I'll start at the beginning...
Location: Yangshuo, China
Date: September 2010
Setting: backpacker hostel's courtyard garden
We see a group of 30-somethings saying goodbye to each other.
Devin and Emily to George, Kamila, (small) Petr, and (big) Petr: "We'll come visit you!"
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And so, one and a half years later, we did!
(Please see this post for more backstory.)
May 23 - June 11
PRAGUE / PRAHA
Our friends are all from the city of Olomouc, but one of the Petrs, Petr Zrnik (small), is living in Prague.
Petr was kind enough to collect us from the airport after our flights:
SFO to Frankfurt: 11 hrs
Frankfurt to Prague: 1.5 hrs
(As a side note, United really needs some new planes. This flight was at the bottom of the list as far as comfortable international travel goes.)
It was wonderful to see Petr! He gave us a quick driving tour of Prague and then brought us to his friends' empty (of people) but furnished flat - our accommodation while in the city! Unreal. We knew Petr was going to make sure we had a place to stay, but we weren't expecting our own free apartment!
That's one Jan (John) and Petr.
That first night we were introduced to two of Petr's friends, Jan and Jan, our first Czech beer and fried cheese!
I really liked the Kozel "dark" beer, but later decided I had other favorites.
(George would also point out that Kozel is a "Euro-Beer," decidedly less Czech than others.)
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Our first full day was one of exploration. Petr had to work, so Devin and I set off on our own to see the sights of Prague. We covered a lot of ground and I think Rick Steves would have been proud. (I did hope to see him wandering around - in fact, I usually hope to see him wandering around.) Here's what we saw...
Prague subway
View from the Prague Castle
St. Vitus Cathedral is absolutely incredible. We saw our share of amazing churches on this trip and none came close to the beauty and majesty of this one. I could have stayed for hours longer than we did...
This design is a mosaic.
*Pete (Weitz): I'd love to hear you play Last of the Mohicans on this organ!*
I have so many pictures from that cathedral, but I think that's a good sample! After the church we decided we were castled-out, so we left to find more to see around the city.
A well-deserved break. By the way, it ain't easy being green (vegetarian) in Czech Republic!
There was a guy siting under that balloon! Just floating along...
View of Prague Castle from Charles Bridge.
Trdelnik: a "traditional" pastry rolled in cinnamon and sugar and sometimes nuts.
I use quotes around traditional because I think it's most popular in tourist settings.
But that didn't stop me! Yum!
I use quotes around traditional because I think it's most popular in tourist settings.
But that didn't stop me! Yum!
A random bar where, I hate to admit it, Devin beat me at a game of cribbage.
That night, after walking around all day, we met Petr and his buddy Peter, at a park and stumbled upon a fantastic beer garden! Notes: We dubbed this new Peter, "Hungarian Peter." Not because he lives there, but he lives near Hungary and speaks Hungarian. And these guys knew where the beer garden was but it's so randomly placed in the park that you feel like you just happen upon it, which was fantastic! Also, if you want to feel dumb, go to Europe where everyone speaks 15 languages to your 1.75.
The view from the beer garden.
Devin, Me, sm Petr, Hungarian Peter
And that was Day One in Prague...
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