The rest of Prague

Today I was the most tired I have been the whole trip. My feet started hurting and I really just wanted to take a nap all day...not to start of complaining or anything...

Gabi, Jonas & I checked out of our hostel in the morning and went accross the Charles Bridge to see the small town of Prague, where there is a cute little old town and castle. We walked around, admired all the beauty of Prague and ate some lunch with a friend of Gabi's at a bar where they have beer taps in the middle of all the tables...very cool. The food was good as well.

After lunch, we made our way back to the hostel to pick up our stuff and then took the metro (which was somewhat difficult, since we had to switch metros 2 times...) to meet Gabi's dad, who drove us back to Vienna. We ate dinner and chatted with her parents, who are both very nice. Her dad speaks English more or less, and her mother tried (it was very cute). We had bread with meat and cheese, cucumbers and tomatoes, which was really just what I needed, and then some blueberry cake. THAT was awesome. Another full and crazy day.

I'm really glad to finally be in a house again, as in not in a hostel. Gabi's house is very nice, and it's just much more relaxing to have all of the cleanliness you're used to...

After several discussions with many Americans and non-Americans alike about how important ones' shoes are in identifying ones' American-ness, as well as the painful state of my feet in Chacos, I am on a mission tomorrow morning with Gabi to find some walking shoes that will allow me to pass myself off as European. Gabi & Jonas told me (after a bit of pushing...) that I could perhaps be a Southern European (that would be Spain, Italy, etc), which is somewhat funny considering that I am German, Czech, Norweigan, English, French and Scots-Irish...but whatever. Evidently if you combine a lot of Northern looks you get Southern. The world is a crazy place; I wouldn't be surprised. I think it's quite convinient since I could just speak in Spanish, and perhaps people would believe I was from Spain...I'm sure Patricia would disagree. At the very least, I'd like people to have to question whether I am American. Also to have some more comfortable walking shoes. Or a change. Or something.

After shoes, we plan on looking around Vienna and maybe going to a spa...which would be lovely, I'll be the first to say. We shall see.

I bought a plane ticket to Stuttgart for Saturday morning so I will be skipping Munich and getting to see a smaller and less well-known place in Germany. Plus Daniel :-). I'm getting more and more excited about the rest of my trip and seeing everyone else. The price of the Euro...still not so happy about. But I think I've made it through the more expensive part of my trip (hostels, getting around on my own, etc), so hopefully things will be a bit less from this point on (hopefully being the operative word...).

I miss everyone and hope you are all doing well. Let me know how you are doing!!
Love!