Unglaublich

6. Unglaublich [unbelievable]: too breathtakingly amazing to describe in actual words; so in other words, my week of traveling

This is probably going to be the hardest blog post to write, because to put my experiences into words (especially not in book form), seems impossible. But, nevertheless, I will do my very best.

So last week the IES program organized a trip to visit Prague and Dresden. Instead of what a smart traveler should do the night before a long trip (sleep), I opted to instead all night long read articles on both cities about their history and what I really wanted to see there. This is probably the number one advice I can give to any traveler now, because having prior information about the city you are traveling to, will make your exploration there a lot more worth while. After a productive six hour bus ride where I spent my time sleeping, reading, and making notes for a potential senior thesis paper, we finally arrived in Prague (or in German Prag, or in Czech Praha). We stayed in a beautiful hotel right in the city and I roomed with a really nice girl who has been studying in Freiburg since the fall. We became immediate close friends. The night was ours, so with my roommate and another friend, we went out to the old city and explored. After a few blocks, I turned to the right, and before me was the most beautiful scene ever. It was the town square with baroque buildings brightly glowing from the moon and streetlights. If that moment were in a cartoon, the minute I laid my eyes on the town square, my eyes would have popped out, my mouth would have literally fallen to the ground, hearts would have spun over my head, and an angelic chorus would be singing. And this cartoon image is the definition of my trip, because every corner and every moment was unbelievable.

After coming to terms that we were actually in Prague, we continued to find the restaurant that was recommended online. Our restaurant was located a few blocks away from the main square. Dimly lit and set in traditional Czech decorations, the restaurant immediately seemed both touristy and authentic.  My travel companions had the same adventurous, “I-want-to-try-everything” outlook, so we ordered what the waiter recommended (and for the record it was hard, because we don’t speak Czech). First was the classic Czech wine. I forgot the exact name, but it was a honey wine that came in a glass the size of my head and had a rich flavor that complimented the traditional Czech bread bowl goulash soup. Our bill was 850 Kroner, which was an overwhelmingly high number, although in US dollars, only $17. Why can’t every country just use the same type of currency?

If someone were to ask me what my favorite day is, from morning to night, I would not even hesitate to answer Tuesday, March 20, 2012. From breakfast to turning off the light, I enjoyed the entire day, even more than I enjoy devouring my newly discovered Milka chocolate bar with an Oreo filling. German breakfasts at hotels are always both dangerous and delicious. They are literally like a feast with breads, meats, cheeses, fruit, granola, hard-boiled eggs, tea, strong coffee, nutella, and so on. After figuring out how to walk with a super-full stomach, we made our way to the inner city and a nice tour guide showed us Prague. I vaguely remember going to Prague when I was seven with my mom’s high school group. The clear memory I still have is of the guards in front of the castle, which I immediately recognized. The more we went through the tour, the more I fell in love with the city; it was truly love at first sight. The Baroque period architecture dominating the city, the refined music culture with a concert performed at almost every hour, the polished cobblestone streets, the chic and classy Bohemian fashionistas roaming the streets, the advertisements that used tennis as a reference, the vineyards and Vltava river reflecting the bright blue sky framing the city, and the endless sculptures, ALL completed my fondness for Prague. But the only thing that is preventing me from wanting to visit a second time this year (but definitely a lot more in my life), are the tourists! Whenever I have to look in front of me, instead of the beautiful architecture, tourists swamp the streets like the plague. They are everywhere, like Disneyworld, but that did not dampen my experience.

For lunch I dragged my friends to help me find the restaurant that I was absolutely dying to go to, Café Louvre, where Albert Einstein and Franz Kafka were frequent visitors. The Café was a little outside the main city, so it was not too touristy, and was decorated in the 1930s. I have never been so happy to be at a restaurant in my life. Everything was perfect. A friend and I split meals, so we both got to try “young spinach leaves with avocado and crunchy bacon” and “roast pear in almond jacket with vanilla cream and currant.” And then we ordered the Café’s popular hot chocolate, except that it is not really hot chocolate. Instead, the warm drink is purely melted chocolate in a cup. We also found room for creamy carrot cake and chamomile tea for dessert. Needless to say, after about a million calories, I have never felt so content with life after that meal. Following our luxurious food experience, a musical friend, Mary, and I bought tickets to a classical concert, where we heard Mozart, Bach, Handel, Pachelbel, Smetana, Czech’s own Dvorak, and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. The string quartet concert was held in a cute little music hall and when the first note seeped through my entire body, I just took in all of the music. And I have to admit that hearing Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nacht Musik (A Little Night Music) live, brought a little tear to my eyes. Feeling cultured, Mary and I met up with the rest of the group and we explored the city a little more and had dinner at a Budweiser Bar (the beer is made in Czech). 

After dinner, I did something I have never done before in my life- clubbing. And my first one was in Prague. In the biggest disco club in Europe. Five stories. Karlovy Lazny, the name of the club, was filled with music, with a different theme on each floor. Once floor has an ice bar, where we had to enter a room to put snowsuits, gloves, and a hats. After being bundled up, we then could enter the cold, igloo-looking room with chill music. Another floor was called the “Discotheque,” where popular dance music urged me put on my rusty dancing shoes and I danced in the filled with lights and other effects- a large video wall, laser beams, hypercubes, and much more. The next floor, the “Kaleidoscope,” was probably the most fun room. The room was retro themed, with a multi-colored light dance floor; the DJ was stationed in a Cadillac playing oldies music, bringing our singing voices to life and reminding us of home. What a great night. And if anyone was wondering, I was a perfectly responsible adult and remember the entire evening. :) Like a cherry on top for an absolutely great, perfect day.

Unfortunately, I have to end now. This week was the beginning of my IES courses, so I had to get back into the groove of schoolwork. Tomorrow I’m going to Hannover to visit a good friend of the family for the weekend. Hopefully I will post more about my trip when I get back!