Prague

Ahoj from the Czech Republic (it means hello and it's pronounced like "ahoy")! Holy crap, where do I begin with this architecturally stunning city? Sure, everyone wants to go to places like London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, etc., but what I loved most about Prague is the Eastern European influences that were visible. Cities like Budapest, Kiev, and Prague are completely overlooked even though they often are the most beautiful cities in Europe. I visited the largest ancient castle in the world here, known as the Prague Castle, which dates all the way back to the year 870 A.D. I think the thing I enjoyed most was I had assumed this region of the world was very religious because of the sheer amount of churches, but my tour guide told us Czechs don't care about religion and are mostly agnostic, if anything. There were people from the U.S., Australia, the Philippines, and New Zealand on my tour and we were all shocked at his casualness to religion, but I enjoyed it very much. Unfortunately, it rained during my day there, but it didn't stop me from going on a six hour, 5 kilometer walking tour of the city. Well, I'll let the pictures speak the words, but I hope you have enjoyed my blog as much as I have! I'll post one more blog as the highlights of my trip and then that's it (what a sad moment). Thank you all for following along and I hope I have inspired many of you to get out there and travel! The world is a beautiful place, and while you should always be cautious and practice situational awareness, it's worth it to get out and explore. I will hopefully be that person being pushed on the plane by the airport staff in a wheelchair because I will never stop traveling. I've decided the next place I want to go is southeast Asia (probably only so I can ride an elephant in Thailand), so maybe you'll be reading another blog soon!

Prague Castle

Prague Castle

The view of Prague from the castle

John Lennon Wall

"Grow old with me, the best is yet to be..."

Locks on a bridge

Touching this is said to bring luck

Necessary picture of beer on my boat ride

Charles Bridge

Charles Bridge

Astronomical Clock

Berlin

Guten Tag! It was nice to visit Berlin for the second time in my life and as always, I am amazed with the culture and lifestyle of this beautiful city. Although my German skills are minimal, I had fun practicing the language. It's unbelievable the transition Berlin, and Germany as a whole, has made since the end of World War II in 1945. Berlin was bombed day and night by American and English troops during those years and in 2014, the beauty of this city is stunning. Today, Germany has one of the leading economies of the world and is certainly the leading power of the European Union. The EU has a love-hate relationship with Germany because they are often reliant on Germany's wealth and vast resources. I took a class last semester on German politics and a class while studying abroad on the EU, so it was great to meet Germans and ask them their opinions on matters that are current. In return, I was asked about current issues in the United States, which I always enjoy discussing. One more blog for Prague and then I will be done showing you my trip to Europe. I hope this has been a learning experience just as much for the readers as it has been for me!

River Spree

Berlin Wall, East Side Gallery

Touching the Berlin Wall

Street art done by Theirry Noir, the first street artist to paint on the Berlin Wall

"No more walls, a united world."

Elephants at the Berlin Zoo

Sand cat

Checkpoint Charlie

Part of the Berlin Wall

Berlin Wall

Brandenburg Gate

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

My future workplace

Reichstag, German Parliament

Front view of the Reichstag

Wienerschnitzel

Currywurst