Prague

My luxurious cot - I'm glad I can cross "overnight train through Eastern Europe" off my list!

El tren!

My 35 hours in Prague came and went very quickly. In retrospect, I feel bad for having a bad first impression of such a beautiful city. I now realize all the factors that contributed to that impression and see it more as a lesson in travel than anything else ~ sorry Prague, I you! The city of Prague has a population of about 1 million and there was probably just as many tourist in the city. This made for very diverse and massive crowds. I found myself being taken up by this rush. I was on foot the entire time going from one site to the other non-stop becuase I did not want to miss out on everything there was to see. Like Beth said: Prague is like Disneyland! You just feel like you are in a huge amusement park and the happiest place on earth at that. By the time I go to my night train, I was so exhausted that I slept the entire train ride. Leaving Prague, the overnight train ride was an expirience in itself. I had the entire cot to myself, which was great since these cots sleep three bunked one on top of the other. I can't imagine sharing such a small space with three other people. I felt like I was off to Hogwart's in an old train with all wood interior and very clanky cars.

I made it into Budapest sometime in the morning and had to wait until 1p for my room. The waiting part was probably the most miserable I have been all trip. I was so tired, carrying way too much luggage, and had not showered since the morning before - mind you I had walked a marathon the last hours in Prague before boarding the train...i smelled pretty...Yikes!

How about that heat wave moving through Eastern Europe?!?!

Praha, Repubika Ceska - July 14 -15

I have to take back what I said yesterday about the Main Train station in Prague. Turns out I had gotten off at the wrong stop! Yep, found the real main station today and was very much everything it needed to be - restaurants, shops, and ticket counters. I purchased my overnight ticket to Budapest for tonight without a problem. I will have a cot on the train that leaves at 1111p and gets into Budapest at 8a tomorrow (Friday).

Had lunch on a boat cruise down the Vltava River - had some Czech food and beer...I have to say I like the food better here than I did in Germany. The views from the river were great and it gave me a chance to chill out a bit. Walked over to Old Town, picked up some suveneirs, saw the Old Jewish Cemetery, and then walked over the Charles Bridge to Lesser Town. I'm about to go walk up to the park and then through the Prague Castle eventually. Man, I'm getting quite the work out with all this walking and carrying around my backpack. grrrr!

I've taken many pictures here in Prague that I actually filled up my memory card. Here are some I selected.

Street name - I wonder who Tynska is?!?

Slavonic Art display in city store

Boat cruise with city in back

Row homes along the river - see the white spots on the river? Those are swans, there were many along the river

Boat cruise

Tradional Czech food and Beer

Charles Bridge

Bridge Column: The three headed, four breasted, mermaid snake and its evil twin on the other side (there are some pretty eccentric statues through out the city this is just one of them)

Old Town street view - there is so much elaborate plaster work on each building, per floor, per window, per door way...I could spend days looking at it

A hot summer night in Praha

My train ride into Praha was long and hot - the train's airconditioning was out so it made for an uncomfortable ride. The landscapes along the way however were amazing! ---- Read more below the pictures ---- (I hate blogger formatting or lack of)

Astronomical Clock

Row homes at Wencelas Square - this place was buzzing with a lot of people!

Czech Money - $1 = 20 Kuron ~ easy math right?

The view from my room - those thing on the right side column of the tower are giant baby statues crawling

Main Train Station

Bohemian Jazz Festival - Had a beer and listened to a very cool Spaniard quintet complete with flamenco dancers - it was about 9pm here

self portrait

Views from the Clock Tower

When I got to the main station in Praha, I sort of thought to myself: what the hell am I doing?!?! I am in a foreign far away land, don't know the language, I did not have any local currency on me, I have no idea how to get to my hotel, I was hungry, tired, and alone. (I think this reality settled in more since I am not with my family anymore). I'll be honest, I kind of panicked a little. When I got off at the train station, the building was old and it didn't boast all the amenities seen in the German train stations. Crap where am I supposed to get information...Hello Eastern Europe!

Then came the challenge of getting a cab. From what I had read, cab drivers are shaddy and not to be trusted in Praha. A cab pulled up and I asked if he knew the hotel and then how much I would be expected to pay and if he took euros - he told me 15 euros - I had it and said let's go. Well freaking it was something like a 2 mile ride - not worth 15 euros but I didn't care and didn't feel like arguing, I was thankful to be at the hotel (Amedia Hotel Theatrino Prague) - its really nice, it used to be a theather house!

Rested a bit and then headed out - I jumped on a cable car but in the wrong direction, it was going to the outside of the city instead of the city center. I jumped off and then turned around. I was wondering where all the cool places where at....after that detour, I ended up finally at the city square. OMG - lets just say I was floored - i think i had goose bumps for the 3 hours following. I walked around a lot - mostly becuase I kept getting lost - my sense of direction is way off. This was okay though becuase I got to walk the cobble stone narrow streets, take in the row homes and their old architecture, walk through shops and restuarants, have a beer in Wenceslas Square, walk up on the towers of the Astronomical Clock and to my surprise got the treat of enjoying some Jazz on stage at Pragues Bohemian Jazz Festival. I rounded up my walk along the Vltava River up to Charles Bridge. Yes, another city to fall in love with - ja!

