Prague - A Meetin' Place - IgoUgo Prague Journal

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Astronomical Clock Photo - Prague, Czech Republic

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OverviewI titled this Journal "Prague - A Meetin' Place" for a good reason. There is a saying that if you stand on the corner of 42nd Street and Broadway in New York City (Times Square) for an hour, that you will meet someone that you know. My version of that saying is a little different. If you stand in the middle of the Charles Bridge in Prague for two hours, you will meet everyone you know! It seems like the whole world is there and they are all aiming at you.In your mind's eve, picture this. It is approximately noon on Prague's Charles Bridge on the first day of Spring (as in March 21st). You are crossing the Charles Bridge in hopes of eventually...Read More

Overview

I titled this Journal "Prague - A Meetin' Place" for a good reason. There is a saying that if you stand on the corner of 42nd Street and Broadway in New York City (Times Square) for an hour, that you will meet someone that you know. My version of that saying is a little different. If you stand in the middle of the Charles Bridge in Prague for two hours, you will meet everyone you know! It seems like the whole world is there and they are all aiming at you.

In your mind's eve, picture this. It is approximately noon on Prague's Charles Bridge on the first day of Spring (as in March 21st). You are crossing the Charles Bridge in hopes of eventually reaching the other side and the Old Town of Prague. I guarantee that you will feel like you have been in a combination of a demolition derby and bumper cars after bumping into and being bumped into and saying "prosim vás" (pro-seem vahs) "excuse me"so often you could pass for a local. Plus, tourists with large umbrellas who don't normally carry such implements (read non-British), need to learn not to carry them as if the were knights on a joust. And, you will need to stop by a pharmacy to buy something for your "Charles Bridge Bruises." Remember, this is only March 21st, and July is coming.

So, you ask, why would anyone subject themselves to this kind of punishment and worse? Because it is worth it! Prague is worth all of the hassles you have to go through to see this absolutely wonderful city!

It is not just the Palace or the cathedrals, or the Astronomical Clock on the Old Town Hall. It is not the museums, or beautifully decorated buildings. A visit to Prague is to visit an atmosphere, which is partly awe, partly surprise, and lots of excitement. Prague is an exciting city and it is within almost everyone's budget, and while it is becoming more expensive, Prague is still much less expensive than many cities in western Europe. It is Medieval and Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque and even Rococo. One needn't search for the beauty of this old city. Prague will slap you in the face with its' beauty and with its' emotion and its' lust for life. Prague is vitality!

The temperature was in the upper 40's F when I was there. It was sunny and inviting and most folks were down to sweaters and hoodies by 1:00 pm. The outdoor restaurants and cafes were swamped, and the first day of Spring was exhilarating for all.

I'm starting with the Stare Mêsto (Old City) because that is the right place to start. Come along, won't you? Read Less

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Old Town Historic Center of Prague

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Attraction | "Old Town Prague"

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For the past ten years I have been hearing about Prague from other travelers. The city has come up on the top or near the top of their Do Not Miss destination lists and for some reason I always missed this lovely city. Because of a great price on airfare ($418.00 round trip from Chicago to Warsaw) I decided to spend a couple of weeks in Eastern Europe and this time I did include Prague. It was a wise inclusion and I am still enthralled with the city (despite the hoards of tourists).Parenthetically, much of this review will be, as usual, personal opinions and impressions of this most wonderful city and her citizens (both mine and theirs). I use no names, but those involved will r...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on June 20, 2011

Old Town Historic Center of Prague
Staromestske Namesti
Prague, Czech Republic 110 00

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Little Town Budget Hotel

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Hotel | "This is a Hostel?"

Entrance to the Little Town Hotel Photo - Little Town Budget Hotel, Prague, Czech Republic

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There is no excitement in regards to the Little Town Budget Hotel. It calls itself a "hotel," but it is both. It is located about 100 meters from a tram/bus stop so one cannot possibly get lost. That's pretty boring. Think of all the excitement and good, healthy exercise you will miss carrying bags and packs all over while searching for your accommodations. Anyway, it opens onto the main street leading to Charles Bridge so all you have to do is to roll downhill for a couple of blocks. Once you get into the building, there is a small and cramped office off the alleyway (sorry, I didn't mention that the building was a hotel a few hundred years ago and had carriages pulling into the inner courtyard)...Read More

