czech republic

After spending the last week in Prague, I am already dying to go back.  I flew there on my company’s dime our 2012 kickoff, nice.   And in theory, work trips are great: a free way to travel.  But in reality, sometimes {read: this time} it’s such a tease.  

I had never been to Prague, so naturally there was a laundry list of things I would loved to have seen / eaten / drank / snapped photos of / checked off my touristy-list.  But nooo not this time, I spent most days & nights cooped up in the hotel listening to presentations & speakers & and trainings. 

We did have a whopping two hours on Tuesday alotted for sightseeing, if you call a mad dash “team building” scavenger hunt game sightseeing, that is.  And guess what?
You know how I’m all super competitive and I only like winning and I need to be in charge of things?
NOT THIS TIME people. 
I don’t think I took one single picture from a stationary position.  We were walking around so.freaking.fast  I was barely looking through the lens as I snapped for fear of tripping, falling, and breaking my camera. 
Anyway, my team was out of control.  {Now I see the other side – what it’s like to be surrounded by people who take things way to seriously – and maybe I’ll tone down my future competitiveness.  Maybe.}  It was worth it though, since we won.  NOT.  We didn’t even come close.  I think we got three of 15 or something ridiculous.

So all of this brings me to my point: a girl can plan, that’s for sure, so here’s a list of things that I didn’t do during this trip & therefore will be doing the next time around:

een.   Going to the architectural beauty, the Prague Castle, to take in some of the best views of the city.  The Old Royal palace, the three churches, the monastery…they were calling my name as I scampered across the Charles Bridge in a mad dash to not win the scavenger hunt.

twee.  Czech-ing out {GET IT} the major photography galleries: the Prague House of Photography & the Leica Gallery.

drie.  Grabbing a cappuccino & using free wifi to blog, obviously, at Cafe Louvre.  And then walking all around the Old City with the ability to take pictures when my feet are both on the ground at the same time.  These colorful buildings deserve to be captured.

vier.  Standing in the middle of Old Town Square.  And then taking a million pictures of the astronomical clock using my camera, instagram, hipstamatic, etc.

vijf.  Visiting Josefov.  And Vysehrad.  And Loreta.

zes.  Taking in the views of & from, the Powder Tower & the Petrin Tower {mini tour eiffel}.

zeven.  Pub crawling around town, drinking this fancy-dark-beer-that-doesn’t-taste-like-dark-beer because it’s SO DELICIOUS.

acht.  Strolling through the Lesser Quartier / Mala Strana.  Narrow streets, baroque palaces, open squares, yes please.

negen.  Looking at the House of the Black Madonna.  I totally dig Rotterdam’s funky design scene, I’d like to check out Praha’s cubist architecture as well.

tien.  Not eating typical Czech cuisine.  I mean, meat & all is good…but the soggy, dense, undercooked bread thing isn’t my style.  Of course I want to go to these typical places to take in the scene & drink the beverages, but I’ll probably be following up my meals with snacks or…room service.  I know!  I know!  Such a touristy no-no but I might not be able to help myself…it’s better than simply not going to the local places at all, right!?

So there you have it, my list of must-sees for the next Prague trip. 

PS It’s snowing.  Snowing!  Hooray.  The lakes & canals are frozen.  So we are going skating this weekend.  It’s a thing here, skating.  So we obviously have to do it to, to you know, blend.

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