Day 5: Hungary
16 May 2006 | Comments OffUnder Construction…
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
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