Prague

After checking in to the fact that we were in Eastern Europe by the looks and sounds of the trains we rode on to get there, we decided to check into our hotel and get some dinner. The pizza place around the corner was highly recommended and so we ventured out to find the most interesting themed pizza place possible. Oh yes – the theme of the Czech pizza place was… “Native Americans.” All of the pictures on the wall were of chiefs and the pizza’s were named “Big Bear Sunrise, Thundercloud Desert Dream”, etc. I was speechless as I took it all in. We tried to explain to the waitress that we had never been to a pizza place like this and she was actually really surprised by that! I can’t describe to you what a surprise this place was – and the food was pretty good too! We were staying at a hotel called Merlin, and the only “magical” thing about it was that they had a very filling breakfast buffet of cheese, bread, deli meat, and a different random fruit every day. So the next morning, we filled up and head out on another Free Walking Tour. We met in the center of Prague, right next to St. Nicholas Church and the old astronomical clock. We started the tour by learning about the main features of the square and then received a very thorough explanation of the 600 year old clock. Apparently most tourists who come to Prague are very disappointed when they see the clock do its thing every hour from 9am-9pm. Pretty much it has 4 mechanical figures that move their jaws and hands around for about 30 seconds before a rooster at the top yelps out. Well, we did eventually see that show – but the first time we saw the clock we were amazed by it! First of all, it is about 600 years old! It has a separate dial for the phases of the moon, the bohemian numbers, Roman numerals, Saints Days, and just about everything else a clock should have besides a heart monitor. From there, we walked to the Opera house where Mozart actually had an opera performed while he was alive. We headed to get a view of the famous, Wensclas square and then to the Powder Tower, where guns and ammo were once held. We learned about the Jewish quarter of Prague, the Communist Regime, and decided to investigate more history the next day. At the end of the tour, we walked across the river to Prague Castle. It was huge! In the middle is a gothic church with beautiful stained glass windows. We toured the entire castle and enjoyed throwing the Frisbee in some of the Royal gardens. Then on the way down, we sampled a special Czech pastry called Tredlnik. It is a pastry dough heated from the inside out and covered in cinnamon sugar while it is baked on a rotating steel rolling pin above a fire. Amazing! The result is a pastry with a hollow center that tastes unbelievable! We ended up walking past some outdoor stores on our walk back to the center of town from Charles Bridge. They actually had a great selection, although the gear was super expensive. We opted to get out before we began to “need” some fancy gear and we ate dinner at a Prague Brewery known as U Medvidku. JJ had a very traditional Czech dish of meat dumplings and cabbage and I had a strange concoction of Kashka and veggies in a cast iron skillet. While we were finishing up, 3 Czech guys sat down next to us. We had a really nice time talking with them, comparing our cultures, and hearing about what it was like to live in Prague in the present day.

The next day, we walked to a very untouristy part of the city, where there is a giant park and some bars we wanted to try. We walked up to a giant gymnasium sort of building that just screamed “communism”. It was very dilapidated, but seemed strong and mighty, especially compared to the field of weeds growing around it. The Czech people are very focused on ridding themselves of their Communist past and I was surprised this building was even there. We threw the Frisbee in the park and within an hour, someone with an Alaska Ultimate sweatshirt engaged us in conversation. Bryn, had played at Carleton College but was originally from the Los Angeles area and had been living in Prague the last 10 years. We enjoyed chatting with him and meeting his Toy Chihuahua, Maxi. We headed over the bar, U Sadi, only after noticing a giant and pretty ugly Communist era (I hope) radio tower with sculptures of dark colored giant babies crawling on it. Definitely one of the weirdest things I have ever seen. For dinner, I decided to try the Czech potato pancakes, which were actually potato dumplings filled with cheese and fried. Yum! JJ tried the absinth liquor drink after dinner. Green Fairies and a thorough cleansing of our senses is all I have to say about that.

The next day, we packed our bags to take the night train and stored our stuff at the train station. We headed over the Jewish museum of Prague and made a day of seeing the sights. First, we entered a synagogue that was changed into a memorial for all for all of the Czech Jews who perished in the Holocaust (over 75% of the Czech Jewish population). Almost every corner of synagogue was filled with a name. There were so many names and it was so powerful, emotional, and truly upsetting. It was like a slap in a face to see all of those names. Seeing over 100,000 names is a lot more intense than actually saying the number, let me tell you. Next, we saw heart-breaking pictures drawn by children of the Terezin ghetto. Although faced by the evils and horrors of the Nazi’s, the Jews at this ghetto/camp developed a secret curriculum of Jewish studies for the children there. As a part of the curriculum, students were able to draw their feelings. The children drew pictures of everything from a really happy scene with rainbows and arrows pointing to Palestine to really upsetting stuff dealing with death. Most of these children did not survive. Although over four thousand drawings were carefully hidden into suitcases and discovered after the war. I definitely recommend seeing these if you ever come to Prague. From there, we walked through the Jewish cemetery of the Prague Ghetto, used from the mid 15^th century to the late 1800s. The tombstones are mostly written in Hebrew, have shifted in position over time, and are very slowly deteriorating. The cemetery is a very special place and as eerie as it was walking through, you can just feel the sense of history and purpose these people had. We entered a few more museums with well preserved Jewish artifacts from Prague and Czech Jews. In one of the synagogues (converted to a museum), there were some of the most detailed and descriptive information charts and artifacts of Jews I have ever seen. The Jewish artifacts were actually placed into a museum in Prague during the early 1900s and then almost left untouched by the Nazi’s because Hitler wanted to keep the Museum to show people what the exterminated race of Jews was like. We all know that did not happen! Not only was I am impressed by the museum, but the vast amount of people who were there to see it from all backgrounds and cultures! There were so many people there and that made me feel very satisfied in a way. Last, JJ and I walked through the Spanish synagogue of Moorish architecture. This is supposed to be the most beautiful synagogue in Europe, although JJ and I think the one in Florence I wrote about is a little more impressive. However, it was absolutely breathtaking, especially all of the geometric patterns incorporating gold paint, Stars of David, and stained glass. Really something I will never forget! So all in all, I am really glad we spent a lot of time exploring the Jewish history of Prague together. It is unbelievable to me that so many atrocities have happened throughout history to the Jews. Although, I am very pleased there is a museum that visually describes these events. JJ and I are so fortunate to live in this time and come from a country where we have Freedom of Religion. We are so thankful for our family members who made sacrifices so that we would have the life that we do.

After throwing the Frisbee around and grabbing some dinner, we boarded to sleeper train to Budapest!