Ah Prague. What sounds like Russians speaking Italian is the sound of the local Czech language. We are now in the Czech Republic's capital city. Prague (or Praha as it's pronounced locally) has a very diverse and eventful history like many of the cities we have visited on our tour. It's recorded history dates back about 1100 years and was once the seat of the Holy Roman Empire. The main attraction of Prague is in fact the historical center, which is also called "Old Town". This part of the city is over 1100 years old and It is here where the cities livelihood is on constant display day and night. We loved it so much we never left. There's lots to do here and you could easily spend a month taking it all in. We'll get started and show you Prague through our eyes.

Old Town is where everything comes together. Many of the streets converge on this massive space. Tour groups, shops, live music of all kinds from 1920's jazz with egg beaters and washboards to a medieval metal band in full medieval costume. Did I mention all this happens at the same time? One of the landmark sites of the square is the Old Town Hall & Astronomy Clock. It was built in 1354. Imagine a clock tower with 3 faces instead of one. The main face is the normal clock (which ironically, we always found ourselves checking our phones to see the time every time we walked past) while the other two faces have constellation names and the signs of the zodiac all around. The clock strikes every hour to a display of old villagers walking about with dancing skeletons hanging on the outside. Large groups will gather every hour to watch. There is also a lot of food here too. You could go to a fancy restaurant with a patio and sit in the square, or you could enjoy the many medieval food stands present. We chose the food stands. It's a more unique experience and they have a variety of traditional food to choose from. From the wood fired rotisseries of ham to crepes to two foot long sausages, you can fill up quite enjoyably here. The smell of fire wood will draw you in and the food will keep you there. Some of these vendors will quote not unit prices for food, but prices by weight, so be careful. On our last night the Prague Symphony Orchestra was giving a massive free show in the middle of the square. It was so packed it took several minutes just to navigate the crowds to the street we were looking for. If you're looking to relax and aren't looking for tours than you can easily spend your time in the square and not get bored.

Prague and Czech Republic in general have a lot of artisans of all types. Many of whom are painters, wood carvers, designers, etc.. As a result there are a LOT of art shops and stands here. We were fighting the urge to buy up all the paintings, crystal, leather goods, and three person chess sets they had. All were exquisitely made with such attention to detail. Many of the stands the artists themselves (and their spouses, who sometimes were also artists) were showing their work. We found the street vendors gave the better prices on the more ubiquitous items, but the shops had the higher quality & larger pieces. There is a lot of the city's culture and traditions in these crafts and these are unique items not found anywhere else so I'd recommend giving it a good look. If you're a fan of local music than know that almost all the buskers are professionals. They all have CD's to sell and are quite good at what they do.

The Charles bridge is a historically significant bridge as it was built by Charles IV (1346-1378) who was at that time both the King of Bohemia and the Holy Roman Emperor. It was built during a prosperous time or Prague and was before the many years of war that took place after. Today it is packed with tourists, artists, and musicians. This bridge over the Vltava River leads to The Lesser Quarter where The Castle District is. We took the journey to see the main attraction, which is Prague Castle (Prazsky Hrad). It is the largest castle in Europe with over 700 rooms. The foundation were laid in 1344 and didn't finish until 1929. I would have to say I simply don't have that kind of patience for any project. I would love to see the workers scrap book. Due to the long build (12-18 months is a long build, this is ridiculous) the castle shows many architectural styles from many eras. Climbing to the top was quite an effort, especially in the 35 degree heat. Just an FYI, thin sole shoes and flip flops are a BAD idea on cobblestone. You feel everything! The climb was well worth it. The view is amazing as Prague is one of the most beautiful cities to look at. From the castle you see the whole city. We couldn't stop taking pictures. We did get very tired and spent some time up there on the grounds just enjoying the view.

There is lots to see (museums, art shows, live theater, historical tours) and we would definitely mark this as a place to return to in heartbeat. We really spent our time soaking in the scenery and experiencing all the city had to offer. So much happened all around us we felt excited just to be a part of it. Prague definitely made Mr. Moo's top 5 list as we will definitely want to return.

That's our trip this time. We will be back with a brief trip to Budapest. To all our friends and family back home in Calgary, we are closely watching the flood situation and are deeply concerned for all of you. Our hearts are with you all.

Ali, Anna, and Mr. Moo.