Prague, Czech Republic



Us adding our lock to the bridge December 2012



We picked up Paul's brother and sister-in-law (henceforth, Eric & Erin) at 8 AM on Saturday morning in Brussels and headed off to Koln.  We took them to see the dome and gave them a lock to put on the bridge.   

Unfortunately, we couldn't find ours, but it was cold and time to get back on the road to Prague!  We got into Prague late Saturday night and it was a snowy gothic fairytale.  Sunday we walked around all day seeing all of the important sights. 

Prague Castle was a very non-traditional European castle.  It was spread out over a huge area and had no real central palace.  The cathedral was at it's center and it's guilding and mosaics were breathtaking.  There was a huge hall next to the cathedral that was once used for jousting.  It had an airy design and no columns to support it, just floating, curved beams.  Does everything have to remind me of something from the Lord of the Rings?  It was Rivendellesque, for sure.  There are also these miniature houses in the back where guards once lived, and they were transformed into the tiniest houses ever.  Kafka lived in one for a while.  



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After a gluhwein break, we headed over to the Jewish Quarter.  The most haunting thing in the Jewish Quarter was these drawings from children who stayed in the camp that was an intermediary between their homes and the eventual death/concentration camps.  Some of the pictures had pictures of the children who had drawn them, and most of them died during the war. 

On the way to Charles Bridge there was a man playing wine glasses with just his hands.  Prague is famous for it's crystal, and we all stopped for a good ten minutes to watch him, entranced.  On our way over the bridge we saw a little river hall along the water, with pretty lights and went and had a drink by the water in a super cozy little restaurant.  On Sunday we just walked around a bit to catch some of the things we had missed before in the daylight.  I was so charmed by Prague, but recollecting it I realize that it wasn't the sum of the things that we saw or staying at a snow covered monastery.  The real charm of Prague was being able to share the experience with three of my favorite people!