Heather found herself roaming the streets of Berlin and fell in Love with Germany....she met some students from Amsterdam who are awaiting her return to Greece to email and bribe her to come visit....it was a long night....a Great night....and soon enough she should be heading off to Prague.....but does she?
INSERT Theme music here, credits and enter DASHINGLY attractive main character guy and DRAMA.....
scatch that...bu that would have been neat...would it not?
OK OK OK Theme Music would DEFINITELY BE appropriate.....
hmm....
TWO HOURS LATER we were up and moving and getting ready to go….sluggishly….I DID not want get up…..HELLO I was super warm…and it was super cold everywhere else…but I did and we were BACK on the metro and BACK to the enormous train station. We found some breakfast….and hopped on the train and PASSED OUT. I was really excited about the train ride because we were headed right for Dresden, Germany. I have read so many books about Dresden or have been based in Dresden….the whole time we were riding through it I could only think about Slaughter House Five by Kurt Vonnegut… since that was the last thing I read that centered around Dresden. It just all blew my mind and all of Germany, as we were riding along, was really beautiful. The colors and the old buildings were so cool. I could train through all the countries actually. You see so much of what the country really is and even when we bused back to Berlin we got to see even MORE of Dresden….haha of course who was really interested in this besides me? Haha Heather….go figure.
WE MADE IT, after some seat confusion and some conversation with some Texans traveling and conferencing, we were in PRAGUE. The city of Gold, Bohemia, and Fairy Tales….and people that smell funny, speak funny and only smile if they have an uncontrollable itch. This is a true, a very true story. SO now what….well I needed money, and so did everyone else…..WHY?! I’ll tell you why….money is very important to buy things with….to live and stuff….right…so how do the Czech’s do it? With crowns….yeah I don’t know either….So we had to fine some…and then we did…and we’re all just rolling along at this point….slightly irritated because we went from Greek to German to Czech…..WHAT? too many languages…that have NOTHING to do with English…minus in Germany people knew English…and there were English there….hehe….oh there were English there…OK never mind…that is for later on…promise, promise…..OK SO language RIGHT…English thing…I’m really ready for it…I’m pretty sure we are ALL Ready for it….communication is VERY important…things I have learned here1. Sign language and the perfection of pointing to get what I want2. Speaking English even though I know they can’t understand me3. I speak broken English….even though I can speak it fine…because apparently I think Greeks are retarded…..I’m not going to justify that statement…it may or may not be true….hmmmMostly may.RIGHT THEN.OK Money check…finding an info desk about how to get around Prague…CZECH….get on a metro…CZECH…get on a tram for way to long and then get on the wrong tram and travel around Prague for an extra hour that we did not need to do…CZECH….found our hostel….CZECH INN…haha get it….we’re in the Czech republic and we were Checking in…to the Czech Inn hahaha SO WITTY those Czechs…even though I’m pretty sure it was a mostly English-speaking establishment…let’s talk about this place…I liked it…the rooms were huge the whole sleeping thing with the huge duvet covers…DON’T hate it…so with that said…go CZECH it out…www.czech-inn.com That’s where I was….HOK…so the guy at the front desk suggested some places to go/food things like that so off we went in search of food…and we decided that we wanted to try so traditional bohemian/Czech food.Ok. LAST time I came to Prague the food….NO BUENO…it was my least favorite thing about it…it was gross…I hated it….but….they gave me all the wrong foods…ergo…2nd time’s a charm…ok really I know it is 3rd time’s a charm…but how many times am I really going to go to Prague in my life right I’m banking on that this 2nd time was/is going to be my last….I’ve seen it, I’ve done it…the Czech gets a big CHECK in my book. GREAT so we go to this place and I took pictures of it and I don’t remember what it’s called but like I said before the end of my tale is very sad…..and sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words…which is why I’m not going to type more on this subject…but I will pause for an important moment of silence and reflection on the sad, sad part of my tale…..
(Insert dramatic and pregnant pause here)(pregnant because H-jay suggested I use it….so it is her you should judge for the use of vocabulary…hmm think about it….yeah)(Why pausing? I’ll explain later…there will be more dramatic and PREGNANT pauses during the course of our journey)(I think I should just write a book instead of a blog)(I’m working on about 2,846 words right now)(that’s like 5 pages of text single spaced)(and we just got to Prague)(Should I stop with the inserts/side notes?)
