Other photos of the Czech Republic
We took an introductory walking tour of the city, learning about each castle and cathedral, and the notable people who had lived here. Mozart enjoyed his visit to Prague - his opera "The Magic Flute" had been disdained by most Viennese but was well received by the Czechs. Franz Kafka experienced a difficult life here as a German-speaking Jew; those who have read his novel "The Trial" will understand its genesis in the tortured paths and many dead-ends of the old city. Famous composers Dvorak and Smetana lived here; we celebrated their creativity by attending a concert of their work. Below is a beautiful old Jewish temple in Prague.
In contrast to
36% of the new enrollees on the
unemployment lists are recent graduates - young people who have gotten
themselves
educated, but have nowhere to use their energy and talents. Many of the Czech
people seemed dour and unfriendly, and spoke little English. Fortunately, others
were cheerful and helpful, and spoke heavily accented but quite good English.
Living in
Everything else, however, was very
inexpensive. For example, a ticket on the efficient metro was only 12 Kc (35
cents) and could be used for any number of trips around town during a 60-minute
period. A large mug of very good Czech beer cost only 18 Kc (60 cents.) We're talking about Budvar, the
original Budweiser; on tap it's MUCH better than the American version. A huge and hearty Czech dinner - salad and a
big platter of
sauerkraut, beets, potatoes, dumplings, roast duckling and pig plus a stein of
beer - cost under $15 for two. Woe to our waistlines!
A HOME
VISIT
We arranged
to have dinner with a Servas couple. We thought the plan was to meet at their
apartment, and we'd take them out to a local restaurant. Accordingly, we ate a
skimpy lunch on the run - an apple for Lou and a bowl of soup for Joan. We
bought a spray of orchids for our hosts ($3 at the metro flower stand) and arrived in a
ravenous condition. We rang the bell of a shabby apartment building and a few
moments later our host opened the door and ushered us into a cobblestone courtyard.
The interior of the building matched the exterior. The walls were
cracked, peeling and stained with age, the mailboxes broken and rusty, and the
courtyard "garden" was dank and mossy concrete surrounding a few
struggling trees. We climbed two
flights of stone steps in semi-darkness and then went along a narrow
passage half-filled with junk.
Our host ushered us in the last
door, and we stepped directly into a small kitchen crowded with a tiny gas stove, an even smaller sink
huddled in a
corner, and - between the stove and small refrigerator - a 6" deep enamel shower
pan, complete with hand-held shower head! After removing our shoes, we moved into the only other room in the
apartment. Perhaps 12x15', it contained a double bed on one side, and a table
and four chairs on the other. Lining the walls were bookcases, rows of record
albums and a modest television set. Both rooms were impeccably neat and clean.
From our host's remarks, we
estimated that the rent of this flat was only about $50-75 a month. He had made
many improvements - including the shower in the kitchen. He mentioned that the
communal toilet was in the courtyard - two floors below! On the plus side,
besides the extremely low rent, a Czech landlord cannot easily remove a tenant.
The landlord would need to provide a comparable apartment at the same rent in
the surrounding neighborhood. The rent is semi-controlled, rising only 10% a
year in a city that has high open market rents.
Our host, who was born in
After some 45 minutes, our host
asked if we'd like coffee or tea. By this time we were faint with hunger. His wife soon arrived bearing plates with
rolled up, sugared crepes. Not quite what we'd expected! These proved absolutely
delicious, however, as they were filled with homemade apricot jam. After we'd
exclaimed over them, she shyly asked her husband something in Czech, and he
told us she wanted to fix something more for us. We heartily agreed, since he'd
mentioned when we arrived that we wouldn't be going out to eat after all.
Another half hour passed, and she appeared with small salad plates for each of
us. On each were a mound of subtly spiced, minced, cooked
cauliflower topped with strips of carrot and 3 narrow strips of lunchmeat plus
2 small wedges of tomato. These were offered with a basket of sliced bread and
glasses of bottled water. Dessert followed - a red apple for each and a handful of walnuts. These were easily the tastiest apples
and walnuts we've ever eaten! This was a VERY simple repast in a humble setting
- yet offered with quiet dignity, real warmth and no apologies.
Our
host spoke of watching the Russian tanks rumble into
As we left, our host commented that we seemed different from most Americans - meaning those who stay at the Sheraton or other big hotels. We cringed somewhat to think of the vast gulf separating the American standard of living from that of Central Europe, and how much we take it for granted. In some ways our host and his wife are living richer lives than many Westerners who consume and consume and still are restless and unsatisfied.
KUTNA
HORA
For our final Servas visit in the
Our host met us at the
train station with outstretched arms. We thought he was going to weep with joy
at seeing us. We might have been long-lost relatives! He spent nearly three
hours driving us around the town, jumping out at each of the town's highlights to
explain it in quite good English.
