Birthday Trip

OK, prepare yourself for a long post:

My birthday in Copenhagen was lovely. Not epic and crazy, but nice to go out for drinks in places I like hanging out in, and with people who I like being around and who actually care. On my actual birthday I flew to Prague, flying an activity that everyone knows I incredibly dislike. My camera managed to break on the way to Prague, so any pictures I have were taken on my phone (if you know how to transfer phone photos to the computer, PLEASE call me when I return!)

I was only in Prague for two full days, but here were my impressions/favorite things:

-Prague reminded me a lot of Russia. The metro system was very deep and designed like in St. Petersberg, the language sounded like Russian, and when I wasn't surrounded by tourists and travelers, the people seemed to have a similar attitude. It was like a Western version of Russia.

-Visited Prague Castle, where I saw THE very window of the defenestration of Prague, an act that started the Thirty Years War. Can't tell you the exact history, except that "defenestration" is one of my favorite words. Not kidding, after seeing this window my life is MADE.

-Wandered more wings of Prague castle, and found a winding staircase that led to a hall of armour and shields, with one end having a chance to shoot a crossbow like at the Renaissance Faire (something I clearly needed to do in the walls of a castle in the Czech Republic), the other end viewing a room of Medieval torture devices (very very terrifying).

-Prague has a lot of Jewish history, something I forgot about until I arrived. I was very excited to see: the shul where the mythical Golem is supposed to be hidden in the attic, waiting to come to life to protect the Jews of Prague and the Old Jewish cemetary, where the Maharal, a famous rabbi of the 16th century who brought the Golem to life is buried. Also, the beautiful temples, one of which had the names of all the Jews of Czecheslovakia who died in the Holocaust written on the walls.

-A note on visiting Jewish places: I am very used to living in Denmark, where people have their own space, you don't talk to people, people are quiet and in their own world. I am also used to visiting Cathedrals where people are quiet, reverant and reflective. I was NOT prepared to be surrounded by Jews again, where we're loud and in your face and there is no chance of prayer in the old synagogues. *sigh*

-Most meaningful to me, I had an absolutely magical day by myself wandering the city, seeing the aforementioned places, where I realized I was ok with being by myself and doing things on my own.

-And yes, Charles Bridge is beautiful.

As for Berlin, I really had no idea what I wanted to see. Devina flew in from Italy and I had a lovely visit with her, and I also knew someone through a friend currently living there who was more than happy to show us around the city. So, this was mostly a social trip. As for Berlin itself, it felt like San Francisco. Except German. And with a Communist history. It felt like a city to live in, not a city to ogle at its buildings and masterpieces (though if I were there for longer, I most certainly would have visitied all of its museums). And so, live is what I did.

-Matthias took me to his favorite vegetarian restaraunts, and I had a vegan version of curryworst (a Berlin speciality which is basically a hot dog covered in ketchup and curry powder)

-Through Matthias, I met a lot of English speaking expats living in Berlin, as this is apparently the city to go to when you want to leave where you currently live (and it was SO refreshing to hang out with people who were neither travelers or students).

-Berlin has the coolest and most clever memorials. I've seen my share of Holocaust memorials, but the one in Berlin is incredible. In the middle of the city is a square filled with many stones of different heights. (Nothing screams 'Make Jewish babies NOW' like a memorial to dead ones.)

-Seeing the wall. Part of it was still up and left with all of its graffitti. Another section was turned into the East Side Gallery, with paintings by modern artists. (Similar to the Merill moat at Santa Cruz. Except on a very famous wall.)

Being on this particular trip made me appreciate Copenhagen again. Maybe I'm retreating too much into a comfort zone again, but it's nice to see new places, and then have a European city you can call home, whose language you recognize, whose streets you sort of know, and which has a life you can go back to.