Is it possible to get lost on purpose? I set out, trying to get lost and, as a result, get to know the city better. What a fun objective. Map in my pocket, I hoped to see parts of the city I had never seen before. Of course, I didn’t want to get truly lost, so I started by heading to part of the city I knew, Praha 2, and on the trip back, took some routes that were different.
When losing yourself, you often discover things you never truly understood. One event demonstrated that foreign languages can add to the hilarity of a situation by adding extra confusion and nonsensicalness. For example, in a café, I was looking at my map to reorient myself and write on my map where the café was. A guy in the café yelled to me “Pane, Pane”. He was trying to get my attention, and when I finally noticed this, he tried to help me find my place. I could not explain that I didn’t need help; I was not yet lost. It seems that it is a lot easier to get help when it is not needed than when you are truly in need. It took a good minute before he realized that I didn’t need his help. It was also difficult to be allowed to look at the art at the gallery in the café and tell the proprietor that I enjoyed the paintings. Instead, it seemed that I wanted to buy some works; as a student, this was not possible. Still, people were helpful regardless of my purpose.
Afterwards, I headed back home down a different street. It is so weird how fate works. Had I instead walked back on my path, I wouldn’t have ended up in the right place at the right time. A couple of different turns, and I’m in a different place of history at a different time. Have you ever seen someone leave something on top of a car? It could be a scarf, a box, food, maybe even a baby. Had I not tried to get lost, I wouldn’t have found this car, driving along as if there wasn’t a care in the world. Striving to get their attention, I realized I didn’t have enough vocabulary to tell them they left their groceries on the roof of their car. All I could manage was “meloun a yogurty!”. Of course, the response was various Czech words shouted left and right. Gestures, however, are universal. I pointed to the roof, and tried to get them to notice. Finally, I grabbed their groceries (watermelons, puddings, fruits, and some yogurt) and handed it to them. This situation is universal. Crossing cultures, and languages, we all laughed that a potentially catastrophic accident was averted. Alright, it wasn’t catastrophic, but it could have been messy. The hilarity of a situation can be multiplied when no one can truly understand each other.
After leaving them to their picnic, I continued to try to get lost in the city. However, I wasn’t successful. It seems that it is not possible to get lost by force. It is too easy to know at least where you’ve been and what direction is the known. You can’t get too far into the unknown on purpose, or it slowly becomes part of the known. It has to be an accident. Its like accidently running into a car that has a basket of food on top and saving them before they go on the highway- a spontaneous action.
In the end, I ended up finding a shortcut to my home, the Jerome House. I didn’t get lost, but I had a blast just the same. Hopefully I can get lost. When saving that basket of food, I was in the right place at the right time. If I want to get lost, I have to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Both sound great.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Ugly and Beautiful
When one walks around Prague listening to Regina Spektor, it would be impossible not to have unique experiences; today almost seemed like a reflection of Soviet Kitsch. The music that I listened to seemed to correlate with the situation almost as if I was in the middle of a well directed music video.
It’s weird how memories work. The Czech Republic was a jumble of random images before I returned this summer. The metro, the theater, Cesky Krumlov, Milena’s summer house, our apartment, making spaghetti, Charles’ Bridge and souvenirs. Now, these images seem to connect with what I see today and the effect can be quite immense.
Absurdity seems to stick out in one’s mind. We remember the ‘horrible’ rather than the ‘beautiful’. At a carnival, the image of a three-legged man will stick in our mind for years while the image of an elephant joins our minds’ idea of the Elephant. We have seen elephants before, we will see them again. Their existence follows a pattern; they are a normal part of our conscience and, though impressive, they continue to be one of Plato’s forms. The three-legged man, however, what a sight. Our brain needs to stare to comprehend what sets this man apart. How can it fit into our idea of Man? Similarly, architecture seems to fit into the norm, or what is ‘beautiful’, and those things which can’t be categorized. Today, I ran into such an absurd building that was burned into my memory years before.
