My Trip to the Czech Republic 2018

Czesky Krumlov

So, Recently I was lucky and fortunate enough to go on a trip to the Czech Republic over spring break. My school offers a group trip every year over spring break to The Czech Republic or Italy. Last year they went to Italy this year was Czech.  I really wanted to go to Italy last year as my father is 100% Italian and still has family there I just didn't have the money unfortunately. This year being my last year at school I really wanted to go on the trip and see another part of the world. I ended up scrapping the money together with lots and lots of help from my family and im so thankful I did. So I was really excited to go see a different country and share the experience with classmates and see the home land of my instructor who hosts the trip. This was a big deal for me considering im a person from Earleville Maryland a small rural area on the Chesapeake bay. Before this trip i have only been as north as New Haven Connecticut, as south as Alexandria  Virginia, and as west as Baltimore Maryland all on day trips. So needless to say this trip will consist of my first ever plane ride a 7 hour flight to London,  a 4 hour lay over, and a 3 hour flight to Prague. As soon as we landed we went got our luggage and got on a bus that drove us 3 hours south of Prague to our first hotel in a small village Cvesky Krumlov where we spent the first 3 nights. The first night the instructors ranged a diner for everyone on the trip at a local restaurant. so at 7pm we all gathered in the lobby of the hotel and walked through the village to the restaurant. The one instructor who is from Czech Republic helped translate the menu he had made for us and told us the best drinks and helped the waitresses get everyones orders. Once the drinks came out which was either Beer or Rum and coke pretty much, the instructors stood up and gave a little speech about how they hope we all enjoy our selves and stay safe on the trip and that they are happy we all got a chance to come. The one from Czech taught us how to toast in Czech. He got everyones attention and said, "I want to teach you all how to toast while you are here. You raise your glass and say smrt může políbit naše zadek." Everyone was looking around and was a little confused and he says, " That means... May death kiss our ass and remember you must look the people in the eye when you say it because.. if you don't you will have bed sex for seven years."

Prague

After the three days in Czesky we hopped on another bus and drove the 3 hours back to Prague to our second and final hotel, Hotel Central. The hotel we stayed at was really nice and very close to the square about a couple blocks. The first night our instructors took everyone out to eat again and it was amazing. The place they had been going to for the past three years fell through so they found a place to seat all 27 of us. To get there the instructors walked us up and around the famous square and then back down to the restaurant. The place they found was very accommodating considering it pretty much only served meat and there are many vegetarians on this trip they made special for us a veggie burger. Now me I was in heaven as ever appetizer that came out I loved from the garlic bread to the fried fresh water fish it was all good! For the main meal I had veal schnitzel and that was amazing especially going down with the 18° Master Dark beer which is perhaps the best dark beer to ever exist in my own opinion. When we were done we all headed back to the hotel and explored the area a little bit on our way. The next day the instructors took everyone on another walk. We were all up and ready in the lobby by 9am and it was a beautiful day. We walked basically the same way as we did the night before but in the day so naturally we saw a bit more. They were taking us up the kings route to the castle. Now a week before this trip I tore my meniscus in my right knee so walking wasn't my favorite or my best event at the time but never the less I did the 4km long walk. We started at the square went down to what I found to be my favorite spot Charles bridge. I loved Charles bridge because the there were so many just different people there and I naturally just enjoy all the different types of people and portrait opportunities. So then we continued up the mountain through the old city and up the castle. Let me tell you the walk was hard with a bum knee but I did it no matter how sore I was or tired I was it was well worth it the view from the top from the castle was unreal. While in the city of Prague I wandered and tried just doing my own thing which was very hard considering I didn't know anyone or the language. In a weird way I didn't feel far from home though the city had a resemblance to Philly in my opinion that didn't make me feel overwhelmed or super lost. Anyone that knows me and my work knows that something I enjoy doing is meeting random people on the street and photographing them. This is something I wanted to try out here and see if I could do it with a language barrier. Despite people seeming scared and clenching onto their bags as I approached them and hearing my English I ended up getting a good amount of people saying yes during the short time spent there which is awesome! I even met someone who continue to talk to occasionally. Thanks to the internet I met a girl online that was from Prague and was willing to meet up in the square and model for me. That was big deal and I'm super grateful she came out and was willing to walk around in the cold snowy weather we got that day. One of my favorite portraits I ever shot came from that shoot with her.