Prague

Alright! I am finally on part 4 of 4 with my fall break recap.
Prague was by far my favorite city during our week of travel! I don't know if I have ever been somewhere that was more naturally romantic. But at the same time, rustic. Paint is peeling off the walls and the cobblestone roads are not even, but it is all so beautiful.

On our first day, we did a half-day "Premier tour" of some of the major sites in the city. We took a bus through Wenceslas Square, and up to Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral. There was an amazing view of the city from the castle, overlooking the river, the many bridges, red roofs, and sunlit trees. Pictures completely failed to do it justice. And the cathedral (built in the center of the castle complex) is staggering! The two spires stand unmatched in Praque, their dark hands piercing the bright blue sky. I didn't know at the time, but Prague Castle is actually the largest castle complex in the world and it covers the most square kilometers than any other castle! Pretty crazy. After making our way down from the castle, we took a river cruise and saw all the buildings that line the Vltava river . Charles' bridge is by far the most impressive of the bridges that we went under! It was the first bridge to connect the 'Old Town' with the newly developing part of town. This bridge is lined with 30 statues that stand as guardians, watching the thousands of people cross from one side to the other. During busy times, the bridge is literally packed from one end the other with people buying from vendors, taking in the view, or snapping a photo.

Our tour ended at the Old Town Square, where the Astronomical Clock is located. This is probably the most beautiful clock I have ever seen. Not exactly sure how it all works, but every hour the bells chime and 12 statues come out and parade on top of the clock. You know the hour is about to change because a  large crowd always gathers to watch the performance. After a delicious lunch, we found the 'Lennon Wall', which is a wall of graffiti art that was created in memory of John Lennon after his death. Most of it has been covered up by others who have painted graffiti over it, but some of the art still remains. It would have been so neat to see the wall it's original glory. We then walked up to Petrin Hill (near Prague Castle) where the model Eiffel Tower is located. It is a replica that, although smaller, still stands very tall on the hill (300 steps) and gives a fantastic view of Prague! We thoroughly enjoyed our walk downhill and spent the remaining hour of sunlight enjoying the sunset over the river, walking along Kampa Island. The following day was Halloween, so we asked some locals what people do for Halloween and apparently it isn't really celebrated in Prague. Unless of course you are in Kindergarten and carve pumpkins or an elderly person who goes and visits the graves of the deceased. I suggested that we go hang out with some Kindergartners. :) Oh I forgot to mention our hostel! Hostel Elf, as it was called, is a very funky diverse sort of place. There is graffiti art on all the walls and doors. Every sort of person, from ever walk of life, could be found sitting on a couch in the living room, playing cards or drinking a beer. Definitely geared more towards teenagers/20's people. The beds were very comfortable and after walking for over 8 hours that day, we slept hard.

The next day was a lot more relaxed, since we had visited most of the major tourist attractions. I simply enjoyed walking around, enjoying the quiet that comes with being out at 10am on a Sunday. There was a slight fog, so walking across Charles' Bridge felt like being in a movie. We went up to the Royal Gardens and enjoyed a peaceful walk among the fall-colored leaves and beautiful flowers. The day we went was actually the last day that the Gardens were open for the year, so our timing was perfect. I would have been so sad if we had missed out on that amazing garden. The paths wind on for a long time and encircle the Queen's old summer palace. And once again, we had a great view of the rest of the city. After returning to Charles Bridge (we couldn't get enough) and going to the Old Town Square to watch the Astronomical Clock go off, we decided that we needed a few hours just to sit, rest, and enjoy a Sunday in Prague. We curled up on couches in a coffee shop and spent several hours writing in our journals, reading, listening to music, and drinking coffee. And of course looking out the window to see the the gorgeous buildings and people walking along the streets of Prague. Such a needed break from our constant walking and 'go-go-go' mentality. Since it was the last night of fall break, we decided that we wanted to have a really good dinner to celebrate! Ironically, we decided on Friday's, one of the only American restaurants in the area. I think we all just wanted to eat somewhere that we knew that we would get good food! We walked in to find that they had completed decked the place out for Halloween! All of the employees were dressed up with face make-up and all. There were leaves on the floor and netting/spider webs hung from the ceiling. So we got to celebrate Halloween after all, haha. A fun way to end the trip!

I hope that one day I can return to Prague. If you ever get a chance to go, you should! There is just something about the city that feels simple and yet intricate. An artistic vibe permeates the streets and buildings and my memories are filled with golden amber colors.