Why would babies crawl up towers? It seems like a dangerous situation. If they fall, they must fall to their death. Is their no mother to stop this dangerous profession? These questions, and more, are immediately asked when you come upon Mahlerovy Sady. This building can’t really be truly explained in words. Nor can it be summed up in pictures. But I will try a combination of both. It is a modern building, with huge pillars and almost a Radisson-like restaurant at the top. Up and down there are big black-colored babies crawling up and down. Their faces, however, are not baby faces, but rather flat, featureless sculptures. I rediscovered this building today. While listening to the climax of Regina’s “Ode to Divorce”, I turned the corner to discover this absurd architecture. It was quite an emotional experience; I felt a sense of familiarity and absurdity. I had been to this before and with my family. My sister and my mother for sure, and it is quite possible that I was with David, Sarah, Chris and John. But memory fails us, and the only truth I know is that Anna and my mother were there. Combined with this comforting feeling, I also couldn’t get over how alien and absurd this building was. Combined with a musical climax that occurred at the perfect time, I almost felt like crying. It was so ugly and so beautiful...
It’s weird how memories work. The Czech Republic was a jumble of random images before I returned this summer. The metro, the theater, Cesky Krumlov, Milena’s summer house, our apartment, making spaghetti, Charles’ Bridge and souvenirs. Now, these images seem to connect with what I see today and the effect can be quite immense.
Absurdity seems to stick out in one’s mind. We remember the ‘horrible’ rather than the ‘beautiful’. At a carnival, the image of a three-legged man will stick in our mind for years while the image of an elephant joins our minds’ idea of the Elephant. We have seen elephants before, we will see them again. Their existence follows a pattern; they are a normal part of our conscience and, though impressive, they continue to be one of Plato’s forms. The three-legged man, however, what a sight. Our brain needs to stare to comprehend what sets this man apart. How can it fit into our idea of Man? Similarly, architecture seems to fit into the norm, or what is ‘beautiful’, and those things which can’t be categorized. Today, I ran into such an absurd building that was burned into my memory years before.
Why would babies crawl up towers? It seems like a dangerous situation. If they fall, they must fall to their death. Is their no mother to stop this dangerous profession? These questions, and more, are immediately asked when you come upon Mahlerovy Sady. This building can’t really be truly explained in words. Nor can it be summed up in pictures. But I will try a combination of both. It is a modern building, with huge pillars and almost a Radisson-like restaurant at the top. Up and down there are big black-colored babies crawling up and down. Their faces, however, are not baby faces, but rather flat, featureless sculptures. I rediscovered this building today. While listening to the climax of Regina’s “Ode to Divorce”, I turned the corner to discover this absurd architecture. It was quite an emotional experience; I felt a sense of familiarity and absurdity. I had been to this before and with my family. My sister and my mother for sure, and it is quite possible that I was with David, Sarah, Chris and John. But memory fails us, and the only truth I know is that Anna and my mother were there. Combined with this comforting feeling, I also couldn’t get over how alien and absurd this building was. Combined with a musical climax that occurred at the perfect time, I almost felt like crying. It was so ugly and so beautiful...
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Czech Zoo
Today, we went to the zoo. We took the metro (which has been updated since 2000) and a bus. It was far away, an extra activity, and I almost didn’t go. However, I’m so glad I did. It was a blast. I remembered that the zoo was horrible from our first trip to Prague. Compared to the Minnesota Zoo it was boring and small. However, this has all changed and I was shocked to find a zoo that was both fun and visited by many Czechs. I guess there was a flood in 2003, and they had to redo the entire zoo. It seems that this has transformed the zoo from boring to quite exciting. We saw many animals of course, but the craziest was in the Indonesian exhibit. Within the night part of the exhibit, there were bats flying around. Not just in containment, but on the walkways WE were walking. So the bats would fly right by your head. It was crazy; mom would have freaked. It reminded me of the time on Park Street when a bat got in the house and Sarah had to scare it away. I don’t think they would do something like that in the United States, but it was really cool/scary. I could have sworn one bat brushed my hair, but I know that they wouldn’t hit me. On the way out, I was wondering why they wouldn’t fly out. Right after we left, there was a bat trying to get back into the exhibit! Apparently, the light of the outside bugged him, and he wanted to return to captivity.
There were many animals (some that I haven’t seen in American zoos) but I don’t really need to go into detail. It was fun to just see these animals with my fellow students, and enjoy the great weather (and of course, some zmrlzina).
On the way home, we took a boat instead of the tram. It was only 70 krona ($3.50) and it brought us back to Karluv Most (Charle’s Bridge). It seems like boat rides are more common here in CR than they are in the states. It is nice to just relax on the boat and chat with others.
