Better late than never Prague post

After our adventures in Salzburg we took the long train ride to Prague. There was a real change in scenery as we made our way into the Czech Republic. The snow top mountains disappeared and we passed through several small towns with train stations that looked like they had been there since they were first built. We had to connect with three trains during our travel which was a bit of a hassel but an adventure. Each train we got on was a little bit older and a little bit dirtier. On one of our connection stops we had some time to kill so we decided to try and find a place to eat. We weren't successful because we were in what looked like a ghost town with dirt roads and only a few shops and houses. It was kind of a weird feeling knowing that we were in a random town somewhere between Salzburg and Prague. We made it to Prague late on the 29th and had a bit of a difficult time finding our hostel, but once we did we realized that it was two minutes from the train station. Pretty funny. Our hostel was nice. It looked just like one of Adam's dorms in college. On our first full day we did a lot of site seeing. We went to the Charles Bride, checked out the Astronomical clock (very cool), and went to Old Town which you get to by crossing the Charles River. There was a huge Christmas mart set up in New Town with a beautiful Christmas tree that you can see in the pictures we posted. We made it up to the Palace which was very pretty but very cold. I posted some pictures of the view from the palace overlooking Prague. On New Years Eve day we scoped out several places we could eat dinner but most places were very expensive and had a set meal price. We decided to eat at a small place by our hostel and then go to Chapeau Rouge which is a really cool bar that Katie recommended to us. At midnight we ran(literally) from the bar to the Charles Bridge to watch the fireworks. It was absolute madness. There were masses of people pushing and shoving and you would look over to the person next to you and they would be shooting off huge fireworks. I think Adam loved it but I was overwhelmed. I'm used to lighting Sparklers and watching fireworks from a distance so we ended up leaving early because it was so crazy. Needless to say it was quite an adventure and I will never forget our New Year's Eve in Prague. For Adam's Birthday we went out to a nice dinner. Adam had a steak kebab for his Birthday meal. On our way to dinner there were herds of people walking towards the Charles River for another firework show that Adam and I didn't even know about until we walked outside that night. Talk about perfect timing and a great way to celebrate Adam on his special day. Our train ride back home was very easy with only one stop in Vienna. We had a great time on our travels and we are hoping to make it to Italy and France before I return home.

Heidi

Prague Photos

The Hills Were Alive in Salzburg

Hello and Happy New Year to all!!! As you will read in the previous post Adam and I had an incredible time in Vienna catching up with Paul and Jasmine and checking out the city during Christmas time. The streets of Vienna at night were truly magical with all the trees lit up and the bustling Christmas marts on every corner. One of the highlights for me from Vienna was a night where we went to this huge Christmas mart set up in front of the most beautiful government building I have ever seen. We enjoyed hot wine, warm pastries, and checked out all the different booths and vendors. It really got us in the Christmas spirit although I have to say that celebrating Christmas away from family for the first time was weird. Adam and I managed to put small stockings together for each other which helped remind us of home and family. Overall, we had an incredible time in Vienna and I hope to go back. We hopped on our train to Salzburg early in the morning on the 27th and made it to our hostel by mid-afternoon. The train ride was not too long and not too crowded which was nice. I'm very excited to write about our adventures in Salzburg because I have always been a huge fan of the movie Sound of Music, and for those of you who don't know Salzburg is where much of the movie was filmed and where the real Von Trapp family lived for some time. If you have ever seen this movie you have to take this tour. We got to see the gazebo, the abbey, the chapel, and the list goes on. Not to mention the bus driver plays the whole soundtrack to the movie on the bus while you drive to the different locations featured in the film. It is totally cheesy but for any Sound of Music lover, like myself, it is a real treat. Some other highlights from Salzburg include going to Mozart's house and taking the tram up to the fortress that towers over Salzburg. We also went to the Augustiner beer hall which was quite an experience as well. Lining the shelves when you walk in are tankards for your beer ranging in size up to 1 liter. After you get your beer you find a seat among the crowds in the beer hall and enjoy. To top off our stay in Salzburg Adam and I were lucky enough to stumble upon an outdoor ice skating rink one night. Let me just say that if Adam wasn't a volleyball player he could have been an ice hockey player. I was a bit nervous that Adam was going to take down one of the small children skating while he was shredding up the ice. Salzburg was unforgettable and like I said about Vienna I would also love to go back to Salzburg.

Love to all
Heidi

some more Vienna pictures

Here are some more pictures from our last day in Vienna.