This Week's Grand Chronicle

Hello my loyal audience! I am so excited to have 8 followers - and only one is a parental! So this week was filled with more classes, reading (mostly for pleasure), castles, pastries, and just a little beer. After making it through my long and arduous 3-day school week, Alex and I found ourselves almost the only people NOT traveling outside Prague this weekend. On Friday, we went with a tour group to Konopiste Castle, which is about 45 mins outside of Prague. It is a very old castle (like pretty much everything over here), but was modernized by its final and most famous inhabitant Archduke Franz Ferdinand! It was situated on a beautiful hill overlooking a big lake, which is a popular swimming and ice-skating destination - in their respective seasons of course. One thing quite unique about this castle is the sheer amount of hunting trophies and weapons collections. According to the tour guide, only 4,000 of Franz Ferdinand's 300,000 hunting trophies are on display!!! So let's just say that the man like to kill him some animals. Also, the castle has the 3rd largest armory in all of Europe, including one armor set worth over 5 million Euros. Very swanky indeed! On the way back to Prague, the tour stopped at the Kozel Brewery, where we went on a tour and tasting. It was definitely not as fancy as the Pilsner Urquell Brewery, but it was very cool nonetheless. Plus they had a goat (their mascot) who was trying to lick us through the fence!

The next day Alex and I set out for Petrin Park, situated on the highest hill in Prague. We had planned to take the funicular railway up the hill, but of course it is out of service! So we hiked up this hill, switchback after switchback, and eventually got totally lost trying to find the tower at the top. But we ran into some other lost American students, and we managed to find our way to Petrin Tower, sort of a miniature Eiffel Tower. And luckily, we happened upon the tower on a free day! The views were spectacular, and could have only been better if the clouds hadn't been so... well, cloudy. Then we went into the House of Mirrors, where Alex and I had quite a good laugh as the oldest people in there (parents and grandparents aside). After our unexpected hiking experience, Alex and I hunkered down in Coffeeheaven with warm drinks and read for almost 2 hours. It was truly delightful, and at the moment I am quite thoroughly enjoying the second Bridget Jones' diary. I have been known to laugh out loud! Haha, but at least I didn't fall asleep this time!

And today was just your typical lazy Sunday, and it is the last one I will have in quite awhile. Next weekend Alex and I are off to England, and I am soooo looking forward to a nice weekend at pubs with Viv and Alex! And two days after I get back my parents are coming to stay for a week. I am so thrilled to have them coming! I have already written up a preliminary itinerary in true Miller-style, and am planning on showing them around my favorite Prague spots. And then right after they leave, Alex and I leave to meet Breanna and Annemarie in romantic Paris! Honestly, the next three weekends are going to absolutely amazing and full of wonderful people and places. I am so excited!!!

These pictures did not upload in chronological order (grrr), but I will caption them!

This is hands-down the most delicious pastry I have ever had. Alex and I have been eyeing them at a booth in Old Town Square, and finally broke down and bought them after our hike up Petrin Hill. We totally deserved it. They are hollow and covered in sugar... and still doughy on the inside. Deliciousssss yummmmmmmmm :)

Alex and I in the Hall of Mirrors on Petrin Hill! I've always wanted to have long legs!

This is me (obviously) and the view of Prague from Petrin Tower. Those two pointy spires in the distance are St. Vitus Cathedral. Just lovely!

Old Town Square from far far away... looks like a fairy tale land, doesn't it?

This is "The Disappearing Man," a memorial to those who died under the Communist Regime, and those who suffered under "tyrannical despotism."

Fall is beginning at last! Our cute shoes in the fall leaves outside Konopiste Castle.

This is the bear who lives in the moat outside Konopiste! His name is Kazamir, and he is very friendly and cute. We also meet his wife Masha - who is stuffed inside the castle. Lovely.

This is best view I could get of the castle, as it was surrounded mostly by trees. This is the side garden - home to a very odd-looking peacock!

Next up: England and my likely struggles understanding the accents of Alex's relatives. :)

This is Julia Miller reporting for the Blague!