What is the extent of your knowledge of the history of the Czech Republic and Prague?
Before I arrived in my — spoiler alert — second-favorite city of my journey, I knew about the Velvet Revolution and that was it. While the peaceful separation of one country into two is certainly noteworthy, I’m embarrassed at what I did not know. I didn’t know that they were occupied not once but twice in the 20th century and showed amazing resolve in the face of both occupations, holding firm to their right to exist and never giving in before finally coming out on the other side of it free.
Twice.
And the echoes of those days still whisper through the streets. There is a palpable joy felt in this remarkable place, a care-free spirit that must only come after you have had to fight for your freedom for years and years.
When I’d pass by folks who seemed to be further along in their years, I couldn’t help but pause and think about what all they have experienced. The older folks looked a bit more weathered, and it is easy to understand how living under the control of someone else would make you that way. The younger folks reap the rewards of the steadfastness determination of their elders, and you sense it is not without appreciation.
A truly magical place that I did not spend nearly enough time in.
I only had two full days in Prague, and so my first day started like the last several of my stops: with a guided walking tour holding my phone to my ear listening to Rick Steves. Look, am I the only one who can’t wear earbuds? Like, they don’t fit in my ears. At all. They just tumble right on out. And I’m not about to walk through the streets of a Central European city with the massive over-the-ear headphones I have.
When I’m doing these walking tours, I often forget to pause and take photographs, and so for a while, this was the only picture from Prague that I had.
A mocking statue of the more-prominent King Wenceslas statue located outside in the Wenceslas Square.
But you do have to, if nothing else, admire the art nouveau aesthetic.
As the tour continued, it became apparent that one of the highlights of visiting Prague was going to simply be looking up. The buildings, especially when you get into the Old Town, are a mishmash of architectural design, and yet, they meld together perfectly. None of it is jarring. It all just fits.
It really is remarkably beautiful.
That first full day in Prague also provided me with my first sustained social interaction that I’ve had over here. My introvertness isn’t totally to blame here. I just haven’t had a strong desire to go have a drink or be out “late” at night, and that’s the only situation where I would end up talking to anyone. Unlike my father who will talk to ANYONE, that’s just not me. And yes, I realize I’m missing out, but that’s just fine with me.
But Everton was playing that night, and I was enjoying Prague so much that I wanted to find a place to watch them instead of staying in and trying to find some nefarious way of watching them. So that’s how I ended up at an Irish pub, with the television right above my seat, which I do believe permanently impacted how my neck works.
Thankfully Everton was awful that night or else the damage might have been worse, because instead of watching the second half, I spent it talking to the Dutch guy next to me.
I had a couple adult beverages in me by the time he asked me if I was pulling for Everton, and so my friend from the Netherlands spent the next five hours listening to me make up for lost time. He gave me some tips on things to do while in Amsterdam (I’ve already ignored one thing he told me not to do), and we spent a lot of time trading perspectives.
This is what I imagined every night of my journey would be. LOL. I absolutely should have known better. But that being said, I’m thankful it finally happened, and I’m also totally fine that it hasn’t been like that the entire trip. Honestly, that would have been exhausting for me. I like having friends and folks to talk to, but I also very much like my time. This leg of my journey is coming to a quick close (I leave on March 23), but I will be more open to putting myself into situations to meet folks when I come back later in the spring.
A balance between what I thought it would be and what it has been will be just about right, I think.
The highlight of the second day will go down as one of the highlights of the entire journey.
There have been a few moments that have made me emotional (in a positive way). Seeing Big Ben on that first morning, for example, or my first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower. Walking around Stonehenge. Exploring the Colosseum.
There’s a common theme there.
But on a Thursday night in Prague, I sat in one of the most beautiful musical venues I’ve ever been in, listening to stringed instruments play Mozart’s Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major (you might know it better as A Little Night Music), on the verge of bawling my eyes out.
My first reaction was to look like Bill Clinton did the night his wife accepted her party’s nomination, his mouth agape with a permanent smile etched on his face as the balloons fell around him, but then as the performers worked their way through the piece, an overwhelming sense of appreciation for the experience I was having washed over me.
It’s not that it was something especially unique, as there’s numerous concerts just like the one I was attending nearly every night in Prague. It’s just that there I was, a little country boy (okay, maybe not so little) from Franklin, Tennessee, doing yet another thing I never even dreamed of doing.
All of these experiences existed only in my mind, if they even existed at all. Maybe I’d go to England one day, I’d tell myself. But a three-month long journey across the European continent? A year ago I would have called you absolutely crazy.
And there are days where it still feels absolutely crazy, but in the absolutely best way.
And thus, I was quite glad to be sitting alone in my box, not having to be so discreet as I wiped away tears of joy.
I left Prague the next day, but before I stepped on the train, I turned around and took one last figurative look back at this city I had fallen in love with so hard and vowed that I would indeed be back.
Rails to Ride 
I love that you fell in love with Prague! I did as well. You took me back there !
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