On Saturday, we went to the Loreto, a Baroque pilgrimage site, in the morning. It is important because it has a replica of the original Santa Casa in Loreto, Italy. The Santa Casa is believed to be the house where the Virgin Mary received the Incarnation. Next, we visited the Prague Castle. We saw the changing of the guards first and then we made our way inside. We started with St. Vitus’ Cathedral, a Gothic cathedral that sits on top of a hill overlooking the rest of Prague. Next, we toured the Royal Palace where the defenestration of Prague occurred. This is Prague’s first recorded instance of execution by hurling the condemned from a window and what started the Thirty Year’s War. Next, we began our descent down the hill, rewarding ourselves with a glass of hot wine. Our next stop was the Prague senate where we were surprised with a peacock garden! I had never seen a white peacock before, let alone a white peacock with his feathers up. It was so beautiful!
Today, Sunday, we began our day with an Easter mass at the Church of our Lady Victorious that has the Baby Jesus of Prague. I was surprised at how many people were there! The church was absolutely full. After mass, we took a gondola to the top of Petrin Hill. We were planning on visiting the Church of St. Michael but sadly we could not find it. Instead, we saw the Hunger Wall, a 14th century wall that Charles IV is said to have ordered its construction as a public works project to feed the poor during a famine. After walking down the hill, we visited the town square again to do a little shopping. It even snowed! For dinner, we had a Czech goulash, which was different from the goulash we had in Vienna but still delicious.
Tomorrow we have to get up at 3:45 in the morning to make it to the airport. It’ll be sad to go home after spending a wonderful weekend in Prague with my mom and Kathryn but it means that we have three weeks left of school! I’m looking forward to our next big trip to Berlin!
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