Heritage Tour: Prague

I'm finally getting to post my last pictures from our tour across Europe! Prague was BEAUTIFUL this year. Last time I was there, I remember snow and cold. The time before that, it was just dreary.  This time it was sunny with a beautiful blue sky.

 First we walked across the famous Charles Bridge. It was packed with people, but still really enjoyable. I had a guide book (courtesy Shay) that told me who all the statues were. Last time I had no idea about anyone. (although, knowing the name of the saint isn't always helpful. Knowing a name isn't interesting if you don't know the story)

This is my best photo from the bridge and maybe even the day. However, I don't know which saint this is. The balloon looked like a "historic" hot air balloon that you could pay to have rides in!

The cathedral/church downtown which is so fun inside!  The top of it looks like a fairy tale castle. 

A plaque at Bethlehem Chapel. 

Loosely translated "Here lived Mister Jan Hus (John Goose)"

Mural on Bethlehem Chapel wall:

Jan Hus actually was martyred on my birthday (July 6) in 1415. 

Makes him one of my favourite "reformers" even though he was really just a dissenter before the reformation actually happened. Someone once said that if the Catholic Church had listened to Jan Hus there would have been no need for the reformation (or it would have happened in a nicer way... something like that). 

While in Prague, Shay had the most exciting discovery of the whole tour. His name on something!  Look really close...  

That car dealership sells such high end cars as Lamborghini, Bentley, Audi, and Aston Martin. 

Shay hopes its a relative. I think finding out is a great reason to go back to Prague.

This was a beautiful little bookstore that sold English books!  (can you see that little UK flag? English section!)  I hadn't seen a bookstore like this ever...

Floor the ceiling books, with a cute little upper level that staff could walk around. I want a library, bookstore or cafe/bookstore like this one day.  I LOVE BOOKS!

The "Dancing House" in Prague.  I think it is some pretty cool architecture although it is so strange against all the really old buildings.

The Golem!  I know practically nothing about this mythical creature from Prague. Well I know a little. But I will wait until we go back to Prague before I post more about him because I hope to do much more research on him next time I'm here. I haven't even gone to the Jewish Quarter of the city yet. This is definitely still on my "Must See" list. 

We were so blessed to still see roses in a rose garden. It was really cold in the evenings, but somehow the roses were still blooming. Here is Maria enjoying how fragrant they are. 

Shay picked me a rose and took off all the thorns so I could hold it. Then he and the other boys gave one to each of the other girls in the group. Such gentlemen.

Here you can see the Eiffel tower in Prague. We didn't go up, but we went to the base. I love this picture because you can see our group enjoying the walk. I love these guys!

 St. Wenceslaus Square

We had a great opportunity in Prague to do street ministry. It was super duper cold that evening but we had an hour on the square to talk to people and pray over everything that happens there. Prague is known as the Stag Party capital of Europe. Groups of people from Holland, England, or wherever come to Prague to drink and whatever else. I don't want to go as far as to say it is the Vegas of Europe, but it definitely has an industry built on sex and drinking.  The night we were there was a Friday evening, so you can imagine there were quite a few people out. 

My group ended up standing on a side street that God led us down, with one cabaret on one side of the street and another strip joint directly across from it. And we spent our whole hour there. We prayed, and worshiped, and talked to a guy from one group of men from Holland. We weren't able to talk to anyone specifically about God, but we definitely were active in changing the spiritual atmosphere there. Shay was a champ. It was his first time on the street like this, and did great. 

Below is the Museum at the end of St. Wenceslaus Square with a huge statue of the king. We met back here and it was all foggy, which made this picture super cool.  We also were standing next to a memorial for a guy who, during communism, soaked himself in gasoline and set himself on fire in the square as a sign of resistance. If that isn't radical for freedom, I don't know what is.  Apparently, during the Velvet Revolution there were half a million people in the square. (someone told me a million, but I can't find evidence anywhere else to back that up)

The pretty metro under the museum. 

 At the end of our visit to Prague we saw a protest march going across Charles bridge and probably up towards the government buildings by the castle. It was so noisy, we could hear it all the way up this hill. We aren't exactly sure what its about, but probably connected to all the "Occupy" protests happening across the world.

Prague was such a highlight of the trip for me. I love every city we go to, but I think that this time I realized how much more there still was to see in Prague, and how affordable it is compared to places that use Euro.  And having Starbucks coffee probably helped my mood. 

I saw this picture in the Starbucks in Prague. I hope that on outreach I'll be able to take a few absolutely beautiful pictures of people. Ones like this that I can blow up and put on a wall. 

PS: I still love comments. It lets me know someone out there is reading!