Yesterday, my flatmate Kim and I set out to visit Kutná Hora and the famous Sedlec Ossuary there- a church made entirely from 40-70,000 human skeletons! It reminds me of the H.R. Giger bars in Switzerland that I've heard about, only this piece is made from dem bones. How intriguingly macabre. It'll have to wait for another weekend though, because we missed our bus. We decided to hop a train to the village of Karlštejn then, to visit the castle (above). The train ride out there was about $4 RT! Obviously, it was a thing of wonder and beauty. Prasky Hrad is definitely a castle, but it looks to me more like a gigantic palace with a Gothic church tucked inside. Karlštejn looks more like a fairy tale. It was founded in 1348 by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, and was the home of the Czech coronation jewels for almost 200 years.
I'm curious about who occupied the space during all that time- what persons actually resided there? As we explored all the nooks and crannies we could without paying for the tour (next time), I kept wondering things I can't possibly find the answers to...was there ever a party, and maybe someone got too drunk, and fell off this massive column into the forest? Is this alcove where a princess sat while watching for her knight on the village road below? And also sensible questions, like How do massive columns get built like this anyway (and in the 14th century)?
The tourist vendors were doing a brisk business selling sugar wafers, postcards, beer bubble bath, brass knuckles and Chinese stars. You know, the usual stuff. There was even an Erotic City outpost way out there in the country! I was almost reeled in by a man selling little hand-bells. I'm not sure exactly what to call them, but when I was sick as a kid, my Mom would sometimes put a bell on the nightstand for me to ring. I'd jingle it and she'd bring me jell-O and cold pancakes made into the shape of an "R." I'd sit and bed and read Archie comics all day ringing my bell. That sounds like a spoiled brat but I think my Mom got some kind of kick out of it. Lately this memory came back to me and I thought I should find myself a bell in preparation for whoever might need some TLC. So I almost bought one here, but held back...then, I was almost moved to let a man dressed as something medieval put a bird of prey (a lovely, wide-eyed owl) on my arm for a 20-crown picture. He was standing there with his beautiful bird and a sign reading "Hello Tourists, I offer you a bird of prey picture" in 6 languages and I was becoming sad, like a true sucker tourist having a nostalgia attack, that in this modern age, nobody finds this idea charming. How hard they're trying to offer you not just a trinket but a
memory! I'm making fun of the frivolity, but it is true: when I was 9 or 10, someone gave me a baby alligator to hold for a similar pic in St. Augustine, and I've never forgotten it. Just in the nick of time I saw a little boy and his dad get real excited about the owl, and I was satisfied that the world still contained reverence and romance. I bought the delicious and unfortunately-named Trdlo pastry (with nutella inside it) instead.
I had started a knitting lesson with Kim on the train ride over, but our train back was like night-and-day. Rickety and dirty and we stood up most of the way home. The country station looked pretty similar to the one in
Closely Watched Trains:
I watched that film on Steffen's recommendation before coming, and loved it. I've seen many French New Wave films but that was my first from the Czech New Wave...very charming, very sweet. There's a scene of great playfulness and eros that you can watch on Youtube but I think is much better with the rest of the movie surrounding it. See it ASAP (even Hollywood video has it)! I'll send you 5 crowns if you don't like it.
When we got back to town, Kim took me to a restaurant for svíčková, the most delicious beef dish I've had in years. The meat and knedlíčky (dumplings) was smothered in this incredible sauce- I don't know what it's made from- and went perfectly with dark, sweet Kozel beer. Walking home we stumbled onto a Cuban restaurant with a very active patio. A band was playing enticing music and I misread a sign, thinking 30-crown mojitos were on offer. So we sat down and had a much more expensive mojito, but I think the atmosphere was worth it. I felt like I was in Miami, til I looked across the street.
Later we went to a party of a co-worker, where I met many nice people. It took a long time for a dance party to erupt in the kitchen, after which it was moved to the larger room, then moved back to the kitchen because "this doesn't work." LOL. Every party everywhere is all about the kitchen. People just feel comfortable there. The music was a total mish-mash but things kept popping up that are songs that I listen to in secret, which was really weird, like Groove Armada's "Superstylin'" or "Saltwater" by Chicane.
Sunday was also lovely. I spent most of today getting a tan in the park while listening to Kings of Convenience...ahh, Spring!! But first- I've done some glamorous things in my life, but going to a girls' brunch off a charming side-street in Prague has to be one of them. Thanks to Christine for the invite and to The Globe for the chorizo scramble. I've really been missing brunch with my ladies and fellas.
Regarding fellas, I managed to pull two local phone numbers this week. Although, one of them was perhaps more interested in rolling his spliff at the time, and called me "Borat" for my pronunciation...and the other, I believe, is about 19. Now, I know I went home with that 21-year-old Timberlake lookalike last summer (seriously, he played me the piano and sang and everything), but 19 is a little outrageous. I'll remain crushing on someone who lives neither in Prague nor America for the moment. Nice and safe!
