I live by the motto “work hard, play hard”. The great thing about that is, you don’t have to justify a five day holiday to Prague, as long as you’ve worked hard enough to deserve it. With a group of 14 people, we traveled there primarily to join our friend on an epic party, which he organized together with his collective 'Harmony'. Our trip started with us boarding a plane on Thursday. First priority after arriving: a proper Czech pub culture experience. My first beer proved why Prague is famous for it’s delicious beer. Apparently locals in Prague drink more beer than any other country in the world per capita. Actually, I’m quite surprised they beat the Germans there. Looking back, I’d say we successfully managed to merge fun, academic stuff, Soul cleansing and an exceptional consumption of food.  

I woke up to the astonishing sight of sun shining through our window. We dedicated the day to visiting the St. Vitus Cathedral which is famous for its impressive gothic architecture. Originally, the cathedral was dedicated to a christian saint St. Vitus. The view from the hill revealed why Prague is also called the city of a hundred spires. Did you know that is home to the most medieval origins in Europe? It is the only city which wasn’t bombed extensively in the second World War, which is why all the old architecture has been preserved. The interesting thing about the city is however that you find this clash between baroque, classic and gothic architecture and the architecture of the communist era which is characterized by giant gray concrete buildings. Some people find it unaesthetic, I find it pretty exotic. In the evening, all of us were more than ready for the climax of the trip: The Harmony party. We danced away until the backstage area was filled with hazy morning light.

We spend the next day in a Spa which was located on a boat. The Sauna offered a beautiful  view on a beautiful Czech scenery: Majestic Houses, Bridges and Towers. Sunday morning, we paid a visit to the national Gallery of Art. The temporary exhibition displayed a huge array of sheets covered with abstract spray paint art. The rest of the day, we were lucky enough to get an informal tour-guide from one of our Czech friends who took us on a time travel through the country’s history. I actually didn’t know that initially German settlers lived in the area which was back then called Bohemia. Later then, the Slavs came and the Germans moved westwards. Well, seems like the Germans always had a thing for expanding into Eastern Europe.. We also got taught about the crazy rulers in Czech history. Apparently, one of them got put into jail during his time as a King, but continued to be King after he finished his time in jail. Czech people really don’t let anybody screw around with them.

Another thing I appreciate about Czech culture, is definitely their food culture. Especially Prague is a culinary heaven, with so many good places to eat. Moving to the Netherlands meant sacrificing my privilege of German bread. Czech people are just as skilled as the Germans at making amazing pastries, cakes and bread. A lot of the food there reminds me of German cuisine: dumplings, meat, potatoes, gravy and most importantly butter with everything, it’s literally like a vitamin.

I am back in Groningen since Monday evening. At first, it was a bit tough to leave as I had just gotten used to the holiday rhythm. Now however, there’s so much exciting stuff coming up here in the next weeks which I am really looking forward to. You’ll of course here from it soon!

Cheers,

Eva