Prague

Four days in Prague were more than enough to see what I would consider the most worthwhile interesting places to visit in this beautiful city.  One feeling I got from this city during my stay there was a feeling of being enclosed from everything else.  Well, this city is mostly stone monuments, buildings, and stone roads.  There are not very many signs of nature in the streets, except for some pigeons near the main square cathedral.  There seemed to not be enough space or even open air areas.  Most likely there will always be a wall one your left and on your right.

If I had to pick my best moment in Prague or the place where I really loved to be was the very top of the mountain near the castle.  It was somewhere close to a monastery and the view of the city was majestic.  It was a warm evening and I just sat on a bench looking down on the red roof of Prague.  My skin needed some sunlight and my lungs some real nice fresh air.  It was a very relaxing moment.

My second favorite was the astronomical clock.  It is very photogenic by the way.  I took a really awesome picture of it.  Its history is also fascinating and the way it works as well.  I don’t really remember how it works, but it’s as if the lunar calendar and the solar calendar worked together as one.  I would have to study it in order to really be able to tell time with this clock.  In my eyes, this is what makes it beautiful, its complexity.

The third favorite thing is the cinnamon bread, of which I don’t remember the exact name, but it is a typical Czech food.  It is a cylindrical roll sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar all around.  It is needless to say that it is definitely delicious and I don’t just say this because I love cinnamon and bread, but I really consider it one of the great snacks in Prague. 

In fourth place is visiting the Jewish cemetery.  During my stay in the Czech Republic, I will learn many things about Jews and the Holocaust.  This time in Prague was a good learning experience because I learned some things about Judaism and about Jewish burial costumes.  It was also good to go over the history of the Jews in Prague.  It was also the first time I went inside a synagogue.  I didn’t really know what to expect and instead of having all my questions answered, new questions came to my mind.  The cemetery was not scary, but I think that most of the people that visit it don’t realize fully that they are walking above piles of buried bodies.  And it is hard to know what your feelings are or should be at that moment. I don’t even know what I should feel, but I guess the experience is different for every person.  The history of the Jews and the Holocaust is great and it takes more than just visiting places like this to understand it and fully appreciate its meaning.  I would like to learn more so by the time I leave this country I have come to a more genuine understanding of the historical events.

The fifth place I really liked was Dresden, Germany.  One of my connecting flights coming to the Czech Republic was in Munich, Germany.  There a noticed that the people were very quiet and calm.  The airport felt as if it was uninhabited.  The flight attendants were very polite and welcoming.  Going to Dresden, I found that it was not just people in the airport that were quiet and polite.  It was a very nice experience actually being in Germany and being around its people for a day.  I liked Dresden; it seems a bit more peaceful and spacious.  I would not mind going to see more of Germany.

The last but not least highlight of this four day trip was just walking around.  I got to see a lot of people in the street performing.  So I recorded a bit of all the people I saw either dancing or playing an instrument on the streets.  I will keep doing this for the rest of my stay in Europe and it should be fun to compile all of the videos of these street artists.  My favorite so far is the one about the Salsa dancers in the main square of Dresden.  It reminded me so much of Peru!