Category: Prague

Knowing that at least part of next weekend will be spent packing (because, if you know me, you know I wait until the last possible second to pack anything), I knew that anything else I wanted to accomplish in the city had to be done in these last few days. The two biggest things remaining on my list were an exhibit at one of the museums and Jewish Quarter (well, more specifically, Old Jewish Cemetery). With the end of this weekend, there is only one place I was interested in going that I realized I wouldn’t make it to during my time in the Czech Republic: Terezin. Though, this may have been best, because I’m still not confident enough in my Czech to travel alone on the trains and no one should go to a place with such a heavy past alone. It will remain on my list though, of places I will eventually go to. Yes, I do plan on returning to the Czech Republic, hopefully in the near future instead of many years off.

Saturday I took a nice walk to the City Museum of Prague. Now, if you were in Prague on Saturday, you will know that was a bit of a lie, because it was about 31 degrees (almost 90 for those that don’t know Celsius conversions) and the walk from Strahov to the museum is about 5km. I did enjoy wandering the streets of Prague though, as I always do, and I was quite impressed with the museum. I went for the “1848-1918” exhibition that I had been seeing advertised around the city, but I spent several hours taking in all of the exhibits. It was definitely a nice experience to see some of the artifacts and the Prague model, though I was definitely partial to the exhibit I went for. While I have been spending time reading about the history here, it was nice to get more specifics about the area, and to even recognize some things from my time in the city and my reading while I’ve been here.

Sunday I made a trip to Jewish Quarter. I went to 4 of the 7 sites, but truly was only interested in the Old Jewish Cemetery. Remembering a suggestion from a friend back home, I also spent some time in Pinkas Synagogue, which is where the names of every Czech Jew that was lost in World War II has their name handwritten on the walls. I spent some time in the Ceremonial Hall learning a little bit more about Jewish burial traditions and took in the exhibit at Klausen Synagogue.

I spent most of my remaining time either walking in Petrin or relaxing in the dorms. As the weight of my final week settled on my shoulders, I think it was made more obvious how much I am going to miss this country.

As I begin my second to last week at NTK, the weight of leaving definitely began to feel much heavier, but so did the need to end my time here with completed projects. With a tour on Monday, several meetings, and the introduction of a couple small, new projects, I was actually overwhelmed for the first time in a few months. This was not because I didn’t feel like I could accomplish these tasks (which was much more the case when I was feeling this overwhelmed back when I first arrived) but because the thought of completing these tasks meant that my time here is truly coming to an end.

Monday I spent only a few hours at work, due to my family being in town, but, that time was spent doing something I had never done before: giving a tour. A group of librarians from Dresden, Germany joined us at NTK and I was tasked with a colleague to provide one of the two tours. I am not a confident speaker (in my opinion) and I definitely was not confident in my ability to speak at length about the library, as I have a very limited understanding in comparison to others, but I knew this was also an important task for me to complete. Being able to speak to a group confidently about a topic that interests you is so important when it comes to preparing for almost any career I may have in the future. With almost two full days of preparation and a great colleague by my side, I think it went pretty well, and I was even capable of talking to some of the librarians following both of the tours. I then spent the rest of the day with my family before they left for Italy the following day.

Wednesday started with a meeting on our CRM project that led to several other meetings for the day that would slightly change my tasks for the final days of my internship. Due to one of my focuses on this project, I have been working with the resources available for users at NTK. As a final project, I was tasked with using the open source tool Moodle to create a guide to using reference resources at NTK. This came off as a daunting task, but I was really recruited to bring some order to the idea. Once I actually got into the task, I realized the most daunting part was the time including all the information will take, which is why I will not be finishing the project. I am creating the idea of order, providing the introduction to each section (broken up by TYPES of reference resources), a list of resources available at NTK that need to be included, a template for the information needed on each resources, and an example from each section. Once this is approved, the task will be passed on and the tool will be available for continued updating once I am gone. It is hoped that the resource will be helpful for staff members that provide consultations to users that may need a better understanding of all the types of resources available at NTK.

