So here's the start!
Prague
In early August we visited Prague, Czech Republic, for a long weekend with a stop in Rothenburg, Germany on the way back. Prague is a BEAUTIFUL city and we enjoyed seeing the city on foot with a tour guide this time. The weather cooperated for the most part and the kids did too : ).
We started the trip with a 8 hour car drive to get to Prague. The kids were troopers and made use of all the gadgets and time-consuming activities we could think of in the car. We arrived at our hotel in Old Town despite construction and crazy one-way streets - thank you, GPS! Unfortunately they had lost our reservation. The woman at the desk explained what had happened, but really felt terrible and did everything possible to help us out. That included getting us another hotel room and helping trek the kids and suitcases down through town to get there! We were able to stay at the original hotel the second night. Both were nice, but we were very happy with the one we had worked with most, even after the unfortunate incident. Ok, enough on that.
Old Town Square
Atomic Clock
The first night was just about finding food and a bed after the long day. The next day we met our tour guide and set out to see the Old Town Square, cathedrals, Charles Bridge, the Castle, and the list goes on.
Tower on Charles Bridge
Thankfully our tour guide was understanding enough to break up the morning and locate a Starbucks for us so we could get some caffeine in our system to carry on. After walking for several hours, we relaxed in the room and played at a park near the bridge before heading out for dinner. We found a nice little cafe and sat out on a quiet sidewalk.
We discovered that people are much friendlier if you ask how to say "thank you" and other phrases in their native language. It's really amazing - makes everyone happier : ).The next morning we went back to a few places and went up the clock tower to get a view of the "City of Spires" from up there. We also went to a market to find some souveniers. We really enjoyed the city and the architecture was a amazing.
Clock tower view of Old Town
My Precious Girl - photo taken on the "Castle hill" overlooking the city.
After saying farewell to Praha, we spent some time twisting around through construction and detours to finally get to Rothenburg, Germany.
Rothenburg
There we had an interesting time finding parking at our hotel, but the hotel and restaurant there were great. The woman running them was an absolute gem. After enjoying an awesome meal and creme brulee for dessert, we walked around the quiet town scoping out the buildings and shops for the next morning. Then after a short night in a very warm room, we ventured out on the town. We went up and down the streets taking turns going through some of the little shops. It was great for getting a German-fix in one little cutesy town and would be more enjoyed after a few nights of better sleep, I'm sure. However, after a long morning we were all ready to be on our way again. I think my favorite part was the beautiful castle grounds we found just before leaving!
Castle Grounds
