We had tried our hand at traveling with Harris when we went to Egypt but given the fact that this trip was going to be for a much longer time, and was further away, we had to make some adjustments and count on some luck. We were fortunately provided with both as three our of our four flights (two there, and two back) were under-booked so we were able to work out a whole row for ourselves. What this meant was for the stretches where little man needed a nap, we simply laid him on the middle seat, set up a blanket in the tray table as a tent and let him sleep. It saved us, and probably the rest of the passengers a lot of heartache.
When we got to the airport, we ran into some troubles at the check-in gate so we got through security rather late. We didn't have time to change our cash or to do anything other than walk right on to the plane. We had the same struggles for our layover in Rome. When we landed and we tried to change over our Saudi riyals, we were shocked (stupidly so) that we couldn't and we went to the ATM where we would again find no luck with our debit cards in their machines. So we were unable to acquire any local cash, so it's a good thing that shortly after we arrived, Meagan got there to save the day. Otherwise, it would have been a long and very boring spring break in Terminal 2 of Prague airport.
When we finally got to the apartment we rented, we put the baby to bed and we were content with getting take out and bringing it back to the apartment to recover from the day of traveling. The next day was spent similarly with a bit of exploring, lots of resting, and kicking back to read. When Shannon and I ventured out into the city, we were amazed with the cobblestone everything, the mixture of old and new buildings, and the history. As we learned more, it made sense. Prague was occupied by Nazi Germany at one point, by the USSR for a long duration, but was never totally destroyed during the various wars for territory and domination in Europe, making it somewhat unique to the rest of Europe in that respect. So the end result is a smattering of 1000 year old buildings with new, high tech infrastructure project. It's absolutely stunning. There are castles, fortress walls, old cathedrals, and cutting edge glass facades side by side throughout the city. We spent the whole first day wandering around, solving our cash flow crisis, eating local foods, and exploring. We came across the castle, the famous St. Charles Bridge, the Prague Astronomical Clock, and countless public squares.
For our second day, Shannon had arranged for a private car to drive us two ours to a huge national park on the border of Germany and Czech Republic. On the drive, we stopped for some coffee and were instantly thrust into the European countryside with rolling green hills, bubbling rivers and streams, mountains, and cottages. It was magical. We set off on a hike up the side of a mountain ridge. The park, Saxon Switzerland Park, was one of the shooting locations for the Chronicles of Narnia movie and it did not disappoint. Harris was awed by 100 foot tall trees, the cool air, and the sounds of nature he had never seen before. (There aren't many magical mountain Narnia forests on our compound) He was so awed that he fell asleep for most of the trip up. When we got to the top, we took a break for some snacks and to admire the view. After our hike, we took a trip to a former factory that had been converted into a restaurant where we had Czech specialties like roasted duck and dumplings. After we finished lunch, our driver took us twenty minutes up the road into Germany where we explored an old Saxon castle atop these giant rock structures hundred of feet off the ground. It was amazing.
On our third day, Shannon and I went to something called a beer spa, which is a thing that exists in this world. It's a magical place that is basically a castle dungeon cave of stone and oak where they have built jacuzzi tubs, provide food, and refreshments to those who are interested, heated beds for relaxing, and massages. It was a pretty perfect way to spend a bit of time. It was also the first time Shannon and I got to go out and do something on our own together since Baby Harris was born. He stayed back with his aunt and napped and played for a bit until we returned.
We spent the next day walking around the city again. We visited the Prague Castle again, walked to a local vineyard to enjoy some snacks and the view of the city, we went to a few cafes, and had a laid back night at home again watching movies after we put the baby to bed again. The rest of our trip was spent reading, doing last minute trips like one more trip to the beer spa for Meagan, last trips to certain restaurants, and picking up a few souvenirs.
All in all, the city was incredible. The countryside was unbelievable. The people we met were very kind, the food and drinks and services throughout the city were relatively cheap, and it proved to be a perfect vacation for us all. It was a great place for us. We needed to take a break. We needed to be somewhere different for a short while. We needed some green nature, a chance to visit some European cafes, and some time with family. We just got back last night and we feel refreshed for the sprint to the finish. It was an excellent trip and a great way to make some memories during a few days off from work.
