Prague

Day 23: September 24, 2015 –

We arrived early at the Wien Hauptbahnhof and ended up gathering a few treats for our journey. When we found out the track that our train was leaving on, we went up to the platform. We saw a number of trains parked, which looked like they came out of Soviet era Russia. The cars were boxy and angular, and we were hoping that our train was going to look a bit more modern and smooth. I looked at our ticket and it didn’t look like there were any seat assignments, so it looked like it was going to be a free for all. If we planned to sit together, we might have to be strategic.

The first train, that we were boarding, was scheduled to arrive at the Breclav station in about an hour. Our train from Breclav to Prague was scheduled to depart 3 minutes later. Of all of the different train connections that were planned for our trip, this was the one that was the most stressful. I completely imagined us getting to the station late and then completely missing the second train, or at least having to run and jump onto the back of the train as it was leaving.

The train from Vienna to Breclav was a OEBB train serviced by the Austrians, and would take us just beyond the border of the Czech Republic. We were in a compartment with 4 other people, but because the seats weren’t reserved, we were able to both sit by the window and look out at the Austrian countryside. As we got closer and closer to Breclav, we made sure that we paid attention to all the of the announcements, that were now being spoken in German, Czech, and English. When we arrived, everyone lined up in the aisle outside of the compartments to file out. It was surprising actually, that so many people were getting off the train, and we all lined the platform.

“Okay, we’ve got less than 3 minutes! Where’s the next train?” I thought, but the next train wasn’t there yet. Our train arrived on track 2 and the train to Prague was leaving on track 3. So all the prior stress and the nightmares, that woke me back in August, about missing this train, were all for nothing. As we all stood waiting looking up at the digital sign that said Praha, we waited for the train to arrive. Strangely enough, it was close to 20 minutes late. God above will never align a more smooth, stress-free connection between trains as long as I live, so I will forever be grateful for this slight delay.

When the train arrived, once again, we had reserved the window seats in a 6 person compartment and we were able to look out at the Czech countryside. We got a coffee from the bar car and then joined the other people in our compartment for the rest of the trip into Prague. I was a little anxious about getting off the train in time as to not miss our stop, so as we got closer to the station. When we arrived however, I was able to gather everything and come down to the platform, ready to explore this new city.

The money was different here, as they don’t use the Euro, and at some point we were going to need to get some Czech cash. If we were going to be taking public transportation or buying food on the street, we knew based on our previous stops, we were going to need hard currency. The observant person that I am, I see an ATM and I pointed it out. This was, as if to say, “This might not be the best ATM to go to in Prague, because it doesn’t look to be associated with any bank. But if we are in desperate need, this is an option.”

Elizabeth instantly makes a dash for the ATM and instead of doing any sort of dollar to Czech Crown conversion, she just picks any number. I couldn’t see exactly, but it looked she picked 10,000 Crowns. The bank rejected her request, so she went back and just picked the lowest amount; once again without finding out how much she was really taking out. She ended up withdrawing 6000 Crowns, which definitely doesn’t sound like it converts to $20 (the lowest on most American ATM’s), so I asked her, “Do you know how much money, you just got out?” “No, but it was the lowest.” She said, in a way that made it seem like, however much it was, it probably wasn’t much. The amateur world traveler that I am, asked, “Well, do we know how much a cup of coffee or a bus ticket costs? Shouldn’t we have looked at the prices of things, before we just chose any amount?”

I looked at the conversion sign at the Money Exchange next door, which said that 20 Crowns was about a dollar. I got out the calculator on my phone and the math came out to be about $270. In reality, that isn’t a stupid amount of money to withdrawal, if you are going to spend it over a long, period of time. However, if you are pinching pennies in a city that is already supposed to be cheap, and you are only there for two days, you probably shouldn’t get that much. At the end of the trip, when you exchange the money, you know that you are going to lose more money.

We had to get on a tram (cable car) and take it one stop, to arrive at the apartment that we were supposed to be staying at. We started walking around in the train station, and arrived at a little food court with a coffee shop. Elizabeth decided that she was going to get some change, and break some of her 1000 Crown Bills, into smaller currency.

I sat at one of the tables outside the coffee shop. A waitress came by to check on me, but I said that I didn’t need anything. I basically zoned out and looked around the inside of the train station until we figured out where we were going to go next. There was a beautiful mural painted on the ceiling, that I don’t think many people take the time to look at as they are passing through, as it is in an old part of the station.

Elizabeth was going to walk up to the counter of the coffee shop. She asked me if I wanted something, and I said, “You know what I like, just get me something.” She went up to the counter, and then came back. She said, that the barista told her, that since we were sitting at a table, we had to order from the waitress. I thought that it was weird, that we couldn’t get coffee to go. So I just sat there and looked at the menu.

