Notes on Europe

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Notes on Europe:

·      Dogs are like humans. Their owners take them everywhere…even into fancy restaurants.

·      American music is always playing. 

·      It seems like I’m spending more money on voda neperliva (still water) than anything else. 

·      Beer is cheaper than water.

·      Public transportation isn’t so bad.

·      Clean cities.  Hardly any trash on the ground.

·      The buildings are very big, very old, and very beautiful.  

·      Many public bathrooms are not free.  5 Kc to use the loo!  

·      Figuring out how to do laundry in a foreign country takes an entire day.

·      Americans talk and smile a lot.  Maybe that’s why we stick out so much. 
·   It has never been so easy to be in the moment. 
·   It's fun being known as "the Americans."
·   Cobblestone streets everywhere and the women still wear heels.
·   I never get tired of hearing all the accents. 
·   Everyday is a new adventure. 
·   History is everywhere you look.   

·      Walking, walking, walking, walking….

·      I love it!

Prague and Dresden

 Tara and me in front of the Dresden opera house.

 No dryers. We're roughing it big time.

 The John Lennon Wall

 Outside of Prague Castle.

 The American Embassy in Prague! The second most secure street in the city. 

 Part of the Berlin Wall in Dresden's brand new WWII Museum. So cool!

 Standing on the St. Charles Bridge at sunrise.

It was so beautiful!

 

Outside the Jewish Quarter in Prague. 

I can’t believe we’re starting our third week in Europe! It has already gone by so fast, and I know it’s just going to get faster!  I am amazed by how quickly Olomouc became home.  Though there are definitely things I miss about America, I haven’t been homesick at all. This last weekend our group made our first journey outside of Olomouc.  We spent three days in Prague and one day in Dresden.  As always we were going non-stop and were ready to be back in our flats Sunday evening.  Overall, both cities were big, beautiful, and full of people who spoke English! 

Beautiful Olomouc

 Olomouc Town Square, Trinity Column

 Cathedral in Olomouc

 View of Olomouc from the City Hall

 In front of a very old, very big church with Lisa

 The old city wall

 Precious Czech children holding baby goats.

Beautiful Basilica on top of a hill in Olomouc. It was beyond beautiful!

Outside of the Basilica 

Dobrý den!

Dobrý den! We've survived our first week in Olomouc, Czech Republic!! The extremely long trip was quite a struggle for me. Unfortunately I was motion sick from the first flight to the last; and though the bus ride from Prague to Olomouc was very scenic, I was too busy feeling horrible to look out the window.  After showering and sleeping in a real bed, though, I was as good as new.  
Never in my life have I undergone such drastic changes! The most difficult adaptation has been the language barrier.  Very few people speak English, so hand gestures are a must and can be quite frustrating.  Becoming familiar with life here has been fun, stressful, and memorable.  I can already tell we will be returning home with many stories!