Leisurely Sunday in Prague

Sunday July 16, 2006 - Just the start of a long day

Today was our FREE day in Prague, where we could walk unassisted around the city, to explore on our own, to shop for souvenirs for our loved ones back home, to blend in with the people and absorb our surroundings one last time. With everyone's agenda within the group so different, I don't think I can really put into words all of the experiences of that day, but I can tell you how I recall it at least.

Our morning began with two choices. The first choice was to go to a Czech mass at St. Nicolas Church in the Old Town Square. After the mass, the James Madison Singers would perform a capella for those who wanted to listen before heading out for shopping and exploration. Our second choice was not to go to the church but to start the free exploration right away, but find our own way into town. Everyone was asked to return to the hotel on their own by 5 pm.

I chose option two. A couple of girls from Converse had missed our tour of Prague earlier in the week, and had asked me and my roommate, Carol, if they could come with us to shop and while out we could point out all of the sights for them. Our first mission; get downtown. Those going to the church service rode on buses earlier, so we had to make it another way.

One aspect of Prague that we had not yet tackled was the tram. All around Prague (except for the heart of the historical areas), electric trams transported people to and fro. I grew accustomed to seeing the long red trams stop and then zip by, as well as their distinct sounds as I heard them run throughout the night from my hotel window. But I was a bit apprehensive about attempting more of the Prague transportation system.

Traveling around Prague FELT extremely treacherous. Our bus drivers drove very rapidly down the narrow roads, and there were many times I would flinch at the sight of a car thisclose alongside us. Same with the taxis, when a group and I rode back to our hotel from Don Giovanni. Our driver must have imagined himself in the Indy 500, as he rocketed us to our destination in record time. I wonder if there are still indentations from my clinched fingers in the taxi's upholstery...very heart-stopping ride. And that reminds me...drivers don't like to stop over there! I know I voiced quite frequently that there were not many Stop signs, or red lights, or yield signs. Everyone in the group chuckled at my observations, but I was serious! It was very unnerving!

But then, I was a tourist, not used to the speed in which the city moved. I watched in amazement at locals walking confidently across the street in front of oncoming traffic. Yet no one was injured. They just had the timing down to a science, or just had such assurance that a speeding vehicle would slow in time. It made the video game FROGGER come to mind...and I did not want to be squashed.

But the tram was the cheapest and most accessible way for us to get where we wanted. A ticket only cost 20 Kc (more on the money later), so Carol, Leala, Lauren and I bought our tickets and headed down to the tram station nearest our hotel. To get there we had to go down a huge flight of concrete steps. (Based on this, and the fact that the two tiny elevators in our hotel never came when needed and we had to take the stairs to our rooms all the time, I am convinced that is why our hotel was named Hotel STEP!)

Once at the main road, we asked a Czech woman for directions to the station. She spoke no English and our Czech was limited to "hello" and "thank-you" but she got the gist and we followed her to a station. She was pushing a stroller, and if I had not seen a baby myself, I would begin to wonder that this was a clever "decoy" used as a way to ensure speeding motorists would stop in time, since she too just crossed the road with not an ounce of fear.

Once on the tram, you validate the ticket by placing it in a machine to get stamped. It pretty much is the honor systems, since not one person checks it when you come on or off, though they will random check from time to time and if you are caught with no ticket or an old ticket, the fine is pretty heavy. Our tram was not that crowded and once we figured out the map, we the four rode to near Wenceslas Square and then began our free day.

It was mainly a shopping expedition, with a little more sight-seeing tossed in. The weather, which had been usually warm during the week, was absolutely perfect. With a gentle wind, mild temperatures and fair skies, it was incredibly pleasant to be out and about Prague. It was very crowded, with lots of other tour groups following their guides, some of who would hold up a silk flower above their heads for easier location. But we felt like old pros by this point and rather easily maneuvered our way up the streets around Old Town Square.

There were many shops to chose from, ranging from indoor storefronts, to outdoor booths near the square. Paying with Czech koruna ("koruna" means crown) was a little hard for me. Well, to be more precise, I had a hard time not trying to be frugal. The exchange rate while we were there was about 22 crowns for every dollar, so there were a lot of good deals. But my brain would revolt instinctively at 100 Kc price tag. It would say "There is no way I am paying 100 for that!!", but in reality it would only be close to $5.00. Or when I went to the ATM to draw out money, I felt a tad panicky withdrawing 2,000 Kc...even though it was a little over $88.00. Once I managed to get over that neurosis, I happily purchased the gifts I wanted for my family.

We ate lunch at a great little pizzeria, and I took a ton more photos of some of the 30 statues that are mounted to the balustrade of the Charles Bridge. They form two rows, one on each side. My most favorites were: The

Crucifix and Calvary, Statue of St. John of Nepomuk , Statue of St. John the Baptist, & St. Francis Seraphic. These are simply remarkable, some with their golden accents blazing from the sunlight. The first time we encountered them the day had been a bit gray and misty, but today's impeccable blue sky backdrop exquisitely showcased the statues .

There were lots of artisan's along the bridge selling their work, and I got the cutest print called Small Night Music by Zuzana Polívkovi . I really loved it because it incorporated the Charles Bridge of Prague and Eine kleine Nachtmusik by Mozart and seemed whimsical, like the city. I did acquire some traditional watercolor prints as well. One mission I had was to purchase painted eggs, a Slavic tradition. I found one place selling them and purchased 10. They are very similar to these. Long story short, despite my most constant attention on the way home...only 9 made the trip! :-) But still, I was successful!

Finally it was time to ride the tram back to the hotel to prepare for our last evening here. So Carol, Lauren and Leala and I hopped the number 3 to get back. The way back was very confusing, since everything was written in Czech, and the automatic announcing of stops was said in Czech. Somehow when we got off, we didn't quite end up where we thought we should be. When we went down a road that we expected would come out to the tall steps leading the the hotel parking lot, we ended instead at train tracks near the hub we would hear outside our hotel windows. It was a panicky moment, especially when Lauren and Leala decided to just continue ahead and cross the tracks hoping to come to a road. When they turned a corner and disappeared for a very moments, I felt anxious for them...and it did not help to see strange men approaching from that direction either. But I went after them, and Carol and I eventually found the girls basically climbing up the side of the hill that somehow came to the very steps we were searching for. Despite the unexpected hike, I was just relieved that we made it safe and sound.

One thing I had been lucky in, during the entire trip, was not to be a victim of pickpockets. Apparently that is a big problem in Prague, as in many other cities, but we were all trying to be extra cautious of that during our stay. It was so unfortunate that one of our SFC singers did have a "bump-in" with a pickpocket while getting on to a tram. Our very last day there, and Roland's wallet was stolen from his front pocket in the split second it took him to just grab a bar to hold steady and then sit down. We all felt badly that he would now have to go through the process of canceling credit cards and getting a new license. What a shame. The good news was that there was no money in the wallet, it was safe with Julie, Roland's wife, and despite it all, Roland just had such a positive attitude, as always. Still, they are too nice of people to have that happen.

When we returned, I heard from the others who went to the mass and heard the JMU singers perform. They all raved about the church and its' beauty; how amazing the JMU singers sounded in such an acoustically live space, and how excited they were when some joined the JMU singers for a few songs. It made me wish I had been able to go to that as well. The church's exterior is so magnificent on the corner of Old Town Square, and I can only imagine from what I heard that it was equally ethereal inside. But it just goes to show how much Prague has to offer a visitor, and how you simply cannot hope to accomplish it all in one day, and our day was far, far from done!

Next post: How we celebrated our last evening, and boy, was it ever a celebration! I will post it later this week!
Renee