Pyramids, Pharaohs and The Bishops: Prague

The Czech Republic is a special place for Hubby and I. It is the place that we met 10 years ago. It is the reason that we are back here for Christmas this year; to remember where our relationship began.

We have been in Prague for the last three days and while it has been fabulous, it has been hard to fully enjoy because I have been sick. We were able to get around to see most of the sights that one should see when visiting Prague, but, it was more difficult than usual. The kids were great the first day, then yesterday, I could tell they were tired of walking around to look at things, so, we headed back to the hotel to let them play.

A lot has changed in Prague. Ten years ago when we were here, it had a very different feel. Prague was just starting to hit the map as a place that must be visited and although there were tourists ten years ago, it did not match what we saw this time around. The amount of tourists was impressive. There were people everywhere. The major squares are far more commercialized than they used to be and while it is nice to be able to get a cup of Starbucks or find some clothes at H & M, the commercialism has removed some of the natural charm that we fell in love with 10 years ago. The movement to commercialism is natural when a place becomes as busy as we have seen the Historic Center over the last couple days, but, at what cost? It is not the same because of all the retail, yet, we still enjoyed our time walking around, trying to ignore all the retail.

Once you get the heart of the Old City, those big chain retailers disappear and then, the charm starts to return. All the little shops and restaurants start to appear and the roads begin to narrow. We found all the beautiful landmarks that are symbolic of Prague and thoroughly enjoyed walking through the winding roads. Charles Bridge is always a fabulous place to stop. The bridge itself is magnificent, but the view is even better.

All in all, Prague was great. Although it has changed, it still holds a special place for us. Today, we head out to Pardubice and Hlinsko where we used to live and work. We will be visiting friends along the way. It will be a great way to spend the rest of our winter break!