Well, I have a Czech test tomorrow, and need to get to work studying. Na shledanou!
There were many animals (some that I haven’t seen in American zoos) but I don’t really need to go into detail. It was fun to just see these animals with my fellow students, and enjoy the great weather (and of course, some zmrlzina).
On the way home, we took a boat instead of the tram. It was only 70 krona ($3.50) and it brought us back to Karluv Most (Charle’s Bridge). It seems like boat rides are more common here in CR than they are in the states. It is nice to just relax on the boat and chat with others.
Well, I have a Czech test tomorrow, and need to get to work studying. Na shledanou!
Ceske Budejovice and Cesky Krumlov
The second part of the trip, Ceské Budějovice, was not nearly as interesting as Trebon. Although it was home to the Czech brewery “Budwar”, we didn’t see much of the city. I think we only stayed because the hotels were cheaper than our next destination. We did go up in a tower near the center and see a great view however. Afterward, we went to a Pizzeria for dinner, and once again we were able to use our Czech while ordering- it is so fun. After dinner, we went to a tea house and it was really relaxing to just sit back, drink some great tea, and pay about 4 bucks for all of us to enjoy said tea. We also watched some TV at the hotel and it was fun to see the differences in culture displayed through the media.
The next morning, we woke up early to head to Ceský Krumlov. I’ve visited this town early, and remember some details (such as being surrounded by the Vtlava on three sides and all the toy stores) but it was great to see the town from a historical perspective.
We started our tour of the city, which is beautiful by the way, at the town’s theater, which is connected to the castle through three tunnels. One above (for the royalty) one in the middle (for the common folk) and one underground (for the servants). Well, something to that effect. The theater was amazing! It is one of two Baroque theaters that is still in original conditions, and that hasn’t been renovated to fit newer periods. I couldn’t get over it. We learned about all the theatrical devices that were used in Baroque times, and it amazed me how they were able to put on these shows without electricity! They don’t use the theater as a theater anymore, the humidity created by breath can destroy some of the preserved items, but they have a couple of shows that recreate the time period followed by a Baroque dinner. There is one at the end of July and one in September, and I am pretty tempted to attend and see a period of history through the lens of theater.
After this tour, we started to descend into the city center. One the way, we saw some brown bears in captivity. I guess the crest of the crown or some legend about a bear had started a tradition to have bears in captivity, and though it was completely random, we saw some bears in Ceský Krumlov. After this spectacle, we walked through the city and our tour guide talked about the interesting buildings and the history of the city. Most of our group was very tired, but I enjoyed looking at the architecture. Afterwards, we had lunch next to the riverbank. I had shopska salat (a salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, etc) and polevka (soup, in this case, garlic soup, which is really good). I think it would be a lot of fun to study in this city, but the old University is no longer open. It seems like all the Universities are in Prague.
After our short visit to Ceský Krumlov, we began the return trip. Most of us were completely wiped out, it had been a huge day, so I decided to read a book on the bus. I’ve started Kundera’s “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” which is by a Czech author. The book is amazing; I’m only 100 pages in, and I can’t wait to start reading it again. I want to enjoy it and read it throughout my stays here in Prague, but I’m sure I will probably finish it rather quickly because it is incredibly interesting. I want to take a class on Czech literature during the fall semester...
Halfway home, we stopped at a castle that was typical of early Gothic architecture. It wasn’t the most impressive castle, but it had a lot of historical background and I could admire the fact that it was so incredibly old. After a quick tour, we got on a boat and traveled down the Vlatava toward another castle. The boat ride was a lot of fun, and Julia and I were trying to call the Loch Ness monster from the depths of the river (surely she was on vacation from Scotland and was able to visit a landlocked country, right?). Although we failed, our group enjoyed blowing bubble-gum bubbles and enjoying the nice weather. Unfortunately, the boat-ride took to long and we weren’t able to make it to tour the second castle. We headed back (most of us drained to the max). I’ve noticed that my friendships are becoming much stronger. I had such a good time on the bus just chatting about random things. Families, books, politics, religion. When you can talk about religion and theology and discuss politics without yelling at each other you know that you have made friends. It is great that I can enjoy Prague with people who I like. When we returned to Prague, I realized that this city now feels like home; I felt like I was on vacation and only now returning home to Prague. It is so interesting how a place can become your new home so quickly.
