A get away... Prague

So, I am not really sure at what part of the story of our adventure I left off, but I figured this is a perfect time as any to continue, I am sitting, enjoying a view of the entire city of Prague, writing, as Andrea, romanitically, as she puts it, sips on a beer. We are a top of Pertin Hill, it is the highest of Prague's nine hills, and it is right near Prague Castle. The view is breathtaking, really something truly awe inspiring. I could probably write from this vantage point for the rest of my life. No one could ask for a better place to form sentences, put together paragraphs, and tell stories. If I could capture this moment as well as a I could with words, I could be left with a few and those would be, nothing in life is as aspiring and worthy of our lives as a quiet, beautiful day looking upon a city which carries with it the magnifinence of Prague.
At the top of Pertin Hill, which luckily we were able to take a Tram to the top of rather than walking, which I don't believe I could have done, even though, as I am sitting here, I am watching couples in their late sixities climb the winding paths with ease. Andrea has even noticed people walking up the paths reading books as they walk, something truly amazing to me. Well, you don't want to sit and read about my inadaquete abilities of hiking or, I guess, walking up hills, you want to hear about what was at the top of the hill as I would. At the top, they have a minature version of the Eiffel Tower built in 1891. Andrea and I wanted to climb to the top for the view. However, to climb to the top was a little bit too pricey for us. So, we figured we would make the trek on one of our other visits to Prague as it was only an hour bus ride from my town, Novy Bydzov. Also, on top of the hill there was a specatular rose garden, which fascinated Andrea as she took probably a hundred different pictures of the thousands upon thousands of roses of all shades and varities. This rose garden lay in front of what seemed like medevial castle, I know it was old, but to my recollection I am not sure exactly how old. The whole of the trip to the top of this mighty hill, they call Partin Hill, was an incredible experience. One of many I am sure we will have on our many visits to the capital of Czech Republic.
As for the rest of the day, we wanted to and tried to go to the visit all the historic parts of Jewish Prague. The Jewish history in Prague is very rich, the main sights we wanted to see was the New/Old Synagogue and the old Jewish cemetary, I mean really old. The New/Old Synagogue has an interesting and somewhat amusing story behind it's name, it is also sad. I guess I am having trouble stating whether it is truly amusing because if I write it is amusing some of you may say why is a building burning down amusing? Well, here is how the New/Old Synagogue got it's current name. When it was originally erected it was given the name of the New Synagogue. However, later another synagogue was built and they decided to name that newly erected synagouge, of course, the New Synagogue. So, logically, what was the New Synagogue was redubbed the Old Synagogue. Sadly, though, the newly named New Synagogue burnt down after some years. Therefore, there was no longer a new synagouge. So, and this is the part I find a bit a amusing, they renamed what was the New Synagouge at first, the New/Old Synagouge. Now, my intention is not to make light of any castrophes like a synagouge burning down, but the irony of the situation of the name of the New/Old Synagouge cannot be lost. And like I said we attempted to go visit all the historic sites, but for the time being the cost of entry was too rich for our blood. Rather do something that was free for the time being.
Lastly, we walked the streets of Prague to no end it seemed. Anyone could easily walk the streets of this city for months and not become bored. Maybe tired like we did get, but never bored. So, we ended the day before getting back on a bus to Novy Bydzov by sitting in the famous Wesceslas Square, which has a beautiful view of the National Museum at it's end and is perfect for people watching.
A little update on the past fews days I have not been posting. On Friday morning, as Andrea and I were sitting down for breakfast, I was promptly told to leave the hotel. All they kept saying to me was, "The accomdation was for one person," and it is not very easy to explain your situation when every word out of your mouth is not understood and is met by an angered, "The accomdation was for one person." Andrea was not happy, when she went to school that morning after I had packed my bags and walked out the door with my head down. She spoke with her fellow teachers at the school and one of them called her hotel. The hotel argued with the teacher and stated that Andrea was not supposed to be eating breakfast at the hotel and that they wanted to back charge her for all the breakfasts she had ate over the past week. Also that I would have to pay every night I wanted to stay there. The school, frustrated and not happy with the hotel, has told Andrea they are looking for a different accomdation for her. I hope this happens because if she stays at the hotel I will never be allowed to visit for a weekend or a few days. And I was just joking about me walking out of the hotel with my head down. My bags were already packed I had planned to move to my flat in Novy Bydzov that afternoon when Andrea got out of school. I walked out of the hotel with a smile on my face, not in a sacaristic way, but in an understanding way and I said goodbye to the staff, who understood and spoke a little English, so why could they not tell Andrea and I each morning they saw us walk by them to breakfast that we were not allowed to have breakfast there? Seems a little silly to me.
Well with nothing we could do about the messed up, annoyance of Andrea's difficult hotel accomdation behind us, we headed to my town. Now, my town is tiny, with not much to do. I have no television in my flat, which I like, but Andrea does not, she liked her CNN in English. Not to say I didn't, but for me it was just one more possible distraction. I am over here to work on my writing and to prepare myself for Graduate school. So, I would not say I will miss it too much. However, with the combination of everything, my town being so boring, the trouble with the hotel, and, missing home, like anyone would be including myself, Andrea began to get sad. It was a moment that will come for myself as well. I think todays trip to Prague cheered her up greatly. It is hard to keep a frown on your face when you are in such an immaculate city like Prague. Plus, we have found a cafe/pub in my town, which I am sure we will become locals at, that has free internet, the staff is friendly, and is perfect for us.
To end I will let everyone know I had my first taste of alcohol in probably about seven years. Now this was not by choice. I was at my school and they had wine at the school. Of course, there were not students yet, but it was two of the teacher's birthdays and it is a very honored tradition to drink with your friends. So, as I stood there, one of the teachers who did not speak English shoved two glasses of wine at me, one white and one red. I felt like this women would beat me if I did not accept one or the other. I repeatly tried to refuse. Pleading, "I do not drink." But, none of this would be heard or understood for the next second I had taken a half of a sip of wine and as the teacher who had attacked me with the wine turned her back, I sat the wine on a table and walked away. I am sure what I did was not horrible in the least, but it was not something I wanted to do and I will have to learn to refuse better in the future. Maybe next time I can just fall to the ground and curl up into a ball. That just might work.