Hotel Evropa

This 19th century art noveau Hotel Evropa on Václavské náměstí (Wenceslas Square) in Prague is a UNESCO heritage site.

The café is recommended in tourist books, and I wanted to see the interior preserved from another era, even though they ask for a cover charge of about $1.50.

The apple strudel and latte were superb, and they take credit cards. Menus are Czech, English, and German, with lots of options for snacks or full meals. The interior is a feast of authentic historic detailing.

This is the bar in the center back of the cafe.

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Holiday in Prague

All Saints’ Day (November 1) is a national holiday in Slovakia, with no classes at the University, so this seemed like a good opportunity to visit Prague. After two months of living and working in the Slovak Republic, I was especially curious about this much larger city that had once been part of the former Czechoslovakia.

So many friends and family have told me how much they love Prague, and I can see the attraction for tourists. The city’s population is 1.5 million, about the same size as Vienna and over three times the size of Bratislava. Yet much is similar.

Most poignant for me is the shared political history of what are now two nations. Václavské náměstí (Wenceslas Square) was the site of celebrations for liberation from the Nazis in 1945, the challenge to the Soviet tanks crushing the Prague Spring of 1968, and the downfall of Communism in 1989. This Square is now a bustling and very crowded commercial area, with its share of scruffiness, litter, and rebellious young people, reminding me of the mood of Times Square in New York. That's the National Museum in the distance at the end of the Square.

This marker with inscription is on the sidewalk at the end of Václavské náměstí in front of the National Museum. It honors Jan Palach, who set fire to himself in 1969 protesting the Soviet repression. Fresh flowers and a steady stream of tourists marked the site.

Everywhere, revitalization and renewal emerge against the backdrop of decay left by the Communists. This juxtaposition of an empty concrete monstrosity next to a meticulously restored historic building on Václavské náměstí is typical of sights throughout both Prague and Bratislava.

The tram systems seem the same. The cars are small. I have seen a few bicycles in Prague, but not many, as in Bratislava. All those cobblestone streets and tram tracks seem to make bicycling difficult. Vienna is lightyears ahead of both in making that city bicycle-friendly.

My students have educated me that Czech and Slovak are two different languages, with variations in spelling, pronunciations, and some words, although they can understand each other. Bilingual signs and tour groups are common in both Prague and Bratislava, as is McDonald’s, where the counter clerks speak passable English and take credit cards. Tesco has a big store in central Prague.

Many familiar commercial names are found in both cities -- along with innovative marketing ideas. Here, T-Mobile has joined forces with a chain of coffee houses.

Graffiti is nasty in all three cities, once you get away from the restored historic buildings. I decided not to post pictures of it, as an ethical matter. With so much to see in this bustling city, it will take me awhile to post all the interesting pictures I’ve been taking.

Travel tips: Prague is a four-hour train ride from Bratislava. When the Czech border agent comes through to check passports, he will give you a stamp if you ask, so I am adding to my collection.

I took a very nice Intercity train operated by the German railway system. This one originated in Budapest and terminated in Hamburg. The round-trip fare for first-class was only 1183 SKK (about $48) so I splurged. Most of the cars were for second-class, which is also very modern and comfortable, but more crowded. (I mistakenly boarded on a second-class car, so I walked through several.) I bought the ticket at the Bratislava train station about an hour before the train’s departure at the international counter, where the clerks speak English and take credit cards. RailEurope sells a round-trip ticket for the identical trains and times to American travelers for $166 for first-class and $110 for second class. As with my Vienna ticket last month, I am amazed that they sell those tickets for more than three times the cost at the train station.

The train had a very modern dining car with complete menus in German and English and excellent food and latte. They take credit cards, charging in Euros. Here's the first class car, with only three seats in each row. The second-class cars are four seats across.

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Ballet premieres

Last night I saw the Slovak National Ballet company premieres of two very well-known ballets, Balanchine’s 1934 Serenade and Raymonda Variations, a ballet staged in many versions, based on Petipa’s 19th-century choreography.

I made the mistake of going to the ticket office when it opened Friday morning, thinking I would have my choice of good seats in the boxes. It was almost sold out, so I had to settle for a seat in the top balcony. I can’t complain about the ticket price of 160 SKK ($6.40), but I will have to plan ahead to get better seats in the future.

Photos are not allowed during the performance, but so many flash bulbs were going off during the curtain calls that I sneaked a shot myself (though with the flash turned off). The depth and narrowness of this stage is striking, along with the less-than-ideal view from the top balcony. The costumes are exactly what you see in every staging of Serenade.

This was an historic night -- the first time the company had performed a work by Balanchine – and the crowd in the orchestra and box seats was dressed in evening finery to celebrate. A young American who writes for the English-language Slovak Spectator sat next to me; he said the press office told him this was the first time any company had performed Balanchine in Slovakia, so that added to the sense of history.

