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#TBT: Prague

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Isn't time weird? Sometimes it flies by and other times it drags on. Weird.

I still cannot believe it's been over a year since I went to Prague!

It is official: I have booked a ticket to Prague. The first I heard of Prague was when I was about twelve. I went through this phase where I watched Samantha Brown's Passport to Europe everyday after school. I'd come home, make a sandwich, and settle in for an hour of glorious travel. I only remember bits and pieces from a handful of episodes, but Prague stood out for one reason: Samantha bought a huge strudel for $1.50. I was sold--I had to go there. Now that I am older I still am going to Prague for the strudel. Sure I'll see other places, but the dessert is my first priority.

I've only recently begun researching Prague because I wasn't sure that I was going. Prague is one Europe's hidden treasures, I think. I only know a handful of travelers who have it on their bucket list, let alone have actually have gone. Prague is beautiful, though! I am so incredibly blessed to have this opportunity to go.

Prague has many of the classic European sites: castles, museums, shopping, etc. I am definitely going to do all of these things, but I am also going to take advantage of some of the unique things that Prague has to offer:

John Lennon Wall
Prague Jewish Museum
Prague Castle
St Victus Cathedral
Charles Bridge
Ghetto Museum
Golden Lane

Prague has a wealth of palaces and castles. I only have a few days to spend in Prague and it's going to hard to choose what to see!

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Prague: Day 1

Monday, May 26, 2014

Sorry for so many posts in one day! I've found that if I don't catch up on blogging quickly it never gets done. So, enjoy the abundance of posts :)

Today was our first day in Prague. I have heard time and again how beautiful this city is and I was not disappointed. If I had to pick one word to describe Prague it would be enchanting. This city is so colorful and full of beauty that I can't help but stand in awe of it all. Today we spent most of the day walking around and soaking in all the Bohemian goodness.

We trekked up to the castle and worked our way to the Old Town Square. We found this lovely park along the way that had a labyrinth of mirrors which was interesting/stressful. I am extremely claustrophobic so this wasn't the best combination for me. There was a beautiful rose garden as well that we walked through. For lunch we stopped at this little cafe and had traditional Czech goulash. If you're thinking noodles and tomato sauce (which is what I was thinking), you would be wrong. I was brought chunks of beef in this dark brown sauce and dumplings, aka soft white bread. It was delicious, just not what I was expecting. I was also able to fulfill a lifelong dream of having strudel in Prague. Right before I bit into it I was afraid that I had built it up to much in my mind. It was AMAZING. I could live on that stuff.

Katy and I spent the rest of the day wandering, which is my favorite way to explore a city. We met some amazing people and found some hidden gardens we wouldn't have seen otherwise. All in all, it was a perfect day.

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The Commentary: Best of 2014

Thursday, December 11, 2014

I cannot believe the end of the year is already here! Technically it's not the end of the year, but remember who's avoiding studying? :)

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Prague: Day 2 and Train Ride

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Day two in Prague was fairly relaxed. Katy and I had a whole list of things we wanted to do and see and some we managed not to do a single one. We are still baffled at how that happened...

A major thunderstorm rolled in right after lunch (which consisted of duck and homemade pasta--amazing!). The weather went from sunny and breezy to wet and thundery (?) in a matter of minutes. This was one of those storms that is angry; one that is not the least bit enjoyable to walk around in and renders your umbrella useless. We took shelter in a nearby cafe where we ate too much ice cream and watched other tourists scrambling for cover. As we watched people on the streets we began casting people into roles in a romantic comedy. It was an interesting experiment to make up the backstories to people I'd never met; it made people watching even more interesting.

During this time I also pulled out my pen and jotted down some thoughts. I forgot my journal at home, a decision I am greatly regretting, so I found an old receipt and wrote on the back. There's something romantic about writing on scraps of paper in a cafe. It seems that almost every great novel starts that way. People watching has an interesting way of giving me the urge to write. I think this practice makes me very introspective and causes me to reflect on my own life. Some of my very best writing is done while I'm observing others coming and going. I wonder why that is; interesting, though.

Eventually the storm dissolved into sunny skies again and we resumed our shopping. I found an amazing pair of shoes that will be starring in the rest of my pictures. We headed home kind of early to pack up our suitcases and get ready for the morning bus/train rides to Stuttgart. I am amazed how quickly our suitcases exploded. Looking at our room you would have thought that we had been there for a few weeks. We finally got everything packed though and prepped for our early morning.

I'm now on a bus rolling through the Czech Republic. We've hit another summer shower that is covering the tops of the hills in a light fog. I think I will have a lifelong love affair with rain. I love the way it gives a softness to everything it touches and makes all of the colors come alive. Listening to my Spotify playlist of subdued songs makes this a perfect moment. If I could bottle this moment into a vial and take it with everywhere I would never be unhappy. I love driving through new places. It gives me a sense of wonder as I see new places up close for such a long period of time. Driving gives me the chance to see the 'hidden' moments of a place, little things like how they irrigate their fields differently. You would never see that from inside the city.

