Prague to Paris to London

Here we go again!

Winter arrives in Nebraska this week. We’ve been home for almost two weeks, and it’s time to hit the road—and the sky—again!

This journey has two purposes: first, to visit our artist friend Karen LaMonte and her husband Steve Polaner at their home and studio in Prague, and second, to make our every-other-year pilgrimage to Paris Photo. Of course, we’re traveling with our dearest art-loving friends, Kathryn and Marc LeBaron.

I must rave about Karen—the remarkable woman who married me 60 years ago (and we fooled around for 10 years before that). Last Wednesday, Karen woke with chest pain on her left side after having vomited during the night. We hurried to Omaha, where she already had an appointment with her cardiologist. They redirected us immediately to the emergency room. Her heart was fine; however, they discovered pneumonia in her left lung and prescribed an antibiotic. And here we were in Europe—Karen is one tough, determined woman!

Our flights on Delta via Omaha, Minneapolis, and Amsterdam were perfect, including a couple of really good landings. My dear late friend—and the person who taught me how to fly—Harry Barr always said, “A bad landing is made by a lazy pilot.” I always focused on smooth landings.

It’s been decades since Karen and I last visited Prague. The LeBarons were here just two years earlier. Marc remarked that, along with Budapest, Prague might be the most beautiful city in Europe. The downside – the temperature is no better than Lincoln.

Our beautiful Mandarin Oriental Hotel, built within a former monastery, is right in the heart of the old city. We met Karen and Steve just around the corner at a small restaurant in a park for a relaxed, delicious lunch. After returning to the hotel to unpack, we rejoined them that evening for a boat ride on the Vltava River. The boat was enclosed, with a good heater and blankets. It was a grand experience seeing the lights, the old buildings, and the bridges. Prague had the largest castle perched high on a hill and the famous centuries-old Charles Bridge.

After the boat ride, we walk a few steps to our restaurant overlooking the river and the bridge. They have no trouble making my new version of the DuncanTini (chill the glass, then add the ingredients at room temperature), and the food is delicious.

We are so fortunate. We love our wonderful friends, love to travel and discover new experiences, to seek out adventures, and to find new art for both of our collections. It was a great start to another wonderful journey.

Robert