This weekend was full of puns. I got to Czech Prague off my abroad list and explore the city for the weekend. Praha, as its called in the Czech Republic, was close to what I imagine a fairytale town to look like. Unlike some other cities I have visited, the buildings were each unique in color and sculpture instead of having the same trend throughout the whole town. Originally Prague wasn't one of my "must sees", but after this weekend I am definitely glad I went!
Thursday night we departed from Florence by bus for a 12 hour drive to arrive in Prague by Friday morning. As soon as we arrived we had about a 4 hour tour of all the main attractions. Wow. I have never walked so much in such cold weather, but it was worth it. I was ably to see Old Town, New Town, The Anatomical Clock. St. Charles Bridge, The John Lennon Wall, The Prague Castle, The Jewish Cemetery, and much more!
Thursday night we departed from Florence by bus for a 12 hour drive to arrive in Prague by Friday morning. As soon as we arrived we had about a 4 hour tour of all the main attractions. Wow. I have never walked so much in such cold weather, but it was worth it. I was ably to see Old Town, New Town, The Anatomical Clock. St. Charles Bridge, The John Lennon Wall, The Prague Castle, The Jewish Cemetery, and much more!
Prague was a nice change in view compared to Milan the weekend before. There weren't as many people, it was much calmer, and gave off a cozier vibe. I'm a sucker for pastel colored buildings and I got a good dose of that this weekend. Each one individually constructed in the small details, yet stood out in its own way. The alignment down the streets and the castles in between, a picture just doesn't do them justice. Though Old Town and New Town were quite unique, Prague also stayed true to the large Cathedrals and variety of bridges leading one around the city.
On top of fantastic views, the food was a cherry on top. We learned quickly that everything was pretty cheap. For example a beer only cost the equivalent of about 75 to 80 cents. My sweet tooth kicked in once I had my first Trdelnik, a sweet twisted pastry covered in sugar. Lets just say I had enough for all of us. I had goulash, dumplings, fried cheese, schnitzel, and more! Right when I thought I was ready to get out of Italy to eat something other than pasta, I realized pizza was all I wanted after a weekend away from it.
We spent the weekend wandering the town, visiting small food tents, testing different beers and more. I attended my first pub crawl which consisted of about 4 bars and ended with a club that all included open bars to try out all the Czech drinks. We were also ecstatic about the number of Starbucks in Prague. Having none in Florence, this was a treat to my taste buds. Coffee isn't my favorite thing so being able to get a familiar drink that wasn't such a strong coffee taste is something I am very grateful for.
We spent the weekend wandering the town, visiting small food tents, testing different beers and more. I attended my first pub crawl which consisted of about 4 bars and ended with a club that all included open bars to try out all the Czech drinks. We were also ecstatic about the number of Starbucks in Prague. Having none in Florence, this was a treat to my taste buds. Coffee isn't my favorite thing so being able to get a familiar drink that wasn't such a strong coffee taste is something I am very grateful for.
Sunday morning we departed from Prague and started our bus ride home. I love all road trips no matter the distance, but a road trip that is 12 hours long through 4 countries, including the Alps is more than I could ever imagine. With this I got no sleep because I couldn't close my eyelids without thinking I would miss a once in a life time view. We finally arrived back in Florence around midnight and I was so happy to reunite with my bed. Coming home to Florence is my favorite and makes me realize how much I love the city I live in. I am off to Paris bright and early Thursday morning for the weekend then I will be in Florence for a few weeks! Hope you have enjoyed reading about my adventures so far!
Always,
Sam
Always,
Sam