Prague, Czech Republic - Coldplay and Czech Baseball!!

The original plan was to stay in Berlin for another day but we found out that Coldplay was going to be in Prague on Sunday. While I really enjoyed everything about Berlin, you can't NOT go to the COLDPLAY concert in PRAGUE. The walking tour in Berlin allowed us to cram a lot of things in to one day and made the decision to leave a day early an easy one. We left early Sunday morning for the train ride to Prague to get there in time for the concert.

One of my high school baseball coaches is currently living in Prague and coaching the Tempo Titans of the Ceskomoravska League. He was nice enough to let a few friends and me stay with him for the extra night that we didn't have a hostel reserved. This was a great experience because it was a way to see the outskirts of Prague that I wouldn't have seen other wise and it was so cool to see the baseball facility and how they operate in the Czech Republic. Joey also offered to take us around the city the day after the concert see the sights. After dropping our stuff off at the baseball facility and getting a quick tour of that, we hopped back on the bus to get to the concert. I was very impressed with the public transportation system in Prague, it was very easy to use and allowed us to get all around the city for the three days we were there.

The group at Coldplay

The Coldplay concert was at the local soccer stadium and it was beginning to fill up when we got there 2 hours before the concert. The whole place was buzzing with excitement and you could tell everyone was getting ready for a great show. Leading up to this trip I had always heard about how cheap eastern Europe was, especially Prague. That is actually an understatement, and I got to experience it first hand in my few days there. I spent 50 Czech koruna on dinner and got a sandwich, chips, and a drink. That's about $2.50!! Inside the concert was even more impressive, they were selling beer for 50 also. That is $2.50 for the same size beer that costs 9 bucks at a concert at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia. Once we got food and some drinks we took our spots at around the 50 yard line on the field. The first two bands were basically just background music as everyone was starting to pack tighter and tighter trying to get as close to the stage for Coldplay as possible. When the lights went out everyone went crazy. From then on it was a huge party with people from all around the world enjoying music. Coldplay jammed for over 2 hours and played 21 songs with 2 encores. We got the special treat of hearing both an acoustic version and regular Clocks. It was different from a typical concert I would go to in the states in that it felt more like a show than a concert. All kinds of lights and special effects that went right along with each song. Saying that the field was packed does not do it justice. I went out to the bathroom right before Coldplay came on and it was one of the biggest challenges of my life getting back to our spot. Everyone was so crammed together and no one wanted to move because they had to keep their spot for the show. It suffices to say that we made the right choice leaving Berlin a day early to come to the concert, I already see it as being a potential highlight.

The Astronomical Clock

After the concert we met up with Joey in downtown Prague to check out some of the Prague nightlife. He took us to Old Town Square to see some of the most famous buildings in Europe lit up at night. We saw the Tyn Church, St. Nicholas Church, and the Astronomical clock. It was cool to walk through a busy town like Prague at night to experience Czech nightlife. There are all kinds of people walking around trying to sell you stuff and handing out flyers. Its kind of funny to mess with them at first but after a while it gets annoying.

Czech Goulash

The next day we headed into the main city in the morning to walk around before meeting up with Joey later in the day to get a tour. I had Czech Goulash for lunch at a restaurant on one of the main streets. I can honestly say I wasn't impressed by the famous Czech dish. Players on the Titans told me they call the dumplings that come with it Big Mac's and I can see why. It was so heavy and I felt like I was eating 5,000 calories. It tasted ok but I don't think I would get it again. After lunch Joey and one of his players met up with us and they took us around the city. Our first stop was a street market that had everything from food, to pottery, to a blacksmith working with iron. European markets continue to grow on me every time I go to a new one. I really like to just walk through them and see all the different things that each part of the world has to offer. The chance of getting some free samples doesn't hurt either.

A store effected by Prague Prohibition

After that we went to the Absinth Museum. We happened to be in Prague during what locals were calling 'Prague Prohibition 2012'. In the past couple weeks 19 people had died from alcohol poisoning or other alcohol related causes and that forced the government to ban the sale of all liquor or spirits over 20% alcohol content. The Absinth Museum and other liquor stores were either boarded up or had tarps blocking off the shelves that sell the banned drinks. We continued for the rest of the day seeing all the amazing sites that Prague has to offer. We saw the Charles Bridge, the Astronomical Clock again, Prague Castle, the John Lennon wall, and the U.S. embassy. One of my favorite things about Prague was walking on the Charles Bridge. Not only did it have amazing views Vltava River, but there were all kinds of artists and street performers up and down the bridge. My favorite was this jazz band that was playing Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World, they were unbelievable!

View of the main strip in Prague from the market

Matt and I with Coach Kamide after the game

The next day the Tempo Titans had an inter squad scrimmage to get ready for their upcoming playoff run and Joey asked if Matt (another former player of his on the trip) and I wanted to play. We both jumped at the chance to play international baseball. I got to take batting practice on the field before and it was so much fun. All the players were very friendly and eager to make us feel like part of the team. I played all 6 innings in centerfield and Matt played a couple innings in right and got to pitch the last 2. This was a once in a lifetime experience for both of us and it was so great to be back out on the diamond. It was very interesting to see how baseball works in a country like Czech Republic. Once you get past the language barrier you can see it is no different than what I am used to from back home. Just a bunch of guys getting together playing a game they love. They had inside jokes and certain habits just like I did when I played with all my best friends in high school. It was easy for Matt and I to get along with the team because once you get on the field everyone speaks baseball. Our whole group came out to the facility to watch and all the guys said it was the biggest crowd they had ever had for a scrimmage.

After the game Matt and I hung out at the clubhouse for dinner and to hang out with the guys on the team. They continued to be very nice and accommodating and we had some great talks about the differences we noticed between our two cultures. That night we went out with Joey and some guys on the team and once again saw all kinds of cool stuff that you wouldn't find in America. One place we went to delivered drinks on a train that ran through your table. Another stop was the Prague Beer Museum, where they had over 30 different beers on tap.

After another great night in an amazing European city, we had a little bit of trouble waking up in time for our 8 am train. Once we eventually got everyone up and ready to roll, we caught a 10 am train for Salzburg, Austria. Prague was a beautiful city and a great time and I definitely think this was the most 'thorough' experience of any city that I have had so far.

View of Prague Castle from Charles Bridge