Praha the beautiful!

What a fab way to venture off alone! After the excess of Oktoberfest, I was really excited to spend some time alone and really relax. Prague was everything I was looking for.

Here are some fave moments/tips from the trip:

1) My free walking tour was English-speaking so I thought it would be Americans and Brits, but it was almost all Australians and Kiwis. They kept telling me that they couldn’t believe that there were no Australian pubs in Europe. They were SHOCKED when I told them we don’t really have them in the States, either. Also, the tour guide kept calling the crosswalks “zebras,” and I learned that the Aussies and Kiwis call them “zebras,” too!
2) While on the tour I bought a soda, and for whatever reason I couldn’t find a trash can FOR HOURS!
It has been raining for basically my entire trip- I apologize for my hair in the pictures. (Note the hoodie I keep wearing)
3) I learned that they used to have a communist government here. While I know what communism is, I learned more about how it actually looked back then (till ‘92). For example, in the grocery store, they didn’t have fat free, low fat, and whole milk. There were only plain white cartons that said “milk”- no choices. Same went for cheese, bread, and yogurt. No packages had color or variety. How bland, right? I don’t know why that example really stuck out for me....
4)I found that the cheapest way to eat was to go to delis, although you do have to be a bit adventurous! I would go in, point to a meat or cheese that looked familiar and motion that I just wanted a little bit. Then I’d buy a roll, and make a sandwich. It always cost about 20-25Kc. To give you an idea, the Subway 6-inch special of the day was 59Kc, so it saved a lot of money! For breakfast, I would buy a pack of muffins for 23Kc, and I’d get 2. The same muffins were 59Kc each at little stands on the street. I say, “eat on the cheap!”
5) Another cheap find was free internet. A lot of cafes and restaurants offer free wifi. While you might think I’m suggesting you go in and by a coffee for the service, I’m not- TOO EXPENSIVE! haha I just sort of discretely squatted on the sidewalk NEAR the cafe and hacked the signal- the networks are not overly guarded like in the US.
6) Pilsner Urquell is the world’s first Pilsner, and it’s from the Czech Republic. In Prague, it’s so popular that you can actually buy it unpasteurized because it sells so fast! I’m not the biggest Pilsner drinker, but it did taste really good here...
7) Czech food is heavy. Dumplings, sauces, veggie purees, stewed meats. As I said, I mostly stuck to sandwiches haha And as a quick aside, they serve “grog” at most coffee shops/stands. I learned that it is basically mulled wine. To me that word sounds so horrible- like ordering “slop” to eat or something. “I’ll have the slop, with grog to drink. Thank you, kind wench...” Almost medieval or something, right?

So that was my stay in Prague. I HIGHLY recommend it! Cheap, fun, beautiful, cheap. Lovely! I’m on a bus to Vienna, Austria now. I’ll tell you all about it later!

-H*

ps. The bus driver just pulled over to check the luggage hold. I hope it’s not my bag! Sheeeeiitttt!!
Pics from Prague: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2144266&l=3308c&id=22001348