“Tilting at Windmills” is a metaphoric expression of the futility of fighting a battle one cannot win. The idea is the product of an adventure experienced by the hero in Cervantes’ Don Quixote. In the story, Quixote, a slightly off-kilter errant-knight, mistakes a row of windmills for evil giants and charges them with his lance at full tilt. As his lance tore through the windmill’s sail,”the wind whirled it round with such force that it shivered the lance to pieces, sweeping with it horse and rider, who went rolling over on the plain, in a sorry condition”.
Still, sometimes the battles that seemingly cannot be won are those that must be fought. As Rand’s John Galt fought the increasing nationalization of business by government, so too, we must fight against our government’s increasing intrusion into our lives. In the end, Galt was successful in stopping the motor of the world, and so I write, though often I feel I’m tilting at windmills.
One of my biggest interests is technology. Not that I’m the first one in line to buy the latest gadget, but I’m probably not too far behind. I had the opportunity to explore the new 
The “castle” is actually the Archbishop’s palace and was once the principal residence of the bishops and (since 1777) archbishops of Olomouc, a city on the Moravia River. The palace is a fine example of the European Baroque style and features a large tower containing a central clock. From the top of the clock tower one has a tremendous view of the city and of the courtyard below (pictured). Certain interior areas of the palace were used as stand-ins for Vienna’s Hofburg Imperial Palace during the filming of the movie Amadeus. 
We lunched at the Capital Restaurant near the castle, right off the city square. The restaurant was pretty quiet and I enjoyed a beef goulash with dumplings and a Pilsner Urquell; Cindy a braised chicken dish. After lunch we walked around the square and window shopped before heading back to Zlín. 
As we drove out of town, I inadvertently turned the wrong way down a one-way street. Although there was no traffic and I immediately turned around, I didn’t escape the watchful eye of the local police department. We were pulled over and after a brief discussion of my error, I was given a 500kc (about $30) ticket. The police officers were courteous and apologized for their poor English (when it should actually be me who apologizes for my inability to speak their language). An interesting experience and my only regret is that I didn’t get a picture with the police officers… 
The statue of the Czech soldier was situated between two marble rectangular slabs with what appeared to be the names of the fallen. The soldier faced the city of Zlín, which could could be seen through an opening in the trees. The rest of the park was very peaceful and we spent quite a few minutes on one of the benches just admiring the foliage, just beginning their Spring bloom.
We lunched in the restaurant of a local hotel, the Baltachi. Cindy had pasta and I had a pork dish with smoked edam cheese and potato pancakes, along with a glass of the local Pilsner. The evening we spent in the lobby of the Uno talking with some other American guests of the hotel. We’ve made plans to get together for dinner later this week.
Dinner this evening was at the Sunflower Restaurant (pictured), we had Chateaubriand with fresh vegetables and parsley potatoes. Delicious! We also enjoyed a couple of Pilsner Urquells on tap. We were too full for desert, which is regrettable because the deserts here are amazing! 
The drive from Vienna to Zlín was easy (thanks to GPS) and took about 2-1/2 hours. It was mostly highway driving, although approaching Zlín we were traveling down little country roads. During the short drive we crossed three boarders, Austria into Slovakia into Czech Republic. We arrived at the Penzion about 4:00 pm.
The new theme is called 
Yesterday we left Zlín and returned to Prague. We stayed in the Courtyard Marriott right across the street from the Praha (Prague) Airport. The hotel was very nice, and quite comfortable. We had dinner in the hotel restaurant, we both had filet of beef and I had a couple of beers, while Cindy drank water. We watched the movie “Fracture” on the laptop before going to bed.
We spent the day shopping at the Tesco Mall. Tesco is one of the largest retailers in the world and operates more than 2,300 supermarkets and convenience stores and employing 326,000 people. Their core business is in the U.K., but they operate throughout Europe and Asia. You’ll find Tesco stores in Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Ireland, Slovakia, Turkey, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. They’re the world’s “Wal-Mart”.
Our tickets from Zlín to Wein (Vienna) cost Kc945 (about $55). We changed trains in Otrokovice (just outside Zlín) and again in Breclav (just north of the Austrian border). Although a little confusing, we made the changes without incident. Our passports were stamped, going and coming, by the customs officials from both the Czech Republic and Austria. 
The “Christkindlmarkt” on the square in front of the City Hall is Vienna’s classic Christmas Market. We had a blast strolling among the elaborately decorated trees in the park, the brisk air and snow falling added to the wonderful Christmas atmosphere. We enjoyed Gluhwein (heated sweetened wine) and Jaegertee (black tea laced with rum), which also helped to keep us warm. The wooden huts were bigger than those we encountered in Prague and the offerings of the vendors were amazing. We found the most wonderful Christmas ornaments and bought several for ourselves and gifts. 
The Vienna Town Hall building (the Rathaus) made an amazing backdrop to the Christmas Market. 
