Sunday, September 29, 2013

Ag smaoineamh faoi Prág

Bím ag léamh an h-úrscéal nua Ceardlann le Diabhail le Jáchym Topol le deánaí (mo leirmheas anseo). Is scríbhneoir na Seice é. Bhí maith liom a bhun-úrscéal ach go raibh an-deacair: Cathair Deirfiúr Airgead (mo leirmheas anseo).

Ar ndóigh, is cuimhne liom faoi ag dul go Prág i 2003 agus 2005. Chuaigh mo teaghlach ár chéile an chéad uair ansin. Fuair muid árasán deas ar thuas na Cearnach Sean-Baile ar an tstráid stairiúl ach callánach Husova ag trasna na teach tabhairne ársa U Zlateho Tygra (An Tíogair Órga).

An dara huair, d'fhán mé in óstan simplí ag thuas ar lár. Shíl mé go caitheamh sé a bheith ar an tstráid Dlouha. Is é mo chuimhne is fearr leat ag breathnú mír na clár leis cartún níos álainn (sa tSeicis nádúrtha) ar an teilifís sa stocaireacht nuair ag fanacht ar an seomra bricfeasta a oscailte.

Ní raibh mé ar ais go dtí Husova nó an ceantar thuas ar feadh mo chuairt chugainn. Theastaigh uaim ag feiceáil áiteannaí difriúlaí. Chuaigh mé go dtí músaeim go leor. D'ith mé dinnear Mháraco fós.

Ar mo aréir ina n-aonar, chuala mé Don Giovanni ina ionad céann áit a raibh sé don chéad uair i 1787. Shiúil mé ar ais go dti an t-óstan go tapa mar fearthainne a rith sé ar mo clár as an céoldrama. Ní raibh mé a fháil beagnách caillte mar a mo chéad chuirt ar an stráideannaí dorcha foiceannaí méanoiseannaí in aice láimhe chomh an grianghraf seo suas, mar sin féin.

Thinking about Prague

I've been reading a novel The Devil's Workshop (my review here) by Jáchym Topol lately. He's a Czech writer. I liked his first novel but it was very difficult: City Sister Silver (my review here).

Of course, there came to mind going to Prague in 2003 and 2005. My family together went the first time there. We got a nice flat south of the Old Town Square on historic but noisy Husova street across from the ancient U Zlateho Tygra (The Golden Tiger) pub. 

The second time, I stayed in a simple hotel north of the center. I think that it must have been on Dlouha Street. My favorite memory is watching a bit of a very lovely cartoon (in Czech naturally) on the lobby t.v. while waiting for the breakfast room to open. 

I did not want to go back to Husova or the district southwards during my next visit. I wanted to see different places. I went to many museums. I ate Moroccan food too.


On my last night alone, I heard, Don Giovanni in the same place where it was first performed in 1787. I walked back to the hotel rapidly as it rained on my program from the opera. I did not get a little lost as on my first visit on the dark winding medieval streets nearby as in this photograph above, all the same.

(Grianghraf le/Photo ina Sean-Baile in aice leis Eaglais Tyn/in Old Town near Tyn Church, by Kakna's Prague.)

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