Stromovka Park by paw and arm

A post by Jayda. Woof.

A couple of weeks ago, before the leaves had turned, we spent a Saturday just a-walking as much as we could. I like me some looooong walks. But I tend to peter out after about a mile and then mom or dad has to carry me. My 6-inch legs can only go so far!

We started at our favorite place to get American-style pancakes, Bohemia Bagel, Holešovice. The tattooed waitresses there just love my fuzzy mug. 

Then it was on to Stromovka Park, the best - and biggest - park in Prague. It was created as royal hunting grounds by King Premysly Otakar II in the 1200s. This is perfect for me as I am part Shitzu and we Shitzus are naturally instinctive hunters. (But the truth is I live a serviced life in a cozy apartment and eat kibble.) 

We stopped for a bowl of water and odpočinek (relaxation) at Šlechtovka, a snack bar/beer garden outside of the old summer palace that shares the same name. The park has ponds, playgrounds, numerous walking and bike paths, rollerblade and bike rental, and even a planetarium. By the East entrance to Stromovka, there is a fun fair in the summer. 

My favorite part about the park, though, is all the other furry friends I get to meet. I put on my best socialite behavior and greet the beau monde of Prague dogs. 

Being a debutante is hard work! After traipsing through the park a bit more, I require that dad carry me and we walk North, past horse stables and across a footbridge to the Troja area. There is an incredible zoo and a gorgeous chateau in that area, but I'm not allowed in those. 

So we turned Eastward, past a big Trojan horse pottery studio and Prague's internationally-reknowned whitewater slalom course. I waved my pink tongue and my bushy white tail at the kayakers.

After about 20 more minutes, we reached a tram stop. Dad's arms were numb at this point, so we zipped home. And I treated myself to a well-earned nap on mom's pillow. 

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Remarkable woman

The Czech Republic has produced scads of illustrious people, from Sigmund Freud to Martina Navratilova to Madeleine Albright. And one of its daughters, not a celebrity or politician, passed away last week at 110 years old. 

Her name was Alice Herz-Sommer, and she was the oldest-known survivor of the Holocaust. 

(Yes, I realize this is like the third "obit" post I've written on this blog, but this incredible woman is worth knowing about. Read on.)

Herz-Sommer, according to this Associated Press article in the National Post, was born in Prague and spent two years in the Terezin (Theresienstadt) concentration camp, about an hour northwest of here. An accomplished pianist, she says music kept her alive. A documentary was made about her last year and was nominated for an Oscar:

According to Wikipedia, around 140,000 Jews were sent to Terezin and over 33,000 died there. An estimated 88,000 were moved to other death camps like Auschwitz, where most of them were killed.

We learned about Herz-Sommer just today, which was sunny and promising and ripe for tree-climbing (as you can see from our walk in Stromovka Park with friend Beet). How did we miss the news about her last week while we were in Paris? What a remarkable woman!

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