On the way back to the train station we visited the Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera). It’s the first opera house constructed in Vienna and until 1920 was called the Vienna Court Opera. This is one of the most important opera companies in Europe and throughout the world. I was a little disappointed because la Traviata is playing this evening and would have loved to have had the opportunity to see it! (sigh) Still, just visiting the opera house was satisfying in and of itself. We walked around the opera house and just admired the intricate detail; I was snapping pictures left and right. 
My favorite is a photo of one of the two representations of riders over the main façade of the loggia that were erected in 1876. They were created by Ernst Julius Handel and represent two flying horses, illustrating Harmony and the muse of poetry (Erato). The snow was falling and the lights from the street below made the snowflakes glow and sparkle. 
After visiting the opera house we did some shopping. Cindy loves Swarovski crystal and has quite a collection. In the store we found prices cheaper than those for identical items in the U.S. (despite the sagging dollar). We purchased a crystal Christmas tree to commemorate or visit to the Christmas Market and Vienna. We also picked up some Pashminas for Cindy, a beer stein for me and a few other odds-and-ends. Then boarded the tram back to the train station. Famished, we had a nice dinner and a beer in the restaurant before we headed back to Zlín.
The hotel owner is a very nice Czech lady named Hana and she makes the most wonderful breakfast. This morning we had fresh bread with cheese and butter, granola and milk, and scrambled eggs. We also were served what Hana referred to as a “pancake,” but was really more like a crepe, with butter and jam. We had orange juice and coffee to drink. Incidentally, Hana makes each cup of coffee individually. Delicious!
We’re staying in what Hana refers to as the “Romantic Room.” This room is right off the main floor and has a balcony overlooking the rolling hills of Zlín. The air is clean and brisk. There’s a small grocery store at the bottom of the hill, with a bakery and a food stand. The pastries smell great. We picked up some essentials, like water, bread, cheese…and beer! I love the beer in this country! Every restaurant or pub is serviced by a single distributor, so you simply go in and order “a beer”. I’m also collecting the different beer coasters from each restaurant. Tonight we had dinner in the “Sunflower” Restaurant (I’m not sure if that’s actually the name of the restaurant, but it does have sunflowers in the window). We each had schnitzel, potatoes and, of course, beer…Pilsner Urquell (my favorite!).
There were three seats across and one behind. We had seats “1″ and “2″ (in front) and shared the box with another couple. It was quite pleasant and we had an unobstructed view of the stage (we also had a fabulous view of the conductor and the orchestra musicians). The theater projected the opera’s text (”titles”) in English on a small screen just above the stage, which added to the enjoyment of the performance. There was a 15-minute intermission after both the first and second act with champagne, beer, water and light snacks in the lobby. This opera actually premiered in this very theater in 1901. 
Kaupová was wonderful singing “Mesícku na nebi hlubokém” (Oh, moon high up in the sky) and it made quite a difference hearing the aria performed by a Czech. I noticed a difference in her diction versus Renée Fleming. However, Kaupová’s voice wasn’t as strong as it needed to be, as she was overpowered by the orchestra a time or two. The best performance of the night came from Podskalský as he sang “Kvetiny bile po ceste” (White blossoms all along the road) to a huge round of applause from the audience.
After breakfast we moved north through the city and discovered a little Holiday Market consisting of little wooden buildings decorated with garland and lights. There were also many food vendors, too many, because we ate…and ate. For the most part we “window” shopped, remembering what we’d seen and where, so we could come back and buy it later. The next stop was the Old Town Square.
In the Old Town Square we found another Holiday Market. It had the same vendors, but was much bigger than the the one we’d just left. Right in the middle of the square is the famous Town Hall Astrological Clock. The clock was built in 1490 by a master clockmaker named Jan Z. Ruže. As legend has it, after he completed his work to ensure the clock wouldn’t be reproduced elsewhere, the city council blinded the clockmaker. The next item on our list was Charles Bridge.
We knew that if we headed east, we’d eventually hit the Vltava (the river that runs through the city) and the Prague bridges. As it turns out, it didn’t take that long. We exited the city in front of the Rudolfinium (also known as Dvorák Hall), which is the home of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. The structure was built in 1884 and in addition to a concert hall is also an art museum. 
In front of the museum is a statue of the famous Czech composer Antonin Dvorák (we have tickets to one of his operas tomorrow night). I was a little disappointed to see the statue in disrepair and missing some letters. From this location, we could see Charles Bridge in the distance and instead of walking down the street to the entrance to the bridge, we decided to take the long way through the city (across the Ivánes?v bridge standing right before us).
As we crossed the bridge, we admired the Prague Castle stretched across the hillside. It was an impressive sight. We were going to detour from our trek to the Charles Bridge to visit the castle, but got sidetracked along the way and never got up there. 
On the other side of the bridge there was a wall with playbills from various performances, including one from the Met: Anna Netrebko in Gounod’s Roméo et Juillete. Incidentally, this particular opera will be broadcast in HD to theaters around the world on December 15. Anyway, our next discovery on the way to Charles Bridge was the Church of St. Nicholas. WOW! 