It was after this full evening of touring part of Prague and a reflection of the days events that I realize why I am doing this. This is exactly what I came to experience...i love it!

Dobre vecer!!!

Time for bed!

Because she's cute...

July 14 - Travel day...

Berlin to Praha (Prague) - 5 hour train ride on the Bahn! Time to get some much needed rest. New culture, new language, and new currency here I come!

This is how I roll folks...

Berlin Berlin Berlin...I miss you already!

Okay - my stay in Berlin comes to a close...I had a blast in this city! Lots to see during the day and a night life that surpasses most. People are friendly, the weather is hot, and the history rich. Will, Milena and I went on a selft guided bike tour of the city - here are just a few pictures from the journey!

Row homes along the Spree River

There's something wrong with this picture!?!?!

Berliner Dome

Will and I: Holocaust Memorial - I like this pic

Bon fete Nationale! Julliet 14 ~ por mon favorite mec Francais de Canada! miss you papi

I really liked the Berlin architecture

Parliment House

International House

Ganan los Espanoles tio!

Tiergarten Public Viewing of the final game of the worl cup - Sunday July 11...Siegessaule Column in the background...too bad its under renovation

Milena and Will - we jumped on the Netherlands bandwagon!

Here comes the bride...

Here are a few wedding pictures.

Its my last day in Berlin...I'm feeling tired but this place just wont stop! I love it...Early travel day tomorrow on my way to Praha (Prague)! l

Husband and wife

ra

I LOVE LOVE Berlin!

Today was my first full day in Berlin after most of Sunday ended up being a travel day. We missed one of the connecting trains which dominoed into delays for the trains we were then booked on....its hard having all the family in tow not to mention all that luggage.

So today I had a day to myself - rented a bike and rode all over Tiergarten, which is the central city park, and Schoneberg neigborhood! Its a great city from what I have seen!!! More pictures to come....(yes, Keith I am taking pics of myself in front of all these places)

Branderburg Gate - from the back

Brandenburg from the back with the sun setting - I like this picture with the clouds and the sun rays!

The day before the wedding...

Here are pictures from Andrea's pre-wedding dinner and the Schloss Residence we stayed at where the reception was held the next day. The place was amazing!

My Brother Will, my sister Andrea and me - ready to go out for the bachelor/bacholorette dinner...It was at an old barn house converted into a restaurant ...I was finally able to order a steak with vegetables and pass up on the sausage with bread!

*** This picture is out of order - should had been in my last post****

I meet the major of Bad Koningsofen - that thing around my neck is the Mayorial (is that even a word?!?) Necklace which has been worn by the majors since the 1920's. (picture is way overexposed - oops)

The back patio to the Residence leading into the a large garden which had a small brooke running through it and a water fountain in the middle

The dining room of the residence - fancy!

The bathroom was all marble and had a huge roman tub - there was no standing shower so, can you figure out how you would shower here?

The suite of the Residence I stayed at - the bed looks unmade but that's actually it was presented. This suite also also had a living room - altogether the space was 1500+ sq. ft.

Friday July 9, 2010

Today we got to meet personally with the major of Bad Konigshofen at the town hall! that was really a neat experience. He welcomed us to his town and we got to have a spread in the town's guest book. He gave us the history of the town which was first mentioned in the history books in 842.

Went to the church Andrea will be getting married at and did a run through the procession. Drove to the residence where the wedding party is staying and am relaxing now and enjoying the wiFi..this residence is amazing - my sister is definitely going all out!

Pictures to follow!

Its freaking hot!

P.S. I MISS LUNA SO MUCH!!!!

Coburg - The biggest Castle yet!

Will doesn't do any better

My trying to do a German pour - you put the beer glass over teh bottle and then flip and pull out....appearantly its best to pull out slowly so you get less head! (insert smart ass comments here)..that is Tommy - the live of the party...he speaks very little english but manages to crack us up


Thursday night bbq which means more sausage and bread! - the Germans and Colombians congregate. from left going clockwise: in the pink my cousin Cristina, me, Karl (Oliver's dad), Tommy's wife, Tommy, Inge (Oliver's mom), Oliver, and Katherine (tommy's daughter)

Mi Familia (part of it at least)

Mideavel armour used for jousting

Catle door with me for scale! ja!

Veste Coburg (Coburg Castle) Entrance - This is the place where Martin Luther wrote his 90+ thesis on religion!

Milena (my brother's gf), Will, my mom, and I with Martin Luther in the background

Coburg Castle