prague: cobblestones, cold hands, and a lot of bridges
i’m writing this in a café that looks like it was designed by franz kafka after three espressos-angular, confusing, and vaguely haunted. prauge. prague. you know, the city where even the pigeons look like they’ve read too much philosophy. i just checked and it's 3.7°C there right now, hope you like that kind of thing (aka: layers, existential dread, and gloves you’ll immediately lose).
the vltava river cuts through this place like a drunk seamstress-crooked but weirdly charming. i fell down three times on the cobblestones. THREE TIMES. medieval architects clearly didn’t prioritize ankle safety.
someone told me that charles bridge is ‘romantic’ but forgot to mention it’s also a gauntlet of tourists and vendors selling cliché art. still. worth it for the view of prague castle looming like a gothic babysitter.
if you get bored, germany, poland, austria, and slovakia are just a short drive away. but honestly, why leave? the beer’s cheaper than water here, and the dumplings could double as pillows. speaking of food-someone tried to sell me ‘traditional bohemian cuisine’ and i’m 80% sure it was just bread and meat shaped into a metaphor for life.
the locals? they’ve mastered the art of staring at you like you’ve just asked them to explain the plot of kafka’s ‘the trial’ in czech (which, fair). but they’ll also point you to hidden jazz bars if you nod sheepishly enough.
things to know: 1) petřín hill is steeper than it looks and i’m blaming my cardio. 2) ‘pražský orloj’ (the astronomical clock) is cool until you realize it’s surrounded by people taking selfies. 3) don’t. trust. the. cobblestones.
also, someone at vyšehrad told me there’s a secret tunnel system under the city filled with ghosts and/or ex-political dissidents. i didn’t verify this, but i’m choosing to believe it because it’s more fun that way.
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