We got there and checked into the hotel, which was really fancy and the people called me madam like they did in Singapore (not my favorite) and put a fruit plate in our room (score!). We hit the city center in time for a free 3-hour tour. It was really a great way to get our bearings and learn a little about everything we were seeing. Prague is considered the heart of Bohemia, and it's really quite beautiful. There is something interesting to see everywhere you look! Prague also has a very rich and diverse history that involves throwing the people they don't like out the window.* We saw Churches, the famous Astronomical Clock, Charles Bridge, the Powder Tower, one of the oldest Synagogues in Europe, the concert hall where Mozart played, and the cafe where Vin Diesel had a scene in a movie (the tour guide was really excited about this). There was also a cultural parade in the city center that had traditional dances and dress form eastern Europe.
After that we went to a cool little restaurant and ate goulash, duck, and drank Czech beer. All was delicious but we were a bit surprised when our bill came to...600! Crowns that is. We calmed down when we figured out that was about 22 Euros, and then we got really excited when we figured out that eating in restaurants here is probably one of the most affordable in Europe**! That night, we also saw a Blacklight theater show. It's a Prague specialty and there are many theaters in the city that do this (it was this or a puppet show). Basically, the entire stage is completely black and certain props and elements are neon colored so that they show clearly against the blacklights. It allows the actors to create a lot of really cool effects. The whole show was in pantomime so no language barriers, it was maybe a little like the Blue Man group (I've never seen that, so I don't actually know). We loved it!
The next day, we ate breakfast and got ready to hit the Palace! It was really grand and beautiful sitting majestically on top of the hill overlooking the river. I felt less and less majestic as I sweated and huffed and puffed my way up said hill. We got there for the changing of the guard ceremony, which was similar to the famous English palace guards. They stand there and can't move no matter what- unless it's the ceremony- bravely creating photo-ops for tourists. Afterwards, we waited in a ridiculously long line to get tickets to go inside the palace. It was very interesting to see the architecture, the amazing Cathedral, and the art and statues. We came into a little room with a pretty view of the city, but not much else in the way of decoration. Searching for the English portion of the sign, I wondered what could be so important that they preserved and showed this tiny room among hundreds in the Palace. Turns out, that was the exact window they threw the politicians out of! History came to life before my eyes! I was transported back hundreds of years as fast as the politicians were transported to the cobblestones below me! Needless to say, one of the highlights of the trip.
After all that walking, we decided to get lunch/dinner on a restaurant-boat overlooking the city. It was delicious, and the weather was great. We got a really cool painting to remember the trip***, and returned to the hotel to give our feet a break and so that Joern could go into full photographer mode. We headed out again and walked to where a giant statue of Stalin used to stand before they blew it up. It's been replaced by a giant metronome and turned into a sort of skate park. We climbed up (again) and watched the sun set over the city. After completing the required amount of googly eyes, Joern then began his photography session. We walked the city at night, and felt very accomplished for staying out so late.
The next day we decided to head home after a quick stop by the dancing buildings. After that, I really don't know what happened because I pretty much instantly fell asleep in the car. Overall a great trip! If you're ever on our side of the pond, this is an awesome city to visit!
*No joke. They even made up a word for it: defenestration.
**According to our tour guide, beer is cheaper than bottled water here.
***You can see it if you come to visit us :-)
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