The next few Gratitude Lists are arranged by locations rather than dates. We have and will be traveling a lot this summer. This list is about our trip to Prague, where I presented on DUNE at the 15th Conference on Flavor Physics and CP Violation.
- Ride to the airport on the first leg of our trip to Prague
- On time flight from RAP to MSP
- Our next scheduled flight from MSP to Amsterdam was cancelled due to an oil leak in an engine and other issues. I am not grateful for this; in fact, I am annoyed that Delta did not have better contingency plans in case of a problem like this. I am grateful that our original plans had us arriving in Prague two days before the conference and thus that after our delay, we still had time for some sightseeing and I could attend the entire conference. Also, I am grateful that…
- …we were rerouted through JFK and lost less than a day of our trip
- …Delta paid for a hotel room for the night we were stuck in Minneapolis
- …Delta gave us pizza while we were waiting for our hotel and re-booking information.
- …Delta gave me extra frequent flyer miles for my trouble
- Seeing an ad for my institution in the MSP airport
- Finally arriving in Prague! (June 3)
The view from our hotel window.
- The excellent public transit (bus, train, tram) in Prague
- Beautiful moonrise from hour hotel window
- Good food and conversations at the conference dinner
- Musicians performing in the Old Town Square
- Seeing the famous astronomical clock perform on the hour
If I understand correctly, the clock is here indicating the time is just past 10 am (an hour off due to daylight saving time); the moon is waxing gibbous and in the constellation Libra, and the sun is in Gemini.
- We packed our umbrellas and thus were prepared for the rain
- Bubble performance in the Old Town Square
- We saw the Museum of Asian, African, and American Cultures, although the attire of Sitting Bull was not on display.
- Beautiful mural on the floor of the museum
- Tasty doughnuts!
We both agreed that the mixed berry (left) was better.
- Beautiful views of the Vltava River, which flows through the center of Prague, and the ducks in it.
- Our accidental find of the museum of Bedřich Smetana, who is one of the great Czech composers.
- A truly astonishing (in scale and quality) hotel buffet breakfast
- Crossing the famous Charles Bridge.
- The beautiful artwork and views on the bridge
- A crucifix with Hebrew writing
- Some of my colleagues at the conference were from Israel and thus could read the writing. They told us the individual words were correct, but they were out of order.
- Vertical flags outside of our hotel.
- Giant, delicious macarons
- The panorama function of Google Photos Assistant
- Our tour of the Jewish Quarter, including the oldest synagogue in Prague
- The The Church of Mother of God before Týn on the Old Town Square
- Seeing remnants of ancient stone buildings. I don’t remember the era.
- Beautiful view of the Prague Castle
- The narrowest alley in Prague
- A guided tour that was part of the conference registration
- A concert in the gorgeous Smetana Hall: “Gershwin & Jazz Mass.” The title made it sound light and fun, but it was musically perfect and more moving than many church services I have attended. We were truly astonished by this concert’s power and quality.
- Pretty flowers in a box outside of a hotel
- Lots of tasty traditional Czech food
- A relaxing cruise along the river
- Drinks and a fake fireplace after our guided tour
- Beautiful and peaceful Jewish Cemetery across the street from our hotel
- Our hotel room was clean, quiet, and comfortable.
- Delicious desserts overall
- Our flight from Prague to Amsterdam, while early, was on time and safe.
- We passed through passport control (out of the Schengen Area) quickly and easily
- The long flight from Amsterdam to Minneapolis went smoothly. I even watched a movie.
- We passed through customs and back through security without incident
- We made use of the nap pads at MSP
- Our flight from MSP to Rapid City was short, punctual, and safe
- We made it home before midnight
- I was able to talk to many colleagues at the conference, including one I had not seen in many years
- My talk went well. It was within time, and the audience asked several questions.
- Since the majority of the speakers at the conference were from other subfields within particle physics, I learned a lot about those areas.
On Friday, July 21, a new era of physics in the United States will officially begin. The groundbreaking ceremony for the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility will streamed live.
Dr. Stephen Sekula