My Wednesday ended with a trip to the National Gallery with several colleagues to take in “The End of the Golden Years” exhibit. It was nice to see how the gallery had set up this exhibit and quite easy to follow along with. I learned about artists I had only heard the names of before and was interested in learning about the Austrian art scene I previously knew nothing about.

Aside from these tasks, I spent most of my time tying up ends on my other projects and trying frantically to finish reading some of the works I want to finish before my return to the United States. I did things like make final updates to the Space Use Project (for its full implementation in the next semester) and reading Havel’s memoir to get a better understanding of modern Czech politics, at least from a former president’s perspective.

The week ended saying goodbye to another colleague. One of the things I didn’t think I would ever learn here was how pregnant women are treated in the workplace in the Czech Republic. Honestly, it’s not something I really needed to know, but it definitely provides an interesting understanding to the work culture. This information came due to the fact that we have a few women in our department that are pregnant. Friday we said goodbye to one before she took off for her maternity leave (up to 3 years in the Czech Republic). It was a relaxing farewell with baked goods, conversations, and laughter (even if I know I didn’t understand everything being said). There were some gifts and, earlier in the day, a colleague and I had told her about how baby showers function in the U.S. Trust me, I’d take the farewell party over a baby shower any day.

This weekend I was visited by a few members of my family in the lovely city of Prague. My mother, brother, and sister-in-law have taken upon themselves to do a month long trip throughout Europe and experience 7 countries this summer. With my presence in the Czech Republic, they decided Prague was an appropriate place to stop for a few days and we had a weekend full of activity. I took some time off work to spend time with them and they got a brief glimpse into my life at NTK as well.

They arrived Friday afternoon via train and I helped them navigate to the apartment they stayed in for their stay. I then took them to one of the pubs I have frequented here, to Charles Bridge, and to the neighborhood that they stayed in before sitting down to get a plan in place. Our Saturday has been partially planned due to the visit of one of my sister-in-law’s friends from the other side of the country, but we had to determine the plan for the rest of our time. We then ended the night with a quick trip to a bakery (for Saturday morning’s breakfast) and a night of cards.

Saturday was a day at the zoo and then an evening spent at Prague Castle. I had some great conversations about the history of the castle and other places I have visited in the Czech Republic while also discussing my experience of culture and work here. We ended the evening at one of the pubs below the castle before retiring to their apartment for more card games.

Sunday led to a trip to Vysehrad before the experience of the final match of the World Cup. We started the morning slow but made our way to the other castle in the city by early afternoon. We took in the views and some of the attractions (like the Gothic Cellars) before making our way across town for the match. The pub I chose was packed, but we made our way to the back room of the basement to find a spot to watch the match. On our way back to the apartment that evening, we stopped for gelato, but called an early night due to my need to return to work on Monday for a brief time.

Monday started at NTK, where I gave a tour to a group of librarians from Dresden (which will be discussed more in next week’s blog) before spending the last full day in Prague with my family. They joined the Dresden librarians for a tour before I took them for pizza and off to enjoy our day. We started near Mustek, where we spent some time at Hamley’s (mostly for the Czech RepuBrick display) before heading toward Old Town through the Powder Tower and past the Black Madonna Building. By the time we made it to Old Town Hall, we were got in a thunderstorm, so we stopped for desert before deciding to head back to the apartment and wait out the storm.

As we made our way back, the storm cleared, so we stopped at the Senate Gardens before a quick stop at the apartment for jackets. I then took them up to Strahov, to show them the stadium and the place I have been staying. With the hopes of feeding them, I took them down through Petrin to see the gardens and observation tower before making our way back toward the castle. We stopped in the mirror maze, which I feel needs renamed, as it is no maze at all, and arrived to the square outside the castle a bit too late to find food. This led to a trip back near the apartment, where we found a small place to eat before we said good night to one another.

Tuesday morning I met them for breakfast, where we tried Cafe Savoy together, before I bid them farewell. I set off to return to work while they returned to pack and continue their trip, as they flew to Rome that afternoon. It was a long and grueling weekend full of laughs and plenty of food. There were a few hiccups, but all-in-all, it was a pretty typical family visit with an out-of-country twist.

