caleigh’s captures

Small Wonder

10/30

Humidly warm and smelling of pungent, fermented barley, the Pilsner Urquell Brewery produces hundreds of thousands of bottles and cans of the popular Czech beer hourly. It is a tried and true process, unchanged for over a hundred years that makes this beer so delicious and available at every bar, pub, and restaurant in Prague. Everything in the brewery is meticulous— from the exact heating and cooling temperatures, the special mixing and additive processes, to the bottling and labeling examinations done on site. 

The bottles go through intense examination, making sure they are finely made and without cracks. Reused bottles (a very neat concept in Europe, which takes a small fee from the consumer when they buy a bottle of beer, then return the fee if they bring the bottle back to be recycled at the plant) go through a diligent cleaning and examination process before they are recycled back into the bottling line to be reused for someone else’s beverage. Workers stand at the conveyor, looking over each passing bottles and pulling out the ones that don’t make the cut. 

I am not a beer drinker myself, so I have never gone out of my way to do any kind of research as to how beer is actually made. I knew it had something to do with wheat or barley and fermentation, but that was about as far as my knowledge went. I had no idea this drink was brewed in huge brass colored tanks, was mixed and heated so precisely, or was produced at such high numbers. To think that this one plant supplied all the drinks I see every local and tourist drink around Prague (not to mention its served across Europe, China, and the United States!) Was mind boggling.  

Location Notations

9/30

There is no better way to finish a day in Prague than to head to the local beer garden. The hot sun is no longer beating down from above, but rather dipping languidly into the skyline as the bright blue sky mixes with hues of purple or peach. The locals are done with work and bring their children, friends, lovers, or dogs with them to sprawl on blankets in the grass. They chat, smoke, read, nap, or simply gaze at the sun as she sets into the night. 

This was my evening, which began by packing a towel, my camera and journal into a backpack and taking the metro one stop to Riegrovy Sady Beer Garden. My favorite part about this specific garden is the fact it doubles as a dog park. With my newly found favorite pear cider, I sat and watched the dogs play for a few hours while enjoying the tranquility of the park and working on my journal. 

Riegrovy Sady Beer Garden is a popular spot for young locals. They all pack in on a hill to watch the sun set over the city. On a night like this, it was especially crowded, as the sky melted into lovely hues of pink, violet, and orange. It is a way for the locals to get away from the busy bustle of the city, to sit and catch up with friends or relax from the stress of the day. With such a view and good drinks nearby, its no wonder why these lawns get so packed with all kinds of people. 

Around Here

8/30

The Czechs have a deep appreciation for their food, and take pride in their local products and delicacies. Although I had tried a few notable Czech meals, I wasn’t aware of the whole other world of food not typically advertised to tourists. I also wasn’t informed on the eating habits of Czech people— much different from the US eating habits. Today on the food tour, I was given a little taste of local eating habits and different popular foods to the Czech people. 

One thing I didn’t know was that Czechs consider lunch to be the most important meal of the day, and therefore have their biggest meal of the day during this time, then a smaller meal around dinner. Similarly, they can have sweet main course dishes, like potato dumplings covered in poppy seeds, or a cake like bread covered in vanilla pudding. These foods would be seen as a dessert in the US and most likely eaten after dinner. It makes sense why they eat their biggest meal at lunch, it gives people time to digest and walk off food, rather than having a late dinner and going to bed soon after, like in the US. 

Our final stop on the food tour was a restaurant called the Kantyna which was a high end butchery and restaurant. They prided themselves in serving fresh cuts of meat, as well as classic Czech dishes, such as potato pancakes, snitzel, goulash, horseradish, etc. Each chef took care to prepare the traditional foods, and it was evident the restaurant chef took pride in making and serving local dishes of his country. 

• 

A Thousand Words

7/30

Attending a demonstration in a foreign country simply for the photo content seemed like a poor idea at first. After all, I didn’t exactly understand what they were protesting for, or what the protest culture was in Prague. I knew in the United States, protests could maintain a peaceful yet powerful atmosphere, or they could become violent very quickly. Although I was nervous, I decided to attend because I felt like it was something I couldn’t miss. 

