Photo Friday: Prague, Czech Republic

[shareaholic app=”share_buttons” id=”20872686″]

You all know I met SVV during my second stint living in Europe, but what you may not know is that I took someone over with me for support: my best friend from UT, Megan.

After a couple short weeks in Holland, Meg and I quickly learned that our post-grad program was, in one word, a joke. So we created our own master’s of sorts: an advanced degree in culture and travel, we liked to call it. Just three weeks into the course, we took a little sabbatical—heck, we even asked our economics teacher if we could have the time off to study the rigorous economy of the Czech Republic; he just laughed and said, of course (I think our European teachers were just glad to have American students so eager to travel the world, as Americans seem to have this not-entirely-true stereotype of homebodies without passports)—and headed to one place neither of us had ever been, but always longed to visit: Prague.

We took an overnight bus down from Utrecht through Germany, where I was nearly detained because the scary German Border Control didn’t believe it was actually me on my passport, and 12 hours later, woke up in this lovely city.

Like Luxembourg, which was a surreal experience for me, Prague seemed to be ripped from a page in a Disney fairytale.

Which was only further accentuated by the talented buskers dotting the streets.

But while I loved the history, the culture, the architecture, the booze, my best memory of the entire trip was  the friends we made (cue cheesy Stevie Wonder ballad). We stayed in the dorm room of some random hostel that I likely found on HostelWorld and as soon as we checked in, were accosted by the nicest bunch of Aussies you ever did meet (many of whom I still talk to and visit with four years later), who decided to take us out on the town and show us the sights.

Including a boat tour of the Vltava River.

Complete with our authentic river guide…from Canada.

A trip to the famed cathedral, town hall square and St. Nicholas…

…and an attempt to get the guard to smile at Prague Castle (FAIL, apparently he was perfectly used to trampy American girls throwing themselves at him).

Then, we reciprocated the hospitality, and showed our new pals some fine American drinking games over $1 pints (Prague=ridiculously cheap) in the hostel bar.

We tried our first real Absinthe (note how much Meg seemed to like it).

And visited the biggest dance club in the country, one of the largest in Europe.

Then, there was this guy, the star of the trip, Steve the Parrot.

We acquired him sometime before on a random night out in Scotland, and from then on, he went everywhere with us.

And posed with everyone we met. Aussie…

British…

Canadian…

Until one fateful day, this guy—an American, coincidentally (we’re always going and ruining everything), who ended up making out with Meg in an alley (she claims to not remember this) and is now dating his STEPSISTER (how very Gossip Girl of him)—killed our little inflatable friend. By biting him.

So, R.I.P. Steve. This post’s for you.

*All images, once again, taken with my old Nikon Coolpix, one of about three I owned before switching to Canon permanently, then eventually investing in my first DSLR.

**Note: All future Photo Fridays will be heavier on the scenery, lighter on the people pics, you have my word. Unfortunately, I was drunk for much of my week in Prague and didn’t actually make it out some days until daylight had come and gone. Guilty as charged…

COMMENTS
  • February 13, 2009

    Hooray for Prague!!! I think I might have stayed in the same hostel (July of . . . um . . . I suppose . . . 2001?). . . was it up a hill? near a stadium type thing? And German Border Control? YES THEY ARE SCARY A** MOTHER F**KERS. Love the photos . . . good memories 🙂

  • February 13, 2009

    Awesome pics!! Ok did you notice your pupils in that first picture? Your friends pupils are tiny (probably due to the flash) but yours are HUGE! Lol I have no idea why I noticed that.

  • February 13, 2009

    FUN! Prague looks gorgeous!

  • February 13, 2009

    Love Prague. I’ll never forget running the sluiceway/rapid under the bridge and the trying to figure out how to carry that damn heavy boat back up to where I’d rented it. Wasn’t worth it.

  • February 13, 2009
    k

    i was going to say i think i stayed in the same hostel too – but it wasn’t up by the stadium, it was in a random neighborhood. anyway, i loved prague, despite the fact that it rained every day i was there.

  • February 13, 2009

    I was looking forward to the Photo Friday post all week. Heh. And it was even more fun than I expected! I love Steve!
    Also, I didn’t even know we still had border patrols here in Europe. Ugh. I sure feel stupid now.

  • February 13, 2009

    after the last post – I admit – I was totally just checking out your boobs. =) yay again for photo friday!

  • February 13, 2009

    Who bites a blow-up bird? Stupid cracker.

  • February 13, 2009

    Those pictures are great.

  • February 13, 2009

    We Aussies are like that. Will talk to anyone. Even if they don’t want to talk to us.

    Gorgeous pics.

    I did your interview by the way.

  • February 13, 2009

    i don’t know if i’m disturbed or intrigued that he is dating his stepsister. or that he bit your plastic parrot. haha.

  • February 13, 2009

    Ali’s comment has me in stitches…

  • February 13, 2009

    I wonder what authentic river guide’s resume looks like. I wonder if he gets that job as an investment banker. (Probably better off as a river guide right now.)

  • February 14, 2009

    Your pictures are great! Hostels can be so fun, especially with American drinking games.

  • February 16, 2009

    Yay! Prague. I’ve always wanted to visit Prague someday. 3 years ago I landed in Germany and desperately wanted to go to Prague but ran out of time! Will definitely do next time!

  • February 16, 2009

    i think prague is one of my all time favorite cities in the world. i love it so much. got to go back soon

    amazing pics! thanks!

  • February 18, 2009

    Love the photos!

  • June 4, 2012

    Oo love the pics! I really enjoyed Prague last year – definitely not just a stag do weekender destination 🙂

  • June 2, 2013

    Great pictures. It looks you had an awesome time traveling in Prague!

  • February 18, 2015

    Loved reading your blog entry about Prague. I just took a trip there last weekend and you tips totally helped. Alos your photos are fab! Just uploaded my experience with Prague on my website, if you ever go again you should check out some resturants I recommended.

  • February 14, 2016

    I visited Prague in 1992. It was crazy because I bumped into 5 people I knew who were also visiting.

    Prague has a vibe quite unlike any other city. I would love a chance to visit again!

  • February 25, 2017

    Hahah fun post. I currently live in Prague and it’s every bit as magical as you perceived it when you visited. I also travel around with an inanimate friend, my travel gnome. And funny enough, an American friend of mine also broke him into little pieces one day after a drunk afternoon in Vegas.

    Can’t take us anywhere!

    • February 26, 2017

      Ah jealous, it’s been 12 years now since I was there. I clearly need to return to Prague asap!

  • August 31, 2017

    The Czech Republic is a one of the stunning destination.The pictures are vivid quality.

Leave a Comment