Hey, look at that - I kept my promise!
So, back to Prague (which, quite frankly is where I wish I was now... here is rainy and gross!)...
We spent a lot of time walking around - it's the best way to see things in Prague! The promenade along the river is really beautiful and it offers a great view of the Charles Bridge - one of the most famous spots in Prague. It connects the 2 sides of the city, and was built way back when by King/Emperor (can't remember which) Charles - it's got huge ornate statues all along it, and brass pictorials which are good luck if you rub them - so we did. I rubbed a doggy.
We indulged in some real culture by visiting the Art Gallery - loads of amazing work, including Klimt, Picasso (his famed self portrait), and loads of other 'edgy' contemporary work... including a photographic series that involved the slaughter or a lamb, which no-one found particularly tasteful... but that's art, right?
Helen and I did the compulsary shop - we were on the hunt for a farberge egg necklace! Mine is blue and gold, and they are all really beautiful! Prague is also famous work it's glass works - so we bought Tenille a pair of handmade glass earrings for her birthday.
Prague has a lot to offer, but everyone says it's even better when you get out of the city. There's a church made of bones (but not in a creepy way) that is a day trip away, which is definately something I'd like to see when I go back there.
So, after yet another late EasyJet flight, we got back to London at some unforgiving hour of the morning - thankfully, I didn't have to get up to go to work the next day, unlike the others... but it wasn't long til I was up and attem again - this time flying into Valencia, for what will long be one of the best things I have ever done - 6 weeks of watching Team New Zealand racing in the America's Cup.
I actually don't feel I can do those 6 weeks justice by writing off the bat, so I'm going to sit down and go back through all my photos, and post again later...
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
How long does an ice cream break take?
Hmmm, so apparently when I go for ice cream, I don't come back...
Today is August 21st, so I have a lot of catching up to do! Let's start, then, where we left off - my arrival in the UK.
My flightS (yes, plural, 4 to be exact) were long, tedious and I would highly recommend that if you need to get to London, don't take the route I took.
Vancouver-Seattle-New York-Iceland-London does not an easy trip make... by the time I got to Heathrow I was incredibly happy to see my loving Ma and Pa!
They had been travelling around Ireland, so met me in London for a 4 days whirlwind tour of the relatives in Cornwall!
Cornwall was beautiful, as always, and my Aunty Bet is still kickin' it at the grand old age of 80something!
We did the customary trip to Land's End (the most western point of England) and The Lizard (the most southern point of England) as well as a few gorgeous beaches (Kynance Cove) and fishing villages (Cadgwidth).
Cornwall has a lot to offer - gorgeous scenery, friendly locals, a damn good pasty and cornish clotted cream!
It was good to see Mum and Dad again too, though it really wasn't long enough to catch up properly! And I think I spent most of my time trying not to fall asleep - I was still dealing with the nightmare trip of getting to England!
After Cornwall, we headed back to London, and I said goodbye to Mum and Dad as they headed for the States and I went to doss on my best friend's couch (thanks Helen!)... but like they say, there's no rest for the wicked... so after 2 days of London, I was heading out again - this time to Prague for a long weekend, with Helen, Darrell and Raj!
Prague is an awesome city - fabulous architecture and soooo much history! It's so hard to even try and explain what the city has to offer! They are big on farberge eggs, and it's really cheap there - food and drink costs next to nothing!
The night we arrived (after our EasyJet flight was unsurprisingly late) the staff at Hostel Elf gave us a warm, and somewhat inebriated welcome (we discovered later that it was their annual staff party, so they were all on it!). Hostel Elf is pretty cool - free breakfast (and lunch if you 'borrow' a baguette or two), a liquor license (cheap litre bottles of beer!! cost the equivalent of about 65 nz cents!) and pretty central to the old town square!
The train tracks that ran right past the beer garden were interesting, and loud to say the least....
The weather was phenomenaly hot - it was great! But a lot of walking in the heat takes it's toll and most nights we were all completely whacked from the day! We did an amazing walking tour - it's free (by donation if you think it's worth it). The guy who took us spoke great English and was just so passionate about his city and his knowledge of the history of Prague was amazing! It's a city (and the whole country) with a very turbulent past!
We also went to the Catherderal - an amazing gothic building. From the outside it looks so dark and oppressive, but inside is one of the most amazing structures I have ever seen! Built in the 12th century and still standing today. We were all in awe of the amazing stonework and stained glass windows.
that's only about half of what we saw in Prague - but my time on the internet is about to run out, so I will have to continue this tomorrow... I promise (I'm not going for icecream this time, it's too youcky outside!)
Today is August 21st, so I have a lot of catching up to do! Let's start, then, where we left off - my arrival in the UK.
My flightS (yes, plural, 4 to be exact) were long, tedious and I would highly recommend that if you need to get to London, don't take the route I took.
Vancouver-Seattle-New York-Iceland-London does not an easy trip make... by the time I got to Heathrow I was incredibly happy to see my loving Ma and Pa!
They had been travelling around Ireland, so met me in London for a 4 days whirlwind tour of the relatives in Cornwall!
Cornwall was beautiful, as always, and my Aunty Bet is still kickin' it at the grand old age of 80something!
We did the customary trip to Land's End (the most western point of England) and The Lizard (the most southern point of England) as well as a few gorgeous beaches (Kynance Cove) and fishing villages (Cadgwidth).
Cornwall has a lot to offer - gorgeous scenery, friendly locals, a damn good pasty and cornish clotted cream!
It was good to see Mum and Dad again too, though it really wasn't long enough to catch up properly! And I think I spent most of my time trying not to fall asleep - I was still dealing with the nightmare trip of getting to England!
After Cornwall, we headed back to London, and I said goodbye to Mum and Dad as they headed for the States and I went to doss on my best friend's couch (thanks Helen!)... but like they say, there's no rest for the wicked... so after 2 days of London, I was heading out again - this time to Prague for a long weekend, with Helen, Darrell and Raj!
Prague is an awesome city - fabulous architecture and soooo much history! It's so hard to even try and explain what the city has to offer! They are big on farberge eggs, and it's really cheap there - food and drink costs next to nothing!
The night we arrived (after our EasyJet flight was unsurprisingly late) the staff at Hostel Elf gave us a warm, and somewhat inebriated welcome (we discovered later that it was their annual staff party, so they were all on it!). Hostel Elf is pretty cool - free breakfast (and lunch if you 'borrow' a baguette or two), a liquor license (cheap litre bottles of beer!! cost the equivalent of about 65 nz cents!) and pretty central to the old town square!
The train tracks that ran right past the beer garden were interesting, and loud to say the least....
The weather was phenomenaly hot - it was great! But a lot of walking in the heat takes it's toll and most nights we were all completely whacked from the day! We did an amazing walking tour - it's free (by donation if you think it's worth it). The guy who took us spoke great English and was just so passionate about his city and his knowledge of the history of Prague was amazing! It's a city (and the whole country) with a very turbulent past!
We also went to the Catherderal - an amazing gothic building. From the outside it looks so dark and oppressive, but inside is one of the most amazing structures I have ever seen! Built in the 12th century and still standing today. We were all in awe of the amazing stonework and stained glass windows.
that's only about half of what we saw in Prague - but my time on the internet is about to run out, so I will have to continue this tomorrow... I promise (I'm not going for icecream this time, it's too youcky outside!)
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