It just so happened that one of my dearest exchange friends, who lives in the Czech Republic, was on a trip in Prague with her class while I was visiting the city! We have only seen each other a few times since we first met at the Rotary Youth Exchange Orientation in Ohio last Summer, and I was desperate to spend some more time with her. It isn’t often these days that I am able to just relax and chat with such a like-minded person in both opinions and disposition. We met in the afternoon, toured the city a little, and stopped at a quiet cafe for conversation and tea. We were only together shortly—she had plans to attend a performance at the National Theatre with her schoolmates—yet it was definitely one of the highlights of my trip.
However, my friend and I did not meet until that afternoon and I couldn’t think of a place to satisfyingly spend the morning. Many of the attractions on my itinerary were full-day affairs and I wasn’t familiar enough with Prague to know of something which could be done in just a few short hours. (Well, aside from walking more of the city’s beautiful streets… which my poor feet had had quite enough of the day before.) At a loss, I sought the help of my host aunt. A quick call with her recommended to me to the Kampa Museum of Modern Art. A lovely gallery, and a relatively short trip, it sits on the banks of the Vlatava River, surrounded by artistic oddities and one particularly historic landmark.
The Lennon Wall began when some anonymous Czech first painted the face of John Lennon on its surface in the early 1980s. The nation’s youth, dissatisfied with the communist government which controlled Czechoslovakia, latched onto this symbol of freedom and began to express their frustrations onto this makeshift canvas. Even if the wall was painted over, the graffiti would continue to appear, speaking the resolve that the Czechs felt in pursuit of freedom. To this day, the Lennon Wall is constantly compounded with new art, an evolving mural that has kept with the times since that first Lennon—now long buried beneath layers of paint.
With that my day has been described, but I want to take this opportunity to thank my host uncle and aunt for all the things they did for me. They lovingly took me into their home for an entire week, made me a part of their family and paid for a whole lot more than they should’ve. I couldn’t have felt more at home with people I have known for years! My uncle, aunt, and their children were better hosts than I could ever deserve, and I look forward to visiting their lovely family in the future. Thank you for making my stay in Prague absolutely magical.
Signed,
Andrew
