Week 15
10/12 - 10/14 | Prague
I arrived late in the afternoon in Prague after a much-delayed train got held on the tracks. Though the weather was rainy, the mood was magical—the old medieval buildings looking dark and looming were the perfect accessory to the gray sky. I didn’t do anything interesting with my afternoon, but I spent the evening perusing old town and the nightlife of the city. I discovered a cool light installation in the main square, watched the astronomical clock show at 10pm (which, as far as tourist attractions go, is rather disappointing), got lost in a skate park on a hill overlooking the city, and even explored a 5-story club complete with robotic bartenders, gogo dancers, and an ice bar (made literally of ice). Even though it was a Thursday evening, the city was crackling with energy.
The next day was quite eventful. I attended two walking tours—one of the old town and one of the castle district. I saw funny medieval sculptures (gamblers and prostitutes, reminding passersby of the city’s laws against such practices), breathtaking views of the city, and perhaps the most beautiful church in Eastern Europe: St. Vitus Cathedral (fun fact, its stained glass windows include the names of the sponsors of the cathedral, which are mostly bankrupt insurance companies…guess they left a more lasting mark on history in religion than in business). In the evening, I got lucky with a spectacular sunset from the heart of the old town; the sky looked as if the northern lights were flaring up during the day thanks to the wispy, pink-stained clouds. Later on, I joined a pub crawl which took us to several interesting nightlife spots, including one with a live electric violin player who opened his set with the theme from Pirates of the Caribbean. Did I mention that this city really comes alive after the sun goes down?
My final day in Prague, I explored to the south of the old town. I saw the famous “Leaning Tower of Prague” (the Dancing House, which resembles a twisted version of the Leaning Tower of Pisa) and spent a rainy afternoon cafe hopping and getting a feel for the spirit of the city. Nothing much eventful happened here, but I felt a longing for more time here.
On my second visit, I liked Prague a lot. It’s cheap, breathtakingly beautiful, and cool. Czech people rock. The language is similar to Polish and might foster a bit of new language learning. Walking through the streets is like being in a time capsule. I do recognize that, especially in summer months, over-tourism is a real problem and significantly detracts from the charm of the city. But I hope that by visiting again for a month or so in the fall or spring, I’ll have a spectacular time getting to see a more local side of this historic and youthful Eastern European gem.
10/15 - 10/16 | Turin
I landed in the evening in Turin and met an old friend and her friends; we went for dinner at her favorite restaurant and then to chat outside a bar with more of her friends from high school before retiring early.
The next day, we took advantage of the sunny weather and Elisabetta showed me around the center of town; from the main shopping district to the cathedral and palace to the nearby waterfront, I got a grand tour of Turin (a grand Tur(in)?). We made a pit stop at a grocery store and collected food for a late lunch, and then drove 30 minutes outside of the city to the king's old hunting grounds, now converted into a large park. We had a picnic in the grass and wandered around the park and talked as golden hour kicked in. It was a relaxing, cozy kind of day; as if I had been living in the city a long time. We finished off the night in the park near Elisabetta's friend's apartment, people-watching the families playing on the playground and the teenagers making out on the benches.
I had the morning of my final day in Turin to myself, and I took a walking tour to learn more in-depth the history of the city. Led in Spanish by an Italian man, I found his accent very understandable if not slightly amusing. Unfortunately, it was cold and rainy, and I didn't enjoy myself as much as I would have if I were warmer and better prepared for the weather.
After a quick lunch to escape the rain, I entered into the famous churches and wandered over to the Mole tower before meeting Elisabetta for one last dinner in the center of town. I then biked around the outskirts of the city and finished listening to the Hunger Games prequel before taking an early night to accommodate an early flight the next morning.
I have mixed feelings about Italy. I recognize that Turin isn't the most representative city of the country, but some of the themes from my visit probably apply to other Italian cities as well. Namely, the lack of English speaking (even among young people), the general sense of relaxedness and disorganization, and the more conservative attitudes towards life and family structure would make it a tough place for me to really fit in. Between the southern European cultures, I think the Spanish is my favorite (though it's not without its own peculiarities), but I'm glad I made at least a small trip to Italy to validate this (since it's been a long time since my last).
10/17 - 10/19 | Barcelona
Early the next morning, I found myself flying to Barcelona to meet my mom (who spontaneously decided to join me on this leg of my trip). We met at the airport and took a bus into town, dropping our bags at a luggage storage facility and making it in the nick of time for our walking tour of the Gothic quarter. Barcelona is warm, picturesque, and beautiful. I immediately felt at home here (though the abundance of Catalan and seeming lack of Spanish did surprise me and made me feel less connected to the place than I think I could have been). On our tour, we learned about the Roman history of the city, a bit about the tensions between the kingdom of Spain and the Catalan people, and of course about the food and culture of the area. We wandered through big markets, strutted down the major streets, and spotted some hidden but beautiful art installations.
After the tour, we grabbed some tapas and ventured up to the Sagrada Familia for some photos and to drop our bags at our Airbnb. We didn't linger, though, and instead zoomed back to the Gothic quarter for a second tour on Gaudi and modernist architecture. From the outside, we got to explore some of the famous architectural highlights of the city, finishing off at the Sagrada Familia, close to our lodging. With the second tour completed, Nina had grown quite tired, so we found dinner at la Nacional and I sent her home before joining a friend I had met in Prague a year prior for a walk around the Gothic quarter at night.
Predictably, I had signed us up for another tour on our second day, this time delving into the history of the Spanish Civil War and the reign of Francisco Franco. This is a dark period of history that the Spanish haven't fully reckoned with (unlike the Germans); according to our guide, these topics sadly aren't often discussed among Spanish people, and in some ways this period of history is treated as if it never happened. The tour wasn't full of sights, as many of the relics of the war are either destroyed or nonexistent, but it was jam-packed with stories and historical analysis. It was also almost 4 hours, so by the end, we were quite tired.
Approximately one and a half siestas later, Nina and I wandered back to the Gothic quarter for a joint tango lesson. We joined 8 or so other couples to learn the basic steps of the dance on a picturesque rooftop at sunset. Who could ask for anything better. After our lesson, we got tapas for dinner in the King's Square below, and I sent Nina home before venturing to some of the nightlife in Barcelona. I even patronized Paradiso, one of the best cocktail bars in the world, and was treated to an array of flavors and sensations (particularly memorable was the electric flower, which made my mouth feel as if it had been connected to a battery after eating it).
The next morning, I explored some of the coffee and pastry shops of the old town with my friend Rose from Munich. I had a Sacher-flavored croissant which was infinitely better than the cake I sampled in Vienna. I then joined Nina for an expedition to Park Guell (Gaudi's park). We wandered around the twisted mosaic buildings (they really look like gingerbread houses), recreated photos we had taken 13 years prior, and only got yelled at once by the guards for climbing on the architecture. I spent the evening watching a rainy sunset from a rooftop overlooking Barcelona's version of the Gherkin from London (though this one is much more...promiscuously-shaped).
I've fallen a bit in love with Barcelona. I have mixed feelings about this, as I know it's a little cliche, and that many people really don't like it that much. But I think the mix of history, culture, and abundance of young people gives the city an electrifying charm that really entices me. Yes, Sevilla and Granada will probably be more beautiful and authentically Spanish. But Barcelona has left a very sweet taste in my mouth, and I can't wait to come back.