Sunday, September
16 - Wednesday, September 20, 2012
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| Light show at Coldplay |
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We arrived in the Czech Republic on Sunday afternoon with
much anticipation for the performance of a band that we all shared a common
love for: Coldplay. The concert was incredible. We were all given wrist bands
which lit up different colors creating a spectacular light show to compliment
the fantastic delivery of my favorite songs. Never before had I experienced a
concert in which the band came out and performed two encores, but I experienced
it, and it was at Coldplay in the Synot Tip Stadium… in Prague. Following an
amazing concert, Kacey, Holland, David, Cody and I walked around Prague like
locals—because we had a local with us. A mutual baseball coach to David and
Matt, Joey, currently coaches a team which is the equivalence of our NCAA
Division III, but Prague’s equivalent of a professional team. He showed us some
of his favorite places and we discovered a list of prohibition drinks. Wait,
what? We got our own taste of the U.S.’s Prohibition during our stay in Prague.
Due to ethyl alcohol which had made its way into alcohol made in the Czech
Republic, the use of alcohol stronger than 20% was not allowed for sale or
consumption. Just like the Prohibition in America, there were ways around the ban for the rebel heart as shown below. Also pictured is the equivalent of 100 USD.
Prague by night was beautiful. Since we did not get the
chance to explore before we went to the concert, Joey, took us to Old Town
Prague. The intricate buildings and magnificent clock towers were breathtaking.
After a slower start Monday, we returned to these same amusements in daylight.
The central city of Prague had many market booths in which we enjoyed searching
for tokens to bring home to loved ones. Separately, Caroline and I bought a
water color from one of these vendors. I admired them as he told me his sister
made all of them; much to my disdain, when I walked away with my purchase, Caroline
and I realized we had both bought the same one—and they were both printed
pictures on to paper. A favorite souvenir of mine with visions of pictures in
my future home, buying from someone in the process of creating a painting and a
signature is a requirement of any future painting I will purchase.
In our first day of sightseeing, we saw a lot thanks to
our now, new-turned tour-guide-by-day, Joey. We revisited the Astronomical
Clock in the city square, the Charles Bridge, the Prague Castle, and the Lennon
Wall. I could have stayed hours reading all the marking on the Lennon wall, but
instead I snapped some pictures and told myself I would have to get more
pictures from others in my group. The Lennon Wall is a symbol formed by
citizens of the Czech Republic who took the words of pacifist, John Lennon, to
fight back against the Communist government during the rule of the Soviet
Union.
Back in the city square, on Tuesday we were lucky enough
to catch a band playing “What a Wonderful World” in Prague’s center. I found it
to be a magical moment in my time overseas as it perfectly embodied the
thanksgiving and appreciation for the world I have learned to feel every single
day. Fan, Melanie, and I wandered through the most peaceful part of Prague to
reach a tower with a lookout point of the entire city. The views were stunning;
I do not know how many times I can say this, but pictures do not do it justice.
I was able to hundreds of roofs with unique shapes atop them and see all the
bridges in a city in which I found myself to be informally calling, “The City
of Bridges.” My favorite bridge was the Charles Bridge. This bridge was seen as
one of the most important symbols of the joining of East and West Europe in
earlier days.
Statues and portraits lined walls of the bridge; certain parts were clearer seen than others to
the good luck ritual of rubbing certain features of these statues with one’s
hand.
 |
| Charles Bridge |
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| The Lennon Wall |
|
Perhaps one of the most unique trips of my
travels was to the suburbs of Prague to watch a baseball game. Matt and David
were able to play in a game under Joey’s coaching. I can only imagine how
surreal the emotions of suiting up for the side of a local soccer team in a
different country would feel. Following the game we gave Prague one more night
with us, and then gave a little bit more. We did not go to sleep until 5:00 so
when our alarms started going off at 8:00, we were still sleeping.
 |
| Prague, Czech Republic |
We arrived in the Czech Republic on Sunday afternoon with
much anticipation for the performance of a band that we all shared a common
love for: Coldplay. The concert was incredible. We were all given wrist bands
which lit up different colors creating a spectacular light show to compliment
the fantastic delivery of my favorite songs. Never before had I experienced a
concert in which the band came out and performed two encores, but I experienced
it, and it was at Coldplay in the Synot Tip Stadium… in Prague. Following an
amazing concert, Kacey, Holland, David, Cody and I walked around Prague like
locals—because we had a local with us. A mutual baseball coach to David and
Matt, Joey, currently coaches a team which is the equivalence of our NCAA
Division III, but Prague’s equivalent of a professional team. He showed us some
of his favorite places and we discovered a list of prohibition drinks. Wait,
what? We got our own taste of the U.S.’s Prohibition during our stay in Prague.
Due to ethyl alcohol which had made its way into alcohol made in the Czech
Republic, the use of alcohol stronger than 20% was not allowed for sale or
consumption. Just like the Prohibition in America, there were ways around the ban for the rebel heart as shown below. Also pictured is the equivalent of 100 USD. 
In our first day of sightseeing, we saw a lot thanks to
our now, new-turned tour-guide-by-day, Joey. We revisited the Astronomical
Clock in the city square, the Charles Bridge, the Prague Castle, and the Lennon
Wall. I could have stayed hours reading all the marking on the Lennon wall, but
instead I snapped some pictures and told myself I would have to get more
pictures from others in my group. The Lennon Wall is a symbol formed by
citizens of the Czech Republic who took the words of pacifist, John Lennon, to
fight back against the Communist government during the rule of the Soviet
Union. 
Back in the city square, on Tuesday we were lucky enough
to catch a band playing “What a Wonderful World” in Prague’s center. I found it
to be a magical moment in my time overseas as it perfectly embodied the
thanksgiving and appreciation for the world I have learned to feel every single
day. Fan, Melanie, and I wandered through the most peaceful part of Prague to
reach a tower with a lookout point of the entire city. The views were stunning;
I do not know how many times I can say this, but pictures do not do it justice.
I was able to hundreds of roofs with unique shapes atop them and see all the
bridges in a city in which I found myself to be informally calling, “The City
of Bridges.” My favorite bridge was the Charles Bridge. This bridge was seen as
one of the most important symbols of the joining of East and West Europe in
earlier days. Statues and portraits lined walls of the bridge; certain parts were clearer seen than others to
the good luck ritual of rubbing certain features of these statues with one’s
hand. 
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