After a trip to Tower Hill Botanic Garden to see Ikebana arrangements that were magically enhanced by the first snow in the background, we were struck by power outage in the evening that lasted two days and two nights. Candles helped some, and then the fireplace was brought to life. As cell phone batteries drained, the crank radio kept our little window to the world open.

In Prague it is easy since beauty is as abundant as the places to eat. Waiters in Prague can more or less speak a few languages, and food is served fast (10% tip is always appreciated:). All food we tried was cooked home style: no decorations, simply presented, and delicious.