With the holiday season officially in full effect here in the Czech Republic, the empty office has definitely been something that I have had to get used to.The good thing about this is that it has definitely allowed for me to catch up on readings and interests that I have fallen behind on, but it also leaves holes in my schedule due to moving meetings to fit the holiday schedules of our teams. Still, it also provides a good deal of freedom, as I also took some time at the end of this week to spend more time with my family when they arrived at the end of the week.

Part of my internship has focused on a cultural integration that I didn’t really know what to expect from. Understanding a group of people has so many aspects, from knowing their history to experiencing their culture, and it is difficult to get all of that in a short period of time, especially in a country that you don’t know much about to begin with. My interest in history has furthered my want (and I think my need) to just grasp as much understanding as I can in my short time here. Excursions and readings have largely helped with this, but I have also taken in so much more by just experiencing all I can, from listening to colleagues converse in Czech to immersing myself in the pub culture you find here.

The great thing about the relative emptiness of the office and my schedule this week allowed me to catch up on some of these cultural readings. With a basic understanding of the Czech Republic’s past (Austro-Hungarian Empire through the fall of communism), this week I spent most of my office hours learning about contemporary politics here in this country. On top of the information that I have been receiving about the United States’s current political climate, I have been able to remain much more engaged than I thought I would. The connections and the need to understand how these events play out have played into enthusiasm for a type of history and understanding I often overlook.

I also took steps this week to continue this type of education once I return to the United States. While it was not necessary for me to speak Czech to function here in Prague, I have learned some very basic Czech while I have lived here. My personal belief is that anyone that will spend any amount of time in a country should learn at least a little bit of the language, even if the people speak a common language, as it shows a respect to the people you are among. The thing is, as difficult as the Czech language is and as small of a population in the world that actually speaks the language, I want to continue my education upon my return to the United States. I sat down with my mentor, who is still learning the language as well, this week and she gave me some great resources and suggestions to continue my education. On top of that, I plan on keeping in contact with the colleagues I have here upon my return, so it’d be nice to be able to communicate with them in Czech in the future. Here’s to the dedication to learning a new skill!

I have learned so much from all of the social activities I have taken part of in my two months here. From little things like festivals to communicating with my colleagues, I honestly feel more “at home” in more social situations here than I ever have in my actual home. My own preference is to spend most of my time in solitude due to social anxiety that I experience, but this is not an issue I have had here. I expressed interest, when introduced to the library’s director, that I liked jazz music, and this week I got the opportunity to attend the Bohemia Jazz Festival, which was quite lovely. I couldn’t stay long or attend both days, but it is something I would have definitely talked myself out of if I had still been in the United States. Wednesday I was invited to join two of my colleagues for lunch as well and invited for (how they ask to buy you something) ice cream. We enjoyed a lovely conversation about media representation (specifically strong, female characters in merchandise, like Gamora or Rey) and about the issues with plagiarism and intellectual property rights in and out of the Czech Republic.

Our team also finished some of our major prep work for the Space Use Project. We tested the floors with our interns for the last week to make sure that our training was sufficient for expanding to other colleagues when the time is ready. I spent much of the week developing the documents for the remaining floors of the library. With a few consultations with the team, we solidified our understanding of the floor maps (which are the last materials that need added to our documents folder) and agreed to a few minor changes in the methodology before testing begins again. Friday was our last day of testing the methodology, as the library has largely emptied out for the summer, but the touches being made will prepare the library to begin observing the entire library when the new semester begins. The collaboration on development has been extremely interesting and a project I have really liked working on. There is still more work to be done (such as the development of a database to store and analyze the data), but the project is ready for a full launch when the time comes.

Wednesday was a half day at our office, not because it was the U.S. Independence Day, but because one of our colleagues was celebrating his birthday. Of course, it was really only a half day for our department. We traveled to his residence as a group to attend a BBQ which lasted well into the night. There I met some people from the library I hadn’t gotten the chance to meet yet, including the director of NTK. The director was a lovely man and we had a great talk about jazz music, which led me to learning about a jazz festival going on in Prague early next week (hopefully I’ll get to attend and be able to report back). It was quite a nice way to spend this American holiday (our birthday boy brings out his U.S. flag for his birthday each year), as it was a group of great people, good food, and no fireworks.

