Before Christmas we met my parents in Prague to get us in the holiday spirit. It's hard to find a place that my parents have not visited, so we were excited to help them cross one more item off their bucket list. Prague did not disappoint, the Christmas decorations, the architecture, the food and drinks definitely put us in the mood. Bill now ranks Prague near the top of his "favorite cities in Europe" list. It's been twelve years since I visited Prague, but in that time I did not forget it's beauty. Prague remains unique as it is so unusual to visit a city not totally destroyed by WWII bombs.
We stayed in a fantastic apartment in the Jewish Quarter of the Old Town just a few blocks from the Old Town Square and with a balcony view of the Jewish Cemetery. After the mild winter we have had in Germany, Prague was cold, but we didn't let that stop us!
First day in Prague, checking out the Christmas Market in the Old Town Square.
Trdelnik was so yummy! It's made from rolled dough that is wrapped around a stick, then grilled and topped with sugar and a walnut/toffee mix.
Check out the skewers we had for dinner.
Charles Bridge (Karluv Most) named for the Roman Emperor Charles IV who ruled in Prague in the 14th century.
Very rare to get a family photo, here's one on the bridge.
Our little travel guide in the making, she did not want to let go of this book.
The highlight for Jake was riding the tram to the castle.
Not sure how he feels about the castle guard.
Outside of St. Vitus Cathedral at the Prague Castle.
Beautiful stain glass windows inside.
St. Vitus
Inside the church they had a nativity scene made completely out of bread.
Nativity scene with straw.
View of Prague Castle at night.
Hanging out in our apartment.
The astronomical clock; pretty impressive for a 14th century clock.
The bottom portion with the zodiac signs was added in the 19th century.
Wenceslas Square- The "Good King Wenceslas" that we sing about in the carol was the 10th century Duke of Bohemia. After his murder in 929 he was named a saint and is remembered as an icon of Czech unity.
The outside of our apartment building Brehova.
We loved the intricate detailing on the building.
View of the Old Jewish Cemetery from our balcony. From 1439-1787 it was the only place in Prague where Jews were allowed to be buried. The tombs are layered seven or eight deep totaling almost 100,000 tombs. Due to time, and the settling of the ground, the tombs are now crooked.
Old Town Square and Christmas Market by night.
On our last day I made reservations at a place that claimed to have "themed family brunch." I really didn't know what to expect, but decided to give it a shot. The theme that Sunday was "Christmas," and it exceeded all of our expectations. It was at a restaurant on a little island and when we entered the tent, they put a glass of champagne in my hand, took us to our table, and the kids immediately left to play with all the toys. They had 4 babysitters and tons of crafts, games, music and activities for the kids. The adults enjoyed a 2 1/2 hour meal and the kids had an absolute blast. I will tell you the last time Bill and I had a 2 1/2 hour meal was before the kids were born. We were the only non-locals there so I am so glad to have stumbled upon such a great find. There is money to be made with this idea and I hope it catches on!
My sister says minus the hair, this could be my baby picture.
Inside the tent.
Tree decorating for the kids.
"I don't understand anything you are saying, but that's cool."
"Dad, leave me alone, I have to get back to my toys."
Hmm, preview of her teenage years perhaps?
This is what we were doing while the kids were busy playing.
What a memorable trip with Grammy and Grandpa in a wonderful city. Now back to Germany to celebrate Christmas!
