Growing up, my parents were adamant about exposing us to our heritage. Both of my parents come from diverse backgrounds. My mother is English, Irish, Scottish, and Polish, while my father hails from Germany, Czechoslovakia, and England. Any family gathering we went to was complete with delicacies from every side of our heritage. They spared no expense when time proved available and there was a chance to explore uncharted territory. I was very blessed with a lot of chances to see England, Germany, and other parts of Europe before reaching adolescence. Among those as I reached my teenage years, Czech Republic made it onto my list of places visited.
The biggest shock of touching down in Prague and making it to our hotel was not how late we were for our designated arrival, but the fact that we had to clarify which Soukup we were. You see, in Czech Republic, the last name Soukup is fairly popular, but in the states, I have never met another Soukup, unless they were someone from my family. That was one of the coolest things, aside from seeing a model gracing my last name on a local magazine. It was a very surreal feeling to be among many Soukups, instead of being the only Soukup in the city, or even the state.
Prague reminded me a lot of Germany, because of the architecture. The churches, the bridges, and some of the buildings appear gothic, but blend in with the city. Cobblestone lines the streets and there are little cafes in every nook and cranny of the metropolis. While exploring the city on foot, we stopped at a pizza place that sold slices as big as my face on a paper plate. I believe it was under three euros, too, which was even more amazing. Most of the places we stopped in Prague were within a reasonable price, and held so much character I wish I would have taken more pictures!
Like every ancient European city left somewhat untouched by natural disaster or war, the Old Town is every bit as picturesque as the name sounds. Colorful buildings, vendors, and a small market line the square, giving you the feeling throughout every season of the sense of community and tradition the city holds onto. And, nearby, the old Prague orloj, or Prague astrological clock, firmly rests in the stone wall of the centrum of the city. It’s 600 years old and undergoes renovations from time to time, but the clock is as majestic as you could imagine. When I first saw it, it reminded me of Big Ben, but without the tower and in a wall.
These are just a few of the things I remember nine years later from my trip to Prague, aside from stepping on the ice and playing against a select team from the area. The Czechs love their ice hockey, almost as much as they love a good pint of beer and some kołacze. The food in Czechia was unreal, to a magnitude that any family gathering back home couldn’t even compare to. From Czech desserts to pancakes to sausages to loads and loads of other dishes, I had my fill of wonderful food during my time there.
I have two favorites when traveling: history and food. I believe there’s nothing quite as immersive as embracing the food and the local delicacies, as well as diving into some of the history, to properly understand why the country is the way it is. Just as we as people have reasons for why we are the way we are, every country evolves for a reason. And sometimes, that reason is thousands of years old, leading to the present moment.
Prague is a city that I started to uncover but didn’t even come close to understanding. It’s a place that I want to go back, right next to the dozen others that I dream of revisiting in the near future. Who knows? Maybe Czechia is in the cards for the future. Until then, I’ll have to pull out my grandparents’ cookbooks and bake some more traditional desserts or recipes to fill that void until the time comes. There’s nothing a little kołacze can’t fix!
