This is my story about returning to Prague for a weekend after nearly seven years
Last November I started my eight year in Ireland. At the end of October, after nearly seven years (I visited my country when to finish my high school), I traveled back to Czech Republic. To be exact, I traveled only to Prague and for four days only.
Of course I chose the weekend when my country celebrated 100 years since it was founded (technically, Czechoslovakia but details, right?). Alright, I didn’t choose this weekend on purpose. I had another gig (and no heart to reproach that to them).
It doesn’t really matter where I was and what I was doing (yes, some details are below) but how I was feeling. How was it to return to my home country after nearly seven years. If it can be called a home country anymore.
My first impression was (un)surprisingly negative and I wasn’t feeling very well. People weren’t nice (I expected that), my ride to city centre from the airport was delayed and I found it really weird that everyone around me speaks Czech. All the time.
Therefore that’s why I found refreshing that I was getting stopped on streets by Germans asking me with broken English about directions. Jederzeit, meine Freunde.
Everything started improving the first night when I met V. and we drank two Kozel (one of the best Czech beers).
Everything started to change from Saturday onward – my view towards cloudy Prague and Czech Republic. I started to feel like in my own country again (even thought I wasn’t able to say whether goods are expensive since there is Czech Koruna and not Euro). After a while I realized that the said anniversary was quite the reason – there were Czech flags everywhere and yes it made me emotional.
I’m used to Irish flags to be seen around buildings like museums, galleries or government buildings no matter bank holidays. It’s not a habit in Czech Republic and I think that this small thing helped me to not feel as a stranger in my own country. Quite opposite, I felt proud. (At least until Sunday noon, then our Czech president took part in celebrations on Vitkov, just a hill above me.)
Saturday – 27. 10. 2018
Okay, end of therapy. What was doing the whole weekend? There was a Die Happy gig on Saturday and after gig party for our group. It was kinda a reunion thing. Apart from old & new faces and faces I’ve known from the internet and from a collaboration (we met for the first time here) Avocado and her friend paid me a quick visit and I’m beyond grateful!
However Saturday was pretty busy – thanks to the weather we were trying to stay inside (it was cold and occasionally raining .. I know, another Ireland). Therefore me, K., F. and V. agreed on going for a lunch to a vegan place. At first we wanted to try a hipster place called Cafefin but it was full, so V. suggested Moment.
Listen to me, if you’re ever visiting Prague then make sure you skip Moment. I dunno maybe there’s a different culture in Ireland but long story short – the waiting staff ignored us for about twenty minutes and on top of that they refused to take our breakfast order because it was a minute after the time the breakfast menu was over. Nowadays I find it funny (You would get not only your breakfast but possible a free drink too in Ireland) but at that time we seriously thought that it’s some kind of a prank.
Die Happy played Palac Akropolis. I hadn’t been there before and was positively surprised by the venue – without any rush we stored our jackets, no one searched my bag so I didn’t have to justify a presence of Canon camera in my bag (which I haven’t used during the gig in the end at all = no photos #sorrynotsorry). In the end I stood next to a man in a wheelchair so I wasn’t really moving as the rest of the club was and I didn’t want to bump into him. Die Happy’s gig was acoustic but as usual some songs made your body move.
Sunday – 28. 10. 2018
Sunday was for our inner tourists. Me and V. went for a stroll through the Old Town in the afternoon. Of course mass of people started creating on the Old Square thanks to the anniversary celebrations. We went for another delicious vegan lunch (which I miss greatly), we also managed to have a Pumpkin Spice Latte ’cause otherwise there’s no Autumn without it and then it was time for V. to catch her ride back to Berlin.
My solo Prague adventure has started – I walked back to my Airbnb – I basically took the same path we walked with V. earlier and god so many people on the Old Square that I almost changed my mind in the middle of the mass. If you haven’t noticed yet I’m always extra so on my way back home I stepped into puddle – with my whole shoe. A lifehack – use your hairdryer for wet shoes.
The minute I was dry again in my Airbnb I left the house again to watch anniversary fireworks by Vltava (nope I couldn’t take worse photos). I must say it went well and I was leaving the riverside on a positive note.
My bus to the airport was leaving on Monday noon and I was asked to leave my Airbnb spot before ten a.m. so I took the opportunity to scroll down by Vltava to National Theatre/Dancing House to take some shots.
I think that the walk around Vltava and Karlin was worth it.
Prague has always had a special place in my heart especially because of all the gigs, however I went through the city centre properly last year and no matter the weather I was excited again – the Old Town and Karlin architecture is just damn beautiful (I didn’t make it to Prague Castle I mean who would voluntarily roll in there?). In overall I can say that I wasn’t feeling it on my arrival however I was leaving with pretty nice thoughts. And obviously I can’t wait to visit Prague again.
