Postcards from Prague

Before Prague, I was in Baden Baden. I took a train to Nuremberg, Germany, where Mom and I discovered a Dunkin’ Donuts in the train station and proceeded to rejoice at the sugary goodness there. Then, we hopped on a 3 hour bus to Prague. This was the absolute most luxurious bus ride I have ever taken; a two story bus, with a bathroom, air conditioning, high speed wifi, wide seats, a luggage compartment, and drink and food options. You could literally push a button above you, and a bus stewardess (complete with classy stewardess outfit) would magically appear, take your order, and bring you wine (or anything else you ordered, but let’s be real, you want the wine). You could then sip wine while you streamed Netflix until you arrived in Prague. Best arrival ever!

Prague is chock-full of historical landmarks, and I only had two days there; in an attempt to see it all, I signed up for a walking tour. I failed to realize it was a six hour hour walking tour, from 11am until 5pm. This included a cruise along the river and a late lunch in an original medieval restaurant. In retrospect, 6 hours is way too long to hold my attention. Luckily, the next day in Prague I had time to enjoy the city at my own pace. There are a few highlights I gathered from my trip that are definitely must sees and dos!

1. Charles Bridge (at night)
This bridge is lovely during the day, but it’s a true star at night. Lights from the town and passing boats illuminate the arches of the bridge, creating a truly lovely view.

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Ljubljana, Slovenia

Ljubljana, Slovenia (pronounced loo-blee-awn-ah) is one of my favorite cities ever. I am in love with this country. It’s unbelievably clean (I didn’t encounter a single piece of trash the whole time I was there), the people are friendly, and everywhere I looked was absolute beauty.

Ljubljana is full of bridges with interesting names, such as the Cobbler’s Bridge, the Ugly Duckling, the Tripoli Bridge and the Dragon Bridge. Each one was more interesting than the last! My personal favorite was the Dragon Bridge. The dragon happens to be Slovenia’s national mascot!

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Flaneurs: Strolling Around Europe

Some cities are not full of typical tourist attractions, but are gorgeous and worth visiting for other reasons. Specifically, I’ve found some cities ideal for simply walking around, seeing what there is to see, and soaking up culture. There might be one or two spots worth a visit, but primarily, it’s about enjoying just being where you are. Essentially, this is the art of flaneurs, the art of strolling. Flaneur is a French word, one which I think perfectly captures a method of delighting in travel; it emphasizes strolling around, noticing little details, and focusing on where you are and your surroundings. While strolling can be practiced anywhere, a few cities I’ve visited are especially great for embracing the art of flaneurs: Dubrovnik, Kotor, Tirana, Stavanger, Brasov, and Bratislava.

1. Dubrovnik, Croatia

The southern tip of croatia hosts this gem. Old Town, Game of Thrones castles, coastal walks, rocky beaches, and clear teal-blue-green water delight the eyes as you stroll around the city.

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