Last Monday, Claire popped up on gmail-chat and asked what I was up to this past weekend. When I explained I had no plans, she said great and booked a flight! I picked her up from the airport on Thursday and we spent the afternoon checking out the castle and Charles Bridge. I received an invite from my Scottish church friend to meet up with some of his friends for dinner at a Czech restaurant, so Claire, Hana, Kirby, Christine, Devon, and I met up with Ally for the biggest and most delicious Czech meal. Ally brought along another guy and girl from Scotland, so we spent the meal discussing cultural differences, sports, etc.-so much fun!
On Friday, Claire and I slept in until almost 10 and then headed out for some hiking. My friend from church suggested a park just outside the city with some trails and places to explore. We hopped on the metro to a partially sunny day and when exited, there was a blanket of snow on the ground and flakes blowing in the wind...great. By the time we arrived at the trail, the snow had stopped-which was a direct answer to prayer! We climbed around the rocks and just enjoyed nature-it was so good to see trees and grass. After our hike, we warmed up in the McDonald's close by and then headed out to find a tram that would take us through the city. Claire and I stopped to get a bratwurst (my first) after our hike...bad decision...I am hooked! It was so delicious!
We road the 22 all the way to the end and back, because it was so cold we didn't want to be outside. Friday night, Kirby, Claire, and I met up with our friend Elise to try out a Hindu, Vegan place...quite the experience. We found this tiny little hole-in-the-wall place and stuffed ourselves with delicious pear tea, banana pudding, and eggplant deliciousness with rice. The people working the restaurant were really nice and excited that we came in. One man asked us where we were from and if we were vegetarians (let's be honest, we all LOVE meat). When we asked where he was from he responded, "Well, in this life, I am from the Czech Republic" and then he gave us a gift of incense.
Saturday we went to the Vysehrad (the original Prague) and explored the more touristy parts of Prague. Saturday was even more cold, so we were only outside for a few hours. When we thought our noses were sure to fall off, I took Claire to my favorite cafe (the place the church ladies went during the Chocolate Event). We split a mint green cake and had some coffee to warm us up. And then after our sightseeing ended, we stopped to split another bratwurst-I told you I'm addicted-and then headed home for a nice quiet evening.
It was such a blessing to see Claire. We were able to process our trips together and relate to missing family and home. God truly gave me a gift this weekend and I hope to see her again before our European adventure ends.
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