Prague

We took a quick trip to Prague a few weeks ago. It was kind of weird to go to a country that I could remember when it came into existence. I still remember my 7th grade geography teacher telling us that all our atlases were incorrect. Instead of the country on the map being Czechoslovakia, it was actually the Czech Republic and Slovakia. You remember those pull-down maps the teachers had? I think she had taken a black marker and drawn in the new borders. Anyhow, so it was neat to be able to go to a country that has come into existence in my lifetime.

We flew to Prague on August 6th. We got there around lunchtime and met up with our friends, the Harrells. We did a lot of walking that first day (okay, everyday). We headed to Old Town Square first. On the way we came across some neat buildings and a market that we strolled through. Once we got to Old Town Square we checked out the astronomical clock and then we climbed up (well, I think the guys climbed up and the girls took the elevator) a tower. From the tower we had a great view of Prague, so here are a few of pictures we took from the top:From Old Town Square (you see everything looked really close on the map) we headed to the Jewish Quarter. We didn't end up going into any of the synagogues and for some reason we didn't take a picture of any of the synagogues, but we got a picture of the Jewish cemetery: We then continued walking to the Charles Bridge. We stopped along the way at a little green area. One advantage of traveling with children is you do make sure to take breaks every now and then. The girls had fun stretching their legs a bit. Here's Rachel playing with her friend Ashley: Once we got to the bridge we walked about halfway across it and then headed back to find some dinner, a grocery store, and a metro station. Here are some of our pictures on the Charles Bridge:

After what seemed like a ton of wandering around we found a metro station and headed home. Here's Audrey riding the escalator down to the metro:

The next day we didn't do as much walking, but we definitely did a lot of stairs - especially the guys. We took a funicular to Petrin Hill. Once on top of Petrin Hill we were able to walk through some rose gardens. Here's Ashley and Rachel checking out all the butterflies:On Petrin Hill there's an observatory tower. Ruth and I opted out and stayed on the ground with the babies. Ben, Andy, Rachel, and Ashley climbed up to the top. I have a feeling the guys did a lot of the climbing. Here's a picture Andy took from the top:We then walked down Petrin Hill and made our way to the Prague Castle. We came across various cool buildings:
Here Audrey and I are right outside the entrance to the castle grounds:Once inside we were able to free Audrey from the Beco because Rachel was willing to walk around the castle grounds. Audrey loves being in the stroller...

And checking out the map and telling us where to go next:

We were able to tour through a few of the buildings on the castle grounds, walk through St. Vitus Cathedral, and stroll down Golden Lane. Audrey and Rachel both had their first turns on Andy's back in the Beco. Audrey wasn't too sure of it, but Rachel enjoyed it. She liked being on her daddy's back, just like her friend Ashley was.

After our tour through the castle grounds we found a grass area and the girls enjoyed some wiggle time again. I believe we dined at T.G.I.Fridays on Friday night and then headed back to the hotel for some swimming. I really wish the Europeans would learn how to heat their pools. Luckily the girls didn't seem to mind though and they had fun playing in the pool that evening. On Saturday we took the metro to Vysehrad, a castle built in the tenth century. This area had some beautiful views of Prague. Audrey is the focus of this picture, but the picture underneath shows the background in focus:

Here are the girls having some fun on the steps outside the Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul:

After touring through the Vysehrad area we got back on the metro and headed to Wenceslas Square. We were hungry by the time we reached the square, so we grabbed a quick bite to eat at a McDonald's. Nothing like having your first french fry in the Czech Republic:

Here's a picture of Andy and Rachel in Wenceslas Square with the National Museum in the background: And then here's Audrey and I with the rest of Wenceslas Square in the background:

From Wenceslas Square we then headed back to the market we found on the first day near Old Town Square to purchase some souvenirs. The girls each got a marushka doll and are still enjoying playing with them. We then headed back across the Charles Bridge in search of the John Lennon Wall. On the way we found this bridge covered with locks (not sure what it means, but it must be something significant):

Here are the girls at the Lennon Wall trying to find the letters they know:

And of course what's a trip without some ice cream:

We then found a park by the Charles Bridge that the girls enjoyed playing at. After playing at the park we had some dinner at a very hospitable cafe (there's quite a bit of sarcasm there). To finish up a fun trip we took another dip in the hotel pool that evening.

On Sunday morning we flew back home. We definitely enjoyed our few days in Prague. It was fun to go with another family and to have the chance to see more of Europe.