Well alright….SO we got food...it was good…it was different…but mostly it was freaking good….I can’t even explain to you what it was but it was my first sight of red meat besides lamb since I arrived in Europe….Interesting? MAYBE!ANDDDDD off we went for the rest of the night…to where?WELL we hopped on a metro after Joana decided to go up to random guys who were dressed in normal non-athletic or sport fan attire…the looked just a bunch of dudes….getting on the metro…and she insisted that they looked as if they were going a Hockey Game….AND THEY WERE…suddenly we were surrounded by Czech guys that knew NO English except for one…but we could tell they were DEFINITELY saying something about us….and they helped us get tickets for 100Cr…which is the same as 4 US dollars….WHAT!? A professional Hockey game for 4 US DOLLARS!? Are you kidding me right now!? DONE! And before I knew it I had a flag in my hand…that wasn’t even a legit flag…it’s a flag that goes on a car window…um…I didn’t care…while everyone else got scarves but I waved my flag like WOAH because I was being an avid Hockey supporter for the home team…It was Really awesome…the fans are really intense and really love the players…they have drummers in the fan section and they were just drumming along and the crowd knew all these chants and cheers and some of what they were saying was in English…and it was pretty funny to hear them say words in English because it didn’t sound like anything it should…hmm…..AND then the home team lost but Coolest part of the game (during which we moved around a lot to get better seats that was neat) after the game the team lines up towards the fans and they showed their appreciated by taking a knee and the fans did some sort of cheer to them...it was really really awesome…WHY can’t we do things like that at home…maybe we should pay our professional sports players less….hmm…VERY interesting thought Heather…thank you I know…
ok just to clarify...that was my voice that was speaking about the interesting thought and then I thanked myself…not the Other heather….though she is baller and I appreciate her more than she knows…she’s literally reading this as I’m writing this…we’re going to Athens…she has a lot to say about things…she always reads my blog….If I’m going to be pluralized I might as well like it right…..that would really suck if I didn’t like Heather…right heather? “yes, that would really suck” VERBATIM PEOPLE….verbatim.
SO the game was really great and then we found ourselves IN another Irish pub..it was advertised everywhere in Prague so we decided we had to go….ok Heather and I …(both of us) LOVE bulmers…with a passion…or anything that is like it….we had Stowford Press at this pub and it was I thought better than bulmers but either way…it was awesome…so we find a seat and eventually meet the people next to us because they wanted a Kodak moment and SOMEONE had to capture it…hence a meet and greet which ended up going on for several hours….The three of them were from Ireland…WOULDN’T you know it but that is EXACTLY where I am headed to in a few weeks….so we talked a long time about stuff and things…I mostly with the two girls Kate and Anne and then everyone else pretty much focused on Ger…which is funny because that was a lot like Jerry…from Ps. I love you…..oh hey….it’s meant to happen…just let it happen…yeah just let happen. So we exchanged emails and stuff and things and after I decided it was a great idea to meet the bartender is name was Meril or Merb….pronounced Meril….I have no clue…please don’t ask my questions I can’t answer… so it was Meril or Merb or something like it…either way he looked Irish...he wasn’t, but speaking English is enough for me….right?
RIGHT…SO eventually we pulled ourselves away after SEVERAL hours complete with Stowford Press making it every step of the way RIGHT BY my side…it was an excellent night…trying to get back to the hostel….meh….a little tricky...but we got back either way and PASSED out because Prague in ONE DAY was about to go down…oh yeah…and boy did it ever….WE WERE UP sooner than later, I think we got a total of 3 or 4 hours of sleep…NOT even…but we had some SERIOUS work to do….annnnd OFF we went to Prague Castle which was really awesome. Mostly because I had been here before but I was stoked to see things that I had not seen/read…. during my first trek to Prague I didn’t really know or care about what I was actually experiencing…which meant for me that I was NOT going to take this opportunity for granted so I took my time in the exhibits…..Heather also wanted to take our time and go a steady informative pace….great minds think alike and it was really interesting to see and find out all that happened at Prague Castle it was inhabited by so many different people…from all over Europe…it was pretty baller…and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to find out more about Prague.
Soon after the castle we made our way down to “Old Town” which is my favorite part of Prague, naturally. It was my favorite the last time I came, and it was my favorite yet again….the old town part of Prague was basically like stepping into the movie set of Marie Antoinette or Amadeus…which makes complete sense SINCE Mozart lived and created in Prague as he was a Bohemian composer himself….so when we passed his house/museum which I had visited before it was at great reminder of all the famous creators before our time walked these streets and lived a hardcore bohemian, revolutionary lifestyle. Basically the old town of Prague was so cute, and really beautiful. We found food which was a CRUCIAL part of our day…..minus the fact that we had BOMB hotdogs earlier before we went up to the castle……
SIDE NOTE….the Czech’s have this hot dog thing right…let’s talk about it….1. Cook the hotdog 2. Bun….but not a bun it was bread with a hole in it the size of a bun….3. Insert dog/ condiments 4. No napkins needed….why because they did this whole hotdog thing right…..SO right in the center of old town we found a decently priced place to eat…we could have stayed outside and watched the huge coo-coo clock that everyone else was just GAZING and waiting for to chime….in all honesty, it’s cute…but haha nothing that impressive…. SO we opted to eat inside and let the hardcore clock-goers take the seats outside….besides…it was FREEZING anyway…Side note: Prague was ridiculously cold….I didn’t mind it…..YOU WILL NEVER HEAR/READ that again from my voice/mind….ever…..I don’t like the cold….I just don’t……but it made Berlin look like the deep south that never gets cold….despite that it really was cold there….and it made Thessaloniki look like a tropical island…..hmm.
