Arriving from 60-degree, sunny Pisa, the minute we stepped outside of the Prague airport, I gasped. An actual, oh-my-gosh, I just stubbed my toe or bashed my funny bone and no it's not funny, audible gasp. The 40-degree, humid air in Prague hit me, like, well, a wall of ice. Good thing I packed that winter coat and gloves and scarf...
The day we arrived, we ventured out in the cold to explore the area and find a Black Light Theatre per Rick Steve's suggestion. The city is beautiful. Full of art-nouveau architecture and wide, cobble-stone streets. Unfortunately, I can't say such nice things about the black light performance. We saw Aspects of Alice at TaFantastika. I only have one thing to say to Rick about this one... like Cirque du Soleil my BUTT.
The show was, at best, a middle-school quality production full of bad music, bad props, bad acting and bad costumes. (When there were even costumes to be found. I'm not going to get in to the bit of "artistic nudity.") Perhaps if it was still 1960 and perhaps if we were all high, it might be enjoyable. But, I live in 2011, was not high and most certainly not impressed. Give this one a miss if you're ever in Prague and looking to get out of the cold, dear readers. Our last night in the city, we saw a beautiful classical concert in Smetana Hall at the Municipal House. That almost made up for the black light debacle. Almost.
On our way back to the hotel, we stopped for dinner and heat at a typical Czech restaurant. We all enjoyed our piping hot soup (I had Grandma's Potato) and Czech beer.
The next morning, another cold, grey day greeted us. (Did I accidentally get off the plane in Russia? ) We bundled up and left the warmth of our hotel. For 4 hours, we traipsed around Prague with Kate, our guide on the Sandeman Free Tour. (Guides expect a tip at the end of the tour, so much like everything in life, it isn't really free.) We walked from Old Town Square to New and the Charles Bridge to the Jewish Quarter. At every stop, before sharing the history of the sight, Kate would lead us all in aerobics to warm everyone up, or at the least, fend off the hypothermia.
On the tour, we learned that Prague is the capital city of a relatively young country. In 1989, after almost 40 years of Communist rule, Czechoslovakia declared their independence in the Velvet Revolution and the Communist regime crumbled. Then, in 1993, the country again changed course and split into 2 new countries -- the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Meaning the Prague that is the capital of the Czech Republic is just 18 years old. And, cold. Don't forget cold.
Monday, our last full day in Prague, it wasn't quite so cold. The sun showed its face a few times! We caught lucky glimpses of the astronomical clock and Prague Castle bathed in sunlight and a beautiful sunset over the Charles Bridge. I even managed to shrug off my winter coat for about 30 seconds to pose for a picture in front of Lennon Wall!
(Photos coming tomorrow!)
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