Adventures of NaDave: Nadine Germany

This weekend, I went to Prague, Czech Republic, or "Praha" as the Czechs say it. Inspired by Dave's travel log, I'd like to send an entry of my own!

Friday I left work after a full day and biked 30 min to Erlangen to catch a discount bus, a 5 hour direct route to Prague. I arrived in and immediately checked into the Art Hole Hostel, a cute little place with good wifi and really nice people. Before going to bed, I had a nightcap beer with the Spanish receptionist for 1 euro, called my fiance to say goodnight, and headed to bed, bunking with 9 other travelers!

Saturday was the big tourism day - I ended up walking over 15 miles throughout the city! (Map of some places I visited.) First on my list was the Old City with the Astronomical Clock, then I crossed the beautiful Charles Bridge (which you may recognize from movies including The Departed and Mission Impossible) and headed to Prague Castle. I learned that the Czechs are pretty serious about their freedom, after years of being ruled by the Hussites, Astro-Hungarians, the Nazis, and the communist regime (until the Velvet Revolution in 1989). After all this intense history, I could go for a drink! No problem in Prague -- Czech beer is among the best in Europe -- so I went to a pub and had a light lunch with my first Czech half liter for $4 USD. (This was technically a gift from Ed and Deb, who left me 100 czechys from their trip with Dave earlier this year! Thanks guys!)

Post-lunch, I decided it was a good time to hike up the precipitous Petrin Hill to the panoramic scenic overlook in Petrin tower. I then swung over to the John Lennon wall, which was originally a youth-fueled protest to the Communist regime, then walked along and across the river to the National Theatre, I went to another local pub and ordered a beer tasting with my dinner. After dinner, I went to Wenceslas Square and then it was time to get ready for the highlight of my trip: The Opera! I went to see Carmen, which is a tragedy that takes place in southern Spain and is performed in French, with English and Czech subtitles. I had an amazing box seat and the performance was so beautiful that it made me cry! It was raining when I got back outside, so I headed back to the hostel for the night.

Since Saturday was so efficient, Sunday I had some time to 'live like a local,' which is one of my favorite ways to explore a city. I went to my first Czech-speaking yoga class with the Christmas-yoga-money-gift from Dave's sister, Tanya (Thank you!!), then enjoyed the healthiest post-yoga breakfast ever: Rich and Creamy Hot Chocolate at Cafe Lourve (where Einstein used to hang out)!!! I also took public transit out of the city to an arts district neighborhood, which had a modern art themed TV tower. Atop the tower, I enjoyed the view of old and new city with a glass of Czech wine, then made moves to collect my luggage from the hostel and head back to Germany!

This was my first time in a long time traveling without my partner in crime. Though I missed him (and all of you!!) a lot, it was empowering to plan and execute this trip all on my own! Next on my list are Berlin, Ukraine, and Southern Spain!