July 5^th, 2012

Day 47: Prague, Czech Republic

After our late night, we took the liberty of sleeping in a bit and getting a slower start. There were a few kids in our hostel that were doing the same thing, and we chatted with them regarding their plans for the day. We ended up going on a Castle tour with Sandeman’s that started at 2pm. This one was not free, but was definitely worth it! We had a guide who ws from the Czech Republic and really knew the intricacies of the history both of the castle and the castle grounds and the country as a whole.

We started off in a garden where the Czech Senate serves and then made our way up the hill to the castle. The castle was gorgeous, especially the various churches that stood on the grounds. They all had some pretty interesting stories to tell as well. The scenic view from the high grounds of the castle were also breathtaking!

We stumbled upon the filming of a Coca-Cola Zero commercial prior to the beginning of the tour! Something about James Bond..

The garden surrounding the Czech Parliament offices

Albino peacock!

A wall carved out of volcanic stone in the garden

I had no idea peacocks could fly, but this guy got right up there in the trees!

View from the top of the castle grounds

One of the guards

A statue of a young boy in the courtyard. Women touch his penis for good luck in fertility!

One of the chapels in the castle grounds

Gorgeous cathedral

The front gates of the Castle

A Palace at one time. The design is really unique- bricks painted black, painted white on top, and then carved away to create the design.

Tom's tanline. That's what I get for not bringing sandles!

When we were on our way out of the castle and to the area immediately behind it, we stopped to watch the changing of the guard.  I always build up the changing of the guard to be some sort of phenomenal event, but just like it is in every other country, it was a let down.

After the tour, we went our separate ways with the kids from our hostel because we each had to take care of our travel plans for the next stop on our list. Stephen and I headed to the bus station to book our tickets to Munich and did so without a hassle! We’d be leaving at 5p the next day, which gave us plenty of time to get up, get our stuff together and go!

After we were all sorted, we went back to the hostel for a bit to relax and then wandered down the street for a bite to eat. We each had goulash and potato dumplings, which was an absolutely delicious meal! After getting back, we changed and rounded up a small group of kids from the hostel to go to a local pub that was known for the cheapest Pilsner Urquell around. We got a few rounds there and just had some fun with our new friends! We were back and in bed around 3 or so, and the rain had stopped completely!

Favorite part of the day: Dinner- a traditional Czech spin goulash. I’m excited to continue to try new, traditional food at all of the places I’m continuing on to, especially if they’re all as good as goulash!!