This week I went to Prague, Czeck Republic to meet and vacation with some old family friends. It was great catching up and then looking at some photos from the last time we met and how everyone has grown up so much since then:)
Not only was this a fun exciting experience that comes with being in a new country, but it also provided me a chance to take a lot of photos. I’ve always loved photography and for a while now I’ve been thinking of turning it into a profession when I’m older. As well as posting a lot of my photos on this page for a while, I’m now posting on my new Instagram account dedicated to photos I take when traveling.
Prague is a very beautiful city and has been around for a very long time, so naturally, it’s buildings are a mix of old and new. Even from looking down at the ground when your walking, you can tell this city has excellent history. I’ve always been a sucker for stories of kings,queens, empires, etc. so when walking around Prague I tried my best to incorporate as much of the feel and history of the town as much as possible into my pictures.
If anyone is interested, my Instagram is cheye_photography
This past weekend we visited the wonderful city of Prague in the Czech Republic. Prague was busier than we expected and, more importantly, much better value as the exchange rate from dollars to Czech Korunas was on our side (one US dollar = 22.84 czk). It’s a beautiful tourist-friendly city that has a lot to offer. We rented an apartment on Airbnb with friends and their kids close to all the action in the old town area as we all wanted to experience the city on foot.
Czech food is hearty and hot, and there is a multitude of street food vendors located in market places providing a taste sensation! Our favorite spot was the food market on the east side of the River Vltava a little south of the Dancing Building (so named as it was designed to resemble the straight suit and flowing dress of well, dancers). The market was bustling even at 9am, and many people were strolling around eating a variety of mouth-watering roasted meats, pies, cheeses, and baked goods. In fact, many were also drinking beer and hot or cold wine. Another famous market was the Staroměstské Nám located behind the Astronomical Clock. Known as the Winter Market, a must see during the run up to Christmas, it was now turned over to Spring and Easter. There was music and lots of food. Lots of churches, synagogues, and history too if you can pull yourself away from the culinary offerings. By the way, whenever we went to visit an attraction, for some reason we tended to arrive back at the Astronomical Clock. I guess all roads don’t lead to Mecca after all.
Travel over the popular stone Charles Bridge to the western bank, and you can visit the castle and even ride a funicular tram up to the observation tower (modeled on the bigger and more famous Eiffel Tower) on the high ground above the US Embassy. This part of the city is wonderful and houses the world’s narrowest street and the colorful John Lennon Wall where people from all over the world have written or drawn reminders for peace. We all enjoyed following the winding medieval streets as they meandered back and forth. At one point, we stumbled onto a film shoot and watched the action as a man was hauled off by a plain clothes security duo dressed in 1950’s suits, overcoats, and hats. We found out later that it was a German production company, who like many, come to Prague as there are many low-cost skilled tradesmen for set building. I’m not sure if the street was supposed to be East or West Germany, but it did interest all of us.
It was really great to be with friends in an easy and inexpensive city alive with springtime. Moving on foot gave us the opportunity to wander slowly and appreciate conversation and the sights. I would definitely recommend a visit, although make sure you have currency as many places do not take credit or debit cards.
View towards River Vltava and Old Town Prague beyondLiam taking a break from walkingRobyn and kids enjoying the wall and the Beatles music provided by a street performerThe first of many unintentional visits to the Astronomical Clock (it really is worth a visit)
Contemplating cooling feet in the river after walking all day…
Czechoslovakia, or the Czech Republic as it is now known, is a country west of Russia and south of Scandinavia. Me and my family went on an amazing weekend vacation with our friends the Pointner family. We left on a train from our home in Jyväskylä to Helsinki. After that, a short plane ride to the international airport of the Czech Republic.
Finland has spoiled us in many ways such as everyone is very quiet, so when we got to Czech Republic everything seemed very loud. Since we have been in a small town in Finland the Capital of the Czech republic seemed huge and there were lots of cars. While we were there we walked everywhere, and so in the the 3 short days I was there I walked over 20 miles! It was nice to see everything up close not while in a car or tram. We got lost more than a few times, but that was nice to see a part of town not controlled by tourism.
While I was there I got to see some pretty amazing things, such as the John Lennon wall and a massive bridge. The bridge is known as Charles bridge. It is a very wide and long bridge with statues along the edge. I also got to experience the local cuisine. I learned that the Czechs eat more meat than most surrounding areas. I now know that the Czechs like their pubs. All in all it was a fun and informative trip.
By the start of Charles Bridge Part of the John Lennon Wall-People write messages of peace on it
