I go to Prague and love it.

It began with what was supposed to be an 18 hour train trip from Venice to Prague. It ended up only being 15 hours, but still, it was just as difficult. On Saturday just after midnight, I awoke to the conductor asking for my ticket. I gave it to him and realized there was a German conversation going on right before me filled with mass information. I asked the woman in the seat across from me for the scoop. She and her husband were immensely friendly and helpful. She was from Austria. She said that I should switch trains because I was heading toward Prague, but that we were 15 late, and I probably wouldn’t catch my transfer train. I find myself switching to a totally random train in Salzburg, Austria at 4:30am. Where I’m headed, I’m not sure, but the conductor insists I switch here, otherwise I would miss my later original connection in Vienna. And I wouldn’t get to Prague till Saturday night. Sooo I do.  I meet a man whom I still do not know the name of, but who was a young dad, originally from Honduras. He’s now a missionary in Texas. He is going to Prague too, so now I have a buddy to help me get there. He’s also thoroughly confused.

We end up taking this train for an hour, switching to a bus in Linz, Austria (Hitler was born here and spent his childhood here—very small town), then driving to Somerou, Austria for just over an hour, an equally small and random town. We finally get on a rickety train to Prague and finally, I get about 1.5 hours of sleep.

I arrive to my hostel in Prague, drained, exhausted, and pretty much as worried as a new mother. Through the grapevine of train conversations, I find out that much of Europe is shut down airport-wise. My parents were supposed to have flown out of Venice, Italy that morning to Zurich, Switzerland, where they were supposed to connect to a flight heading back to LAX that afternoon. I had a bad feeling they weren’t getting out of Venice, or Europe for that matter, for a long time. All 5 people I spoke to on my train that morning had only been riding it because their flights were cancelled. They were all trying to make their way through Europe via train to get to their destinations. All flights except in Southern Italy were cancelled indefinitely.

I check my email and find that Mom and Dad are stuck in Venice till Tuesday. Darn. I had just taken all the snacks we were sharing and their extra conditioner, lotion, q-tips….now I had all the loot and they were stuck for 4 more days. My poor dog must think we’d abandoned her as well….

So I take my time, showering in my hostel-apartment’s amazing soak tub shower, sit in the sun of my cozy hostel bedroom and then realize I’m starving. All I want is comfort food. Additionally, I can stop worrying. I’m officially 15-18 hours by train away from my parents. All I could think about was that I was this close to them geographically, and yet, so far away. For 4 days.  I felt I betrayed them by leaving them just a few hours too soon.  Not only that, this means that Karina, my friend from Ventura whom I am to meet in Poland on Tuesday, is probably never going to get out of London. She has been stuck since Thursday in London while on a layover. Not sure what to plan after Prague as of this point.

I now go on a search for a big burger and fries. I had heard that the Czech Republic was a little lacking on food creativity. The fact that they just escaped from Communist rule only 20 years ago meant that they’ve been a little sheltered from worldly food influence. So I figure a burger is kind of Czech food. I search up and down one main street and some little ones on the side for about an hour. I finally find one that’s the cheapest and yet gives you the most. What an American I am. The Czech crowns are a little confusing to me….for every 100 crowns, that equals 4 euro. My 185 crown meal (including a beer!) felt like a deal….So I nosh on this massive bacon cheese burger and fries and drink my first Czech beer alongside. Supposedly, Czech beer is the best in the world. I find out later that the Czechs consume more beer than anyone else in the world as well, and they definitely prove it to me. I read a People magazine Mom had given me back in Italy while I eat and get some funny stares. I don’t care. All I wanted was some comfort food and something to ease my worries.

Okay, so the first few hours of arriving into a new city are always a little rough. Here’s where it starts to get better. Enough negativity.

I meet my hostel roomies after my burger hour. They are ALL backpackers, all 4 of them, and 2 are from San Diego, 1 is from Troy, Michigan, and 1 is from Australia. It is such a relief to meet backpackers. There is always so much to discuss, vent about, countries to contemplate.  We go for a beer and I am on my way to trying all the local beers of the Czech Republic. Taking night walks in big cities, like Prague, is a great way to see things in a different light, literally. 

View of Charles Bridge beneath Prague Castle, the largest castle in Europe.

Next day, I do the free walking tour. Get the lowdown on Prague. Things to note: the Castle is the largest in Europe. Finally finished in 1921 after building began in the 1000’s AD. That’s about 1000 years of building. The Jewish Quarter holds the largest cemetery (or one of) in Europe because they were forced to bury their dead on top of one another due to a mean Emperor. Also, the Quarter holds the oldest (still running) synagogue in Europe. Apparently, stones from Jesus’s time lay below it and support the building. Czech wine is not that good. But of course, the beer is. Same with the transportation system, at least in Prague. The Czech’s have been very repressed in their history, except for the last 20 years when they have finally been free from Russian Communist rule and the Slovak influence. They are passive aggressive fighters. However, Prague still has some of the most violent statues around town that I’ve ever seen. Also, Prague is the hometown of author Franz Kafka (The Metamorphosis). And the city is proud of it. Okay, tour info done.

