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Published: September 9th 2023
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We arrived early morning on the 7th, and Elly's friend Zori came to pick us up and take us to our Home Exchange apartment. Our hosts, Franta and Milena, who live above the apartment they offer, were there to meet us and offered us breakfast.
After we got settled in and had something to eat, we walked into town. The apartment is in a great location at the top of the hill, just a short distance (maybe a 15 min walk) from the castle. We continued down to cross over Charles Bridge. There was way more congestion with tourists here- maybe because it's smaller than Budapest. Some areas were packed with people, mostly tour groups following around behind a guide. We weaved our way through them and checked out a few other sites, like the Astronomical Clock and the Jewish Quarter. Elly's feet were hurting, and she was tired from our early morning start, so we split up and she headed back to the apartment in an Uber to take a nap.
I decided to walk back, and then found a nice park near the apartment to relax outside for a while. At about 2:30, I went back for
a little rest, as the early morning was catching up to me too. Early evening, we went out together to look at the shops nearby and pick up some groceries. Then we met up with Zori to head out for drinks.
The following day, Elly's feet were really not doing well. We walked out to get her a coffee, then took an Uber to the mall. I had lost my water bottle on our last flight, so I got a replacement, and Elly picked up a little gift for her friend's birthday. Then we took the bus to a park that was by the apartment and enjoyed the beautiful weather. The nights are cool here (and the apartment is really chilly, I have blankets piled on me), but in the afternoon, it's been getting up to 28-29C. We relaxed on the grass for a few hours. Elly took off her shoes to try to get her blisters to dry out. When we decided it was time to head back to the apartment and she had to put them back on, she was practically hobbling, so as soon as we got back, she just went to rest her feet in
bed. I went back out for a walk around the neighbourhood.
Franka and Milena invited us to a BBQ, but Elly didn't end up joining, as her feet were bothering her too much. So it was just the 3 of us. Franka made traditional Czech potato cakes, and they grilled fish, which was delicious. They're a retired couple (probably in their 70s?), with 2 grown children and 1 grandchild. They used to travel tons. Now they still travel, but mainly in Europe. This year, they've had 25 exchanges through Home Exchange! It was nice to learn more about their lives and the Czech Republic.
Today, we got up and Elly's feet were doing better. We walked to a cafe, then by a monastery and a park before heading back to the apartment to wait for Zori to arrive. Zori took us to a local festival, where there were little vendors set up and live music. Then we went to a restaurant with a lovely view of the river for dinner and a glass of wine.
Tomorrow we head out again, on our way by train to Vienna, where I'll get to see my friend Gabi, who I
haven't seen in 25 years, and Marion, who I haven't seen in 15 years. I'm really looking forward to it!
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