After a long flight without sleeping I was grateful to make it to my hotel for a shower and nap. I am staying in a nice part of town right outside of the Old Town, in the Vinhorady district, only a five minute metro ride from main track. That night Irene, Christine, and I went out for a late dinner around the corner. I barely knew these girls before arriving in Prague, but I quickly got to know them that night, and will continue to discover more about them over the following months. The three of us spent hours bonding over ex-boyfriends and family history while enjoying fairly traditional Czech dishes. The waiters knew a bit of English but certainly did not speak freely, and seemed slightly annoyed with our attempts to speak Czech. I think we will get a better vibe from people as we learn beyond hello, goodbye, and thank you.
The second day was another a recovery day as well as a day to take care of some business.
In the evening we went out again, this time we set out for the Charles Bridge. We took the metro in to town and walked along the river until we found the Bridge. Even in the dreariest of days the Charles Bridge is beautiful. The buildings in every direction are beautifully crafted, perfectly in tact, and lit in a way that highlights their architectural elements. The distant views provided a compositional completeness that I have rarely physically experienced. A haze surrounds the bridge and winds around each statue providing a mysterious and almost eerie feel. At the northwest end of the bridge, across the river from the Old Town are two towers which are unlit. Between the towers you can see another tower in the distance, which is lit. Prague is known for its towers after all. The light in the background partially covered by a layer of dark in the middle-ground combined with the haze in the foreground played tricks with my eyes. The haziness makes you feel like you are in a distant place, or in a dream space, but the bitterness of the wind makes the experience impossible to mistake for a dream.
After crossing the bridge we stopped in a bar to warm. We sat down for a drink and began playing rummy. The table was reserved for later that evening, but we assumed we would be gone by then, so we ignored the sign. Over an hour passed and we were still sitting there when the bartender warned us of the reservation. We finished our game of rummy, and moved to another table, this time closer to a group of locals. They immediately asked us about the game we were playing and we invited them to join. They picked it up quickly because it resembled a game they are used to. They were very friendly and bought us some local specialty drinks. My favorite is the Becherovka, which is liquor made with somewhere between 13 and 34 herbs, there seems to be some confusion on that number, but the main herbs are anise and cinnamon. We have kept in touch with our rummy and drinking friends, and all in all it was a pretty good introduction to Prague.
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