Jasmine's 2011 Trip: Prague

I arrived in Prague late in the afternoon. I was going to try to meet up with Liz, a young lady from Chicago I had met in Scotland, who has been studying in Prague for the last nine months. I had given myself about an hour to check into a hostel, Sir Toby's, and then meet her. Getting around the metro was pretty easy, but there are not many stops, so most people use trams to get around. The thing with the trams though, is that they are not always reliable. They will always be on time, but that is only if they are actually running! The tram I was supposed to take to get to the hostel was not, and so I had to ask around to figure out where to catch another one. Luckily, people were very friendly, and it seems much of the younger generation speaks English. Out of the three days I was there, the weather was fine except for the second day, where I almost decided to just stay in it was so cold, wet, and windy. A friendly German told me to just look at it like I was experiencing an "authentic" eastern european spring. Haha, one night, Gina, a girl I was rooming with, and I ventured into old town looking for a club I had seen earlier that played South American music and served czech food... it was so cold that we actually turned back before we found it!
Anyhow, although I was late, I did meet up with Liz and she showed me around for a bit after an amazing dinner of beef goulash and beer. The next two days I explored the city, met great people, and ate more good food.
My favorite experience was visiting the Mucha Museum. I have always admired his beautiful decorative designs but this was the first time I learned of the extent of his body of work. I had been unaware of his political leanings towards the end of his life, that he was a prolific oil painter, or of his skill as a photographer (his photographs were only used as studies for his work but in their own right were very sophisticated for the times). The magnificent Slav Epic really left me awestruck although it was not displayed in the museum (they were presented and explained during a short documentary of his life).
On a funny note, I have noticed that pop stars from the 80's and 90's continue to enjoy popularity in Europe. Some recent surprises: ZZ Top in Vienna, A Billy Ray Cyrus concert in Budapest (as well as Roxette), Onyx and Jeff Beck in Prague. But the soundtrack to my visit to Prague was definitely "Heaven" by Bryan Adams! Everywhere I went, there were posters for an upcoming show, including an entire wall right next to Sir Toby's Hostel. "... and baby you're all that I need..."

Another unplanned visit. Prague is breathtaking, especially at night. So glad I was able to fit it in!