The Charles Bridge in Prague

On March 31, 2017April 3, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Czech Republic4 Comments

There are several reasons to visit Prague in the Czech Republic and one of those is the Charles Bridge, which leads from the old town area over the Vltava River to the Prague Castle. Prague is extremely popular with tourists and the bridge is no exception, so be prepared for heavy crowds and lots of tour groups when you visit, even during the off-season. Equally impressive as the bridge itself are the guard towers that protect the bridge and serves as a stunning entrance. The views of the castle from the bridge are quite amazing, but the main attractions of the bridge are the statues that line both sides.

Construction of the bridge began in the 1300’s and it has been damaged and restored many times throughout its history. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the 30 statues and statuaries were added on top of the bridge pillars along both sides of the bridge, greatly enhancing its beauty. Today, as visitors take photographs of the amazing artwork, they are appreciating reproductions as the originals started to be removed in the 1960’s in fear for damage and vandalism. Despite the fact that they are replicas, they still remain quite an impressive sight.

Looking across the Bridge towards the Castle

There is one statue on the bridge, the statue of St. John Nepomuk, that is of particular interest to tourists. It is on your right as you head from the old town towards the castle and can be identified by his gold halo and the crucifix in his arms. Below the statue are two plaques, one to the right and one to the left of the statue. Legend has it that if you rub the plaque to the right you will one day return to Prague, while another legend has it that if you rub the plague to the left, with the dog, you will have good luck. Needless to say, they are just legends, but there are throngs of people lining up to rub the plaques, making them shiny from their efforts.

View of Charles Bridge from another Bridge in Prague

Today it is a pedestrian only bridge and you will find many street artists and vendors playing music as well as selling arts and crafts. We couldn’t help but purchase a watercolor from an artist along the bridge that we felt truly replicated the feel of being on that historic site. Despite the immense crowds, it was definitely one of those places that when you visit, it stays with you forever. We will always cherish the views of Prague and the castle from the Charles Bridge.

The Lennon Wall in Prague, Czech Republic

On March 20, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Czech Republic5 Comments

We were fortunate to see many historical places during our time in Europe, but sometimes we came across something that was a little unexpected. We had a running joke with each other that we were guaranteed to see a bridge, castle, cathedral, and a palace in every major city that visited and that was certainly the case for our trip to Prague. One of the interesting sights that we found in Prague that wasn’t expected was the John Lennon Wall. We weren’t the only ones who made their way through the side streets to take time to enjoy this interesting expression of love and peace.

It started as an impromptu display of loss when John Lennon was murdered and an image of the iconic singer from the Beatles was painted on the wall. Over time it has become a place for people to write and draw words and images of inspiration. Due to that, the wall is never the same as new poems and images appear daily and people are encouraged to add their own reflections of hope and peace and at times outrage with the political establishments. You don’t have to be a product of the love generation to appreciate this ever evolving expression of average people with shared desires.

Not surprisingly, there was a street artist performing songs from Lennon and the Beatles. We didn’t actually put anything on the wall ourselves, but there were plenty of people adding their thoughts to the wall while we were there. It might not be the same as some of the historical sites that we visited, but this was certainly very interesting and well worth taking the time to visit.

What a Long Strange Trip it Has Been

On March 13, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Romania8 Comments

Now that our European adventure is over (for now), we thought that we would take the time to trace our steps and truly acknowledge how many wonderful places we were able to visit. In chronological order, here was our trip in a snapshot, it certainly makes our heads spin.

Frankfurt, Germany – It may have been our home, but it was still a wonderful city and we have a lot of incredible memories of our time there.
Old Town Frankfurt
Kassel, Germany – It was the first place that we visited once we found an apartment and is the home of the Brother’s Grimm Museum and is part of the Fairy Tale Road.
Lowenbrau Castle
Heidelberg, Germany – Truly one of the idyllic cities that we visited while in Germany.
Heidelberg Castle
Koblenz, Germany – One of the most amazing train rides that we have ever taken and an amazing city on the Rhine.
Suburbs of Koblenz
Hochheim, Germany – A truly small hamlet experience.
Vienna, Austria – Our first trip outside of Germany and truly a center for the arts.
Cologne, Germany – Amazing Dom and a wonderful old-world city. We had been told that it was a place that we had to visit while we were in Germany and we would definitely agree.
Wurzburg, Germany – Another small town experience that we had been hoping for and one of the best of Christmas Markets that we had visited.
Statue in Wurzburg
Strasbourg, France – Wine, medieval villages, and some of the friendliest people that we had the opportunity to meet, and that is saying a lot.
Prague, Czech Republic – One of the places in Europe that everyone should visit at some point in time. We were there over Christmas and it was spectacular.
View of Prague Castle
Athens, Greece – There are few places in the world as historically important as Athens.
Amazing History
Bucharest/Brasov, Romania – Definitely one of those special places where the experience far surpasses anything that you might read.
Dracula’s Castle
Nuremberg, Germany – An unexpected surprise, so much history, both new and old that it became one of our favorite memories of our time in Europe.
Medieval City with Current History
Paris, France – Not our first visit there, but it is still one of our favorite cities that we have ever visited, even if it was rainy the weekend that we were there.
Eiffel Tower
Dublin, Ireland – A special trip for personal reasons as we flew our mother over to see us and it will hold a special place in our hearts.
The Irish Countryside
Amsterdam, Netherlands – One of our last adventures while we were in Europe and definitely an interesting city full of history and art.
Canal Upon Canal
Florence, Italy – Part of our farewell tour, this is an incredible city that will fulfill any romantic visions of Europe that you could ever dream of.
What an Amazing City
Rome, Italy – So much to see, the history, the arts, the Vatican City, and for us a very special meeting with a fellow blogger.
The Roman Forum is Amazing
Lucca/Pisa, Italy – A quick day trip from Florence, but it rounded out our trip to Italy perfectly.
Pisa is All About the Leaning Tower

So, as you can see, we had about twenty-five weeks in Europe, part of that time finding an apartment as well as working every week, but we definitely made the most of our time. It will be the trip of a lifetime, perhaps several lifetimes, and we are extremely thankful for every moment. Expect details of these wondrous adventures in the coming days and weeks as we plan our next crazy experience.