Bratislava: The Secret Gem

Driving to Bratislava on a whim in a rented car probably isn't on a typical weekend itinerary for many European travelers but something about the adventure and exciting nature of such a spontaneous trip with an uncommon destination in Slovakia was enticing. In hindsight, some simple planning and organization could have gone a long way to improve our trip, but the experience was a valuable one for two travelers learning to navigate a new continent. Renting a car in the Czech Republic didn't involve all of the bureaucratic hurdles that one would encounter in the States and after giving our passport and license numbers to the clerk, Tucker and I were handed the keys to our very own Skoda wagon, a fine specimen of Czech engineering and industrial perfection.

With an extra change of clothes, a copy of directions from map quest, and an eager attitude, we started driving southeast in the general direction of Slovakia. When we finally reached Bratislava, our little Skoda had powered over Czech, Hungarian, Austrian, and Slovakian roads, meandering a route complicated by wrong turns and our inability to decipher European road signs. Our expedition, however, started on a much more positive note, with a very scenic drive through the Bohemian countryside. The geography of the Czech Republic is similar to Upstate New York and drops from windy mountain passes to the rolling plains in the south of the country. With the freedom of our rented car, we felt liberated from the public transit system of the city and acted on our desire to explore the Czech Republic. The countryside of this part of Europe is dotted with countless historical sites: Medieval castles, fortresses, and Royal palaces from the region's centuries of war and numerous power shifts. We followed signs off of the highway towards Lipnice nad Savavou, a small, sleepy Czech town that boasts a Medieval castle dating back to the early 1300's. After driving on narrow country roads for some thirty kilometers, we found the castle, a beautiful compound overlooking the small town and the country below. Despite its historical significance and impressive architecture, we were the only visitors of the day and paid just over $2 to enter. After admiring the castle, exploring the town, and eating in a small pub, we were off to our final destination, B-Slava.

Tucker in front of our Skoda, which are essentially lower-end Volkswagons. We put some good miles on the "Ol' Battlewagon."

Looking down from the castle onto the village. People in the countryside are a little warmer than those who inhabit the city, but still shy nonetheless.

The Lipnice Castle from a distance, with the little village on the slopes below.

The Czech Republic apparently got the better end of the 1993 deal that divided Czechoslovakia into two distinct politically autonomous nations. Bratislava is still very much clouded by the bleakness of its Communist past, evidence of failed political and economic strategies present in the physical nature of the city. There is an attractive Old Town area of the city, but it is incomparable to Prague's beauty and condition. Having planned nothing, we were doomed to an hour of disorientation in Bratislava's less attractive sections, which account for the vast majority of the city. The totalitarian regime must have embarked on massive development and construction projects in its half century of power because the concrete housing projects and factories never ended. Prague's beauty and color were restored after a democratic government took over in 1989, a process that must have never occurred in that part of Slovakia. Most of the buildings were hastily constructed to fuel the Communist idea of industrialization and their lack of beauty at all reflected the absence of culture or leisure of any kind during that era. We were experiencing the city two decades after Communism fell, and I don't want to imagine the bleakness of the region under an oppressive regime and suffocated by economic stagnation. After battling Bratislavan drivers, illegible street signs, foreign street lines, angry tram conductors, and a manual transmission for over an hour, we finally found a parking spot near the tourist section. Our initial elation about our little rented Skoda was quickly replaced with frustration and a fury towards aggressive European drivers.

We found a reasonable hotel in a decent area of the city and then hit the town, hoping it wouldn't hit back too hard. Fears of becoming the next tortured victims from some horror movie or losing a kidney to the organ trade were assuaged before long after we realized Bratislava has a fun, colorful night life. We met some Austrian kids, with whom we explored the city. Looking for our car the next morning, we had visions of finding it either on cinder blocks or simply gone altogether and the prospect of dealing with some hairy, smelly, impatient Slovak named Hugo at the local impound was enough to regret our decision to leave it at all. Luckily, the Skoda was right where we left her, radio installed. Having seen the few sights the city had to offer, we hit the open road once more, stopping once to explore another small village and a Royal Palace just off the highway. Driving through Prague, and once again confused by foreign signs and lines, we found ourselves driving down a pedestrian only road. We couldn't understand why everyone was giving us dirty looks (we thought the Czechs liked Americans) until two Police Officers pulled us over and gave us a ticket. It was our first, and hopefully last brush with the Law. Next weekend's agenda: the 200th Anniversary of Oktoberfest...

A shot from the highway in Bratislava. The views were nothing compared to those in Prague; huge housing projects and factories stretched as far as the eye could see and despite their attempt to make the city more physically appealing by painting a lot of the buildings, it was still a grey, dark place.

