Day 9 - Prague to Nurnberg

Day 9 - Prague to Nurnberg

Today we took the train to Nurnberg. Nurnberg is a small town but has a large historical significance. Nurnberg was the site of many Nazi rallies and the location of the Nurnberg trials.


Nurnberg is our first taste of the quintessential Bavarian town. Although the city center is filled with modern shopping areas, there is a small market area in town that is still Bavarian.

The guidebooks all say that when you go to Nurnberg you must try the "3 im Wecla", which is a baguette with 3 sausages, sauerkraut and mustard.



In the Hauptmarkt area we see Frauenkirche (Church of our Lady) and the Gothic Schoner Brunnen (Beautiful Fountain). Legend has it that it is good luck to spin the gold rings within the gate 3 times.

Day 8 - Prague

Day 8 - Prague

Today we went to Kutna Hora. It is a small town, about an hour outside of Prague. We took the train to get to Kutna Hora. The Kutna Hora train station is directly across the street from a junk yard. That day it smelled as if they were burning tires in the junk yard, not a very good impression to get from a new town on arrival. From the train station we took a bus to get to the center of town.


Eventually we made it to center of town and we took a look around the Church of St. Barbara.







There is also a very popular mine and ossuary filled with over 40000 bones, however we are extremely tired and we decide to return to Prague.


Tonight we had dinner ta Pizzeria Grosetto. We have had dinner here 3 of the 4 nights that we spent in Prague. But that's not to say that we haven't had traditional German and Czech food. For lunch we had Goulash, Roast Pork and dumplings. Pictured on the left is the Czech pouch (chicken stuffed with chicken, pork stuffed with ham, and beef stuffed with sausage) and pork roast with onion rings.

Day 7 - Prague

Day 7 - Prague

Today we went back to the castle to have a more in-depth look at the castle grounds. One interesting thing that we find is a smaller chapel on the grounds. They are hosting a Graphic Art exhibit. The works of Pablo Picasso along with other artists is displayed.

After leaving the castle we went back to our hotel for a break before dinner. Dinner was at the Grand Prague hotel; across the street from the Astronimical Clock. We had a 4 course meal while we listened to Jazz.

After dinner we cut back through St. Wenceslas square. Hyundai was having a fan fest, so we stood amonst the crowd and watched the football game.

At night, the city looks very different; almost like a movie studio.

Day 6 - Prague

Day 6 - Prague

Today we took a 6 hour guided walking tour of Historical Prague. The guided tour included a boat ride on the Vltava river, tram ride to Prague castle and lunch. It cost 1200 Kc (Czech Crowns) which is about $70.



The tour took us to the National Museum, which has a natural science collection. We also saw Charles bridge, the Jewish Quarter, Prague Castle and the Astronomical Clock.



Prague castle is the largest fortified castle in the world and the Cathedral on the castle grounds is stunning.






Every hour on the hour the changing of the guards occurs. 3 guards march to the guard gate and two of the guards replace the guards currently on duty.

Day 5 - Dresden to Prague

Day 5 - Dresden to Prague

Today we are traveling by train, again. This time we are headed to Prague. The scenic train ride follows alongside the Vltava river and through the Saxon-Switerland National Park. From the train one can see a castle perched atop the mountain side.

When we arrive in Prague it is still pretty early in the day, so we go to St. Wenceslas square and take a stroll around the city.

To get to the subway in Prague, you have to take the escalator down a steep slope. The escalator ride takes about a minute; which may not sound like a long time, but it is long for an escalator ride.

Day 4 - Berlin to Dresden

Day 4 - Berlin to Dresden

This morning we checked out of our hotel and took the bus to the Hauptbahnhof (Main Station). We are leaving Berlin for Prague with a one day stay in Dresden. Jen was embarrased because she put her money in the wrong slot in the ticket machine and the German bus driver became frustrated with her. Also, the ticket price was more than I had expected and I slowed down the line searching for euros in my backpack. We had been doing so well navigating the bus and subway stations, not looking like tourist, until now....

