Opera in Prague's National Theater
After a fairly active 5-hour walking tour, we hustled back to our apartment and showered and dressed for the opera in an under an hour. I'd done a lot of reading about the opera, and I was adamant to my family that I wanted to respect the tradition and dress for the occasion. I'd read too many accounts of locals being offended by tourists showing up in jeans or shorts. We managed to get a lot of use out of the dressier clothes we brought on this trip!
A few days earlier I made pre-theater reservations at Cafe Slavia, which is across the street from the National Theater. The reservations were easy to make on the internet, and as soon as I found an English-speaking staff member, we were seated promptly. We were then treated to the best service we had that entire week in Prague. The waitress, who didn't speak much English, was attentive, checked in on us, and understood that we needed to be in and out in just over an hour so we could get to the opera on time. The meal was also an excellent value. I shared the marinated deer roast appetizer with Aaron, and then I had a fish entree while he enjoyed wild boar with the ever-present potato dumplings.
A few days earlier I made pre-theater reservations at Cafe Slavia, which is across the street from the National Theater. The reservations were easy to make on the internet, and as soon as I found an English-speaking staff member, we were seated promptly. We were then treated to the best service we had that entire week in Prague. The waitress, who didn't speak much English, was attentive, checked in on us, and understood that we needed to be in and out in just over an hour so we could get to the opera on time. The meal was also an excellent value. I shared the marinated deer roast appetizer with Aaron, and then I had a fish entree while he enjoyed wild boar with the ever-present potato dumplings.
After paying the bill, we walked across the street to the theater without needing to rush. We were promptly seated in our box, where it became obvious why I had been perplexed by the charges for the tickets. There are four seats for sale in the box, but one is significantly cheaper. That's because one of the seats looks like this:
This little stool is on an elevated platform, and below it are three (much more subtantial) chairs with an excellent view of the stage and the elegant theater.
We saw Rusalka, which I had specifically chosen for a few reasons:
- It's a Czech opera, composed by Dvorak
- It was performed in Czech with English subtitles (many operas here are performed in their native language with Czech subtitles)
The story was familiar. It's basically The Little Mermaid, but with a bit darker ending. I really enjoyed the show. But, it was a bit of a long day for Mom and Dad.
Yes, Mom decided that the little stool/stoop would be a good place to take a nap. Let's just say that they probably should have left at intermission.
Aaron refused to smile for any photos at the opera. But I was happy!
What's Next for the Grosses?
And that, my friends, is the end of the day-by-day reporting from Prague. Apologies that it took a few months to finish it up. We got distracted by booking, second-guessing, and then confirming our next big vacation. We'll be sticking with Uniworld, and visiting Vietnam and Cambodia for two weeks over the Christmas and New Year's 2015 holiday. I was fascinated by the history on this trip, and I'm looking forward to delving into the history of another area of the world. And of course—eating all the delicious Vietnamese and Cambodian food!
I have a few other ideas for summary-level posts for this trip that I'll try to post over the next few months. If you are considering taking a Uniworld river cruise or visiting any of the destinations we explored in Austria, Germany, or the Czech Republic, feel free to send me an email if you have questions that weren't answered here. You'll find me at liz (at) lizgross (dot) net. Happy travels!
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