Remembering Moravia on a Cold Day in November

Today in the beautiful midwest--it is particularly raw and windy.  I think the door has slammed shut on autumn.  I am always a little sad when that happens.  I decided to list a few things on ebay--you can check them out under my username sellinglikecrazy.  I also decided to relive a small piece of our recent trip to Moravia.

One of most favorite adventures was a visit to the castle of Trebesice, home of Alberto di Stefano and Eugenio Percossi.  These two men opened their home to our small group for a delicious lunch an tour of the grounds.  What a place.

These two men have transformed the beautiful castle and the public can stay--IF you are an artist.  They attract artists who they wine and dine and then the artist is to create a piece of artwork that they leave on property.  So the castle is an incredible collection of styles and art pieces--a real visual treat.

 They treated us to a beautifully decorated table and an incredible multi course lunch.

What does all this have to do with midwestern antique chatter?  Nothing.  Just my nostalgic trip back to Moravia on a nasty blustery day.

Grand Cafe Orient Prague versus Starbucks

Dear Husbola and I have been blessed to have traveled to the Czech Republic many times over the last 22 years.  It truly is one of our favourite places--and holds many serendipitous travel memories--and is a virtual jewel box for any antique lover.

When we think of cafe society--we automatically and romantically think of Paris.  All those movies and all those books that mention Les Deux Magots, Le Fouquets, Cafe de Phares or Cafe de Flore.  But--Dear Readers--they won't be able to keep you down on the midwestern farm after you have seen the cafes of Prague.  The likes of Grand Cafe Orient, Cafe Savoy and Cafe Slavia have a personality that rivals Paris in spades.

 We Americans think the coffee craze and coffee shop mentality began with us?  Not so!  Prague intelligentia and artists and writers have been frequenting cafes forever--and there are no faux IKEA look sofas and children's play areas.

The Grand Cafe Orient was a find for us on this recent trip to Bohemia--and we returned twice. This cafe has always been on the upper floor of a popular corner (the Black Madonna building)--but remained closed until the 1990s over some legal wrangling.  It has reopened and is the only totally cubist decorated cafe in Prague.  It is a cubist lovers dream--from the chairs, lights, coat hooks to door handles.  As you recall-cubism is where forms are abstract and often geometric and angular.  Think art deco on steroids.  They serve light snacks and the ever present cakes (nothing recharges the tourist batteries like coffee and cake in the mid afternoon!)

On this particular sunny day--we took the lift to the second floor and really gasped at the fabulous decor.  Dear Husbola promptly ordered his favourite Algerian coffee (espresso, egg liquer and whipped cream) and I ordered a more mundane cappachino.  It is served in the traditional cafe style on a silver tray, with a small glass of water and a mini macaroon.  Bliss!  Best of all--this cafe did not appear to be on the normal tourist trail--and there were many tables of locals having business meetings and their light refreshment.

So for a little while, Dear Husbola and Lady Antique Dealer were transformed into Franz Kafka and His Sort of Non Wife Dora and steeped ourselves in wonderful Prague cafe life.

Winter and Spring Show Prep--Today or Never!

I hope to get some style points on my best of intentions today.

I really did intend to write my next blog post today about our recent trip to Bohemia and Moravia and the antiques scene there.  I also intended to go through my recipes and sort out some good sounding fall ones--and maybe even make one for dinner.  I further intended to list a few things on ebay under our selling name sellinglikecrazy today. (I actually may get to that later).  But instead--I have our inventory that is stored in the garage spread all over the driveway and I am sorting and labelling for our winter and early spring shows.  I really am.

This fall--we are not doing any shows--we will just be continuing to sell in our two antique center spaces in Madison and Walworth Wisconsin.  We will continue to attend auctions and a few estate sales to start collecting good inventory for selling in 2012.  But until I organize what we have in the garage--nothing more will fit in it--and  will not be able to find anything when we start doing shows in February.

This is one of those projects that frustrates me.  In a perfect world--everything would be in nicely sorted bins--and all with neat labels--that would make packing for a shop or show so easy.  Time to go to Odana in Madison?  Here is this lovely labeled covered bin--load 'er up and off we go.  Without going into detail about my pathetic current organizing--let's just say that is not how it is currently done.

But things are now going to be different.  I do not want to be wrestling around in the garage in late January trying to find things for our shows.  I am putting things in labeled bins and finding all sorts of neat stuff that I forgot we had.  French stuff English stuff and decorative stuff --who knew?

So instead of taking a day trip to the Delafield Antique show this weekend--I am staying home and being a responsible Lady Antique Dealer today.  I will thank myself come January!