European Vacation pt 3: Prahahaha

Prague: City of (Prague)ress

I want to start this post saying that, if you have the opportunity to go to Prague- DO IT. I am ordering you. While Prague is an old city full of Gothic architecture, it is also a city which has been through the troubles of World War II and Communist regime after that. If you want to experience a post-Cold War city that has come out resilient as ever, go to Prague. The major downside of being in a post-Communist country is the horrid architecture that pops up every now and then. Thankfully there was more than enough art-nouveau to go around. On to the good stuff!

I've been wanting to go to Prague since middle school and, honestly, would have been so disappointed in myself if I hadn't gone while I was abroad. I'm so happy that I did go because it was unlike any place I'd been to so far. I had a few friends and acquaintances from AU in Prague, so I had people to show me around (we all know this actually means "show me where the cheap food is") and tell me where else to go. I stayed with my friend, Julie, but it was her final week, so I didn't really see her much, as she had to work on projects non-stop. No matter- I was equipped with a map, various destinations, and my camera. I was set!

Wenceslas Square

 The Charles Bridge is a major attraction in Prague. It was built by King Charles IV back in the day (I'm studying too many other dates for exams. I can't remember this at all). The bridge is filled with vendors and is the major pedestrian/touristy means for crossing the Vltava River. This picture to the left is the entrance to the bridge on the side opposite of the castle (Prazsky Hrad in Czech). Below is a picture of a statue of Charles IV.

Castle in the background

One of the many bands on the bridge

Artsy pic of Charles Bridge and the castle on the hill

The first day I was in Prague, I did some basic wandering, but I did end up meeting with my friend Mattie and her flatmate and other friends. We went up to a beer garden on a hill north of the river. It overlooked the whole city and really was stunning. Of course, I had some yummy Czech pilsner too. At the top of the hill was a giant metronome in the spot where a statue of Stalin used to be. The metronome signifies one's right to choose his/her views, whether it be to the right or the left.

Overlooking the city at dusk

 On the second day, I took it upon myself to hike up the huge hill to the castle. Even though Edinburgh Castle is on a big hill too, it never seems as much of a hill walking up. This was not how the Prague Castle was. There is apparently a tram that goes up to the castle, but trams are for the weak. Let's just say that my leg muscles are awesome right now. I bought the Short Tour which basically gets you into St Vitus' Cathedral, St George's Basilica, the Old Royal Palace, and something else that I couldn't find.

Absinthe is EVERYWHERE in this city. Even absinthe flavoured ice cream!

View of the city from the walk up to the castle

St Vitus' Cathedral

 

The rear of St Vitus' Cathedral

Hole in the wall. Let me get my bow & arrows

After my adventure around the castle, I met up with my friend, Mariel, who I've seen a few times this semester. Another girl from AU, Katie, was traveling with her, and we also met up with yet ANOTHER AU student, Eddie (trust me- that's the majority of people I spent time with in Prague. Not sure where they all came from). Anyway, we all met up and went to the John Lennon Peace Wall. Me, being the weird person that I am, kept thinking people were telling to go to the Lenin Wall, not the "Lennon Wall". That's what I get for being a history student, I guess. So yes, the LENNON Wall is just a wall covered in various Beatle's/John Lennon related graffiti ever since his death. I'm not sure how it started, but I think it was probably a major sign of the progression toward the end of communism in Czechoslovakia.

These are creepy baby statues by the artist, David Černý. They're also on the old communist TV tower

Petrin Park

 

By this point, we were getting hungry, so Eddie took us to this delicious vegetarian restaurant. On the way, we passed one of Prague's coolest landmarks- the astronomical clock. It was installed in the 1400s and can tell the zodiac we're in, the position of the sun, sunrise, planetary time, and like a ton of other things that I don't understand. All I know is that it looks cool, and it's super old. The clock is in Old Town Square, which also gives you a lovely view of the Tyn Cathedral.

Tyn Cathedral

I planned to walk around the Jewish Quarter (Josefov) on the third day. I had heard of Prague's Jewish Quarter before from a book, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, where one of the main characters is a Czech Jew. The book talks of the legend of the Golem, which was an anthropomorphic being made out of the mud from the Vltava and used to protect Josefov, but was deactivated as he became more violent. He is supposedly hidden in the attic of the Staronova synagogue. As it also happens, there are free (free!) walking tours of the city.Of course these aren't completely free, but tipping the guide 100 Czech crowns (almost $6) is better than other tours which are three times that much. Mariel, Katie, and I planned to meet up to take the tour at 2 pm and go through Josefov after. Our guide walked us from Old Town Square to the river, through Josefov a bit, then to Wenceslas Square, and back.

Staronova synagogue behind the Prague Marathon

 

Look what I found!

The Iron Knight on the New Old Town Town Hall

Rabbi Loew- Scholar and creator of the Golem- also on the town hall

 

Symphonic hall

Statue of Dvorac

Old Jewish cemetery

Spanish synagogue

Franz Kafka statue

Tower that used to house all the gunpowder in Prague

Statue from the Mozart opera, Don Giovanni.

 The tour was good because I don't think I would have known what I was looking at if I just wandered around the city the whole time by myself. I probably would have thought the Don Giovanni statue was just a dementor or ring wraith or something if I passed it while not on a tour. I guess watching Amadeus once wasn't really enough Mozart knowledge for me. There are so many random statues in Prague, and most of them are either making fun of something (more on that later). It really makes the city more entertaining because you can be walking down a normal street and just see something like the giant babies in the park. 

After our tour, Eddie took us to a nice little bar before we met up with Mattie and her friends for dinner. I got some sort of Czech dark beer- it was an ale I think- and it was DELICIOUS. I don't know what the Czechs do, but the flavour was so mild and smooth for a dark beer that even Mariel didn't seem to mind it, and she's not a huge beer person. It was not as bitter or heavy as other dark beers I've had before. Definitely try some of their dark beers if you're ever in Prague.

Ok enough about the beer (not enough about the beer for some I'm guessing), but I had to leave the next day so I went to bed early so that I could wake up early and get breakfast with Julie the next day. Before I left for the airport, I spent my last day in search for two things: good souvenirs and the "Hanging Out" statue. Souvenirs weren't a problem because there are dozens of shops in Wenceslas Square and the surrounding area, but the statue was a little bit more difficult. I had given Julie her map back and was starting to get lost. Also this statue isn't easy to find. It is a statue of Sigmund Freud hanging off of a beam connected to the roof of a building. Well, I found it.

I don't think I can end with anything much better than that. I hope that any of you that read this will visit Prague at some point. It's fantastic and full of interesting culture. It's also super cheap, if you know what to eat. I suggest fried cheese and chips:

Nesxt time might be my last post since I'm going home in just over 2 weeks. My mom gets here on the 19th, so look forward to some interesting stuff then. Til then!