Aunt Infestation!

Lauren and Mara

Question: What could be more delightful than having your doting aunties (in the case of Ben and Garrett), your beloved sisters (for Karl), or your yet-two-more-examples-of-how-you-really-lucked-into-this-family, super cool sisters-in-law (that's me speaking) come all the way from Boston to visit?

Answer: Precious little.


Lauren and Mara joined us for nine days in the middle of May, a fabulous time in Prague -- chestnut trees bloomed in shades of cream and fuschia, lilacs, wisteria and honeysuckle competed for olfactory recognition, and temperatures were on the warm side of pleasant, but not beastly.

We covered a lot of the usual suspects in terms of Must See Sights.

Garrett, Ben and Auntie Lauren in the Fürstenberk Gardens below Prague Castle with Malá Strana behind them. *

Mara captures the view from the bell tower at St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle.

With one of David Černý's Miminka. *

Paddleboat ride on the Vltava River

A Mother's Day treat for Lauren and me -- Karl and Mara did all the paddling.

The moms chilled out in the back. *

A little shout out to Blaise, Lauren's husband, who obligingly waved Lauren off as he stayed home with the kiddos. The night before his birthday, no less. (Thanks, Blaise!)

Ben and Garrett spent a lot of paddle time rolling around on the bow of the boat, which seemed a little precarious. Most of the tall people would have taken bets that one of them would end up in the drink, but somehow they managed to stay on board. We all had the cameras ready, though. Just in case.

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A very flattering picture of me seizing the geocache we were not able to get last time we paddled.

Mara and Lauren climbing the Eiffelovka.

Officially it's the Petřínská rozhledna (Petřín lookout tower). Affectionately it is the Eiffelovka (mini Eiffel). And we have affection for it. (Love this picture of them!)

Charles Bridge *

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On Charles Bridge, Mara took this picture of a sketch of the Bieb for our niece (and Lauren's daughter) Isabel. She is his target audience.

Astronomical Clock at Old Town Square *

Lauren in front of Idiom at the public library. *

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Mara and Lauren went to the Kafka Museum on Kampa and discovered that Proudy (Streams), Černý's peeing sculpture, was being dismantled. Is it being sent off to fix the quotation-writing mechanism? or banished for good? or something else entirely? We have no idea. Glad we saw it in action!

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In the Žižkov neighborhood, two of the city's more modern structures: Church of the Sacred Heart and the Žižkov TV Tower.

Dinner out at Lehká Hlava (Clear Head)

We managed to get out for some adult conversation at a great vegetarian restaurant. Too bad there was a really loud (American) diner two tables away who felt sure everyone wanted to hear his thoughts on the Czech language and Facebook updates. We didn't, actually. Still, we had a fun night.

The ladies in front of Our Lady Before Tyn Church, Old Town Square.

Lauren and Mara had been turned off by the crowds on Charles Bridge and in Old Town. We persuaded them to let these iconic sites redeem themselves with an evening visit.

The siblings on Charles Bridge (Joe, where are ya?)

Mara and Lauren took a day trip to Kutna Hora, and at the end of the week Karl and I joined them on a trip to Terezín. At some point I'll write a separate post about that.

The entrance to Terezín's military fortress.

On Friday night, Lauren opted for an evening of reading and baking at home while the rest of us went to Riverside Primary School's spring show, The Lion King.

Auntie Mara gets some baboon love.

As a mother of four, Lauren rightly seized an opportunity for a night of peace and quiet. But she did miss quite a show. It was great! We were highly entertained and very proud of our baboons!

Garrett models his costume after dress rehearsal. *

Ben is ready for showtime!

Post Lion King glow *

As we came off the tram at Hradčanská, a 20-something guy noticed the boys' faces painted red and blue. He gave them an approving smile, hoisted a clenched power fist and hollered, "Slavia Praha!" -- a local football (soccer) team. We smiled and waved. At home, the boys told Auntie Lauren about their performance as we all enjoyed her fresh baked cinnamon rolls.

Over the weekend we took one more day trip, this time to Český ráj (Bohemian Paradise), a nature preserve with sandstone cliffs and rock formations. Lauren spent the day in Prague with a college friend who flew in from Paris to see her.

Mara in front of Rock City

Not to be confused with Tennessee's attraction on Lookout Mountain. You won't "see seven states" from here.

The canola fields were amazingly vivid. On the hill in the distance is Humbrecht hunting lodge.

Kost Castle

Finally we stopped near Kost Castle, where we had dinner and went on a little hike.

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Afternoon out with the nephews *

The boys took Mara to the Railway Kingdom on Sunday before we all went out to dinner at a little crêperie in Holešovice, chosen in part because of Auntie Mara's love of cats.

Crêperie U Slepé Kočičky (Crêperie at the Blind Kitty) *

As expected, Mara enjoyed the restaurant's theme.

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Illustration of a feline Jan Žižka riding a goose.*

"Goose" in Czech is "hus." So Žižka, the Hussite warrior, is riding a hus (possibly the spirit of Jan Hus).

Mara, Ben, Garrett, and Lauren gather around the blind kitty.

Nine days went a lot faster than you'd think it could go. Although Mara missed her kitties, and Lauren missed her kiddos (and, presumably, Blaise), we were all sad to see the visit come to an end. Our consolation is that we will see each other again very soon in Boston.

Lauren and Mara ~ thanks so much for coming! You can't know how much it meant to us. Hugs!

* Picture from Mara's camera. If Mara is in it, assume that Lauren or Karl took it.