This may be the longest post ever, so prepare yourself people...
Today was really all about seeing the heart of Prague.... It's castles!
We saw the largest castle in the world!!! Ahh!
Sorry Justin, I'm moving put of our two bedroom apartment and moving in here. I think my future dog would like this better. More room to run.
This is the gift Justin sent me for our 9 year anniversary which is today!!!!
Ok, so that's a lie... But these are the crown jewels of the Czech Republic!
I made a friend on the way out!!
And also found some beloved beer bath oil!! Who doesn't need that???
Haha, oh the Czech... They have their quirks.
Beautiful huh? All of the stones on the walls are gems. This room was spared even by the protestants when they declared war with the Catholics several centuries ago and destroyed much of the castle.
Right Before lunch, we were able to see the infamous changing of the guards. They only do the formal ceremony one time in a day, so I'm glad we got to see it!
Look at their little fur hats and scarves. So cute!
Here's a video...
My memory ran out half way through, sorry folks!
Lunch was at a restaurant on the castle ground, and it was awesome…
Except for this???
We ventured to the famous John Lennon wall... LOVED this!!
Next was the Lovers Bridge where you are supposed to sign a lock with your name and the date with someone you love, lock it and throw the key in the river.
Adorable, huh??
This ones for you T. Swift!!!
We got to walk over the St. Charles bridge. So, the story goes that the king of Czech Republic thought his wife was sleeping around on him, so he tried to get the archbishop to tell him if his wife confessed to cheating. The clergyman kept the confidentiality no matter how much they pressed him. His punishment was to be thrown over the bridge to his deathe. He then became the patron saint of bridges.
The story of St. Charles includes a very old legend of a lucky sign. The sign has pictures of the story on it and if you rub the man falling over the bridge depicted in the picture and make a wish, it will come true!
Obviously I can't tel you what I wished for or it wouldn't come true :)
And going to the Jewish ghetto in Prague. Traditionally, a ghetto means the area is surrounded by a wall separating the people inside from the outside.
The thing that really amazed me was the Jewish cemetery. They started running out of room for bodies and just started burying them on top of each other up to 10 meters high!
You can really see the depth in this picture.
Jews in the ghetto were forced to wear yellow hats in order to be recognized and properly contained within the ghetto. The cemetery here is where Madeline Albright found out about her Jewish heritage because of a surname on a gravestone.
There are 90000 Jews from the Holocaust buried in this cemetery.
So horrific to see.
Let's go back to a lighter note…
On the way back, we saw a beer spa!!
Vitamin b guys, it's very important for your hair, skin, and nails!!
We headed back home for a bit before heading to a new restaurant!
Of course we had to spend or last drinking night at U flecku (our new favorite beer hall).
Their shots there are made of Ginger and they taste like ur eating an alcoholic gingerbread mans insides. Kinda makes you wanna vomit, but you just have to so it while you're here!
Say hello everybody!
After a few after dinner drinks, we walked to Wenceslas Square to see where the Velvet Revolution happened. This was the most peaceful rebellion against communism, yet was the most successful.
The first elected president after communism died in October and he was so loved that people have been coming for three months to put flowers on his monument.
We actually got an apple thrown at us on the walk home because we were being loud!!! Barbaric huh??? It's kind of a thing here. Defenestration is a word the Czech use for throwing things/people out the window. It's real.
Here are a few more facts I learned today:
1.) The Czech used to punish politicians by throwing them out of the window. That's why you will see 90% of politicians in Czech have their office on the first floor.
2.) Writers and composers are famous here instead of movie stars
3.) They have a famous building, the most modern building in the city, called The Fred And Ginger Building :)
4.) Prague was first city to be dominated and last to be liberated in world war II. They were liberated in 1945, but then in 1948 they became communist (yeesh, don't these people ever catch a break?!))
5.) There are hundreds of paintings in churches here because most people at the times were illiterate, and church was only education, so they taught them bibles stories through fresco paintings!