The next morning, we woke up early to head to Ceský Krumlov. I’ve visited this town early, and remember some details (such as being surrounded by the Vtlava on three sides and all the toy stores) but it was great to see the town from a historical perspective.
We started our tour of the city, which is beautiful by the way, at the town’s theater, which is connected to the castle through three tunnels. One above (for the royalty) one in the middle (for the common folk) and one underground (for the servants). Well, something to that effect. The theater was amazing! It is one of two Baroque theaters that is still in original conditions, and that hasn’t been renovated to fit newer periods. I couldn’t get over it. We learned about all the theatrical devices that were used in Baroque times, and it amazed me how they were able to put on these shows without electricity! They don’t use the theater as a theater anymore, the humidity created by breath can destroy some of the preserved items, but they have a couple of shows that recreate the time period followed by a Baroque dinner. There is one at the end of July and one in September, and I am pretty tempted to attend and see a period of history through the lens of theater.
After this tour, we started to descend into the city center. One the way, we saw some brown bears in captivity. I guess the crest of the crown or some legend about a bear had started a tradition to have bears in captivity, and though it was completely random, we saw some bears in Ceský Krumlov. After this spectacle, we walked through the city and our tour guide talked about the interesting buildings and the history of the city. Most of our group was very tired, but I enjoyed looking at the architecture. Afterwards, we had lunch next to the riverbank. I had shopska salat (a salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, etc) and polevka (soup, in this case, garlic soup, which is really good). I think it would be a lot of fun to study in this city, but the old University is no longer open. It seems like all the Universities are in Prague.
After our short visit to Ceský Krumlov, we began the return trip. Most of us were completely wiped out, it had been a huge day, so I decided to read a book on the bus. I’ve started Kundera’s “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” which is by a Czech author. The book is amazing; I’m only 100 pages in, and I can’t wait to start reading it again. I want to enjoy it and read it throughout my stays here in Prague, but I’m sure I will probably finish it rather quickly because it is incredibly interesting. I want to take a class on Czech literature during the fall semester...
Halfway home, we stopped at a castle that was typical of early Gothic architecture. It wasn’t the most impressive castle, but it had a lot of historical background and I could admire the fact that it was so incredibly old. After a quick tour, we got on a boat and traveled down the Vlatava toward another castle. The boat ride was a lot of fun, and Julia and I were trying to call the Loch Ness monster from the depths of the river (surely she was on vacation from Scotland and was able to visit a landlocked country, right?). Although we failed, our group enjoyed blowing bubble-gum bubbles and enjoying the nice weather. Unfortunately, the boat-ride took to long and we weren’t able to make it to tour the second castle. We headed back (most of us drained to the max). I’ve noticed that my friendships are becoming much stronger. I had such a good time on the bus just chatting about random things. Families, books, politics, religion. When you can talk about religion and theology and discuss politics without yelling at each other you know that you have made friends. It is great that I can enjoy Prague with people who I like. When we returned to Prague, I realized that this city now feels like home; I felt like I was on vacation and only now returning home to Prague. It is so interesting how a place can become your new home so quickly.
Trebon
It’s been a while since an entry, but that is because I have been traveling throughout Southern Bohemia. This weekend, we took a bus-trip to various cities and saw some places in the Czech Republic outside of the city. The bus ride itself was fun. I was with all my friends, and we chatted the whole time and watched the Czech countryside pass by. It was a good way to learn more about my friends, and see more of this interesting country. I loved looking at all the signs and billboards and comparing them to advertisements we see in the United States and trying to figure out what the ad was trying to sell. The ride didn’t take too long to our first destination, and it wasn’t long before we were stretching our legs in the small(er) town of Trebon. Our guide showed us various buildings and talked about both architecture and the history of the town. Sometimes, I find it hard to follow the history professor. I’m not in the class, so the information is not as needed for me, and sometimes his lectures get a little dry. At the same time, I want to learn about these places. It gets hard, however, when he focuses on architecture, which definitely is not my strongest subject. After looking around the town, we were left to have lunch on our own. A couple of my friends and I went off and found a smaller
restaurant. In smaller towns like Trebon, the servers don’t know English and we were forced to order our meals in Czech. Of course, I was very excited about this and ordered fried carp. In this town, they have many man-made lakes and our known for their carp; in fact, carp would be served at the royal palace if the king was entertaining guests. It seemed weird to order carp at a restaurant, but it was decent. I didn’t like the bones, but the fish itself was tasty. After lunch, we all got some zmrzlina (ice-cream). Zmrzlina is perhaps my favorite Czech word (I’m not sure why it doesn’t have many vowels, but it is fun to say) and I love to both order it and of course eat it. I think their ice-cream is better than the ice-cream we have in the States.
