Prague, Czech Republic

    Paz, Ian, Kaitlin, and I arrive in Prague around 7pm and start our adventure in finding our hostel. I stop at an ATM and take out $100...but a 2000 bill came out. Czech Republic, like most of Eastern Europe is undergoing high inflation as their economy struggles with the change from communism to democracy. For a better perspective,  a 100 Koruna bill is only around 4 bucks. We step out of the metro station right into the popular Wenceslas Square. It was beautifully light plaza with Christmas decorations galore. I noticed (in Germany also) the decorations were real and hand crafted. Decorations consist of simple trees, lights, and ribbons. This is different from the plastic reindeer and inflatable snowmen I usually see in the States.

    We find our hostel, right in between Wenceslas Square and the Old Town Square. This was my first time staying in a hostel since I have been a Europe. It was a good start for my hostel experience: friendly staff, clean, and provided many services. Since it was almost 8 and we were starving, we decided to cook Thanksgiving dinner the following night and eat at Czech restaurant our first night here. We were recommended this cute restaurant that reminded me of a cabin. Czech specialties: potatoes and goulash. oh and beer.  Since it was Thanksgiving, we  share what we are grateful for.
    I reflected upon the struggles I overcame in coming to Europe. I am incredibly grateful to have tackled all the obstacles I faced and never once did I give up. My study abroad experience was nearly cancelled multiple times, yet I overcame every single obstacle that stood in my way. I had to think all of those who supported me and know my story: friends, family, classmates, teachers, school counselors, roommates, and employers. You guys are awesome and helped me keep my chin up!
    After dinner we explored the city a little. Went to St Charles Bridge and the Old Town. We cross the bridge into the Lesser town.  It was gorgeous by night...but SO COLD!

St. Charles bridge by night

  The next day we took a free tour of the city. There were great legends in Prague to go with the beautiful buildings. Notable was a church where a thief attempted to steal from a Virgin Mary statue and the statue caught his arm in the process. The next day a clergy man cut off the thief’s arm to free him and on the ceiling of the church, there is a dangling human arm. I also learned:
-The famous astronomical clock is the most visited and most disappointing tourist attractions in the world.
-Many sites were named after Charles IV, who made Prague the capital of the Holy Roman Empire in 1347.
-During the war Prague was given a piece of land less than a city block for a Jewish cemetery. The headstones are not in pretty isles, but crammed together and crooked since the small amount of space made people bury their loved ones in layers.
-At one point when Nazis, and later Soviets, came to invade Prague, the citizens changed all of the street signs and confused the armies. Tactics like these helped them win some of the last battles in WWII before the Americans could arrive.

   After the tour we went to the Kafka museum. Franz Kafka was German-language author of short stories and is known for his existentialism.  The exhibition is located right next to the river and is actually the house he was born in. I have not read any of his complete works but have read excerpts from  Metamorphosis and The Trial. The exhibition was very informative and a little spooky, this may or may not have been symbolism in representing his life. Traces of Kafka's artwork are also sprinkled throughout the city.

Kafka standing between Prague and the Jewish Ghetto

  We then ventured to the Lennon Wall (as in John Lennon). Once a normal wall, since the 1980s it has been filled with John Lennon-inspired graffiti and pieces of lyrics from Beatles songs. In 1988, the wall was a source of irritation for the communist regime of Gustáv Husák. Young Czechs would write grievances on the wall. It looks really out of place on the very refined Czech streets, but I think that is half of the appeal!

Lennon Wall

We then bought groceries and made our late Thanksgiving feast back at our hostel. Chicken, honey-glazed carrots, mashed potatoes, and a string bean and mushroom saute with a cream sauce. That night we check out the night life. Prague is filled with pub crawls, however they are all very touristy. We decide to check out a bar/dance hybrid. Once we hit the dance floor we realized there were many youngsters around, so we decided to leave. Yet it was still a fun night watching them make asses of themselves and reminiscing on our own high school days. 
   The next day we hiked up Petrin Hill located next to the infamous Prague Castle. AT the top there is a replicated mini Eiffel Tower that you can go up and view the city.  I could also see the Dancing House, which we didn't get to see from street view. 

Mini Eiffel Tower

View from the top

 We then went on a tour of the Castle portion of the city. The massive  gothic/psuedogothic cathedral in the middle was really impressive, but has an interesting history. It was started in the 12th century, but wasn’t finished until sometime around 1920. that’s over 800 years of construction! The cathedral that stands today is, in a sense, the third cathedral in that exact spot, but pieces of the other churches can be seen throughout. It reminded me and looked much like the Cologne Dom. 

  We checkout out the Christmas markets, which actually opened that night. We had Czech specialties such as Trdelník. It is made from rolled dough, wrapped around a 4 foot stick then grilled and topped with sugar and walnut mix. We then had the infamous Cheese Sandwiches. Yep. Fried cheese with mayo in between two hamburger buns. Also tried rum and hot chocolate (not the best mixture but doable if you are freezing your ass off).