"Is it right to be watching strangers in a play in this strangest of theatres?"
--Elizabeth Bishop, https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/questions-of-travel/
Despite going to sleep at 4 AM last night, I somehow managed to wake up at 7 AM in order to make it to the Schonbrunn Palace before my 10 AM train. The palace (pictured top right and middle left) was just as you would expect it to be--enormous, extravagant, and full of history. There were many beds with a sign that said "This is where X died," which I found quite depressing. I'm sure that many other happier things happened in those beds, so why point out the saddest possible event? What about, "This is where X had a good night's sleep," or "this is where X consummated her marriage?"
After the palace, I boarded a train to Prague. Because the train was overbooked, the directors allowed me to sit in the children's car where there was a couch, a TV with a Czech version of Alvin and the Chipmunks, and a box of legos. I slept on the couch for most of the ride, and napped again after getting to my (really sketchy) hostel. My first hostel was really nice, but this one is absolute garbage. Also, I think I am the only woman living here and the only person younger than 30. Bad choice.
After locking up my stuff in the safe, I walked around the city onto Charles Bridge, exchanged some money, and ate the most unhealthy-tasting dessert ever (pictured above). I couldn't even finish it because I felt so sick halfway through. After dinner, I met up with friends from Princeton who happened to be in Prague (B and C!) and we explored some bars and clubs. One of the bars had insane cocktails, and the waiter gave me free strawberries! Our last stop of the night was a 5-story club where each floor had a different theme. There was the 80's floor, the ice bar floor, the rap floor, the pop floor, and the oxygen floor. The rap floor was pretty creepy because there was a lower level dance floor and an upper level balcony area where a bunch of older men stood staring at and taking pictures of the people dancing below. The pop floor had a Robot DJ, which was super cool. Or maybe that was a different floor.
Even though we knew it was really dumb, B and I purchased 20 minutes of flavored oxygen that would supposedly help us avoid a hangover. It smelled incredible, and I'm actually really happy I bought it, although I don't think B would say the same.
Tomorrow, I'll write more about Prague because I'm taking a 3.5-hour foot/bus/cruise tour and then a 1.5-hour ghost tour. One thing I've learned so far, however, is that if you like beer, Prague is the city for you. It's literally cheaper than water.