Prague, Czech Republic: 2/22 - 2/23

Another non-edit. Keyboards are different in Europe, sometimes.

Out of the train and into Prague where it is quite cold but also lovely. We crossed the Charles Bridge with its views, pickpockets and earring sellers and walked up a hill in search of supposedly stunning and affordable apartments, according to our Europe travel book. Alas, it no longer exists and so we found our way to the S1 Hostel. Servicible, names of composers on the dorm rooms, the double available turned out to be a room with three sets of bunkbeds and Dvorakcs name on the door. The lockers are thin and are only able to hold giant hiking backpacks after they have been unpacked and unceremoniously shoved in with some use of expletives. 

After a meal of schnitzel (for me) and goulosh (for Roger) and, of course, Prague beer, we made our way to the city center too join a New Europe free tour. This tour is done by the same company as the one we were so pleased with in Edinburgh. This time our guidecs name was Adam, a self-possessed, slightly unpolished (he was apparently new to the tours), and wholly entertaining Czech and world native whose two grandfathers lived through and were a part of two very different movements in the mid to late 20th century. One invented the ejector seat for fighter jets and came from some money the other worked his way up in the Communist guard and came from none. Having the general history and the more personal history of a place from someone who has lived there is fantastic. 
Kafka facts, the concert hall where Mozart played Don Giovanni (and where Amadeus was filmed), the Jewish quarter and learning the horrifying fact that Hitler intended to make Prague the museum to the Cextinct raceC once he completed what he set out to do. The Velvet Divorce with Slovakia as told as an invite to dinner, a bottle of wine, and then Slovakia saying, CCzech, itcs not you, itcs me. Itcs time we see other countries.C Defenestration as a powerful and reused tool of dissent. Well done.

I forgot to mentionC about an hour after we arrived in Prague it began to snow and didnct stop until about mid-afternoon on the following day. It was magical blowing snow and coated the city in a blanket of powder and quiet.

We then stopped for a bit of food and drink as we were chilled to the bone from the three hour tour. I had hot wine and then grog (a hot rum drink) and Roger, beer. We ate some lovely French onion soup with croutons with brie and a grilled cheese (not on a sandwichC just cheese, grilled) with honey and potato dish. Food here is made to warm and fill you. We had a lovely conversation with a Czech woman at the next table. She told us that May is the month to really see the beauty of the Czech Republic. She also told us some of the outer towns are lovely in their natural beauty. She and her husband were waiting on the arrival of her friend from Switzerland. He was not much of a talker but he had a kind smile and reminded me of the band mnager from Love Actually. When we left sometime later and waved goodbye she waved enthusiastically with both arms.

We then made our way to the Jazz Republic - a live music venue- bar that you walk downstairs (in what looks like a metro stop) to find. We were much earlier than the music so we sat and sipped and read and visited with the chocolate lab puppy who apparently had the run of the place. We saw a double-drum band - great! Live music is always grand and then walked home in the snow. A good nightcs sleep.

A note about showers in EuropeC they are quite variable in quality but almost all have the handheld detached showerhead. Many donct have full curtains or doors. This can result in very wet bathrooms if the unpracticed get ahold of the setup. Not saying I did anything, but I might have. At first. Another thing (granted, a generalization) about showers in EuropeC the pressure and the heat can be quite variable and finicky. Surprising when youcre bleary-eyed. Makes one grateful for a good shower.

The hostel had one of the worst fluctuations of any shower Icve taken thus far. Scalding to freezing in the time it took to wet my hair, all the time the water was collecting in the basin at the bottom slowly covering my feet in hostel drain leavings. Definitely cleaner than I was when I went in. Definitely...

Out into the morning for breakfast (gnocci in delicious sauce with bacon pieces and coffee and apple strudel) and a winter wonderland of still-falling snow. Over the next hour we made our way to the miniature museum (which kicked ass). The entire collection of art would fit into a shot glass. Photos to come. As we happened to be at the monastery that brewed beer we sampled it along with some (Roger) grilled vegetables and (me) caramel beer ice cream. Then a jaunt to the Prague Castle.

We chose to take the Story tour and walked through an incredible collection of archealogical findings from as far back as 3000 B.C. all found on and around the grounds ;;_:: The oldest metal earring found (made of copper) and many other pieces of jewerly from different eras, clothing preserved in some of the tombs of the rulers, priests and nuns (some of them over a thousand years old). Gargoyles, sketches from the cathedralcs designer, and several rooms we were unable to take in fully because the museum was closing.

We took the stairs (dodgy in the tamped down snow) down to the bottom of the hill and moved off of the beaten path to some of the back streets. The pedestrian numbers dropped dramatically and the difference in the architecture from other cities visited thus far became much more evident. One thing I like very much about Prague is the plaster ;_: used on the outside of many of the buildings. It is common to see pastel green, pink, blue, cream ... quite lovely. We wandered up and down streets and found ourselves at the edge of a vineyard- beeryard where people where sledding, nuns were walking and one ambitious individual was snowboarding (he made one pass down the slope and then dismounted and thatcs all we saw from him). It was beautiful in the dusk.

Back down the mountain we found a small, smokey restaurant-pub tucked into a corner. We only had about 380 crowns left (about 14 euro) and were leaving the country that night so it didnct make sense to change more money. At first we didnct think wecd be able to eat a full dinner and so we ordered a couple of beers and read a bit in our books. Two beers cost 60 crowns. We were go for dinner. We ordered fried bread with meat paste and cheese (a sort of thick meat sauce - delicious) and bacon and onion and potato dumplings. Also more beer. Delicious delicious delicious. Highly recommend the place, though youcve got to be okay with a bit of smoke.

Back to pick up our things from the hostel and then tramping through snowy, beautiful Prague back to the station to catch our train.

Night TrainC Prague to Krakow
Thjs night train will not be remembered as my favorite night train. The designers had not put a lot of energy into sound-proofing said train. As a result the traincs intimate relationship with the track was clearly heard and felt as we clacked along through the night. Additionally, not being particularly familiar with the terrain of our route I spent much of my time lying on the top bunk imagining the train leaning out over canyons as it swayed from side to side. I was not well rested when we arrived. Roger did a bit better with sleep.