Sunday, 6.24.12. Walking.

Morning

Goal: find canned whole beans

Note to self: "Mediterranean style cheese" is not feta cheese at all

Afternoon

Guys, I went to United Islands (free!!!) music festival. 

As I mentioned before, there are several islands in the Vlatva. I live very close to 2 of them.

Actually, when I went for a walk on Saturday night I wandered to the island and caught the declining action of the first of the two day festival. I lingered around a drum circle and met a group of young English-speaking people from all around Europe (plus one American). They were here to teach English and that's how they knew each other. They said it was very American of me to approach them. Most were from Zizkov. According to them, "it's the best neighborhood." Many foreigners and expatriates live there. 

They invited me to a pool party. The tram launched into the darkness. The cardinal balance in my chest  was useless and jet-lagged. My gut pleaded with my heart. I was going to a to a pool party which I'd originally heard as pill party (Scottish, I think). In a flash of unconscious reasoning, I ricocheted off that tram (gracelessly, I think) and some divine hand guided me home, sheepish and smiling. I did not get anyone's contact info.

I'm almost kicking myself. Oh well.

So. Sunday afternoon. The island is located under a bridge that stretches across the river, connecting Old town to New town. Or...New Town to Old Town, from my perspective. Oh yeah, I live in New Town. Did I mention that already? In Czech that's Nové Město. Don't be fooled, though -- New Town has been around since the 14th century!

Here are some grand steps to the island, where the festival staff were handing out (free!!!) pins.

Ms. Pacman is new!

Czech rapper Martin Hula, aka "Bonus" performing on the island's south stage 

The collective ensemble was: a guitarist, a bassist, the rapper guy obviously, and a computer track. The computer accompaniment was clicky and layered with bubbly, synthesized ripples, unfortunately  unfeatured in this here video clip. What a boomy bass. Talk about rib-cage rattling.

They lyrics. I could not comprehend. The set was a stream of nonsensical word pellets which soared past any and all information-gathering ports in my brain. The language-barrier has been extremely frustrating. Every day I navigate a dense fog of gobbldygook. My exchanges with the average Czech human-being, sinewy and fleshy like me, maybe with hair just like mine, are cumbersome and strained. 

This pic was taken facing west, in the direction of old town.

Here is the Czech Justin Bieber, who was performing on the north side of the island. 

The stages had specific names affiliated with local sponsors and radio stations, which I cannot recall. At all. But I would really like to find a good Czech radio station (note to self).

View south from the bridge. Lots of paddle boats. To the west is the land of New Town, to the east is the island. 

That's The Charles Bridge out there (north) 

Evening

This time I ventured farther north along the river, heading towards The Charles Bridge. 

Some of the sidewalks have very pretty wobblestone designs. 

                                

This is Krannerova Kasna, or Kranner's Fountain. I couldn't find anything about this on the interwebs, but the sign said something about The Prague National Awakening by archiect Josef Ondrej Kranner and stonemason Karel Svoboda, modeled after some Gothic fountain in Nuremberg (note to self: ask history prof). 

...to avoid the busy sidewalk, I cut through an indoor plaza with many tourist shops...

...I stepped out of the tourist-tunnel-money-funnel (overpriced trinkets) and lo and behold, I was at the facade of The Charles Bridge. Sorry for the lack of pics. Poor lighting plus iphone camera didn't do the architecture justice.

The bloodless, snowy statues glare intensely at the current of people with their languages and comfy sandals, eyes blank and severely downcast

Views from the bridge:

                              North                                                                                 West

I was going to take this funny video but my iphone camera memory got all full

Luckily I had room for one more picture