Two days in one

On Sunday I went to the Prague Jewish Museum which is less a museum and more a collection of sites including synagogues, a ceremonial hall a memorial for victims of the Holocaust, and a cemetery. My favorite was the Spanish Synagogue because it was just frankly the prettiest. There was a lot of info available and I did get to learn a little bit more about Jewish holidays and rites of passage. The sites are spread out on different streets so there was some souvenir shopping in between. The ticket is good for seven days but I saw pretty much everything. This was in the Stare Mesto neighborhood, which is the old town and where most of the action is. The road system is completely confusing (that is where I got lost on my first day) and you can wander around forever and probably occasionally pass the same blocks multiple times by accident. I had lunch at Country Life, which I thought would be the last vegetarian restaurant I try. It’s more of a cafeteria but it was pretty tasty. I spent a good portion of the afternoon shopping, but not for me. I had a very brief urge to buy myself a ring the clerk told me she could give me for $80, but it as an impractical item that I would rarely get to wear. They have these pieces that are flowers made from garnet and different colored quartzes- really pretty and really in danger of getting caught on anything that you put your hand near. I have included a picture of the kind of style I’m talking about, although the one I wanted to buy had blue in it instead of green. (They also tell me the silver is plated and won’t make me break out, but I am skeptical). (I am realizing I am very fond of parentheticals). Besides shopping, I was just wandering around and taking it all in. Oh, I also bought more chocolate, also not of me, but they give generous samples at the store.  

After I was done with shopping, I was hungry but it was too early for dinner so I found another vegetarian restaurant which is affiliated with one it went to this weekend. I had a snack and walked to a bar that my book recommended. It is for locals and I got a lot of mistranslation done there. I then took what I plan to be my last metro ride back to my neighborhood. I went to a Czech restaurant and got Czech goulash. I don’t know if it’s because I like Hungarian goulash better; while it was good, my mother’s is better. I had beer. So far on this trip I have not drank on only two days. I stayed up knitting and watching John Oliver and Larry        Willmore on Youtube. Oh and here is a picture of a creepy street performer.

On Monday, I was going to allow myself to start the day later. Usually I’m out the door and walking somewhere by 9am. In this case, I had to go to a laundromat because the laundry service with the hotel would charge me $2.25 to clean one pair of underwear. I must have been tired because I kept getting lost on the way to the laundromat which was about four blocks away. I knew how to get there but I just kept walking in the wrong direction. It clearly caters to English speaking travelers, which was pretty much the majority of the people in there.  It was a very pleasant experience, (see picture of where you can wait for your clothes) and even though their detergent smells, I have not broken out in a rash, so that’s a good sign. I also had a diet coke (Coke Light) out of a glass bottle. Remember when I gave up Diet Coke for my new years resolution? Well on this trip I gave up giving it up. 

I went to a tavern down the block to work on my manuscript. I got an inconveniently small cup of coffee. (I think I have to start ordering cappuccinos or lattes or one of those other fancy things I know nothing about). Then I went to a vegetarian restaurant I’ve been to before; it’s part of a club and super cute. Then I walked to the Nove Mesto neighborhood. I’ve been to this area before. There is a ton of interesting architecture everywhere, but in this area especially, and this time I actually looked up and noticed some of it. I went to the street market to buy an apple and then to the Mucha museum. He’s been very present in Prague; there are two other exhibits, one of which I saw on Friday, but this is a museum dedicated to him. The museum was rather small; I got through it in less than an hour. You’ve seen Mucha’s work before; he’s known for art nouveau ads with women on them. What I liked about him is his pictures are kind of simple but he conveys a lot of emotion in that simplicity. They had a video about his life. That’s nice; I want all museums to have biographical videos. After that I went to the Communism Museum. There was a lot of reading. A large German man stood right in front of me while I was reading a placard. Bastard. I wish I retained info in this way better but I learn better from listening and talking than from reading. They also had a video but if focused on protests in the 60s and the Velvet Revolution. I’m going to be seeing an exhibit by an artist who has a project dedicated to Jan Palach a student who ‘self-immolated’ in protest of the invasion of Czechslovakia by five nations as part of the Warsaw Pact. I just wikipedia’s that to make sure I got that all right but I’ll learn more when I see the exhibit. I was interested because of the art but then I heard about Jan Palach at the Communism Museum too.

Oh I went to the Moser store. Moser is THE glassmaker. Yes it was recommended in my book. Although I’ve been looking for a piece for my mother, I knew this was way too expensive. Still I wanted to see their work. The store itself is exquisite and I would have taken pictures except the woman who worked there literally followed me the entire time I was there. Then another salesperson joined her. I was the only person where the merchandise is. The book should have warned that they treat you like a potential shoplifter in there. I had an urge to just walk in circles to see what they would do. It was not a comfortable ‘just looking’ experience.

I went to a wine bar recommended in my book. (In case you haven’t noticed, I do very little that is not in the book. In my defense, I have looked up other theaters and clubs and museums but my book really does have the more interesting locations). Anyway, it said it was a good place to try Moravian wines. When I walked into the bar the very nice man told me their wifi was out so they didn’t have their menu because their menu is on a tablet. I had a merlot and he talked me into little spring roles which were quite tasty. I’ll say something about the food I’ve had here; it’s not bland. If one was averse to salt, they might really have a problem. I luckily do not have that problem. I’ve also decided I’m going to have to get one of those cinnamon dough tubes before I leave. I’m sure I know exactly what it will taste like but if it tastes like a cinnamon dough tube, then that’s pretty good. I went back to my hotel and then back to the tavern for dinner. I got the tempeh burger and grilled vegetables (and water. No beer. No wine. Just water). 

Back in my room, I finished my second book on this trip, and knit while watching John Oliver and some Samantha Bee (I cannot see Comedy Central Shows from Prague). Since I’m not working out, I can knit for longer without it bothering my arms and wrists, but I have not made the progress on my shrug I’d hoped I would.

Today I’m likely going back to Nove Mesto to see the museums I missed.