Cobblestones Slippery When Wet

"Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment." ~Rumi

Feb 22, 2013 (continued)
When I got back to my dorm, I was still a little wired from adrenaline and found it hard to jot down everything I’d seen at the concentration camp. I decided to make some rough notes and then I’d go back to fill in the details later.

I was very conflicted. It’d been in Europe now for almost two weeks and I wanted to start traveling outside of the Czech Republic. At the same time, I didn’t know several things. First off, I didn’t know the best way to travel out (plane, bus, train, etc.) Secondly, I didn’t know where to stay once I got out. How did one find a hostel or know which hostels were good and which ones weren’t. Thirdly, I was still freaked out. I wanted to travel, but I now realized I needed a travel buddy.

To start, I began researching other places I wanted to visit. I found a few agencies that specialized in student trips, as well as a few sites of recommendations of where to go and how to get there cheap. I emailed a few people with questions and hoped I’d hear back soon.

Still a bit jumpy, I decided I didn’t want to cook. I’d been talking with a few people online and Kevin recommended an Italian Restaurant across the street from the dorms. Putting on my jacket, I went there.

It turned out to be a great restaurant. There was an old man playing a keyboard in the corner. Actually, the key board was playing one of its pre-set medleys and the man was attempting to play along. It was out of key and off beat, but entertaining nonetheless.

Once I was seated, there were a few mix-ups with the waiter. The first was when I ordered orange soda and got orange juice and tonic water (still very refreshing.) The second was when I said I needed more time to look at the menu and he brought me my check. Either way, the food was great! I specifically ordered something with meat and vegetables so that I could try to round out my carbo-loaded diet. I got pasta with chicken and broccoli and it all tasted awesome.

Walking back to the dorm, it started to snow. It was the most serious storm we’d had since I got to Prague. Usually, the light flurries just blend into the air and barely hit the ground. This one was blowing big flakes that were accumulating quickly.

When I got back to my dorm, I took a shower and then skyped with my brother. It was the first time we’d talked since the day before I left. He looked good and it felt good to hear from him.

“You look so tired,” he said.

“I am exhausted,” I admitted. “Doing stuff all day every day is really taking it out of me. But it’s so much fun!”

“You should go to bed,” he kept saying, but I wanted to keep talking with him.

Feb 23, 2013

My brother was right. I must have been tired. I slept till almost noon.

Ivana had to work this weekend and she’d invited me to the restaurant she waitressed at for lunch. I pulled up the address on Google and then oriented it with my map. I was really getting pretty good at this whole map thing. Those scout skills were finally coming in handy.

I messaged Kevin on Facebook to see if he wanted to go, but he said he was feeling a bit sick. Aaron had been sick too this week and Ivana felt a bit ill. I’d heard of other people in the dorm and at school who were laid up with a bug too. Seems to be going around. The carb diet and constant alcohol can’t be helping the situation either.

After lunch, I’d planned to go see a few museums. There was the Museum of Medieval Torture that Ivana had given me flyers for, and Karel (another Czech student who had studied at my university last semester in America) had recommended the Museum of Chocolate.

Getting dressed, I peeked out the window. The snow had gotten serious. It was piling up and still falling in big gusts. Back home, people would have been hording cases of water and staying inside. The thought crossed my mind, but my time in Prague was ticking and I wanted to get out and do something today.

I took the tram into town. It amazed me how mobile people still were. The trams were just as busy and the roads just as crowded as they would have been any other day. While nothing had been plowed, traffic still drove and people still rushed about their routines as if the snow was a total non-factor.

At the stop for school, I transferred to the 26 and road it to Republic Square. It took me a while to get oriented and I walked around a few wrong streets before finding the right one for the restaurant. It was kind of fun getting “lost.” All of the buildings and courtyards were so interesting that every street seemed worthy of its own private tour.

While stumbling around, I did run into two girls that were slipping across the ice in high heels. My initial impression was they were tourists, but upon closer looks, I found they fell into a different category. They were transvestites. While their hair, make up, and clothing was very feminine, their faces and voices were very, very masculine. They spoke in Czech and were clearly both lost and confused by the snow covered signs.

When I found the correct street, I tried to find a building number. The number for the restaurant was 2, but the only number I could find was 6. I couldn’t see if the numbers on the streets were increasing or decreasing.

As I looked in the windows, I found one that looked like a restaurant. Stepping inside, I was greeted by a thick, black curtain that was hung to keep the cold out. Pushing it back, and letting my eyes adjust, I saw Ivana wiping down tables. She looked up and saw me.

“You came!” she said.

“I did!” I said. “I got a little lost, but not too bad.”

“Is ok,” she said. “I got lost the first few times I come here too. Where you like to sit?”

I pointed at the closest table, but she suggested a smaller one by the window. Bringing me a menu, she said she’d be right back. I’d only scanned it for a few minutes when she returned.

“Would you like a recommendation?” she asked.

“Sure,” I said.

“This one is very good,” she said pointing at one towards the bottom. “It has seafood in it and a good sauce. Or maybe this one,” she said pointing at another seafood dish.

