Prague 1999

This is another in a series of excerpts from travel journals from past years, those halcyon years when "pandemic" had a dated sound, something that modern medicine had eliminated.

In 1999, I flew alone to Berlin, and traveled by train to Dresden, Prague, Vienna, and Budapest.  I present here my entries for my time in Prague.  I arrived Saturday afternoon, and left Monday morning.  As I note in my journal, it was a mistake to devote only one full day to Prague.  I had only time to form snap impressions, here reported only sketchily, but it's still interesting now to read some of my reactions to the Prague of 22 years ago.

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Sunday, September 12 -- 9:20 a.m.
Prague

"But to have been alive in Prague, in the Year of Grace 1999, was to have sampled in advance the joys of Heaven."  (Proposed e-mail home if I can find a cybercafé.)

Arrived in Prague at Holeŝovice station -- north of the main station -- and immediately got a hotel room.  Reservations woman gave expert directions involving subway/tram connections to bring myself here to the Nusle area of town, considerably south of the center but with good tram connections.  My $65 bought a very large room with three beds and my own toilet and shower; it includes the regular German type breakfast.  Small bar in the reception/breakfast area.  Quite stylish compared with my first two hotels.

City is magnificent.  Ten years ago, it looked beautiful but our guide said it was all held together with paint.  A lot of tourist money obviously has gone into maintenance since.  Not just the big public buildings, but everything.  English is spoken everywhere, and Americans are all over -- unlike Berlin and Dresden.  Of course you don't speak Czech -- who does? -- so English is fine.  Even real estate and for rent signs are printed in both Czech and English.

Local Czech people are obviously less stylishly dressed than German people -- noted it first thing on the subway.  Not poorly dressed -- just not as fashion-conscious/brand name aware.

Charles Bridge is a mob scene day and night.  Blind woman singing exquisite arias from the Magic Flute to accordion accompaniment, four jazz musicians playing swing hits of the 30s and 40s, a young guy showing off with a boa constrictor wrapped around himself.

After visiting the castle and St. Vitus cathedral, I went on impulse to a performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons (becoming a tradition!) and what appeared to be a Mozart concerto in St. George basilica.  Much smaller chamber group than the one we heard in Paris at Sainte Chapelle in 1997, but it featured a virtuoso female lead violinist who stood and played with animation throughout the entire concert.  On a raised platform at the front of the chapel -- we had a good view only of her, because she was the only member of the group who was standing.

Highly romantic scene for dinner [last night] on Staromĕstké námeŝti -- the old town square -- immediately under the floodlit tower of St. Nicholas Church.  Off to one side was the highly dramatically lit double tower of Týn Church.  The entire square was beautifully illuminated, packed with tourists wandering about, and lined with outdoor cafés.  I lacked only a dinner companion to make it perfect.

More wandering after dinner.  Very easy town to get lost in.  The street plan is highly irregular, and the names are impossible!  They do have large illuminated maps showing your location, at reasonably frequent intervals.

Got my reservations for the train to Vienna tomorrow first thing when I arrived.  I'm beginning to think that was a mistake, and wish I'd left myself more time  here in Prague.

Sunday, September 12 -- 5:50 p.m.
Prague

I'm sitting in St. Nicholas church waiting for an organ recital of a Prelude and Fugue by Bach and eight other baroque pieces.  To say that the church itself is baroque is like saying that  ... well, think of your own simile.  A central dome -- circular rotunda actually, over the altar -- whose exterior forms something of a city landmark.  The inside is so busy, it gives me headaches.  Saints, cherubs, pontiffs, kings -- all in paroxysms of activity.  Quite spectacular, but I wonder about the mind-set of the church authorities who considered all this busy-ness, this magnificent cluttered confusion, to be spiritual -- the Counter Reformation, I guess, which set itself up in Prague with a vengeance with the advent of the Hapsburgs.

But baroque music -- yes!  That's a whole different story.. 

Sunday -- September 12 -- 7:40 p.m.
Prague

Dinner at an outdoor café right on the river -- tourist boat passing in front beside the Castle end of the Charles Bridge.  Twilight, and I am writing by a small oil lantern on the table.  Although this is in the heart of the tourist area, it is not accessible directly from the bridge.  I wandered through several streets and ended up here by accident.  I was going to say that we were dead-ended against the bridge, but I see now that you can pass through an arch under the bridge.

Anyway, it is highly satisfactory.  The view is worth a million, but my dinner of pork filet, dumplings and beer will come to under $10.  I worked up an appetite listening to a very nicely constructed program of baroque pieces, with a mezzo soprano singing one number from a side balcony high above the church floor where we were sitting -- pretty stunning acoustics.

It's getting dark fast and the tables are filling up quickly around me.  I think I'm sorry I'm committed to leaving tomorrow.

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I left the next morning, a five-hour train ride to Vienna.