Sunday, November 29, 2009

To Prague and Back Again - DAY 1:

Prague was a last minute trip decision, I just needed to get out of Dodge and I didn't really care where. I've been working way too much and needed to take a break and have some fun.

Europe is always my first choice for vacation. Its history and architecture are fascinating. I've traveled to Germany, Austria, France, Italy and now the Czech Republic. I always try to learn a few key phrases before I visit another country so as not to be "the ugly American".

I find that even if you completely mispronounce something, the effort is appreciated. At least with Latin-based languages like Italian and French, they weren't too bard to pick up a few things like, "Hello, where is, how much, directions, types of food, please, thank you", etc. However, things are a bit different with Czech. It's basically a bunch of consonants with a lot of accents that aren't pronounced like you would think. It is so different from any other language. It's a bit like a combination of Russian and German.

Having said that, I bought a phrase book and am trying. I have most of the above phrases down but mercifully most people speak at least a little English and have been very helpful with directions.

So, my trip began last Thursday; yes, Thanksgiving. My parents were thrilled, not. For the first time in years we had a full table and my Mom was happy to have more than four people to cook for. After a few short hours, turkey and the trimmings and a lot of Italian desserts, it was time to go. I drove home and called a cab to meet me at my house. I actually saw the cab across the intersection from my house and we arrived at the same time. I threw the bags in and away we went. He seemed to have to restart the cab/van a couple of times while driving but didn't seem worried so I took this to be normal course for the vehicle and frankly my mind was on other things like, "What the hell am I doing? I just decided to go to Prague two days ago and haven't even read the guide book yet. Am I crazy?"

When I told my brother about my plans to leave Thanksgiving night and try to make dinner, at my parents for a few hours, drive home at 2:30 pm, grab a cab and get to the airport at 4:00 pm for a 6:00 pm flight, he said, "That seems crazy ambitious and totally in line with who you are." Exactly. Pack as much in as possible, that's my philosophy. Carpe Diem. There is so much I want to do and see in this life, I have to get in what I can when possible.

So, after the fitful cab ride, I made it to the British Airways gate and breezed through security with plenty of time to spare. See Gerry? :p

It really is a small world. While in line at check-in, I met a girl returning home to the Czech Republic and she told me some places I should visit, I also saw a guy in line who ended up sitting behind me and then we ran into each other the next day at Prague Castle.

The flight to Heathrow went pretty quick but I couldn't sleep, no surprise to most of you. I ended up talking most of the flight to a guy sitting one seat away from me from Northboro who was going to Barcelona. The woman sitting between us spoke only Portuguese so he was practicing his Spanish with her. I stopped talking to him after he had three wines and two Glenlivet nips. Heathrow is huge and I never saw the outside of Terminal 5. I'll have to check out the shopping on my return layover (almost 4 hours).

DAY 1:
Arrival in Prague was great, I hit an ATM (Bankomat) and met a private driver I hired to bring me directly to the hotel because there isn't public transportation that runs to the airport. The Hotel Petr is cute and on a quiet side street. However, because overnight flights get in early, my room wasn't ready yet. I was exhausted and wanted a shower or a nap. Instead, I sucked it up, locked up one bag, took my backpack and went to explore the city.

This is the first trip where I don't have something planned every day, let alone every hour. It's been nice and I've happened upon some great sights, side streets and beautiful views. I found an internet cafe and sent a, "I made it, I'm not dead," email to the fam. Found a huge bookstore and bought a Czech phrase book. There were also posters everywhere for Twilight: New Moon but in Czech (pics are for you Kelly and Liz!)

In my wanderings, was the Charles Bridge. A must-see bridge crossing the Vltava (Vultava) River with statues of saints along it, watching over you. At night, some can look ominous but still beautiful. I crossed over into Old Town and walked around the tourist shops (sorry, nothing great to bring home, just cheap, touristy stuff.) Walking back along the bridge, I took some night photos of the Castle in the distance with its reflection on the Vltava. Since I didn't know the tram routes yet, I chose to walk back and have probably walked about six miles a day. It feels good. I drive too much at home and miss a lot while in the car. Walking allows you to take more in, sights, smells, atmosphere. Europeans definitely walk more than Americans but they smoke more so that pretty much levels the playing field.

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