The Prague train station was bustling with backpackers when we arrived on the night of June 25. We hadn't booked a room beforehand and were skeptical of the prices offered by the tourist information desk so we went to the center of town and to look for a good deal. After over an hour of sweating under our heavy backpacks and getting lost in the narrow cobblestone streets frequently converging at all different angles, we found a decent-looking hotel with a room priced comparably to a double in a hostel. Imagine our delight when it turned out to be practically a suite with a queen-sized bed, extra single bed, tall ceilings, many windows, beautiful green upholstering, and lots of space. Whee! I promptly fell asleep, having felt lethargic on antibiotics all day.
After a hotel breakfast of mediocre yogurt and cold tea the next morning, we set out to explore the sunny and picture perfect town. From astronomical clocks on stone churches with intricately carved facades to creamy-colored and stately architecture on the riverbanks to statue-lined bridges to the famous castle on the hill to winding streets filled with little theaters and galleries and marionette shops, the place was indeed very charming. However, it felt a bit surreal. I saw very few Czechs since everyone on the street was a tourist and it was as though we were all roaming around Old Prague Themepark.
The events calendar was chock-full of music and theater performances. I lamented not being able attend them all but I did catch the one I most wanted to see - Aspects of Alice at the Ta Fantastika, the Black Light Theatre. It takes the concept of Alice in Wonderland and continues the story from early adolescence, pantomiming along with music. The original whimsical spirit is artfully perpetuated, the cartoon town is a lovely emerald green, and her first experience of love is with a girl which I thought was really neat (and nice that the Czechs are not shy about tastefully using nudity). We also paid a visit to the Kafka Museum, basically a glorification of the author's lifelong suffering. Certainly makes sense that it takes endurance of pain and misery to churn out great stories such as "In the Penal Colony."
Our time in Prague was very short but the highly anticipated visit turned out remarkably well. Next time I hope to identify more locations from Kundera's writings (this time I only remembered and found Petrin Hill), read some new Kafka in a tucked away cafe, explore more neighborhoods away from the old town, and acquire a proper vocabulary of at least 20 Czech words. On the final morning we rushed to catch the Eurolines bus to Vienna, a steal at $12, and dozed through the Central European countryside.
After a hotel breakfast of mediocre yogurt and cold tea the next morning, we set out to explore the sunny and picture perfect town. From astronomical clocks on stone churches with intricately carved facades to creamy-colored and stately architecture on the riverbanks to statue-lined bridges to the famous castle on the hill to winding streets filled with little theaters and galleries and marionette shops, the place was indeed very charming. However, it felt a bit surreal. I saw very few Czechs since everyone on the street was a tourist and it was as though we were all roaming around Old Prague Themepark.
The events calendar was chock-full of music and theater performances. I lamented not being able attend them all but I did catch the one I most wanted to see - Aspects of Alice at the Ta Fantastika, the Black Light Theatre. It takes the concept of Alice in Wonderland and continues the story from early adolescence, pantomiming along with music. The original whimsical spirit is artfully perpetuated, the cartoon town is a lovely emerald green, and her first experience of love is with a girl which I thought was really neat (and nice that the Czechs are not shy about tastefully using nudity). We also paid a visit to the Kafka Museum, basically a glorification of the author's lifelong suffering. Certainly makes sense that it takes endurance of pain and misery to churn out great stories such as "In the Penal Colony."
Our time in Prague was very short but the highly anticipated visit turned out remarkably well. Next time I hope to identify more locations from Kundera's writings (this time I only remembered and found Petrin Hill), read some new Kafka in a tucked away cafe, explore more neighborhoods away from the old town, and acquire a proper vocabulary of at least 20 Czech words. On the final morning we rushed to catch the Eurolines bus to Vienna, a steal at $12, and dozed through the Central European countryside.
Impressive riverfront property.
My favorite Prague postcard featured a picture of this building.
The river looks something like a large, calm tiered fountain.
Hilltop view of the red-roofed city.
Green gardens and walkways inside Prague Castle.
Duck, avocado, strawberry on the top left. This inexpensive meal at a quiet, shaded terrace restaurant in Vinohrady was probably our best in Europe.
Salmon gnocchi. Delicious pork medallions and cute potato pears.
I also had an -amazing- meal for about $3-$4 near my hostel in Prague. It was something like baked chicken stuffed with apricots and brie.
ReplyDeleteIt's a pity you had little time in Prague and couldn't see all interesting places. Prague has a lot of them and after you see everything, you will be impressed very much.
ReplyDeleteI like Czech food and especially beer. It's not expensive and has high quality. I like to see evenings in Prague, when it becomes dark, but many people walking everywhere.
ReplyDeleteI do no think it is a question of being shy or not : is is a question of being an actress and good-taste in the staging.
ReplyDeleteThey were maybe pretty shy, who know, when staging this first ! ;-)