Keeping in mind that I have a short week ahead of me (due to a few Czech national holidays), I decided to prepare a little bit by getting my bearings. Having made it in late Friday night after spending time with colleagues, I took my time getting up on Saturday (especially since my roommate got an early start to her day at 430 to catch a train). I wanted to watch the matches, so I knew I had limited time in the city today, so I just wanted to find a few places I know I want to spend some time in the coming weeks. Therefore, I pulled out the list I’ve been making (from whenever someone suggests something) and began mapping them out in my dorm.
I have a keen interest in cemeteries, especially those in Europe, because I find them so amazingly beautiful and great places of contemplation. Having made a comment about the one at Vysherad I visited a few weeks ago, a colleague suggested one in Praha 3. I had never been to this particular area of the city before, so I decided to scope it out before grabbing some food and heading to the match in the same part of the city. After just the brief walk to the main entrance, I’m very interested in further exploration, because it looks like a great combination of so many things (from the old to the new, to the varying religious affiliations I could pick up on).
I then decided to head toward the beer garden I was going to watch the France-Argentina match at and grab food on my way. My meeting place with my colleague the day before was outside a place called “The Tavern,” which advertises American burgers and Czech beers, so I decided I wanted to check out their take on food. It was all quite delicious and I found ranch dressing for the first time since I’ve arrived. My last trip to Europe was very frustrating due to the lack of my favorite condiment in the continent, but I also think I have grown food wise since then. This time, it was just a happy surprise (though it shouldn’t have been because they were serving American food). After a lovely lunch, I headed to the park across the street to find the view of Prague Castle I had been told about and then headed into the beer garden a little early to find a good seat for the match (but, apparently not early enough).
I never did find a seat at Riegrovy Sady for the match, but it was definitely an electrifying experience. Fifteen minutes into the match, I was still waiting in line for a beer. I actually was still in line when France scored their first goal. It was so great to watch the international crowd there though. I was met with the singing of both national anthems and the true excitement of the match. I found a place to stand near the back of the garden that had an almost decent view of one of the screens. I decided to head to a pub to watch the second half so I could sit and enjoy the game a bit more. Then, I headed back to my dorm to enjoy a quiet evening. I was going to go to one of the dorm bars to watch the second game, but decided just to keep tabs from my room.
I spent my Sunday being lazy around the dorms and gearing up for what could be an exciting week. Thursday and Friday hold much promise ahead, as we won’t work so I’ll be able to explore some more. I wanted to just relax for the day and prepare for the excitement ahead.
Raven K 