Though I could take trams (or the Metro) I seem to find myself walking everywhere in this city (well, not everywhere)...I've walked on the Charles Bridge which has a beautiful view of the river and of the city but is so crowded with tourists every day that it ruins the pleasure slightly. There are a variety of trinkets being sold on the bridge and a number of "portrait" artists willing to paint/draw/caricature me. I haven't had my picture drawn...just seems, so...I don't know..un-Stacey to do that. I was sitting up on part of the bridge just walking people walk by. I had my headphones on and didn't hear their approach, but I saw 2 sets of black shoes standing before me (I was looking at the ground) and though I didn't hear what they said because of the music blaring in my ears, in front of me were two police officers. They indicated I needed to GET DOWN and not sit on any part of the bridge (it is old, so that makes sense!) and I muttered "sorry, sorry" and I laughed to and at myself.
I've eaten Czech food several times now and honestly, I just haven't enjoyed it. Maybe I keep going to the wrong places. I have had very good Chinese food, though..better than in Eugene, Oregon. I've taken a boat ride (very touristy but they gave me a free beer and a piece of ginger bread and the price was about $7 us dollars) down the river and learned some history about the bridges and about major flooding that has occurred in various points throughout history.
I've seen live music several times and enjoyed it. God, I haven't done a whole lot of things that are interesting enough to write about, perhaps. Just a lot of walking around and staring at things and feeling very exhilirated and euphoric at points and feeling very lonely and sad at others because though I have friends here, I wish I had Larry and my close friends and family here to walk with..to share this with (besides in these emails)...
The weather has been amazing. It has been sunny and very warm (verging on hot for me, actually...I really am lacking in summer clothes, so I am walking around all the time, sweating in black pants or black skirts and dark colored tops)...I swear I am going to buy some sandals, but how to fit them in my overstuffed pack??
I live across the street from a park (Letna Park...I think that is how it is spelled) and I sit there almost every day (as do tons of other people)...Everybody and his brother has a dog and I love watching the dogs run after each other as people walk by...some people rollerblade by....there is a beer garden out in the park, so people sit around drinking beer all day (and night perhaps)
Sometimes I think everybody here is really happy but I notice that people do not smile a lot when I pass them on the streets. I've learned to look at the sidewalk and make no eye contact...that is just the way it is done. The Czech's seem to keep to themselves, but then again, I can't speak czech so how could I strike up a conversation (unless they speak English...most young people do, but not all)..
I had an empty table all to myself the other night at the local bar and the bar was crowded and a group of 4 people came in...I offered them the extra seats at my table. They looked petrified at first but then they sat with me. Only 1 person spoke English (she was Czech)...So she was translating, but mostly they talked amongst themselves. The other 3 turned out to be from Slovakia...One of them dropped some of his food on my shoe and he turned beet red and said "sorry, sorry" (and he apologized profusely again at the end of the night) so I know he at least knows how to say "sorry",
The lady that spoke English asked me how I called my cat. At first I was confused by then I realized she meant..how did I call my cats home if they were outside and I wanted them in, so I said "Here kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty" (but more in that weird fast, auctioneer's voice) and they all couldn't stop laughing. I think she was trying to say that the Slovaks called their cats in a similar way or something. Anyways, I am glad I was a great source of entertainment for them!!
Yesterday I went with my friends to a lovely French restaurant out in the country. It was like eating in somebody's back yard in a way. Then we drove to some nearby ruins (of a castle)...The name of the place starts with an O and now I can't remember it at all, damn. The ruins were amazing (yes, I took pics which I am having trouble downloading on any of these czech interenet cafe computers so pics will just have to wait) and I loved being in the countryside...there are fields of yellow flowers everywhere and it is a little hilly with "mountains" in the back....I don't know what the yellow flowers are but form a distance they are amazing.....just fields and fields of them everywhere.
I leave Prague on April 30 and plan on going to Vienna. Then I will head south to Italy for a few weeks after I've had my fill of Austria.
