Adventures in Bohemia: Musical Nights

And now for the final installment of our Prague and Bohemian adventures. In between returning from Prague and writing this post we have since made a trip to and from Berlin with Jaap's hometown band for a wind band music festival. So...the blog is falling behind whatever "schedule" I try to maintain. 

I'm very busy at work right now with two upcoming musical productions. There are tons of details to keep track of that I sometimes can't think straight. It's pretty ridiculous. But in the end it will all come together. (I hope). Plus Jaap and I have been going to a lot of extra rehearsals and concerts for our orchestra and guest performances with Jaap's band. More about that later, but for now...back to Prague!

The best thing about being with Jaap is our shared musical background. As much as we take advantage of the musical scene Maastricht has to offer it's not nearly as exciting as traveling to big cities like Prague. One night of jazz, one night of classical, and stopping to hear many street performers made our Prague trip a musical one. 

Rudolfinum, home of the Czech Philharmonic

Exploring Wencelas Square 

One night we had drinks with one of my friend's from Dutch class, Alex. It turns out he was doing research in Prague the same time we were there. Alex's Czech landlord recommended we check out Jazz Dock. We tried to go with Alex, but it was closed for a private party. Jaap and I ventured back the next night and enjoyed an evening of cheap drinks and music. It was another relaxing and romantic way to escape from all the tourists and enjoy each other's company. Can't say I recommend the particular group we saw perform, but still a great evening.

Our last day in Prague was low key. Lunch at a secluded tea house, a walk around Wenceslas Square, and reading in a Franciscan Garden. We found this huge bookstore near Wenceslas Square and had fun shopping in the English section. I miss English bookstores! The large bookstore in Maastricht is beautiful to look at, but their English section is so obscure. I always wonder, "Who's ordering these books and does anybody buy them?" So when we're out of Maastricht and we find a decent book store, we spend a lot of time there. Here's Jaap enjoying the warm weather with a new book.

Our last night in Prague was wonderful. We bought tickets to the Czech Philharmonic at the Rudolfinum months before our actual trip. We heard Dvořák's Water Sprite and Rimsy-Korsakov's Scheherazade, symphonic suite. There's something about sitting in a beautiful concert hall, listening to one of the best orchestras in the Czech Republic, perform music of a Czech composer (Dvořák). It's really quite powerful. Not to mention, the Rudolfinum is a site to see in itself. Absolutely beautiful. The whole evening reminded me of hearing Mozart and Schubert in Vienna. Austrian performers performing music of Austrian composers. There's something special about that. Only they can do it best. 

I was sad to see our Prague trip come to an end, but it was time to head back to the real world. A romantic stroll on the Charles Bridge was the perfect ending to another adventure with Jaap.