A Step Heavenward: Prague: Old Town, Street Food, Violin Concert (and more!)

We started the morning off right with a walk to the main square of Prague which is literally a few yards away from our apartment.

There was a lot going on in the square, even at 10 am. A group of men were dressed up like medieval minstrels and were playing Traditional Czech music near the church. Turns out, it sounds a lot like Scottish music (except with more flutes) and they play an instrument like a bagpipe, except without a bag.

There was also a guy blowing bubbles with a gigantic multi-sectioned wand. This fellow deserves a Medal of Honor given on behalf of all the parents of the wiggly, energetic children who were happily occupied for hours by his work.

I took Aunt Rachel over to the Starbucks in Prague. It's like any other one in the world, except with Czech signage of course.

Also notable about this Starbucks is the bathroom, it wins the prize for Worst Bathroom on Earth. Aside from being dirty, the door to the bathroom was so close to the sink that whoever is innocently standing there washing their hands will get soundly whacked in the side whenever it opens.

Everything is priced in Czech Croner here. As George said: "Hard to know what you're spending when you don't know the conversion rate to the Euro."

And I guess that's the point.

We went to the top of one of the oldest standing city watch towers that dates all the way back to the 14th century. It gives an excellent panoramic view of the city.

{the astronomical clock at the base of the tower}

The rest of the family had already gone down the elavator and I was by myself when I looked down to see a giant crows of people gathering below.

A tall Asian guy in a striped shirt standing next to me pointed out it was 5 minutes from chiming, and that was the reason for the crowd gathered below.

Then, right on cue, the bells chimed and the crowd looked up to watch the figures move in the bell tower.

"Look,"

he said,

"You Queen, I King!"

And he motioned to me, then to the crowd with a majestic sweep of the hand.

"Haha yes!"

I replied,

"You're the King, I the Queen, they are all our peasants."

I waved a Queen Elisabeth wave to the crowd and we laughed.

He asked where I was from and how long I was in Prague. He was from Hong Kong and was leaving the next day.

A few minutes passed and then:

"So, do you like sushi?"

"Haha yes! Matter of fact, I do."

I think that was his way of asking me to go out to eat with him, but thankfully he didn't follow up, so I didn't have to refuse.

After a few minutes later:

"Well, goodbye!"

"Bye! It was nice to meet you!"

And he shook my hand and began to walk back down. I saw him again once we were back on the ground and I wondered if he was following me at first, because I kept seeing him, but turns out he wasn't (thankfully.) ;)

Italian food seems to be big here, and also the traditional street food. Collectively, we ate a sausage, a fried flatbread with cheese that is a traditional Czech food, Czech roasted pork, sweet biscuits cooked on a stick, and fried potatoes on a stick.

Some of the kids are rather picky eaters and George kept trying to get them to eat some pork and such, but they refused. It bothered me because there were so many homeless people sitting around us at the time. The reason being, I can't imagine how they must feel as they sit next to the bench of picky eaters as they repeatedly refused the good food that was being offered to them. It makes me sad to think of what a different world it is for those who do not have the basic necessities that we take for granted!

After lunch, Aunt Rachel got some cool braided bracelets from a Czech dreadlock dude with a wife carrying a baby in a hemp sling.

Have to say, you can't get away from the hippies, even in Prague! ;) Of course, I speak in jest and do not mean that negatively. I'm half hippie myself, you know. He was nice, spoke very good English, and was quite helpful to us. We stood on the Meridian line (east-west.) The lady that took our pic said it was a very important meridian line and carried great significance in the Middle Ages.

I should say that the people here speak English and are friendly and helpful. Their culture is unique and is still Germanic while having a distinct Eastern/Russian feel to it.

I enjoy playing the guess-the-nationality game, sometimes without even hearing the individuals speak. Half the time I fail, but it's still fun to try. The guys with the Carhartt jackets? They are Czech, believe it or not. The ladies in the floral skinny jeans and the black leather jacket? British. Anyone with a Deuter brand backpack= always German. Always. (that's kind of an inside joke.) ;p

I have also determined that the spoken Czech language sounds like Ukranian and Italian combined. It has the flow and meter of Italian but contains the uniquely accented notes of the Eastern-European languages.

We walked through the Jewish quarter of the city, saw a synagogue and a graveyard in passing, and we mozied along the river front and had afternoon coffee at a riverfront cafe.

(Our view from the table!)

It was next to the famous Rudolphinum concert hall, with statues of each composer on the rooftop.

(That's Erla in the red) ;)

Later on, George, Rachel and I walked to the mall to pick up some milk and other things. On the way we saw a chocolate shop we are gonna have to hit up soon. And we got some pictures at the Old City Gate. In days of yore (as in, the days of Charlemagne) the king would always start his coronation journey by going through this gate.

We walked by the opera and concert hall, in all of its Art nouveau-era glory, and we saw that there was a Violin concert on that night.

Of course, we kinda couldn't pass that up, so while George went to gather the rest of the family we ate dinner at the cafe outside the concert hall. It was just the two of us and it was lovely.

The concert, attended by George, Embla, Rachel and I, was an amazing experience.

Beautiful music in an awe inspiring setting is quite the combo. When we came out we were so relaxed and refreshed "......it's like I had a brain massage or something!" (to quote Aunt Rach.)

Remember the chocolate shop I mentioned earlier? Well, we went there on the way back since it was still open. And 540 Croner (20 Euros) later, I emerged, with an undisclosed amount of Belgian chocolate. Of various kinds. No shame. ;)

Prague at twilight was amazing, of course. Everything is lit up.

We got back to our lovely little apartment. For some reason, I feel like this is the type of apartment a visiting opera singer or something would stay in.