6.) Czechs and austrins don't like each other…
7.) Homeless people hide faces in shame when they beg
8.) Many Europeans think it's rare for families to be close in the US..so not true!
I knew I couldn't leave Europe without kissing at least one foreign man, so I did. Don't be mad Justin….
It kinda looks real doesn't it????
Creepy….
Today was really all about seeing the heart of Prague.... It's castles!
We saw the largest castle in the world!!! Ahh!
Sorry Justin, I'm moving put of our two bedroom apartment and moving in here. I think my future dog would like this better. More room to run.
Side entrance to the castle
Czech guard
Our tour guide
The black thing is a well and the thing behind it is a private chapel to Maria Theresa (mother of Marie Antoinette) who lived in the castle…
This is the official welcome room of the castle! They also have official indoor jousting tournaments there!
The castle took 1100 years to build. It now is a national monument as well as an office and seat for the president of the Czech republic and other goverment officials.
This little section was the servants quarters. After
Use of the castle changed, several writers and composers lived here on these tiny little houses including Frank Katka who wrote metamorphosis and several other very famous books…
Use of the castle changed, several writers and composers lived here on these tiny little houses including Frank Katka who wrote metamorphosis and several other very famous books…
This is where he lived! House number 22 :)
Can you believe this was a working furnace at one point?!
Look at these poor little flowers trying to stay alive in the middle of winter in the Czech Republic. :(
This is the gift Justin sent me for our 9 year anniversary which is today!!!!
Ok, so that's a lie... But these are the crown jewels of the Czech Republic!
And this is Maria Theresa, the mother of 16 children, one of which was Marie Antoinette who built her castle I'm Vienna to be much like her mothers here.
And finally, I had to sit down after all that walking! This is my seat. The throne. :)
This used to be where parliament was called.
Beautiful views from the top of the castle!
But this is the most beautiful view of all..
I made a friend on the way out!!
What a package!!! :)
And also found some beloved beer bath oil!! Who doesn't need that???
Haha, oh the Czech... They have their quirks.
We also saw the most beautiful cathedral I've ever seen in my life. Do you guys know the difference between a cathedral and a church?
Ya, I didn't either...
Ok, so...
1.) A cathedral must have a high alter that people are able to walk all the way around
2.) A cathedral will also have a Chair or throne for the arch bishop or clergyman
3.) a cathedral is the most important church of certain diasis.
4,) last but not least, the cathedral itself will be shaped like a cross. If you look at re ceiling, youll be able to see there's a wing going north and south and another going east and west. The ceiling should indicate that it's shape is a cross.
It was absolutely breathtaking... Here are some pictures…
Ya, I didn't either...
Ok, so...
1.) A cathedral must have a high alter that people are able to walk all the way around
2.) A cathedral will also have a Chair or throne for the arch bishop or clergyman
3.) a cathedral is the most important church of certain diasis.
4,) last but not least, the cathedral itself will be shaped like a cross. If you look at re ceiling, youll be able to see there's a wing going north and south and another going east and west. The ceiling should indicate that it's shape is a cross.
It was absolutely breathtaking... Here are some pictures…
Cathedral
The cathedral. Have you ever seen anything so beautiful!?
15th century pews! neato!
Here you can really see just how tall the ceilings are when there are grown men standing underneath them.
Confession booths… this could take a while….how long ya got pastor?? :)
We even saw where good king Wenceslas was buried at the cathedral.
Beautiful huh? All of the stones on the walls are gems. This room was spared even by the protestants when they declared war with the Catholics several centuries ago and destroyed much of the castle.
This is an alter where you can light a candle and leave a pray with the cathedral. So, of course I took the opportunity to be on God's good side :)
Right Before lunch, we were able to see the infamous changing of the guards. They only do the formal ceremony one time in a day, so I'm glad we got to see it!
Look at their little fur hats and scarves. So cute!
Here's a video...
My memory ran out half way through, sorry folks!
Lunch was at a restaurant on the castle ground, and it was awesome…
Except for this???
Ummmm…..That's "appetizing"…..
