the bathroom in room 201of the Atlantic Hotel, at Na Porici 9

coat or hat hooks on a wall
across from the bathroom

There is no larger or more pleasant room than 201, the staff assured us.

And it's promised to MattRadio whenever we visit Prague.

Dana in front of Old Town Hall...

...and the annual Christmas market

grilling hams at
the Christmas market

Pilsner Urquell, the sole beer
on tap at Pivnice U Pivrnce

Dana with appetizer of
cheese with oil dressing

My lunch at Pivnice U Pivrnce: beef with cream sauce
and dumplings.

Time Out guidebook says
the restaurant's “walls are
covered with crude cartoons
guaranteed to offend.”

“And the farmer says,
'But I don't have a daughter!'”

Apparently this joint has won several trophies for Best Transgendered Comic Art.

My favorite gal,
my favorite building!

Matt, market stalls, a Christmas tree,
and the Tyn Church

Dana makes a new friend.

firing up the trdelniks-- almonds, cinnamon, and walnuts on rolled bread

When a child is approached
by a trio of angel,
devil, and St. Nicholas...

...the kid is supposed to sing
a song or recite a little
poem to prove he's “good.”

The threesome quizzes the children about whether they’ve behaved themselves over the last twelve months.

The angel or St. Nicholas
rewards the good children with
sweets or small toys.

The Old Town Hall has
the astronomical clock
on its southern face.

There's a platform in the center of
the market, for folks to climb up and look
at all the stalls and entertainment.

Angels We Have Heard
On the Cobblestones

We were shopping for handcrafted tree ornaments.

Whenever I get a bright idea, the
Tyn Church appears over my head.

happy in the thick of things

God, it's good to be back
in my favorite city.

a hand-carved nativity scene
near the eastern end of the market

Young schoolgirls take the stage for a group dance.

A solitary St. Nicholas
roams at dusk.

This giant new department store on the corner of Na Porici and Revolucni...

...is glowing with Christmas
(and consumerist) spirit.

blurry snowman
in the Ungelt courtyard

There he is! This is the third straight winter I've posed with this snowman.

Dana has a seat at
an Ungelt storefront.

St. Nicholas with two devils,
one angel, and a couple
of nervous kids

Many costumed devils, angels,
and St. Nicks pack the streets
of Stare Mesto (Old Town).

more yummy hams

In small towns, St. Nicholas
and the devils and angels
visit children at their homes.

Certainly December 5 is one of
the most crowded nights of the year
in the heart of Prague.

Legend says that bad children
are stuffed into the devil's sack
and taken to hell...

...so all the Czech kids
always have a song or poem
ready for St. Nicholas.

This threesome heading for Old Town Square has missed the first three hours of Mikulas fun, but there are still plenty of children to be amused and terrified.