Quatra-lingual Conversation for Directions

admin — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 12:50:40 +0000

We woke up with twenty minutes to go before we were supposed to be all packed up and checked out of the hostel. Somehow the alarm didn’t go off(…it was switched to ‘off’)– oops. We were supposed to be on a train that morning to Kutna Hora, but we just caught a later one and it was all good.

We took a bus to somewhere in Kutna Hora and walked up to one of the churches– but not the one we wanted. I went in to ask directions to Santa Barbara, the huge cathedral, and the woman told me she spoke better Spanish or German than English. We then proceeded to have a quatra-lingual conversation– Czech, German, English, and Spanish– and guess what? We made it to the Cathedral.

After being blown away by stained glass and the incredible organ and all, we caught a bus to the Kostnice Sedlec Ossuary –aka Bone Church. Pretty weird.

We caught a train back to Prague, and I ate traditional Svickova na Smetane: meat and potato dumplings with a nutmeg sauce– not too shabby.

From there we attempted to find an underground bar a friend recommended– We found it, and then proceeded to wander around Prague buying different foods until our Crowns ran out.

Czech, mate.

admin — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 19:48:33 +0000

Our group of 13 ate its last meal(and, of course, drank our last beers) together last night at Muggelsee Lake Biergarten in Friedrichshagen. We told stories, and repeatedly sang ever-changing versions of the song inspired by Lisa’s subject, Jannis — “I don’t make party everyday, I don’t make party everyday, I don’t make party everyday — only six days a week,” or something like that…Kiva and Emily’s rap/techno rendition at dinner was pretty solid.

My room at the hostel that night was full of scrambling around, no one being quite ready to leave yet, but everyone headed somewhere else by end of morning. I finished packing three hours before my rail reservations to Prague, and slept restlessly for what I’d hope to call two hours. I had to fit everything down to my back pack again for the intense traveling to come in the next four weeks.

Bailey got in the evening before in time to make reservations for Prague before heading to the Biergarten. We took the M4 to Alexanderplatz and the S75 to HBF(Haupt…something), where we took zug 171 nach Prague.

We made it just in time, and I slept the most uncomfortable sleep ever on that train. But then, we were in Praha.

We got off, made our reservations for Florence, bought a map, got some Crowns and headed off in the direction of our hostel– then we heard the music.

And there we were, swept up in some sort of parade(A welcome parade, they must’ve known I was coming), and walking among musicians and dancers and men on stilts. Thank-you, Prague.

After this, we passed a shop with a dress I want. It’s unique. It only costs 63,000 kc.

We found our hostel, no sweat(I can do the directions, it was decided Bailey’s in charge of the re-folding of the maps…), checked in and then headed off again. First — coffee and ice cream. I felt much better after this, still going off of what I’m -intensely- rounding up to three hours of sleep. I definitely never had a night where I slept as much as in the U.S. as in Berlin.. maybe its the sun-up at 4 a.m. thing, sort of inspiring.

We found a great restaurant, Svejk(–the S has a ‘v’ mixed with a ‘u’ over it…). The Kozeldark beer was awesome, I think my favorite yet. I had a Grandmother’s Kvetovany-style potato soup, and a recruiter Vanek’s steak(mmmmm!!!) This was truly glorious, especially with the second Kozeldark. But get this: roast fillet of pork, peach, cheese, and whipped cream. When I saw this on the menu I knew I had to try it, it’d by either one or the other, and it really was the better turn-out.

Bailey couldn’t quite muster herself up to eating the ham on her plate(she’s pescatarian-ish back in the States), so I willingly helped her out with that as well.

We wondered down to the river, crossed it, and wandered into the Senate gardens. The hedges are nice, the statues are gruesome, and the wall with hidden faces is a bit eerie. I can dig it.

We walked up to the castle, wandered around its grounds, came back down for a fruit chiller(I had ice cream..) and were going to head to the Torture Museum, but it was closed. I saw a beautiful four-door Porsche and took pictures before it got away. Tomorrow night we’ve got a sleep train, til then its Gothic cathedrals, human remains, torture devices, inside the castle, and underground pubs.

A third of my stay in Europe is now down. Four more weeks of swift-paced perspective advancement. Here we go.

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Quatra-lingual Conversation for Directions

Czech, mate.