Getting Lost and Finding Your Way

I work up to a bright, sunny Sunday morning...thinking it was 8:00' discovering it was 10:30...but going over 30 hours on 2 hours sleep meant I deserved a little additional shut eye..a quick breakfast from the zeleniny (green grocer) downstairs and then my new friends Lauura, Ash, Carrie and I were on our way to Staroměstské Náměstí  (Old Town Square). We decided to  eschew the tram and walk - no GPS, a map in Czech and only a vague idea of where we were going. It took some turning around but we were finally headed in the right direction.

We wandered along wide sunny boulevards and narrow cobblestone streets. Prague is such a contradiction of styles. Ancient  architecture from the 1400's, beautiful old buildings from the 19th century, Soviet era concrete and sparkling new shopping malls all on the same street.

We passed by Wenceslas Square, the Old Towne Market and then after winding through a tiny side street came out to the splendor of the Old Town Square. Enormous and  surrounded my elegant buildings teeming with Sunday tourists enjoying a rare, sunny November day.  Purveyors of wonderful Czech street food, both savory and sweet, sold their wares while a Dixieland band  contributed a uniquely American sound to the festivities.

As the day grew later and colder, we decided to seek out a warm spot  to fortify ourselves before heading back to Žižkov. 

We located Dobra Cajovna (Good Tea House) thanks to Ash's IPhone - Thank you Steve Jobs, wherever you are - and settled in to enjoy some tea and treats. Dobra Cajovna is the "mother tea house" to a place I visit often in Burlington, Vermont. I was happy to share the experience with my friends and take pleasure in the same calming atmosphere there that I've enjoyed back in the states.

After tea we headed back out and were not quite sure of how to make our way home. An elderly gentleman offered to help, but when he suggested we follow him we got a bit suspicious. Perhaps he was the front man for a vicious group of young thugs eager to prey on four obvious tourists! But our suspicious were unfounded as he set us off in the right direction and happily smiled at our, likely horribly pronounced, "dekuji" (thank you).

Back at our flats, we rested a bit before meeting up with our fellow classmates for a tram ride down town and a group dinner where Brandon, a Language House alumni and current teacher, taught us the proper Czech way to drink a toast...Lift your glass, never cross arms, look into the eyes of your friend, say "Na Zdravi", clink the rim of the glass, the base of the glass, set the glass down, immediately pick it up and drink - with enthusiasm!

Tomorrow starts the first day of classes - Time to get back into student-mode! Wish me good luck!

Na vidĕnou!