December 27 in Prague...this was our last day in this beautiful city and we had one more tour to do - the Prague Castle Tour that included entrance into St. Vitus Cathedral and St. George Basilica as well as the various courtyards and the Rosenberg Palace (yes, I would like to think that Rosenberg, TX has some connection to the Czech family that died out hundreds of years ago!)
Before our tour, we made a quick run over to the glass store to pick up Brendan's handywork and drop it off at the hotel room :)
We once again had a fabulous tour guide - this one was a slightly older gentleman who certainly knew his way around the palace! We started the tour with the changing of the guard - we had seen this earlier in the week, but got a second chance to enjoy it - and then started making our way through the various courtyards. We eventually entered what is probably one of the most celebrated places in Prague, St. Vitus Cathedral. This building dates back to 1344 when the first stone was laid! It is here that saints, archbishops, and noblemen are interred and coronations of kings and queens took place. There is also an entrance to the chamber where the Bohemian crown jewels are kept! The stained glass is absolutely phenomenal!!! There are probably a dozen chapels within the cathedral and huge ornate carvings, statues, and one made of solid silver!
After our tour there, we went over to a smaller chapel called St. George Basilica which dates back even further! It is a much more "monumental" chapel - smaller with hand-painted ceilings.
We also got a glimpse of the "Golden Lane" where the famous writer Franz Kafka lived and wrote at one point. Unfortunately, this lane is closed for repairs and renovations.
As we made our way down from the castle, our next stop was Rosenberg Palace. The Rosenbergs were a noble family during the Renaissance time. The building later house unmarried noblewomen and is now houses administrative offices for the Prague Castle and Czech President.
From here, our tour would have taken us back across the Charles Bridge, however, our tour guide suggested we might be interested in taking the kids to the Toy Museum that was in the area. We took his suggestion and very much enjoyed the Toy Museum! They had an extensive collections of Barbies and other actions figures as well as toys and displays of toys that dated back to the 19th century! I am including a picture but will post more on another blog sometime!
By the time we finished there, the kids were "starving" and we kept our eye out for a restaurant. We came upon one that looked nice and was serving authentic Czech food - we had a winner. Oh my goodness!!! We were rewarded with this choice! Brendan ordered pork knuckle, of course. Spencer ordered the soup and Kyla and I went with what was called a "kitchen pan fry" and was a specialty of the house. Let me just say...that was a little bit of heaven right there and was enough to feed 4 easily! So, between the pork knuckle and the pan of pork, chicken, ham, fried potatoes, onions, and melted cheese we ate well!
After that, we made a quick side trip over to Wenceslas Square...we had spied a luggage store and decided to pick up a piece of luggage - a rolling duffle bag. The prices in Prague were quite reasonable! I also had picked up a pair of hiking/tennis shoes earlier in the week :)
Then, back to the room to re-pack and get ready for our trip home.
December 28 was our return trip day...luckily, it went off without a hitch - two easy flights that were basically on time! We made it home about 7 PM! Then...it was time for the kids to get their presents and see if Santa Claus left them any treats!
