Shortly after crossing Svatopluk Čech Bridge you’ll arrive at Letná park; aka my absolute favorite place in Prague. Once you make it up the extensive stairwell to the top of the hill onto Hanavský Pavilion, you can’t help but be blown away by the amazing views of the city. Plus, at night the park welcomes different DJs to come and perform at the pavilion around sunset. Letná park is also home to a pretty large skateboard community. Due to the hard jagged cobblestone sidewalks and narrow, winding paths, Prague is not the most accommodating city when it comes to wheel-friendliness. Nevertheless, the skateboarders of Prague seemed to have found refuge at Stalin Square, up by the Metronome in Letná Park. This area happens to be one of the skateboarding meccas of the world. Skateboarders from all over the world flock to this concrete jungle to grind their wheels on some rail.

While watching them glide along the pavement, I became rather intrigued by their focus. Each person out there seemed totally carefree. It’s as if the only thing on their mind was skating and nailing whatever trick they were practicing at the moment. Some definitely fell more than others, but each time they would get right back on their board and try again. Their persistence was truly quite admirable.

After hitting the snooze button three consecutive times, I finally decided to get up and start my day. When on vacation we get so caught up with constantly being on the go, making sure to jam pack your days so that you’re constantly getting the most out of every second of every day. But that can get EXHAUSTING really fast! Especially when you’re constantly having to interact with people, it’s difficult to find time for yourself so that you can reflect on things.  So when we were basically given a free day today to just explore and take pictures, I took full advantage of that. I ended up doing a solo adventure to Stromovka. As I began walking down a random trail, I came across this bench looking out onto this large pond in the center of the park. I decided to sit for a minute and just kind of watch people as they passed by. Not too long after this, a grandfather walked passed me on the bench towards the body water. With one hand holding a plastic bag and the other interlocked with a small child, (whom I presume is his granddaughter) he slowly opened the plastic bag to reveal a loaf of bread. He broke off a piece and handed it to the little girl. With no sense of coordination or direction, she tossed the piece of bread into the air and squealed as the ducks came rushing toward her. I thought it was so sweet how her grandfather held the back of her shirt so carefully, to make sure she didn’t fall in the water. Lazy days can often turn into some of the best days. I had no real plan or agenda; I was just kind of going with the flow. I was glad that I stumbled on such a sweet and tender moment.  

** Fun Fact: Stromovka is the largest park in Prague **

Red white and blue flags filled the sky tonight but it wasn’t for the 4^th of July or Memorial day. Today the city of Prague held the largest protest since the end of communism in 1989. Nearly over hundred thousand people gathered in Wenceslas Square to protest the resignation of Prime Minister Andrej Babis, who is accused of fraudulent use of EU subsidies.

Protesting is so important! It’s a great way to let your voice be heard. When people think differently, they may feel isolated, marginalized, and powerless. Public demonstrations and marches empower people by showing them that there are thousands of people who think the same things. Protesting is also a great way to create a dialogue and start a debate. Those in power may try to ignore the masses, but if there are enough protesters, then they will be forced to listen and hear the concerns of the public. You never know what action will be the tipping point that will cause the government to re-evaluate their stance, thereby giving the protesters a win. Sometimes that is simply not the case. But just because things may not work out how you initially hoped; doesn’t mean you stop fighting for what’s right and what’s just.

** Fun Fact: The Czechoslovak Republic was founded at the same place as the protest, Wenceslas Square, on October 28, 1918**

History has never been one of my favorite subjects. I often find it difficult to pay attention to long drawn out lectures about the past; especially if I have no real connection to it myself. That’s why I was surprised to find myself so intrigued by our tour of Prague Castle today.

I learned that certain parts of the castle are darker than others because of fires that occurred in the 16 century. In addition, I learned the true purpose of gargoyles. Gargoyles are usually a grotesque carved human or animal face whose main purpose is to act as a gutter and redirect water away from the wall when it’s raining. I find it really interesting how something like a gargoyle, which has a real negative connotation, due to numerous Hollywood movies that personify them to be evil creatures, are actually quite helpful. As a result of my several trips abroad, I have come to learn that the rest of the world sees Americans in a pretty negative light. Many Europeans have attached a semi negative connotation to the word American. They believe we are too loud, superficial and addicted to fast food (which we are). But, there’s still so much more to being American than just those few characteristics. Just like gargoyles, a word is simply a word. It’s the actions that follow that truly define one’s worth and usefulness in this world.

** Fun Fact: THERE’S A DARTH VADER GARGOYLE IN WASHINGTON D.C. **

This afternoon I strolled down the beautiful Charles Bridge, a stone Gothic bridge that connects the Old Town and Lesser Town of Prague. The bridge was jam-packed with people; a nice mixture of tourist taking pictures with the numerous baroque statues that are placed along either side of the bridge, and the many Czech artist, musicians and souvenir vendors who can be found scattered throughout the bridge year-round.

When visiting a city, I feel that it’s very easy to fall into the tourist bubble. You become so caught up with visiting all the main tourist attractions and taking photos of the pretty scenery, but often forget or neglect the actual people who live in that particular city. The people who get to see these stunning sights every day.

