Live from Hotel Josef: Thursday

7.6.2007

Well it has been one hell of a week. That is to say, five days of pure joy from morning to night. And today we all depart wonderful Prague and wonderful Hotel Josef to the four corners of the world. I have loved every minute. What can be better than to wake up in a great bed, go down for a fabulous breakfast with stimulating company? Each day has unfolded with so many provocative encounters.

Well it has been one hell of a week. That is to say, five days of pure joy from morning to night. And today we all depart wonderful Prague and wonderful Hotel Josef to the four corners of the world. I have loved every minute. What can be better than to wake up in a great bed, go down for a fabulous breakfast with stimulating company? Each day has unfolded with so many provocative encounters. Thank you, Michael and Vlasta. Thank you, Guardian and Hotel Josef. Thank you, Czech Airlines and all the other sponsors. Thank you, Hannah and Mollye. And thank you, PJ, for doing such a great job with my blogs. I have met so many delightful individuals. It is hard to know where to start. And the many embassies who hosted receptions and buffet dinners starting with Ms Catherine von Heidenstam , the Swedish Ambassador and ending with Mr. Jan Lucas van Hoorn, the Dutch Ambassador, and his delightful wife, Catherine. And in between, we had a reception that the Romanian Embassy hosted, a buffet lunch hosted by the Israeli Ambassador, Mr. Arie Arazi and his wife, Ruth. The American Ambassador, Mr. Graber, hosted a buffet lunch and there were late night parties that the Swiss Ambassador sponsored. Food and drink flowed.

This morning I have my usual breakfast feast, read today’s Guardian, check e-mail, go up to my room for the last time and quickly pack my small bag, say goodbye to Room 707, and go downstairs to the lobby to talk with various people. See Michael March and tell him how much I enjoyed the Festival. He gives me a DADA Prague Writers’ Festival T-shirt and tells me to wear it at a Sunday dinner. I promise to do so. He also says that I should plan to come to Prague again next year and write another daily blog. I tell him I will do it with pleasure if I can have room 707 in the Hotel Josef and if PJ will arrange it to be put on the web site. Michael suggests that my terms are over the top, but that he will see if it can be arranged. Milena smiles and says that she thinks she can arrange room 707 for me again.

Elena Stefoi is ready to depart for the airport and her flight to Canada. She will also take James Meek and Arnon Grunberg to the airport in an embassy car. James flies to London and Arnon to New York City. I ask James if I will see him in Edinburgh in August and he says he does not think he will attend the festival this year.

A taxi is ordered for Sasha, Teri and myself. (Peter Stephan Jungk left Prague yesterday for Paris.) More embraces with Melina, more thank-yous and we are off in the bright morning sunshine. Check-in and passport control goes smoothly. Soon we are boarding the Czech Airlines plane and on our way. In what seems like minutes later, we land at Charles de Gaulle airport, clear passport control, collect our bags and manage to get an express RER train into Paris. Teri and Sasha exit at St. Michel and express a wish to dine here this Sunday. I get out at Denfert Rochereau and walk the short distance to 83 rue de la Tombe Issoire. There is a fellow from Warsaw sitting on my steps. His name is Adam Balcerek and he is a photographer. He has a letter for me from friends and a magazine that has a profile of me and the Sunday dinners. We talk a bit and he says that he would like to attend the Sunday dinner this coming Sunday. No problem.

As everyone knows, it is always good to be home. But what a week!

P.S. In an earlier blog, I wrote that Peter Stephan Jungk had suffered two heart attacks. When I arrived back in Paris, I received the following e-mail message from Peter: Hi, Jim, I just read your Prague-blog. I certainly did not suffer any heart attacks whatsoever, thank god! I had endocarditis last year which damaged my mitral valve… it was operated on and repaired in January… and now all is well.

Let me say that I am sorry for my mistake and am pleased that it has been corrected and that Peter is well and fighting fit.