Spring Break begins!

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I met Mom and Dad in Madrid, where they spent Thursday adjusting slightly to jetlag. Then, Friday, spring break started out in Prague. We had a long delay in the airport in Madrid but finally made it in Friday evening, where we didn't have time to do much other than check in and have our first Czech meal at an adorable restaurant across the street. (We stayed at Hotel Central, the former hotel of choice for the communist party. Nevertheless, it was pretty damn swanky.) Saturday morning we set out to explore Old Town, or Stare Mesto. We walked past the Municipal House and continued on to Old Town Square, where we found our first Easter Market in Prague - it was so colorful and cute! There were lots of stands selling souvenirs, native Prague handicrafts and Czech snacks and food. There was also a band playing or dancers performing throughout the day. We continued walking through Old Town and visited St. Nicholas's Cathedral, which was simply incredible with its baroque architecture inside, towards the Charles Bridge, famous for its architecture and religious statues on either side of the bridge. There are also performers and artists on the bridge, and it is ALWAYS filled with tourists apparently. It was packed every time we walked across it this weekend.

We made our way to Prague Castle, which is actually several old royal buildings on the top of a big hill. There was too much there to see everything, so we bought a small pass that got us into the Royal Gardens, the old Royal Palace, St. Vitus's Cathedral, St. George's Basilica, and the Golden Lane, the oldest street in Prague and the street where Franz Kafka grew up. The Castle was huge, and packed with visitors. We took a break for lunch at a quaint pub just off the main castle square, then headed back down the hill towards Old Town. We shopped at the market for a while and watched the Astronomical Clock change the hour - it wasn't as cool as I was expecting, but still cute to see. After a short break at the hotel, we headed out again to catch a show - we got tickets to see Mozart's Don Giovani performed with marionettes, which is immensely popular in Prague. It was really funny and cute! We grabbed some dinner at a pub on the way home, and then fell asleep after a long day.

The next morning, we headed in the other direction towards New Town, or Nove Mesto, and saw another Easter Market similar to the one in Old Town. We saw some of the monuments in Wenceslass Square and strolled through the Franciscan Rose Garden. We then decided to walk across the river, but this time further south in Prague, to visit Petrin Hill, a lovely hillside park that really lets you escape the hustle and bustle of the big, touristy city. It was quite a hike up to the top, but the views of the city were absolutely incredible. We walked around up there for a bit, visiting the rose garden, seeing some famous statues, and got to watch a Palm Sunday procession marching up the hill singing and praying in front of each station of the cross that ran up the hill as well. It was pretty impressive. We then made our way back down, stopped for some ice cream back in Old Town, and made our way back to the hotel for a much needed rest from walking! I then treated myself to a massage in our hotel, which is soooo reasonably priced compared to the States!), and we headed out for a delicious dinner in this gorgeous modern Czech restaurant. It was a lovely end to a lovely, albeit exhausting, day. Tomorrow, we leave for Krakow, Poland!

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