More Prague snapshots
Feb. 19th, 2003 12:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jeanvieveAll the sidewalks are cobblestones. Most of the streets in old town are larger, rounder stones. They learned too much from the Germans, in terms of toilet paper. Or perhaps its some sort of penance. Pray you avoid any kind of Montezuma's Revenge while there, or pack your own. Carry loose change, as most of the public restrooms cost to use. They're clean, though, and its pretty cheap. 5 cents american, for the most expensive.
They've not yet heard of the notion of a double, queen, or king sized mattress. They have two singles pushed conveniently together, even in the really nice hotel. On the other hand, all the pillows in the nice places are made of feathers. And the bathtubs! Deep enough to sit in water up to your chest.
Go to Prague if you want shoes, pretty underwear, crystal, garnets, amber, puppets. The food of any nationality is amazing, though the sushi merely good. Continental breakfast there is coffee, tea, rolls, cheese, ham, sausage, cereal, milk, yoghurt. That was in the cheapest hostel. The nice hotel adds scrambled and hard boiled eggs, sausage, bacon, olives, cucumbers, toast, pate, jams. Included in the price of your room.
Go to an apothecary if you need anything. Prescription drugs, non prescription drugs, they'll hand out it all on your assurance that you need it. Wow, the amazing feeling of being treated like an adult who knows how to dose oneself.
The water is still a little questionable, lightly greenish after the flooding. Not inspirational to drink out of the tap. You're stuck with bottled water. Be sure to ask for water, no gas, if you just want regular water in a restaurant. They don't believe in ice in the wintertime, unless you find the nice little cajun place that serves American iced tea. Chinese restaurants serve real green tea, with the leaves in the bottom of the cup and all. No bitter dried tea aftertaste! It was fantastic. But as far as ice goes, not to beat a subject to death, you can't even get it at McDonalds or KFC.
Food is cheap there! Or at least, half to two thirds what you might expect to pay for a comparable restaurant in the States. Unlike Frankfurt and Germany, where its as much or more. Ask my sweetie about the nice offers he got from some very obliging young ladies in the McDonald's restroom. :) How come I didn't get any companionable offers like that from considerate strange men? Anyway, go to Pushkin's and order the goulash or duck. Yum.
There's music everywhere. Lots of live bands in cafes, in the public squares, on the bridge, on cruises up the river. Everyone tries to hand you fliers to attend their church's music program that evening. Perhaps I'll be able to do the music tour of Prague next time, and attend more performances. But if you like jazz or blues, Prague is for you.
Don't bother trying to learn any of the language. If all you have are a few words here or there, the natives will largely ignore you speaking it. Especially if you don't pronounce it perfectly. Unlike Germany and other places, where they'll slow down their words to help you understand, if a Czech hears you mangling his mother tongue, he'll talk a little faster and scare you back into English. And if they say haltingly they speak a little English, don't believe them. Find someone who says yes with confidence. But if it amuses you, like me, to try to learn the pronunciation, its a lot of fun. Just don't expect the natives to appreciate your efforts or assist the process much.
Its largely a city of stone and brick. Not long on gardens or trees, though when they have them they are very baroque in style, again. But I wonder what it looks like when what trees are there put on their autumn finery.
They've not yet heard of the notion of a double, queen, or king sized mattress. They have two singles pushed conveniently together, even in the really nice hotel. On the other hand, all the pillows in the nice places are made of feathers. And the bathtubs! Deep enough to sit in water up to your chest.
Go to Prague if you want shoes, pretty underwear, crystal, garnets, amber, puppets. The food of any nationality is amazing, though the sushi merely good. Continental breakfast there is coffee, tea, rolls, cheese, ham, sausage, cereal, milk, yoghurt. That was in the cheapest hostel. The nice hotel adds scrambled and hard boiled eggs, sausage, bacon, olives, cucumbers, toast, pate, jams. Included in the price of your room.
Go to an apothecary if you need anything. Prescription drugs, non prescription drugs, they'll hand out it all on your assurance that you need it. Wow, the amazing feeling of being treated like an adult who knows how to dose oneself.
The water is still a little questionable, lightly greenish after the flooding. Not inspirational to drink out of the tap. You're stuck with bottled water. Be sure to ask for water, no gas, if you just want regular water in a restaurant. They don't believe in ice in the wintertime, unless you find the nice little cajun place that serves American iced tea. Chinese restaurants serve real green tea, with the leaves in the bottom of the cup and all. No bitter dried tea aftertaste! It was fantastic. But as far as ice goes, not to beat a subject to death, you can't even get it at McDonalds or KFC.
Food is cheap there! Or at least, half to two thirds what you might expect to pay for a comparable restaurant in the States. Unlike Frankfurt and Germany, where its as much or more. Ask my sweetie about the nice offers he got from some very obliging young ladies in the McDonald's restroom. :) How come I didn't get any companionable offers like that from considerate strange men? Anyway, go to Pushkin's and order the goulash or duck. Yum.
There's music everywhere. Lots of live bands in cafes, in the public squares, on the bridge, on cruises up the river. Everyone tries to hand you fliers to attend their church's music program that evening. Perhaps I'll be able to do the music tour of Prague next time, and attend more performances. But if you like jazz or blues, Prague is for you.
Don't bother trying to learn any of the language. If all you have are a few words here or there, the natives will largely ignore you speaking it. Especially if you don't pronounce it perfectly. Unlike Germany and other places, where they'll slow down their words to help you understand, if a Czech hears you mangling his mother tongue, he'll talk a little faster and scare you back into English. And if they say haltingly they speak a little English, don't believe them. Find someone who says yes with confidence. But if it amuses you, like me, to try to learn the pronunciation, its a lot of fun. Just don't expect the natives to appreciate your efforts or assist the process much.
Its largely a city of stone and brick. Not long on gardens or trees, though when they have them they are very baroque in style, again. But I wonder what it looks like when what trees are there put on their autumn finery.
