Wednesday 20th March 2013
Dearest readers,
How do you do? I hope you're having a lovely Wednesday! I'm currently in the beautiful city of Prague, and I just have to tell you about my utterly fantastic time here! Oh my goodness, this city is amazing, it's like stepping into a fairytale!
My train journey here was heavenly! I had the window seat and it was absolutely gorgeous. There was even a lovely little pony on the platform who let me stroke his soft, fluffy mane. It felt so magical, as though the railway journey itself was a part of my story!
And then Prague! What a wonderous city, a truly magical place. It's not just beautiful, it's got a wonderful, charming and whimsical history to boot! You just can't go wrong when you visit. It's bursting at the seams with fascinating, historic treasures - from stunning cathedrals, ornate palaces, cobbled streets, bridges, charming cafes and of course - shops and more shops! Oh the joy!
The first thing I did when I got to Prague was, of course, find myself a ballet show to watch! Prague has a wonderful theatre district and as luck would have it, the National Theatre has a stunning programme of productions every month! I even got the chance to see a ballet company called Ballet Prague that had an entire programme of Russian masterpieces.
Now you may not know this, but Prague actually has a fascinating history with ballet. It was one of the first European capitals to embrace ballet and was incredibly important in the evolution of this gorgeous art form. Did you know Pragueās ballet theatre dates right back to 1883? They are celebrating 130 years of this magnificent art form this year, so there's definitely a wonderful air of magic around the city, if you catch my drift!
One thing I do love is, finding all the secret and historical sites connected with dance. One little alley, right near the Old Town Square has a fabulous hidden statue of the Czech Ballet dancer, Tamara Karsavina! Itās incredibly moving!
Anyway, where was I? Ah yes! Back to my National Theatre performance... Let's just say it was an unforgettable evening! And as you know, one of my favourite things is ballet fashion - I found this amazing pink tutu, a vintage beauty from the 1920s, it was in one of Prague's beautiful antique shops. So naturally, I wore it for the evening - to complete the picture, I even accessorised it with some dazzling Czech pearls, the real thing, and they added an air of sophistication to my lovely ensemble. What do you think?
The theatre itself is just beautiful, I mean absolutely breathtaking. The interior was lavish with a magnificent gilded stage and the ornate, plush red seating made it feel like the performance would just become a wonderful part of some fairy tale or perhaps a delightful, whimsical story. And donāt get me started on the ballet costumes, absolutely beautiful. I spotted a couple of tutuās which looked like they were made of pink gossamer cloud, they really made my eyes pop, even the ladies wearing them appeared like floating sprites.
And while Iām here in Prague, I simply cannot miss a shopping trip or two, especially in a city famed for its craftsmanship and artisan designers. I found this exquisite little shop on the corner of some cute little cobbled street, hidden away and nearly missed it! But I'm so glad I didn't, it was pure loveliness. The shop's name was Dresses by Agnes and she made these incredible little pink evening dresses. You wouldnāt believe the beautiful detail she has, hand beaded lace, hand stitched satin and little pearl buttons - it was absolute beauty.
The lady was lovely, Agnes was so incredibly talented - I ended up picking up an outfit, I mean I simply couldn't resist. She gave me the most amazing pair of vintage gloves to go with the outfit too! I just knew it had to be mine. It just screams, Emma, Iām calling out to you!
Speaking of evening dresses - you must go to this little bar called āCafe Kafkaā. If you love ballet and want a cocktail made from just about anything imaginable and want to wear your new evening dress, this is the place for you. This charming little bar serves incredible cocktails and some rather creative culinary delights (not forgetting the incredible cheesecake they sell). And the little street it's on is bursting with musicians - think jazz, acoustic guitars and of course... street dancers, how gorgeous is that. The other day I saw a pair of girls dancing to Swan Lake on the cobbles, while wearing tutuās! It really was lovely.
I have to confess - I do adore ballet dancers I simply canāt resist buying new ones - when they're wearing a tutu it is even better! I adore the shape of tutuās and think every ballerina needs one to make her dance look special! The ladies in Prague know a thing or two about tutu's they're almost as pretty and magical as my collection!
I must say Prague has definitely cast a spell on me and I hope I can capture it for you to share - by wearing a little pink tutu, you can almost feel it - don't you?
That's all from me for now - and I look forward to writing my next blog on Wednesday, but you can catch up with me on my other pages... [link to various social media pages]
Yours in Pink,
Emma x
