Here’s my sexy pose with Prague/Prague Castle behind me.

Hello friends! I made it to the Czech Republic and I have spent 3 days in Prague and 1 day in Kutna Hora. I must say (I think I say this every time) that Prague is a beautiful city, especially at dusk. All the roofs are tiled in orange and many of the buildings are still in their original form. Walking around the city has been a treat. You know the best part though? My father and brother, Jamie, are here with me. So, my solo travels have ended and my family bonding time has just started!

My brother Jamie and my Dad!

On the first day, I spent a majority of my time in Old Town. There is a square (a public space) where musicians perform and you can see two famous sights: the old town hall tower/astronomical clock and Tyn Church. I also walked to Charles Bridge and got a great view of the towns riverside. While walking beneath the Old Town bridge watch tower and down the cobblestone bridge, I imagined what life must’ve been like 700 years ago. There must of been lots of horse traffic and I bet the bridge was full of vendors selling their wares. I also bet many people have laughed, cried, and kissed here. Well, actually thinking about, in the end nothing has really changed (except for the horses maybe). I am sure my time in Europe will be full of these thoughts. That evening, I ate goulash, which is authentic Czech cuisine. Yum.

There is Old Town and Charles Bridge.

The next day, Dad, Jamie, and I visited Prague Castle. It was the first castle I’ve ever been too, so it was a pretty big deal for me. We bought tickets to see the castle and it’s most famous buildings. Our first stop was Saint Vitus Cathedral. Since this cathedral was meant for nobility, it was chalk-full of gold decor and exquisite stained glass.

Saint Vitus Cathedral

The next place was attached to the cathedral. This building was used for royal business. There is a parliament room and several other rooms where councilors would meet. My favorite part, you ask? Well, it has to be the third story councilor room, where 2 Catholic councilors were thrown out a window; this was called the Defenstration of Prague! Back in old Bohemia, Protestants were discriminated against under the monarchy. Rudolph II made a law about religious liberty, but still Protestants were treated unfairly. Well, the 2 Catholic men violated the religious liberty law because the Protestants wanted to build a church near/inside the castle gates, but the 2 councilors believed only Catholic churches should be built within the castle grounds. Well, the Protestants weren’t too happy about that, so they marched up to the 3rd floor, found the councilors, and threw them out the window. Miraculously, they survived. But, how? Well, there are 2 stories. One is that angels caught them in mid flight and brought them safely to the ground. The second story is that they landed in a large pile of horse manure. Either way, they were defenstrated out of a window, to then spark the 30 year war. Tah-Dah, history!

On day 3, we went to Petrin Park to get a good view of the city. We went to the top of an observation tower and could see all of Prague.

Look at all the orange tiles!

Jamie and I then went to an castle called Vsehrad and explored the grounds. There was a beautiful church and a graveyard that houses famous Czech artists, one of them you may know is Antonin Dvorak, the famous composer. It was a pleasant walk. We walked back towards Old Town and I went to Charles Bridge again. I sat on the bridge and watched people pass by. I also listened to a violin player, while people watching. I was there till the sun set over Prague.

Day 4 was probably my favorite day. Jamie and I decided to go to Kutna Hora. It is famous for being the second most important town in the Czech Republic, and it has 2 UNESCO site churches. We visited both of them. One is called the Ossuary and it was built during the Black Plague. During this time, the master builder built the church, but had no means to decorate it. So, he used the human bones (people who died from the Plague) that were piled beside the church as interior decorating. Still, the church is completely covered in human bones. Here are some pictures!

This is the chandelier completely made out of bones

There are 4 pyramids of human skulls.

Jamie and I walked across town to the next UNESCO site, The Curch of Saint Barbara. In the last 4 days, I’ve seen lots of churches, but this one takes the cake. The outside was phenomenal and the history inside was so cool! The frescos and original painted glass were very interesting. Jamie and I sat inside for a long time, soaking in the beautiful architecture.

Magnificent.

We returned back to Prague by the early evening. After dinner, I went on my last stroll through Old Town and wrote in my journal at the square. The clock tower looked so pretty during dusk.

That’s my Prague experience in a nutshell. My Europe trip may not be as exciting as living in a Japanese zazen temple or as exciting as horseback riding in the Gobi desert, but I hope you will still enjoy reading my blog. : )

Much love,

-Molly