Praha

Praha, or Prague for those of us who don't speak Czech, is a city with incredible stories to tell. This city had soared high and has been plunged down low. As we sat visiting with a Czech girl on the train, we began to understand the fire that the Czech people went through while facing Communism, as well as the bright light that shines in their future.

After making friends on the train, we had to take a detour on the bus due to construction on the rail lines. Luckily, the rail company made sure we travelled in a new charter bus, complete with a WC, charging outlets, and A/C.... 

Oh wait, it was quite the opposite... Good thing it was nice and hot that day and the bus felt like an incubator!

This says it all.

Buuuut Prague really was amazing!! In each city we have been in, the streets tell a story, but in Prague, EVERY building was beautiful. Each tall building had its own architectural style, color, and plant life handing from the windows. 

We loved Prague Castle!

The cathedral in the center of the the castle. Fantastic inside, especially the stained glass windows!

Changing of the guard ceremony at the castle.

We also visited a museum in Prague. It was quite an unusual museum... One full of history and culture! It was a toy museum :)

Teddy bears!! Quite an amazing collection of bears going back to the first teddy bears named after our beloved president! I found that my old collection couldn't quite compare...

Harm, of course, loved the toy car collection!

Sort of difficult to see, but obviously this collection was my #1... Especially the old school Batman and Robin!

In honor of both of our fathers, we walked across the the Charles Bridge, the same bridge kings of the past travelled across during their coronation ceremony.

Quite an unusual clock... The top portion utilizes the astrology, while the bottom portion has the 12 apostles rotating around on the hour. It made no sense, and I don't think it made sense to anyone besides possibly Professor Trelawny...

Wenceslas Square...yup that's good King Wenceslas. 

Best discovery in Prague. Almond, cinnamon dough wound around a large rod and slowly warmed and baked while rotating over a stove. This is definitely a recipe we will try to recreate! I'll need to find out what it is actually called though...

It may look like a black picture, but imagine me on a small bunk in a night train, heading towards Germany! Sadly, they didn't have a double bed, and Harm and I had to settle down in separate bunks for the night.

Traveling Wisdom:

Prague ticket machines are not in English, and the individuals at the ticket booths may require a few tries before they give you useful information. 

Portions are smaller. Or at least their beef goulash (although INCREDIBLY delicious) includes only about 4 cubes of beef.

Cottage cheese ice cream with honey and almonds = so yummy. Not quite sure how to make cottage cheese ice cream though, so that is another recipe to find.

If you really want to understand the natives, talk to them. Train rides seem to be the perfect time to try it out! You will find out more about food (obviously important), history, and customs. 

If you book a private 2 bed room at a hostel last minute, on an very busy night, you might just end up