May 2010

Spring is in full swing then. May – the month for love – is coming. I like how Czechs still prefer May Day to St. Valentine’s in spite of all the retailers’ efforts. And it’s wonderful how May Day needs no advertisement, chocolate hearts, or luxury gifts. Those in love express their affection with a simple gesture, a kiss under a blossoming cherry tree. Only after I’d spent some time in Prague did I find out that the gesture is made in Petřín. I took a stroll up there recently, and I must say I now perfectly understand why it was chosen. As soon as you climb to the top of the well-known hill, Prague Castle and Malá Strana lie open before you. Add the blossoming trees and merry people all around, and few will resist this kitschy picture and at least a little emotion. Sometimes they say that love is all around, and we just have to learn to discover it. I second that fully, which is why I hope for you to spend May Day in a circle of your beloved ones, whose love you have discovered or are waiting for to be discovered.

And mentioning Prague Castle was no coincidence in fact. This long-standing seat of sovereigns makes Prague a royal city. That is why we have decided to make this issue of ESTATE a little “royal” too. We have for you articles about the new royal sport, polo, as well as another part in our series on exclusive Prague quarters, this time dedicated to the Royal Vineyards, or Královské Vinohrady.

I wish you a pleasant reading,