Prague Journal

Saturday, December 25, 2004.

No white Christmas in Prague this year. In fact, the weather is sunny and warm (at least 40-degrees Fahrenheit). We walked down the street to the little St. Matthew church, whose spire dominates the skyline of our neighborhood, and peeked in before the 10 a.m. service. It is quite small, with seating for at most 30 people. Near the altar is a Bethlehem scene rendered completely in gingerbread cookies. We left as congregants arrived, surely more than the church could accommodate, all of whom looked casually dressed.
Prague is very quiet today, but the contrast between today and a typical Sunday is not so great as the contrast between Christmas and a typical Sunday in the U.S., since here most businesses, outdoor markets and neighborhood stores are closed on Sundays. Fewer restaurants are open in the city center today than usual, and the Christmas markets are shuttered for the weekend. The trams and buses are on a holiday schedule today, and there are few crowds. Still, there are families strolling through the parks, many with dogs and baby carriages. There is nothing scheduled in the Old Town Square until 6 p.m., at which point there will be community choral groups performing on the stage until 9 p.m.
Christmas dinner at Charlotte and Bruce’s flat started around 2 p.m. and we were still eating, drinking and talking at 8 p.m. Bruce’s family is here – both kids and their spouses, 3-year-old granddaughter, and ex-wife – and another American couple, John and Michele, long-time friends of Charlotte’s. Rick misses his family most acutely at this time of year, since they have a tradition of Christmas dinners together, so it was nice to share in the warmth of family and friends and splendid home cooking. Bruce brought a Weber grill from the US, complete with hickory chips and charcoal and grilled a pork roast and turkey breasts for dinner. And of course there were many many desserts, including home made pumpkin, apple and mince pies, complete with whipped cream with vanilla bean paste. Delicious! Charlotte and Bruce are gracious hosts, so naturally we ate and drank as if we would not have another meal for a week.

posted by JWinn @ 5:52 PM