Prague

First Eurail:

The train ride was great. We followed a river the whole way and there were hills and rafting sites, people biking, and huge mansions. We stopped at a small town in Germany and 6 or so teenagers got on ready to party. They had beer mug hats, a huge 1990 style boom box, and copious amounts of alcohol. They sat behind us and sang along loudly with thick German accents, which we managed to film some of. Greg and I were cracking up, as were the four other, calmer, German boys. The rest of the train was all staring at them. One old lady even took out a camcorder and was blatantly filming them. Their choice in music was interesting to say the least. Hearing them sing it in bad English was priceless. After the second song I got out my notebook and started keeping a list here it is...

List of American songs heard blasted over CD player:

-Everybody Dance Now (original)

-I'm a Barbie Girl (original)

-I Like to Move It Move It (German rendition)

-POD Last Resort (original)

Greg's first time on a Eurail

Ode to Smaziny Syr (by Greg):

There is a little known Secret about Prague. I have only found one article about this angelic creation on the internet and that was written by an American student who was studying abroad in the Czech Republic. But if you are in Prague at any point in your life you must take at least one meal (lunch, dinner, or late night snack) and enjoy a Smaziny Syr. This is a sandwich made of a battered and freshly fried piece of Eidam cheese that is put between a sliced hamburger bun with a squirt of mayonnaise to finish off this warm delight. You can find these wonderful concoctions on Wenceslas Square at one of the many hot dog stands that line the street. For you non-vegetarians you could buy a foot long sausage or other fried goodies and I'm sure they may be tasty, but they will not give you the same satisfaction as a fried cheese sandwich.

When you take your first bite into a Smaziny Syr you feel the crunch of the breaded cheese then as you pull away you will feel the cheese being stretched between your watering mouth to the sandwich itself. Chew the mild cheese and bread and savor the taste of the mayonnaise as it moves around your tongue and teeth. Swallow the first bite and consider ordering a second one but wait because the first one will go a long way. The morning of my departure from Prague I was able to eat the remnants of one that Kevina could not finish. Now that I'm on a train I wish that I would have gotten another one but it's okay because I will be able to eat other great foods in Italy. Prague, Just know that I will be back in order to eat yet another Smaziny Syr. To the wonderful Czech people, thank you for creating this wonderful sandwich that may very well be my favorite food.

Two years of longing...fulfilled!

I have to admit it was insanely delicious!

Greg holding his first Smaziny Syr in two years...this is what the stand looks like.

Sights of Prague:

The first day we got into Prague we decided to walk all around. I could not get over how cool every building looked. Or, as Greg said “all the buildings look like Disneyland.” When I asked him to explain he said they all look too 'nice' what with their pastel colors and ornate architecture. We walked down by the river and across the main bridge to Old Town Square. This is where the Astronomical Clock is. It was packed with people and there were tons of outdoor seating under tents for each restaurant. Since we had only eaten out once we decided to splurge and eat a nice dinner. We had a lovely, romantic, 2 hour meal. Also, add mashed potatoes with sauerkraut to the list of foods you must try! We stayed until sunset and then had a 20 CZK ice cream...which equals 1 US dollar! I love Prague! Now, since Prague isn't switched over the Euro yet I had to write a cheat sheet on my hand each day from CZK to USD for a quick reference. This came in handy especially at the grocery store where I had to keep checking my hand to make sure I was reading it correctly. The food was so cheap!

All food purchased for less than 10 american dollars, some crowns.

On a bridge looking over to the castle side of town.

We toured around the largest castle in Europe, we got to see the changing of the guards which is always kinda funny. After the guards switch places the new guard fixes and adjusts his uniform for the last time in a certain order, tugging on a belt, pulling a shirt tail, etc. Then they turn around and become statues for the next hour. Seeing the castle at night is quite a site since they light it all up, along with the bridge.

Infront of the cathedral in the castle, on our way up to the castle.

The castle at night and trying to find food.

We also walked all around Wenceslas square (mainly to get Greg's most favorite food). It was sort of like a times square but not as big. There was also a 10 foot wide median up the middle of the main road with a different garden in each square and benches between each.

Prague is a town that loves their dogs. They all seemed happy and well behaved. Most places we went it wasn't unusual to see dogs off their leashes just walking next to their owners. We saw so many cute puppies!

This is on the insanely fast and steep escalators in Prague. It made me dizzy.

Hostel:

Our hostel was tiny but awesome. We had a private corner room, with two walls of windows! Our key was the old medieval style kind. The shower was tiny and gross but it was fine. Oh, and we have a little running joke now about 'the balloon.' So in Dublin, when I was out of my mind with sleep deprivation and jet lag, I held up the umbrella and looked at Greg right in the eye and said, “Are we going to bring the balloon?” We both just stared at each other until I realized that I said the wrong word, then we had a delusional laughing fit. So now every time it is raining we chuckle as we open up the 'balloon.'

Our sweet key, our hostel building... our room is the right window on the second floor.

We found a big kid juice box, instead of juice it was iced coffe! Playing in our hostel room.

I liked the windows so much I ate breakfast IN them!