Tuesday, August 20th, 2019
Prague, Czech Republic and Vienna, Austria
It’s 9am CES and, despite a good night’s sleep, I am feeling groggy. I quickly get out of bed and get ready for day 2 of vacation! We pack up our bags, leave them behind the front desk, and are in the basement for breakfast by 9:30am.
I enjoy 2 full cups of drip coffee and a plate of cold cuts and cheese. I love a European breakfast and think about implementing something similar at home. Once we are done with breakfast, the group heads to the tram for Prague Castle.
The line for Prague Castle looks long but moves very quickly. The security personnel are incredibly friendly and we are in the main courtyard before I know it. The castle was built in the 9th century and is the largest ancient castle in the world. Since it was rebuilt so many times, it represents almost every architectural style in the last thousand years. We move through each of the main rooms in a flurry of artifacts and decadence. Sarah even points out the hidden door, behind which, lies the Bohemian crown jewels. I think this is so cool.
It’s starting to get really hot outside, but we only have a few more hours in Prague, so we decide to walk through the Jewish Quarter. The whole area is a pile of tourists and vendors. We walk past a few beautiful, historic synagogues and take some photos of the murals and statues that line the street.
We have just enough time for a quick lunch of pizza and charcuterie before heading back to the hotel to pick up our bags. I call an Uber for a ride to the train station on my iPhone and it takes nearly 5 minutes for a driver to accept my ride. 10 minutes later the driver cancels. Uh oh. It’s getting close to the time that my train will leave and we are at least a 30-minute tram ride to the station. I tell my friends that the Uber is not coming and we all come to the conclusion that the group should walk really fast to the station. I load up my backpack onto my back and start trudging over the cobblestone roads in my paper-thin sandals.
Drenched in sweat and in a state of forced calmness, I walk onto the train platform, just as boarding begins. Oh man, that was close.
The train is packed and I sit in my assigned seat, which is at a 4 person table with my 2 friends. I awkwardly have to push my knees to the side in order to fit. Soon another woman sits in the 4th seat. The entire train ride is 4 hours. We use this time to reconcile expenses from Prague, drink some wine and take Buzzfeed quizzes on Laura’s phone.
When we arrive in Vienna it is already dark but, luckily, we are only a 5-minute walk from the hotel. We quickly drop our bags, change clothes and then walk over to a recommended restaurant for a late dinner. The server recommends a bottle of white wine and after tortured contemplation, I order the goulash. The wine and food is fantastic. For dessert, I accidentally order a dish of sweet potato noodles. They are weird, but it was fun to try something new.
After dinner, Sarah opts for bed and Laura and I decide to stay out for a few drinks. We start out at a sidewalk cafe close to the hotel. I order a vodka soda, which comes out a little weak. When I complain to Laura the server overhears and offers to add more vodka. I love this place! The new drink is incredibly strong and I am drunk in like 15 minutes.
After the sidewalk cafe closes Laura and I wander around to see what else is going on. We find a place called Loos American Bar, which is open late. It’s packed and there is no outdoor seating, but we decide to stay for one drink anyways. Some of the locals start chatting Laura and I up. Almost immediately one of them asks to see my phone, to which I respond, no. The conversation is lively and fun, but when one of the locals makes an obvious pass at me by saying that I can’t be more than 27 years old, I tell Laura that it’s time to go. She’s slightly resistant, but the bar is about to close anyway.
I walk back to the hotel and I am asleep before I hit the bed.
