Prague lives up to just about every expectation one might have about Europe. It is a magical city, and one very special to me, being the only city I had previously been to in Europe. Just as special is that the venue that held the competition at which I was fortunate to represent Team USA with Miami University synchronized skating back in 2009 is the same venue in which I now found myself performing professionally in 2014. I never could have guessed when I stepped into that venue as a freshman in college, that I’d be back five years later, still driven by my passion for figure skating. 

With four days off into a Friday opening (this kind of schedule is unHEARD of, y’all), and an unexpected week off for my favorite guy ever, we decided to make a somewhat last-minute trip across the Atlantic happen for him to visit throughout my unit’s week in Prague. A huge thanks is due to both of our parents for helping us make it happen; I truly could not have asked for a better Christmas present.

We took advantage of each day hopping on and off the trams to each different part of the city (I don’t think we took a taxi once; the public transportation is so good); going on runs through the park near our hotel; frequenting the Christmas markets; walking the castle grounds; racing up the old clock tower; learning about the history of Prague and Europe at several fascinating museums; enjoying delicious dinners and quaint nights out with our good friends; climbing to the highest viewpoint of the city; walking the trails on the hills that oversea the city; discovering cathedrals; treasuries; and monasteries; enjoying the time we had and the magical city that is Prague, Czech Republic. 

Within the castle entrances lies a little village of it’s own. Shops, cafes, museums, and chapels line the cobblestone walkways and “streets” within the castle walls. We were particularly lucky to show up at the gates one afternoon in time for the Presidents’ procession. I’ve never seen anything quite like it!

One of the coolest things we saw within the grounds was the St. Vitus Cathedral and its Treasury. The Treasury of a cathedral often contains artifacts of immense historical, symbolic, or artistic value; I had never seen one personally, and the Treasury of St. Vitus Cathedral is the largest in the Czech Republic. Artifacts include relics (bodily remains of saints or objects that were in contact of a saint’s body), reliquaries (an elaborately decorated vessel for holding a relic), delicately embroidered vestments, and other liturgical vessels. We were not allowed to take pictures, but it was an incredible display of Christian history. The most amazing item on display, in my opinion, was a gold reliquary cross which was said to hold relics of Christ’s death on the cross including a portion of the cross and a thorn from His crown. 

First installed in 1410, the Prague Astronomical Clock is the third oldest in the world, and the oldest that is still working. It lies on one face of the Old Town Hall Tower, which was built in 1364 and is a must-see in Prague’s Old Town Square.

Similar to Zagreb, but on an entirely larger scale, Christmas markets in the form of miniature red-covered houses lined the streets of the city selling homemade crafts, ornaments, and gifts, local pastries (cinnamon sugar pretzel dough, wrapped into a cylinder shape; crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and warm all the way through; do you want nutella with that?!), and of course my favorite hot spiced wine that Europeans call gluevine. 

You can ride a funicular up Petrin hill, which sits on just behind the castle and “Lesser Town” (the opposite side of the river from the Old Town Square). Beautiful trails and a number of attractions line the top of the hill, all of which offer the best views of the entire city. We decided to climb the 299 steps of Petrin Observation Tower, which was built to be a miniature replica of the Eiffel tower. The views were definitely worth it. 

The trails we took along the top of Petrin hill led us to Strahov Monastery, which also sits above the castle grounds. It was a bit mesmerizing to stroll down the halls filled with Christian artwork that were centuries old, displays of liturgical vestments, and thousands of theological books. 

One of the best technical museums in Europe, we had to go! Exhibitions presented the history of time telling, clocks, and watches; the history of transportation; the history of printing; the history of household appliances; the architectural and civil engineering history of the city of Prague; and so much more! We also visited the Communist Museum (small, open late, and very informative; we couldn’t help but read everything!), and the City museum at the Old Town Hall. 

We spent numerous evenings enjoying various restaurants (or Christmas market street meat) and bars. My favorite was the Hemingway Bar. A classic early 20th century-style bar, reservations were required and the menu came with a list of “bar rules” on the back (i.e. Speak politely and do not use vulgar language; Do not use a computer in the bar. We’ll be happy to recommend an Internet café; and, If you want to buy somebody a drink, please ask the bartender first. He will find out if that person is interested in your offer.). The list of unique cocktails changes regularly; drinks come in different unique mugs and glassware; and the servers wear time-period trousers with suspenders. Only after having such a wonderful time there did I learn the Hemingway Bar has been named one of the top 100 bars in the world. 

With a mere day and a half off to see Athens, I’d say we powered through it pretty well. My full day off in Athens might even be one of my favorites on tour ever. The city is massive and amazing, yet somehow still feels walk-able and personal. 

