CZECH REPUBLIC (Praha, Chrudim) Week of August 20—27th, 2011

Alice, Brendan, Cailin and I took a bus from Nürnberg to Prague, then a train to Pardubice where Pete picked us up. We spent the first couple of nights in Chrudim with the whole fam, which was lovely.  Chrudim changed SO much than from when I was there last (15 years ago!).  The girls showed us around, we went to a shisha bar, Bara and Maruska took us to a local bar and met some of their friends, we spent one day visiting Babicka’s grave, took a trip to a swimming pond, then made yummy stops to get ice cream.  There was an on-the-way-home stop that we made in a small village called Ležáky, which is now just a memorial of what village was once there.  During the war, there was a team of hitmen who planned an assassination against a famous Nazi officer. Reinhard Heydrich.  The assassination succeeded, but the team of hitmen were scattered around mainly Germany, Poland, and Czecholovakia and they communicated through radio towers.  Word got out that two of these men lived in this small village of Lince and on an early June morning (3am or so), in rolled the Nazi tanks, forcing everyone out of their houses, murdering all of the men, sometimes women and children as well, otherwise they took the others away to camps or they were killed elsewhere.  Directly after that, they set fire to the entire village [of about 12 houses].  It was eerie to walk through the yards and be physically there. No one else was there but there is a museum now about the radio tower and the families that lived there, etc.  I couldn’t help but imagine what it must have looked like or been like to have those tanks rolling through that street, and to be so far beyond humiliated, angered, and left in terror…I hope I will never witness something of that caliber in my lifetime.

On a happier note-

Altogether, we shared countless laughs just from listening to Pete, while sitting around the kitchen table after a great meal and playing games and making bets on who had to eat or do what after they lost the game.

On our way to Prague, Pete drove us to a couple smaller towns where we got to see the Bone Church again, St. Barbora’s and St. Jakob’s Cathedrals.  The group really enjoyed those I think!  My pictures speak more than words.

Prague was Monday-Thursday and wow  did I realize that it’s still one of my favorite cities in the world.  The architecture, people, and just all around historical pieces are simply magnificent!  One of my favorite things to visit are cathedrals and churches.  I remember as a kid of one specific church that caught my eye but I never remembered of it's name or where it was.  We had spent a good amount of time walking about and we came upon a gorgeous gothic cathedral.  All I had to do was set foot inside the door and I knew-  this was it.  I had been waiting how many years to go back to this place and there I stood, in complete awe. 

Again, we had our own personal tour guide- Pete- who took us on a 8+ mile, 5-hour+ walk around the city.  We were exhausted that night, but it was well spent!  Wednesday night we met Bara and her boyfriend downtown Prague and they took us to the laregest night club in central Europe.  It was –stories high, so much fun!  We started at a good hole-in-the-wall bar in Prague, then moved to the club, and took the metro back to the station where Pete met us about 5:30am.  We were completely nackered!

Come Thursday, Brendan and Alice took the train back to Nürnberg, but Cailin and I waited too long to buy our tickets back so they doubled overnight!  Luckily we found a ride for 15 Euros through Mitfahrglegenheit for Saturday!   Katherina is German and met her Czech husband while he was studying abroad in Germany for university. Their English was impeccable, and it just wanted to me to teach more… as well as marry a foreigner!  They live in Prague and she just got a job with Honeywell.  She works with an international team, but her job is in German. PERFECT!

So Cailin and I went back to Chrudim for a few more days: played more games, saw Donna, etc. Loved it.  Cailin is definitely one to travel with, and a friend that is a pleasure to introduce to the family.  She can handle the jokes, adds to the awkward sarcasm, and isn’t afraid to dish it back.

One thing that I think that Pete and I share is our passion for history!  I could just sit and listen to him chat ad chat and chat about wars, kings, past culture or ways of living, etc. and it never gets old!  I found this common thread when he took us to Ležáky. I can’t wait to go back!