Prague and Romania (so far) in Pictures

Time for the second patch of photos!

Greta and me in Prague. This was taken shortly after we arrived. We just couldn't get over how cute all the buildings were!! From here, we went off to find a traditional Czech dinner.


This is Greta's Czech dinner: bits of pork with cream sauce and dumplings.


Mom and Gret in the kitchen of our apartment in Prague.

The day we arrived and the our first full day in Prague were rainy and cold. Nevertheless, we went out to enjoy the city. This is a typical Czech street. SO CUTE!!


This is Wenceslas Square which used to be (a looong time ago) the equine market. Since then, it has been the site of many revolutions and protests, including the Velvet Revolution in 1989 where 250,000-300,000 Czech filled this square.

At the top end of Wenceslas Square sits the Czech National Museum (see previous post for a picture). Inside, the ceiling looks like this:


It has rooms and rooms full of rocks, minerals, paleontology stuff, and stuffed animals.


The next day was beautiful, sunny, and warm. This is Dad standing by the Vltava River with Prague Castle in the background.



Old Town Square:


We took a walking tour of Prague Castle one afternoon. Our guide was a guy named Colin, who was originally from Scotland. At one point while we were walking between sites, he asked me where we were from. "Indiana" (I have learned that I shouldn't respond "America" as our accent has already given that away! so Indiana it is.).

"Indiana, really?" he replied.

"Uhh, yes.... my Dad's family is originally from Germany, but....."

Colin: "Ah, so you are German."
Me: "Well, uhh, yes kinda."
Colin: "So you're not from Sweden? You look Swedish."
Me: "No, not from Sweden."
etc....

At the end of the tour, he was saying goodbye to everyone and turned to us and said, "Okay, goodbye Swedish-looking Americans! Enjoy Prague!"

I thought this was fairly funny and amusing. Not sure if it will be funny via the internet, but it was definitely funny in person. Since then, Dad has been occasionally using a fake Swedish accent and referring to some (unknown and definitely made-up) great-cousin Sven. I'm sure you can picture that exactly. ;)

Anyway, the tour was very informative and interesting. Prague Castle is huge and it took about 4 hours to tour it. About halfway into the tour, we stopped for a break to get food, drinks, use the WC (bathroom), etc. As Colin gathered us at the end of the stop, a woman came out from a store, handed him a package of almonds, smiled, and went back in her store. I didn't think much of this seemingly simple exchange until Colin explained its significance.

As Dad has said in previous posts, the fall of communism only happened 20 years ago, so the thinking that comes with that kind of existence is still very prevalent in the Czech Republic. While we, in America, understand "commission", Czechs really do not (or do not understand it very much). Apparently, Colin had previously talked to the woman shop owner, asking her if he could have a free snack since he encourages over 50 tourists a day to stop in her store to buy snacks (meaning a lot of business for her!!). "No" was her quick response. Really? She couldn't spare a small bag of almonds when he brought her several hundred Crowns of business every day?? Well, by communist thinking, no. In fact, she didn't really even want all that extra business! During communist times, everyone had a job and was paid a certain amount no matter how much work they did, how well the business did, etc. So that thinking still exists. If Colin brings her so many more people, that means a whole lot more work! She doesn't really want extra work, and doesn't really link extra work with extra pay. He then explained that she must have reconsidered, and decided to give him the almonds anyway. Slowly, the thinking is changing. It has been so interesting to see how communism has so greatly affected eastern/central Europe, and continues to affect it now, even after its fall.

A view of the city from Prague Castle:


Mom at one of the gardens at Prague Castle:


St. Vitus Cathedral, which sits at the middle of Prague Castle:


The inside of St. Vitus Cathedral:


Mom and me at St. Vitus:


The famous "mille fille" (aka chocolate chick-peas!! haha):


A view of Prague Castle at night from the top of Petrin Tower:


Petrin Tower. It is a 1/5 scale version of Eiffel Tower. Supposedly, the top of it is at the same height as the top of the real Eiffel Tower in Paris....but in Prague, you must count the hill it sits on too!


After Prague, we took a plane to Munich (see the story about Dad's supposed 3 wives) and then another to Bucharest. This was taken the next day in Pitesti at the school where we are working on puppets!


The school sits up on a hill and has a great view of the city below it. Also, it has some of the most beautiful roses I've ever seen.


This is Gret, Mom, Carolyn, and me during our lunch break on Monday


We have taken so, so, so many good pictures of the kids this week and I would love to post them. However, by Romanian law I am not allowed to. So instead of pictures of the kids, here are pictures of their incredibly cute, incredibly creative, incredibly amazing hand puppets!!














Okay, it's nearly 6:30 pm here and we're headed to dinner before going to a show (not really sure what type of show though - I think it might be Romanian school kids doing dancing or something, but I'm not really sure).

But before I sign off, I just have to say how much WE MISS YOU ALL!! It has been great getting to see everything and I have loved being here and meeting people, but I really, really miss you guys at home. (Oh, and I miss Chick-fil-A too. Anyone have a good method for overnighting chicken sandwiches halfway across the world??) Thank you for all the comments! WE LOVE YOU! :)