Sorry for the late post but this week has been so busy with finals and presentations and so many other things before spring break starts tomorrow...
But last weekend I spent the weekend in Prague! I definitely didn't think I could end up in the Czech Republic (I also didn't know where it was or whether Czechoslovakia was still a country of whatnot) but I am so glad I went! It was such a different place than other places in Europe I have been to mostly due to the fact that its the first eastern European country I've been to.
Thursday:
Thursday morning we got to Prague and took a taxi to our hostel. It was by far the nicest hostel I've ever been in, it was called Mosaic House and it was basically a hotel. There was a bar downstairs and they organize different activities for people to do every night. People who study abroad in Prague also go there to hang out. After checking in, we decided we were hungry and decided to explore. We had heard about an amazing bagel place there, something we haven't had since we've been abroad because bagels don't exist here!! It was called Bohemia Bagels and it was delish!! I got chicken salad on a bagel and any bagel tastes great after not having one for 3 months. After we ate our bagels, we decided to keep exploring. We walked along the Charles Bridge which connects one side of the city to the other. On the bridge are people who sell postcards, pictures, jewelry and artists who draw caricatures. By this time, the sun was starting to set and we saw a pretty sunset behind one of the arches.
We walked around the Old Time Square which is the center of the city and although it is really touristy, many locals hang out there too because there are a lot of restaurants, cafes and bars. We saw little booths set up and horse and carriage rides. It was so cute because all of the little huts made it seem like it was the medieval times! It started to rain and we got coffee and a typical Czech desert which tasted like fried dough and rugala (sp??). It was dough that is in a round shape that is fried and has a hollow center. It is covered in cinnamon and sugar and is pure goodness!!
We headed back to the hostel around 8. We got ready to go out for the night because the night life in Prague is really fun! Bridget had known some people who were studying abroad there and we met them at a restaurant for margaritas. After, we went to a bar called Harley's where they are known for their fishbowls. Literally, the drinks come in a fishbowl container. The bar was really cool because it had a kind of biker and motorcycle type feel. They played music from the 80s-90s and everyone was having a great time. Our first fishbowl was free since we told the bartender it was our first time there! We also got a big container of popcorn for free which made everyone super happy! After, we went to a club but there wasn't that many people there so we went back to Harleys. All these places were so easy to get to because Prague is a complete walkable city so you don't need to take taxis or public transportation like in Barcelona. After spending a little more time at Harley's the second time, we headed back to the hostel.
Friday:
Friday morning Alyssa and I got up and enjoyed a nice brunch together! We found a really cute place called Narodni Kavarna and had coffees, bread and omelets. It was such a great find and we kept raving about how much we loved breakfast the rest of the day!
After, we walked along the Charles Bridge again and took in our surroundings. Since we had been there the day before at night, it was cool to see all the statues that were on display on the side of the bridge. You could really tell from looking at the sculptures that when it was built it was all about the Gothic architecture and their devotion to the kings and princes that had once ruled the country.
After, we met up with Bridget and Lainie at the top of the Astronomical clock. The clock is so beautiful and has survived bombings from different wars that have on in Prague. It doesn't cost a lot to go to the top and everyone recommends it so we knew we had to do it. You can literally see the entire view of the city from up there! While up there, I noticed that the city had no structure to it whatsoever - the streets didn't make any sense and they weaved in and out of each other like there was no purpose. I guess thats what you get for building a city back in the medieval times! It was such an amazing view to see because we could see for miles. We wanted to stay up there for hours but it was really small and cramped. We decided to head up to the huge castle we saw in the distance.
In order to get to the castle/palace, we had to hike up SO MANY STAIRS! It was exhausting and it kept going up and up and up! When we finally got to the top, the view and castle was worth it. It was such old architecture. We even saw some royal guards walking by! In another part of the complex is where the President of Czech lives which is probably why there were so many guards and fences up. We wanted to get into the castle (shown below) and take a tour but we just a few minutes too late. It would have been amazing to see the inside since the outside is so intricate. After spending a few hours walking around up there, we walked back over the bridge and found a restaurant to eat along one of the canals. I had risotto for dinner! It was getting to be pretty late by then so we went back to our hostel.
Saturday:
Saturday morning we decided there were parts of the city we weren't seeing and wanted to know more about the city of Prague. Our hostel offered free walking tours so we joined in on the one in the morning. It was actually pretty interesting to hear the history of the city of places we had already walked by and to see new places around the city. He showed us one of the oldest churches in the city where he told us a story about a thief who's hand got hung up there because God was punishing him. Apparently, the hand is still hanging there as you can see in the picture below! I don't know what to think...but it seems legit to me! Other than the creepy hand hanging in the corner of the church, it was really beautiful inside with colorful paintings and high ceilings.
We also walked by the balcony where the communist government (when they were in charge) declared that Czech would become a permanent communist country. Some 40 years later on the same balcony, the new people in power told the city they were no longer communist and were no a democracy. I had walked by this building so many times before and had no idea!
The tour was getting really long and we were getting hungry. We were close to Bohemia bagel so of course we had to get another. This time I had a bagel with cream cheese, lox, cucumber and onion and I WAS IN HEAVEN. It was exactly what we needed to start our day.
After our bagels, we walked across the Charles Bridge to the John Lennon Wall. This was my favorite part of the trip and something I had looked forward too. The John Lennon Wall was made in protest to the communist government as a way to peacefully write out quotes and draw graffiti about peace and love. Now, it is a main tourist attraction and people take spray paint and write their names or write quotes about love and peace. We were there for a few hours taking pictures and we even signed our names! It was so much fun to see everyone's different quotes and sayings. Everywhere I looked I saw something different. It was really neat to see all of the different things come together to make the coolest wall art.
After the wall, we went to a beer garden. There are beer gardens all over Prague and we sat by one on a canal. All of the tables were outside and there was a guy playing a guitar and singing along. From there, we went to dinner. We decided we want to try Czech food because when else were we gonna be in Prague again? We went to a restaurant that was a total Czech local spot. They constantly harass you by bringing you beer and shots of alcohol and you feel so pressured to take them! I ordered goulash which was so yummy! It came with typical Czech potato and bread dumplings. I guess I like Czech food now! It was quite an experience being there. All the tables were long and you shared the tables with people you didn't know. At the end of our table were 2 women from Romania! Also, a man playing the accordion kept walking in and out of all the rooms and all the songs he knew people were singing along in Czech! For one of the first times while being abroad, I totally felt out of my element but I was really enjoying it. When else would I ever experience something like this? It was awesome! We had an early flight the next morning so we went back to the hostel and fell asleep quickly since we had had quite a few busy days!
Prague was different than I was expecting. It really seemed like medieval times to me or something out of a fairy tale land. Continuing with my trend, I got another charm for my Pandora bracelet. Since they didn't have any Prague charms, I got one that is a book and it says fairy tale on it because thats what it felt like to me. Everything was also old and rustic and dirty, but it gave it a different feel than anywhere else I have been. Another thing that was different about Prague is their currency. Although they are a part of the European Union, they have their own currency - korunas. One koruna is equal to 5 American cents so 20 korunas = 1 dollar. It was so funny to see this because everything was so expensive (even though it was really all equivalent). We felt so rich holding 100 koruna bills in our hands which is normal for them. It was also really funny to see clothes cost 800 koruna (or more since thats $40) or when our checks came for dinner the total being in the 1000s! It was such a different experience being in Prague but it was a really fun one. I'm really glad I got to go (thanks Daddy and Lara!!)
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