So-- here's another "25 years ago..." type of memory and diary entry. Bear with me.
Twenty-five years ago, spring of 1990, and just a few months after the Wall came down and Eastern Block countries were opened to the west... somehow I'd decided to include eastern Europe in my two-years-in-the-planning return travels on the continent. My memory is dim about how I decided on and figured out any of it. I know I needed a visa to enter Poland, and somehow, after my visit to Aidenbach family--with their sweet worries about my traveling alone in Eastern Europe-- I had to make my way first to Köln (Cologne). the only place to obtain the visa. From there I went to Berlin for a couple days, then into Poland (more on that in a later entry). I must not have needed a visa for Czechoslovakia (still called at that time), or Hungary? Or maybe I had been able to get those earlier? Either way, dim memory moments or vivid, I have strong feelings for Prague. The city, beautiful-- stark, then, with regard to touristic offerings, for sure, but abundant in its historical and architectural allure. Before Paul and I left for our trip this year, we'd decided we'd work in a few days to visit Prague--I really wanted him to see the city, knowing there might not ever be another chance--before going into rural Poland.
My solo arrival into Prague was on an early... Saturday? Sunday?... morning. I have a sense that I was the only one getting off the train. Surely that can't have been true, but in contrast to stepping off the train and through the train station this year, in 1990 I was pretty much alone. The street outside the station was dead-quiet. No bustle, no cars, no tourists, nothing--truly quiet. (My senses this time were overloaded!) And where was the hostel? (I must have had a map, maybe? guiding me toward it, up through "a park" (up and up, with my big heavy bag....) As I walked through the park, a sense that the hostel was further up and over the top of the hill (maybe?), I met a woman walking. Me, being shy and obviously knowing no Czech--I probably only smiled. She probably smiled back? She must have said hello, asked me something, and we came to communicate through a shared understanding of some (for me very little) German. I recall (maybe?) telling her I was traveling from the States, there for a couple days. She began to communicate/indicate the up-and-over the hill for the hostel--maybe she wasn't sure either? Maybe I looked tired, querulous, also unsure. Either way, somehow she then said, or motioned, to follow her home.
Magda. She took me to her tall, multi-flat home not far off the southern slope of 1000+foot Petrin Hill/Petřínské sady. She introduced me to her husband, Mirek, and their children, Tomas (late teens?), Lenka (around 15) and Martina (10 or 11). They would take me in, introduce me to their parents (Mirek's? Magda's?) who lived next door, and watch the evening news of the exciting new, open world they were experiencing. They fed me, took me to a ballet performance at the National Theatre, and even drove me with the family to the area of Beroun (which Paul and I passed through by train this time) to see Velka (big) America, kind of like a Czech "grand canyon" and Mala (small) America--one-time quarries now deep with water. I remember this, vaguely. I recall they also took me to a gasthaus/beer hall so I could try traditional Czech beer. I would never have truly experienced Prague had I not met the Soucek family. I did keep in contact with them, mostly through the middle child, Lenka, who knew better English than my German, for several years. But I dropped contact probably 15 years ago. Maybe more.
Fast forward to January or February of this year. Once we decided we'd get to Poland by way of car from Prague, I thought to give a go at reaching out to the Soucek family at the same address I'd visited and sent Christmas cards to. Perhaps someone was still living there. I sent a note about our plan to visit the city, including my email address at the end. With no word back before we left, I didn't give much more thought to reconnecting. So it would be.
(My this is a long intro!) I won't go into the long story about my and Paul's passports, but because of having left them in Austria... and worried that I'd not heard back from the pension-keeper about them after several days (we were in Regensburg), Paul suggested I check my spam folder. There I saw an email with a subject "from Praha" and then I saw the sender was a "Lenka" -- Lenka! I must have squealed. She had written over a week prior! "We still live here, Magda
(70) and Mirek (71) have 7 grandchildren - 6 of them in the house (Tomas
(son Tobias) live not far from here). We (especially Magda) remember you quite often, because your visit to Prague is
strongly related with such a positive period of our life and you are part of
our history :-)"
A few more emails and it was set-- Lenka would meet us at the train station. The train from Munich was an hour late, but she was there, with her youngest daughter, little Dita in the carriage. What a reunion of familiarity and smiles. She walked with us through the now-bustling and crowded city, still cobbled and forever lovely, to our pension, with the invitation for us to join her family, her parents, and Martina's family, for a simple dinner that night.
So--enough talk. Sadly, with all the excitement and chatter, not enough photos got snapped. But I had to get one of baby Dita!