I love seafood, but unfortunately, I am allergic. With a bit of benedryl, I can normally eat it ok, but without the medication, I get hives and heartburn.

“I can’t eat seafood today,” I told her. “Is there something with some meat and vegetables?”

She suggested a dish that had chicken and spinach in it. I got to choose my type of noodle and got penne.

“And you like something to drink?” she asked.

“I really like orange soda,” I told her. “Do you have any?”

“Yes we have it,” she said. “Is called mirinda in Czech.” Now I could order it again.

She brought the soda a few seconds later in a chilled, glass bottle. Pouring about half of it into a glass with a slice of lemon, she left the rest of the bottle with me. I started staring out the window. I realized it was going to be a cold and chilly day getting around town. With the late start, I worried I might not get to both museums. I also realized that was ok. My American culture had taught me I need to stay busy and be productive, but my European friends were starting to show me it was okay to slow down and just be.

As I looked around the restaurant, I saw Ivana making drinks for some people at the bar. As one of the guys turned around, I recognized it was Lubos. He stood up and came over to sit at my table.

“How are you?” I asked as he sat down.

“I’m good,” he said. “You?”

“Very good,” I said.

“Is not so good weather we are having today,” he said. “It needs to be better.”

“It reminds me of the storms we get back home,” I said. “Except back home, the city would have shut down.”

“Really?” he said. “The Czech people do not shut down for snow.”

“What about the schools?” I asked. “Do they ever close schools for snow?”

He looked confused. “No, we don’t close anything for snow. Unless it gets over a meter, then maybe but usually, we don’t close for snow.”

“That’s funny,” I said. “Back home they close schools for snow all the time. If it gets icy or more than a few inches, it all shuts down.”

He laughed. “No I don’t think we ever closed school here for snow.”

We laughed some more. “When the weather gets better, Ivy and I can take you travelling. We talk last night about going to Berlin sometime.”

“That would be great!” I said. “I went to Terezin yesterday and got a little over my head.”

“Really?” he said. “My mother’s husband works there,” he told me. “You should have told me and he could have shown you lots of historical things.”

“Oh that would have been great!” I told him, feeling even more fooling about my escapade. “Let me ask you something,” I said. “When I was there yesterday, there was a guy who I think was following me. When I crossed the street, he crossed the street, and he waited for me when I went inside the museum. What would you suggest I do if this happens again?”

He thought for a minute. “I don’t think will happen again,” he said. “Not in Prague at least. And I think important thing is maybe not going out alone. I wouldn’t go to Terezin alone.”

That made sense, and would have been valuable information 24 hours ago.

“So I would say call Ivy, or me or some other Czech student and have one of us go with you. We can communicate for you and help show you stuff you don’t know about.”

Soon after, my food came. It tasted great! The chicken was tender, the pasta and sauce were great, and the spinach was amazing.

“The food here is all so good,” I said. “Everything tastes so fresh. It’s amazing to me what happens when you take out high fructose corn syrup.”

He laughed. “Did you ever see American movie, um, what was it called?” He thought for a minute.

“Supersize Me,” I offered.

“Yes!” he said. “With guy at McDonalds.”

“We watched it in my marketing class last semester,” I said.

“Is so gross,” he said.

“Yea the last time I had McDonalds was after rock climbing with my friends. It made me feel sick,” I told him.

“Is not real food,” he said. “And in Czech we don’t have any supersizes. Just portions that are good for you.”

We continued talking all through the meal. We discussed relationships, politics, and family. He shared with me that he had originally gone to law school, but never got certified to practice because he didn’t like the lifestyle. He wanted to make enough money to travel, but didn’t like the long hours being a lawyer demanded. Now he was a manager of an Apple store in Prague and did some computer repair on the side.

It amazed me as we talked how much we had in common. We’d grown up in different cultures with very different backgrounds but so many ideals permeated both of our narratives. Fear of the future; childhood dreams; desire for friendship—all of these things, while conveyed through different stories were ideas that we both could relate to.

We’d been talking so long that Ivana came up with a dessert menu. Lubos recommended one and I went along and ordered it.

“I am excited to see America this summer with Ivy,” he said. “I am coming to see her for two weeks before she comes home and we will travel.”

“Where do you want to go?” I asked.

“I want to see New York,” he said. “Is lifelong dream of mine. I remember watching Home Alone movies and seeing the city. I think the second movie takes place there. I just want to see all of it.”

“It’s a cool city,” I told him. “You have to see the Empire State Building and Central Park. You can also go in the FAO Schwartz toy store; it’s in a lot of movies. And if you can see a play on Broadway, it is awesome.”

“I also want to see San Fransisco and LA,” he said.

“I’ve never been to LA,” I said, “but San Fran is a fun city too.”

“With the bridge, right?” he said.

“Yes, the bridge is very cool,” I said. “I just saw it back in November when I was there.”

When the dessert came, it was two fresh baked brownies with a scoop of vanilia ice cream. I used  my fork and took a small bite of the brownie. It tasted amazing! The center was still warm and mushy and the cocoa flavor was rich and intense.

