DECEMBER
      7,
      2006
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
      @
      10
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      TRAVEL
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Where
      in
      the
      world
      is
      Kristi
      Kelly???
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Kristi
      Kelly
     
     
      Contributor
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Czech
      Republic,
      though
      tiny
      as
      a
     
     
      country
      compared
      its
      much
      bigger
     
     
      neighbour
      Germany,
      was
      nothing
      short
     
     
      of
      impressive!
      Prague
      (also
      known
      as
     
     
      the
      “city
      of
      spires”)
      is
      the
      largest
      city
     
     
      found
      in
      the
      Czech
      Republic
      and
      what
     
     
      a
      place
      to
      be!
      It
      was
      chalked
      full
      of
     
     
      history
      and
      gorgeous
      sights
      -
      buildings
     
     
      were
      colorful
      and
      spectacularly
      laid
     
     
      out
      and
      some
      of
      the
      skyline
      views
     
     
      seem
      right
      out
      of
      a
      magazine.
      Though
     
     
      parts
      of
      this
      city
      were
      devastated
      by
     
     
      WWII
      with
      even
      to
      date,
      scars
      to
      be
     
     
      found
      -
      but
      holy
      cow,
      what
      a
      place
      to
     
     
      be!
      Unique,
      authentic
      and
      not
      like
     
     
      anything
      I
      have
      ever
      seen
      before,
      this
     
     
      city
      was
      hard
      NOT
      to
      fall
      in
      love
      with.
     
     
      This
      place
      is
      all
      about
      the
      sights!
      Not
     
     
      surprisingly,
      this
      place
      was
      littered
      with
     
     
      tourists
      from
      all
      over
      the
      world,
     
     
      especially
      in
      the
      heritage
      city
      where
     
     
      stone
      walls
      and
      remnants
      of
      days
      gone
     
     
      by
      allow
      you
      almost
      lost
      in
      time.
     
     
      Perhaps
      my
      favorite
      experience
     
     
      was
      the
      Prague
      Astronomical
      Clock
      -
     
     
      every
      hour,
      hundreds
      of
      tourist
      would
     
     
      gather
      and
      wait,
      just
      to
      see
      the
      hour
     
     
      change.
      It’s
      mounted
      on
      the
      wall
      of
     
     
      the
      heritage
      city’s
      town
      hall
      and
      its
     
     
      golden
      dials
      represent
      the
      position
      of
     
     
      the
      sun
      and
      moon
      in
      the
      sky.
      The
     
     
      months,
      astronomical
      symbols
      and
     
     
      hours
      all
      beautifully
      displayed
      on
      this
     
     
      magnificent
      clock.
      Talk
      about
      cool
     
     
      engineering!
      Rumor
      has
      it,
      that
      the
      city
     
     
      itself
      loved
      the
      clock
      so
      much,
      that
     
     
      they
      ordered
      the
      creators
      eyes
      to
      be
     
     
      removed,
      so
      he
      would
      never
      have
      the
     
     
      opportunity
      to
      make
      another...
      hell
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      way
      to
      show
      gratitudel!
     
     
      So
      after
      exploring
      the
      city,
      we
     
    
   
   
    
     
      made
      our
      way
      to
      Old
      Prague
      Castle.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      weather
      had
      been
      cloudy
      the
     
     
      whole
      time,
      and
      it
      was
      at
      this
      very
     
     
      moment
      that
      it
      started
      to
      pour.
      So...
     
     
      after,
      I
      swear,
      like
      500
      escalating
      steps,
     
     
      dripping
      wet
      and
      soaked
      to
      the
      bone...
     
     
      I
      made
      it
      to
      the
      top
      of
      the
      mount
      to
     
     
      see
      the
      castle
      in
      all
      its
      glory.
      After
     
     
      taking
      a
      moment
      to
      gain
      feeling
      back
     
     
      in
      my
      legs,
      I
      took
      to
      exploring
      the
     
     
      enchanting
      atmosphere.
      This
      place
     
     
      dates
      back
      as
      far
      as
      870!
      It
      is
     
     
      apparently
      one
      of
      the
      largest
      castles
     
     
      in
      the
      world
      and
      housed
      royalty
     
     
      throughout
      the
      ages.
      What
      I
      would
     
    
   
   
    
     
      have
      given
      to
      have
      been
      a
      princess
     
    
   
   
    
     
      running
      through
      those
      hallways!
      The
     
     
      castle
      wasn’t
      even
      the
      best
      part.
      The
     
     
      view
      from
      the
      top
      spread
      literally
      for
     
     
      miles,
      and
      even
      with
      the
      cloudy
      sky,
     
     
      the
      rows
      of
      red
      roof
      tops
      and
      white
     
     
      washed
      houses
      absolutely
     
     
      mesmerizing.
     