When the waitress came back, I ordered some weird sounding, banana flavored ice coffee. A few minutes later, the waitress brought the drink to the table. The coffee was served in a hi-ball glass, with ice filled to the brim, and then whipped cream on top. When Elizabeth finished her coffee, she asked the waitress, where the trams were located, and then started walking.

We purchased 24 hour tram passes from a vending machine in the station, then started walking through the park to the tram station. We walked passed punk rockers and the homeless people, and we arrived to the tram stop out on the main road.

We boarded the tram. I remembered looking at the Google street view, of the stop and the street, so some of the surroundings were looking familiar. I remembered seeing a bowling alley, which was right there, so I knew we were close by. When we got off the tram, we needed to retrieve the keys, from a gentleman at a place called Queen’s Kebabs, where Zara (our room rental host) had said that she was going to drop them off. She was leaving town that morning and going on a trip, but she wasn’t sure, if her roommates would be around.

We got off the tram at the first stop, then walked a block down the street, where found Queen’s Kebabs. We walked into the small shop, and asked the young gentleman behind the counter, if Zara had left us a key, for her room for rent. Rightfully, this gentleman was confused, and didn’t seem to know anything about Zara or her room. He was willing to be very helpful, in that he called up another gentleman, who worked there. The man on the phone didn’t seem to know what we were talking about either.

Luckily, I had Zara’s number in my travel book. We kindly asked the gentleman, if he would call her for us and he agreed. He dialed the number and handed me the phone. She picked up. “Hello, Zara. This is Christopher. I am supposed to rent your room. I am at Queen’s Kebab and they don’t seem to have your key.” I said. “Oh, I left it at the apartment. I didn’t know that my roommates would be there, but they should be able to let you in,” she said.

We thanked the gentleman in the kebab shop for his kindness, then walked a few doors down to the apartment. We rang the buzzer and after we were buzzed in, we climbed the steps, and were greeted by a young, blonde woman. We told her who we were, then she let us in, and showed us our room. Zara was an excellent host. She put notes everywhere, to let us know what amenities were available to us. One on the bathroom door, one on the laundry room door. We had a shelf in the refrigerator, and there was a note on her desk that said, “Welcome home.”

There were 3 women in their 20’s at home and they were just sort of hanging around. One was a dancer and I’m not sure what sort of work the other’s did. They were all from different parts of the Czech Republic and had moved to Prague. The apartment had rotating roommates every few years and when one friend would move out, then another would move in. When someone went on vacation, they rented their room out online, and the others would take care of the short-term tenants.

We only talked with them for a moment, before we headed out to find the Mucha Museum. This was one of Elizabeth’s top destinations on this journey, so it was one that we couldn’t miss. I mentioned before that Mucha was one of Elizabeth’s artistic inspirations, so making it to this museum very important. I continued to take a hands off approach to tour guiding, and leave it all up to her. Assuming that she knew the directions and looked at a map, while we were hanging out at the apartment, we would be find. When the tram approached outside, I asked her if it was going the right way and she confidently said, “Yes.” She said that it was three stops away, and it started with a “C”. When we ended up at a different stop that she anticipated, we hopped out and took the tram the other way. We eventually got out at the stop that was near the museum and we jumped out again.

I never really thought that Mucha stood out to me as being great. I never really looked at his work, so when I went in and saw his drawings and prints, I had a new found respect for him. I never really realized which era he was making his work in or that he wasn’t actually painting colors that were flat and pastel. Most of his famous work appeared to be done with lithography. He printed multiple layers, with multiple colors, to get the desired effects needed, to make these huge 6 foot posters riveting. He had a major impact on the art nouveau movement in Paris and his influence spread while designing many aspects of the character and image of the newly formed Czechoslovakia.

The museum putting the man into perspective was just eye-opening for me. The Mucha Museum was surprisingly small and what we really needed to see was the Slav Epic, his masterwork. The paintings that he worked on for 18 years and up to the day of his death; those were what we needed to see. We asked the woman at the front desk and found out that while the paintings were in Prague, we would have to go to the other side of town to see them. We stood at the tram stop and had that “Where are we?” look, so an old man came over to help us, to make sure that we were getting on the correct tram for our destination.

The museum with his works closed at 5 and it was nearly 4. So we needed to find the right trams and find the palace quickly. Meanwhile, we were getting hungry, so we stopped to get some Pho nearby. Now full of energy, we walked down a hill for a few blocks to what we thought had to be the palace containing the Slav Epic. It was a huge gold building with a dome on top. When we arrived at a ticket booth, we found out that once again, we were wrong. The palace where the paintings were actually located was ironically across the street from the Pho shop in a plain square building that looked like it could’ve contained anything.

