Prague, Day 3Sat, Feb 28, 2009

01:57 PMA new day and a new dilemma. First how to dress and eat breakfast with 8 young men sleeping in the next room, a room I must go through to get to the kitchen or bath. Once I heard their snoring I realized this was not going to be a problem! If that racket didn't wake them, nothing I could do would. I had planned to take a bus tour to Terezin today, but I'm locked in the hostel. Despite assurances that the desk is manned "nonstop" and "24/7" it is locked up tight, as is the exit gate. It is now almost 9am and I will have to wait. There is a phone number to call, but I don't have an international phone. The phone in the room just rings reception and no one answers. But there are businesses here too and I hope that one of them will show soon. In the meantime, I will read and re-plan my day. I did hear the 8 lads come in early this morning. No idea what time it was, except that it was after 3am. I could hear them through my earplugs perfectly when one of them said "Shhhh. That old lady is next door." Honest, my very first thought was that I wondered who they were talking about. Had someone else moved in? But of course they meant me! It is hard to imagine that I am old enough to be their mother. When did that happen? Later: A shopkeeper, who spoke no English finally opened the door at 9:40a and I was free! I now have the correct passcode and this should not be repeated tomorrow morning!I did spend my time wisely, studying the public transportation system and have a better grasp. I've also discovered I've been traveling illegally for 2 days. I bought a 5 day pass, but didn't understand how to validate it. People regularly travel with no valid pass. If you are caught it is a 700Kc fine on the spot. By contrast, a month pass is 550Kc. So today I validated my pass and am legal. I went back to Prague Castle and St. Vitus Church. I took a different route there and passed by the ministry of defense. The building is uncharacteristically pink! Perhaps they are in touch with their feminine side? Admission to the cathedral is free at the moment because the government and the Catholic Church are arguing over who owns it. I also took the English audio tour. Signage is poor, though typically if there is a sign, it will also have an English translation. The audio tour wasn't very good and I would have done just as well with my tour guidebook. I buy the DK series City Guides and noticed many others use it to, in various languages. It looks to be the most popular for Prague travelers. St. Vitus Cathedral was finally completed in the 20ith century, but began in 1344. It sports flying buttresses and Gargoyles and a mixture of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles. The original entrance "The Golden Portal" is undergoing renovations, but the mosaic of The Last Judgment reminded me of St Marks in Venice. Highlights inside the cathedral are the stained glass, all 20ith century, particularly one by Mucha; tomb of St Nepomuk crafted from solid silver; and St. Wenceslas' Chapel, with walls of semi-precious stones and gold. I did not get to see much of the palace which was a huge disappointment. The lower Romanesque levels were open, but these only form the cellars of the castle. The upper floors were closed. No explanation and no refund given. I did get to see St George's convent, and Golden Lane (tiny houses, which are now shops, named after the goldsmiths who lived there in 17th century). I also got to see the changing of the guards. Like their British counterparts, the guards are very grim while standing at attention outside their phone booth sized shacks. Their uniforms need an update as they look very Russian drab to me. On the way back I stopped at a street vender for a very late lunch of sausage on roll. They were selling gluwein (hot, mulled wine) for 20Kc. A Coke was 35Kc. At Wenceslas Square is a small plaque to Jan Palach who burned himself to death Jan 16, 1969 to protest the Soviet occupation. Nearby was a small photo gallery of black and white pictures of events following immediately after his death, funeral and rallies. It is very moving. They quote him, "You must fight the evil you are equal to." I love the old churches and palaces, but the thing you can't get beyond is how very cold they must have been in winter. They didn't have plumbing or ceiling fans or vacuum cleaners. And these were the nice building for the rich folk. What must it have been for the regular folk? What you can't avoid realizing is how very uncomfortable most of the human race has been for most of the time we've been around. You were hot in summer, cold in winter and clean never! You ate what was available, which could not have been much. Lack of clean water and basic sanitation must have killed all but the strongest. Life must have been dirty, brutish and short. I began thinking in this vein after returning to the hostel to get off my feet and clean up for dinner. The "8 lads" in the room next to mine have made a disaster of their area. I should explain that the 3 sleeping rooms and kitchen area are all in a line, so that I have to go through each to get to my small room on the end. This affords me the maximum privacy available-which is good-but forces me to be reminded of how college aged boys live. One suspects they are making the transition from a brutish existence in one life time and are now up to about the middle ages in development, with a serious nod to Roman drinking and bathing practices. The boys bedroom floor is a landmine of jeans, half empty drink containers, backpacks and candy wrappers. Plus wires everywhere to recharge phones and iPods. The kitchen counter is strewn with bath towels and underwear. I won't try to figure what is used and what is clean. I'd be afraid to prepare anything more exotic than cold cereal in there! It is also cold in the rooms since they don't heat through the day. Many hostels lock you out mid-day. I presume they use this opportunity to hose the place down, which based on this observation must be necessary often. 7pmI've chosen the Novomestsky Pivovar (new town beer hall) for dinner. Their house beer is Kvanicovy Lezak. I've asked for a small (half liter!) Pivo svetly (light beer). It has a strong taste of hops, but is not bitter. I've ordered the Chef Surprise, which turns out to be crispy potato pancakes, smoked neck of pork (more evocative than "ham" don't you think?) Marinated Camembert cheese and porcini sauce. It is stacked like a chef sandwich. This is served with braised cabbage (actually cooked sour kraut) and a fresh green salad! The salad is the first fresh item I've been served since I arrived. It is all very good and, as with all the food I've had here, filling. I could grow to like the cabbage this way. All the tables have bread waiting for you when you sit down. I'm using a piece to sop up the wonderful mushroom gravy. Silverware and napkins are in a mug on the table. No water, though. I have long since stopped asking for water in Europe. You get bottled water and pay more than the price of beer. Even waiters who speak perfect English when taking your order will suddenly be deaf to the words "tap water". (Incidentally, in Italian, rubbinetto means tap water. So close to my last name, which is French. I'm told in French robinette means spigot or water carrier.) It is a huge amount of food and roughly half the calories are from fat. Based on my ability to put it away, I can affirm I am of the same hardy peasant stock this used to feed. The Czechs are kept slim by the shear amount of walking. There are cars, but for a major city, I don't find it congested, like London, nor are cars parked willy nilly, like Rome. I can only guess that this amount of activity is what keeps the Czech arteries from closing off before age 30. This is hardy fare, which also helps endure the cold. It was overcast all day with spotty rain and temperatures below 40, humidity very high, so if you stop moving you chill quickly. Today I wore my silk long underwear and was glad for them. I am not much of a shopper, but I do try to bring some souvenir back from a trip. So far, nothing. The only things that have tempted me are glassware and ornaments made from hollowed egg shells. Both are too fragile. I plan to make it an early night. I'll lay in provisions for a bus trip to Terezin tomorrow. I'm to be at the Hotel Europa in Wenceslas Square tomorrow at 9am. I hope to be early enough to spot the Art nouveau interior. More adventures tomorrow!