SO anyway back to the food thing…so we sat inside and we all basically got the same thing we had the day before because it was that good….they made it way differently, but I wasn’t disappointed. A break from Greek food is never a bad thing…it’s not that I don’t like it…because Greek food is amazing, but….I’m ready for something other than olive oil and feta…Since those two things are in everything that we eat…woo. Ok on the table…JUST so we would remember who our server was there was a picture of him on our table in a picture holder thing…..haha um awesome…or at least I thought so…I’m pretty sure everyone else thought it was great too….SO the afternoon was ahead of us and with different interests we decide to split up….Joana and Katherine are off doing Prague and then…H-jay and I decide to do Prague….so we needed a game plan…and we made one….Just to get lost…..and to see some things simultaneously….but mostly we got lost…..we just started walking and saw things that I had research and saw some things that was on the map of Prague that some genius came up with and commented on everything…seriously this map was hilarious…..and it had all the important places of interest on it….we just started walking….and walking…..AND walking….and then we….ok wait, I forget what its called…you have two feet and I was wearing boots….ok I can get this…think…..so my boots were made for walking…and that just what they’ll do….and one of these days these boots are going to walk all over you? EXACTLY….we walked for hours and it was awesome. We decided we wanted to see the area of Vinohrady which is one of the oldest parts of the city and apparently this is where a lot of damage was done during the 2nd World War. BUT on the way there…while we were getting lost….we came across the most beautiful church….no really, This Church was stunning….the inside was literally lined with almost all gold…..That’s Prague for you....a mass was in progress but it was still amazing to peek our heads in size…..OH photo opportunities…..you have come and gone….I’d show you but….remember the sad tale at the end of this amazing journey.
SO after the church we walked around some important-esque Gardens and waltzed right along the river/water’s edge to the Fred and Ginger Dancing House….this was really awesome. Brosef, Anna….you would have loved this building….it was SO COOL looking and we went to see it….I’ve been trying to do things that involve cool architecture…..mostly because 1. I miss you guys 2. Because I should appreciate what you do for a living 3. It’s just so cool 4. I’m sucking up right now….5. did it work? SO we saw the dancing building and we passed by the National Theatre which I really thought was beautiful….and I REALLY wanted to see something, HOW cool would that have been to be in Prague and see and opera or something….however….a PROFESSIONAL CZECH HOCKEY game is just as baller....it may or may not be cooler than seeing an opera…mostly may…..how many Czech people do you know that sing opera? Exactly…..HOCKEY it is.
Side note: This blog is taking me FOREVER to write….I think I’m going to separate it into 2 blogs because it is SO LONG….and we’re still in Prague….ARE YOU JOKING ME RIGHT NOW!?
We also dubbed a building that was next to the beautiful National Theatre the bubble wrap building….it was like I could just go up to it and pop the bahgeezes out of it….I know what you’re thinking…..NO I’m not too old for bubble wrap….come March I’ll be pushing it….but simple pleasures….simple pleasures...
SO Heather and I just kept walking and walking and we pass many faces just faces….and I see a face that looked kind of familiar but we just kept walking and then we see another face….and “WOAH!WOW!”… “NO WAY!?” Um it was a few of the CYA kids we had met in SANTORINI and it was the same guy that put us up for a few hours after our boat ride and layover till our train back to Thess….um HOW RANDOM!....we weren’t even at a tourist part of the city….we were just walking along the river taking our time…..HOLY RANDOM….that was awesome….and we told them of cool things to do and cool things they SHOULD know….it was just really random….