My fears were quickly dissipated when I realized the amount of young children at the rally that were brought along with their parents. Young teens stood in hordes, holding signs and flags and banners. Small kids sat on their dad’s shoulders. This was something I hadn’t seen in the US— at the Women’s March I did see the occasional child but here there were many, many more. This put me at ease, seeing the kids innocently unaware of the political strife their parents worry about as they all packed together on the main street. 

The cause of the protest was the political corruption of the Czech Prime Minister, Andrej Babiš, who was discovered to be using his political power to help his private business (a very simple summary, I am sure there is much more to the story). The Czech people have gathered a few times in previous weeks, however, this Tuesday night demonstration expects 100,000 people and might be the biggest protest since 1989.

I found myself drawn to photographing the young children in this protest because they are the future of the Czech Republic. Their parents are participating in this demonstration for their children— “I hope you have a free future” is what this mother’s sign translates to. Not only was I drawn to this message, but I related to it. The US faces similar issues of political power that teeters on the edge of corruption. I understood the frustration and the unabashed hope, even when I didn’t understand the language. It is the hope for a fair future that bridges our cultural barriers. 

Not From These Parts

6/30

After a bit of a trek to the castle and St. Vitus cathedral, our group was hot and sluggish, so I was shocked to see the almost perfect couple posing for wedding photos in front of the ornate cathedral doors. In the middle of a hot afternoon, in a location swarming with tourists, they were unapologetically set up in a popular photo spot for a quick romantic shoot. 

Apparently this is a common site in Prague, which has seen rising numbers of Chinese and Korean tourists in recent years. Some link the masses of tourists to the increase in direct flights from airports in both countries, as well as the influence of popular media being shot in Prague and shown in China and Korea. 

Somewhere Only We Know— a Chinese romance movie— was shot in Prague in 2015 and was a huge hit, which has influenced the increasing popularity of Chinese tourists taking wedding photos in popular sites of Prague like the Charles Bridge and the cathedral. Similarly, a TV series shown in South Korea called Lovers in Prague is credited with the increase in Korean tourists in Prague. 

I can’t blame them! The media saturates us with romantic scenes from European cities like Paris, Rome, London, etc. its only a matter of time before the scenic city of Prague gets its time in the spotlight. One can get the “exotic” wedding shoot of their dreams without coming off cliche or cheesy in overused spots, like the Eiffel Tower. I can’t wait until I have the motivation to wake up at 5:00 am to go see all the bridal shoots on the Charles Bridge!

Noticed

5/30

If you’re not already distracted by the stunning views along the Charles Bridge, you might feast your eyes on the many vendors that set up their wares along the path, hoping a curious tourist will stop and buy a little trinket or souvenir. All of the items serve as reminders of Prague once you leave the city— things such as jewelry made of colored glass (a popular commodity in Prague) or local stones, painted ceramic trinkets, photographs of the iconic wonders of the city, and many paintings in all different styles. Oil, watercolor, acrylic, abstract or lifelike, you can find any painting big or small to fit your aesthetic to serve as a personal reminder of your trip. 

The painters sit under their umbrellas (summer weather in Prague is hot, and on the bridge, there’s no shade to hide from the beating down sun) and work on new paintings each day. They probably have a method or ritual— a step by step process they don’t even have to think about for each of their skyline views of the city. Copies of the same painting the make to sell to passing tourists. 

This one painter caught my eye as his artwork was small but had incredible detail. He painted cool and unbothered under his umbrella with his shoes off and headphones in. Before my trip ends, I would love to come back to purchase one of his works of art to bring home to my family as a reminder for this wonderful month. 

Weekend Miser

4/30

Truly the place where you could find any object or doodad, the Bleší Trhy, or the biggest flea market in all of the Czech Republic, houses it all. Hundreds of stands host items for sale such as secondhand clothing and shoes, soaps and shavers, jewelry, children’s toys, dusty paintings, old phones, laptops, tires, beads, trinkets, pins, knives, guns, tea sets, charging cords of all kind… etc. The list is endless. 

