PragueBlague


A lot of people have asked me what Prague was like, how I liked it. This was my first trip there, and I have to admit, my expectations were high. I had wanted to go there for years, and books like The Corrections just helped pique my curiosity. But Prague suffered from comparison because I had been in Barcelona the week before, and let's face it, Barcelona when it's warm and sunny can outshine Prague when it's cold and rainy...

I had stayed at the Hotel Elite, which was certainly nice enough for my purposes. I would give it two stars, and probably wouldn't stay there again on my next trip, but it was not a bad experience. I went down for the included breakfast on Sunday morning, but there wasn't a table to be had. I went back up to my room thinking I would grab my book and go get a leisurely breakfast elsewhere, but on a whim, checked the guest room policies. It was already 10:10 and I was supposed to check out by 10! Oops.
I threw all my stuff back in the suitcase and ran downstairs. They checked me out and had no problem with me leaving my suitcase and computer bag in a locked room while I went to explore the town. I can't remember the name of the café where I ate breakfast, but I had a delicious French breakfast with pastries, butter, jellies, and a café au lait.
I had a map that seemed to serve its purpose, and set off for the Národní Muzeum:



This museum was one of my favorites of its type, heavy on geology and fossils and taxidermy. That's not because its collections were so stupendously comprehensive, but because almost all of the commentary and information was in Czech, not English. Ordinarily when I am in a Field Museum of Natural History, I feel this compulsion to stop and read EVERY placard so I can be as well-educated as possible on the topic of Plains Indians' footwear, or whatever. Here, I was free of that compulsion. I could just run through an exhibit, and slow down only when I saw something really amazing. When you have a flight home at 8:30 pm and an entire city to see, that kind of freedom is exhilarating!



I have always been fascinated by Malachite, and I found this interesting: "It is also an excellent protection stone during flying and other travel. Using this stone, one can counteract self-destructive romantic tendencies and help encourage true, pure love." Wow. Who can't use that, eh?



This is just a perfect example of why it's fun to be in a museum like this with no English explanations for what you're seeing. You can make up any description you want. "The ancient Slavs used toothpicks like this after eating flaky strudel."


This just spooked me out...

More after the jump...



A photo of a gorgeous church and a close-up of the icons welcoming the penitents...


The famous astrological clock tower as clouds stormed the city square... One could sense the dark, brooding spirits that have dwelled in the Slavic lands for millennia. Although it was more than a little disconcerting to see such a frightening sky and feel the change come across the square, I loved it...




I took several short trips on the metro, and eventually tried to find the Prague Castle, but got distracted by Valdstejnska Garden:



I made some friends there, including a guy named Jaroslev who is friends with a Slavic man named Jan whom I know from his years in Austin, so I plan on returning to Prague when it is warmer and I give myself enough time to do the city justice. I know that my perception of the city is colored by the fact that for a Sunday afternoon, I was running through the city, staying warm and dry and hitting as many tourist high spots as possible, while not running out of time to catch my flight. That is not the way to see a city...

One other thing to note about this town, though. I can't help but think that the time to visit was 1996 or '97. Can a city jump the shark?

Posted: Tue - October 30, 2007 at 08:22 AM        

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