I set out at about 930 from Namesty Republicky, which is whereabouts I'm living now in Praha 1. I hit a Subway (eat-fresh, not transportation) off the high road about 2 minutes from my flat, and got all the way to the vegetables before having to admit I needed to use my English. The good news is that in CZ you can get by in most restaurants with: jedno, dve, tri, ctyri, dobri, dobje, ano, and ne. I say: Jedno italian prosim, and they ask me if I want cheese, and I say: ano, they ask if I want it toasted and I say: ayo, dobje- and then I give myself away.
I ate the sandwich and decided to take a little stroll, crossing the river and walking up the copious stairs to the pendulum over the city where the statue of Stalin used to reside. Every park in Prague looks half wild, the trees brambly and the walkways caked with dried or dessicated moss, and the scrawled messages and graffiti all over everything, along with the abandoned shoes and clothing give an appearance of a post apocalyptic wasteland.
I walked along the park that stretches out over the hill dividing Praha 1 from Praha 6, and walked into Praha 6, which is a weird amalgam of Prague Castle and its overpriced satellite businesses, mean looking Prague streets with dive bars and wandering prostitutes and gypsies, upscale businesses and home appliance stores, and very large hotels that I can't imagine any Czech person ever paying for. I walked back along Prague 6 and nodded to the late dog walkers and joggers along the park side, and followed a series of side streets and residential areas, until I came to a business park. At least I thought that's what it was- it was a mix of very expensive looking homes and private schools that is reminiscent of areas of North London, say Saint John's Wood, with gloomy quiet streets and gated driveways, and oddly enough, what looked like the offices of McDonald's Czescha Republika. I followed that little corridor until it opened into a large circular square that branched off into another of Prague's long and narrow parks next to a long and busy street, and walked up that way for at least a mile, before deciding I was going in the wrong direction. I walked back, passing various embassies, including the Canadian Embassy, before spotting the Prague Eiffel Tower, and realizing (sort of) of where I was. I walked down into a quiet area between two of Prague's hills where there were little houses with yards and open fields. I passed through that area and finally found myself back at Prague castle, where I knew I could follow the hill back to a bridge and cross over into the city center, where I could follow the spotlight that is pointed at the sky from Wenseslas Square, a few blocks from where I live. Finally in familiar territory again, I paused to smoke a cigarette (haven't completely quit...) and look out over the series of bridges that spans the river. It was completely quiet, and there was not another soul around. The water was calm, and the sky was overcast, blocking out the moon, so that the lights from the river banks gleamed off the black water in long arcs, about a kilometer away.
And now I've finally arrived home, and my right foot is just killing me. I should really wear hiking boots if I plan on walking in this city for hours at a time without resting- the surfaces are totally uneven, and I tripped several times on the slick cobblestones in the streets. I'm hoping that by next week I will have a job lined up for january at a private school in the area I was visiting tonight, but for now there isn't much I can do but wander the city and imagine a life without my ipod and This American Life, telling me that I am indeed, never really alone.
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
I love walking- city or country. I have on occasion meant to go to class and ended up walking for hours, although not usually as much as four.
Posted by Launchywiggin (Member # 9116) on :
Very cool. Imagine if all 4 hours of your thoughts had been recorded over the course of your walk. I imagine it could fill a few chapters. Do you remember what you were thinking about?
Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
pssst, it's "Česká", not Czescha
Prague is huge. We spent an entire afternoon walking about and never left the centre. I loved it.
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
I'm never going to figure out the symbols, cases and gender determiners. In some instances its Česká Repulika, and in other cases Republiky Czech, and I know there are others.
Czech has seven case variations for most words, whereas in English we don't express case within a word, but by using prepositions.
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