Prague October 2010

Prague Trip October 3-11, 2010

The Vikarka Restaurant located in the Prague Castle Complex
We found a nesting doll with the Prague Castle painted on it.

On two of the mornings in Prague we were picked up by private transportation and dropped off at a nearby train station, to then travel to Vienna and Berlin.


The Square in Berlin where the historical "book burning" took place.



After biking in Berlin all day, we asked our tour guide to take us to a place where we could get some chocolate. It was one of our favorite stops, plus the chocolate gave us just enough energy to continue our tour back to the bike shop to return our rentals!
A Jewish Memorial in Berlin

Passing through a past Jewish community in Berlin

A Holocaust Memorial near Hitler's Bunker

Most of the city of Berlin has been rebuilt, but we asked our tour guide to show us a building that still had the original damage from World War ll.

Choosing our bikes in Berlin at the Fat Tire Tours


Standing next to a portion of the Berlin Wall. The only remaining section of the Wall which runs about one mile in length. The graffiti in German, said something to the effect that, "some walls are meant to be taken down"

It really is quite moving to actually stand next to the remaining portion of the Berlin Wall and imagine the history and suffering of a place without freedom.

You just had to stop and have a Berliner Currywurst!

YUM!

We had the ones in the middle front!

We had to taste the..."chestnuts roasting on an open fire.."

Overlooking the city of Berlin where you had a bird's eye view of the Olympic Stadium. We could actually remember seeing footage of Hitler and his soldiers watching the historical moment when Jessie Owens won the gold metal in 1936.

You can just imagine how this field was filled with German Soldiers of the Third Reich during the Olympic Games of 1936

From our vantage point you could see how flat Berlin really is and the manmade hills on the outskirts of town. They are filled and built up with rumble from all the destruction after the war. It was interesting to note that contractors still run into old bombs left from the war. It makes you not want to dig into the dirt of Berlin

We met Boris Coronado, our tour guide at the Berlin train station. Boris is holding up a sign with the name RIGBY on it!

The train station in Dresden, Germany

Rarely do we get a picture together, since I am usually behind the camera! We try to get a few shots of us to prove that we were on the trip together.

Old Town Square
Cesky Krumlov

We took a wooden raft trip down the Vltava River which is the longest river in the Czech Republic

Life vest and all...It was really a peaceful river cruise trip, loved the relaxation time

One of the most scenic places we visited. I took this shot out of a window in a bathroom restaurant that overlooked this city in Czech Republic called Cesky Krumlov
postcard pretty...it's my computer screen saver right now

Bread dumplings and pork roast with cranberry sauce..yummy!
Lunch at the Hotel Ruze

A toast to the trip with juice at the Hotel Ruze in Cesky Krumlov

Quaint little restaurant sign

I liked this building in Old Town Square

There is just something about a telephone booth that seems to call my name, I guess it's because they are something of a lost art

Cesky Krumlov is a world heritage site. Founded in the 13th century it has maintained it's story-book medieval image.

Cesky Krumlov

I could spend a week just relaxing in this quaint little countryside

Waiting for the train to head back to Prague

Opera House in Vienna where Mozart performed

"Viel Good" McDonalds sign in Berlin

Mike and Leslie sharing a McDonald's soda

The Castle Gardens in Vienna

This is the famous Schonbrunn palace. This is where the Emperor of Austria lived. The gardens in the back are amazing. They liken this palace with its gardens like a mini Versailles in France.

We have made some amazing memories with our friends from Utah. We love them!

Meeting our guide at the train station in Vienna...he sounded just like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
I'm not kidding, if you shut your eyes you could imagine you were with the Governor of California!

The first class train ride to Vienna, Austria

Starting our train ride from Prague to Vienna which took about four hours travel time

Blair was an amazing travel agent, planning our side trips to Vienna as well as Berlin

Little outdoor cafe which was near a shopping area in Prague

We found an authetic Italian restaurant..best spinach cheese ravioli I've ever eaten!

This Italian pizza was delicious!

Prague is famous for their marionettes.

We were up in a tower overlooking the city. The Prague Castle is located at the top center of the picture. This is the famous Charles Bridge

So here is my knight in shining armour

Shopping

Sightseeing

It was unusual to see a little waterway that looked like a place in Venice

Overlooking the city of Prague

Blair stops for just a moment so I can snap his picture overlooking the beautiful countryside

We got this man to finally take our picture. It was hilarious because he couldn't understand us at all and just kept handing us his camera to take his picture. Needless to say were were all smiles for our group picture!

A side view of the famous Charles Bridge in Prague

The fruit and vegetables were so colorful

You can never take enough pictures of outdoor flower shops..love them.

I took this picture for Annie; our own little ballerina!

Tiny streets and tiny cars

Mike and Leslie Watkins

Pretty

I'm grateful that we had the opportunity to visit places so far from home, but as always, I tell my travel-bug husband, "There's no place like home!"