Melissa, Shireen, and I left Thursday afternoon to catch a train to Prague, a city that we've all hoped to visit since before we left for Europe. We actually had to take a few connecting trains: to Linz, then to a border town, then to a Czech town called Ceske Budejovice, before arriving in Prague at around 11 p.m. Of course, the Czech Republic, although it's been a part of the EU for 6 years, hasn't changed over to the Euro yet, so we had to change all of our money into Czech korunas (crowns) before we could even buy a bus pass!
Everything that they say about Prague's beauty is true. Most of the buildings and churches date back to at least the 14th century, and they were built with grandeur and artistic detail in mind. The Old Town Square was my favorite; it holds the Astronomical Clock, as well as Powder Tower and a very old and pretty church. In spite of its beauty, it's obvious to see that Prague has seen better days. As a former part of the Soviet Union, it's still recovering from communism, and their inflation rate is through the roof. Prague is known for its higher crime rate in relation to other European cities. Of course, one must always inherently be more careful when traveling to former East bloc countries; in Prague there were signs everywhere warning tourists to beware of pickpockets. As pretty as the city was during the day (and lit up at night), it makes me really appreciate the security of Salzburg.
On a lighter note, we made sure to take both main guided tours that were offered in English. On Friday, our tour guide led us around the city and gave us a lengthy history lesson on the city. This weekend, Prague was celebrating the 65th anniversary of the end of German occupation in the city. They had TVs set up in the square and official-looking people giving speeches. It really is a remarkable story. Prague citizens themselves kicked out the Nazis and took back their city after 7 years of occupation. Later that day, we walked across the Charles Bridge, a very old and famous landmark usually occupied by street vendors and performers.
One of the best parts of our trip was the chance to meet new people in our hostel. Although we booked beds in a 14 person room, we chose the right place. Hostel Marabou was clean, homey, helpful, and well-decorated. We happened to be sharing a room with Lucia and Emily, respectively from Argentina and Taiwan. They were backpacking (separately) across Europe for the spring and we ended up spending a lot of time touring and hanging out with them this weekend. It's really remarkable to realize that the five of us are from three different continents, yet spent the weekend together in a completely different one! The world is so interconnected today, and I'm so grateful that I have the chance to get to know so many people from other cultures. I hope they'll be able to visit us in Salzburg during the next few weeks.
Friday night, we took one of the advertised pub crawls, a very common activity in almost all of the European cities I've been in so far. I'm so glad we did. Prague is known for its nightlife, but it's worth the 15 euros for the security a pub crawl offers. We started out with "all you can drink" at the starting pub from 9:30-11 (including Absinth, which I'd definitely never had before, since it's illegal in the States for its alcohol content). Then we made the rounds of the techno clubs and pubs of Prague. We even got a T-shirt! Definitely something I'd do again. It was a great night.
Saturday we slept in a bit (we needed it) and took the castle tour in the afternoon. This tour took us past a lot of statues and interesting buildings, including the sites of several defenestrations! I learned that word some years ago in Latin; it literally means to throw something (or someone, in this case) out of a window. Prague has had five major defenestrations throughout the course of its history; including the most famous one that began the Thirty Years War. (I took a picture of the window for you, Dad.) We also saw the church where Charles IV (Prague's most famous emperor) is buried and got the chance to see some of the most beautiful panoramic views I've ever had the privilege of enjoying. Saturday night, we had dinner with Lucia and Emily at a cheap, but very delicious authentic Czech restaurant. I would say that Czech food is a great deal different than the food one finds in Austria and Germany. You might think that the cultures might be more similar due to their geographic proximity, but that's actually not true. One of the hardest parts of the weekend was trying to understand the Czech signs and writing around the city. It is nothing like German or English, not even close. Luckily, because Prague is such a touristy town, many shopkeepers and waiters are decent in English.
Saturday night, Emily, Shireen and I went to a very pretty old theater to see a marionette puppet show version of Don Giovanni, Mozart's famous opera. Although Mozart was born and raised in Salzburg, he really didn't like this city. (a fact that Salzburg doesn't like to admit). He thought the people of Salzburg were snobby and he much preferred his fans in Prague. Naturally, Prague likes to boast that they were the favorite and there are almost as many commemorations to him there as there are here. The puppet show was very good and well done. You could tell that they were professionals.
I very much enjoyed spending the weekend getting to know a different culture. It was almost a miracle that everything worked out with the trains and the money and the hostel. I'm glad there were three of us there; I wouldn't have wanted to do it alone. But in the end, my weekend excursion to Prague has made me appreciate my Salzburg home all the more. Maybe it's the fact that it's a little bit cleaner here, or maybe it's the fact that I speak the language. I think it might be because I'm truly finally zu Hause here.
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