The Balanchine Trust gives permission to perform his works, and Serenade seems to be the favorite for a company new to his work. Was this up to the standards of the New York City Ballet, with their lifetime of training in his technique? Of course not, but it was a lovely first venture into new terrain for this company that will help them grow as dancers and the audience mature in its experience of the possibilities of dance.

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Permanent Bratislavans

Today between classes, I visited a huge cemetery, Ondrejský Cintorin, now a city park, two blocks from my classroom building. I understand that no new burials are allowed, although ample space appears to be available.

This entrance faces 29 Augusta Street.

European cemeteries are fascinating for the elegant and unusual statues and other grave markers, often hundreds of years old.

I was surprised that so many fresh flowers were placed on the graves, for persons deceased many decades ago.

Here's another striking marker.

And another.

As with other parks I visit here, a grounds crew keept the area spiffed up and attractive.

The Chapel of Saint Ondreja (Kaplnka vs. Ondreja) stands at the western side of the cemetery, by the main entrance to the cemetery.

A sign from the City provided a map of the grounds, with a list of distinguished permanent residents. I confess I did not recognize any of them.

Alexander Dubček, a Slovak westerners should remember, is buried in a small cemetery west of Bratislava. Dubček was the Communist leader of Czechoslovakia who tried to put a “human face” on socialism with progressive reforms. The Soviets rewarded his efforts in the “Prague Spring” of 1968 by rolling in tanks all across the nation, including both Prague and Bratislava, and shipping him off to the Soviet Union for re-education. The tanks and Soviet soldiers stayed for another two decades. Dubček stood with Václav Havel in 1989 in celebrating the fall of communism and was cheered as a hero.

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Adventures in parking

Once I noticed legal sidewalk parking a few weeks ago on Križna, I started noticing it everywhere, but with some interesting variations.

Sidewalk parking is legal here on both sides of Záhradnica.

On Maly Trh, the city has kindly painted white lines indicating that cars should park the front wheels on the sidewalk, with the back wheels on the street.

On Moskovská, the white lines indicate that the right side wheels should go on the sidewalk, with the left-side wheels in the street.

The white lines are sized for the ultra-compact cars that are the norm here. Today I made a rare sighting of a giant American-style Toyota SUV, hogging more than its fair share of space. These lumbering gas-guzzlers stick out like sore thumbs here -- and this isn't even the biggest size available in the U.S.

This Bistro is directly opposite the entrance to the Faculty of Medicine. Patrons in a hurry can park right in front of the door.

In case you thought Bratislava tolerated just about anything in parking, the notorious “Denver boot” is in use here to catch ticket scofflaws who don’t pay their fines. I'm just not sure what counts as a parking violation here.

The alternative to sidewalk parking seems to be tearing down more historic buildings to provide parking lots or garages. I can think of several locations in the U.S. where I wish legal sidewalk parking would be considered as a solution to the chronic shortage of parking spaces (my home campus in California, for starters).

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American Park

Today I visited Americké Námestie, a block from my classroom building. I was looking for some hint as to why it is called American Square or its history or what it means to anybody – a plaque, a statue, a placard – but could not find anything.

The park, bordered by Špitálská, Zahradnická, and 29 Augusta, has large, well-manicured green spaces, benches, trees, and shrubs.

The building in the distance is the backside of an office building for the Faculty of Medicine for Comenius University.

Colorful playground equipment is at the eastern side of the park. Plenty of red, white, and blue here.

I did find two statues in the park, but they do not seem to have anything to do with the U.S. that I could find out.

This statue of Sándor Petőfi, a 19th-century Hungarian poet and revolutionary, was originally located in front of the National Theatre in 1911. Repeated vandalism led it to be moved to different locations until a safe one could be found. The vandalism is seen as a symptom of the resentment of Hungarians which lingers to this day. Asylum in America?

This statue of Martin Kukucín honors a popular Slovak novelist who relocated to South America, where he died in 1928. A reminder that "America" has a North, South, and Central?

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Surprises at the ballet

This morning I headed over to the historic Opera House to see a “matiné” at 11:00 a.m. of two ballets, Raymonda, a 19th-century Russian classic originally choreographed by Petipa with a score by Glazunov, and Serenade, choreographed by George Balanchine to Tchaikovsky. Matineés in the U.S. are typically regular performances in the afternoon on weekends, so that was the first puzzle. The ridiculously low prices (60 SKK or $2.40 for an orchestra seat) were another.

A helpful usher tipped me off that this was not an actual performance, but a lecture-preview of the new productions, which will premiere next weekend. I sometimes hear about pre-performance lectures to help audiences appreciate what they are about to see, but even that is unusual in the U.S. We were not allowed to take pictures of the presentation, but here is the stage set up for the guest speakers in this lovely little opera house that is becoming my second home.

