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| It's always a pleasure to guide someone around on their first Prague visit. Justin from Vancouver was visiting by way of Vienna where he'd attended a fuel cell conference in his capacity as a government scientist. I picked him up at his hotel at 11 am and we went straight to U Rudolfina for a traditional lunch of veproknedlozelo (pork-dumplings-sauerkraut), pivny syr (beer cheese), and pivo (beer). We'd arranged to connect with my pal Dan down at Vysehrad, which for some reason is conspicuously absent from most tourist maps. Dan's happy about that as it keeps the swarms of tourists away, leaving Prague's first fortification the almost exclusive domain of locals who promenade its high walls courting, walking their dogs, or just enjoying the panoramic vistas. I'd been to the cemetery there dozens of times. It's like Pere Lachaise on a miniscule scale, the final resting place of Czech cultural heroes--poets, composers, actors, and, um, soccer players. But I'd never been inside the big church there because it's rarely open. We went in and were blown away by the art nouveau murals adorning the interior. They were painted by a married couple named Urban but they look as if they could have been done by Alphonse Mucha. It's nice to still find new surprises after 15 years of frequent visits. From there we walked by the cubist architecture at the base of the hill and down along the river and crossed near Tancici Dum to Ujezd where we plopped down for a beer session at Klub Ujezd. I stayed while Justin popped across the street to the Communist Victims' memorial. I think sitting on one's ass for a few hours is necessary to get a fuller appreciation of a city. Having a couple of shots of Becherovka at the bartender's behest is the tourist equivalent of stopping to smell the roses. You're never going to see it all so why kill yourself trying? After a so-so dinner elsewhere we stopped by Kampa, where this micturitional sculpture by Czech bad boy artist David Cerny has become a huge attraction. During the day it is surrounded by dozens of tourists who pose with its two heroes in sometimes suggestive ways. And while it's easy to be wowed by the art and views abounding in Praha I continue to be most impressed by the sidewalks of the city. I can't help but feel good when I see the care and skill which goes into their construction and maintenance. Not only is this cobblestone approach more durable and practical (can be dug up and replaced without waste) than concrete or asphalt, the intricate patterns remind me with every step that this is a culture which still celebrates aesthetics and practices craft. |
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