Neither I nor my husband had visited these three cities before. It was unexplored territory for both of us.
Vienna awed us with it's architecture, confused us with it's maze of streets and plazas and delighted us with it's pastries. Yet, for all this, it is a big city and like many big cities it feels somewhat gritty, it's people pleasant but with an undertone of coldness and reserve.
Salzburg is lovely and charming, almost perky. It is touristy because it deserves to be. It reminded me of one of those rare people, beautiful and gracious, seemingly unaware of their attractiveness. It seemed to say "Oh, I guess I'm pretty, I don't think about it much" before asking you to stay for dinner. The wonderful people we met there seem to know that they reside in a very special place, appreciate it and enjoy sharing it with others.
Prague is, in a word, awesome. The locals we talked to were generally wonderful and welcoming. Many of the men possess what I began to call the Prague swagger. They walk down the street, arms and legs held slightly out, shoulders moving up and down as they make their way through the city. It was accentuated by the tight tee shirts and jeans worn by most on account of the warm weather of the early fall. The city is vast, with over one million residents. I know there is more to it then the small morsel we saw, but that morsel was enough to leave us with pleasant memories that will be with us as long as memory holds.
Although it is always wonderful to be home, it is after all home, my anchor, my personal space in the world, I love seeking out and experiencing other places, cultures, histories and people. Occasionally I get melancholy about the state of our country. I see the windmills and solar panels which abound in Europe and compare this to the U.S. practice of fracking, with all the environmental degradation that goes with it. Going to almost absurd lengths to extract a non renewable fuel that is quickly becoming obsolete in much of the rest of the world. I see, despite the personal difficulty we experienced, an efficient and affordable rail system, as well as urban public transit that would put U.S. cities to shame. Happily, Chicago is an exception to this. I see health care and educational opportunities available to everyone regardless of income level, class or birthright. I hope one day the U.S. will once again become a welcome neighbor to the world, willing to face it's faults, embrace that which is beautiful about us and show compassion for the world and each other. Occasionally I meet 4 young people from Washington state and I have hope.