We walked back up the hill, to the big building shaped like a box, and then went inside. We bought the tickets and as soon as we entered the gallery, the guard looked PISSED. The gallery was closing in 45 minutes and while Elizabeth mentioned that we could never capture the epicness of these pieces in 45 minutes, neither did the guard. I felt, however, that if we didn’t see them now, the chances were good that we would never see them.

As we walked into the dark gallery, surrounded by the brightly lit 30 ft paintings, I could truly see that Mucha was one of the greats. We had see thousands of huge epic paintings over the past month, but this guy was right there with his style. His use of color, shading, placement, light, and focus to show the importance of the characters in these massive pieces was brilliant. The fact, that in the whole of the pieces, he never used white or black, but only true colors gave these pieces a luminosity, that while lacking in contrast at times, seemed to light up the whole room.

There were 11 paintings in all, telling the story of the Slav people, and each one of them used compositional wizardry. Some of the pieces were put together as a collage, to create a supernatural feeling, while others used odd perspectives to give every piece it’s own character and feel. Using his stare and body language, the guard guided us out of the gallery with about 5 minutes to go. If you are ever in Prague and you have to chose. Make sure that you go to the Slav Epic instead the Mucha Museum. While the museum is a nice overview of his life and career, the Slav Epic made it much more impressive. It is inspiring to see where he ended up at the end of his life than to see what he was doing that got him famous. Everyone that has been a famous musician has at least one hit, but you need to listen to them in their later years to really hear what they were really saying.

After such an epic undertaking, Elizabeth needed a glass of wine and I needed some sweets. We saw a cool bar and grill down the streets and hopped in to see what they had to offer. The host seated us and gave us a menu and I went right to the dessert section. When the waitress came back, I told her that I wanted a tiramisu and a creme brulee. She looked at me like I was crazy. Elizabeth told her that we were sharing and waitress accepted that as a sane answer. When you’re visiting Prague, everything seems to cost less than in other parts of Europe, so ordering two desserts for dinner is just a guy getting sweets on vacation. The desserts were great and I even shared the tiramisu with Elizabeth, so I didn’t look like such a psycho sweet tooth.

From the bar and grill, we thought that we’d go to Prague Castle. We took another long ride on the tram, so long that at one point, we thought we’d missed the stop, so we got off the tram too early. We could sort of see the castle, beyond the trees, but we ended up having to get on another tram for another 3 stops to be placed a little closer. It was around 5:00pm, so the castle was going to be closed, but we thought it would be cool to just walk around inside the walls to see what was going on. As we walked down the driveway to the castle, we walked passed armed military guards with automatic weapons. It was surprising to see that kind of firepower up close, because it makes you wonder, what sort of threat is targeting the castle at this point.

The castle itself looked fairly new, even though it was a few hundred years old. However, due to the scaffolding, it was clear that there were some restorations still taking place. In the middle of the castle area, there was the cathedral that had begun being built in the middle ages, but wasn’t finished until the 1930’s. If we would’ve been timely enough to have gone in, we would’ve see work that was designed by Mucha before his death, though unfortunately we were only going be able to see the exterior. It was designed in the classic gothic architecture, that Elizabeth and I admired.

There was a tour guide speaking English with an Australian accent to a group of tourists, and I couldn’t help but over hear his speech. He explained, “The Hapsburgs were in-bred, so they all had mental and physical deformities.” “Their madness,” he went on to say, “caused them to do lots of strange things.” The tour guide explained, that one of the characteristics that resulted in their interbreeding came to be called the Habsburg jaw, in which everyone in the family had the same crooked jaw.

The guide also pointed out the different sections of the cathedral. How while one wing of the cathedral was a couple hundred years old, the wing that was new, was actually painted to look old. He also said that the Rolling Stones visited the castle once, and suggested to the King that he illuminate the outside of it. They thought it was such a great idea, that they donated a million dollars to the King for lights, and it looks ever more beautiful, at night, as a result.After a walk around the cathedral, we walked back to the tram stop and took it back to the apartment. Along the way, we stopped off to see the castle from across the river and the opera house. We took some photos to capture the moment, but they didn’t compare to the beauty of the actual site. The price that the Rolling Stones paid to illuminated the castle was well worth it.

