Last but not least, Prague.

So it's clear that I'm a lazy blogger at best, but for the sake of this online family journal, and because there are a few family members that enjoy reading about our adventures, I suppose I should finish the series about our trip to the "continent" back in February.

We started out in Salzburg, then headed to Vienna, then spent a few days in Prague.

My most lasting memories of Prague?

1. It was colder than crap.
2. The glorified rain coat I'd packed for myself didn't cut it, so I found a knee-length puffy coat on clearance and was a much happier traveler as a result. (Josh thinks I did that on purpose!)
3. The hot chocolate was amazing.  (That's probably related to #1.)
4. Between that and Trdelnik (Czech street food pastries) I'm sure I gained 5 pounds.
5. We also enjoyed the goulash that was on every menu.  I need to start making that stuff at home.

(Hmm... lots of food memories so far!)

6. It was beautiful in a slavic, Eastern European way.  Different from anywhere else we'd been.
7. The Charles Bridge is fabulous.  Along with Old Town Square.  And New Town (which, despite its name, was founded in 1348!)
8. The castle overlooking the city?  An uphill workout to get there, but beautiful.  And within the walls was a beautiful Gothic cathedral.
9. Caroline serenaded us to sleep each night from the travel crib in the corner of our hotel room.

And finally:

10. We arrived in Prague late one evening.  Both kids had HAD IT with being strapped in the car all day on the way from Vienna.  Lots of crying from the back seat.  For at least a full 20 minutes before we even reached the city.  Our hotel was located in the heart of a squiggly maze of streets, and each time we tried to get closer to it we hit a dead end or one way street.  We kept trying.  The kids kept crying.  Finally we decided to park ANYWHERE we could legally do so.  We drove some more.  Made more turns.  And by the grace of God found a parking garage.  We got the kids calmed down and loaded up in the stroller/Bjorn, and grabbed the 35-ish bags/suitcases we had packed.  And finally got into the elevator going up to street level.  WHEW.

And where does it take us, instead of street level?

A MALL FOOD COURT.  At 11pm.  With the crabby kids and out-of-control luggage.  And it was on the 4th floor.

It may as well have been the surface of the moon, we were so surprised.  We had no idea that we'd parked at a mall.  And we couldn't figure out how to leave, because the elevator just took us back to the parking garage.

I've never laughed so hard in my life.