"THIS IS C N N"

I have been watching all the Fires and turmoil in Sydney, on CNN, amazing what it is like when you are on the other side of the world! CNN news sounds like they are reading from the first couple of paragraphs of the SMH online!!! I had a very nice time in Prague. I was lucky as on the 24th it is Christmas there and many things were closed. I arrived on xmas eve. SO COLD - MINUS -14 - I got up nice and early and had a one on one tour guide (I organised it the night before) many things are very cheap in Prague. So a one on one tour was very economical, most of the group ones are in German then English, and I don't like that! I was a little surprised at what the old city is like - well not a car or bus sort of place - tiny streets, so all tours are walking. My guides name was Hanna - she spoke perfect English, Czech, German, French, Dutch and Russian. She used to work for the Military - in secret - translation stuff. She was absolutely great. She knew all the ins and outs - tricks, what to do where to go - was just fab! and she is the biggest Cat fan as well! She rescues them from the streets - (bit worried she may be like - you know "the old cat woman" - like she said she had 40 cats or something!!! god!) - She Verbally abused a lady in Prague castle in Russian who was wearing a very rare almost extinct snow CAT FUR COAT - was a little embarrassing - but funny - had no idea what she was saying - well YELLING - all in Russian - I was waiting for the red paint can & brush to jump into her hand and "slash a red X across the coat" she was a hoot! excentric so we got on great! as you can imagine! she is the biggest history and architectual buff! took me through all the sections of Prague 1 (there are 15 areas divided up of Prague) 1.8 million people. We went every where, and it was great as she had all the history of the country from BC to before Nazi, after Nazi, then Russian, Communised, after to present. I was in bliss. Was like a live walking 6 hours of the history channel on Foxtel. Prague Castle, Jewish ghetto history and after (most beautiful now) the bridges, synagogs, Palaces, Chapels, Cathedrals, too much to go into. Was great! but I figured out why there are these machines called a "Solarium" I think it means "thoring machine!" I tell you after Christmas day walking for almost 6 or 7 hours @ minus -12 and then it got warm at minus - 4 then back to minus -7 I got to the hotel and like was Frozen!!! 20 mins in the "Solarium" mmmmm warm! and I got a little darker too! I had a nice dinner - yummy Salmon! then as we covered sooooooooooooooooooo much the day before I had a huge sleep in. Up and about and had a look around again! Had a great 2 hour massage after (cheap as - like 2 hours for $50 au) then nice dinner again! Went to the opera "Carmen" the Prague musical scene is incredible - shows (mostly - classical) all over the place - like 10 or 15 a day! at different times, most go for 50 min that's it! Vivaldi, Mozart u name it! and Prague is huge on Marionettes - Little puppet theatres all over the place! - was up early and off to Vienna, Austria Yesterday and EVERY THING CLOSED! so just walked around and stuff, then bam last night I decided to go to Stuttgart. I was never going to Stuttgart, Germany - at all till I found out there was the award winning musical "Tanz der Vampire Gesamtaufnahme" = "Dracula" I have the CD! sounds great! all in German cant understand a word!!! but I liked "Der Glöckner Von Notre Dame" = "HUNCH BACK OF NOTE DAME" so fuck it im off to see it! The Germans have a weird, cleaver, very creative way of presentation that I like very much! and all the direction of Der Glöckner Von Notre Dame was great! So ill give the "Tanz der Vampire Gesamtaufnahme" a go! I know ill be pissed off if I don't! so I am on a train from Vienna to Stuttgart to see it tonight! then on a early train to Venice for 3 days! for New Years!!! love Schwan