    

    
     
      Upon,
      leaving
      the
      palace,
      I
      took
     
     
      the
      route
      most
      traveled
      -
      the
      Charles
     
     
      Bridge.
      Known
      for
      its
      picturesque
     
     
      layout,
      it
      was
      more
      like
      integrated
      art
     
     
      than
      a
      travel
      way.
      Artist
      and
      talent
     
     
      alike
      lined
      the
      bridge
      ways,
      displaying
     
     
      their
      work
      with
      pride
      -
      in
      hopes
      that
     
     
      eager
      tourist
      walking
      may
      be
      interested
     
     
      in
      investing!
      Apparently
      this
      was
      a
     
     
      practice
      that
      dated
      back
      centuries.
     
     
      Even
      in
      the
      pouring
      rain,
      this
      city
      was
     
     
      able
      to
      delight
      me!!
     
    

    
     
      Now,
      if
      you
      have
      been
      reading
     
     
      my
      articles,
      you
      will
      notice
      that
      I
     
     
      always
      mention
      food...
      why?
      Because
     
     
      I
      have
      absolutely
      no
      self
      restraint
     
    
   
   
    
     
      was
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Charles
      Bridge.
      Known
      for
      it’s
      picturesque
      layout,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      when
      it
      comes
      to
      a
      good
     
     
      meal,
      and
      baby!
      With
     
     
      Prague
      you
      are
      in
      for
      a
     
     
      treat!!
      Okay,
      rule
      of
     
     
      thumb,
      you
      never
      eat
     
     
      “street
      meat”
      (e.g
      -
      hot
     
     
      dog
      outdoor
      vendors)
      but
     
     
      man
      oh
      man...
      the
     
     
      selection
      of
      food
      you
     
     
      could
      pick
      up
      for
      cheap,
     
     
      and
      with
      beer!?!!
      Snitzel,
     
     
      sausages,
      huge
      buttery
     
     
      pretzels
      and
      other
      foreign
     
     
      delights
      were
      found
     
     
      everywhere!!
      So
      let’s
      add
     
     
      this
      up...
      beer,
      pretzels
      and
     
     
      sausage,
      in
      the
      street,
     
     
      available
      24
      hours
      a
      day...
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Prague
      Astronomical
      Clock
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Photo:
      Kristi
      Kelly
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      it
      is
      all
      completely
      legal
      and
     
     
      accepted.
      If
      the
      locals
      are
      doing
      it,
      it
     
     
      must
      be
      safe...
      right!?
      If
      you
      are
      going
     
     
      to
      do
      the
      traditional
      restaurant
      thing,
     
     
      golauche
      was
      the
      way
      to
      go!
     
    

    
     
      So...
      after
      a
      long
      day
      of
      walking,
     
     
      nothing
      was
      nicer
      than
      getting
      back
     
     
      to
      the
      hostel,
      showering
      and
      changing
     
     
      into
      fresh
      new
      dry
      clothes.
      There
      are
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Photo:
      Kristi
      Kelly
     
    
   
   
    
     
      some
      things
      in
      this
      life
      that
      we
      take
     
     
      for
      granted,
      and
      trust
      me,
      soft
      clean
     
     
      laundry
      is
      one
      of
      them!
     
    

    
     
      Overall,
      Prague
      was
      great
      city
     
     
      to
      visit,
      wouldn’t
      to
      have
      wanted
      to
     
     
      come
      in
      the
      summer
      when
      tourism
      gets
     
     
      really
      busy...
      but
      none
      the
      less,
      a
     
     
      complete
      blast!
      Best
      part,
      everything
     
     
      was
      CHEAP!
      Though
      the
      language
     
    
   
   
    
     
      was
      ridiculously
     
     
      complicated
      49
     
     
      understand,
      and
      _
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      service
      was
      sh*t
      in
      most
     
     
      places...
      overall,
      Prague
     
     
      was
      a
      great
      spot
      to
      explore
     
     
      and
      lived
      up
      to
      its
      highly
     
     
      praised
      reputation
      as
      a
     
     
      “must
      see”!
     
    

    
     
      Id
      like
      to
      take
      this
     
     
      opportunity,
      as
      it
      is
      the
     
     
      final
      issue
      of
      the
      semester,
     
     
      to
      wish
      everyone
      good
     
     
      luck
      on
      their
      exams
      and
      to
     
     
      have
      a_
      great
      and
     
     
      wonderful
      Christmas
     
     
      holiday!
      See
      you
      in
      2007!