In the Midst of the Herd

So, Prague.  We stepped off our train at 10:30am at the main station and it became clear that we hadn't done our due diligence in preparing for this.

We knew it was a holiday weekend, obviously.  What we didn't think about was that Prague is apparently everyone's favorite place to celebrate this particular holiday, May Day.  Where better to have the traditional drunken bash than the place with the cheapest drinks and food?  So, there was that.  Additionally, Prague was hosting the Hockey World Championships.  And, they were holding a marathon on Sunday.  And, there was some sort of unidentified conference going on.  Therefore, everyone, and I mean everyone was in the capital of the Czech Republic.  Several years ago we decided to go to Manhattan to watch the Thanksgiving Day parade.  As you might imagine, the island was packed that weekend.  Every restaurant, sidewalk, pub, and museum felt like a cattle pen.  We've never been anywhere like that before or since.  Until last weekend.

That made getting around and taking photos pretty difficult.  The Old Town Square was full of marathon stuff, packs of segway tours, and a political demonstration.  So, getting any decent shots there was out of the question.  The Charles Bridge, well, the memory of that still gives me the shivers.  Every neighborhood from the Castle to Old Town, from the Jewish Quarter to Wenceslas Square was a madhouse.  Thankfully, we'd made dinner reservations before we left, or else sitting down for an evening meal might have been tricky.  It became clear really quickly that the photography wasn't going to go according to plan.

Shooting the first night ended up being a complete wash.  There were just too many people on the night of the holiday to get set up where I wanted to.  Also, we were exhausted from the train ride.  The only direct way from Frankfurt was a train that left the Frankfurt station at 1:00am that morning.  I maybe only got an hour of sleep in on the ride.  By that evening, I hit a wall and couldn't think straight, let alone set up and fend off the staggering tourists.

After a good night's sleep though, we were more with it and able to get some decent shots, not as many as I had hoped for, but enough to walk away satisfied.

Gate to the Old Jewish Cemetery

Moses Sculpture, Jewish Quarter

Long exposures were the only way to get wide city scenes with all the crowds.

View towards the castle from one of the bridges over the Vltava River

If we had it to do over again, which we would like, we'd definitely do some things differently.  First of all, we'd make sure Prague wasn't hosting the rest of the continent the same weekend.  Secondly, we'd have to find another way to get there.  Flights weren't affordable, but driving to Leipzig or Dresden then catching a daylight train from there may be an option.  Lastly, we'd schedule a little more time.  There was a surprising amount of things to see and do and we missed a lot.  Why would we go back?

Well, Prague has certainly embraced its reputation as a tourist destination and run with it since the Velvet Revolution.  The main drag from Old Town Square to the Charles Bridge is a bit like Times Square without the lights.  There's segway tours, Jedis giving trike rides, Thai massage parlors, wax museums, a torture museum, and about a million snack and junk shops.  But, once you wander away from that nightmare, cool Prague reveals itself.  We found a great pub that offered a rare beer sampler paddle (above).  Most pubs are owned by breweries, so ones that offer a wide range from many breweries aren't common.  This place was a fantastic way to try a lot of different Czech beers.  Since Czech beer is some of the best in the world, it's definitely worth trying a few or 10.

Czech food is not only inexpensive, but also very tasty.  Rich gravies, roasted meat, big heavy dumplings, fried cheese, and savory sauces are the fare and it is all delicious.  We hadn't heard anything about Czech food before the trip, so this was quite the unexpected discovery.  It's hearty stuff, so the cooler months might be the best time to go (not only for the comfort food, but for the thinner crowds).

The locals were another surprise.  Everywhere we went we were greeted by friendly and helpful folks.  We felt completely welcome and perfectly safe.  Another bonus is that everyone speaks English and all the important signs are printed in English as well as Czech.  The city was a breeze to navigate (except when the metro was shut down for the marathon).

Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral

St. Vitus

Charles Bridge

Another river view

St. Wenceslas Square

Is it the most scenic city in Europe? No.  But, it is definitely photogenic.  I would certainly like a second chance to do it justice.  The unique situation of the weekend meant most of my shooting was done very late, way too late for my liking.  The only way to shoot on the Charles Bridge was to wait until close to midnight.  By then, blue hour was long over.  During the day, long exposures were the only way to clear out the crowds, so it would be nice to go back when it's a little more mellow and retake some of these.  Plus, I don't have a single image from the Old Town Square.

So, yes, Prague was a great destination.  I think a future visit would be much better now that we have a clearing understanding of the city.  As for how the new Fujinon 10-24mm lens worked out, that'll be the next post.