Two weeks in Prague, but not much to report . . .

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The past two weeks have gone by extremely quickly, ever since we returned from Poland it seems like the semester is suddenly drawing to a close. In a way, that's true, because this week (Nov. 5- Nov.9) is the last week of class for our program. Consequently, the past couple of weeks have been full of homework and studying for exams. So, for you suckers who are going to school back in the States, I can now empathize with you, sort of.

Along with homework and such, I've been in a mad rush to figure out my final project. For those of you who don't know, my Program sets aside four weeks at the end of the semester for the students to complete an independent study project. We're given some guidance, and some help making contacts, but basically we're on our own, with a small stipend, and we have the time to work on whatever topic we wish. Some of the art students will be living in art collectives around the country, and completing a sculpture or other piece of art. The rest of us, who aren't so lucky to be in the visual arts, have to complete a research project, or volunteer at a charity for the project period.

As it's shaping up, my project will be dealing with the Roma in Slovakia. I know a guy in Bratislava who works in a foundation to enable the Roma people, and I will be joining him on some trips to Eastern Slovakia to see some of the most ignored and poorest Roma communities. My project is going to deal with housing policies of the current government, as well as the former Communist government, and seeing how these policies have directly affected the Roma communities. We'll see how it turns out, but if any of you have questions and want me to go into more specific detail, shoot me an email.

As for Halloween (great tangent Tom), It was a pretty relaxed occasion for myself. The only people who really celebrate the holiday are the American ex-pats, although it is catching on among the locals as well. I chose to forgo some of the Euro-rave parties that some of my classmates were attending, and instead opted for the old dinner, movie, and pub with some friends.

The past two weeks have been so busy with studying and other projects, I haven't really gone out to see or do much in Prague. So, today I took action, because I knew a travelblog post without pictures would be like . . . Valleyfair without the valley? Anyway, I got myself out of the flat, and headed over to an area of town called Vyšehrad. It's a large hill that used to have a castle, but now there is a very nice Gothic Cathedral, a cemetery, and some killer views of upper and lower Prague. Then I walked for a ways, back into the Old Town, had some coffee, and chatted with some Americans I met there (we're everywhere!).

Last night most of our group went to one of the largest cemeteries in Prague, which was really beautiful. Thursday was All Saints Day, so many people come out to the graves of ancestors and put candles on them. This makes for a beautiful sight, hundreds of candles marking hundreds of graves on a cloudy autumn night. I wish my camera could take night shots, because there were plenty of great photo opportunities.

So, this is my last week of class, in one week I'll be heading to Bratislava again, but this time for at least a two week stay. Until then, I need to cram in the rest of the Prague sights, and I also need to cram for my tests. One more thing, I have to register for next semester's classes. What a pain.

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Photos

Man on a Tram
this is what the Prague trams look like from the inside

Tram lines
These are the lines that power all of the trams. Sorry, I'm not smart enough to know what building that is

Krasny Ztraty
This is the Cafe we have class in quite often. Even when we don't have class, many of us return because it is such a great place. The name means "Beautiful Loss". Sort of melancholy I guess

Smashing Pumpkins
Where ever there are people who carve pumpkins, there will always be people who smash them

Vines
I thought these vines against this wall looked a lot like trees in a forest

On the top of Vysehrad Hill
A small and rotund chapel

On the top of Vysehrad Hill
A funky playground. I don't know why, but it reminds me of the Flinstones

On the top of Vysehrad Hill
A flotilla of sailboats on the Vltava river

On the top of Vysehrad Hill
A view of one of the more contemporary neighborhoods of Prague

On the top of Vysehrad Hill
A piece of the old castle wall, or a church, or a Roman wall, or something. I don't know, does it seem like I care about getting the facts right?

On the top of Vysehrad Hill
One of the Cathedral's spires, as seen through a screen of autumn foliage

On the top of Vysehrad Hill
A gilded statue outside the Cathedral. I think Prague probably has the record for the most statues per capita. Seriously, they make a statue to honor EVERYTHING

On the top of Vysehrad Hill
One of the doors to the Cathedral

On the top of Vysehrad Hill
A close-up of the Cathedral door, it seems unusual for a Gothic Cathedral to have a mosaic

On the top of Vysehrad Hill
The cemetery on the hill. Many famous Czechs are buried here, including Mr. Antonin Dvorak. I sat on a bench here and pondered life for awhile

On the top of Vysehrad Hill
Attempted Self Portrait #2

On the top of Vysehrad Hill
This bridge literally spans this entire neighborhood

On the top of Vysehrad Hill
What's the Great Wall of China doing here?

On a Botel
This is how they celebrate Halloween Vltava Style

Charles Bridge
Just to give you an idea, this is how crowded the Charles Bridge gets during the day. This isn't even peak tourist season!

Yet another monument
To the late, great, Charles IV (I think. Once again, facts aren't so important here) I'll leave you with a Czech language lesson. Did you know there's a Czech word for a group of statues? That's right, it's Sousosi (pronounced soh-so-shi). I told you they were obsessed with statues

Comments

[montpelliEMMA]

hey wow!
i feel like the quality of your pictures just tripled. i don't know what's different but there are a lot of really nice pictures here. have you been hanging out with the arty kids again? i think my favorite is the pumpkins that are chatting on the boat. that's what it looks like me, anyway. nice self portrait, you look more like yourself. you look really short though, you should probably stop slouching before you get stuck like that. has it gotten any colder since you've gotten there? i see you aren't wearing a jacket. i see many of the leaves have fallen; is fall nearly over? one day maybe i can be part of a sousosi... a bunch of statues of me. do you hate yourself for saying "two weeks in prague, but not much to report?" there's so much around you!

[devin the d00d]

you look grizzled. way to go!

[Mom]

Nice photos
I am intrigued to travel when I see these photos. I enjoyed the pumpkin smash and the self portrait too. Skinheads abound here these days. Love, Mom

[Dan D.]

self portrait of a czech
Tom, If you look any more European in your next self portrait, I'll stop wearing my Lederhosen on Halloween. Thanks for the update---definately makes me want to see more of that part of the continent. Cheers. Dan

[montpelliEMMA]

dear tom
i miss you and i would like you to post some new material. love, emma.