A Weekend Getaway to Prague, Czech Republic

In December, my friends Candice, Adam and their son Henry came to visit us with the purpose of making a weekend trip to Prague. If you remember my post about my visit to the Black Forest, Adam was studying abroad in Germany and before they returned to the U.S., they wanted to visit Prague. Since we only live 2 hours from Prague, it was the perfect opportunity to visit us and see Prague as well. Alas, Nick wasn't able to go with us because he had already made plans that day which interfered with our schedule. Plus, at that time, the Army had put travel restrictions on soldiers and he wouldn't have been able to go anyways (I promise he will be doing more traveling with me this year though!).

As soon as we arrived in Prague, we went straight to our apartment to drop off our belongings. We decided to rent an airbnb apartment while we were there even though we were only staying for a short while. We stayed in the heart of Old Town and our host was very friendly and helpful. He even walked us around the neighborhood and showed us which restaurants were the best, etc.

Since we visited in December, just before Christmas time, we decided to check out the Prague Christmas Market a few short blocks from our apartment. It was quite cold that night but we bundled up and headed out to check out the festivities. On our way to the Christmas market, we spotted a Trdelník stand and decided we needed to try one of these popular Czech treats. In case you didn't know, a Trdelník is a Czech pastry that is made of rolled dough, rolled in sugar and nuts and then grilled over an open flame. The result is pure deliciousness! After our little treat we headed to the market. The market was located in the Old Town square and was extremely crowded. I expected it though, since Christmas markets all over Europe seem to attract large crowds.  Despite the crowds, the market was beautiful, especially the massive Christmas tree with the beautiful twinkling lights.

The next day we woke up early and roamed the quiet, empty streets of Prague. It was definitely beneficial to see the city at 8:00am on a Sunday. The streets were free of crowds and I felt like we could really take in the beauty of the city. While we were exploring, we decided to see if we could find a restaurant that was open for breakfast. In case you aren't familiar with Europe, most places don't do breakfast the way us Americans do. Pancakes, eggs, and french toast are rare to find in restaurants in Europe (at least in the cities I've visited!). I was a bit unsure if we were going to be able to find a place that served the type of breakfast we were used to but to my amazement, we did! Cafe Louvre had a great breakfast selection and we enjoyed being able to get a "taste of home" in Prague.

One of the attractions all of us were keen on seeing in Prague was the Lennon Wall. The Lennon Wall 

is a large wall in Prague that is covered in John Lennon inspired graffiti. It began in the 80's when the Czech Republic was still under communist rule and it became a place where people would come to draw art or write inspirational quotes by John Lennon . Apparently authorities would paint over the wall during the communist regime, yet the wall would be filled with more graffiti and quotes by the next day. They just couldn't stop people from returning. Over the years the wall has become a symbol of love and peace.

Our last stop that day before driving back to Germany was Prague Castle. Prague Castle overlooks the city on top of a tall hill which can be seen from many parts of the city but besides that, we didn't know much about it. It turns out it is more than just a "castle".  It's comprised of various buildings within the premises and actually houses the President of the Czech Republic. In addition to that, the basilica of St. Vitus and St. George reside on the property, both of which date back to the 10th century! Oh, and it's also the largest ancient castle in the world!

We had such a great time in Prague. It's such a beautiful city that's rich in history and it also has loads to see and do. I can't wait to return someday and see what more Prague has to offer!

I'm Back! And Where Have I Been?

Hello everyone! It's been a while since I've posted here in this little blog of mine. I have definitely neglected it over the past month or so. And I'm so sorry for anyone out there who reads it and has been looking forward to posts. I don't have a good explanation on why I have been absent. Honestly, I have been preoccupied with work, life and just plain tired at times. I think about my blog often but most days I don't have the energy to edit photos and write. I also think I'm not good at planning my time well. I tend to plan to write or do errands but end up distracted with other things. I'm continously working on that. I also made a trip back to the U.S. to visit my mom earlier this month so I got side tracked with that as well. But have no fear...I am going to make it a priority to keep up with writing posts! I only have a few weeks left of work until school gets out (I work as a teachers aide, if you didn't know already) and I should definitely have more time and energy to write then. Until school gets out, I will still be working on new posts. Look out for posts about Prague, Garmisch (Bavarian Alps), and a concentration camp visit as well. We have a big trip to Croatia coming up soon also and we're really looking forward to that! Again, I'm sorry for the lack of posts lately. I hope you understand and continue to come back to read about our adventures! Thank you so much for reading my blog and sticking with me! :)

London, England: Part II

Our second day in London was one of the busiest days I've experienced so far abroad but it was also one of the best. We fit in so much stuff in one day and I was pretty impressed with how much we were able to see.  Our morning and afternoon consisted of us strolling along the River Thames, riding the London Eye and seeing iconic Buckingham Palace. [Beware: This post contains LOTS of photos!]

We also visited the famous Kings Cross Station from the Harry Potter movies and Stephanie took a photo at "Platform 9 ¾", flying scarf and all. While there, we ate a late lunch at a unique pub, The Parcel Yard, where we were able to indulge in some delicious beer and fish and chips.

After our late lunch, we decided to head on over to Oxford Circus, a popular shopping district in London. Little did we know that this specific weekend was a huge shopping weekend, similar to Black Friday back home in the U.S. When we we got off the tube, we were confronted with tightly packed crowds and limited walking space. If you didn't know already, I loathe crowds so I was a bit stressed dealing with all those people but the streets were adorned with shimmering Christmas decorations that hung from the buildings above, so that made it a bit more enjoyable ;). Later on in the night, we met up with one of Stephanie's friends who was studying broad in London. He showed us Piccadilly Circus, Regent Street, the West End and Soho, where we eventually ate a late dinner at an American themed restaurant called The Diner. 

The next day was Sunday and since my flight left in the afternoon, we decided to get up early and squeeze in a visit to Abbey Road. If you didn't know already, The Beatles recorded almost all of their albums at the Abbey Road studios and the famous 1969 Abbey Road album cover was shot right down the street from the studio. Stephanie is a huge Beatles fan and we both really wanted to visit the notorious street and cross the iconic crosswalk featured on that cover. We even took photos crossing the street "imitating" the album cover! 

Shortly after our visit to Abbey Road, I had to head off to the airport for my flight home to Germany. I have to admit, I loved London way more than I thought I would. My weekend there was so short but I enjoyed it immensely, despite my mishap in the beginning. There is so much to see and do in London and I can't wait to go back someday so I can explore some more!

Have you visited London? What was your favorite attraction/memory?