SKULLS AND BONES: Our first
stop was the "ossuary" - an ancient Catholic church which had a very
small cemetery next to it. So small, in fact, that a couple of hundred years
ago the cemetery was dug up to make room for fresh burials. Three major plagues
erupted in the town over the years, so this meant digging up the bones of some
40,000 people! In contemplating the huge pile of bones, some rather creative
monk began to use them to create art - of a sort. Today, you can visit the
church and, for a small fee, gape at the macabre creations.
After this eye-popping introduction to Kutna Hora, our host took us on a looping journey through the village - to see a stunning Gothic cathedral, Medieval burghers' houses, the town square, a tower and the town hall. We reached his home in time for lunch with his wife. Equally friendly, but a bit more reserved - perhaps because she spoke less English than her husband - his wife is a dentist. She sees some 20-25 patients a day in her cheerful red-and-white dental office, created by remodeling the family garage. Lunch was simple and delicious. She had picked fresh mushrooms from the fields the day before and combined these with noodles, cream and onions. This was accompanied by a dark local beer. A friend had contributed fresh Chinese cabbage from his garden for a simple salad. Dessert was spiced, poached pear slices. It was peasant's repast fit for a king! (Below, the dentist/mushroom-picker and her husband.)
AMERICAN
"PROPAGANDA": We spent the rest of our six-hour visit with
elbows on the dining table, discussing the effects of the change from communism
to capitalistic democracy. Our hosts say it is wonderful to be able to travel,
speak and read freely - but that the average person is worse off economically.
The unemployment rate is very high and there is great uncertainty about the
future. When the Czechs broke away from the
We had fun trying to
communicate with the Czechs, many of whom speak some German - but few of whom
speak any English. When we tried to buy some shampoo in a rather elegant parfumerie,
Lou decided to get exactly the right kind. (Joan would have been happy with
ANYTHING, as long as it was shampoo and not shoe polish.) He persisted in
trying to communicate with someone who didn't understand one word of English.
Finally, Lou held up his three middle fingers, putting down first the one on
the left and saying firmly "Oily. Nein!" and then putting down the
one on the right and again saying "Dry, Nein!". This left him showing
an obscene gesture at the poor clerk - who had no way of understanding that Lou
was trying to say that we didn't want shampoo for oily hair or for dry hair,
but something in between. Finally, someone else in the shop called out
"normal!" and we all had a good laugh.
We had a four-day visit to
CESKY
KRUMLOV
We took a day trip to the
charming Medieval
After hiking back up the hill in
the dark to the old train station, we were picked up by the "train" -
a single tram car tooting toward us out of the dark. For much of the ride, the
two of us passengers equaled in number the two employees - conductor and
engineer - and saluted by red-capped station masters at each nearly deserted
station along the way.
AMERICAN
"PROPAGANDA"
During our lunch in Kutna Hora,
Lou had asked our host about the Czech perception of America. His answer was
thought-provoking. We thought he'd be judgmental about U.S. meddling with its
air power in
nearby Kosovo, but he was far more concerned about the impact of Western
culture. Interestingly, he compared the Soviet government's centrally-directed
propaganda with the America's decentralized, market-directed
"propaganda" - via film, television, brand-name goods and franchise
businesses.
In our American naiveté, we wouldn't have thought of labeling both political
and economic pressure as "propaganda." Our friend held up his hand with
fingers spread and extended in front of his face and, looking between his
fingers at us said, "Sure, we Czechs will be like the Soviets"; and
later, "Sure, we Czechs will be like the Americans." He seemed to be
saying that this overlay of foreign ideas is a mask laid over the Czech
identity, and also that it creates a prison that restricts Czechs from determining
their own destiny.
Certainly, this small country with relatively meager resources has been overrun and exploited by others many times. America never has faced this in-your-face challenge to its identity. While we don't have easy answers to the problems raised, we value these open discussions about how others perceive the U.S. and their reaction to our enormous power and influence over them. We're beginning to realize how little we have looked at the world from any but our own perspective. Virtually all maps sold in America place the U.S. in the very center, as though this was the way the entire world is oriented. It was a bit shocking to come across a map in New Zealand that made America look "upside down."
Other photos of the Czech
Republic
After returning to Prague,
DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS
GUIDEBOOK: Central Europe
(Lonely Planet)
BACKGROUND READING: The Trial
by Franz Kafka
FILMS: Kolya; The Shop on Main
Street
(1999 Prices):
PRAGUE: Our conveniently located
studio apartment was $40/night. The apartment owner's name is Jan Muller; he
has several rental apts. Fax: 00420 2 225 18734 accomm.jan@post.cz
CESKE BUDEJOVICE: Penzion
Centrum. Na Mlynske stoce 8. Well-located small pension with reasonable rates,
including breakfast. Ph: 038 520 30
Joan and Lou Rose joanandlou@ramblingroses.net