Prague, a delightfully charming European city, was the starting fourth dimension halt on a recent trip to Europe. My sis is currently living inwards Italy, so nosotros knew a trip across the pond was inwards club before she moves on. To kicking off this European adventure, nosotros spent 3 days inwards Prague, before coming together upward with Pam inwards Italy.
But first, the getting there. Alaska is non the easiest house from which to laid about a journey. Any journey!
The trip was roughly 30 hours of move time, door to door, with several changes of planes as well as countries. It's pretty distressing when you've already been traveling for vii hours as well as stimulate got exclusively reached Los Angeles!
(But nosotros did reckon an amazing sentiment of Mt. Ranier inwards Washington along the way.)
Ready (or non so ready) for the long flying from Los Angeles to Amsterdam.
Sometimes Eva decides to stimulate got to the flooring on long overseas flights. Not certain if this is "allowed", but desperate times telephone telephone for desperate measures.
Whew, exclusively ane to a greater extent than flying to go, but exclusively after an excruciating 4 threescore minutes layover.
The struggle is real!
Sadly, nosotros didn't stimulate got quite plenty fourth dimension to go out the drome as well as explore the city. Next time!
And after a plane ride (x4), a jitney ride as well as a prepare ride, nosotros were finally on our lastly leg, which was finding the hotel inwards Prague.
We stayed correct inwards Old Town as well as couldn't hold off to explore. It's funny how yous instruct your 2d wind, fifty-fifty through the sheer exhaustion!
Day One
After staying awake for 30 hours, as well as getting exclusively a few hours sleep, nosotros were all the same upward vivid as well as early on before the sun. We had heard that watching the sunrise over Charles Bridge was worth the effort. We were up, so why not?
And at five-thirty inwards the morning, nosotros fifty-fifty had Old Town Square to ourselves.
After a twenty-minute walk through the deserted, cobbled streets of Prague, nosotros arrived at Charles Bridge.
Charles Bridge was ordered yesteryear King Charles IV inwards 1357, after the previous yoke was destroyed yesteryear overflowing a few years earlier.
The morning time was crisp as well as gorgeous, as well as nosotros practically had the yoke to ourselves. I approximate at times, jet lag has it's advantages.
The 2,000 foot-long bridge, is also adorned with over 30 sculptures. Today, most of the statues are replicas of the originals, but nosotros enjoyed wandering as well as looking. I loved how the rising Sun hitting the gilt of this statue. The inscription, written inwards Hebrew, states "Holy Holy Holy is Our Lord". Amen to that!
The golden morning time low-cal was non bad for pictures as well as nosotros genuinely await fairly awake inwards this one. (Don't believe everything yous see!)
Watching the sunrise over the medieval bell tower did non disappoint. I highly recommend it!
Bridge selfies.
All that sight-seeing made us hungry, so it was off to breakfast. All this before vii inwards the morning!
So it was dorsum through the empty streets, as well as the Old Town Square, which would live bustling with tourists inwards merely a few brusk hours.
We voted Prague every bit having the best hot chocolate of this trip. Perfectly creamy, as well as chocolatey goodness, (with a side of Nutella, of course)!
With total stomachs, nosotros ventured dorsum out for the day, along with my knights-in-shining-armor.
It was dorsum through town as well as across the yoke to the other side, for our starting fourth dimension stop, St. Vitus Cathedral as well as Prague Castle.
Poor Ella was "shat" upon, en route. I yell back she sort of enjoyed the excitement though!
The Cathedral was massive as well as beautiful.
I peculiarly loved the human-shaped gargoyles.
Construction began inwards 1344, as well as due to diverse wars, fires as well as lack of funds, was finally completed 600 years later, inwards 1929.
The stained drinking glass was incredible!
Also inwards the complex was the Prague Castle, as well as Golden Lane, which was a small-scale street of tiny 16th century houses. Inside a few, examples of how the people lived inwards that era were replicated.
The Prague Castle provided sweeping views of the city, on a beautiful tumble day.
Also, a non bad fourth dimension for a pit halt to report the map for our side yesteryear side betoken of interest. Yes, nosotros are commonly old schoolhouse on our trips, due to no telephone service. Luckily, Matt is navigator extraordinaire!
So, it was dorsum downwards the loma as well as across the yoke to the other side of town. Again. But I loved the walk as well as the scenery.
We passed many gingerbread shops every bit nosotros wandered. Apparently gingerbread is a "thing" yr circular inwards Prague. The shops smelled similar Christmastime as well as the cookies were decorated to perfection. There were also gingerbread loaves as well as other delectable goodies for sale.
Prague is also known for their handmade marionettes, as well as fifty-fifty stimulate got a national house specifically for puppet shows.
(**side note- Marionette puppets originated inwards French Republic during the Middle Ages as well as were initially used to pull Bible stories. One of the starting fourth dimension puppets made was of the Virgin Mary, thus the yell marionette, pregnant "little Mary.")
I may or may non stimulate got broken into the chorus of Lonely Goatherd, right in that location inwards the shop.
Must live fourth dimension for lunch. We constitute a cute corner cafe as well as had a seat.
The girls ordered a panini,
as well as I ordered an "egg sandwich". Ham, egg, as well as pickles on a fresh baguette. But the best part? The bottom layer was murphy salad. What a delicious surprise! Why don't nosotros produce that inwards the States?
Fueled upward as well as ready to roam.
We walked through the Prague Jewish Quarter, as well as correct yesteryear the oldest active synagogue inwards all of Europe, known every bit the Old-New Synagogue, which was completed inwards 1270.
