Things to do...

Being an army brat I am used to moving around a lot, last time I counted I had changed address over 30 times in nearly 34 years. Just in my decade in the Czech Republic I have lived at 10 different addresses, a lot of that has to do with the various language schools I worked for in my first couple of years here. Mrs Velkyal on the other grew up in just one city, and for most of her life lived just a few doors down from her grandparents. Our upcoming move to the States, Virginia to be precise, is thus a case of Mrs Velkyal going home and me continuing as usual, although I really hope that this will be my final move for a long time.

So I have 14 weeks to get round to doing many of the things I have never done in the Czech Republic. For example, I have never spent any reasonable amount of time in the country's second city, Brno. Sure I have been through it on the bus and train to Slovakia several times, but never actually stopping, and trying the beer at Hotel Pegas. Part of me though would rather re-visit the places I love most in the country, in particular Český Krumlov - I have a soft spot for Eggenberg Dark, and when Mrs Velkyal and I head down there we always stay in the same little penzion where breakfast should really be called breakfeast.

One thing we are doing for sure is to spend the first weekend of May down at Pivovarský Dvůr Zvíkov, May 1st is a public holiday here so we have a long weekend. Although beer and a brewery will be a big part of the weekend, I am looking forward to seeing one of my favourite Czech castles again. I am also hoping to get back to Hotel Purkmistr at some point for a weekend, and try their excellent range of beers again. Naturally I will have to get back round to the historic pubs in Prague, such as U Pinkasů and U Zlatého Tygra.

It is slowly dawning on me that it really isn't long now until I leave Prague, where I have spent most of my adult life. Quite daunting at times, but also a change that I am very much looking forward to