Prague:
Monday, November 4

Perfect, on-time, Austrian train pulls out at 7:25am for Prague

Soon into Czech Republic and ragged old local trains move beside ours

Fog slowly lifts over lovely, fall-seasoned countryside - sometimes steep, sometimes rolling, sometimes flat - rich dirt recently turned

Student of "physiotherapy" sits near for last 90 minutes - Wade notices she is studying French vocabulary and begins in French - she learns that we're Americans and continues in pretty good English

We give her a postcard and an Olympic pin - she gives us mandarin oranges and bananas - wonderful

Prague arrival - we ask our friend to call the hotel for us and bid her "adieu" - Leo charms and sways us to stay instead at his lovely rooms designed for tourists

A walk to our first half-liter beer - 40 cents Then to National Library in Strahov Monastery - ancient books in breathtaking rooms dripping with detail - they loved Jesus, but they held books in sacred trust as well Continue in search of W.C. and find small, neat restaurant

Joe sitting next to us - he's Czech and left in 1969 - went to New York and had a restaurant on Lexington and 81st - moved to Charlottesville, Virginia - back on visit with his wife's schoolmate and her daughter