A youngish crowd, many in jeans, and a significant presence of older balletomanes in casual dress were in the audience. This was a sharp contrast to the very formal dress I usually see at performances.

As I am one of those devoted balletomanes, I was fascinated to hear discussions of the performances, with some video clips. Two American dancers who stage Balanchine works, John Clifford and Patricia Barker, provided insights on working with Balanchine, the distinctive aspects of his technique, and their work with the Slovak dancers in setting the first Balanchine ballet they have performed. Thank goodness they spoke in English, with Slovak translators. Johnny Chang, Ballet Master of the Royal Winnepeg Ballet, also speaking in English, explained his production of excerpts from Raymonda and the history of the many versions of the ballet. I look forward to seeing both ballets next weekend at the premieres.

On Friday night, I saw the company’s magnificent production of Bournonville’s 1836 La Sylphide, the oldest classical ballet still in active repertory. After seeing it performed three decades ago with Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland, I thought I was ruined for life for enjoying any other performances. While not quite evoking those two legendary dancers, the male lead (Adrian Ducin) earned appreciative and well-deserved applause and “bravos,” with a dynamic presence and the precision and polish demanded by this very distinctive style of choreography from Denmark.

For more information on the performance:

http://www.snd.sk/?ballet&predstavenie=balanchine

I regularly encounter other international visitors and today was no exception. An older couple from Washington, DC sat behind me today. They had been hiking in the High Tatras mountains in northern Slovakia and were now visiting Bratislava. Outside the ticket office, I had a fascinating discussion with an older couple from the Netherlands, speaking very good English, as we traded our memories of seeing Serenade performed by other companies. A few days ago, I struck up a conversation with another Dutch citizen taking pictures of the same Holocaust monument I was photographing. He spoke fluent English, works in Vienna, and was spending the day with his girlfriend in Bratislava -- could I give him suggestions on what to see in one day? I was happy to oblige with my recommendations.

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Super Marathon

The big event today on Hviezdoslavovo Námestie was the five-day (320 km) Super Marathon for runners and cyclists. It begins in Vienna, goes through Bratislava, and ends in Budapest to the south.

In the morning, several short runs were conducted for children. The U.S. Embassy is in the back left.

The finish line frames the historic Opera House at the east end of the plaza.

A nasty rain and hail storm intruded mid-day, but the sun came out for the afternoon arrival of the runners and cyclists. Several bands played during the afternoon. Here is a brief clip of a soloist.

Sponsors included many familiar names, e.g., Adidas and Samsung. Gatorade provided a storage wagon for the participants.






Here is the web site for the SuperMarathon. It begins with some cute animation: http://www.szupermarathon.hu/intro.html

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Jewish culture

I visited the Museum of Jewish Culture this morning and some nearby sites of related interest. The Museum, operated by the Slovak National Museum, opened in 1994 and charges 200 SKK admission (about $8.00). It is located at Židovska in a 17th century mansion built by Count Pálffy Zsigray.

The Museum faces the expressway built by the Communists. The old Jewish community was levelled to build it.

The most moving part of the exhibit was the historic timeline and photographs showing the history of the Jews in Slovakia, almost as old as the Slav's presence. These photos show the Jewish community the Communists destroyed. The Museum building, one of the few left standing, is visible in the center right.

Another part of the exhibit shows the Nazis rounding up the Jews and sending them to their deaths at the concentration camps north of here in Poland. At least 60,000 Slovak Jews died in the Holocaust.

The Museum also houses an extensive collection of historic artifacts, from menorahs and prayer cloths to this antique furniture.

The Jewish community was forced to locate outside the protection of the medieval walled city. Remnants of those walls can be seen on the other side of the expressway.

A few blocks to the south, adjacent to St. Michael’s Cathedral, is a monument to the Holocaust, with “never forget” in Slovak and Hebrew at the base.

In this week’s Slovak Spectator, the English-language newspaper I read regularly, a front-page story reported the arrest of 11 Slovak neo-Nazis at a rally in Serbia in honor of the birthday of the notorious Nazi Heinrich Himmler. The editorial warned that neo-Nazis are not just a “bunch of dim individuals,” but a too-pervasive remnant of a dark chapter in history that should concern everyone. Although I have seen plenty of graffiti in this city, I am at least relieved that I have not seen any swastikas.

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Freedom Square

I walked through Námestie Slobody (Freedom Square) today. Located just north of the Old Town area, it was previously named after the first Communist president of Czechoslovakia, Klement Gottwald, and was one of the first parks renamed after the fall of Communism in 1989. He reportedly died of heart failure after returning home from Stalin's funeral -- poetic justice?

This garish silver fountain, built in the 1980s by the Communists, is reportedly the largest fountain in Bratislava.

