Here are some things I need to remember from last year.

Things to consider at Konopiste:
1. How are men and women depicted in the narrative of this place?
2. What artifacts are emphasized in each room?
3. What *things* did the family value most?
4. How is death treated in objects and in the narrative of the place?
5. How is social rank treated in the rooms?
6. What happens to those who don't follow the rules?
7. Where do you see symbols of restraint?
8. Where do you see symbols of liberation from tradition?
9. Why does Sophie want the house and property returned to the family?

Things to consider in Prague:
"Kafka was born into a myth called Prague."
Let the space of the museum talk to you and guide you.
Evaluate the effect of Kafka's parallel universe Prague on the Prague we are experiencing.

"Prague doesn't let go. This old crone has claws. One has to yield, or else."
One reviewer called Kafka "a dilettante of horror."

While reading The Castle, consider three dilemmas: 1) the temptation of a lasting exegesis; 2) The need for an active reader; 3) The requirement of indispensable patience.

Consider: Define "kafkaesque" and give an example of your experience in Prague.

"The Hanging Man" sculpture is Freud. Head down Spalena towards Old Town Square. When you reach U Medvidku beer hall on Na Perstyne, look up. I think the formal title is "Hang on or Let Go: When to take the leap of faith."  For Kafka, he wrote about not having the choice to hang on or let go like in The Metamorphosis, or of hanging on for no reason, like in The Castle.  The Key Question  is how to you decide when to hang on and when to let go.

In Vienna:
The Schoenbrunn has vistas of power and wealth.
It is a warren of luxury and privilege.
It carries the restrictive weight of the past.
It is full of stories of manufactured happiness and actual misery.