This photo is approaching the east end of the Karlúv most / Charles Bridge, which we avoided on our walk with Lenka, it being pretty swarming with visitors. We took "her" bridge, Most legií, instead, even though it was not as direct to get across the Vltava to where we had booked a room. The detour made for easy maneuvering of the baby carriage and, more importantly, afforded us more time to walk and enjoy time and the city in general.
Lenka and I chattered the whole slow walk from the station.
We passed this market on our first traipse through Stare Mestro (Old Town) with Lenka. Our last night in the city, Paul and I would go to a concert at kostel Svaty Havel at the end of the street to hear Martina play several W.A. Mozart pieces with the Smichovska Komorni Filharmonie
An intriguing shop not far from the Vltava, on its western / left bank.
This museum was one of several in the city. And while we did enjoy a fair amount of Czech beer, we didn't end up going to any of the museums.
The Vltava on a sunny day is now a huge attraction for tourists in paddle boats and tour boats.
Yet another cool portal.
Above Prague Castle; the prominent building is St. Vitus Cathedral. We were at the start of our walk through huge and high Petrin Park to visit the Soucek family.
After an hour walk through the park, we reached the Soucek home. My recollections were faded, but as soon as I walked into the flat where the family lived (now where Lenka's family lives; her parents and sister are in flats downstairs), sweet memories came back.
Lenka and her mother and sister had prepared a "simple" meal of a couple soups, several salad/vegetable dishes, and two desserts. We chatted as best we could (with limited shared language) with Mirek, Magda and the children, and better with Lenka, Martina and their husbands.
Nela wasn't too sure about me.
Veronika and Martina.
Little Dita with Veronika looking on, next to Ondrej, and Lenka's husband.
Lenka.
That night, after Lenka gave us a ride back to our side of the park, we strolled up and through Pražský hrad. We were charmed and awed by the quiet and beauty of the castle courtyards and, especially, the cathedral! Gone were any crowds and stains of pollution and time--significant and abundant--that we would come to realize during the next day's visit. But for us, or first impressions of the place were filled with magical light and aura. The tourists (except for us and a few Italians) were abed and the buildings were bathed in light, bringing out their best features.
Of course, the castle grounds do have a nice view of the city and rooftops, closer and different from what one can see from the vantage point of the park.
We pretty much just strolled around most of our one full day in Prague. Here is along the banks of the river; Charles Bridge in the distance.
This reminded Paul of a painting by my dad.
And, yes, we did finally cross Charles Bridge
Later that day, Lenka arranged to meet us for a visit to the gorgeous Botanická Zahrada Praha /Prague Botanical Garden. She brought two of her daughters, little Dita and Ema, plus Martina's Michal and Veronika (in that order, below)--all who promptly fell asleep for the short journey across town.
The Japanese gardens and bonsaied trees within the park are a big draw; each plant was quite the marvel.
While Lenka found a seat to feed Dita, Paul and I stayed with the other 3 children. We guessed there were some hungry fish (the oranges disappeared but not the apples, the children discovered) deep down below.
More wisteria!
Michal, the botanical creature.
In the early evening, we went to concert at which Martina was performing. She is a wind instrument player, particularly oboe I think, and also teaches children. All the pieces were Mozart, a couple of which we, pleasantly, had never heard before, and some accompanied by one of two sopranos. It was a lovely evening, and especially nice for me to get to see--and say goodbye to-- Magda once again.
Our room at the pension (along the street above the castle in this photo) didn't have any view, but it was still early for us after the concert, so we took a short stroll back up the hill to enjoy our last night in the city.
At the top of the hill is a monastery with this sign that I noticed, which was quite enticing to Paul. Note the words "IPA-India Pale Ale." Paul really had his hopes up as IPAs had yet to be found on the trip. Though the sign said open until 11pm, the restaurant was closed. Oh well. Instead, we sipped on wine, a bottle we'd picked up from a market, and toasted to a lovely night.
On the morning we left Prague, Lenka met us once again for a long goodbye. We walked back to and on the perimeter of the castle through its park and grounds. Instead of following all the tourists down the main road to the river, Lenka showed us an alternate that was rich in green and gorgeous--and without a single other person. It was pretty cool. We said our goodbyes at the river, she to return her family and us to the business district of town where we were to pick up a rental car to drive to Poland. As with all the welcoming people and families we have met, or re-met, we hope to keep in better contact through the coming years, and to see these old friends, as well as their children, again.
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