Happy Birthday to me

It was raining yesterday morning when I woke up. Darn it! Another birthday bust with not much planned and the weather was not cooperating. In a funk, I called darling daughter Lily.

"Mom, just come down to my flat, " she said, "I have something planned."

Well ok...at least she remembered my birthday.

Soon she and her dog, the wily Lex Doberman, and I were on a train to Kutna Hora. Though we got a late start, and the train was delayed, we journeyed for just over an hour and landed in this medieval town late in the day.

The guide books called it pitcuresque. I would say it is on the splendourous side as the wealth of the town was mining silver ore in the l4th and l5th centuries and was once one of the richest places in Europe.

It's big claim to fame, besides the remarkable villas and chateaus set in verdant forests, is St. Barbara's Cathedral, an early monumental baroque building with its filigree reticulated Gothic supporting system. Just below and down a winding street, we found a leafy cafe terrace, encircled by stone statues overlooking the old and wealthy complexes of ancient burghers and tradesmen.

Lily, lex and I, tired from hiking up through the town on this hot summer day, rested there for a few hours, eating a cheap and delicious lunch, having birthday desserts and lots of beer. Most czech restaurants welcome dogs and this place did as well, bringing him bowl upon bowl of H20, which we often laced with a little beer. It mellowed him out considerably and he snoozed the afternoon away.

At lO months, now he is still a canine wunderkind, pulling me, his "grandma", up the steeper hills, always raring to go.

We could have spent a week there, and found many little quaint hotels and boutiques that would suit both dogs and traveling girl shoppers . There were parks and forrests to roam, chateau gardens with hidden obelisks and glades for Lexie, the dog who loves to sniff about.

We will go back, I think, another time this summer. The total birthday expense was just under $30 via train for one day in Czech paradise. The happy birthday to me was simple, elegant and perfect. Thank you Lily!