Praha!

I had such an incredible weekend in Prague. It was nice to get away from London, go out on my own a bit and see Michelle! Prague is very different from London, and so beautiful and having my own personal tour guide made it that much better.

I got in on Friday afternoon and after a wonderful reunion with Michelle we dropped by stuff out in her dorm (the top two floors of a hotel, so cool) and ventured out into the rain for some initial sight seeing. We walked around the Vltava, the river that runs through Prague, over the the Charles Bridge and around a bit. We grabbed dinner at a pub and I had authentic Czech food and we reminisced about high school, so fun! We decided to go back to the dorm after this because it was really gross outside, and we actually got to skype with our friends back home which was so much fun!

Saturday was a full day of sightseeing. We took the tram up to the castle complex and saw St. Vitus Cathedral. Wow. It was so tall and ominous looking, but inside it was absolutely beautiful. I loved hearing all the fun little tidbits Michelle had learned about this place from her classes. We then wandered around the castle, which doesn't look like the castles around here but it was still cool, and then we hung out by this wall that had a phenomenal view of the city. After having some deep conversation we went down to Wallenstein Palace which is the current home of the senate and has a garden with peacocks! It was really pretty and green on a gray day. After a fabulous lunch we went to the Church of the Bambino. That's not actually what the church is called, but inside there is a wax Jesus that people from around the world come to worship and make little outfits for. It was bizarre. We went upstairs and got to see a selection of Jesus' clothes and it was crazy how different and detailed these things were. Then Michelle took me to the Church of our Lady of the Snow which is one of her favorite places because of how quiet it is even with its proximity to a busy square. We got to experience complete silence for a few minutes before a tour group came in and that was nice. We took a quick look at the markets at Wencelas and Old Town Square before going back to her dorm to make chicken noodle soup and hang out for the night.

Sunday we woke up late to beautiful sunlight shining in the window, it was going to be a good day! We started by going paddle boating on the Vltava. It was so much fun to be out there on the river, and we got to stop and soak up the sun which was so relaxing. Aaah so good. Then we walked back over to Old Town Square to get me some souvenirs, and Michelle found some stuff too so it was good. We walked through the Jewish Quarter, seeing some synagogues, before heading up to Letna Park. This park is up on a big hill and has a beautiful view of Prague and also has several Beer Gardens, which are exactly what they sound like, outdoor places to drink beer. We went to one of Michelle's favorites and spent the afternoon talking, catching up and laughing. I love my friend. We grabbed dinner at a pizza place and then hung out at the dorm. I left early Monday morning and got back to London safe and sound.

I'm so glad that I went to Prague. I probably wouldn't have gone if it wasn't for Michelle, but I really loved seeing the city. The buildings reminded me a lot of Italy and it was really pretty and fun. But what I loved the most was catching up with Michelle and comparing our experiences abroad. We have a lot in common and had so much to talk about! Now I'm just trying to slow down time..so little time left!