Thursday and Friday were Czech holidays, so I got to spend the days exploring. As I’ve been quite tired on the weekends recently (and trying to spend at least one day decompressing each week), I took this opportunity to explore some areas that I just haven’t had the chance to get to. After a short conversation about cemeteries with a colleague, she suggested going to the two in Praha 3 (a large cemetery in the city and the New Jewish Cemetery). Thursday I walked the larger cemetery, spending most of my day there, taking in the beauty, while Friday I did the same at New Jewish Cemetery. They were lovely days of reflection and pictures capturing the beauty.

Of course, with the quarterfinals on Friday, I also found myself watching soccer. I even caught a couple Wimbledon matches, and found a few new coffee shops. The Croatia-Russia match on Saturday evening was definitely the most exciting I’ve attended so far. I went to the dorm bar to watch, as it has been a quiet place to watch the matches in the evening, to just end up sitting at the bar trying to see while the bartender and I got some good entertainment from the other fans. I have never seen more than 10 people in this space before, and this match filled the room (probably close to 75 people). It was quite amazing.

My Saturday morning was spent exploring a part of Dejvicka I hadn’t made it to yet. There are a couple places that have piqued my interest while I walk home, so I decided to go exploring. It really just led to a nice, long walk, but it’s nice to know more of what it around. I know my explorations next week will be much more organized, as my family will be in town and I’ll be showing them around.

I spent my Sunday at the dorms. I had planned on doing laundry, but had no access to the keys to the drying room (maybe Monday), so I just took the time to relax for the week ahead instead, as I have been doing on many Sundays.

This was a short week at work, due to some holidays that allowed for a long weekend. Still, the early portions of my weeks are often the busiest, which allows me to do more cultural things throughout the end of the week. I had three conversation courses this week along with reading up on current political situations in the Czech Republic (my historical theme of the week) and working on building on the Space Use project I’ve been working on. In our mini training this week, we had a lovely discussion about the craziness of scientific publishing, open access, and the difficulties that all libraries face in trying to provide information for users (especially in the academic setting).

I met with two of my three regular conversation groups this week and got to sit down with some of the Turkish interns for a bit. I enjoy getting to sit down with my first group on Mondays because all the guys have such interesting lives (though they are often the ones that are hardest to get into a group because of their busy lives). My other group was mismatched from my second Monday group and my Tuesday group (who did not meet this week). They seemed much more comfortable talking with one another, which is nice, because I often have an issue with the men in those groups talking at all. Then, our Turkish interns asked if I’d sit down with them. One of their goals is to improve their English speaking skills while they are here (as they understand the language quite well). This led to a different approach in our “conversation”. They were working on sentence structure this week, so they were asking me questions so I could answer them. Of course, they need to work on speaking too, so any question they asked, I made them answer as well. It was actually kind of fun and we learned a little bit more about each other.

With the hope for the Space Use Project to expand and the knowledge that two of the three on our team will be gone by the end of the summer, this week was spent creating materials for later expansion and bringing in new helpers. Tuesday my colleague and I sat down with the Turkish interns to bring them onto the project as observers. They then shadowed us on our last few observations of the week so that they can begin doing observations themselves. While we have only begun doing this on two of the six floors of the library, it was suggested we begin creating the materials for the other floors as well. I finished creating the materials for three of the remaining four floors and updating the workflow document. The final floor is going to take a little more collaboration. Still, this step allows for the original group to create all documents with the same ideas in mind, but then allows for the expansion of the project and the bringing in of new colleagues to be done in a more consistent way when the library is prepared to move on with it.

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.

