Could the title of this post be any cheesier? You have to admit it's pretty punny though! ;)
After a 7-hour train ride (which began at 5:20 am), we made it to Prague. Katrina, Irene, and I had not slept well on the train, but we toughed it out and got a full day of exploring in. We wandered around, since we had not planned out what we were going to do. Luckily, our hostel had free tourist maps that had major landmarks. Our first stop was lunch. We went to Lokal. Delicious food! Irene and I shared a sausage with homemade mustard and horseradish and pork risotto.
Our hostel was right by the Charles Bridge, so we checked that out after failing to find the John Lennon wall (turns out the map was wrong). We then explored the main square. The astronomical clock there is one of the oldest clocks still around and working; the central part of it was finished in 1410. We got to see the show at 4:00, but in my opinion, it wasn't worth being in the crowd and getting pushed by people. The clock itself is beautiful, but I guess I was expecting the show to be more like the Glockenspiel was. There was a Christmas market being set up in the main square, including an enormous tree. Since that market wasn't ready, we wandered some more and stumbled upon another market that was mostly ready. So many gifts and souvenirs! After seeing the entirety of the market, we decided that hot chocolate was in order (it was only about 30 degrees Fahrenheit or so, but that gets to you after walking around for a few hours!). We warmed up and walked some more, coming across the dancing building. I thought it looked cool with the lights and shadows! It started raining, so we found a nice place for dinner near our hostel. I tried rabbit! Yum.
The next day, we had more of a game plan. We went to the Prague Castle. St. Vitus Cathedral was amazing! Beautiful architecture, beautiful stained glass. It was fun to see the changing of the guards...I liked their uniforms! We also got to see the Old Royal Palace, St. George's Basilica, and Golden Lane. Absolutely loved our time there. Next, we walked up the hill to the observation tower, which was made to look like a miniature version of the Eiffel Tower. We didn't go up in it, since we were tired from walking up the hill and lots of stairs to get there. Instead, we went in the mirror maze, which was fun. It made me feel like a little kid! I loved seeing the nature on the hill as well as the amazing views of the city. It was fun to see just how far we had walked...we could see St. Vitus Cathedral in the distance!
On Sunday, our last day there, we finally found the John Lennon Wall! I liked the penguin and the yellow submarine. It's cool that the wall is ever-changing. The rest of our remaining time was spent exploring the Vyšehrad Fortress. The church there had a beautiful cemetery. Each of the grave spots were unique and beautiful in their own way. My favorites were the ones that tied in nature; one had a garden in front if it. We couldn't go into the church, since there were a lot of baptisms going on. There were more beautiful views of the river from the fort. The fort felt a lot less touristy, with people baptizing their babies and others with their children at the playground there. It was nice. A good way to end our trip.
I'm glad I finally made it to Prague! It was cold and a little rainy all weekend, but so worth it.
Lots of locks of love! <3
Astronomical Clock
Prague at night
Dancing building
Charles Bridge!
St. Vitus Cathedral at the castle
Beautiful stained glass and high ceilings
Love the way the light hits the wall
St. Vitus Cathedral from outside
Orchard and view of the city (see the cathedral?)
Nature walk - mossy rocks!
John Lennon Wall - Yellow Submarine
Church and cemetery at the fort
