Hello blog world! I'm terribly sorry to announce that I broke my unofficial two-weeks-between-posts rule. Oops. This is mostly because being without my poor stolen iPhone, I don't take as many pictures as I used to, and personally that's what I like best about blogging. Also, the weekend after Budapest I took a 'personal weekend' during which I did absolutely NOTHING for almost three full days in order to finally get rid of my sickness (I was mostly successful too!), so I didn't really have anything to report.
Winter is most definitely coming here in Prague, although this week is strangely warm (5-8 degrees), but when the wind picks up and the sun goes down it gets quite chilly here! I am oh so grateful for my wonderful down jacket.
I finally have a phone! I was about four weeks without one, which was an interesting experience. It was both liberating and frustrating, as I didn't have to worry about communicating with anyone who wasn't with me at that moment, yet meeting up with friends when away from my laptop was quite a challenge. I hadn't realized how disconnected I was from my surroundings by how much time I spent on my iPhone, using it for communication, notes, schedules, pictures, games, language apps (it was teaching me Spanish!) weather, and more. Needless to say, I am glad to be reconnected to the mobile electronic world once again!
Two weekends ago I went to the Christmas tree lighting in the Old Town Square in Prague, which in hindsight might not have been the best decision because half the population of Prague also decided to attend. The square was absolutely PACKED, and movement was reduced to shuffling if we were able to move at all. However, it was fun to check out the Christmas market and try some yummy roasted and caramelized walnuts and enjoy the smells of hot wine, trdelnik (pictures of that in previous posts), and the other Czech treats on offer.
With half an hour until the lighting of the tree, we decided to retreat to a cafe for a drink and to avoid the crowds, but when we tried to re-enter the square, they had gates up to control the crowds, preventing us from seeing the tree! So we had to do a huge loop around the square with the rest of the crowd, and eventually we were able to see the tree and get close enough for pictures:
 |
| Joanna, Hanna and I |
The following day, I traveled with a few friends to a castle 2 hours south of Prague. The day was a lot of fun, despite the cold and having to kill time waiting for our bus home in the evening, and despite my camera having an unfortunate accident and becoming non-functional :(. This after spending about 80$ to fix the flash only two weeks before! My luck really is spectacularly awful, or maybe I'm just very clumsy, or most likely both??
 |
| Hluboka Castle, considered one of the most beautiful castles of the Czech Republic (I would agree!) |
 |
| The group! :) Mariana, Georgi, Kasia, Marcelo, me and Hugo |
Then, Krakow! Traveling with more than 200 fellow students was slightly (ha!) chaotic and insane but it was fun as always to meet people from all over the world and to hang out with friends from previous trips. The weather was appropriately winter-esque, but the two walking tours that we did of the Old Town and the Jewish Quarter were made bearable by the very enthusiastic and interesting guide that led them. Usually I don't find history of cities very interesting (it's not my fault, but it just goes in one ear and out the other!) but I really enjoyed learning about Krakow.
 |
| The Main Market Square of Krakow with the Cloth Hall on the left |
 |
| Wawel Cathedral, more than 900 years old! |
 |
| Krakow Opera House |
 |
| Outside the St. Mary's Basilica is a neck restraint where bad people were imprisoned and those going to church on Sundays could throw things at the poor fellow. |
 |
| This staircase was used in Schindler's List! I have never seen the movie but after seeing many locations where the movie was filmed in Krakow I think I have to watch it. |
 |
| Locks of everlasting love on the Lover's Bridge |
 |
| Memorial to Jews from the Krakow Ghetto on their deportation site. Each steel chair represents 1,000 victims. |
 |
| The Lover's Bridge at night |
My new friend Maris from Estonia and I spent a good amount of time in cafes and restaurants warming up and avoiding the biting wind and snow outside, and of course sampling Polish food. One cafe, in particular, stood out to me: Kladka Cafe. Maris' friend recommended it to her and we luckily passed it on our tour so it was easy to find at the end of the tour. We both ordered hot chocolate and a cookie and the hot cocoa was AMAZING. It was real hot chocolate: aka delicious melted chocolate with hot milk and cream on top (and the red dot on top is a frozen raspberry :) ). It was to die for! If anyone ever finds their way to Krakow be sure to check this place out, it's adorable, affordable and delectable!
 |
| Our cozy snack in from the cold :) (Photo cred: Maris) |
 |
| The park surrounding the Old Town |
 |
| Yours truly with a lit-up St. Mary's Basilica |
On the last day of our weekend trip we visited the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps. I'm still unsure how to talk about what I saw and learned there. It was an extremely eye-opening and sobering experience, and I think it is an important historical site for anyone and everyone to visit.
 |
| Arbeit Macht Frei ('work makes you free'), at the entrance of Auschwitz |
My first real taste of Poland was a great one, and I hope I get the chance to explore this country further in the near future (although maybe I'll wait for springtime when it is a bit warmer..)
During the writing of this post (which takes place over several days usually as I get lazy/distracted/busy), I was invited by my roommate's friend to a recreational volleyball game. It was SO much fun! There were about 10 or 11 of us, half girls and half guys, so it worked out well for 5 v 5. We played for just over an hour and it was such a great time! Despite not having played volleyball in wayyyyy too long, I didn't do too badly (I think!). Obviously all the chatter was in Czech and I couldn't understand 99.8% of it, but I did pick up a few new words and I could understand the score when it was announced (numbers are one of the few things I've figured out in this language). I'm looking forward to playing with them again next week!
School is slowly winding down, as some of my classes are finishing already. I had my test in Czech Language on Monday which I think went quite well! Not saying I'm fluent or anything but I know a few words and numbers at least. I have one more week of class then I'm off to Switzerland on the 19th!!! SO excited to see the family that I lived with three years ago for five months following high school graduation (see past posts to read more about that), and spend Christmas with them for the second time.
Until then, I have a few more classes and tests and a day-trip to Dresden planned for the weekend, and January-February, my free month between semesters, to fill with travel plans!
And tonight, I'm off to the midnight premier of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug! Good thing I don't have class until the afternoon tomorrow because it is a longggg movie, with a 1 hour tram ride home afterwards. Gotta love big cities!
'Til next time,
-Sonja :)
No comments:
Post a Comment