After lunch, we went to a brewery that brews Regent beer. It was very interesting to see the process and taste some of the beers. We also learned some more about Czech culture; Czechs consume a greater amount of beer per capita than any other country. It seems to be an integral part of their life. After the brewery, we got back on the bus and headed toward Ĉeské Budějovice.
restaurant. In smaller towns like Trebon, the servers don’t know English and we were forced to order our meals in Czech. Of course, I was very excited about this and ordered fried carp. In this town, they have many man-made lakes and our known for their carp; in fact, carp would be served at the royal palace if the king was entertaining guests. It seemed weird to order carp at a restaurant, but it was decent. I didn’t like the bones, but the fish itself was tasty. After lunch, we all got some zmrzlina (ice-cream). Zmrzlina is perhaps my favorite Czech word (I’m not sure why it doesn’t have many vowels, but it is fun to say) and I love to both order it and of course eat it. I think their ice-cream is better than the ice-cream we have in the States.
After lunch, we went to a brewery that brews Regent beer. It was very interesting to see the process and taste some of the beers. We also learned some more about Czech culture; Czechs consume a greater amount of beer per capita than any other country. It seems to be an integral part of their life. After the brewery, we got back on the bus and headed toward Ĉeské Budějovice.
Trebon
It’s been a while since an entry, but that is because I have been traveling throughout Southern Bohemia. This weekend, we took a bus-trip to various cities and saw some places in the Czech Republic outside of the city. The bus ride itself was fun. I was with all my friends, and we chatted the whole time and watched the Czech countryside pass by. It was a good way to learn more about my friends, and see more of this interesting country. I loved looking at all the signs and billboards and comparing them to advertisements we see in the United States and trying to figure out what the ad was trying to sell. The ride didn’t take too long to our first destination, and it wasn’t long before we were stretching our legs in the small(er) town of Trebon. Our guide showed us various buildings and talked about both architecture and the history of the town. Sometimes, I find it hard to follow the history professor. I’m not in the class, so the information is not as needed for me, and sometimes his lectures get a little dry. At the same time, I want to learn about these places. It gets hard, however, when he focuses on architecture, which definitely is not my strongest subject. After looking around the town, we were left to have lunch on our own. A couple of my friends and I went off and found a smaller
restaurant. In smaller towns like Trebon, the servers don’t know English and we were forced to order our meals in Czech. Of course, I was very excited about this and ordered fried carp. In this town, they have many man-made lakes and our known for their carp; in fact, carp would be served at the royal palace if the king was entertaining guests. It seemed weird to order carp at a restaurant, but it was decent. I didn’t like the bones, but the fish itself was tasty. After lunch, we all got some zmrzlina (ice-cream). Zmrzlina is perhaps my favorite Czech word (I’m not sure why it doesn’t have many vowels, but it is fun to say) and I love to both order it and of course eat it. I think their ice-cream is better than the ice-cream we have in the States.
After lunch, we went to a brewery that brews Regent beer. It was very interesting to see the process and taste some of the beers. We also learned some more about Czech culture; Czechs consume a greater amount of beer per capita than any other country. It seems to be an integral part of their life. After the brewery, we got back on the bus and headed toward Ĉeské Budějovice.
restaurant. In smaller towns like Trebon, the servers don’t know English and we were forced to order our meals in Czech. Of course, I was very excited about this and ordered fried carp. In this town, they have many man-made lakes and our known for their carp; in fact, carp would be served at the royal palace if the king was entertaining guests. It seemed weird to order carp at a restaurant, but it was decent. I didn’t like the bones, but the fish itself was tasty. After lunch, we all got some zmrzlina (ice-cream). Zmrzlina is perhaps my favorite Czech word (I’m not sure why it doesn’t have many vowels, but it is fun to say) and I love to both order it and of course eat it. I think their ice-cream is better than the ice-cream we have in the States.
