Wandering the Streets of Prague
I have been in Prague for 3 weeks now. It is strange how time passes. In some moments, it feels like time is nonexistent and I am simply standing still in awe of the beauty that I see on a daily basis. Other times, I cannot believe how quickly the sun sets and rises each day and I want it so slow down.
Perhaps, my favorite thing to do in this beautiful city is to simply meander along the cobblestone streets. Sure, I love having a plan and visiting specific places and museums; however, I feel that I have perfected the skill of aimless wanderings. Many times instead of taking the Metro back from school, I decide to take the scenic route and walk. I feel so alive walking the streets, admiring the architecture, hearing the diverse languages and truly allowing myself to be an observer. I find it fascinating to interact with all the other tourists and learn about the various cultures. Prague is truly an international city and it is a fascinating place to study and live.
Prague is a very inspirational place. Surrounded by the history of some of the best writers, composers, and artists, I feel the need to be constantly discovering art. It is very easy to do so because there are exhibitions on every corner and the city is filled with statues and artwork. I feel as though I am in a constant state of discovery, open to new knowledge. Tonight, I had a perfect moment while writing my first paper for my Jewish Studies class. I heard the tinkle of piano keys so I opened my windows and listened to my neighbor across the courtyard practice. It was truly a beautiful moment and turned an ordinarily dull paper writing session into an inspiring session where words poured across the page effortlessly.
As for how my classes are going, I never thought college would allow so many fieldtrips. In almost every class here, the professors plan fieldtrips. It is fantastic and allows for true hands on learning. For instance, in my Jewish Studies and Holocaust class, I went to the New Jewish Cemetery which house Franz Kafka’s burial ground. Ivy was sprawled over all the gravestones and created a very mystical and spiritual feeling. Although, I have not seen the famous Old Jewish Cemetery yet ( this is planned as a later field trip), this cemetery was one of the most beautiful shrines to man kind that I have ever seen.
Tomorrow, I am going on a day trip to Kutna Hora which is a very important medieval town for the Czech Republic. During the 13th century silver was found in Kutna Hora and the supply was so massive that it suppled one third of all of Europe’s silver. The silver discovery provided great wealth to the King and made the Czech crown highly sought after by the rest of the European monarchies. Kutna Hora is also famous for the “bone church” which was created by priests. While mining for silver, a large amount of bodies were unearthed. Because the priests viewed this burial as sacred, they didn’t want the miners to simply discard the human remains. Instead, they took them and utilized them as decor for the church in what they thought was the most respectful way of honoring the dead. While there are a few other churches of this manner, in typical Czech fashion, the “bone church” is grander than the rest.
I will update soon. Happy Reading!