"Try ice cream too,” he said.

I hadn’t had any ice cream since I left the states. “I love ice cream,” I said. “I eat it every day back home.”

“How you are not fat?” he asked.

While the ice cream was vanilla, it was not the white color we associate with vanilla back in the states. Rather, it was a deep yellow. Taking a small bite, I couldn’t believe I’d waited two weeks to try it. The flavor was the best vanilla ice cream I’d ever tasted. In the states, I joked that vanilla was only to be eaten if it had toppings on it, but this was so rich, it didn’t need any help satisfying my taste buds.

“Oh my God, that is good!” I said.

“You like?” he asked.

“I like it a lot!” I said. “Can I get it supersized?”

We both laughed. He called Ivana over and told her my joke. She laughed too.

We talked a bit more until I realized we’d been there for almost three hours. “I should let you go,” I said.

“Yes, I probably should be heading home before I come back to get Ivy,” he said. “I’m going to do some work and then take a nap.”

“I’m off to the chocolate museum,” I said.

“Oh,” he warned. “That is a dangerous place. They have lots of samples and then gift shop at the end.”

I pulled out my map and asked him to make sure I knew where it was. Ivana came over and pointed out a few routes as well, in addition to a few of the places I’d apparently already been to with her in this area. I thanked her for a great lunch, and headed out.

“Thanks for joining me for lunch,” I told him as we walked out.

“Is no problem,” he said. “I taught myself English from watching American television so is good for me to practice with you.”

I was surprised. “I think your English is great!” I told him. I never would have guessed he was self taught.

Lubos went to his car, and I headed into the snow to find the chocolate.After wandering around for awhile, I found the museum. Luckily, the woman at the counter took a few of the bigger bills I’d gotten out of the ATM.

The exhibit was very cool. It went through the history of chocolate. I had no idea that it had started as a liquid and had only been converted to solid form in the past 400 years. The drink was originally used by the mayans as a sacrifice to the gods, later as a drink for kings, and then as a treat for the public. Christopher Columbus is the first European to have described it and he was not actually that impressed by the taste. When it first arrived back in Europe, the Catholic Church tried to ban it thinking it caused too much disruption and distraction in society. Monarchs loved it, peasants couldn’t get enough of it. Eventually it was solidified and turned into candy.

There was a demonstration room about midway through the museum that talked about the differences between milk, dark, and white chocolate. Being the only one in the demonstration for that hour, she showed me how they make hazelnut filled chocolates. Her English was decent, as long as she stayed on script. I quickly learned that if I asked questions, she had no way to respond. At the end of the demo, I got to try one of the chocolates I’d watched her create. They were very good!

In the gift shop, I bought a small bag of chocolates that had been made in Belgium from cocoa beans grown in Venezuela. I thought a bag of chocolate might keep me from buying Milka bars for a few days. Unfortunately, I finished the bag off in a few hours.

Outside, the streets had turned to a solid rink of ice. Walking on cobblestones is a delicate art any usual day. Many times since my arrival, I’ve stepped on a surface I thought was flat, only to learn from my twisted ankle that it wasn’t. When the stones were wet, walking was tricky; now that they were frozen, it felt impossible.

Shuffling along in an ice skating gait (without really picking up my feet) I maintained my balance pretty well. All around me, people were falling and crashing, unable to get their footing on the layer of slush and ice. It was almost 5:00 so I decided to skip the Museum of Mideval Torture.

Getting back to the station, the trams were clearly running behind schedule. I waited over 30 minutes for tram 26 to come get me. When I got on, I rode as far as I could back before transferring to the 9. Even waiting for the 9—which usually comes every six minutes—I stood in the cold for close to 20 minutes.

By the time I got back to the dorm it was almost 7:00. It had taken 2 hours to make the journey. Aaron and I had talked about this delay several times. The problem with the public transport system was, while it was efficient, it took a long time to get around. If a student waited until they were ready to leave, it would still take them another hour to 90 minutes to get where they wanted to go.

I started writing some blog posts and polished off my notes from Terezin from the night before.  I got a message from our family friend Bill who has given my lots of great tips for travelling. When I ran the story of the guy from Terezin by him, he gave me a few good ideas to try in the future as well.

I didn’t realize how late it had gotten while I was online, so I decided to again go out for dinner. Going back to the Italian restaurant across the street, I was craving a steak. They had one on their menu, and I ordered it along with a side of veggies. I also ordered a “mirinda” and this time, I got an orange soda!

The dish that was delivered to my table looked amazing. The plate was so well decorated with vegetables and garnishes; it felt sinful to eat it. The steak was cut into four medallions with tomato slices, basil, and gorgonzola cheese melted over the top of them and cooked really rare. It melted in my mouth and tasted awesome!  I have no idea what all was in my side of veggies. There were different colored peppers that ranged from sweet to spicy. Carrots were thinly cut into strips the size of spaghetti and I ate them as such, twirled around my fork. It all tasted great!

Slipping and sliding my way back to the dorm, I put a few last touches on the blog and got ready for bed. It had been a bit of a slower day, but it was exactly the kind of day I needed.