On our first night in a few friends and I went out to wander. Our little boutique hotel on the hill opposite the Parthenon was in an adorable and high-class area of Athens called Kolonaki. Walking down the hill, we could see the glorified Parthenon entirely lit in the dark night sky. Just a couple blocks down from our hotel were streets full of amazing boutiques and vintage shops; and little restaurants, bars, cafes, and bakeries. Kolonaki is an upscale neighborhood in Athens known for being a bit modern and hipster… think of Soho in New York City. The first place we ate became a favorite of the week, called “meat meat meat,” where ironically, I got a completely delicious meatless dish of grilled veggies and polenta cheese. We then found an adorable café for decaf coffee with baileys and a beautiful slice of carrot cake. 

The next day, a girl in our cast had planned a group tour of the Acropolis and Parthenon. Many of us started there, and ventured off to do our own things as the day went on. Walking up to the Acropolis, we passed a few random excavation sites in holes beneath the ground... just casually in the midst of busy city streets and sidewalks. We also passed a number of school groups headed to the Acropolis museum. I could not help but think how I went on class field trips to the NC museum of art, and the NC Museum of Life and Science. Both wonderful museums and great tributes to NC, but very little in those museums are studied in history books worldwide. Little in those museums pertains to the earliest ancient civilizations that everybody learns and reads about. These school kids get to walk the grounds of ancient Greece, go to the Acropolis museum, or the Byzantine Christian museum, or the Temple of Zues on their class trips, which is entirely amazing to me.  

On our tour, we learned a bit about the ancient history of Acropolis hill, which is actually the large limestone rock ridge that rises 70 feet above the Attica plateau. Our hotel sat beneath another risen limestone ridge called Lycabettus, from which we could see across the city of Athens with a clear view of Acropolis (see photo above). It has served as an area for habitation and worship since the prehistoric area. Atop the Acropolis sits the Parthenon, the largest Greek Temple originally built to be the place of worship of the Goddess Athena, and has been in use for various purposes for thousands of years since it was built in the years 447 to 432 BCE. Being there in the off-season, the ancient structures were under construction for preservation, yet it was still magnificent to stand among it all. 

The first recorded public theatre in the history of civilization: I learned about this theatre and read several of the Greek plays performed here. I learned about the mutual impact of theatre, government, and cultural change that all began here. I’ve always been interested in theatre, always loved seeing plays and musicals, and currently work in a job that wouldn’t exist if theatre had never become an industry. Being a performer, the experience of sitting in the actual seats (or at least, what is left of them) of the Theatre of Dionysis was truly incredible. We had a ton of fun re-enacting ancient life on the ground where it all began...

Our journey then took us around the center of the city (the area called Syntagma, where the main government buildings are), to a few more ruins of temples, through the National Gardens, and on a tram towards the coastline. 

Not having the time to take a trip to Santorini or any of the Greek Islands, I at least wanted to see some of the coast of Greece. Fortunately, the 2004 Olympics in Athens prompted the city to create a coastal tram that follows from the main port in Athens about ¾ of the way down the western coast. Two friends and I decided to make it slightly past the last tram stop to Lake Vouliagmeni, a natural hot spring spa. Word on the interweb told us that a spa had built up around this natural hot spring lake, which is open for swimming and is home to those tiny fish that eat the bad bacteria off of your feet. Being figure skaters with pretty gross feet, we simply had to go and experience these fish for ourselves. The trip down the coastline was beautiful and well worth two euros, and as for the fish… well, they definitely made us squeal!

The vast amount of incredible museums that exist in Athens can be overwhelming, but on my one morning off during the show week, I decided to walk to the Byzantine Christian Museum. One of my favorite parts about being in Athens was simply being on the land at which so many critical events happened in Christianity, and the Byzantine Christian Museum shows an amazing display of all things pertinent to the history of Christianity. I absolutely loved it. 

A small yet beautifully old and vibrant city, there are a select few memories I think I will always keep with me. First, is that cobblers in Croatia are scared to touch a figure skate. The threading on the very top, back heel of one of my boots was beginning to pull apart. The entire morning of my first day off in Zagreb consisted of being sent from one cobbler to the next, all shaking their head definitively and saying, “No! My machines are not big enough for that! Try this other cobbler…” only to find the next cobbler saying the same thing. After a substantial tour of Croatian cobbler shops, I gave up, and proceeded into the city center, lugging skate in bag. 

My curiosity led me down an alley full of Christmas market stands, and up a funicular. Turns out the top of the funicular led to a well-known birds-eye view of the city, and eventually to the Museum of Broken Relationships. Knowing that several of my friends had been planning to stop there today, I wandered in to see if I might run into them. Sure enough, they came in about fifteen minutes later.   

I’ve never seen anything like the Museum of Broken relationships. It is in one sense very sad, and in another, a seemingly healthy way for people to pay homage and respect to past relationships (whether romantic, parental, or simple friendships; whether broken up violently, quietly, or by a death), and move on. Some people’s stories were extreme, some very sweet, and some sad. Here, you can see for yourself:

The rest of the day was spent wandering around the city center, through a Cathedral, into a little bakery with the best macaroon I’ve ever had, and amongst all of the Christmas market stands. Some of the highlights for me was the Zagreb Cathedral, the iron molded topography map of the city, and of course the hot spiced wine and homemade crafts at each Christmas market stand.