STO: Czechpoint

Diane was stressing about the European train system, which has a reputation for being confusing to American travelers. Nonetheless, we reached the train terminal, bought tickets to Prague with the help of a very friendly assistant and got an empty compartment to ourselves on the train. The 5 hour ride took us through the German city of Dresden, which I'd heard was worth seeing for its still visible World War II damages but from the train the city also looked like a cool city in its own right. We passed through a lot of countryside, some mundane, some lovely. A stretch of the ride took us alongside a river community built alongside high, steep sloping riverbanks. Darkness hit early though and the ride was thereon after uneventful. We rolled into Prague right before 6 and found ourselves in a busy subway/train station. It was odd to be surrounded by everyday commuters while carrying a large travel bag. With the help of a beggar, we got some subway passes and made our way into the city center, although not before said beggar squeezed 50 koruna out of me. We then navigated around the very complicated twisting streets of Prague before finding ourselves in the stunning Old Town Square. The Square is one of the biggest tourist attractions of the city but was especially vibrant then because lo and behold, it was holding a Christmas market with a large, lavishly decorated Christmas tree. The lights on it flashed to mimic snow falling down it. I don't use this word often, but the Square actually smelt exquisite, with a great blend of Czech cooking. Of note were the potato pancakes we tried on our first night as an appetizer before getting an actual meal at an actual dinner restaurant. While potato pancakes may arguably be considered Jewish food, they are also now a staple of Central and Eastern European cooking. The restaurant we had also served authentic Czech food, which I think for me was garlic soup (sucked) and slow roasted pork (rocked). There was an interesting quandary at the end of our meal where I pondered how to call for the check in the Czech. Answer: wave a 2000 koruna bill, it'll attract any waiter's attention. And yes that is a big bill, the biggest bill I have held in my hands since I was in Turkey. The exchange rate was about 25 Koruna: Euro, or 20 Koruna: Dollar.

Although it was a near after thought while I was planning my trip to Prague was the fact that I knew someone there. Caitlin Astrue went to Winsor and her brother shares my educational info (RL, Georgetown) with one year of seniority. She's studying abroad in this program in Prague and so we met up by that Christmas tree. Caitlin's studying some Czech as well as Czech anthropology, and explained to us several sites within the Square. Most notable was the Astrological Clock, which every hour on the hour has a little show where a little bell rings and the top of the clock oppens up and 12 apostles come out one at a time. The show is cute and consistently draws a clock, and we waited 10 minutes for it. The clock itself is also really cool on its own.

We then walked through the city, which is just full of tremendous architecture. Prague is sometimes considered the most beautiful city in Europe and that's entirely due to the buildings. The distinct round Eastern European spires have also given it the nickname 'City of a Thousand Spires' and I know this because I go on Wikipedia too much. We passed the Opera House, walked across the famous Charles Bridge, which you'd think would cross the Charles River but apparently it crosses the Vltava.

The Charles Bridge is iconic, even though you've never heard of it, because of its grandiose south entrance and its history. After the bridges that spanned the river were destroyed by flood, the Charles Bridge was created and became the only bridge that crossed the river. It appears necessarily over sturdy, and legend has it that its mortar was mixed with wine and eggs to improve sturdiness. The south entrance towards the Old Town has a immense stone gate with a large sculpted facade. Statues are placed along the actual bridge and seamlessly enhance its design. The north entrance leads into Prague Castle and was totally forgettable. That night we went to a club on the other side of the town, where Caitlin ordered this incredibly girly drink that was half sprite half beer and we talked about our mutual high school friends.

The next day we checked out the Prague Castle and were not disappointed. Situated high on a hilltop, the climb was strenuous but the view exceptional. Then we entered the castle, where various sectors required their own admission. The cathedral was free, and we had heard from a guy in Berlin that it was extraordinary, so we went to that first and then bought tickets to see the armory and museum. St. Vitus' Cathedral, as it is called, was not in any of my Western Civ notes. I hadn't even known that Catholicism was practiced in the Czech, although that might be in my Euro Civ notes. But basically what I'm trying to say is that I had absolutely no idea that a wonderful architectural masterpiece of a cathedral existed in Prague. Now I've been to some great cathedrals, like Notre Dame de Paris, St. Peter's Basilica, Westminster Abbey, Duomo di Firenze, Christchurch Cathedral - there aren't a whole lot more famous than those. And St. Vitus' was on par with any of those, and I had never heard of it. It makes no sense to me. Maybe it's because the cathedral is actually not that old, with many of its impressive features added in recent history. Either way, it's sick with just incredible stained glass windows. I'll have to post those here so stay tuned.

The rest of Prague included a good deal of shopping, a trip to the oldest synagogue in Europe, a bit of absinthe, a drink ordering mistake by me, the best Chinese food I had had in Europe, and an unexpected dance session with female Indonesian masseuses. That last one has been a lifetime goal of mine, so now I can die happy. I left the city with an understanding of how touristy Prague is, all reflected in the storeowners whom I interacted with. All this to be elaborated on. In the meantime I am going to Belfast tomorrow, on a bus I do not have a ticket for. I plan to check out that city while also kinda studying for my exam. Then I'll hopefully see Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland the next day and then take a bus south to a random country town where I hope to find a B&B. Then I'll come back early Sunday and say goodbye to one of my roommates who's heading back to the USA. This could very well not work out at all because I haven't been able to book anything, but hey they said that about the Randy Moss trade too.