Prague has been on my MUST SEE list since I read that, of all European cities, Prague's damage during WWII was exponentially less compared to other cities When I began to dabble in the works on Franz Kafka I became even more interested in the city. Then I discovered that I liked beer, and I knew one day a visit to the Czech Republic would be in my future.
I found Prague to be fantastic. I'm fairly certain that I will never be hip enough to fit into the city's scene--as much as I've always wanted to be characterized as this bohemian hipster it just isn't who I am--but when it comes to the heartbeat of the city, itself, I could feel the subtle thumps of a city with a deep, rich history. I loved the sites and sounds of the Easter Market going on in Wenceslas Square, the Astronomical clock that did not tell me the time, the bombardment of all things Baroque (my favorite art & architecture), the hike up to the castle, and wandering around the world of Franz Kafka. Prague Spring is famous for being a political liberalization of Czechoslovakia in order to distance itself from the Soviet Union and grant extended rights to citizens; my Prague spring was a moment that opened my eyes to who I have become as a traveler and how I've changed throughout Peace Corps.
*President Obama was in Prague at the same time I was. The closest I got was seeing little Barack Obama matryoshka dolls all over the city. To read what the President said in Prague click HERE.
DRESDEN --> Pictures
I began my day in Dresden with a somber disposition. As a student of history, I learned of the events of February 1945...and although I find all wars upsetting, having learned what happened in Dresden left me great remorse. It was difficult for me to smile for pictures while I was touring a city scarred and burned by incendiary bombs. This all changed after visiting the Frauenkirche, a spectacular Lutheran church and a symbol of reconciliation between former warring nations. The Church of Our Lady caught me eye with it's Baroque facade, but it was inside the Frauenkirche where my soul expanded.
The reconstruction of this church was gift for lovers of history like myself, and it has become a symbol of friendship after WWII; but for me, personally and spiritually, it is a symbol for Lutheranism and the sermons spoken within those walls and passed down have deeply affected who I am. This was the first time my footsteps have intersected a place where Martin Luther once stood and began a Reformation. It look me back to all those Sunday school lessons when I learned about Martin Luther with wonder instead of skepticism. Sometimes it's just about faith.
Enough of the deep thoughts...besides seeing the city, my mission in Dresden was to eat a Thüringer Rostbratwurst, the oldest known type of bratwurst in Germany, with sauerkraut and a local beer. Faith may get me to heaven but I felt like I was already there eating what you see below!
BRATISLAVA
Bratislava is a charming town, but I only got to spend 2 hours there. If you're my age I bet you're thinking about the movie Eurotrip right now, but Bratislava was a beautiful mixture of Medieval and Modern. I didn't get to fully experience it, and I look forward to going back.
St. Michael's Gate and the Holocaust Memorial
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