The Charles Bridge! (cont.)

 nice.

 sculptures and graffitti-culture at its utmost

The Charles Bridge!!!!

Snowing and slushy-the streets so wet they looked like mirrors

 The architecture was breathtaking...the detail in the iron work and metal filigree-incredible

There's K-probably the most level headed person on the face of the earth. :)

 The first snow! It felt like out of a story book-people use umbrellas when it snows here-why don't we do that in the states?

 I like that-

 Love the cobbled streets and patterned sidewalks

The streets of Praha 6

At our stree corner

Penzion JaS-Unlocking 3 doors before entering the apartment-somehow gives one more ownership:)

wondering down streets and enjoying some university gardens

Surviving the Traveling Hulabaloo-for those of you who care to read a list of blessings and woes :)

Got a ride into Buffalo with some wonderful friends
Stayed at the Rectory that night-brought back memories from Teaching in Urban America
Another good Samaritan offered a ride to the airport
But-I told her the wrong airport-figured this out after the bus was a no-show
Met a lovely Canadian couple-the kind of people you meet and feel immediately at home with
Offered to take me to Pearson International
We went shopping before hand (things are cheaper in Buffalo!)
"Now border preparation: Do you have your passport? They might ask you how much money you have. And your flight itinerary? And we met at the airport...ok"
Got through smoothly!
Planes went well
Last one was cancelled
I was placed on flight that came in at 7
Realized my tracphone didn't work internationally (even with a SIM card?)
Flew to Frankfurt Germany before flying Prague.
Sat next to a nice old man that kept flirting in Dutch with the flight attendants
Their airplane food makes US food a joke.
Shopped a bit at Frankfurt airport-have really nice shops-their food is very much like czech, dark homeade breads, lots of pickled things in the salads, beer, rich cheeses etc
Got to prague!
I'd been through so many time zones I wa surprised it was dark
No one from Riverside was there
Bought plug adapters
They didn't fit my computer cord
Bought SIM card for cell
Still didn't work
Had no way of contacting anyone
Called the HS but no one was in at that time.
Didn't have the address to the apartment, only Riverside
Exhausted and emotionally fragile w/ no way of contacting anyone
11pm-grew up-spoke to the taxi booth lady
It was pretty late to get a hotel, but she had a friend....
Got me a taxi to Hotel Alexandra (hotel, converted to a hostel)
Taxi driver desperately trying to find the address she had written down
Meanwhile I'm getting nervous: dark alleys, couldn't read the road signs, shouldn't have mentioned it was my first time in prague
Finallly found the hotel!!!!
Everyone spoke Czech and they were all very nice.
Had my own small room with a bathroom and a small fridge.
Felt grown up and heroic.
All new smells-earthy-smoke-beer-sausage etc
Sat at the small bar and attempted socialization w/ a language barrier
Decided on a plan for next day
Went to bed
Woke up, refreshed.
They agreed to call the taxi service card I had to take me to Riverside
Taxi took me to the airport (the service jurisdiction didn't reach RIverside (no!-same predicament!)
Taxi driver agreed to take me farther anyway (yaaaay)
He knew spanish so we spoke in Spanish briefly :)
Receptionist was in!
Smooth from there-directed to the small apartment/room
Unpacked, settled in!
Finally accessed the internet and responded to my fellow worriers:)
All that to say I'm alive and well and God is good!