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Josh’s European Adventure: Day 18 – Prague, Czech Republic

Today was Sunday and that meant football.  The previous day I found an Irish pub near the Muzeum stop on the metro.  Today we also woke up early so we could get an earlier start to the day.  We left the house by 1030AM again after a big breakfast.  David’s mother said we had to be home by 1230PM for the big lunch she was preparing which included a homemade pumpkin soup.  According to his mother food is fairly cheap in Czech.  As she told us the government can raise the price of gas and other goods but if they touch the prices of food the people will get very angry.

David and Karolina decided they wanted to show us some of the countryside in Czech so we all jumped in the car and we stopped at a few very old towns near Prague over 1000 years old.  It was crazy to see such old towns, I have not seen many towns this old in my life.  We saw a few churches, some castles of course and even took a Czech Safari where we saw beavers, an antelope like animal, ducks and huge wild jack rabbit type animals.  Since David was driving a big 4X4 we even did a little off-road driving to get closer to the animals.  We also visited a cottage where David’s grandmother stays during the year.  David said he has spent many summers in this cottage and it looked very nice.

When we got back to the home the food was waiting.  I had two huge bowls of pumpkin soup.  Man was it good.  I love pumpkin and soup so this was perfect.  There were a lot of spices and it warmed me right up.  The second course was a huge plate of mash potatoes and corn beef.  Hmmm was that good also.  This time though I turned down the beer as I was so full and when I asked for water David’s mother said “Really?  Just water?”  I said “yes I just want some water,” and she obliged giving me a glass of water.

At around 2PM we were off again.  Again Karolina came with us while David stayed back to study his Monday afternoon final exam.  When Linda told him we were coming to Prague to visit he did not mention the fact he had several final exams this week.  Nonetheless he hung out with us when he could and studied when he needed too.  We got a ride to the Letnany metro station and took the train to the Franz Kafka Museum which Linda wanted to do, so I said “OK” because she said she would watch the Giants game at night for 3+ hours.  I  ended up learning about this very crazy man called Franz Kafka who was Jewish and died around 41 years of age from Tuberculosis.  I also got a present for someone back home.

From the museum it was getting dark out, but regardless once again we would see Prague at night.  This time we went to the Jewish Quarter where we saw from the outside the oldest Synagogue left in Europe.  Most of the places around this area were closed because it was Sunday and late.  I was a little disappointed but not terribly disappointed so I got over it.  The three of us then decided to go to a local café.  Karolina had a fruit tea, Linda hot chocolate, and for me a bitter lemon Schweppes.  It was good and cold.  From the café it was off to a supermarket called Testco.  Here would bought some small gifts for David’s mother.  Karolina said that his mother liked potted plants so we got her two cactus and a fichus.  Then it was off to the Irish pub to get ready for the game.  When we arrived the last 30 minutes of Chelsea v. Manchester United was playing, the bar was packed with supporters.

After Manchester United won 3-0 the place cleared out and it was time for real football.  Unfortunately the Giants would lose in a very disappointing fashion 23-11.  I want to move on so I will not go into detail regarding how terrible they played and how they had a great chance to get back to the Superbowl.  Luckily I had drank fairly well during the game so it was quickly forgotten.  From the Irish pub we took the train back to Letnany.  We said our final goodbye to Karolina at the station called Ladvi, and then David (who met us at the Irish pub after he studied most of the day), Linda and I continued to Letnany where we were supposed to take a bus back and then make that awful mile+ long walk but instead Linda and I decided we wanted to take a taxi and low and behold there was a lone taxi waiting at the station for a fare.

David got the driver to take us using the meter and even though David ended up paying the fare, I left him money on his desk the next morning before we said goodbye to his family and Prague.



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