Prague

This past weekend I had the pleasure to go to Prague. Prague was one of those cities on my short list of places that I for sure had to visit. I don’t know what it is about Prague that is so intriguing to me…maybe it is because it is the biggest city in Europe not affected by World War II which means original buildings. Either way, Prague is one of those cities that I would highly recommend you visit in your lifetime….and SUPER cheap. It is kind of confusing though to use the Czech currency because 100 Koruna is the equivalent of 5 USD which is hard to adjust to.

I got to Prague Friday afternoon and since it gets dark really early now, there wasn’t much to see. EXCEPT, the infamous European Christmas Markets are in full swing so I had the pleasure of walking around Prague’s market in the Old Town Square. The food was amazing to say the least. Everywhere you looked there was a stand selling sausages, ham, chocolate….you name it and they had it.

20141128_223106

Christmas in Prague. The church towers in the background inspired the design of the castle in Sleeping Beauty

The next day was my city tour day. I did the usual free walking tour which gave pretty cool insight on the city. I was able to see the Astronomical Clock which is one of the top things to see in Europe but also one of the most overrated behind the Mona Lisa in Paris. On top of clock, we saw the Prague Castle which is the biggest in Europe, the Jewish Quarter, and Charles Bridge. The history behind Prague is pretty amazing and even though it has seen some turmoil over the years, a lot of it was ended peacefully which is pretty cool. We were able to get some really good at a traditional Czech restaurant where I got Beef Goulash which was tasty. The tour guide recommended this art exhibit called the Epic of Slav which gave a good history of the Czech people and it was pretty incredible. The paintings were massive and you got a handbook which explained what was going on in the picture which made it easy to follow

One of the many religious statues on Charles Bridge

One of the many religious statues on Charles Bridge

End of the bridge

End of the bridge

The Astronomical Clock. One of the oldest working clocks in the world. Pretty lame puppet show at the top of every hour

The Astronomical Clock. One of the oldest working clocks in the world. Pretty lame puppet show at the top of every hour

Food that will make your mouth water just looking at it.

Food that will make your mouth water just looking at it.

20141130_115234

View of Prague. Prague Castle on the left side of the picture.

Back of Prague Castle

Back of Prague Castle

Front of Prague Castle

Front of Prague Castle

Massive paintings at Epic of Slav

Massive paintings at Epic of Slav

20141130_131715

View from Charles Bridge

I met a couple of Aussies and Americans at the hostel that night and like me, they were kind of burnt out when it comes to cities so we looked for a place to hike the next day. We ended up finding this place north of the city called Bohemian Paradise. It is a natural park in the Czech Republic that is known for its natural sandstone and great features. The hike was long and the weather wasn’t that great (fog), but it was nice to get out the city and into nature with some cool people.

Nature coming alive

Nature coming alive

My flight was pretty late in the day on Monday so I looked for a place to hike to kill some time. There actually ended up being this really cool natural park between the city and the airport which worked out perfectly. There are the big rock cliffs that you could climb and some great trails. It was pretty good way to end the trip.

20141201_134604

Exams are coming up this week so I have been trying to hit the books which has made it hard to blog. I have 5 exams (Booooo) but I stayed on top of my studying so they shouldn’t be that bad. Exams end the 17th and then I will be off to either Antwerp or Bruges, Belgium for a few days then back to the States for Christmas.

And the adventure continues,

Corey Severson

Berlin for 25th Anniversary of the Wall coming down

Berlin for 25th Anniversary of the Wall Coming Down

Was able to go to Berlin with some friends and it just so happened to be the 25th anniversary of the wall coming down. Berlin is a really interesting city filled with history and it was nice because my roommate is German so he could explain some of the history behind the city and how the Germans view their past.

German Parliament

German Parliament

Brandenburg Gate

Brandenburg Gate

Holocaust Memorial. When you walk into it, you feel lost and confused. Supposed to represent the confusion amongst the prisoners. The memorial itself is ironic because the stone is sprayed with a chemical that doesn't allow graffiti to stick.....however the company that makes the chemical is the same company that made the gas for the gas chambers at the concentration camps.

Holocaust Memorial. When you walk into it, you feel lost and confused. Supposed to represent the confusion amongst the prisoners. The memorial itself is ironic because the stone is sprayed with a chemical that doesn’t allow graffiti to stick…..however the company that makes the chemical is the same company that made the gas for the gas chambers at the concentration camps.

For all of the Pop Culture fans out there...Michael Jackson hung his kid out of this hotel....

For all of the Pop Culture fans out there…Michael Jackson hung his kid out one of the windows in this hotel….

Checkpoint Charlie. Section of the wall controlled by Western Allies

Checkpoint Charlie. Section of the wall controlled by Western Allies

East Side Gallery. Part of the Wall that is still standing today and was painted by artists from all over the world.

East Side Gallery. Part of the Wall that is still standing today and was painted by artists from all over the world. The white balloons were all throughout the city where the wall used to stand for the anniversary.

Good Stuff

Good Stuff

Main stage commemorating the anniversary. Extremely crowded

Main stage commemorating the anniversary. Extremely crowded

Wasn't in Bavaria...but could still find the greatest meal on the planet. Pork shank, cabbage, and dumplings.

Wasn’t in Bavaria…but could still find the greatest meal on the planet. Pork shank, cabbage, and dumplings.

Berlin Cathedral

Berlin Cathedral

Remnants of the wall. You could see the different archietecture styles from the Soviets (East Germany) and the Germans (West Germany).

Remnants of the wall. You could see the different architecture styles from the Soviets (East Germany) and the Germans (West Germany).