There is no excitement in regards to the Little Town Budget Hotel. It calls itself a "hotel," but it is both. It is located about 100 meters from a tram/bus stop so one cannot possibly get lost. That's pretty boring. Think of all the excitement and good, healthy exercise you will miss carrying bags and packs all over while searching for your accommodations. Anyway, it opens onto the main street leading to Charles Bridge so all you have to do is to roll downhill for a couple of blocks. Once you get into the building, there is a small and cramped office off the alleyway (sorry, I didn't mention that the building was a hotel a few hundred years ago and had carriages pulling into the inner courtyard). After checking in (and worrying about the size of dorm room you will get), you go down a cobblestone alleyway to the elevator, to which you have received a key. I got off at the 3rd floor, but I don't know where you will have to go. My 10 bed dorm was #302. The door is key-less entry and the number combination changes daily. (Hint: press the star key and then the numbers. It's less embarrassing. I know from experience) Entering through the door, you find yourself in a full kitchen through which you go to enter the dorm. The dorm room is about 30m square! There are two double bunks and four single beds. There is room for coats and sweaters to be hung, security lockers, with room left over for a bowling alley or casino. Looking into the absolutely spotless bathroom, you find all the necessary accoutrements including the obligatory bidet. At this point, you sit down on one of the beds and say, "Hey Mom, I'm home." By the way, the kitchen is for the room, not the community. So I assume, is the bidet.

Time to explore. Leaving the elevator, across the alley-way is a small convenience store. How convenient! Exiting through the entrance door and turning right and going down the slight hill to the Charles Bridge Gate, you will pass about a dozen pubs and restaurants (one of which has two really cute bartenders and great Goulash Soup), and if that isn't enough, the Church of St. Nicholas is right across the street. The dome of the church is visible from all over the city. You find the palace and the spires of St. Vitus's Cathedral and in front of those spires is the dome. Not even I could get lost and my sense of direction, or rather lack of, is legendary.

Seriously, this is the absolute best hostel accommodation at which I have ever stayed, and I have been doing this for a long time. Here's the best part - I paid $15.60 per night! That's dollars not euros! During the high season the cost will just about double, but it would still be worth it to me - and I'm cheap! I love the place!!!

And I'm not going to tell you where I found the goulash soup and... You're on your own. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on June 13, 2011

Little Town Budget Hotel
Malostranske Square 11/260
Prague, Czech Republic 110 00
866-539-0036

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John Lennon Wall

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Attraction | "The John Lennon Wall"

John Lennon Wall Photo - John Lennon Wall, Prague, Czech Republic

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I am going to get a little political in this piece. People in the US and around the world kind of forget or never knew what the 60's and early 70's were about. Civil Rights was a big deal to people across all ethnic and racial lines, both for and against. The Berlin Wall went up in 1961; President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963; race riots were occurring throughout the period. Then came the Vietnam War. Many things happened during that period and one thing seems to get overlooked. It was the first time in our history that young people, college students, changed the nation's history. On college campuses all across the country students mobilized nationally and rose up against the authority that...Read More

I am going to get a little political in this piece. People in the US and around the world kind of forget or never knew what the 60's and early 70's were about. Civil Rights was a big deal to people across all ethnic and racial lines, both for and against. The Berlin Wall went up in 1961; President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963; race riots were occurring throughout the period. Then came the Vietnam War. Many things happened during that period and one thing seems to get overlooked. It was the first time in our history that young people, college students, changed the nation's history. On college campuses all across the country students mobilized nationally and rose up against the authority that they believed to be responsible most of the problems facing the US at the time. That authority was the United States government, and the actions of those young people changed American history.

John Lennon was not a leader of the riots and protests. He was just a singer in a rock band called the Beatles and he was writing and singing very idealistic music. Freedom, peace, love of one's fellow man became watchwords of the youth of this country and of the world. The words that he wrote became watchwords and buzzwords for an entire generation. His music and the Beatles music are still going strong today. The long-haired lads from Liverpool didn't start the peace movement, but their music their music and idealism helped fuel the movement and keep the movement alive.

The idealism of youth, given the impetus of numbers, proved that the world could be changed. It was the idealism, theory, communications, and guts (at times mistaken or misguided, or overdone) that changed the world. For the most part it was a positive movement and it had world wide effects. John Lennon symbolizes that idealism to this day.

When John Lennon was gunned-down in 1980, the news of his death spread across the US and the world. The speed of the communications allowed the world to grieve his death as had never before happened. To some people John Lennon was a martyr and some folks didn't care, but many people around the world recognized that one of the great voices for peace and freedom had been stilled. And they remembered.

In Prague, Czechoslovakia they remembered silently, but passionately. On a wall owned by the Knights of the Maltese Cross on Velkoprevorske Namesti, in the Mala Strana district of Prague, graffiti began appearing with sayings and poems about Lennon or titles of his songs or prayers for him. They all grieved the loss of one who had defined freedom and peace, something about which the Czech people had known little in the 20th century. So as the communist government removed or painted over the graffiti on the wall, more would appear the following days. It was kind of hidden patriotism. One person told me that, "those were the good days when we were letting the communists and the Russians know what we wanted and what we thought." Eventually, the communists gave up and in 1989 they handed the government back to the Czech and Slovakian people. The wall was not a remembrance of John Lennon in 1980 as much as it was a protest for freedom by the youth of Czechoslovakia. They wanted freedom and peace. Don't we all.