Sundial clock. Has a cheezy chime routine every hour.

Strawberry cake!

Statue dedicated to Franz Kafka.

Oldest still-running synagogue in Europe.

In front of Prague Castle.

Pastries.

I meet up with Steve Dodge and Megan Dilley next. I am sooo excited to see some familiar faces and from knowing Steve as my good friend Matt’s good friend, I know I will have a blast with the couple from Ventura this day. The day is sunny, so the plan is to visit some beer gardens near their flat. I find they moved here 6 months ago. I knew Megan had an internship, but now I know she works with local Czech students wanting to study abroad. Steve is an English teacher and gives private lessons to business folk, as well as teaches classes. He doesn’t schedule any lessons on Fridays because he prefers to have a 3-day weekend. Smart move. They both afford the Prague lifestyle quite easily. Megan likes to cook dinners and beer is very very cheap. Like, $1.25-$1.50 for ½ a liter. That’s a lot. And ½ a liter is the standard size for a beer. That’s like, just under 40 oz. I think. Or something big.

Steve and Megan live in a flat near the Russian Communists’ TV tower. It’s huge. And dominates Prague’s eastern skyline wherever you look. It can also be seen from Steve and Megan’s balcony of their flat. And their front door. And from their street. And from pretty much everywhere you look from in Prague. At night, it glows red, blue and white, the Czech flag colors. If you look close, you can see statues of crawling babies on it. This just baffles me. And yet, at the same time, is just soo intriguing. 

In front of their flat.

Close up of babies.

So, back to the beer gardens. We visit our first garden and it’s outdoors. It is atop a rooftop terrace, overlooking an amazing view of Prague and the Prague castle. Apparently, the cold season is just getting over with, so the place just opened the roof area recently. There are dogs everywhere. Steve explains that in Prague, dogs and kids are welcome to the pubs and beer gardens. The dogs are treated like kids here. Even better. They can even be claimed on their taxes, Steve says. It’s funny though. Dogs in Czech, unlike in the States or elsewhere, don’t necessarily respond to you if you are a stranger and you are petting their head. They aren’t used to being needy for attention. I mean, why would you pet another person’s child at the park? It might be considered creepy. These dogs are like kids, remember. They wander the pubs and gardens and are very well-behaved. They know to stay near their master. Gosh darnit, I was obsessed with these dogs! I wish I could take Kalee everywhere with me, like to the pub….. 

 

Since I am in limbo with where I am going next on my backpacking adventure, Megan and Steve invite me to stay with them for as long as I need. I am not sure if my parents will get out Tuesday (in fact, I doubt they will—the airports are a mess! And crazy busy, behind, confused, upset—yes the airports of Europe…) and I am not sure when Karina will ever get to Poland where I am supposed to meet her. I agree this would be awesome. After the garden, we head to some local Czech cuisine, and I have my first try of Devil’s toast (toast with a chili concoction on top—so yum), as well as my first plate of goulash and dumplings. We sit outside amongst the glow of the setting sun on the TV tower as the local dogs sniff our feet. I loved it.

Snack time!

Czech Dinner.

After, I head back to my hostel and go out again with the hostel roomies to sample some more local beers. Primator is my new favorite. IT’s like a honey-wheat beer, and they even have a dark version! I sleep well that night because the pillows in Prague are really wide, tall and fluffy. Somehow, they make for a great sleep.

Next day, Ann and I (she’s from Michigan, backpacking on her own for 3 months in basically all of Eastern Europe—so inspiring) head to the Castle and take pics and explore. We don’t care for a tour, but instead, just enjoy the views of this large structure, then visit it’s amazing gardens. She’s a slow walker, and it feels good to take my time this day. Plus, the sun is out and it’s probably about nearly 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Awesome. We want pancakes after a while. They are like crepes. I get a honey cake, and realize, it’s actually just cake. But really really good. She gets a apple strudel pancake, with whip cream on top, and it reminds me of that German guy in Inglorious Bastards. Same type of texture going on. I say goodbye to Ann because she is off to Budapest tomorrow and I am off now to meet Megan because she is done with work. Gotta transfer homes for now. 

Violent statues adorn the Prague Castle entrance.

Elaborate tombs inside the Cathedral.

Cathedral.

Toy museum...random.

More toy museum.

Vineyards in the gardens. See the TV tower in the back? Hehehe.

