Quick facts:Who: #ODDQUAD and about half the castle...by accident
When: midday 11/30 to midday 12/2
Where: Prague, Czech Republic!
Most Used Phrases:
I will be honest here: I did not speak a word of Czech this entire weekend. I feel bad, but I was also very, very tired.
My favorites:
Tree lighting: I give Annie all the credit, but we planned on being in Prague the night of the tree lighting! It was pretty cramped and a little scary at times, but so worth it to see the giant tree all lit up! I have to give something to the Czech's - they get to the point. The Boston tree lighting seems to go on for days, whereas the ceremony here lasted all of five minutes. Announcement, quick countdown, minute of tree being all dazzling. Loved it! Just make sure you don't get trampled by the crowds...
Walking tour: Sadly, I didn't write about our wonderful walking tour in Paris (our tour guide Adam = <333) but when I realized the same company did tours in Prague, I was determined we would go! And it was just as amazing! I HIGHLY recommend Sandmann's tours - all of their guides are unpaid, purely relying on tips you give them at the end, so they're extremely conscious about giving you the best tour possible. Also, they're all insanely knowledgeable and just really funny people. Anyway, our guide was Omar and he marched us all around the old quarter, where the Jewish ghetto used to be, and a few other great landmarks. I like learning, I like walking, thus I loved this tour.
John Lennon wall: Okay, this might've been one of my favorite sights in all of Europe. There's this wall, sort of off the beaten path, and it is COVERED in John Lennon related things. Even a mild Beatles fan is pretty blown away by it. There's loads of color, song lyrics, love notes, graffiti...just general awesome, slammed on one wall. I could've stayed there for days.
Beer Museum: spoiler alert: it's not really a museum. There aren't plaques or guides or anything. BUT there are 30+ beers on tap, including a BOOK that's just the different kinds and their tastes. So I think it's a museum in and of itself. I got to try a few different kinds and the kicker is: IT'S CHEAP. Like real cheap.
Trdlniks: upon telling my mom about trdlniks, her prompt response was: "whenever I ask you about a city, you talk about food...why is that?" Well, Mom, trying a food is the best way to get a TASTE of the culture (see what I did there?). And trdlniks are no exception. What is a trdlnik, do you ask? (By the way, repeatedly typing 'trdlnik' is something my fingers are really confused about.) A trdlnik is a street sweet that you can buy at the christmas markets in Prague. They take some sugary dough, wrap it around an oversized rolling pin, set the pin over hot coals, and it rotates there for a while. Eventually, they pull off the circular wraps, cut it into chunks, douse it in cinnamon sugar, and give out to people for cheap. You pop your thumb in the hole and can enjoy your treat on the go.
Others: old town square, The Pub, and strawberry-lime cider.
End results: Prague was absolutely beautiful and filled with a lot of history. I highly recommend going around Christmas, because it becomes its own little wonderland.
