Road Trip: Prague

Well……we just had a two week break from school and we decided to take a road trip!  I should have paid closer attention to the expressions on people’s faces when I told them of our plans.  It was not for the faint of heart.  Well, with some well timed breaks, we ended up having a great trip.  To begin, we drove from Eindhoven, Netherlands and after 8 hours, three countries and some very long tunnels between Germany and the Czech Republic, we arrived!  Now to the good stuff: Prague.  I had been wanting to get to Prague for such a long time.  My mom and sister had been during our college days, and I have heard so many different perspectives about the city, it was time for me to judge for myself.  There really is so much to see and do in Prague.  The capital of the Czech Republic, it is a large city set on the Vltava River with lots of buildings from the 14th century still in tact, meandering medieval streets, and lively street performers.  The city is full of music and art, classical concerts and horse drawn carriage rides.  As I write this, I am listening to the “Moldau” by the most famous Czech composer, Smetana, of whom they are very proud.  Some of the highlights of the city include St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge, the Astronomical clock, and the Jewish Quarter.  It has an uncanny likeness to Budapest, with the castle on the hillside and the river.  The local cuisine features rabbit, boiled beef, duck, sauerkraut, and these rolled pastries called “Trdelnik, which my husband and elder son took a strong liking to.  After the Nazi invasion in WWII, the Soviets and communism was the law of the land until their first free elections  in 1990.  In 1993, Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia respectively, in 2004 the Czech Republic became part of the European Union, but they still use their own currency, the Koruna.  In 2008, the Czech Republic joined Schengen, the border free zone in Europe, so we had no border stops to contend with.  Like Budapest, Prague definitely feels more Eastern European and I feel that you sense this in the people.  Perhaps it was the snow flurries in April, but I didn’t get a warm vibe from the citizens.  I did, however, find some great art to bring home!  All in all, I really enjoyed Prague with its beautiful buildings, tons of history, and lively street life.  I would definitely recommend a visit.  Stay tuned for the next stop on our road trip, Vienna!