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| Municipal House |
During our last week of classes, I and a few other USAC students decided to attend one of the numerous concerts that seem to always be held in Praha. Within the city, there are plenty of theatres, opera houses, concert halls, etcetera and as such, one of the must-do things that any visitor to Prague must do is enjoy an evening with one of these more traditional forms of entertainment.
On Wednesday evening, 17 Jun, we attended a concert at the Municipal House featuring pianist Yingdi Sun, accompanied by conductor Petr Altrichter and the Prague Symphony Orchestra. The municipal house was different from other concert halls that I had been in; the seats weren't built into the floor, implying that the hall was more like a multi-purpose facility since our seats could be removed and stored after the concert had concluded. The seats themselves were comfortable however, but the over atmosphere was different than what I expected based on experiences in the states - overall, the concert was more relaxed and intimate than the feeling of "being in your own world" that I normally experience. All of the patrons that night were dressed up however.
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| H&M Formal Attire |
Speaking of dressing up - if you ever find yourself in need of some snazzy attire for any kind of semi-formal event in Prague, feel free to hit up H&M. They have a 28 day return policy, so I was able to purchase a black dress shirt & blazer for 1500 korunas (approx. $55) and get a full refund 2 days later. This is an important pro-travel tip as often times, there is no need nor space to pack a full professional or formal attire.
Back to the concert however, the performance was amazing and it was a nice distraction from finals week; the prevalence of concerts halls and the like is a testament to how strong the culture for fine arts and humanities is within the city of Prague and I'm fortunately enough to have had the opportunity to witness the Prague Symphony Orchestra live.
Music is such a big deal in Praha actually; from the first day I got here, I've been seeing posters and flyers up everywhere advertising concerts and festivals. Some, like Yellowcard and Nickelback, are for bands that I recognize; others, I have no clue who or what they are.
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| Before the band began setting up |
The following day, Thurs. 18 Jun, was the last day of classes. After a particularly well-done Czech final, we took a boat cruise around the river (pictures to be added at a date TBD) and enjoyed a final get-together with all of the Summer I USAC students. After the boat cruise, my roommates and a few others and I went a little bit down the river to a bar called Jazz Dock, which was having a full night of live jazz performed by some bands. Whilst we only stayed for the first band, I can say that the music was incredibly enjoyable and that I enjoyed hearing the Czech songs as much as the ones that they sang in English. While I enjoyed understanding the lyrics, like the previous week when I attended a Czech rock concert music can still be understood and felt even if the lyrics aren't in a language one understands. The atmosphere was nice, the music was good, and once again I'm happy I went.
Finally, to conclude this post, a picture of the city of Český Krumlov. Since classes are over, we now have a 5 day Tour to Vienna (Wien) & Budapest; however, our first stop of the tour was actually the Czech city of Český Krumlov during their annual medieval festival. Being at what essentially amounts to a Renaissance festival in the States was different here in the Czech Republic, which I attribute mostly to the presence of an actual castle. With actual cobblestone and a castle, the atmosphere of a Renaissance existence was felt more prominently than it would have back in Las Vegas or anywhere else in America. The festival was an excellent way to not purchase some cheap souvenirs, food, and see cool performances, but it was also a pleasant chance to experience other Czech people outside of the city of Prague.
It's been a long day, with lots of bussing and hiking and traveling and we only just got to our hotel in Vienna - also known as Wien - a few hours ago. Thus, I shall sleep for now - the next post for this EuroTrip series of post will be made sometime next week and will feature a recap of the time spent in Vienna & Budapest along with some final thoughts on the USAC Prague Program. Until then, čau for now!
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| Part of Český Krumlov |
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