Megan and I head to the rooftop beer garden. I am loving this life. It feels SO good to finally relax and not feel like such a tourist. I am living normal life with her now. We didn’t know each other very much back in high school, but we finally begin to catch up on our lives. It feels great. Steve meets up with us after his last class of the day, just as the weirdest thing happens. So I am sitting at the table alone with my beer. Megan had run to the restroom downstairs. Steve’s not there yet. I see 2 girls walk onto the terrace, and I can’t stop staring. They just have that familiar look and feel about them. They see me. But I still can’t stop. One is tall, blond, freckled faced, with a long braid hanging down her tall torso. The other is shorter, slender, short hair and a cute smile. Megan sits down in front of me. She says,  “Sorry I took so long! I ran into some friends!” Those I am staring at are her friends, from Ventura High School, and they ran cross-country and track. And one of them, short hair,…was my enemy my Freshman year. In my own mind, at least. We were always around the same pace, and it was a goal to beat her. Always. And I did. Most times. Anyway, she is actually really nice and friendly. I didn’t know her in high school. The other, the blonde, has lived in Prague for 3 years now. She worked at a bar, now works at a pre-school. Very friendly. SUCH a small world. Apparently, Laurel (short hair) is now a Delta Airlines pilot. She’s stuck in Prague. Her flight had been cancelled over the weekend (it’s now Monday)  and she was trying to hop on a standby ticket to get back to Atlanta. She’s a pilot and couldn’t even get on a flight!! Now I knew my parents were stuck for a while….

Dogs in the beer gardeennn.....

Beer garden #2.

So Steve, Megan, Laurel and I head to the other beer garden nearby. The blonde has a date. This other beer garden is very widespread. Lots of picnic tables, a street fair type of stand pouring beers nearby the stand grilling sausages. A big projection TV is in front showing a Premier League futbol game. Great atmosphere. Oh, and of course there’s lots of dogs everywhere. After, we head back to the flat and make fajitas, in remembrance of how far us SoCal natives are from good Mexican food. Funny, before dinner, Steve went to go fill up a big tall water bottle of wine. They like to recycle here, so they pour wine out of a keg into big tall water bottles and sell the wine quite cheap. Like, for a $2. That’s about 60 crown. For at least a bottle of wine. Steve says they like to recycle here. The wine was actually very good… 

Night view of TV tower...in Czech flag colors.

I spend my next few days with Megan and Steve, relaxing at their flat, cooking dinners, visiting beer gardens all over town, and just plain enjoying good company. They are such a laid-back couple, and so welcoming. They help me remember what it’s like to live the moment, and relax within it. I forget how to just plain stop sometimes. 

Eating the best kebabs, tortilla style.

Laetna Beer Garden, overseeing Prague.

View.

Metronome that replaced the former Stalin statue atop the hill. Note, also next to a skate park now.

The last day in Prague, I took a day trip with Christina and Scott, the couple from San Diego I had met in my hostel. We headed to Kunta Hora. It’s about an hour train ride outside of Prague and is a smaller mining town. We head straight for the main attraction: a church (boring) but…it’s interiors are made of human bones. The story says that waaaaay back, a man brought holy soil back from Jesus’s tomb, or something, and laid it next to this cemetery in Kunta Hora. Anything built on it was holy. So everyone wanted to be buried on the soil. Once they died, their families donated their bodies to this area. A church was built on top of the soil, and a builder/artist came in and designed the interior with 40, 000 human bodies—all bones. The skulls are in 4 massive triangular piles around the church. Like pyramids. There are bones hanging EVERYWHERE and even the chandelier in the middle is made up of every bone in the human body. It really is a work of art, yet the CRAZIEST thing I’ve ever seen. There was even a Czech coat of arms made of human bones. 

When we walked in, we see the human bones right away.

One pile.

Below the bone chandelier.

Up close.

Up close of chandelier.

Czech crest of bones. In front of pile.

Jesus, because yes, this used to be a church. With the bones in it AND confessional booths and pews etc.

After, Scott, Christina and I found a beer hall and spent some time there. Had me some awesome soup. It was a cold day.  They are both going to law school this next year, Christina at UCLA and Scott at UC Berkeley. Both graduated from UCSD early. Very fun and nice couple. Small world again: Christina used to work down the street from me last summer in Santa Barbara….maybe is heading back again this summer while living with her Grandma in Montecito. Wow. Such a small world. 

Beer hall.

By the end, I tried nearly all the local beers in Prague. I felt a little like a local, going for a run in the park, taking the tram into town, buying groceries to cook dinner with Megan. So refreshing. Even the Murphey bed in their living room/kitchen was sooo comfortable. I could’ve spent weeks there!  

Now, I’m on a train out of the Czech Republic. Decided to head to Krakow. Karina is hopefully (fingers crossed) on a bus out of London. I am supposed to meet her in Warsaw on Sunday for her Mom’s birthday. Mom and Dad are hopefully on a flight out of Rome, heading toward Newark, New Jersey as I type. Btw, their story: original flight Venice-Zurich-LAX cancelled Saturday; new flight scheduled Tuesday Venice-Zurich-Boston-LAX; Tuesday flight cancelled; new flight scheduled…maybe…Venice-Frankfurt-Newark-LAX; new flight scheduled officially Venice-Rome on Wednesday, Rome-Newark-LAX Saturday; today, sudden new flight snuck in and scheduled Rome-Newark-LAX. And Swiss Air wasn’t even paying for their extra days needing accommodation bc this volcano is considered a “natural disaster”. 

What will the days ahead bring??!

PS. Poland/Czech countryside is gorgeous.

PPS. Polish trains=really hard to navigate!!!