May 11

Our morning started off with a nice warm breakfast, which Guy cooked.  It was still raining lightly outside. It had rained off and on all night long. Hope the rain stops soon.

We headed off to start our drive for the day. In the distance, we could see some of the huge rocks which make up part of Czech Paradise. This is a great area to hike. Back in the 14th century the locals would hide in these rocks from invading armies. The rocks are riddled with caves, rooms carved into the rocks, trails with ladders and bridges connecting the different peaks and chasms. Truly amazing.

We love to hike around this area.


We had to drive into Prague to pick up one with our tour group, as the hotel in Prague ran out of rooms for all of us. We were told it was due to the marathon run this weekend.


We drove thru the surrounding area of Prague to get to the airport (Letiste).










We had to drive completely around the town to get to the airport on the semi-new road. It took much longer then we thought it would and there were far more people on the road then we expected to see. Yet, even so we arrived at the airport on Time!

After picking her up, we headed back into the countryside to go take a look at some of our buttons we had hand painted for us and see what else our button maker could make for us.

                                                 

We collected and paid for our buttons and added some more to the pile. Then we ordered more to be made for us in different designs. Linda even had to have a few for her collection.



Then J-ME finally decided after all these years to ask if they could hand paint one of the flower vases she has been lusting after for several years now. Much to our surprise they said they could, as long as they could locate someone to hand blow that type of glass and was also able to do the special cutting needed on it. They called around and found another artist who said that he could still do it. Yippee!!
So now they will make it,  then start doing the special cutting, and then the hand painting. It will take several months to work on it. We might be lucky if we get it by October. This could be a lost art that could disappear forever.  J-ME is so excited about having one custom made for her. This will be a very special treat to have and show off. We can imagine it filled with our roses from our garden.
J-ME's vase will be similar to this one.

Here is a cordial goblet which they also hand painted. These can be found in many shops all over Prague at far much higher prices. 

See more vases from the collection, some of which could possibly be custom made. Some of these were made over 50 years ago and can no longer be made. 

On our drive back we could see several very old castles in the distance. We have been into some of these in the past.

We checked into the Hotel Zlaty Lev and ate dinner in the hotel restaurant. Guy finally got his favorite garlic soup.

J- Me and Guy are the owners of Wild Things Beads, a small family run import business specializing in Czech glass beads and buttons and finding the unusual to bring to their warehouse. They also run working bead tours to Jablonec and Hong Kong. Their warehouse is located deep in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Northern California, and can be reached by phone at (530)743 1339 or on the web at www.wildthingsbeads.com. They are also open by appointment at their warehouse.