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Oslo: Day 3

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Today was, again, perfection. For some reason we thought we had only one full day in Oslo so we didn't have anything planned. We asked our hosts for some suggestions and then sent us to this beautiful park (think national park, not neighborhood park) to do some hiking. I felt like I was in the middle of one of the Lord of the Rings movies. The forest was so green. At one point both Katy and I ran into some cobwebs and did the crazy dance that ensues as you try to get the web off. Luckily we were the only people around and were spared the embarrassment.

As we came around the lake this perfect dock came into view. Everyone sunbathes everywhere in Norway, so we followed suit and stretched out on the dock for the better part of an hour. I got this wicked tan lines at a baseball game with dad and have been trying to rid myself of them ever since so this afternoon was spent in these efforts. As we laid on the dock I was in awe of what a beautiful place I am in. Norway is so incredibly lush! The rich greens are splashed all over the country. The water at the lake was the perfect shade of blue and sparkled in the sunlight. This place is honestly one of the most beautiful places I have ever laid eyes.

From the park we took the metro back into the city. Katy and I were unable to see the Oslo Opera House yesterday but still wanted to check it out. This building is magnificent! The opera house sits right on the harbor and was built to look like an iceberg. It is covered in white marble which makes it glow in the sunlight. The side ramps up to allow roof access. This provides an amazing view of the harbor and surrounding city. As we were leaving we decided to see if we could score some last minute tickets to a show tonight. Unfortunately they were sold out, but the man at the ticket booth told us that this show was providing a short show in the lobby between the acts and it would be free.

I'll admit that I was skeptical at first, but this show is one of the coolest things I have done. The songs were in English so I was able to understand them which was a happy surprise. The singer was divine! She did not just sing well, but she was a performer. I spent her whole performance cracking up! She played the typical prima donna and absolutely nailed it. There were also dancers that wove in and out of the crowd which was an interesting element. The show was short but was well worth the walk. This has given us the desire to see more shows, so we're going to look for something in Prague to go see!

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Bucket List :)

Monday, April 18, 2011

In my last post I talked about how I was finally going to be able to check off something huge on my bucket list. It got me thinking, what does the rest of my list look like? I feel like if I don't write it down, it'll never happen. So here it goes: My Bucket List as of April 17, 2011!

1. Sky dive
2. Scuba dive at the Great Barrier Reef
3. Go on an African Safari
4. Try every type of cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory
5. Climb a mountain
6. Run the Boston, New York, and Chicago Marathons
7. Learn to play a Rachmaninoff piece on the piano
8. Attend the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
9. Bungee jump
10. Drive from California to New York
11. Read all of Jane Austen's books
12. Become fluent in another language
13. Attend an NBA playoff game
14. Visit Paris, Athens, and London
15. Paint a huge canvas piece
16. Eat streusel in Prague with my mom
17. Vatican City
18. Visit the Louvre
19. Go to the Opera
20. Sing karaoke
21. Attend a John Mayer concert at Madison Square Gardens
22. Dance in the rain
23. Build a treehosue
24. Surf
25. White water raft
26. Learn to sew/quilt
27. Go to Tahiti (Bora Bora would also work)
28. Catch a fish
29. Throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain
30. See Phantom of the Opera on Broadway

Best. Treehouse. Ever.

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The Final Cities

Friday, May 16, 2014

With my trip literally around the corner I realized that I never updated the blogosphere on the cities that made the final cut! I am not going to make it to every city I wanted to, but I am beyond excited for the places I am going to see. Sometimes I feel like I need to pinch myself because I cannot believe this is happening! I am traveling to some incredible cities--it's going to be an amazing trip!

Stavanger, Norway

Oslo

Stuttgart

Bern

Interlaken

Prague

Paris

London

Oxford

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Stavanger: Days 3, 4, & 5

Monday, May 26, 2014

Sorry for the lack of posts the last few days! We spent our last two full days in Stavanger at a cabin owned by Katy's relatives. This island is a little ways into the fjord and was stunning. Think the Shire (sorry for the overload of LOTR references but I just can't think of anything else to compare it to!). There were several pastures on the island that were the most perfect shade of emerald. The pictures just do not do them justice! Her uncle gave us a tour of the island in the rain which made it even more perfect.

The second day we spent hiking the Preikestolen or "Pulpit Rock". This rock formation juts out over the fjord and is a sheer drop of almost 2,000 feet. The hike was amazing--a little more strenuous than I had anticipated, but gorgeous nonetheless. We weren't sure that we would be able to do the hike because of the weather. The Norwegian equivalent of park rangers close the trail if it gets too windy or people will literally be blown off. Crazy, huh? Luckily the weather was perfect and we were able to go up. The views were incredible!

The last day in Norway we went to church and then caught a flight to Prague. I loved Norway and will definitely be returning!