Voices Europe Tour Choir Journal Day 3 & 4: Prague, Czech Republic 1998

DAY 3
Saturday, April 4th, 1998 (late at night)

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC: HOTEL BELVEDERE

(In honor of St. Mary) Today we went to a monastery and sang Ave Maria, our first song here. It was very moving and I got a postcard of it. The treasures in the top of the monastery had a picture that looked just like Tina in our choir. She couldn’t come to Europe.

We went and saw a gorgeous view of Prague and watched the changing of the guards at the castle. It was the first time I saw tourists. Trumpets played a march while they changed. The guards here are hot and trim and don’t seem as stern or straight faced as the ones at D.C. The castle which they guard was beautiful and had huge statues outside.

Inside we went to the church which was so tall. It had stained glass windows and a huge ceiling. The bad thing about it though is that I got lost. I was so scared! I wanted to buy a postcard and turned around and everyone was gone. I looked and could find nobody. I asked if anyone spoke English and one or two people did, but couldn’t or wouldn’t help me. I went to this one old guy and he kept wanting me to go up this tower. (He was a guy who worked with tickets) I think he knew I was lost because he handed me a phone but I didn’t understand the person talking behind it. I left him and decided to follow my instincts which was to wait where I last saw them. I did and within a few extraordinarily long minutes heard my name being called. I didn’t know where it was coming from but was glad and scared to see Rose, Linda, and Katie. They hugged me and I cried. I felt stupid but relieved to see them. Mr. M. later gave me a rock to keep from there, and Rose put a kernel in some piles by the church to be a memory.

(Mr. M. had given each of us a few dried corn kernels to take with us on our trip. He told us we could find places to leave some at moments we wanted to remember.)

We got lunch and Marie, who was the first to notice when I was missing, split a sandwich with me. I got some bottled water that tasted dang good too! We left and walked in some small doored shops and I bought two eggs painted by handicapped kids. Later we went to a clock to watch it ring at 4:00pm and walked around to look at crafts and listen to music. It was hard again to keep everyone together with Eva (tour guide). Today she wore yellow! We then went to the bridge where Mission Impossible was filmed. I got two prints and a mini house charm. They took American dollar bills! We sang for a couple of Italian guys (old) and people stopped to watch and listen. We also walked down what looked like our State Street (in Madison, Wisconsin) except with narrow cobblestone streets and tall old buildings on either side. 

We then went to practice at our church. We took a trolly to our church and went to the bathroom down the hall that looked like something from The Sound of Music. There were nuns and monks with traditional dress. We practiced on stairs and were very cold because it was about 40 or so degrees. We then left for the hotel and ate dinner which was late (at 6:30pm instead of 6:00pm). We had to leave promptly and go to the church in our robes at 7:15pm. People looked at us funny while we practiced singing on the way. We sang beautifully and we were encored back to sing another last song. We were so cold we could see our breath, but the thanks we got from old ladies and men made it so worth it. Eva’s husband helped us get there and back. We left and around 10:00pm got back to change and go to bed. I think it’s around 12:00am now. I called home today at 11:00pm (2:00pm home). I’m so tired and will go to bed now. (The water might only be bright yellow in the morning!)

Here are some photos and a brochure from this day:

DAY 4
(Palm) Sunday April 5th, 1998 (midnight)

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC: HOTEL BELVEDERE

Marie and I just finished talking about our day and how it will change our life forever. Since what I learned is so much more important I will briefly say what we did today and then tell of all the memories I want to remember.

We went to breakfast and Marie spilled her water all over. We took the metro which we enjoyed singing and dancing on including the extremely long escalators. Stan (Eva’s husband) got us to the church we sang at for mass. The incense was really strong! It was cool again. We found a dead butterfly. There were confessionals and it was all in Latin. Our robes got white chalk on them from the staircase that curved and was in a dark setting. (It reminded me of the one Rose, Linda and Katie and I climbed to humor the guy that helped me after I got lost yesterday.) My calves hurt really bad! The people had pussy willow instead of palms.

We then went back to the hotel and said goodbye to Stan before going on the subway singing The Lord Bless You and Keep You. The wind from the subway came and we finished just as the doors opened. As quick as it came we were off. 

Then we got water and left for lunch at this restaurant about an hour away from here. The food took forever to order. (It was in English.) I ran out of money here. The bill got messed up with some cover charge. Eva took us to a lake and walking area where she grew up and where she will go Wednesday on her own to enjoy. It looked like Token Creek (near Madison, Wisconsin) but the people enjoy it more and people from all over come to see it. A sense of pride was felt from her which I think we take for granted. I got a stone that was in the water and a flower. We went to a little town and I had 8c ice cream. (Beth paid for mine) We saw where we would perform and many signs with our faces on it. (We look too serious.) We watched two little kids by the water and listened to them speak. They were fascinated with the stairs going up and down again and again. We sat and watched a swan and laughed and took pictures. We tasted the natural spring water at the spa which tingled and tasted of iron. We sang about it. (We have a song for everything.) We got changed on the bus after we practiced with the group that also sang yesterday. Mr. M. Directed them well with their spirituals. We got flowers and a glass. We ate dinner at 10:00pm and Eva paid for our drinks because of the lunch problems. The waiter was hot, the dinner was great, and the chocolate covered banana tasted wonderful. Patty loved the high water faucet and everyone including Eva had a hard time with the door being pushed inward, also how it blended in with the wall. We had a huge talk and all hopefully feel better. Not to emphasize to remember it but to remember what I learned I will say I will be a better person. We all hopefully will. I have faith we’ll get along better. I’m tired now but to end on another ironic moment, the song from Loreena McKennitt that I sang for exams, and am simply in love with, came on after I talked out a very tough thing with Leah. I just broke down and had to cry about it. I do believe God is real, this confirmed it. Tired and have faith.

* Disclaimer: This is a work of creative non-fiction based on actual journal entries at the dates and places included. However, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of all the information included, as it was written solely from what I remembered at the time. To respect the privacy of individuals, many names have been changed. The journal has been edited for grammar and punctuation. This is not an advertisement. I am not being compensated for sharing anything from my journal including, but not limited to, places we stayed or visited. Alcohol should be consumed responsibly. Mentions of consumption of alcohol in my journal is, to the best of my knowledge, in accordance with local laws for the places we visited abroad at the time in 1998. 


Read all journal entries from this trip! here