Blague from Prague, Day Three

My feet are exhausted! Today was our last day in Prague so we made sure to make the most out of it. We spent our entire day walking through parts of the city that we had not seen and we went back over some things that we wanted to see more. It was a very satisfying day and I will definitely sleep well tonight.


We started at 1o AM this morning in the "New Town" at St. Wenceslas Square. The museum of Natural History sits at the top of the square with a statue of the good king immediately to the North. We traversed the square noting the different architectural styles along the streetside, including Ars Noveaux, Baroque, Neo-Classic, Communist, and many others. There were many surprises along the way, including the peaceful St Francis Garden that is tucked away from the busy boulevard by the tall buildings that surround it. For lunch we ate sausages from a cart and enjoyed the communist museum (surprising more fun than you would thing) and the Mucha Museum after.



After a stop at the hotel to regroup we continued on to the Vltava River and walked along the bank to the south. We saw some neat buildings, including the recent "Dancing House" inspired by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. After going to Charles Square, a lovely park, we climbed the castle hill and enjoyed a beer and an appetizer in the Wenceslas Wine Vineyards while watching the city. After our snack we visited a medieval beer hall, where we had some difficulty ordering in English, and then came back to our neighborhood for supper. We wanted to eat a restaurant near our hotel that featured live jazz but the prices were twice what we had been offered at other restaurants nearby. We had already been seated when we figured this our so we got up and went to Mlejnice, the restaurant where we ate our first dinner in town. I know we should have probably tried something else, but I had my heart set on goulash and I knew this place would not let me down! It was amazing. The food was unbelievable and the price was unbeatable. We made the right choice.


After dinner I picked up some souvenirs, including a bottle of Becherovka (a Czech herb liquor that is not sold outside of the country), and a couple of 0.5 liter beer glasses featuring the names of some of our favorite breweries. Then we returned to U Medviku, the microbrewery we visited last night, for a couple of beers before returning to the hotel. A perfect end to another great day in Prague. We even managed to talk to the bartender a bit. Our "in" was the VH1 Europe Totally 80's playing on the television at the bar. Despite our different nationalities we all agreed that Sting and Police are awesome.

I will miss this city and hopefully we will be able to return someday. The people are very nice and welcoming and the city has a kind of magic to it. There are buildings from the 12th century through the twentieth and there is a real sense of pride in the people about their heritage. They love their country here and it shows on their faces when you try to speak the language or when they tell you about their history. It is amazing to think, after going to the communist museum and the synagogues yesterday, about the struggle the people of this nation have had to endure to claim their own national identity. For hundreds of years they lived under Austrian (Hapsburg) control and for much of the twentieth century under Communism. It is a history of quiet courage and protest in the face of great odds. It is a very inspiring place to be.


Tomorrow we leave for Zlin and the International Conducting Workshop and Festival. I'm nervous and excited. I look forward to the challenges that lie ahead in the days to come. This is going to be a great next step in our trip!