Gluhwein Prague Style.

In Prague, gluhwein comes in paper cups and drinkers of it add lemon juice and sugar.

I liked the condiments but missed my souvenir mug!

On to Prague. {Take 2.}

Well Hello Sausage Fest.

Introducing our roomies.

Sorry, this is all we know about them as well.

Unfortunately, Miss-Secret-Cam-Emily couldn't snag a full room shot.

{Just so you know, if she could have scored the photo, you would have seen a lot of boxer briefs and the blurry figure of a guy who thrashed around all night long.  I think everyone snored and one guy was a sleep talker.}

I think I just may be done with hostels now.
BUT for those of you still on the bandwagon, I would recommend Sir Toby's.
Good location to the tram, excellent {overly helpful} staff, very cheap, fun activities offered every night, full of boys {that's for the ladies}, and a pub in the basement.

The Charles Bridge. Prague.

The Charles Bridge.




Definitely deserving of a walk all the way across.

Gorgeous.

Looming.

Ancient.

Magnificenting the Vltava River.

Darkening her ripples with his blackened decore of Baroque statues of saints.

Enjoy your stroll to the other side.

Listen to the songs of the Band Bridge.

Look at the art work for sale by local artists.
Take a photo shoot with a best friend.





This is definitely a bridge I'll never burn. ;)

Tip:  Be ready to LOVE the mass amounts of tourists -- you are one too after all.

Garden Terrace, Prague.

In my search for a brewery, I discovered Hotel U Prince in Old Town Square which offers a beatiful rooftop view of the city.

The Garden Terrace is located on the 8th floor.

Beers are a little bit pricey, but I think the view and the shaded area was well worth the inflation.

Crooked Streets and Lustful Tales.

Finally, at 6:55, we find ourselves standing, breathless and a bit flushed with heat generated from fast walking and the anxiety of being lost, in front of the Estates Theater ready for Don Giovanni, Mozart's acclaimed masterpiece.

We had been wandering the crooked streets of Prague for the past 45 minutes, searching for this theater. 

We asked 3 different sets of people -- one laughed in our face.  One sent us in the wrong direction.  One was overly helpful.

Clearly, dumb American was plastered on each of our foreheads as we "Where's Waldo-ed" our way through the city.

But alas, we made it.

And, it was also my first opera ever.

However, our tumultuous, confusing walk was a definite prequel to our experience with the story within the opera.  Don Giovanni is a love crazed man, whose theme song seems to be "Toot it and Boot it."  He preys on the hearts, minds, and bodies of young, beautiful women, promising them love, but ending the affairs as soon as another lady appears in his world. 

Full of sex, ballet, masquerades, murder, rape, identify theft, comedy, and pretty girls, Mozart created a masterpiece {of confusion for me}.

We were able to follow pretty well through Act I and II but were gone for good in III.  Later, I looked up the story, and had the startling realization that, in truth, I understood almost none of the falling action or resolution.  But still, the music and dancing and performances of the players were not only noteworthy, they too encouraged the feeling of "getting lost" of being "carried away" -- of forgetting the current moment.

And so, we left the theater, more flushed and breathless and lost, than when we entered.

But, if we had read a bit about the story {and our map}  before hand, we would have been totally fine.
And for only 130czk {about 5.01 eruo and 6.25 dollars}, it's sort of hard to regret choosing an opera night in Prague.

The Best Way to See Prague...

{and burn a million calories}

is to reserve a spot with one of the many bike tours offered throughout the city.

We went with the BIG-ALL-IN-ONE Prague Tour with Praha Bike {50 euro} which I would definitely recommend.

In short, it's a 6.5 hour bike trip around all of the city, including Vysehrad Castle, Wenceslas Square, Old Jewish Cemetery and Jewish Corridor, Old Town Square, Prague Castle, Charles Bridge,  National Theater, Letna Park, Petrin Tower, and to the world's tallest metronome.

We stopped for a traditional Czech lunch where we were able to order our choice from an extensive menu and a Czech beer.

When finished, we were exhausted but smarter {and hopefully leaner}, but casually dreading the thought of sitting through an entire opera later in the evening on our freshly biked bottoms.  ;)

Emily and Allison Go To Prague.

Here we are!

After a few days in Pristina, where we did little but laugh and catch up on the past year of our lives, Emily and I headed to Prague.

Stay tuned for more self-portraits, hostel stories, Hunger Game role playing, and walks with roller suitcases.

{You know you have a great best friend when she visits you all the way in Kosovo.}