The strangest thing in this square is what appears to be an old statue's head draped with barbed wire. "Obetiam," the first word visible in the wire on the white section, translates to "victim." The square is well-kept, other than this graffiti, which makes me think it has been left intentionally.

I have been unable to find out anything about this mystery artifact nor these peculiar white columns, which look like they were used as the bases for statues. UPDATE: I learned from my department head that these were installed by the post-Communist government as a location where people could post campaign posters or other public announcements. It is surprising that they are completely free of anything at the moment.

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Palaces

The public is not permitted to tour the interior of the Presidential Palace, which is used for government functions, located just north of the Old Town area.

Two guards in historic costumes periodically went through their paces, marching forward and back.

I walked around the beautifully maintained Grassalkovichova Gardens behind the Palace, which are open to the public.

This building to the north of the park was once the summer palace of archbishops and is now a Slovak government office. It is not open to the public either.

I did tour the Primate’s Palace in the Pedestrian Zone, which is open to the public. Cameras are not allowed to photograph the suite of high-ceilinged rooms, with tapestries, art, antique furniture, and elegant staircases of a by-gone era.

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Saturday at the malls

It was raining this morning, a good day to pursue the quintessential American pastime, visiting the shopping mall. Bratislava has three very modern ones. Thanks to the excellent public transportation system, I visited all three in a few hours.

Polus City Center is in New Town (Nové Mesto), north of the restored historic area of town. The Center is spanking new and extensive construction in the area is underway for new apartment and office buildings, but the surrounding area is still pretty dreary.

At all three centers, the big surprise was the paucity of surprises. They look like any typical American mall, with escalators, benches, high ceilings, food courts, and, yes, McDonald’s. At all three I visited, the national post office had outlets open throughout the day, as did numerous banks.


Another typical scene at American malls: skylights, people movers, live plants, and stores of all varieties. Familiar store names included Levis, Benetton, Hilfiger, Kodak, and T-Mobile. Most stores were not familiar to me, but the mix of types of stores was. The various hallways were christened with familiar American names: Broadway, Madison, Wall, 5th Avenue. Regent Street from London was also represented, as was Paris' Champs L'Elysee. The Center’s English-language web site: http://www.poluscitycenter.sk/?lang=en

Avion Shopping Center is east of town near the Bratislava airport. The #63 bus line goes directly there, and it was packed today. Stores were a familiar mix, with some familiar names. H&M is a Swedish chain that just opened in San Francisco. Marks & Spencer is a British clothing chain. Peek and Cloppenburg is a German clothing chain that I visited in Vienna.


IKEA, the Swedish store that invaded California 20 years ago with great success, has a separate building. The parking lot is as jammed as any California mall on Saturday.



Small cars are on display in the entry hall. Those prices are in Crowns -- about $17,000.





An indoor skating rink was being readied for another round of skating.





Entertainment for kids can be found all over this center.







Hypermarket is a humongous grocery story in the mall.




One surprise today was the absorption of American culture, beyond just brandnames and styles of shopping. Here is the L.A. restaurant!




The restaurant is decorated with huge photographs of scenes from Los Angeles.






The Santa Fe restaurant features a "California cuisine" menu with dishes named after California cities.





I told the clerk that I was from California, and he seemed a little embarrassed. I could not figure out how names had been applied to dishes. The Long Beach entre was a fried cheese patty, which I have never eaten anywhere. I ordered the Sun Valley Salad, which included corn, broccoli, black olives, lettuce, and chicken. I have no idea what that has to do with Sun Valley. They need a little refinement in their light California cuisine, and I wonder if they know Sun Valley is in Idaho and Sante Fe is in New Mexico, but I love the sentiment.

I went to the Street Café for another fabulous latte. Indeed the biggest difference from American malls was the wide availability of cafes with wonderful coffee. I was struck by the black-and-white photograph tableau under the Café name showing the Brooklyn Bridge and the Twin Towers. I wondered if anybody but me noticed the poignancy of that scene today.

The McDonald’s here had a drive-though window called “McDrive.” It also had parking for the disabled, something I have not seen here before. Here is the Avion web site: http://www.avion.sk/english/

For my final stop, I went to Au Park, which is on the other side of the Danube, just opposite Old Town. The #50 bus ends there and also was packed. Yes, that’s another McDonald’s.

The interior is on three levels with glass elevators, escalators, and the familiar mix of stores. I even found a huge bookstore with its own coffee shop and lounge chairs, á la Barnes & Noble.

The signs at the Robinson’s restaurant (with a jungle wilderness theme) showed prices in both Slovak Crowns and Euros, something I do not see here much. Either they are getting ready for the conversion to the Euro in 2009 or they are hoping to attract shoppers from nearby Austria, just a few miles away. Here is the Au Park web site: http://www.aupark.sk/generate_page.php?page_id=1229

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