversations about mending personal + cultural wounds through creativity
After months of hard work, I am pleased to announce that The Crimson Coyote podcast is now live!
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Learn more about the show by listening to Episode #0 – the trailer – below:
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Before all hell broke loose with Corona virus, I was in North Carolina for my Spring Break. I stayed with my cousins in Charlotte before I headed into Asheville on my own. It was so wonderful catching up with them.
My adorable cousin on the swings
And her twin!
Even bigger cousin!
And even BIGGER cousins!
There were also friendly sheep on this visit.
And a very sweet piggy.
We ate at a great restaurant called Emmet’s social table in Waxhaw.
And grabbed some sweets from Amelie’s café and bakery in Uptown. What an amusing place! It is jam-packed with absurd, repurposed objects and has a whimsical, eccentric atmosphere.
We also went to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, where my cousins had been married. Unfortunately, I was so ill at the time of the event, I wasn’t able to attend. Making up for it years later!
And now, for the orchids. Orchids are a frequent symbol in mythology, which makes sense, as they seem alien and magic at once.
I wanted to visit Asheville for many years due to its artsy reputation and mountainous landscapes. It’s a place I’ve even considered moving to. Since it was my Spring Break, and I’ve been rather burnt out from my busy school/work schedule, I treated myself to a North Carolina getaway (found an $84 round-trip ticket)
Asheville is basically the Southeast equivalent of Portland, Oregon. You’ll find bohemians wearing septum piercings and neon dreadlocks, free spirits smelling of weed or essential oils, Grateful Dead memorandum, progressive signage, and gutter punks. “The dream of the 90’s is alive in Asheville.”
I would very much like to visit again in the fall to experience its orange-cranberry bloom. I want to explore many of the nature sites along the Blue Ridge Highway, such as Craggy Gardens, because unfortunately they were closed when I was there. I’d also be interested in checking out the music scene there: Bring on the banjos!
This was the view from my Airbnb in the historic district of Montford. Look at that darling treehouse! Eeee!
Went for a nice walk and found a house to move into. Do you think the owners will mind?
Time for brunch in West Asheville at Early Girl Eatery! Yum.
I had biscuits with vegetarian herb cream gravy and a veggie breakfast bowl made with brown rice, black beans, sweet potatoes, spinach, cheddar cheese, scrambled eggs, salsa and avocado.
Bagatelle Books was a great find (also, the owner was cute).
I was especially fond of their occult/esoteric selection. Picked up 2 books on astral projection and color healing. You can take the girl out of LA, but you can’t take the LA out of the girl!
Loved this friendly record shop, Harvest Records, and their offerings. I was happy to see Fursaxa out on the shelves. It was also decorated super cutely inside- like the living room of a fun 70’s aunt.
Never knew I needed a leopard print vehicle until now.
Tiger Bay cafe’ was a sweet little spot to hang. I miss having cafe’s I actually like going to around me. Ugh.
Then I went downtown!
I am realizing that when I travel to new cities, I hunt down all the bookstores.
Lovely curation at Earth Magick. I BIND YOU FROM DOING HARM, NANCY.
Vintage shoes at Lexington Park antiques. I almost bought the pair on the right from the 1800’s. Thank goodness I didn’t because we are about to go into an economic crisis and all- not sure this item takes priority.
Pack Square Park: A community green space.
Dobra Tea downtown. I went twice!
Shakti tea with oat milk. By far the best tea I’ve ever had. It was perfect for the moody, cool weather.
Treats from French Broad Chocolates (Okay, fine, I ate my way through the city). I tried their lavender honey, rose cardamom + pistachio, and grapefruit fennel + olive oil bonbons. What a joyful place!
Ah, Rhubarb… local ingredients at their finest. I sat at the chef’s bar and watched the staff’s artistry unfold before my eyes. This place is not to be missed.
Preserve Plate of house-pickled veggies. So refreshing!
Smoked Wild Mushroom Cassoulet: Flageolet Beans, Smoked Local Mushrooms, Tuscan Kale, Carrot Tops, Herbed Breadcrumbs
Had a delicious brunch buffet at Omni Grove Park Inn on the following morning. This hotel is a national treasure.
You can catch some spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains there.
On my drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, I stopped at the Folk Art Center, which is a museum of Appalachian arts and crafts.
Y’all, if you haven’t driven alone down a rainy, foggy highway in the mountains while listening to Dolly Parton, I surely pity you.
Most roadside attractions along the parkway are currently closed for Winter, so it was just me out there, riding alone on the wide open road, taking in the healing power of the wet air.
Fog and mist were rolling down the sides of mountains, and it made me feel like I was in an episode of Twin Peaks. Thankfully, Bob was nowhere to be found.
I did it! And didn’t get eaten by a bear! Or get lost without reception!
Goodbye for now, Asheville.
Getting to see the legendary Astronomical Clock in person was so special.
The clock was first installed in 1410, making it the oldest clock in the world that is still operating.
The Church of our Lady before Tyn (please note the bear friends I met while I wandered).
The House at the Minute. Covered in ornate Sgraffito decorations depicting Greek mythology as well as references to biblical and Renaissance legends,
The Powder Tower
The Municipal House is the Art Nouveau gem
One of the eateries on my list was Cafe’ Imperial. The interior is decorated an art nouveau finish. It brings back the grandeur of the turn of the century in Prague with elaborately carved ceramic tiles covering the walls and the pillars of the cafe in floral and animal designs depicting Asian or Moorish scenes.
I had French onion soup and cucumber salad in yogurt.
The morning after I arrived in Prague, I scheduled a 3 hour walking tour through Airbnb with a local guide, Michael. He presented us with a handful of treasured locations that were off the beaten path.
As we walked around the castle vicinity, we headed into Novy Svet. Dating back to the 14th Century, this unique area consists of a few streets that represent a small village. My favorite attraction was the very low-to-the ground, cottage-style apartments where artists and writers live. Early on, residents hung golden house signs for their homes (such as a Golden Pear, Grape or Acorn) in their fight against poverty. So special!
You could see canons that had been fired into the walls!
Even though it was a particularly foggy afternoon, we got to take in some breathtaking views! The combination of Gothic architecture, sprawling views, lush trees and red roofs was almost too much to process.
While the others guzzled down Prague’s famous beer, I opted for possibly the greatest hot chocolate ever at Garden Cafe Taussig. There, you can relax while enjoying views of Prague castle, as well as a dreamy garden.
There are many buildings that feature alchemical symbolism in Prague. Perfect for a witchy lady like me.
And beautiful frescos that make me feel faint.
The Vrtba Garden is one of Central Europe’s most astounding Baroque gardens. It has elegant staircases, decorated banisters, terraces, statues, flower beds, and hedges.
It also has a great view of the St. Nicholas Cathedral.
Kampa Island Park
These are three sculptures of babies with their faces punched in by David Cerny located in Kampa Park. Very creepy indeed.
View from Kampa Island
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!
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.
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!
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!
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!
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