Prague

Last, but definitely not least, is Prague.  People rave about Prague, and I always wondered how they can be so sure that it is the most beautiful city in Europe.  What could set it so far apart from all the other cities that I think are fabulously gorgeous?  I am now one of those people that raves about Prague.  I was sure I was going to be underwhelmed after having my expectations set so high, but I was still floored.

Of course, I can't piece together when we did what, but I'll just share a few highlights here:

The Architecture
Everywhere you look there are beautiful medieval and renaissance buildings.  It's not just a small old town section, the whole city is . Each building is so unique and has a refreshing lack of uniformity that can be found in many European cities (ie: Paris, Vienna).  It gives it a feeling of a quaint town, but on the scale of a large city.  This is really what struck me so strongly and why I was not underwhelmed, but instead overwhelmed by how impressively gorgeous the city is. As trite as the saying is, "pictures cannot do it justice."

Folk Dinner and Dancing
One excursion that we went on was to a location just outside of the city where they host traditional dinner and dancing.  It was a a bit touristy (we were tourists of course), but tons of fun.  Uncle Steve and I even got to dance a traditional Czech dance together :)

Just Palling Around Prague
Regardless of where we were or what we were doing, we always had a great time.  We took a walking tour of Prague, ate delicious meals, toured a small town in the country, braved the trolly system, explored a castle, and wandered aimlessly through meandering streets.

 St. Agnes Convent
 This convent fascinated me - it was so ancient and felt fully of mystery.  It was built in the 1200s with the simplicity and austerity that you would expect from a convent.  However, in contrast to the cathedrals and castles we were touring this plainness was part of its beauty.