Praha

This picture is literally the view from my hostel: it was right downtown, by the Karluv bridge, and finding it was a challenge. It turns out the hostel was above a shop, and you had to go through a tight ceiling'ed stairway, which took you up and down, and finally would lead you to reception, and then your room. The location was fantastic, and I had the perfect base from which to start my tour of Prague.

I am ashamed to admit that I actually went to bed pretty early (1030 or so) on Thursday night, but not before I went to visit the city for a few hours. Prague's winding streets and alleys are one of a kind, with a surprise literally at every corner. I was woken up at around 1 am, by a group of 4 Brazilian guys, whose beds I had taken over with my bag (since no one else was in the room). The boys were nice enough to move the stuff for me, so my sleep wasn't so interrupted.

The next day, I planned out a walking tour for myself, which included walking south to the river, than across the bridge (most Legii) and take a tour through the park and the castle. I stopped by to eat some lunch, and as I was approaching the castle, the rain started to pour in buckets. I took shelter under a cafe umbrella, but the owner stared me down, so I kept walking and took shelter on the stairs under a random building. I just started and finished Labyrinth on the 9 hour train over, and was feeling a little angry towards Catholics, so I was surprised to find that the shelter I chose was actually the side part of the huge St. Nicolas church in Prague. It was a nice break from the pouring rain, I must admit.

After visiting the castle, I took the metro to the east side of Prague, where I indulged in some window and actual shopping. I walked back to my hostel, and didn`t realize how late it was: I was supposed to meet a friend at 7! On a side note, my friend Will from Western just landed in Prague (he's Czech) on the 28th, and that's the evening that I was going to be there to, so we met up for some Czech food and drinks. We used to work together in London and he's a fellow Western Alum. It was great to see a familiar face, and we did tons of catching up that evening.

Once I got back, I packed everything, and left Prague this morning for Frankfurt: another fantastic 7 hour train ride. I must say though, the Germans know how to build their trains - second class on this train was not even comparable to first class on a Polish one. When we finally got to Frankfurt, I didn't even want to get off. Sigh, but I have to face reality: Frankfurt is my last stop before I fly home to Canada. That's right, I am thisclose to concluding my trip already.

I'll be spending the last hours trying to enjoy myself as long as possible. Frankfurt better deliver!