TD in front of Bratislava's Old Town Square. Although much, much smaller than Prague's historic sector, it had several beautiful blocks.

One of several chateaus near the Austrian border built in the 1800's by the Liechtensteins, one of the Czech Lands' most powerful, important families. Situated in the hills of Southern Moravi, the Lipnice Chateau was surrounded by acres of beautiful gardens and ponds.

Prague +10

My pre-Prague vocabulary consisted of one word, a word everyone who had visited this remarkable city regarded as essential to its navigation: pivo, or beer. After ten hours of intensive Czech classes, I can now confidently ask for a “pivo, prossim,” or a “beer, please.” This language is more closely related to Slovak tongues, a far cry from the romance languages that more closely resemble English. Think 90% consonants. People really appreciate any lingual effort, no matter how simple or incorrect because Prague’s hordes of tourists usually don’t try to understand the culture at all. That being said, Americans have a much better reputation than do other Europeans, especially Germans, for historical reasons, and the English because of their brash, almost vulgar reputation. American pop-culture is as central to urban life here as it is anywhere back in the states. Kids wear Yankees hats. Radios kill the same Eminem song that’s being overplayed in the States. People love McDonalds.

In addition to intensive Czech, we had several lectures and tours this week as a final push of orientation. One of the lecturers, talking about culture shock and the contrasts between American and Czech cultures, told us that smiling is a mysterious expression to the Czechs. He warned that many older people assume someone smiling on a tram or on the street is on some kind of drug and that otherwise, they have no idea how to decipher such a gesture. We had a tour of Prazsky Hrad, or Prague Castle, which is the largest functioning castle in the world. Situated on a hill overlooking Old Town Square, it is a complex series of squares and buildings that surround a massive Cathedral. Because its construction has been an ongoing process spanning more than 12 Centuries, the diversity of architectural styles is amazing; Gothic and Baroque buildings and churches connect to 18th and 19th Century Palaces. Its grandeur and pompous nature are reminiscent of powerful European Empires. I don't know how effective the walls and bastions were, as the Czech people have been ruled by foreign monarchies and empires for the vast majority of their history. 

Tucker in front of the Cathedral. Its construction began in the 1400's and was finally completed in the early 20th Century. My mom keeps urging me to photograph the flavor of the local culture, as she did in Spain during her time abroad capturing candid shots of children and wagons. Unfortunately, its a little less socially acceptable for me to be taking pictures of little kids and whatnot, so I'll stick with the scenery and buildings for now.

Every day here is an adventure. We've all significantly improved our public transit skills, but are still learning the city. Prague is a very fun city to live in as a college student, and despite the rather dark image of its inhabitants that I think I've painted, there is a lot of fun to be had; the clubs, bars, and restaurants are full every night of the week with Czechs and tourists. We went to a little hole-in-the-wall, local bar two nights ago called the Big Lebowski. The owner, who could barely speak English, was an American film fanatic, hence the name. The crowd there was purely Czech, but posters from Forest Gump, The Godfather, and Pulp Fiction lined the walls. After several delicious beers, we gave him a list of other American classics, lesser known cinema masterpieces enshrined in our culture. Talledega Nights, Step Up II, and The Mummy Returns III with Ben Fraiser were atop our list. I mention the bar in this blog because the concept behind it is amazing. There was no menu, no list of prices or drinks. We simply ordered whatever we wanted and at the end of the night paid what we thought we owed. The bartender just held out a tin and everyone dropped in a handful of coins and bills. It's really too bad it took us this long to find out about the Big Lebowski...

The four other Larries in Prague, on our first night together, enjoying a few beers at the Big Lebowski. Hannah and Leah, on the left are studying through CIEE and live across the city near the river. Caroline and Matt are on St. Lawrence's pilot program. We were upset there were no pictures of Ricki Bobby on the wall amongst other American film greats, as he surely deserves the recognition despite the film's lack of an Academy Award.

The view from our boat tour on the Vltava River. As the last event of orientation, everyone on the program, administrators and professors included, took a shot of local plum liquor to celebrate the beginning of the semester. We cruised around the city enjoying pivos and incredible views.

Tucker and I from Prague Castle, overlooking the Old Town. It happened to be hosting the Prague Wine Festival that week, which was a fun slice of local culture. 

The crew from 25 Ve Smechach on our first night. The wine was $1.80 a bottle. We wanted to spoil ourselves on the first night. The six on the left are from Tulane, followed by Tucker and I, and then finally Paul, the odd man out from Ithaca.