After lunch, we went to a brewery that brews Regent beer. It was very interesting to see the process and taste some of the beers. We also learned some more about Czech culture; Czechs consume a greater amount of beer per capita than any other country. It seems to be an integral part of their life. After the brewery, we got back on the bus and headed toward Ĉeské Budějovice.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Kutna Hora
Probably one of the longest and most fun days today. But I am getting tired, and need to be getting more sleep. I think I should probably go to bed right after this (though it is only 10:30) because I am getting a cold and I think it may be related to not getting enough sleep. Anyways, back to the story of my day.
Today we traveled to Kutná Hora, which is one of the bigger cities in the Czech Republic. It is also not a huge tourist attraction, so it was nice to see a city that wasn’t swarming with tourists. Our bus left at 8 in the morning, which is why I haven’t been getting enough sleep, and we drove south east for about 100 kilometers. Though driving was uneventful, it was fun to look out the window and watch as it changed from suburbs (for about a half an hour) into the actual countryside. Czech countryside, from what I have seen, seems to be similar to what would be seen while driving through upstate New York. Very pretty, somewhat interesting. But I was just tired, so I slept for a lot of the way/ listened to my little iPod shuffle. Most people on the bus were sleepy, so there wasn’t much interesting conversation.
The first stop in Kutná Hora was an old monastery. It was famous in medieval times because a monk once took a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and found soil that was part of Christ’s grave and scattered the soil on the cemetery. Christians wanted to be buried in the soil because it was believed that Christ would more likely visit such a place after the second coming of Christ if it had more importance. (And it took a long time for Christ to get from place to place because he had to walk!) The real interesting part about the monastery was found in the inside. For some reason, I’m not positive why, they decided to make the interior decorations out of bones. I know my mom saw something similar in Portugal, but the sight in person is quite shocking. I had never seen anything quite like it; the altar, the goblets, the cross, the decorations, everything was made out of skulls, leg bones, jaw bones, etc. My favorite decoration (or should I say the one I found most interesting, everything was quite unnerving) was the chandelier centerpiece. It was mostly made out of skulls near the bottom, but as it got higher, the rows of skulls were connected by leg and arm bones. Finally, it was attached to the ceiling by strings that were decorated with jaw bones. It was crazy. I lit a candle, but since I’m not Catholic I wasn’t sure exactly who to pray for. So I prayed for one of the skulls, and I wonder if it’s spirit is somewhere in the afterlife and feels a small part of the world remembering his presence...
I’m not sure where they got the bones. I know they dug them up, but I’m not sure if it was the bones of the monks or the commoners or what. However, the sight was amazing. They said that the bones were dug up in the 15th or 16th century, but they are still in good condition. Nowadays, the monastery is pretty much just a sight for the morbidly curious as well as those interested in making B rated movies or having a very unique wedding! I wonder if Katie would have liked to get married surrounded by thousands of skeletons...
After the monastery, we went into the downtown area. The tour was kind of boring of the city. It was more of a lesson on historical progress and the creation of cities and the effect it had on the population and the idea of the individual. This was interesting, but it became very long. After looking at a couple of interesting buildings and a cathedral, we were allowed to get lunch. We found this really quaint restaurant that served traditional Czech meals (at a great price). The soup was delicious, and only 12 krona. Our waiter didn’t speak a word of English, and it was really fun to order off of the Czech menu; it helps that we are learning a lot about food in our Czech language class.
The most fun part at lunch was the tourists next to us. They also didn’t speak English, and for a while they were just staring at our food. Then my friend Emily said, “Hey, they are speaking Spanish!” Of course, I was really excited and broke into Spanish and was able to help the Spaniards order their food. They were really impressed with my Spanish ability (I was surprised I could still speak pretty well) and I was glad I could help translate the menu (from Czech to Spanish, pretty tricky). The only difficulty was that they used the vosotros form, a verb conjugation form that we didn’t worry about in throughout my Spanish classes. It is only used in Spain, and rather difficult when you only studied it for two years in high school. They also had a slight lisp; they were from south of Barcelona, really interesting. I never thought I would be speaking Spanish in a Czech restaurant with 4 elder hispanoblantes.