Getting on the train was a bit daunting. There was a large gap between the train and the platform and my luggage was just under 50lbs. Next time I travel to Europe I'm shooting for 30lbs.

On the train we sat with an elderly German couple who were headed to a location between Dresden and Prague. The man spoke both German and English and his wife spoke German. We asked him how to say several phrases in German. I started studying German a few weeks before my trip and it has paid off. I can order food (Ich mochte ein croissant mit wurst) ask if they have a restroom (Haben sie ein toilette ) and ask how much something costs (Was kostets das?).

Again we are too early to check into our hotel, (Hostel to be exact). So we leave our luggage and head down to Dresden's Old Town for a self guided walking tour.

The castle and the opera house stand out among the sites. The Zwinger Castle is beautiful and the courtyard is breathtaking. Unfortunately my photos don't do it any justice. After looking at the castle from the courtyard we go to the Green Vault within the castle. The Green Vault houses Dresden's collection of Jewels. They have a very large collection, although 2/3 was lost during WWII. Before the war the removed most of the treasures from the rooms and put them in a safe.


After a long day of sight seeing we head back to our room at the hostel. Our hostel is situated on a street with many pubs; througout the night we hear loud roars from fans cheering for a football game.

Day 3 - Berlin

Day 3 - Berlin

Today we explored the Alexanderplatz area of Berlin. Alexanderplatz is filled with trendy shopping. However we were not there for shopping, we were headed to the German History Museum.

After leaving the museum we went checked out the nearby churches. In St. Friedrichswerdersche kirche (church) Jennifer pointed out that the walls of the church, which look like marble was actually faux painting. The church was likely destroyed during the Wars and this was the way the restored the church. Now the church is used to exhibit marble statues.

We went back to Potsdamer platz to see the Reichstag building again. This time we go in and take the elevator to the glass dome that sits atop the building.

Day 2 - Berlin

Day 2 - Berlin

Today we woke up early and went downstairs for breakfast. We had eggs, frankfurters, yogurt and an assortment of meats and cheeses.

Our first stop of they day was the Jewish museum in the Eastern Center area of Berlin. The building is somber, cold and austere. The building is jaged and desinged to look like a broken Star of David if viewed from above.

The most memorable exhibit is the Fallen Leaves exhibit. It represents the innocent victims of the holocaust. The artist requests that visitors walk on his work.

After leaving the musuem we head to the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and along the way we see remnants of the Berlin wall. We then head over to the Topography of Terrors exhibit which is housed on the land where the former Gestapo headquarters once stood (you can see the base of the building in the picture below, along with the Berlin wall above it).

The rest of the day we spent at the Gendarmenmarkt area of Berlin; which is home to the Franzoisher Dom (French Cathedral) and the Deutsher Dom (German Cathedral).

Day 1 - Travel Day to Berlin

Day 1 - Travel Day to Berlin

Amersterdam was the first stop in Europe. I can't say that I notice much difference between the AMS airport and any other airport in the states.
I toured the AMS giftshops and one item that caught my attention was the subtle way that they warn of the dangers of smoking...

After another 12 hours of traveling, Jennifer and I finaly made it to Berlin. We took the shuttle to the main train station and then a bus to our hotel. At this point we are extremely tired and ready for sleep, however hotel check-in is at 2pm and it is onlz 9:30am in Berlin. So we leave our luggage at the hotel and stroll through PotsDamer Platz. My favorite place is the Brandenburger Tör (Brandenburg Gate) and The ReichStag Bulding.


On our way back to the hotel from Potsdamer Platz we cut back through the Brandenburg gate and we ran into a large peaceful protest. I spoke to the polizei and they said the farmers were protesting the cost of milk...or something.

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Beer stein at the Amsterdam airport.

Intro

I'm traveling out of the country for the first time, so I started this blog to share my pictures and thoughts with my friends and family as I see and experience new things.

Test photos: I took these in 6/2006 in NYC.