Tomorrow, Tucker and I leave for Bratislava, the "secret gem" of Slovakia. Click the links below to watch two clips from Eurotrip, a comedy about four American students traveling in Europe. In this scene they accidentally end up in Bratislava. We're hoping for a similar experience...

Eurotrip Clip 1

Eurotrip Clip 2

Our First Week in Praha

I've been in the Czech Republic for several days now and am still taken aback by Prague's beauty every time I step outside. The colors and architecture of the buildings are unlike anything I've ever seen. The iconic tourist areas like Old Town Square and Charles Bridge are not unique in their beauty. Every street, every building, every road is gorgeous. I assumed there would be a visible influence from the Communist era, of grey concrete buildings with little character or color (think of the St. Lawrence Library), but little of the city is reminiscent of that chapter in Czech history. The physical  revitalization of the city since 1990 is remarkable. The older generation, with the grim reality of communism still relatively fresh in their memories is pretty austere and cold. Unlike American cities where most people are warm and personable, the Czech people rarely make eye contact, let alone smile or say hello. It's a stark cultural difference that will take some getting used to. Younger Czechs are more receptive to Americans and friendlier in general. They are still, however, shy and quiet in comparison to Americans who are loud and much more forward. Despite our attempt to fit in, we stick out like sore thumbs at any pub or restaurant. My understanding of the culture is only several days old and it will be interesting to revisit my initial perceptions of the city and people after living here for several months.

Waiting in the terminal at JFK, I found myself watching the Packers play the Eagles surrounded by a very eclectic variety of individuals also waiting for flights. Although we were all of different ethnicities, religions, nationalities, we were all tied together by the fact that there was only one TV on. That moment was a sharp contrast between a uniquely American experience-the NFL-and the diversity of the world I was about to experience. It left me with a sense of national pride as well as an excitement about what the world has to offer. Knowing that those sissy Europeans could never furnish a football team to compete with American athletes was patriotic. On a side note, Tucker knew a kid form Amherst who starred on a Czech semi-pro football team while on a semester abroad in Prague. For a moment I thought about trying out and had visions of Tuck and I being carried off the field as national heros. Maybe a little unrealistic?

A delayed take off from New York meant a missed connecting flight in Brussels and 8 hours in the airport. Navigating an airport in a foreign country alone was quite an adventure. I wanted to see the city itself, but my ambitious demeanor was taken down a few notches when I got to the train terminal. Huge crowds, an intricate ticket system and everything in Belgian elicited visions of ending up in some rural village and missing my second flight of the day. So, instead I sat in the airport and had a few Stellas at 10:00 in the morning-which I justified as a cultural experience in itself because Stella Artois is the big Belgian beer. I finally made it to Prague that night, albeit without my bags and met the rest of the American students studying through CERGE.

We've spent the past few days exploring the city and searching for apartments. We're looking into a nine-person flat right off Wenceslas Square, which is the "new town." The Czech sense of "new," however is a little different than its American counterpart; most of the buildings are several hundred years old. We are a few blocks from the beautiful historic district that hosts all the famous sites, a few blocks from Charles Bridge and the River, and a three-minute walk from the CERGE building. There are innumerable pubs and corner markets in the city, several of which are right below our building. Just up the street is the big strip of cabarets. Needless to say, Molly wasn't thrilled with that prospect although I assured her my cultural research will stop at "pivos." Our roommates are a fun group from Tulane from around the country. We have a week of orientation, tours, and lectures about the city and culture next week before starting our normal course schedule. We have a busy month of traveling in October and have already planned to trips to Munich for Oktoberfest, Istanbul, where we will meet Tucker's Dad for a weekend, Paris to meet Molly and Emma, and possibly Budapest all before Halloween. Coming home to Prague after traveling, where beer is cheaper than water, will be nice considering how expensive other cities are.

The Officers and I after lunch in Essex pre-departure on one of my last days in the states.

A typical street in Prague. The picture doesn't do the color justice; most buildings are painted yellows, greens, or reds. That along with the typical red shingling on most roofs makes for a very colorful city, even on rainy days.

The CERGE building, which is part of Charles University, one of the largest universities in all of Europe. This building houses the Ph.D Economics program and our undergrad exchange program which consists of half American students and half Czech students. Several scenes from the 2001 film, The Bourne Identity with Matt Damon were filmed inside the building. Next door is the Communist Party Headquarters, and has been for 60 years.

Tucker and Andrew, one of the Tulane crew, in Old Town Square. 

Tucker and I on Charles Bridge. This was the first sunny day we had; the weather this time of year is pretty dismal, with constant drizzle and temperatures below 60 Fahrenheit.

Charles Bridge again with the iconic statues and Prague in the background. Just trying out the panorama setting on my new camera.