We were thinking about doing something different, and going to the bowling alley near the apartment. However, we started feeling hungry and stopped at a pub, a few doors down from the apartment, first. We sat in the back, which was quiet and dimly lit, and perfect for a romantic evening. After the waitress greeted us, we ended up talking to her for a little while about our trip. She told us that she has always wanted to go to New York City. Elizabeth and I both love New York City, and really talked it up to her. She told us that someone gave her a tip of $9 USD once, and that she couldn’t wait to go there to spend it. Elizabeth and I smiled and didn’t bother to tell her that she probably wouldn’t be able to buy a slice of pizza and a can of soda, in NYC for $9.

I ordered two beers throughout the meal, one being a local brewery and the other, a Pilsner Urquell, which is famous globally and sort of the other Budweiser in the Czech Republic.  As for food, I asked her what she suggested and I ended up ordering a dish that she said, Czech people have for their birthday. It was beef with veggies and dumplings with a bit of whipped cream and fruit on top. I ordered a side of mashed potatoes go with it, but I didn’t end up eating them all during that sitting. The food was delicious, but when I was full, I still had enough beef, veggies, and potatoes for another meal tomorrow.

On our way back to the apartment, we stopped into a convenient store next door, and bought a few beers. Then, we went up to ask the girls, if they wanted to go bowling with us. They said that they wanted to stay in and hang out, and so we ended up getting wrapped into their conversation. We talked about American and Czech culture, and our trips around Europe. They told us about places that they had visited, and their time, so far, in Prague. They asked us what we did for work, so we showed them some of photos on our smart phones. They were very impressed and complimented us on how cool it was, that we did facepainting and caricatures for a job.

After not drawing caricatures all month, I really wanted to draw these girls, and they really want me to draw them. I set up my easel, started drawing their caricatures, and they were loving it instantly. They were laughing and having a great time watching me. They were all very beautiful, but I really exaggerated their features, had fun, and that made them laugh even more. I love drawing adults with their friends. The friends watch over my shoulder and start making fun of the person who I am drawing. People completely lose themselves in the moment and begin asking like little kids. I have drawn in the presence of some pretty grumpy people, but these girls were giddy from the moment we met them, so I knew that the experience would be great.

The girls talked about how big of an influence the United States was on them growing up; and how they were trying to reach the American Dream. One of the things that represented that dream was going out to McDonald’s. It was a special occasion, because it was a little piece of America, right in their hands. Although McDonald’s is special for everyone when their young. Super, salty fries and nuggets, washed down by extra, sugary soda. What more could a kid ask for? I remember going to McDonald’s, at least once a week, as a child. I would play in one of their indoor playgrounds with my friend Chris Hall. We were living that American Dream, or so we thought.

It was interesting to talk to the girls about GMOs and hormones in their meat. Even though, there are a lot of farms in the Czech Republic, they were saying, that a lot of produce was imported. There was always food scares and food poisoning issues. I suppose that I always thought that the US was corrupt, when it came to how we go about obtaining our food supply, but the Czech Republic is plagued with the same problems.

After I finished their drawings, Elizabeth showed them some of her mandala artwork on her phone. They were really into her art; which isn’t surprising, because her art is amazing. We ended up losing track of time, and completely missed out on going bowling, and didn’t go to bed until close to 2 AM.

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Cafe Coffee DayPraha hl.n.

When it comes to train station coffee shops, Prague doesn’t mess around. Located in the old terminal of the central station, Cafe Coffee Day provided a large selection of drinks including a magical banana coffee fushion. If you are hanging around the station sulking after a fight, this delicious spot will smooth things out a little before you hit the city.

Vietnam Fast Food Dukelských Hrdinů 42, 170 00 Praha 7
Located a stones throw from Mucha’s Slav Epic, this pho spot proves that you can get great pho anywhere. The quick service allowed us to have a quick bite, before admiring the 30 foot paintings across the street. If you are looking to build some carbs before an epic Mucha journal, this is the place to stop.

Potrefená husa Dukelských Hrdinů 696/43, 170 00 Praha 7-Holešovice, Czech Looking at the Slav Epic after and eventful day can cause anyone to need a drink. This bar and grill, sponsored my Pilsner Urquell, has the perfect cure for what’s ailing you. With a fine dessert selection, you can stifle your sweet tooth with creme brulee and tiramisu for dinner without judgement.

Restaurance Poja Seifertova 995/29, 130 00 Praha 3, Czech Republic
Located near the train station, this establishment serves your favorite Czech beer paired with traditional Czech fare. While were seated in a romantic candle lit corner, we still weren’t able to experience all that this place had to offer. A board advertised a seasonal piano bar in the basement, which was closed during our stay. If you are looking for a kind staff and amazing food, this place is for you.