Also, the Old Jewish Cemetery. The oldest known grave marking is dated 1439, but the founding of the cemetery is unknown. Since Jews were non able to buy dry reason real often, some graves are stacked twelve deep, thus the jumbled grave markers.
You tin fifty-fifty reckon the cemetery built upward inwards a higher house the streets, inwards some locations, to arrange burial needs over the centuries.
Day Two
After some improve sleep, nosotros started the morning time at the Astronomical Clock. Yes, it is totally my luck that it was hidden nether scaffolding!
Every hour, on the threescore minutes (since 1410!), the clock chimes as well as a petty exhibit is performed to include; a bell-ringing skeleton, a crowing rooster, as well as the passing of the twelve apostles inwards forepart the opened windows. It took all of 30 seconds, but crowds lined upward inwards the droves, nonetheless.
Day ii brought to a greater extent than exploring inwards this delightful large city, with a small-scale urban centre feel. Grandma sent Ella her old phone, to live used every bit a photographic tv set camera on this trip. I yell back I stimulate got a budding photographer!
We enjoyed reading the inscriptions of the Love Locks, nigh the Charles Bridge. You write a message of your love, fasten the lock as well as throw the telephone commutation into the river. Matt as well as I volition stimulate got to come upward prepared side yesteryear side time, though I'm certain he'll demand to a greater extent than room to fully verbalize of his dearest for me!
I absolutely marveled at the intricate mosaic blueprint of the sidewalks. I can't imagine how project intensive they must stimulate got been, but it certain was beautiful!
Just a few of the many examples!
As nosotros walked, nosotros kept accidentally finding famous landmarks, similar the John Lennon Wall. You sort of can't miss it.
But I did relish the guitarist singing Imagine, as it genuinely laid the correct mood for me.
Next came the penguins,
as well as so the giant babies,
as well as so the peeing men.....
hold off a minute....peeing men?? Yes. Complete with running flow of water.
Whew, a suspension was definitely inwards order, so nosotros sat on a bench yesteryear the river, as well as watched almost everyone who passed stimulate got the same photo, correct inwards this exact spot.
Meanwhile, the girls entertained themselves making blossom wreaths.
My blossom children. Maybe the Lennon wall rubbed off on them.
We popped inwards a Czech grocery store for dejeuner as well as I chose this sausage, of sorts. Not bad for a hot dog.
Wenceslas Square was the historic site of the 1989 annunciation of the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, alongside many anti-communist demonstrations. The Czech borders were as well as so opened as well as the barbed wire was taken down, after almost 50 years of communist rule.
Wenceslas Square was a wide, pedestrian street, total of shopping as well as cafes. Just my sort of area! Even the McDonald's had a cute patio for curbside dining.
Later that night, jet lag was definitely getting the improve of us. Matt was sick, as well as went to bed at half dozen o'clock. I was desperate to become to bed too, but the girls as well as I fought off the slumber for some other few hours yesteryear taking to the streets for some treats. We had been wanting to assay the pastry called trdelnik, (pronounced tah-DELL-neek).
Long strips of dough were wrapped merely about a stick as well as so baked over opened upward flames, as well as topped with sugar, Earth walnuts as well as cinnamon.
Basically, the Czech version of a churro, inwards a super fun shape.
They were warm, perfectly crisp on the exterior as well as slightly doughy on the inside. Yummmm!
Can yous topographic point Eva?
Sauntering inwards the twilight was indeed a non bad means to struggle the jet lag for a few to a greater extent than hours.
Day Three
On our lastly solar daytime inwards Prague, nosotros didn't stimulate got to live at the drome until belatedly afternoon, so that gave us the morning time to destination upward our sight-seeing. We had read almost a large farmer's marketplace position on Sat mornings, so why not? And nosotros merely happened to transcend the Dancing House, along the way.
The farmer's marketplace position was lots of fun as well as nosotros were definitely non inwards a tourist expanse whatever longer.
The blossom stands were gorgeous,
every bit were the berries, which definitely seemed to live inwards season.
Czech nutrient seemed real similar to High German nutrient with lots of hearty stews, sausages as well as murphy offerings.
Prior to our trip, Ella randomly read almost a traditional Czech dessert called kolacky, piece doing her schoolwork. We had been on the lookout, as well as constitute some at the market.
Kolacky is commonly sugariness or savory, as well as nosotros tried the peach flavor. It was okay, a lot similar strudel.
Then nosotros noticed a dissimilar kolacky booth with a long line, so nosotros decided assay it again.
This ane was plum, as well as was much improve than the first. The locals were right!
We also tried some pickled cheese. Yep, pickled cheese. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 local favorite.
But, nosotros saved no room for pork. Pork knuckle, as well as pork inwards general, is also a pop Czech meal.
Finally, on the walk dorsum to the hotel, nosotros had fourth dimension for ane lastly motion-picture exhibit with a beautiful Prague backdrop.
I couldn't instruct over the utter charm of this city; cobblestone streets, blossom boxes as well as architectural flair- everywhere!
And it was also a real international city. I loved beingness surrounded yesteryear the delightful audio of dozens of dissimilar languages, as well as every in ane trial inwards a while, hearing a snippet of my own.
We no longer had Old Town Square to ourselves, though.
The expanse was bustling with tourists as well as some fairly strange street performers. Still don't genuinely know what this was supposed to be.
But alas, our fourth dimension had come upward to an end. Purchasing prepare tickets from a car with real petty English, is e'er an exciting adventure! There is much guessing involved.
Apparently, nosotros managed okay as well as successfully made it dorsum to the airport.
So long, Prague. I absolutely roughshod inwards dearest with the delightful charm of this city. It was so beautiful as well as real easily managed on foot. Now on to the the side yesteryear side leg of this European adventure, the ane as well as only....Rome!
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