This church was absolutely beautiful. The church was built in 1703, with some final touches put on the frescoed nave in 1761. It was designed by father and son architects and is the premier example of the European Baroque period. 
The dome fresco features in immaculate detail, the Celebration of the Holy Trinity, and towers 230 feet high. We spent a considerable amount of time in the church, simply in awe of the artistry. Cindy lit a candle and sat in the pews and prayed. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the church. Next, we finally cross Charles Bridge.
Charles Bridge is Prague’s most familiar monument and connects the Old Town with the Little Quarter. Although today the bridge is designed for pedestrian crossing, at one time it could take four carriages across. The bridge is lined with statues of various saints, on statue of the Madonna, St Dominic and St Thomas, shows the Madonna with the dominican emblem, a dog. Many people rub the bronze images on the status and they absolutely sparkle. 
The bridge was filled with street vendors, displaying original artwork and crafts. There were also a couple of performers, including a puppeteer and a “bridge band.” Exiting the bridge, we passed under the Old Town Bridge Tower. This is a magnificent tower built in the late 14th century. It was originally an integral part of the town’s fortifications and contains several sculptures, including St. Vitus, the bridges patron saint. 
By this time it’s getting dark and we needed to get back to the Old Town Square to buy tickets for a Carol Concert in one of the churches. First, we stopped in a local pub for a beer and to take the chill off. After the rest, we walked back to the Old Town Square and purchased tickets for the concert. 
We had about an hour to kill before the show, so we walked around the Christmas Market, which by this time was all lit up. There was also a beautiful tree in the corner near a stage where children were singing carols in Czech. The Church of Our Lady before Týn made a wonderful backdrop. We window shopped and snacked on foods from the vendors in the market until it was time for the concert. 
The cabby spoke English and knew exactly where our hotel was located; the drive took about 30-minutes. We’re staying in a very comfortable room at the Radisson, complete with a king-size bed (though a little hard), mini bar and free Wi-Fi in the room. The porter carried our bags to the room and explained the workings of the various switches and dials. He also picked up a couple tourist maps on the way upstairs and gave us a quick lowdown of the places we’d probably like to visit. After unpacking, Cindy and I took a jetlag induced nap.
At the top of the square and overlooking it, is a huge bronze statue of St. Wenceslas atop a horse. Behind him is the National Museum. The square is lined with stores–some pretty fine shopping at that–Marks & Spencer, C&A and Sephora to name a few. There’re a lot of restaurants as well and each one featuring a specific kind of beer–Pilsner Urquell, Budweiser, etc.) We didn’t do much more than window shop because all the smells emanating from the restaurants that lined the square reminded us how hungry we were. 
We found an authentic Czech restaurant just down the street from our hotel. This particular restaurant served Pilsner Urquell and it was wonderful to taste this beer fresh from the tap. We shared a shot of Becherovka, a bitter-sweet herbal drink that tastes a lot like Jaegermeister. For dinner, I ordered Schweinbraten and Cindy ordered Beef Goulash. Our dinners were prepared to order and delicious. The bread dumplings were great and the meat was very tender. After dinner, we had some coffee and returned to the hotel. The bill came to less than Kc500 (about $33). We enjoyed a couple drinks in the hotel bar before retiring.
Photo: Rolando Villazón and Anna Netrebko in L’Elisir d’Amore.
First, a statement on Korean artists, “To succeed in music, it is important to have qualities that burn, an aggressive and competitive fire.” Koreans have this character. I see it in their appreciation of beauty…not just of music, but of art in general and even nature. I’m reminded of the a reed field I visited outside of Gunsan. There was a path that meandered through this huge reed field and every once in a while there was a post of carved wood with a poem or thought in Korean etched upon it. 
I’ve been a fan of Saturday Night Live since the first episodes aired in the fall of 1975. NBC has recently released the first season on DVD and I can’t wait to get my hands on them. Last year the local NBC affiliate in Albuquerque started airing the early episodes on Sunday in the wee-morning hours. I watched them and the memories surround me with a Baskerville-like thickness. The original “Not Ready For Primetime Players” had reentered my life like long lost friends. Who can forget Chase’s prat-falls; Belushi’s Beethoven-Ray Charles skits; Curtain’s “Joan Face” interviewing Akroyd’s “Irwin Mainway;” Murray’s lovable, lounge singer, Nick Winters; Newman’s “Rosalyn Carter;” Radner’s “Roseanne Roseannadanna;” Morris’ convict singing “I’m gonna grab me a shotgun and kill all the whities I see”…and the others, Don Pardo, Father Guido Sarducci, Paul Schafer, Al Frankin, Henson’s Muppets and Mr. Bill! I miss those Saturday nights hanging out with friends and watching SNL–a ritual in those days. 1975-1979 was truly SNL’s golden age! Although I still enjoy the show after three decades, it will never occupy the space in my heart that it did in those early years. Thanks guys!