Prague

The Czech Republic is the only Eastern European country we will visit and it is one that I am the most excited about. Several people have told us that Prague is their favorite city in Europe so I have high expectations for this leg of the journey. We will travel by train from Berlin to Prague and supposedly the train ride is beautiful and passes by castles. Perhaps I'm so fascinated by castles since we don't have them in the States, but I really can't wait to explore European castles and climb hundreds of stairs. (I may say differently after climbing tower after tower but as of now, I am really excited about castles!)

I'm also super excited about the rich history of the nation and seeing the Prague Castle which which is one of the world's biggest castles and housed the Holy Roman Emperors and the old Communist government. (OK, so I looked in my "Let's Go" book for that tidbit of info) Another interesting fact provided by the book: we can visit the Old Royal Palace and see where a Protestant assembly found two Catholic governors guilty of religious persecution and threw them out of the window in 1618. The men landed in a pile of manure and survived, but the event contributed to the beginning of the Thirty Year's War. Why is it that any history story involving manure automatically becomes interesting?

We're bound to get lost as we tour the city since the streets are described like a "labyrinth" but maybe Trent's experience in the country will help us find our way. We'll stay at a hostel right in the center of the city for 2 nights and then explore right outside of Prague and stay at a hostel by a river. I chose this spot mainly because they serve a homemade dinner. I think that as a history teacher I'm supposed jazzed about going to museums but honestly, I am more excited about trying new delicious foods.