As I was taking pictures on the bridge, I began to look around, like truly look around, and for a moment I just stood and watched the people walking by on the bridge. I began wondering who were the tourist and who were the people who actually lived here and were merely walking to work? I heard two men talking near me, and when I turned to look at them I was instantly intrigued by one of them. He was wearing a blue hat that had these small little holes, and as he stood under the sun, the holes created an interesting shadow pattern on his face. I tried to sneakily take a close up picture of him, but he caught me. He simply smiled and asked if he could see the picture, so I walked over to him and his friend to show him. As I talked to them I learned that his name was Vitas Nenad, and that he was actually an artist here. He told me how he had been drawing caricatures on the bridge for about 20 years. Throughout my travel here in Prague, I really want to push myself to go out of my comfort zone and talk to people, especially the locals, cause they’re the ones who truly know the city and all the beautiful things it has to offer.

** Fun Fact: The Charles Bridge used to be called the Stone Bridge during its first several centuries **

Regardless of the weather-come rain or shine-during the early morning hours of Saturday and Sunday, you can find a group of people setting up for the Bleší Trhy Praha flea market. This weekly flea market is the largest in Czech Republic, each week offering an endless supply of new and used goods. For just a small entrance fee of 20 Czech Crowns you will be exposed to not only practical mundane household items, but various peculiar oddities as well; there’s definitely something for everyone. Bleší is a play on the Czech word “Blecha” which means flea, so Bleší Trh means “the flea’s market. The market is actually located in an old railway siding.

I never used to really consider myself as someone who enjoys going to Flea markets. The chaotic behavior of people rummaging through bins of someone else’s “junk” didn’t really seem appealing to me. It wasn’t till I visited a casual street flea market in Amsterdam that I truly understood the subtle allure and charm that flea markets possessed. As I walked around the Bleší Trhy Praha market, I was intrigued by the various people I encountered. There’s very few spaces in this world where you can find people of all different ethnicities, ages and gender. A flea market is one of those special areas that brings people together rather than divide. Just like the large assortment of people, it was nice to see a wide range of items for sell as well. One of my favorite parts about flea markets is haggling with the traders. There’s an art to it; you can’t be too aggressive or they’ll begin to get mad. You kind of have to have fun with it and go about it in a rather joking manner. At the end of the day, it’s really about exploring and having fun. So, don’t be afraid to dig to find treasures at your local flea market. You never know what you might find.

** Fun Fact: The Bleší Trhy Praha flea market is about 50,000 square meters (538,196 square feet) **

The sound of drums beating and horns blowing filled the streets of Prague this morning. Everywhere you looked you saw vibrant colorful skirts swooshing around over the cobble stone streets as the women in them twirled and danced around. Today was the last day of the annual Romani festival.

The Romani, more commonly known as Gypsies or Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally itinerant, living mostly in Europe and the Americas and originating from the northern Indian subcontinent.

The Romani population have experienced considerable hardship, having been a main target of Nazi extermination programs during World War II and the subject of forced relocation and other radical social policies during the Communist era, the Czech Republic. Challenges remain for the Romani population with respect to education and poverty, not to mention the frequent tensions that arise with the ethnically Czech majority population over issues including crime and integration.

This Parade is a great way for the two communities to come together and celebrate the beautiful and diverse Czech culture.

The building featured behind the little girl is the little St. Nicholas Church, a Late-Gothic and Baroque church built between 1732-1737.

** Fun Fact: Prague is the largest Atheist City in the Czech Republic **

With large beautiful Gothic and Victorian influenced architecture all over the city of Prague, it’s so easy to forget about all the lush green areas that are found scattered throughout the city as well. Walking around on cobble stones looking at large historic buildings can get old really fast. That’s why I was so glad to see bright yellow petals peeking out behind a large iron fence as I turned the corner onto Na slupi. I had accidentally stumbled onto what I thought was a hidden gym in the city of Prague, a small little garden in the center of these condensed brick streets. I later found out that it wasn’t a little garden but actually a large botanical garden of the Natural Sciences Faculty of Charles University.

This garden first opened in 1898 and gradually expanded to include an arboretum, greenhouses, ponds and large alpine garden. As I walked around the garden I began to notice a pungent smell of cigarettes lingering in the air. This smell can be found practically all over the city; seeing as the Czech Republic is a more tolerant country than many of its European counterparts when it comes to the culture of smoking. That’s why I wasn’t too shocked to find this old man deeply inhaling a drag from his cigarette in front of the arboretum.

With Prague being the capital of the Czech Republic, it’s easy to see how it has become a true melting pot of culture, history, food, and entertainment. It’s the streets of Prague that really bring the cities culture to life. It’s not uncommon to find various musicians and street performers aligning the streets. If you walk a few blocks down from the Manifesto Market Florenc, you’ll come across a hectic street corner filled with various types of people. A few running to catch the tram, some stuffing their mouths with the delicious food that they bought from the tons of food carts lining the streets, others leisurely walking and window-shopping. This was exactly what I saw as I walked down the street of Na Florenci. However, among all the people walking frantically by, I noticed a man with a large smile on his face, which is fairly rare here in Prague. As I walked closer to the man smiling from ear to ear I began to notice children running around in front of him. He swayed his arms back and forth so rhythmically and gracefully it was almost as if he had a choreographed dance. Bubbles began to fill the street corner spinning and flying in all different directions. Little kids would race after them trying to touch as many as they could before they popped and were gone forever. Other bystanders would look over in the bubble man’s direction with a faint smirk then continue on with their day.

A smile is worth a thousand words, your smile has the power to light up a room and help break down barriers, allowing us to connect with one another without having to say a single word.