Some weeks just unfold in a bit of an unexpected way. While most of my time was dedicated to the Space Use project this week (as we are now expanding to include more of the library), my time was also split among discussions with colleagues about other approaches to issues in the library and the conversations that I am hosting with students. Interesting opportunities, like seeing the Czech Philharmonic at a free open air concert, presented themselves, along with instances I didn’t expect to encounter in Prague, like a bomb threat at the campus in which NTK is located.

As we work more on the Space Use project, I think it becomes more clear how difficult collaborations can be. While we have seen the advantages of them, as they often allow multiple perspectives and understandings to be used to develop good tools and methodologies, it will always be difficult to keep everyone on the same page. I think we are doing a good job of this though. We spent this week making further updates to the project so we can bring in the new interns to help us with observations. At this stage, expanding to even more people on the project means remaining on the same page is crucial, or the data can be affected. This remains important as we bring in colleagues to build a database for use later on in the project as well, especially since two of the original three on the project will be leaving the department near the end of the summer. Still, we move forward and do our best to remain on the same page. My goal for next week is to at least have the documents created for the rest of the floors in the library so we can gradually expand the project as they see fit, but that all the documents are created with the same understanding.

I also spent this week doing a good deal of reading about the Czech Republic, as I have found less and less time to do so in recent weeks, especially with our cultural excursions. This week I read mostly on the Czech experience of communism and the Velvet Revolution, which I have found extremely fascinating. There were other readings on the early twentieth century and some more recent political things, but the major years in recent Czech history (1948, 1968, and 1989) were the focus. These were the political markings following WWII, when the Czech government went communist (1948), when the Czech Republic was occupied (1968), and when independence was won (1989). A colleague actually provided a book of photography that showed snapshots of 1948 and 1968 which were extremely interesting.

Wednesday became a very unexpected day for the entire library. Upon my arrival, the library had been evacuated due to a threat on the campus in which it sits. Colleagues went to a cafe nearby to await news and I learned that I may have been the only one in my department that has ever experienced a bomb threat. Following the cafe, we went to a restaurant for lunch, where many of us stayed for several hours, before we parted to enjoy our unexpected day off. I went to explore that day in a new part of the city, where I watched the Sweden-Mexico World Cup match.

Thursday was used to catch up on work we were meant to do on Wednesday, so I spent most of the day working on the Space Use project, creating documents for the next expansion of the project. This was important for our meetings on Friday, which included next steps for the CRM Project and an impromptu discussion on Space Use that led to the decision to prepare the entire library, for when the team is ready to expand (after I leave this summer). Friday ended in the city with colleagues, showing me a few new places. We ended up meeting a few of her friends as well, where we said goodbye to a friend of hers, as she is going back to Spain.

Konopiste is a castle from the fourteenth century located approximately 40km from Prague. It’s most well-known resident (at least in world history standards) was Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Originally a hunting castle, the estate was purchased by Ferdinand after his cousin Rudolph visited it, knowing it would suit the man. Now, Konopiste is a beautiful estate run by the state, which contains the castle, it’s surrounding gardens, the “pond,” and a rose garden. The property came into possession of the state after Ferdinand’s assassination in 1914, but was used for various purposes throughout both world wars and the communist eras before it was turned into an historical site and restored.

Today, you can visit Konopiste by taking a train to Benesov and walking the approximate 2km to the castle (through the very scenic route of its gardens). It is a destination of many in the Czech Republic due to their connection to Ferdinand’s wife, Duchess Sofia (who was a Czech woman). While the tours are a tad expensive, there are four offered, and the information and views are worth every koruna. There is no photography allowed inside the castle, so getting glimpses at the Archduke’s life requires the fee. On any day you can visit the North or South Salons (two separate tours), the private flat of Franz Ferdinand, or go on a hunting tour. There is even a range that can be used on the property.

Traveling with my cultural attaché and the Turkish interns that joined us this week, we got a deeper look into the lives of the Archduke’s family by taking a tour of his flat. In my time in the Czech Republic, I have become fascinated with this man because of the information I have learned regarding his place in history, but the new information acquired here just piqued my interest more. Actually, my time at Konopiste made me question even more why the only this we know about Archduke Franz Ferdinand is that his assassination started World War I. While this is clearly true and is by far the reason world history finds him important, the complexity of this man is often lost. In fact, it took me coming to the Czech Republic to even learn that he was not the only one that died the day he was assassinated. His wife, Sofia, was also killed that day, orphaning their 3 children. You can actually view the dress she was wearing that day on the tour (at least Tour 3, of the private flat).

