Day 4: Slovakia
15 May 2006 | Comments (1)We had to wake up pretty early in the morning on the forth day! Like 4AM early! Half asleep, Azusa and I managed to eat a little bit of breakfast before boarding the tour bus. We felt a bit like zombies, but perked up when we realized that today’s destination is the capital of Slovakia, Bratislava!
I was really interested in seeing Slovakia because the family of one of my life-long friends has their roots in Slovakia. I grew up hearing Slovak words like, “dobrý deň†and “Na zdravie!†It’s funny, but I still remember those words and I actually got to use them on the trip!
Anyways, we arrived in Bratislava around 11:30AM. The guide led us through the beautiful city center stopping here and there to show us some famous statues and beautiful buildings. I made sure to take as many pictures as possible so I could show my friend and his family when we come back to Michigan for a visit this summer. Bratislava is a beautiful city.
Slovakia has been part of the European Union since May, 2004.
After walking around the city for a while it was time for lunch. Good thing too! All that walking works up an appetite! We had lunch at a winery and the traditional Slovakian food was delicious.
After lunch we boarded the tour bus and headed for Bratislava Castle. Bratislava Castle stands on a rocky hill directly above the Danube River. The view from the castle is amazing. You can see all of Bratislava as well as Austria and Vienna. The tour guide also mentioned that on really clear days, you might even see Hungary.
Next Stop: Hungary
Day 3: Prague
14 May 2006 | Comments OffI think that overall we spent the most time on the tour in Prague and that’s a good thing. Prague is probably one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I think Azusa and I must have said, “We should live here someday!!!” at least 100 times throughout the course of the day.
Anyways, we started the morning off with an official tour of Prague Castle. Prague Castle, known as Pražský hrad in Czech, is the location where the Czech kings, Holy Roman Emperors and the presidents of the Czech Republic have had their offices. Prague Castle is one of the biggest castle complexes in the world and contains the Czech Republic’s largest and most important cathedral, St. Vitus.
Here is the beautiful view of Prague Castle from across the Vltava River.
After touring Prague Castle, our group headed down through the Old Town section of Prague and ended up at the historical Charles Bridge. The Charles Bridge crosses the Vltava River and connects the Old Town and Prague Castle to the Lesser Quarter. The guide gave us a little bit of free time to walk around the bridge and see the various statues that decorate the path. It was still pretty early in the afternoon, so the bridge wasn’t too crowded yet.
After the tour, it was time to split with the tour group to explore Prague by ourselves. We started off with some shopping in the Old Jewish Quarter. There were many cool shops and it was interesting to see what was popular in Prague. After walking through the entire shopping district we decided it was time for lunch. Azusa noticed a small pizza place near St. Nicholas’s Church so we decided to give it a try. It was so delicious! After eating we walked around for a while longer and then took a boat tour of the Vltava River. It was really interesting to see how the dams around the city work. We capped off our adventure by climbing one of the towers near the Charles Bridge to take some pictures. What a great day!!!
The view of the Charles Bridge from the tower was really nice.
Next stop: Slovakia
Day 2: Czech Republic
13 May 2006 | Comments OffWe arrived in Europe very early in the morning. After clearing customs, we were ushered into the hotel restaurant for a buffet styled breakfast. We weren’t very hungry because the people on China Airlines fed us like 20 times before our arrival, but the buffet looked so delicious. So much for our diets!
After eating we boarded our main tour bus for the trip and met the driver. He was a super tall fellow and could speak perfect English. At first, he thought I was a tour guide because I was speaking Japanese, but then he realized I was part of the group. He seemed to be pleasantly surprised. Since there were only 15 people in the tour group, there was tons of space on the bus to sprawl out. Azusa and I quickly claimed the entire back of the bus so that we could sleep comfortably across the large section of seats. And sleep, we did.
When we woke up we had already arrived at our first destination in Europe ÄŒeský Krumlov. Made up of 300 buildings, ÄŒeský Krumlov is one of the Czech Republic’s oldest and most beautiful towns and the entire area has been deemed a national treasure by UNESCO. Most of the city received a Baroque style makeover at the end of the 17th century, but the Italian Renaissance also influenced the town and it’s castle. The buildings give the town a very unique feeling. It was almost like we were transported back in time! Anyways, we only got to spend about two hours in ÄŒeský Krumlov before boarding the bus for Prague. It’s too bad that we didn’t have more time because Azusa and I wanted to try out some of the cafes that lined the streets. There’s always next time, I guess!
This is the view of Český Krumlov from the castle.
We arrived in Prague in the evening, checked into our hotel and then it was straight to dinner. The restaurant we went to was quite charming. They had a polka band cranking out the tunes and riling up the patrons. It was pretty wild. You can check out a video by clicking here. We ate some sauerkraut, some spongy potatoes and steak. It was all pretty tasty. By the time we had finished eating, it was pretty late. Sightseeing in Prague would have to wait until tomorrow.
Next stop: Prague
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