For a small fee of 20 Kč, anyone can browse the flea market and attempt to haggle down the price of any object for sale. Locals and tourists alike were digging through boxes of dusty, random entities, and scoping out the flat lay sales baking in the sun on a tarp or blanket. I attempted to haggle with a young boy translating for his father to buy a small mirror since I didn’t have one in my apartment, but he wouldn’t budge on the price so I decided to move on. 

Most of the vendors did not like having their picture taken. Some would even yell and wave us off. I decided my best approach would be to go for the shoppers who were preoccupied looking through all the bits and bobbles to really notice. These women caught my eye because of their vehement search through bins of beads. I snapped the photo with my iphone, afraid my chunky camera would bring unwanted attention, and then I was quickly out. 

Around Here

3/30

The Roma Parade— a highlight of Kharomo, the world’s largest Roma festival— may seem like a jovial, bright, musical event down the streets of Prague, but to some, it is anything but. Being a tourist, I didn’t notice the crowd of parade onlookers was composed of Romani people and other curious tourists. Local Czechs were no where to be seen. 

The lack of Czech parade supporters is due to the fact of the Romani discrimination in the Czech Republic. The Czech people are not discreet about their lack of respect to the Romani who share their country— obvious in the way the garbage trucks forced the parade to pause and move to the side as they passed through, which wouldn’t have occurred if it were a Czech related event. Despite the evident discrimination, the Roma children and adults participating in the festival seemed joyful and proud of their ethnicity as they danced, sang, and marched through the streets. 

The girl in the photo struck me when I was going through my pictures after the festivities. It wasn’t her bright red and gold costume, but her gaze that held so much power as she stared directly at the camera. I like to imagine someone like this young girl being the change to the system that puts the Romani people down. 

Architecturally Speaking

2/30

Old Town Square (or Staroměstské náměstí if you speak Czech) is one of the biggest tourist spots in the city, as well as a significant historical square. The area served as a marketplace and crossroads of European trade routes in the 10th century, occupied by stalls selling baked goods, pottery, cloth, herbs, and many more. The square hosted many famous events, like the royal coronation procession of the first Czech king, John of Luxembourg, in 1311; as well as the public executions of riot leaders in in the 1400’s and 1600’s. 

Many of the buildings in the square have been rebuilt since their first conception, changing from architecture designs of gothic, to Mannerist, to Renaissance, to Baroque. Many of these styles are still seen in the square as each building stands uniquely different to each other. Some boast gothic archways, Baroque facades, or Renaissance gables. The myriad of architecture styles seen in each building display Prague’s rich art history. Its buildings like these that really remind me I am in Europe, as the rich history architecture can reveal isn’t as evident in the United States. 

We were lucky enough to be able to explore the square freely this week. The beginning of June marks the beginning of the tourist season, which is evident by the masses of people that come visit the square. During peak tourist times, the square is said to become so packed, you can’t see the cobblestone beneath you. 

• 

Not from these parts

1/30

There are an abundance of unique tourist attractions to the city of Prague. From the myriad of architectural styles, a range of museums for every interest, and the fun photo ops around town, it is no wonder the city attracted a record breaking 21.3 million visitors in 2018. 

The friendly swans of the Vltava River that runs under the Charles Bridge are a popular attraction for tourists looking to feed or instagram the mate-for-life birds. Its no surprise that the pigeons have caught on to the abundance of bread crumbs left behind. They flock the small bay looking to swarm anyone with a handful of bird food or bread crumbs. Much like any city pigeon, they are not shy to get up close and personal with any tourist who isn’t familiar with the aggressive hunger of these birds. 

Two tourists experienced the mob of feathers this evening when a small handful of food suddenly attracted the entire horde of pigeons. Just as quick as they surrounded her, they flew off when a man near the river tossed out some bread crumbs. The other woman tried to capture the fleeting moment, but I wonder if she could photograph anything in the midst of the madness.