Day: 16 (Repairs/Replacements Day)
Average Speed: ???
Distance Cycled Today: A couple km
Distance Cycled Total: 1481 km (918 Miles)
Mood: Lazy-ish **scenic pictures in this post were either taken by me two weeks ago or Jamie today... I wasn't in tourist mode**
I was about 12 or 13 years old when my family took our first cross-country trip in a caravan across the United States. The four of us stopped off at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota and stood, staring at the masterwork in front of us for about five minutes in silent awkwardness.
Dad was bold enough to break the silence: "Okay. We've seen it. Let's go!"
We happily jumped back into the van and sped off.
My first trip to Prague was about twenty years ago, and it was a blast.
My second trip was a couple of weeks ago and it was great.
This time, I'm a bit Pragued out. I've outgrown the night-life scene and the tourist traps (okay... I did wind up in an ice bar a couple of weeks ago for about twenty minutes). The history and architecture is absolutely astonishing, but...
I've seen it... Let's go.
I'm still not quite sure what the goal of this trip is... I'm not one for museums, and I don't like crowds. Yet- unlike the U.S. tour- I feel compelled to visit the major cities on the route over here, even though I don't have the time to see them as a proper tourist would.
And on a day like today, where I do have the time, I'd rather lazily complete chores and get prepared for upcoming rides.
It's the same guilty feeling you get when you binge-watch the last season of Game of Thrones... you know there are more valuable things you could be doing with your time, but somehow you're still strangely satisfied with how the day went.
I mean, the iconic astronomical clock built in the 1400s is incredible to look at... but what else are you supposed to do? Of the thousands of tourists that take pictures of that thing every day, I'd like to meet one who actually researched how the clock conveys the time of day. Here's the Wikipedia article... if you can figure it out, let me know in layman terms.
So I didn't do much touristing today.
Instead, I woke myself up with some uncomfortably loud gas and prayed that my 9 female roommates were still asleep and heard nothing.
They were all hacking away on cell phones, tactfully avoiding acknowledgement of the old man in bed 3D.
I intentionally waited until all but one was out of the room before I moved another muscle. I would've waited for her too, but she had a full makeup kit out and was wearing cat ears... I figured we were tied on self-humiliation.
Instead it was a slow breakfast while blogging the prior day's events. A scavenger hunt for lightweight pants, sandals, and socks. And a trip to the local Trek bike shop owned by the friendliest man in Europe.
I was determined to do something cultural for the day though, so I found an authentically Czech restaurant...
May I suggest avoiding the beer-marinated cheese dish and the fried pig ears?
I'll take a Doner Kebab over that any day.
(Side note: How is it that the Doner Kebab has not made it into the U.S.A.? It's amazing. I have no idea where that meat comes from- and I certainly don't want to know- but wow. Incredible. And no- it's not a gyro.)
It was about 5:00 P.M. when I realized I hadn't done anything Prague-ish at all.
It was about 5:01 P.M. when I realized I hadn't done laundry in a whole week.
Laundromats are not a thing in Europe- and I hand-wash clothes here and there, but somehow they wind up smelling worse.
Google found one though.
And why not stop at the bar next door and have a pint while waiting for the spin cycle to complete?
The bartender/owner's name is Honey. And he regaled us with stories of how he wound up where he is- his wife is Czech, but now lives in Miami- he is Indian, but now lives in Prague- he loves his muscles just as much as he loves attention from women who are not his wife.
Three hours later, we accepted that our laundry was done. Honey was too interesting a character to walk away from.
As was Christina, the delightfully awkward and terrible waitress my friend George and I met two weeks ago here. We were back at her restaurant last night, and she screwed up our simple order at least three times. When we asked for the check, she simply said "no." In her opinion, we hadn't had enough beer and she would not let us go until the restaurant was closed.
I thought she was joking.
She wasn't.
And we didn't get the next beer until twenty minutes later because she forgot.
These tiny little encounters- decoding what a wonderfully interesting man is saying to me about bicycles- hearing the path an immigrant took to open his own bar- befriending the Inspector Clouseau of waitresses. This is the kind of stuff I really like.
It was a lazy day- but it definitely wasn't a wasted day.
