Last weekend we had no classes on Friday so that the Bach Scholars would have the chance to travel to one of the exciting cities in Europe. Some went to Berlin, and contingent went to Munich, and another group went all the way to Paris. One of members actually made the trip all the way to Warsaw and Krakow. I decided to join a group of 5 others to visit Prague, in the Czech Republic. Prior to this decision, everything I knew about Czechoslovakia came from Saturday Night Live... actually, I also knew that Mozart traveled to Prague for the premier of his opera Don Giovanni, and wrote about how much he loved the city. I believe he even considered relocating, which would have been a big alteration of music history.
We left the Eisenach Hauptbahnhof around 2PM on Thursday afternoon. It was sad to leave Eisenach - it is a sleepy little town. Even the tourists seem very laid back. Perhaps because they are not willing to admit they are lost... The first leg of our trip was on an ICE train (InterCity Express) which is very fast and very comfortable. We had taken the time earlier to reserve our seats, so everything ran like clockwork, and soon we were in Dresden, where we had about an hour to eat dinner (and have a beer...). The next train was a regional train which would take us to Prague. It too was okay - not as nice as the ICE, but still pretty fast. We were all in a compartment sort of like on the Hogwarts Express (no one came around to sell magical candy, and thankfully no Dementors.) We actually spent most of the time in the hallway looking our the window. Much of the ride to Prague is along a beautiful river, through low rolling mountains, sort of like riding along the Carabassett on the way to Eustis, except that the river is bigger and the signs are in Czech.
When we arrived in Prague, about 10:00 PM the sun had set (yes, it doesn't get dark until pretty late here) and the fun really began. We had rented an apartment for the weekend on some side street...somewhere. The street name had about 17 letters in it, and at lease 8 of them had weird accents over them.
Actually, all of Prague is pretty cheap - the exchange rate is pretty good, as they are not on the Euro. Their currency is the Kroner, which is about 20 to the dollar. So, if you see a price that says 1.000,00 Kroner (they reverse the commas and decimal points here) it really is only $50. It's a little hard to get used to at first.
The first morning we were intent to find an authentic Czech breakfast. However, we soon came across a nice café called Café Milani, and since we were hungry and seriously caffeine deprived, we stopped. More importantly, for the women in our group, they had a nice young waiter named Martin, who was charming, funny and spoke excellent English. Suddenly they weren't there for the coffee anymore... The relationship they developed with Martin caused us to eat there each of the three mornings.
We then marched down to Wenceslas Square, named for the good king, but also the location of the Velvet Revolution - that is the peaceful protests in November and December 1989 that led to the fall of the Communist Regime. And fall they did. The Czechs have embraced capitalism with a manic enthusiasm. The city is a bustling center of tourism, and everything has a fee. Stores are very busy, and the whole place has the feel of the Old Port on a Saturday evening in July - only 100 times bigger. The downside of the capitalism is that fast food has moved in. In Wenceslas Square alone you can find Starbucks, Burger King, Subway, Dunkin Donuts and KFC. We didn't eat there at any of them...
Here is Wenceslas Square:
Prague was very fortunate in WWII to not suffer the same damage as many European cities. Then the communists came in, and they didn't do much to the city either (except for the mass poverty, lack of commerce and opportunity, that is.) At least, they kept the old buildings, and didn't overindulge in their own eyesore architecture (I write more on that in the future). The city is a maze of little cobbled streets and amazing buildings. I feel I have never been in a more exotic place. It is a wonderful tourist center, and because of that and the exchange rate it is a delightfully "foodie" city. We ate a lot of authentic Czech food - I had roast rabbit one day (Elmer Fudd wins!), and goulash another. The Czechs invented Pilsner beer, and Pilsen Urquell is on draft just about everywhere here. It is to them what Guinness is to Ireland. And it is much better here too - creamier with a richer taste.
Throw a stone in Prague, and you will hit an amazing church. Here is one - I no longer can remember which - there are so many...
This is a view of one of their most famous attractions, the Charles Bridge, which was built by Charles IV in the 14th century. It is pedestrian only, and lined with sacred statues and craftsmen who sell their wares.
Maybe why Mozart like the city so much - there is music everywhere. This is a Czech Dixieland band (imagine!) on the Charles Bridge:
And these guys I believe are called "The Great Czechoslovakian Bluegrass Explosion."
Wild and Crazy Guys...
After we crossed the bridge we hiked up the tall hill to where the Palace is, and St. Vitus Cathedral. Here is the view from the top:
This is a view of the Charles Bridge, which crosses the Vltava River.
Here is our intrepid traveler, with the Vltava River, and in the distance, the Charles Bridge, The Palace and St. Vitus Cathedral. Note the Pilgrim Lodge hat...
Our train ride to Leipzig Sunday was a bit more complicated than we expected. We thought that taking a 2:00 train was a good idea, but soon realized that a whole city of hung over tourists were leaving at that time. We couldn't get reservations, so seats weren't guaranteed. As it happened, we were lucky to make it on to the train at all... we mostly stood for three hours by the WC in the back of the car, moving out of the way with our luggage every time someone had to "go." All you can do in such a situation is keep a good attitude!
Next stop - Leipzig!
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