Make Your Head Spin

Prague is a wonderful city of contrasts. It has castles and architecture that make it seem so old school old. And yet, it is cosmopolitan and modern, with fantanstic public transportation and any kind of food you could want. On the streets (even in December) you can hear a huge variety of languages from Europe, Asia, and Africa. It is a city with charm and a sense of humor.

The Astrological Clock

Though Alrica and I speak only one word in Czech (which is děkuju, and also which I mispronounced the entire time I was there) we had no troubles interacting in the city and had a wonderful time in our few days there. Now, it was cold for a pair of travelers who carry all they own on their backs. (I mean us.) We don't have winter coats. So we each wore two pairs of pants, two shirts, our jackets, and luckily, we do each have a stocking cap. Also, tons of the locals wear stocking caps, so we completely looked the part!

Our first night, we went into the Old Town Square where there is a Christmas Market. In truth, I should say we tried to go to the Christmas Market. You could not believe how packed that area was with humans. We even had to set a muster point in case we got separated from one another.

Yes, you can actually buy Childlike Punch

Deciding that this was a bit crowded for our tastes, we went on a nighttime journey through the city. (This nighttime journey is beginning at about 5:30 PM. It's already dark, so technically nighttime, but not late night.) We visited the public library. The library has made a stack of books in the shape of a tower. There was a line of people out into the street waiting their turn to get pictures of them at the tower of books. That's encouraging, people want to be seen with books. We actually went into the library, saw how they had it organized, and got a bit warmer.

Then we headed off to see a good king. Well, we went to Wenceslas Square where the other big Christmas Market was. This was also crowded, but not so overwhelmingly crowded. We enjoyed a delightful herb infused sausage and the happy people all around us.

Alrica in her stocking cap

The next day we returned to the Old Town Square. This time, while crowded, it wasn't too much for us. We tried some filled dumplings (one was savory with pork and sauerkraut in it, the other sweet with raspberry and white chocolate) and we tried a traditional langoš. Langoš is toppings on a fried bread. It is round like a small pizza, but with a fry bread rather than a baked one.

That's the crowd going on to the Charles Bridge

There is a famous bridge that crosses the Vltava River called the Charles Bridge. We tried to go to it, but if we thought the market had been crowded the night before, that was nothing compared to this bridge. Had we waited long enough to get on to it, we would have been two tiny corpuscles in the clogged artery of sluggish flow along its length. So we contented ourselves with pictures from the side.

The Charles Bridge with its throngs

We did make a different amazing find. As I'm sure you know, one famous luminary of Prague is Frank Kafka. Well, we found his rotating head! There is a sculpture called Franz Kafka's Rotating Head. And for the first 15 minutes of each hour, the various levels of his head spin, distorting him in crazy ways. I think Kafka would have either loved it or hated it, but would not have been neutral on the topic.

I have videos of the actual spinning, but it's probably a "had to be there" thing

We enjoyed several amazing meals (beyond those purchased at Christmas Markets) including Indian food, Vietnamese food, and traditional Czech food. They have this bread which translates as bread dumpling. But it isn't a dumpling, it is slices of bread. However, it is incredibly dense. I picked up my first slice and I was amazed at how heavy it was, like I was lifting an entire loaf of bread. I realize a loaf of bread isn't heavy, but my hand expected only a slice, not a loaf. I'm just saying it was noticeable, okay. Don't make fun!

We also took advantage of the opportunity to see a movie in English (with Czech subtitles.) We saw Wicked - Part 1. It was only because of the subtitles that I now know that the English word "well" translates as "no" in Czech. (Here, I mean well as in, well, that's the word I mean. I don't mean a deep hole from which one draws water.) As for the movie itself, it was just okay. I thought the cinematography was imaginative and vivid, the acting was superb, but the story proceeded so slowly! I realized, as I was checking my phone to see how much longer I had left of this, that it is not a good sign when your audience is checking their phones to see how much longer they have left of this.

Old school, am I right?

I think one day, when it is warmer, Alrica and I will have to return to Prague. Not for the movies we could see. But because there are so many other things to see and to eat and to make our heads, like Kafka's, spin.