Memories of Prague

 Old Town Square, the center of the historic district of the city where the infamous planetary clock is.

From my first rooftop view of the city of Prague sprawled out before me, I am fascinated. It is like nothing I have ever seen before. The Gothic towers and Baroque Churches dominate the cityscape giving the city the feel of being ominously beautiful. The ancient stone buildings rise up from the cobblestoned streets and culminate in steely-grey, spiked roofs or ornately decorated domes. Cold, sleek buildings from the Communist era share walls with their earlier baroque survivors creating an incredibly rich portrait of the city's history right before ones eyes. It seems there is too much history to learn about the city in a weekend, I could find out new things about the cobblestones I am standing on every day for a semester and never hear enough. Part of me wants to follow around all the walking tours I can and shove as much into my head as possible and the other part of me just wants to get lost and find my own way. 

 roasted pork knees and neck are a specialty in Prague and Eastern Europe

Savory scents and smokey gusts drift from the multiple food vendors set up in cabin-like wood stations selling an array of traditional Eastern European delicacies. I stop for a delicious plate of roasted potatoes, cabbage, sauerkraut, brats, and cheese for a cheap lunch and wander on through the streets sparkling with garnets and crystals from the shop window. I can’t seem to put my camera down, I just want to capture everything, but it never seems to look as good on my tiny screen, so eventually I give up and pay full attention to what is in front of me.

Charles Bridge

note: my profile picture to the right is also taken in Prague, in front of John Lennon's wall, a civilian-made memorial in honor of the assassinated Beatles singer.  It is constantly changing with new works of art and messages of love.

Hotel Sax, our slightly-more-upscale-than-usual hotel that we stayed in located in Old Town