Serious climbing ahead from here on out with no certain route.
I'm excited for it.
Good times in Prague, but I've seen it.
Let's go.
 |
| Bicycles Make Excellent Plant Holders |
 |
| From Google. This is not in Prague. |
Dad was bold enough to break the silence: "Okay. We've seen it. Let's go!"
We happily jumped back into the van and sped off.
 |
My second trip was a couple of weeks ago and it was great.
This time, I'm a bit Pragued out. I've outgrown the night-life scene and the tourist traps (okay... I did wind up in an ice bar a couple of weeks ago for about twenty minutes). The history and architecture is absolutely astonishing, but...
I've seen it... Let's go.
I'm still not quite sure what the goal of this trip is... I'm not one for museums, and I don't like crowds. Yet- unlike the U.S. tour- I feel compelled to visit the major cities on the route over here, even though I don't have the time to see them as a proper tourist would.
And on a day like today, where I do have the time, I'd rather lazily complete chores and get prepared for upcoming rides.
 |
| "Oh shit... it's 2 past Jupiter... I'm late for work!" |
It's the same guilty feeling you get when you binge-watch the last season of Game of Thrones... you know there are more valuable things you could be doing with your time, but somehow you're still strangely satisfied with how the day went.
I mean, the iconic astronomical clock built in the 1400s is incredible to look at... but what else are you supposed to do? Of the thousands of tourists that take pictures of that thing every day, I'd like to meet one who actually researched how the clock conveys the time of day. Here's the Wikipedia article... if you can figure it out, let me know in layman terms.
So I didn't do much touristing today.
Instead, I woke myself up with some uncomfortably loud gas and prayed that my 9 female roommates were still asleep and heard nothing.
They were all hacking away on cell phones, tactfully avoiding acknowledgement of the old man in bed 3D.
I intentionally waited until all but one was out of the room before I moved another muscle. I would've waited for her too, but she had a full makeup kit out and was wearing cat ears... I figured we were tied on self-humiliation.
Instead it was a slow breakfast while blogging the prior day's events. A scavenger hunt for lightweight pants, sandals, and socks. And a trip to the local Trek bike shop owned by the friendliest man in Europe.
 |
| The friendliest man in Europe repairs my tire |
May I suggest avoiding the beer-marinated cheese dish and the fried pig ears?
I'll take a Doner Kebab over that any day.
(Side note: How is it that the Doner Kebab has not made it into the U.S.A.? It's amazing. I have no idea where that meat comes from- and I certainly don't want to know- but wow. Incredible. And no- it's not a gyro.)
It was about 5:00 P.M. when I realized I hadn't done anything Prague-ish at all.
It was about 5:01 P.M. when I realized I hadn't done laundry in a whole week.
 |
| Bar next to laundromat = Great business strategy |
Laundromats are not a thing in Europe- and I hand-wash clothes here and there, but somehow they wind up smelling worse.
Google found one though.
And why not stop at the bar next door and have a pint while waiting for the spin cycle to complete?
 |
| CHEERS FOR THE BEER PHIL WHITBECK! (that's Honey in the background) |
Three hours later, we accepted that our laundry was done. Honey was too interesting a character to walk away from.
 |
| One of these two is the world's worst waitress. |
As was Christina, the delightfully awkward and terrible waitress my friend George and I met two weeks ago here. We were back at her restaurant last night, and she screwed up our simple order at least three times. When we asked for the check, she simply said "no." In her opinion, we hadn't had enough beer and she would not let us go until the restaurant was closed.
I thought she was joking.
She wasn't.
And we didn't get the next beer until twenty minutes later because she forgot.
These tiny little encounters- decoding what a wonderfully interesting man is saying to me about bicycles- hearing the path an immigrant took to open his own bar- befriending the Inspector Clouseau of waitresses. This is the kind of stuff I really like.
It was a lazy day- but it definitely wasn't a wasted day.
Serious climbing ahead from here on out with no certain route.
I'm excited for it.
Good times in Prague, but I've seen it.
Let's go.
P.S.
When you see something like this on a menu... you order it.
Here's what it looked like:
I assure you it tasted like it reads on the menu...
Not how it appears on the plate.
Awful.
Go fry a shoe and take a bite.
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