Its not Czechoslavakia, its the Czech Republic

Prague. Its was on my list of things to do before I die. To be honest with myself and with my readers, the only reason it was on my list of things to do before I die was because it was on Rory Gilmore's list of things to do before she died. I'm probably the biggest Gilmore Girls fan in the world and spent the better part of my early teens wishing I were Rory Gilmore. I therefore adopted Prague as a dream of mine. I had not a fucking clue what important things were in Prague, why Prague was important, or even where it was, but going to Prague was more important to me than going anywhere else during this trip. I went to Prague, Rory Gilmore!


I found out that Prague is in the Czech Republic. I also found out that if you call the Czech Republic Czechoslavakia, people get angry. Really angry. People are really proud of being Czech and are even more proud to be from Prague. It's such an important city (to my surprise, since I'd never heard of it before Gilmore Girls) that two emperors of the Holy Roman Empire made this city their seat. It's now the unofficial capital of Eastern Europe and also the unofficial cultural center of all of Europe. All the young European revolutionaries, all the kids with big ideas, come to Prague to voice them in the underground. This city has the most active underground band scene in Europe, its basically the European Manhattan for music. It is host to some of Europe's best music festivals, second only to Amsterdam (where drugs are basically legal). The art, here, is all contemporary and innovative. Even the ancient art is innovative for it's time. Prague, it seems, is the up-and-coming city of the world.

This is one such revoluntionary-arty thing. This sculpture is made entirely of keys. Each of the keys was a donation by someone who was fighting for freedom worldwide. And young adults, all desperately trying to spread freedom, sell these keys for 5 Euros or 75 crowns. Each key sold is another key to freedom, or so their slogans say. When I was walking through Prague the next day, an entire procession of anarchists walked through the streets of Prague for a demonstration that very nearly turned violent. I only saw the beginning, but all of these kids (dressed as your traditional goth-anarchists with 800 piercings a piece) waved around their chains and threatened everyone with cameras. Something big is gonna happen in Prague, soon.

I suppose thats why Rory Gilmore wanted to go so badly.
Arrivederci, for now.
Love,
Gabby