Lunch was cabbage soup, chicken leg, Rosemary potatoes and carrots, plus some delicious coconut sponge cake and coffee!
After lunch, we headed on a 4 hour walking tour of Prague including Lesser town (means little or small/less important than the castle it's next to)
It was absolutely adorable!!!
It was absolutely adorable!!!
Except... Who want ice cream that makes you hallucinate???? Hmmmmmm…..Terrible
Everyone was teasing me about my constant posing for pics, so I really let em have it.
Man thigh.
We ventured to the famous John Lennon wall... LOVED this!!
Next was the Lovers Bridge where you are supposed to sign a lock with your name and the date with someone you love, lock it and throw the key in the river.
Adorable, huh??
This ones for you T. Swift!!!
Why yes, this is a knight waiting in line at McDonalds! Only in Europe.
We got to walk over the St. Charles bridge. So, the story goes that the king of Czech Republic thought his wife was sleeping around on him, so he tried to get the archbishop to tell him if his wife confessed to cheating. The clergyman kept the confidentiality no matter how much they pressed him. His punishment was to be thrown over the bridge to his deathe. He then became the patron saint of bridges.
Look! A bride on the bridge!!!
The story of St. Charles includes a very old legend of a lucky sign. The sign has pictures of the story on it and if you rub the man falling over the bridge depicted in the picture and make a wish, it will come true!
Obviously I can't tel you what I wished for or it wouldn't come true :)
Before we could make it back to town, we had to show a knight whos boss.
We watched the astronomical clock go off again before getting some of my new addiction- mulled wine
And going to the Jewish ghetto in Prague. Traditionally, a ghetto means the area is surrounded by a wall separating the people inside from the outside.
The thing that really amazed me was the Jewish cemetery. They started running out of room for bodies and just started burying them on top of each other up to 10 meters high!
You can really see the depth in this picture.
Jews in the ghetto were forced to wear yellow hats in order to be recognized and properly contained within the ghetto. The cemetery here is where Madeline Albright found out about her Jewish heritage because of a surname on a gravestone.
There are 90000 Jews from the Holocaust buried in this cemetery.
So horrific to see.
Let's go back to a lighter note…
On the way back, we saw a beer spa!!
Vitamin b guys, it's very important for your hair, skin, and nails!!
We headed back home for a bit before heading to a new restaurant!
Ya, I look like a boy in this picture, I realize….
It was our last dinner all together! I enjoyed some vegetables with feta and ratatouille.
Of course we had to spend or last drinking night at U flecku (our new favorite beer hall).
Their shots there are made of Ginger and they taste like ur eating an alcoholic gingerbread mans insides. Kinda makes you wanna vomit, but you just have to so it while you're here!
Bringing Nutella to the bar? Never a bad choice.
Say hello everybody!
The first elected president after communism died in October and he was so loved that people have been coming for three months to put flowers on his monument.
We actually got an apple thrown at us on the walk home because we were being loud!!! Barbaric huh??? It's kind of a thing here. Defenestration is a word the Czech use for throwing things/people out the window. It's real.
Here are a few more facts I learned today:
1.) The Czech used to punish politicians by throwing them out of the window. That's why you will see 90% of politicians in Czech have their office on the first floor.
2.) Writers and composers are famous here instead of movie stars
3.) They have a famous building, the most modern building in the city, called The Fred And Ginger Building :)
4.) Prague was first city to be dominated and last to be liberated in world war II. They were liberated in 1945, but then in 1948 they became communist (yeesh, don't these people ever catch a break?!))
5.) There are hundreds of paintings in churches here because most people at the times were illiterate, and church was only education, so they taught them bibles stories through fresco paintings!
6.) Czechs and austrins don't like each other…
7.) Homeless people hide faces in shame when they beg
8.) Many Europeans think it's rare for families to be close in the US..so not true!
I knew I couldn't leave Europe without kissing at least one foreign man, so I did. Don't be mad Justin….
It kinda looks real doesn't it????
Creepy….
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