Eastern European Adventure - Around Prague

This city was picture perfect and pristine. The architecture and cobblestone streets breathed an old world sophistication and style. Since it was untouched by World War II, its grandness remained. It would have been interesting to experience this city a few years back when it was not tainted as much by tourism, because now it is a bit comical how touristy it is - at least to us. We chose to look past all that to see the true beauty of the art and history around us. And to enjoy the many delicious foods and Czech beer!

In Old Town Square, Týn Church's spires are different sizes.

The Goltz-Kinský Palace, a beautiful building with a delicate Rococo façade.

The Charles Bridge.

Streetcars and cobblestone streets.

A view of the city from the castle.

The Prague castle in all its Gothic glory.

The castle was incredibly tall.

St. George's Basilica, the oldest surviving church building within Prague Castle, founded in 920.

St. Vitus' Cathedral.

Interior of the St. Vitus Cathedral.

St. Nicholas Church, in all its Baroqueness.

The astronomical clock in Old Town Square. It really is quite amazing with the relative positions of the sun, moon, zodiacal constellations.

Greetings from Prague!

Puppets are pretty famous in Prague. 

The Charles Bridge at night.

Statues on Charles Bridge.

Maps in Czech can cause some confusion.

The Powder Tower, where they stored gunpowder, was one of the old city gates and leads to Old Town Square.

We saw many train stations. Oh, the train stations.

Eastern European Adventure - Around Berlin

In October we embarked on an adventure of grand proportions with two travel mates of ours. A few years before, we all realized how we wanted to travel together but weren't sure where to go because of the vast number of places to which we wanted to travel and experience. So, we each put a slip of paper with our choice in a hat (India, Japan, South America, Eastern Europe) and had a complete stranger pick out one destination. And that's how we ended up at such a wonderful destination with some wonderful people.

We flew from New York and arrived in Berlin. It was amazing to be in a city that was such an  integral part in the twentieth century. Between the scars left from World War II and the remnants of communism, there is a constant sense of history and its own past. With that history, is a hip, modern city that thrives on the energy of its citizens.

Berlin has stark contrasts between modern art and classical buildings.

The famous Checkpoint Charlie. 

Quick! Learn German!

Part of the Berlin Wall still intact.

The Holocaust Memorial in the middle of the city. Each block is a different, sometimes slightly irregular shape. 

The maze within is meant to confuse and disorientate. 

In front of the Reichstag, home of the German Parliament. 

The Brandenburg Gate.

The holes in many buildings are actually
bullet holes from World War II.

Part of the Berlin Wall turned into a graffiti park.

There are two identical cathedrals facing one another in this square - the Französischer Dom and Deutscher Dom. The oldest of the two is this one - the Französischer Dom (French Cathedral). It was built between 1701 and 1705.

Berliner Dom Cathedral.

Grand Central Terminal Videos

A truly amazing place in New York City is the world famous Grand Central Terminal. The renowned transit hub is home to a multitude of rail lines connecting the East cost as well as buses, taxis, and the New York City Subway System. More likely than not, while we're out and about in the City, our path will go through Grand Central Terminal. It's right in the heart of the city! While we're passing through Midtown Manhattan, we often pop our heads out of the underground and marvel at the grandiose ceiling and main concourse. The main terminal is busy day and night with travelers, commuters, and tourists. It's perfect for fans of awe-striking architectural and entertaining people watching!

I found the best way to capture the essence of Grand Central Terminal is with these videos. 

This first video shows a static shot of the vast, bustling concourse.

Maybe the best way to capture the scale of Grand Central Terminal is to take a walk from one side to the other.

East River Trail

As an avid runner, I am thankful to live a few blocks away from the beautiful East River Trail. The trail is a long biking, running, and walking path that runs along the East side of Manhattan from the Southern tip to Northern Harlem. My personal 6-7 mile loop runs up from 115th street down to 59th street.  After a long run, there's a nice park underneath the 59th street bridge. It's an amazing view and another hidden gem in this city.

A neighborhood dog park that you walk past.

The 59th St. Bridge

There is a cable car that takes people to nearby Roosevelt Island. The island is only accessible by cable car or water taxi.

The park underneath the bridge.

An interesting sculpture at the park.

Another dog park. This time under the 59th St bridge.