Falling in love with PRAHA

Prague is one of those cities that truly takes your breath away.  It's a city whose quirky beauty and unique charm has garnered it a reputation as one of the most romantic cities in the world.  And while I understand that some people go to Prague to fall in love with their significant other, I discovered that I fell in love with Praha instead. 

Over the last few years Prague has become an international tourist destination sensation, highly sought after for its beauty, lively nightlife and relatively cheap cost.  I’ve wanted to go to Prague for the longest time, so I was ecstatic to finally have the opportunity to visit.

Amy and I awoke on Jan. 2 at a most ungodly hour (4:30?  5:00?) to catch a five hour train from Berlin to Prague.  We were so exhausted, we decided to take a nap first to rest up and enjoy the rest of the trip.  We emerged from our hostel at dusk and into city's streets.  We wandered the Old Prague Square, completely enamored by gorgeous and well-preserved architecture and ate at a fabulous Italian restaurant for only 8 euro!  Before returning to our hostel, we went to Charles Bridge and overlooked Prague Castle, which was illuminated in a soft gold light, solidifying Prague’s reputation as the Golden City and one of the most romantic cities in the world.

Over the next two days, we braved the cold to do a three-hour free walking tour of the city and a four-hour walking tour of Prague Castle and Mala Strana.  This was both a wonderful and terrible experience.  The walking tour, which is present in several major European cities, is a great deal for those traveling on a budget: you get to see all the major sites, learn about the city’s history and culture from knowledgeable tour guides, and meet new people from all over the world – all for the cost of a couple of Euros tip at the end.  HOWEVER, Prague was so eff-ing cold that I really thought I’d gotten frostbite and might die.  On the tour I wore: tights, leggings and jeans; three pairs of socks; knee high leather boots; a tank top, a sweater, a long sleeved shirt, a sweatshirt and a coat; a scarf; two pairs of gloves; a hat and a hood.  I was freezing.  Although my over sensitivity to cold made it a little less enjoyable than I would have liked (i.e. after the tour I ran to the nearest pub and told them to give me the warmest thing to drink.  I couldn't bend my fingers and had to dump the money out on the counter to pay), it was a wonderful way to see the city. 

During my several hours spent wandering the city, I discovered that Prague is an architectural delight!  The buildings come in so many styles that it makes walking through the city a truly fascinating endeavor: cubist, communist, art deco, nouveau art deco, and more!  Prague is also home to Kafka, the famed literary genius (or crazy, depending on how you look at it), the largest medieval castle in Europe (Prague Castle), the only authentic venue where Mozart performed, the world-famous astronomical clock and an intriguing communist, holocaust and Jewish history. 

While I’m not proud to admit this, I actually went on something called a pub crawl (yes, shocking, I know).  Amy really wanted to go, so I reluctantly decided to accompany her so she would not be alone.  Overall, the locations on the pub crawl were NOT my scene at all (Irish pub?  Dive bars?) and the drinks weren’t exactly my glass of wine (Beer?  Can I PLEASE get a cosmopolitan or an extra dirty martini with olives?), but that was definitely to be expected.  I did however try a shot of absinthe, which is mandatory for all young Americans traveling in Europe.  No I did not hallucinate and then pass out in a corner, rather I cringed at the taste and said, “Well that was interesting!” 

HOWEVER, the night turned out to be a good opportunity to meet people from all corners of the world: the U.S., Australia, Europe, and of course South America.  At the beginning of the night I noticed all the Latin kids hanging out together, laughing and talking in Spanish.  I longingly felt that I belonged in their group speaking Spanish, rather than speaking in English with people from England and the U.S.  Then my luck changed as a Venezuelan guy approached me and asked, “Are you Latina?”  I said no, to which he replied, “Are you sure?  Because you look like a Latina girl.”  I told him that although I’m not Latina, I do speak Spanish, and thus I was inducted into the South American group and spent the rest of the night speaking Spanish and reminiscing about my days in Argentina.  I have to say, it was pretty wonderful.  

While Prague is incredibly beautiful, and I hope to return one day, the only aspect that I didn’t like was that it was over-run with tourists.  Yes, I am aware, that I am technically a tourist too, but I like to think of myself as a "sophisticated connoisseur of world travel and culture" – one who absolutely does NOT play into the stereotypical role that Americans have garnered over the years (think knee high socks, ill-fitted shorts, fanny packs, and an unfounded superiority complex that gives them the disillusioned impression that everyone speaks English outside of the U.S. because we ARE the shit…sarcasm…can be hard in written word).   But I digress…I would love to have time to explore the city again when it’s a bit quieter, although I’m not sure if there’s ever a time of year like that for Prague.

At the end of the trip, I felt wistful, as I often do when returning from a lovely vacation.  I wanted to stay longer and possibly move to Prague (to do what, I’m not sure ;)  Looking back, Amy and I wished we’d done the trip in reverse: more time in Prague to explore its unique beauty and a shorter trip to Berlin.  But I’d like to think that I’ll return one day.  And maybe when it’s not so cold ;)

Besos,
B