In Czech, it is Praha.
In Latin, it is Praga.
We took the train from Berlin to Prague, a five hour trip. We knew we'd crossed the border when the train stations signs were suddenly even more unrecognizable.
Our walk from the main train station, the Hlavni Nadrazi, to the Pension Tara on Havelske, was easy enough. And we were relieved to find our greeter at the pension very friendly & helpful.
Our room was cute & clean & white-walled. With tall ceilings and a great view overlooking the street below. And since we had a fridge, we decided we should find some water, beer & food to put into it. And then we took a walk, with a map but with no destination in mind.
My friend Anne had told me that in going to Prague you didn't need a plan of what-to-see, you just needed to walk around. And she was exactly right. We never had a plan, but we saw amazing things.
Our first walk took us right into the Old Town Square, as the sun began setting. And we were both instantly speechless & giddy. It was beautiful, in that very old & sad way, elegance that has weathered many storms.
Prague is elegant & stoic, with twisty, narrow cobblestone streets & buildings in muted bright colors. It is also built of stone, which makes it feel cold sometimes, and as tourists we were often received by chilly, unsmiling faces & a rather confounding language that we heartily tried to speak & understand. But, I loved it. & I loved being there with someone just as in awe as I was.
And today I'm off to the library in search of a good history book that may help me understand the city & its people even better.
