When I first arrived in Prague I was just happy to be on solid ground. I was not expecting to come this early and I was still bummed out about missing out on Spain and leaving Italy, so to be honest I had a little difficulty adjusting.
I caught myself (and still do sometimes) saying "ciao", "si", and "grazie", simply because I got so used to at least attempting to speak Italian everywhere I went. I felt much more connected to the people in Italy and less like a tourist because I could form basic sentences and greet people. In return, I would often get a smile and they would at least humor me.
I continuously feel embarrassed to not know any Czech. All I can say is "mluvíte anglicky?" which means "do you speak English?". I feel like a lame tourist, but I'm so eager to know about the culture, the city, and the language. There's just no way to show it. And I can't say the Czech have been terribly excited to humor me. It's subtle, but it's enough to make my interactions much more awkward. Plus it got absolutely freezing over the past couple days.
But, chilly toes and American embarrassment aside, I've given myself the time to 'warm up' to the city. I guess I just needed a couple days to gather myself by sleeping, eating, and catching up with Ashlyn before heading out to see the sights in Prague.
Today was my first real productive day. I woke up nice and early and headed to the
Prague Castle. I read into the history of this place and it really is the gem of the city. It's so grand and romantic, much like a castle out of a fairy tale (or the Beauty and the Beast movie to be exact). There's great diversity in the architecture, which seems to emphasize the broad styles of architecture in the entire city.
Speaking of which, I have been nothing but mesmerized when looking up at the buildings in the city. Every single door, window, ledge, and roof is different and elegant in its own way. Some are yellow, some blue, some pink, some deep black stone, some have gold or silver filigree, some are Gothic, some are Baroque, a handful are modern - Even the industrial parts of the city stick out in a pleasant way as a reminder that this is not a fantasy land, as much as it seems to be.
After I left the castle, I wandered over to the
Kafka museum. Although I'm not as well read in Kafka as I'd like to be, I couldn't help but be entranced by his story and the way this museum told it. They took everything about his work and his life into consideration when designing the museum. I can't really describe it, but it was a beautiful journey through different spaces as a reflection of Kafka - much like an installation piece. Having left the museum, I felt I could identify with his struggles in ways I had never thought about before. I also look forward to reading more of his work, such as "The Castle", "Amerika", and "Letters to His Father".
As I left the museum, the snow really started falling, but in the gentle floaty way that reminds me of Charlie Brown Christmas. The image of the snow falling against a backdrop of the beautiful buildings in this city is one that I'll never forget. I decided this would be a lovely time to visit Josefov, the
Old Jewish Quarter. This part of town holds so much history, so it's really wonderful to see much it is cherished today. Walking through the Old Jewish Cemetery was a little somber, but mostly beautiful and serene. The snow made everything quiet and gentle, so it was quite an experience. Despite its dark history, this cemetery had a lively spirit. There were little trees with green still on them, pretty vines everywhere, and at one point I even heard and saw birds chirping. It was very otherworldly. I also went into a few synagogues and a little museum, but I only walked around the Old New Synagogue (which according to legend holds the remains of the Golem).
I then got a couple pastries (including honey cake which is yum) and some roasted chestnuts from the Christmas market in Old Town Square. I'll have to put up pictures of this place soon - it's my favorite in the city so far. It was the perfect way to end my busy morning.
Pictures from Prague:
Paleckeho Namesti
Roof of the Municipal House (Obecní dům)
Jubilejní Synagogue
Old New Synagogue in the evening
Iron roses
"Fred and Ginger" Dancing House
Inside St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague Castle
St. Vitus Catherdral
Czech water birds
Cold pigeons on a hill
The tree has been growing with the gravestone
Ashlyn, Laurel, and Brianna's apartment
