First day out in Prague

I found a sparkly, metal head! 

Loving the narrow alleys that in no way whatsoever prevent cars and trucks of all shapes and sizes from venturing down them.  People regularly drive on the sidewalks to get through the many tiny passageways.  

I live in Nove Mesto (New Town), and the next several photos are from the neighborhood to the north called Stare Mesto (Old Town).  It felt a little like Disneyland. 

museum?

The famed St. Charles Bridge 

This man was one of the several homeless men I encountered on the bridge.  It started raining while I was up there, and it was quite windy.  Cold and uncomfortable, I watched as the man carefully laid his only jacket over his dog friend by his side, and while he prostrated himself before the tourists with ballcap extended, he rubbed his dog's head as if in meditation.  It was an incredibly sweet, heartbraking scene.  Not one of the shiny tourists stumbling around seemed to notice him... so I waited until the right moment, slowly walked over to the man, laid some coins in his cap, and stood back to watch the response.  It worked!  In the next minute, three other people gave him some money.   I don't care what he spends them on.  If we can all afford to buy overpriced sweets and low quality snow globes, then I think we can afford to give this man and his dog a chance.  

Powder Gate

So glad I looked up!  That's Sigmund Freud hanging by his arm over the sweet streets of Old Town.

...just a great European neighborhood street view pretty close to my house

I made it to Prague!

So I was pretty exhausted upon my Prague arrival, and I told myself that it was truly okay to do absolutely nothing for a day.  As it turned out, though, my flights landed me in town a little earlier than the Airbnb was prepared for.  The owners let me drop off my bags (thank goodness), but the cleaning lady was still working hard so I had to make myself busy elsewhere for a couple of hours.

Peter, one of the owners and the person who met me at the door with my new key, saw how tired I was and decided to drive me around the area until we found the perfect bakery in which I could set up shop.  Not only did I get my first great breakfast in a while, but the staff were incredibly friendly! One of the guys behind the counter even lent me his iPhone cord as my phone was dead.  (The difference in stranger interactions between Prague and Budapest is palpable.)

One of the many never-ending escalators leading you in and out of the subway stations.  These escalators are longer and steeper than any I have encountered; they literally give me vertigo, and I am fascinated every time! 

My new home, as viewed from the lofted bed just a couple feet from the ceiling. 

Looking down the street toward my favorite cafe

Up the street, as seen from my balcony...

My new home :-) 

On my way to Prague via airberlin -- they give you chocolate hearts (big ones) when you go!

Oh, the baths, the Szechenyi Baths!!

100 degree water.  39 degree air.  Storm clouds and steam.  Perfection.

The National Gallery

Lots of religious art 

The first faux hawk?

...and back down we go

Castle grounds

I'm standing in front of my first European grand castle gazing out at the view when this vibration comes my way.  It sounded like someone was trying to push a grocery cart across the ancient cobblestone path.  When I turned around to define the mystery, I couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous sight before me which turned out to be a great friendship starter with Conor from Austin, Texas, goofball extraordinaire.  We were friends within moments.  He decided that walking was too slow to get everywhere so he brought his old-school blades and was rolling around the very bumpy Buda Hills having the time of his life.  Apparently, he was called a superhero twice that morning as he shimmied his way among the cobblestones, past locals and tourists alike.  

It's winter in Oslo, but still fall in Budapest.

The Buda Hills

The guards reminded me of London's Queen's guards, but they were not nearly as committed to stillness; I made eye contact with the young guy on the left almost immediately, and I swear he was trying not to smile in response.  I thought the lady in between offset their stoic natures well so another stranger is captured forever by my camera.  

I was about to leave when I heard movement behind me.  As it turned out, they were doing a gun routine that was quite cool to watch, almost like synchronized baton twirling.  The point of it all was to swap spots and get some movement back into the body in the process.