Czeching In: First weekend in Prague!

On Saturday, I woke up and made breakfast for Dani and our friend Andrew who slept over. He hasn't found a flat yet so he's crashing at our place. It was fun playing house and having a guest. Shortly after, we met up with friends and went to a little food market/festival in Wenceslas Square. We had plans to then head to an outskirt of Prague for a free festival, but it seemed a bit far so we decided to wander through Letna Park in Prague 7. Letna (Summer) Park is HUGE and absolutely gorgeous. Prague, although steeped in history, is surprisingly metropolitan and modern. This park was right in the center of it all and I was amazed at how peaceful and relaxing it was. Our friend Grant led us to a giant metronome sculpture (the pendulum on the metronome actually moved) in the middle of the park. A statue of Lenin used to occupy the same space and the metronome replaced it when the statue was torn down. We were all trying to figure out why a metronome was built…Maybe it represents the newfound ability to express yourself through music and other creative arts? Interpretations are welcome! The view from the metronome was exquisite. We could see all of Prague, and below us were young teens competing in some some of a Euro-street dancing competition. Everything was just very vibrant and lively. Our final destination in the park was of course the famous Letna Park Beer Garden. It's at the end and highest point of the park. There are benches set up and stands selling Czech beverages. We all just sat at a table, drank some beer and revealed in the beauty of the city. I now understand why Prague is called "The City of A Thousand Spires." I looked out and saw the entire city and was transfixed by the hundreds of thousands of red roofs and charming architecture. After the park, all 8 of us came home, piled onto bed and participated in what we call "social resting." In other words, we took naps with 4 to a bed. When we woke up, two friends and I made stir fry for the entire gang. After, we explored a cool bar that we'd heard about where pricing was based on an honor's system so you pay as much as you think you should. The bar was called The Big Lebowski and our Czech waiter was walking around with Jeff Bridges/The Dude on his t-shirt. It was a funny sight.

As mentioned before, a few of our friends have been crashing at our place because they have yet to find a flat. Dani and I haven't quite mastered the art of proper bed sharing and distribution so for two nights in a row, we've woken up with three people crammed in my bed and just one sprawled out in Dani's. It has been fun waking up to five people. I'm using the skills my Mom taught me during ski season when she would wake up early and cook breakfast for the masses. I made a GIANT scramble this morning for everyone (8 people) and they shuffled into our kitchen, half asleep to grab their food. After breakfast/brunch we decided to hop on a tram to nowhere. We walked to the nearest tram stop and took the first tram that arrived. We took it to the end of the line and explored. We came across an orthodox Catholic monastery that was a bit outdated with cracked yellow walls and some graffiti. The spires of the monastery were beautiful, though, and it was fun seeing the outskirts of the city. After a few hours of exploring, we took another random tram to another random stop in hopes of finding dinner. We came across a quaint Czech place and we all ate dinner of Goulash and other traditional Czech dishes.

This weekend was one of exploration and adjusting to life in a new city. Although I'm excited to embark on other travels throughout Europe, I'm quickly falling in love with Prague and realizing that I won't necessarily even want to travel every weekend! This city has so much to offer and endless opportunities. I've hardly scratched the surface and I can't wait to see what else is in store.

Czeching out,

Grace