so then Heather and I kept on WALKING some more and found ourselves on Charles’ Bridge. This bridge is pedestrian only with towers and a beautiful view of the city…..no really, it was amazing….and the bridge connects OLD town to NEW town….wasn’t that a great idea they had! Way to go you Czechians…..way to go! Along the bride we saw a huge tower that was definitely a defining landmark on Charles’ bridge. I had no clue that you could actually go up to the top of the tower and so we did…but RIGHT before we stepped to walk in….I swear I saw a face that I had seen before…and so I shout… “Bobby?!”….and THERE Bobby is…..just chilling with his parents in Prague….SO WEIRD! Last weekend I saw him at Mt. Olympus at the Refuge lodge…and NOW I’m seeing him in Prague….PRAGUE out of all places….are you KIDDING me right now….We are tons of miles away from Thessaloniki and Greece and here we are in a HUGE city seeing people that we know….um….SMALL WORLD….no literally, when you are in a completely different country and you see people that you know….it just proves how small the world really is….A.MAZE. ING….done and DONE. SO we went up to the top and saw all of Prague took a video documenting our fabulous sight and all the things we had done….but where the video is…well….remember…the sad tale at the end of my journey…for it is a sad, sad tale indeed.
After our bridge adventure and RANDOM rendezvous with another ACT student we kept randomly walking around and stopped in a random hostel to see if we could find out any information on the nightlife. We had planned on meeting Kathryn and Joana for the pub crawl of Prague, so we headed back to the center of the Old Town, Stare Mesto where the astronomical clock was. A huge mass of people were gathering like it was New Year’s Eve….everyone was just staring up at the clock…to be honest it was awesome…..just random people gazing up with their jaws unhinged…waiting for the BIG CLOCK to coo COO….with random objects flashing in and out of its windows like a marry-go-round of sorts…..wow….VERY impressive….I too would wait an entire hour to see this clock strike and gaze motionless at the awe inspiring spectacle……..sarcastic much? OH Much…haha either way…you need to see this if you ever go to Prague…just one of those things that you need to witness….My Nana would have flipped over it…just like the Coo-Coo Clock that always goes-off right when it should in the heart of Florida where there is nothing but butter and gator football fans.
WE were supposed to meet the people in charge of the pub crawl but instead Heather and I decided that we were EXHAUSTED and my feet were really, REALLY killing me…mostly my left foot…the arch area…not good not good….AND SO we opted to go back to the Irish Pub from the night before…just to get a Stowford press and call it a night…..but when do Heather and I go out for just a drink and it be JUST a drink….EXACTLY my point….we walked into the bar and found a seat in front of the W.C…..mostly because I didn’t want to sit in the main bar area because well Merb, Meril, what’s-his-face was behind the bar again….and well my self-consciousness got the best of me…Luckily my compadre had my back and was all about sitting in front of….the….Double-you see.
We chatted and reflected on the day’s events for a bit and after about an hour…it was definitely bedtime, FOR SURE….and WOULDN’T you know it but RIGHT as we were going to jump out of our chairs and head on home…this dude comes straight out of the WC and asks if he could take a seat and join us for a bit….and well….I’m always up for new people especially those that speak English….SO NICE this English thing….striking conversation with him he had expressed that he had been from London in the “WUHST TOWN EVA”….and LITERALLY mid-question he PASSED out….seriously…just PASSED OUT…right in the chair at our table….um…what….WHAT…WHAT do we do with this…OBVIOUSLY someone had decided to drink like the Irish….and he went SO big that Bfriend was literally toe-up done-zo. LUCKILY, his friends came over and started to mess with him and apologize for him….they were cute….yep…his friends…all rather attractive…with accents….ACCENTS….in ENGLISH….now you think about that for a second before I continue…did you think about it? GOOD. SO they were all from different parts of the world….there was Jamie from Ireland, Tom from Australia, Sleeping guy from England, and another guy from Scotland – who knows how they knew each other! Jamie was a commander in the Irish Navy….UM HELLO….take me to the gun show because Bfriend had MORE than 2 tickets….GOOD GRIEF! THEY were hilarious and had MADE the night…including my suggestion of an American tradition of those who pass out….(never leave your shoes on if you’re going to pass out…..you are then FREE game)…and so a pen/marker was put to good use…..haha….oh yeah it was….BUT soon enough we decided to head back to the hostel because
1. We were EXHAUSTED
and
2. We had a CRAZY early bus back to Berlin. (Insert friend cheese sandwich…Czech tradition on the way back to the hostel….it was nothing SHORT of AWESOME….) Luckily, sleep happened on the bust from Prague to Berlin….it was JUST as long as the train ride….so it wasn’t bad at all and we were BACK in Berlin by 11:30….we still had the whole day ahead of us! SWEET!
NEXT TIME ON HLOCK DOES GREECE:
DOES Heather make it back to Berlin!?? WHAT IS THIS SAD SAD tale she speaks about...WHAT MORE COULD possibly happen on a small Holiday in Europe!!!! OH....if ONLY you knew....and you want to.....which means stay tuned...stay posted....it's all happening.
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