While you get a brief introduction to his political and military life, the focus of the tour is on his private life. The walls of the castle are lined with his trophies, which indicate the importance of him choosing a hunting castle to reside in. Ferdinand made his first animal kill at the age of 8 and was an avid hunter until his death at age 50, killing some 275,000 animals all over the world. Each trophy is carefully marked in his home with the date and the place, but some get more distinctions, like the number of the kill or who was with him. Some of these trophies are actually from his family (such as one that was his daughter’s from age 3).

Still, the more private areas of the estate are quite homey. The children’s playroom is covered in Sofia’s art (the daughter and oldest of the siblings). There are books and model boats (which the boys were quite fond of). In the study, there is even a portrait of Emperor Franz Josef I as a young man. What struck me at that was that I don’t think I’ve ever seen the man depicted as young. All other pictures I have ever seen were from near the end of his rule, when he was at least in his eighties.

Like many stories about the Czech people, the story of Franz Ferdinand and his family is tragic. While they were quite happy at Konopiste, from what can be determined, this was also a place of sanctuary for them. Ferdinand’s marriage to Sofia was never fully accepted. She was a countess when he began courting her and Franz Josef disapproved the first time he asked for her hand, but he did not give up. A year later, he approached the emperor again and received permission to marry her. This raised her status to Duchess, which still placed her below the status of the Archduke. As a stipulation of their marriage, Ferdinand and Sofia also had to renounce their children’s right to the throne, which is what led Charles to become emperor after Ferdinand’s assassination and the death of Josef.

The death of Ferdinand marked the beginning of some very tragic ends for his family. Sofia travelled with Ferdinand for his trip to Sarajevo after leaving their children from a short holiday. In the attempt to kill both the next heir to the throne and his right-hand man in the military, the conspirators failed. While they were successful in taking out Ferdinand, they missed his general and killed his wife. This orphaned their three children (Sofia, the oldest, still a teenager). They would leave Konopiste for a castle owned by Sofia’s family (the Hohenbergs), where they would be cared for by their teacher and Ferdinand’s step mother. They survived the war, but WWII would not be so kind. While Sofia married a German man, her brothers were not so lucky in their position. Late in the war, they ended up in concentration camps that they did not survive. Sofia lived until her eighties and her daughter is still alive today (and in contact with the caretaker of Konopiste).

The chance to learn more about the family and story of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was quite fascinating. While there we also walked down to the “pond,” though I’m not quite sure how anyone could categorize it as such, and spent some time in the rose garden, where we were acquainted with several peacocks. As is the luck of the weather, we spent the last bit of our time at Konopiste trying to outrun a storm. We did not succeed, but a little rain never hurt anybody. The problem is that the brief, strong storm caused damage to the train tracks leading back to Prague. We spent about three hours at the station before we decided to find a new way back (as this type of delay is extremely unusual in this part of the world). Our group ended up with an Uber back to the city, which was definitely an interesting experience, but it did allow us to see some of the villages just outside of Prague, which I really liked. Making it back much later than anticipated, it was nice to make it back to my dorm for some much needed sleep.

After a very engaged week and a rough end to our trip on Thursday, I decided it was very much in my right to essentially take some time off. The storms that hit Thursday afternoon brought the temperature down and kept the rain clouds near, so a lazy weekend was easy to enjoy. Saturday I only left my dorm to go to the market for food. I spent the rest of the time binge watching a show with a friend in the States, and, it was exactly what I needed.

Sunday was a little warmer and less dreary, so I decided to find a pub for the matches. I walked to the Charles Bridge area from my dorm. There I watched the England-Panama match over some lovely food. I made the trek back up to my dorm, but decided to sit out the other two matches, getting some rest before the week ahead. I watched a movie and did some reading before getting ready for the week of work ahead.