Bohemian Rhapsody in Prague

We arrived in Prague with very few plans. The first day we woke up very late after our long drive and then got lost trying to find the train station to tale the train into Prague. We finally found it before Kitz killed anyone and got to Prague. Then we bought a map, bought some very nice lunch (Kitz had to have some borscht and boy was she nicer after that) at the Mona Lisa Cafe. We had asked some questions at an info booth in the train station but the lady there answered no questions and seemed very put out that we had asked her anything. We then wandered to the old part of the city past a demonstration against Syria, through alleys, and to Charles' Bridge. We had very little planned for Prague, so we just wandered taking pictures of things like the astronomical clock and Charles Bridge. Kitz saw an advertisement for a concert that night in the Mirror Chapel in the Klementimum and after looking at the list of pieces we decided to do it. So in this glorious old chapel painted throughout with frescoes, we listened to some Bach, Pachelbel, Motzart, and Vivaldi. It had been raining much of the afternoon and when we got out it started again. It was also getting cold with the onset of the night, so we decided to stop and get some hot chocolate. We went to this chocolate shop that had some advertised and bought so chocolates from the display and two cups of hot chocolate. The chocolate was hot chocolate, but not really a beverage. We received two little cups of melted chocolate. Rich? Yes. Good? For eating straight chocolate it was sweet but good. Did it fill us up? Yes and we didn't even eat all of it because it had solidified. So our dinner was melted chocolate.

The next day we got up late and left late, so I actually had some of the chocolates we bought for breakfast too. Kitz was not amused. Neither of us is a chocoholic. We like it when there is good quality but won't eat a ton. I think we ate more chocolate in Prague than during our entire vacation thus far. We did get some truffles and a box in Brussels and a small bag in Liege. I'm sure we had some in Switzerland though I can't really recall. I can't remember having chocolate in Switzerland though we did have caramels and I had chocolate ice cream. But we did have quite a bit of chocolate in Prague.

I would also like to mention the man who sold us the tickets to the concert. Kitz communicated with him in Russian mostly and he thought we were Russian though I looked English. In Italy, I looked Polish. A little later this man asked where we were from guessing Russia, Poland, and Lithuania. I just got asked today if I'm Russian. In Florence a waiter asked if we needed a Russian menu but Ricky said I look more Russian than Kitz. I'm not really sure I look like anything. I'm mostly English, Irish, and French with some Native American and Germanic thrown in, but somehow I can also sometimes look Eastern European. Well until I find people who look like me, I will just assume I look like no nationality. In the US, we don't really care about this since we are a big melting pot, but since I have come to Europe many people keep guessing the wrong nationality, so I am now more aware that some nationalities have a look.

Anyway, after the chocolate breakfast we went to the Strahov Monastery with an extremely old and orate library. We wandered through the rooms and were treated to more Eastern European hospitality as we were kicked out 10 minutes before closing time. There were 15 minutes left and we had two Roman rooms left to see but they were now closed so close to lunch time. Fine. We will spend more time at the castle. We didn't need to see those rooms we paid to see anyway. So, we walked out our frustration to the castle. It wasn't very far away, but we had to stop and have lunch since Kitz hadn't had chocolate breakfast like I had, she was in a bad mood.

The castle was more of a palace, which is not a castle. My main problem is that it was constantly being renovated, but the main cathedral, St. Vitus was left unfinished for 400 years. They began construction in 1344, but didn't finish in time for all work to cease with the Hussite War. They didn't work on it after the war then a fire severely damaged some things in 1541. So they forgot about it for a while (tall structure in the middle of Prague and very visible until some guys in 1844 wanted to finish it. But it wasn't until 1929 that it was finished. Almost 600 years. And you think you have problems leaving things uncompleted. Besides that the castle was nice and we bought some music from this group of Bohemian Funfest musicians outside the castle to listen to as we drove through Bohemian countryside o the morrow. Really fun stuff, similar to Klezmer but not the same at all. Anyway, we wandered the castle and learned about the exciting and crazy history of Prague and all the Bohemian kingdom. Then it was finally time for a Ikea to get some new luggage. I got a duffel and Kitz got a hard suitcase to put all the photos and watercolors of Prague in. My dad loves Prague since he loves most former parts of the Hapsburg Empire, so now he can decorate the Beijing apartment with European pictures. He hasn't been to Vienna, but I bet he'd love that too. He actually grew up in Germany and we passed the place he used to live in Germany on the Autobahn. Kitz was asleep.

In the castle complex, there is this little part called the Golden Lane. In essence it is a row of tiny houses (three rooms at most) that are backing against the wall that used to be defensive. They are these preserved houses that the government bought that all shared a toilet and spout once they had running water. Yeah, not superb conditions but romantic. Many artsist and painters lived there for inspiration before the government bought them all up, including Franz Kafka. It is now a shop, but I got to stand if Kafka's former house. There was a fortune teller who lived there, but the Germans killed her because she predicted the end of the Third Reich, and an avid film collector, an herbalist, and many more all recreated or preserved for tourists. Above the houses is a long wall with a narrow room to shelter the guards with holes to shoot crossbows out of. They filled it with hundreds of suits of armor and helmets, weapons, and much more. They also have a cross bow shooting game to win prizes at up there too. Loved it there. It was like a recreated made-up world. We bought my Dad a shirt with Kafka in Prague there.

After this high adventure, we finally made it back to the eastern European hostel where our clothes were still drying hanging in the room after we washed them last night. We packed and got ready to leave in the morning. Late (as usual) we woke and had breakfast then drove slowly, avoiding the highways, through Bohemia. We eventually crossed into Austria and stopped at Käsemacher Welt, which begins another adventure for another day.