Wednesday 7 April 2010

Dad and Kellie's first day in Prague

Dad and Kellie arrived in Prague last Saturday, bright and early in the morning :) JC, JY and I went to pick them up at the airport. We were late... heh heh... so by the time we reached our apartment, it was already time for lunch. Jingyi and JC cooked up a storm while I tidied up the place.
Then lunch was followed by a visit to the flea market near our place. If you looked closely, you would notice that most of the stall-keepers were people of Vietnamese descent. According to one of Kellie's guide book, they are Czech Republic's third largest minority. Many came here in the 1970s as part of a communist solidarity programme that sent Vietnamese workers to czech textile factories. They learned the language, adapted to the environment, and set off on a road to entrepreneurial success.
We wanted to feed the ducks at the Vlatava. However, we forgot to bring ammunition (bread)... Silly >< So we could only chat and enjoy the view that Vlatava had to offer. After that we went back to the apartment for dinner. And we brought Dad to his hostel (Extol Inn) while Kellie crashed in our apartment.
On the second day, we took a tram and headed for one of Prague's main attractions: Prague Castle! Haha... we were feeling a little naughty, Dad and sis took the tram without validating their tickets! It's much safer than taking the metro because we have yet to see any inspectors on board yet. Lol... so we got away again! Luckily, the three of us (students) already have our DPP transport passes, so we didn't have to worry about getting caught.
Prague Castle (Czech: Pražský hrad) is a castle in Prague where the Kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic have had their offices. The Bohemian Crown Jewels are kept here. Prague Castle is one of the biggest castles in the world (according to Guinness Book of Records the biggest ancient castle)[1] at about 570 meters in length and an average of about 130 meters wide.
Pass through the gates where the fighting Titans tower to enter the Prague Castle. It was so crowded with tourists! You practically had to jostle!
Look our VID (very important Dad) had his very own bodyguard-cum-tour-guide :D
Lunch was not that great despite our happy smiles. The "traditional Czech cuisine" was poorly prepared... so we promised ourselves a better dinner!
A sweet old lady demonstrating the art of painting easter eggs!
And then we went down the Golden lane where all the interesting shops were!
Zlatá ulička (Golden Lane)
Karen's secret ambition: to be knighted!

Franz Kafka (German pronunciation: [ˈfʁants ˈkafka]; 3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) is one of the most influential fiction writers of the early 20th century; a novelist and writer of short stories whose works, only after his death, came to be regarded as one of the major achievements of 20th century literature.

He was born to middle class German-speaking Jewish parents in Prague, Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic, in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The house in which he was born, on the Old Town Square next to Prague's Church of St Nicholas, today contains a permanent exhibition devoted to the author.Kellie and Dad dying of boredom from the stuffy art gallery! I was busy taking photos of as many nudes as I could! The human form is beautiful!
Dad admiring art!
The change of guards was so difficult to capture on film! I had to run after them to get this shot! Dad's marching along side them :) while JC was just being JC...
Our amazing dinner!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

lol... sorri, no girls can be knighted... but u can become a dame. Dame Karen, how cool is that?