Prague

This was definitely my favorite city, by far. I absolutely loved it!!! We got to Prague pretty early one Monday afternoon and left that Wednesday around noon. They basically just let us roam free which was a very nice break after having every minute planned for us for 10 days. Prague was also the perfect segue from Oelsnitz to Chemnitz.

The first day, Courtney and I just walked around all day. We probably had gelato 3 times that first day. It was so good and really cheap there. The next day, Jason, Ben, Johnnie, Hannah, and I took a New Europe tour which I would HIGHLY suggest if you ever go to a European city with one of these. Definitely well worth it. It was just a 3 hour walking tour where I learned so much about the city and saw many things I would never have found on my own. It really gave me a new appreciation for the city which probably has something to do with why it's my favorite city of the trip.

Now for some pictures:
This is the national museum in Prague. It was at the end of a really long road with tons of shops and things. At night, it was absolutely beautiful! And this is the town square of Old Town Prague. That main building with the big clock tower was the Old Town Hall. On the side of it is a really old, really famous clock that "comes to life" every hour. Our tour guide said it was the most over-rated thing in Prague. The rest of the building (where all the trees are) actually burned completely to the ground during WWII, which brings me to something I thought about a lot while in Europe. I never truly realized how devastating World War II actually was until this past month. In America, we learn about it in schools and can see some of the damage at Pearl Harbor, but, for the most part, our country itself was unharmed. Now, I know that many soldiers from America gave their lives, but that generation will soon be quickly gone and I fear that my generation and younger will not fully realize the impact of this great war. In Germany, it's everywhere. Every city I went to in Germany has the marks of the war and you can definitely tell the youth there realize the impact it had. Many students brought up the fact that it was hard for them to reconcile their country's past with themselves and with other students. I just wish that we were more mindful of it in the States.

Ok, sorry. I got on a little soapbox there.Well, this is probably a big surprise to most of you! Courtney and I died our hair while we were in Prague. It was quite the mini-adventure because the instructions were completely in Czech so we really had no idea what we were doing. It turned out ok, though. My hair hasn't fallen out yet.There's a river that almost cuts Prague in half. Now, if I had done my research before this post, I could tell you the name of the river. But, I didn't so I don't know. In the background, though, you can see the castle. So on Monday night in Prague, Hannah, Courtney, and I went to the ballet Cinderella at the State Opera House for 100 crowns (or about $5). It was SOOO beautiful, the house and the performance. On our way there, though, we decided to stop and take pictures in front of the National Museum's fountain. These Spanish men asked us to be in their picture and the one hugging Courtney was quite the teaser. He kept fixing his hair and pretending like he needed to make a good impression on us. It was hilarious and when he left he kissed us all goodbye.

So there's Prague in 5 pictures. Thanks to all 2 of you who stayed through this entire post. Haha. I don't think I would have stayed had it been someone else's blog. But I did absolutely love this city and would go back in a heartbeat. Next stop: Chemnitz!