I hope that all people looking at the wall will remember what it stands for and vow to do what they can to achieve those goals about which John Lennon sang so brilliantly. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on June 19, 2011

John Lennon Wall
Velkoprevorske Nam.
Prague, Czech Republic

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The Lesson of Lost - Part 1

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I am very good at getting lost. Fortunately, I am pretty good at getting found too, which makes being lost somewhat less of a problem. It wasn’t always like that. At one time it frustrated me a lot. I have always hated being late, for anything, and being lost usually meant being late. I still hate being late, but I have gotten over both being lost and being late when I travel. Being retired helps; my motto is: I have nothing to do and all day to do it in. I couldn’t care less about being late for anything except for my flight home. That, I admit, has caused some concern.Anyway, I have never known why I get lost. I know that we all wonder about why we do the things we do, an...Read More

I am very good at getting lost. Fortunately, I am pretty good at getting found too, which makes being lost somewhat less of a problem. It wasn’t always like that. At one time it frustrated me a lot. I have always hated being late, for anything, and being lost usually meant being late. I still hate being late, but I have gotten over both being lost and being late when I travel. Being retired helps; my motto is: I have nothing to do and all day to do it in. I couldn’t care less about being late for anything except for my flight home. That, I admit, has caused some concern.

Anyway, I have never known why I get lost. I know that we all wonder about why we do the things we do, and that is one thing that seems to pop into my mind on occasion. Lack of paying attention to where I am going, having a terrible sense of direction are some answers, but I can get lost anywhere. Some people can walk or drive a route once and remember it. Not I.

I got lost in Prague. Really lost - 15 hours worth of lost. Getting lost is nothing new. I frequently get lost in a new place, but for only a couple of hours, not the whole day and night. I was going to the "meeting place" for a walking tour when I saw a really lovely side street that was very photogenic. I was half an hour early for the tour so I kept following the street, taking photographs all the way. After about fifteen minutes, I turned around and headed back the way I came. I didn’t come out where I thought I would. Damn! Oh well...

But the story is not about getting lost, and it’s not about how I returned to civilization. It’s about that period of time being lost and what I learned during that period, because, for me, travel is about learning and seeing or seeing and learning. I know that if I don't do both on a particular trip, the trip will be at least partially wasted. Seeing is going to happen unless I go blind, and some learning will always take place just because I can see; some, but not much. There has to be a desire to learn and fortunately, I am the inquisitive type.

It takes a while to become comfortable with walking up to a total stranger and asking for help, knowing that that person may not speak your language. It took a couple of years for me to be able to do that. Every success leads to more confidence and that is what I forced myself to do. Today that is one of my greatest joys in traveling – learning about others.

Before I get into my thoughts about what Prague is, I’m going to tell you what I think Prague isn’t. Prague is beginning to not go quietly into the night. It isn’t going into the night kicking and gouging and screaming and scratching yet, but I believe that some of that is coming. Like all of the countries in the old Soviet bloc, government is not to be trusted. Corruption in government still exists as it has for centuries plus they have lost and continue to lose a good portion of their brain trust to more lucrative jobs in other countries. The people have been very passive and cynical for many years, decades, generations, but new voices are beginning to be heard. With the increase in tourism, more and more ideas are being brought in and passed among the young people of the country, and much of the new thought begins in Prague. Most young people were not born when the power of the Soviet system was fully engaged and are unaware of the persecution of the Czech people and how corrupt and difficult things were. It seems like they don't believe their parents about that past and how difficult it was. They read about Alexander Dubcek and 1968, but they were not living at the time. The past is just "history" to them. The Velvet Revolution in 1989 was a complete surprise to everyone. A coup without a drop of blood spilled. Freedom arrived quickly - overnight. But things change slowly. Optimism about the future is increasing among the young people, but pessimism is still the order of the day. At least that is what was expressed to me.

End of Part 1

Note: Most of the photographs are identified on the lower part of the image, but it is necessary to view them in "Full" mode.
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The Lesson of Lost - Part 2

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Ice Cream at 45 F Photo - Prague, Czech Republic

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Being lost requires kind of a different brain set. I don't care about my very tentative list of things to do on a particular day or evening. I find that I see more and learn more when I have no schedule and am free to do what I want. I may not go to a particular monument or cathedral, or museum, but I may see something that I find much more interesting, which makes it more important to me. That day, March 22nd, turned out to be a day of learning for me. It was very good day, indeed.When it comes to tourism, Prague can rival any of the major cities in Europe especially considering the size of the population. It is a beautiful and lively city. The Communists did some reconstruc...Read More

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Prague - A Meetin' Place

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The Lesson of Lost - Part 1

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