After lunch, we headed to the mines. Kutná Hora is known for it’s silver mine, which thrived for 400 years from about the 1200's to the 1700's. After the discovery of mine in South America (specifically Potosi) there was less attraction in the mining in Kutná Hora. The mines went as deep as 600 meters, which is about 2,000 feet. The silver mine was able to strengthen the economy of Kutná Hora and it vied against Prague as the capital of the Bohemia. There was a lot of importance about minting various coins, but most of that went over my head. I was too excited for the actual touring of the mines; we were going to enter the mines ourselves!
Our group put on white, frock-like garments, grabbed a flashlight and mining helmet, and headed down into the depths. Although we only went down 30 meters, it felt like we were in the heart of the earth. If we all turned off our flashlights, it was pitch black; the miners worked with hardly any light and mined for 6 hour shifts, only mining about one or two inches a shift. It seemed like very hard work, but it paid off. The mine was a little scary, and I couldn’t imagine being in it if I was a tad bit claustrophobic. At some points, the ceiling was only four feet high, and at others, it was so narrow that we had to walk sideways. We also had to crowd together, and could barely fit into a section overlooking an underground ravine. It was surreal, it was like living in another world. On the walls, limestone had grown throughout the years and it looked like some sort of beast had passed through. My friends and I joked, saying it was the great wheat beast that traveled through and left it’s slime. (We have an ongoing joke that wheat comes from the great wheat beast, various interpretations have arisen as to what it looks like. I will attach my picture. The wheat beast is our source of wheat, I mean if steak comes from a cow, then hamburger buns must come from some sort of animal, right?) Anyways, we weren’t allowed to take pictures, but it is an experience I won’t forget. I cannot imagine a life where everyday I had to descend into such great depths.
Our final leg of the tour was the St. Barbara Cathedral. St. Barbara was a martyr who died by being locked in a metal cage, so I guess the miners of the city were able to empathize with such a death and chose her for their patron saint. Interestingly, the cathedral was funded by the miners and not the church. With their increased wealth from the silver mines, they were able to create a lavish church that did not follow some of the patterns familiar to most churches. For example, St. Barbara is higher than the virgin Mary and Jesus on the outside entrance of the church; it seems a little sacrilege, but shows part of the cultural tradition. The inside was gigantic, and beautiful, but eventually all the Cathedrals you see seem to swirl in your mind, and I can’t remember any specific characteristics. There was a very nice organ, but other than that, it was another grand and beautiful church. Religion in the Czech Republic is very interesting, but this letter is getting quite long and I should leave that for another day. I also need to write about all my friends that I have met... but I should sleep!
Today we traveled to Kutná Hora, which is one of the bigger cities in the Czech Republic. It is also not a huge tourist attraction, so it was nice to see a city that wasn’t swarming with tourists. Our bus left at 8 in the morning, which is why I haven’t been getting enough sleep, and we drove south east for about 100 kilometers. Though driving was uneventful, it was fun to look out the window and watch as it changed from suburbs (for about a half an hour) into the actual countryside. Czech countryside, from what I have seen, seems to be similar to what would be seen while driving through upstate New York. Very pretty, somewhat interesting. But I was just tired, so I slept for a lot of the way/ listened to my little iPod shuffle. Most people on the bus were sleepy, so there wasn’t much interesting conversation.
The first stop in Kutná Hora was an old monastery. It was famous in medieval times because a monk once took a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and found soil that was part of Christ’s grave and scattered the soil on the cemetery. Christians wanted to be buried in the soil because it was believed that Christ would more likely visit such a place after the second coming of Christ if it had more importance. (And it took a long time for Christ to get from place to place because he had to walk!) The real interesting part about the monastery was found in the inside. For some reason, I’m not positive why, they decided to make the interior decorations out of bones. I know my mom saw something similar in Portugal, but the sight in person is quite shocking. I had never seen anything quite like it; the altar, the goblets, the cross, the decorations, everything was made out of skulls, leg bones, jaw bones, etc. My favorite decoration (or should I say the one I found most interesting, everything was quite unnerving) was the chandelier centerpiece. It was mostly made out of skulls near the bottom, but as it got higher, the rows of skulls were connected by leg and arm bones. Finally, it was attached to the ceiling by strings that were decorated with jaw bones. It was crazy. I lit a candle, but since I’m not Catholic I wasn’t sure exactly who to pray for. So I prayed for one of the skulls, and I wonder if it’s spirit is somewhere in the afterlife and feels a small part of the world remembering his presence...
