Prag-otcha!

So I got fined $30 for jaywalking. I know, right? The Czech hate it, I guess. I live on Boylston-Tremont, the most frenetic and unpredictable intersection in the world (easily). Yah. It was really funny, us getting fined, besides the whole paying money part. My friend Jeff got fined, too. We're actually going to be living together next year, so I guess it's good we're getting all our illicit activity out of the way now, in foreign countries instead of our apartment.

Prague is really damn old. The city lived through the World Wars and the USSR and has stayed remarkably well-preserved through it all. Capitalism is still in its neo-stage, I think, but at the same time very much entrenched. Advertising seemed to be very blunt, lacking the massage and nuance of American marketing ploys. There were literally paths on the sidewalks to the nearest McDonald's (and oh, did they love their McDonald's).

Prague Castle was beautiful, and was more like an entire walled town than a castle. The city didn't have that sheen that London or (I imagine) Paris has. We were clearly in Central Europe, not Western. I'm not making a value statement--the city was amazing--it was just a clear distinction that we made.

We got there by an overnight sleeper train from Düsseldorf that cost us 20 Euro. We got into Prague at 8 a.m. Friday. We checked into our hostel, which was the best we've been in and probably the best we will've been in at the end of the trip. Free breakfast, Internet and a private room for us 6 with our own shower and bathroom. It was cheap, too.

We took a self-guided and self-paced walking tour through the city. It's really the best and simplest way to get to know a city.

The Czech currency is weaker than the Euro, so we were given a reprieve from exchange rate woes! I had traditional Czech goulash--a dish of boiled bread and stewed beef and onions with gravy. We also went to Easter Market, a really cool outdoor bazaar in the city's central square.

The public transit system of subways and trams was extensive, intuitive and efficient. The Czech are quite orderly and systematic.

The train ride back was very cool. We went clear across Germany, and got to see really pretty parts of the German countryside. We got back around 8 Sunday night.

I'm exhausted. Tomorrow I'm off to Munich, and then on Saturday I'm going to Berlin. I come back Sunday night, and I'll write about everything before next Friday, when I go to Paris!