fshusband (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} fshusband) wrote,@ 2008-04-28 11:28:00 |
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But we didn't hear "Winds of Change"
As we were standing in the Prague airport last night, waiting for Sky Europe desk agents slowly check people in, listening to Europe's "Rock Now (Rock the Night)" we realized that for the first time, we had been in a former Soviet (or Warsaw Pact, if you want to get technical) country without hearing The Scorpions' "Winds of Change," The Pet Shop Boys' "Go West" or Ace of Base's "All That She Wants." It was remarkable. Hopefully we've turned a corner and don't have to hear those songs again.
Prague was incredibly beautiful. Even the Soviet-Realism-inspired architecture fit into the city's Renaissance and baroque neighborhoods. I took my film camera with me and shot about 20 rolls in the three days we were there, inspired by the architecture, the weather and the history of Czech photographers (the best eastern European photography, especially during the Soviet period, was Czech).
We walked a lot, probably 8-10 miles each of the first two days, then only about 3 miles yesterday. We looked at a lot of buildings, shot pictures of old doors and gazillions of tourists gazing at and shooting touristy things, drank some great cheap coffee and great expensive coffee (you think Starbucks is expensive where you are? we had an iced grande chai and an iced double tall latte for $13, and that wasn't the most expensive coffee we had), looked at some overpriced tourist shops and had Thai foot massages (that's very nice after walking around all day).
One theme that seems to be popping up for us in our travels is reconstruction and restoration. The Pantheon is covered with scaffolding, and Charles Bridge, Wenceslaus Square & the Basilica of St. George were under construction. Maybe they'll be repainting the Eiffel Tower and cleaning the exterior of the Louvre when we go to Paris.
As we were standing in the Prague airport last night, waiting for Sky Europe desk agents slowly check people in, listening to Europe's "Rock Now (Rock the Night)" we realized that for the first time, we had been in a former Soviet (or Warsaw Pact, if you want to get technical) country without hearing The Scorpions' "Winds of Change," The Pet Shop Boys' "Go West" or Ace of Base's "All That She Wants." It was remarkable. Hopefully we've turned a corner and don't have to hear those songs again.
Prague was incredibly beautiful. Even the Soviet-Realism-inspired architecture fit into the city's Renaissance and baroque neighborhoods. I took my film camera with me and shot about 20 rolls in the three days we were there, inspired by the architecture, the weather and the history of Czech photographers (the best eastern European photography, especially during the Soviet period, was Czech).
We walked a lot, probably 8-10 miles each of the first two days, then only about 3 miles yesterday. We looked at a lot of buildings, shot pictures of old doors and gazillions of tourists gazing at and shooting touristy things, drank some great cheap coffee and great expensive coffee (you think Starbucks is expensive where you are? we had an iced grande chai and an iced double tall latte for $13, and that wasn't the most expensive coffee we had), looked at some overpriced tourist shops and had Thai foot massages (that's very nice after walking around all day).
One theme that seems to be popping up for us in our travels is reconstruction and restoration. The Pantheon is covered with scaffolding, and Charles Bridge, Wenceslaus Square & the Basilica of St. George were under construction. Maybe they'll be repainting the Eiffel Tower and cleaning the exterior of the Louvre when we go to Paris.