I’m not sure where they got the bones. I know they dug them up, but I’m not sure if it was the bones of the monks or the commoners or what. However, the sight was amazing. They said that the bones were dug up in the 15th or 16th century, but they are still in good condition. Nowadays, the monastery is pretty much just a sight for the morbidly curious as well as those interested in making B rated movies or having a very unique wedding! I wonder if Katie would have liked to get married surrounded by thousands of skeletons...
After the monastery, we went into the downtown area. The tour was kind of boring of the city. It was more of a lesson on historical progress and the creation of cities and the effect it had on the population and the idea of the individual. This was interesting, but it became very long. After looking at a couple of interesting buildings and a cathedral, we were allowed to get lunch. We found this really quaint restaurant that served traditional Czech meals (at a great price). The soup was delicious, and only 12 krona. Our waiter didn’t speak a word of English, and it was really fun to order off of the Czech menu; it helps that we are learning a lot about food in our Czech language class.
The most fun part at lunch was the tourists next to us. They also didn’t speak English, and for a while they were just staring at our food. Then my friend Emily said, “Hey, they are speaking Spanish!” Of course, I was really excited and broke into Spanish and was able to help the Spaniards order their food. They were really impressed with my Spanish ability (I was surprised I could still speak pretty well) and I was glad I could help translate the menu (from Czech to Spanish, pretty tricky). The only difficulty was that they used the vosotros form, a verb conjugation form that we didn’t worry about in throughout my Spanish classes. It is only used in Spain, and rather difficult when you only studied it for two years in high school. They also had a slight lisp; they were from south of Barcelona, really interesting. I never thought I would be speaking Spanish in a Czech restaurant with 4 elder hispanoblantes.
After lunch, we headed to the mines. Kutná Hora is known for it’s silver mine, which thrived for 400 years from about the 1200's to the 1700's. After the discovery of mine in South America (specifically Potosi) there was less attraction in the mining in Kutná Hora. The mines went as deep as 600 meters, which is about 2,000 feet. The silver mine was able to strengthen the economy of Kutná Hora and it vied against Prague as the capital of the Bohemia. There was a lot of importance about minting various coins, but most of that went over my head. I was too excited for the actual touring of the mines; we were going to enter the mines ourselves!
Our group put on white, frock-like garments, grabbed a flashlight and mining helmet, and headed down into the depths. Although we only went down 30 meters, it felt like we were in the heart of the earth. If we all turned off our flashlights, it was pitch black; the miners worked with hardly any light and mined for 6 hour shifts, only mining about one or two inches a shift. It seemed like very hard work, but it paid off. The mine was a little scary, and I couldn’t imagine being in it if I was a tad bit claustrophobic. At some points, the ceiling was only four feet high, and at others, it was so narrow that we had to walk sideways. We also had to crowd together, and could barely fit into a section overlooking an underground ravine. It was surreal, it was like living in another world. On the walls, limestone had grown throughout the years and it looked like some sort of beast had passed through. My friends and I joked, saying it was the great wheat beast that traveled through and left it’s slime. (We have an ongoing joke that wheat comes from the great wheat beast, various interpretations have arisen as to what it looks like. I will attach my picture. The wheat beast is our source of wheat, I mean if steak comes from a cow, then hamburger buns must come from some sort of animal, right?) Anyways, we weren’t allowed to take pictures, but it is an experience I won’t forget. I cannot imagine a life where everyday I had to descend into such great depths.
Our final leg of the tour was the St. Barbara Cathedral. St. Barbara was a martyr who died by being locked in a metal cage, so I guess the miners of the city were able to empathize with such a death and chose her for their patron saint. Interestingly, the cathedral was funded by the miners and not the church. With their increased wealth from the silver mines, they were able to create a lavish church that did not follow some of the patterns familiar to most churches. For example, St. Barbara is higher than the virgin Mary and Jesus on the outside entrance of the church; it seems a little sacrilege, but shows part of the cultural tradition. The inside was gigantic, and beautiful, but eventually all the Cathedrals you see seem to swirl in your mind, and I can’t remember any specific characteristics. There was a very nice organ, but other than that, it was another grand and beautiful church. Religion in the Czech Republic is very interesting, but this letter is getting quite long and I should leave that for another day. I also need to write about all my friends that I have met... but I should sleep!
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