Prague, Day 2
Our first full day in Prague, and we seem to be escaping whatever effects jet lag may impose upon us.
As noted earlier, I took my first run around the city this morning. In the course of five miles, I got to run on neighborhood streets, next to trams, up cobblestone hills, through a park, and on dirt trails. Not bad for the first time out.
The rest of the day was spent on an island in the Vltava River at the redundantly-named Happy Beer Days (isn’t “beer” an synonym for “happy?”). Except for the fact that I couldn’t understand a word that anyone was saying, it could have easily been any county fair in the Midwest. Fried everything, beer tents, and live music was in abundance.
Listening to the Czech bands was enlightening, as it was interesting to see that although the language is different, the song remains the same. Led Zeppelin was right. Plus, the between-song banter is pretty much universal – it’s always “thank you”, “you guys are great,” “we have CDs for sale over there” and “we’ll be in Ostravar next month.”
Several bands played covers of American and British music. Dylan and Bob Marley were combined in a strange medley, but perhaps my favorite was a Czech cover of “Wild Horses” that snuck up on me as the chorus began.
I most enjoyed the bluegrass and honky-tonk bands, one of which reminded me of Accident Clearinghouse, save for the occasional scat singing and Eminem-inspired rap breaks.
After the festival, we took a ferry ride back to the city and wandered around some more. The liveliness of the streets at night is amazing. To walk, drink, and eat amidst such history is humbling.
