Czeck & SB

Mary Shannon: Ok, so mom told me to give you a quick 'play-by-play' before going into detailed storytelling! So here is Prague weekend in a few points...
----Kelsi, our friend Kellen. and I travelled on an overnight train to Vienna, where we then took train into Prague
----Friday night we showered in our very nice hostel then went out for supper, yummy beer (Pilsner), and to a bar called Harleys...where Czech motorcycle riders were partying it up trying to get us all to dance haha.
----Saturday we toured the Prague Castle, St. Nicholas Church, and ate an AMAZING lunch under the St. Charles Bridge at a place called Kampa Park...(yes, more yummy Pilsner). For dinner we ate at a beer hall, I had goulash mmm.
----Saturday night at 9pm we left our hostel to catch our train leaving at 10pm
----Get to train station-NO train. Told wrong time to be there by train agent. Told next train will leave at 1am from other Prague station, on the OTHER side of town. Buy ticket only to border from non-english-speaking unfriendly woman while surrounded by men with missing teeth. With three hours until train comes, begin to look for safe place to wait. Walk by guy smoking crack. Find place to sit with bugs in drinks, yum... Train station closes down. Kelsi and I hold knives in hand. Find stairwell to sit in. Train comes, sign says it is going to Bratislava (capitol of Slovenia and location of gory film Hostel). No one speaks English, other than to say, 'yes! this to vienna'! (Which is where we are trying to go). Get on train after argument with man who says he has no room.
----Sunday morning at 6am pull up at trains last stop: Bratislava. yes. Happen to find god-sent-english-speaking travellers who translate for us at the Bratislava train desk. Get ticket to Vienna. (Also find out that our train had dislodged one cart at the border to send to Vienna, we had been on wrong cart because no one decided to mention that small detail). Freak out because we think that train is leaving early and Kelsi is not on it-it doesnt leave. Get to Vienna finally! only to find the next train to Florence will not leave for another 12hrs. 15 minute panic attack. Collection of resources and calm. Kelsi finds smokey restaurant to study for mid-term (at Monday morning, 9am). Kellen and I go to museum to just sit and soak in the absence of Eastern Europe and the multitude of tourists.
Get on right train at right time.
----Back in Florence 6am Monday morning, Kelsi studies 2 more hours before going straight to class. I sleep. Traumatic experience complete.

Spring Break:
----Pick up mom at airport on Saturday, we walk around Florence and she enjoys her first gelato! We eat at Borgo Antico in Piazza Santo Spirito.
----Sunday we go to church in big duomo! For dinner we eat at Santo el Bevitore on Via Santo Spirito-Moms favorite place.
---Monday we take bus to Fiesole, a small Etruscan town about 10 minutes north. Here we look around the Roman ampitheatre from 1st century BC in the POURING rain and eat lunch. For dinner we eat at ZaZas with Kelsi near Mercato Centrale
---Tuesday we go on Tuscan Trails wine tour, going to two different wineries while its SNOWING! We eat lunch in the small family-owned restaurant, mmm. For dinner we eat at Il Latini, sat at a large table with two men on our left that only speak Italian, and two women on our right that only speak French. Oh yeah, and forgot to tell mom meat ordered comes on a large plate...alone, no sides. Needless to say, she looked a little nautious the whole time...
----Wednesday we went to the Palazzo Piti and Boboli Gardens. We ate dinner at Yellow Pizzeria on Via Proconsolo-I ate ALL of mine and mom too!
---Thursday Mom and I took a train to Rome for the afternoon. We rode around on one of those tour buses where you can get on and off all day. We stopped at the Colosseum and took a tour. Stopped at St. Peter's Basilica, drove past everything else because it was WINDY and FREEZING!
---Friday we went to Accademia and saw Michaelangelo's David. We climbed Brunellesci's tower by the Dome. We ate lunch at an outside cafe by the Uffizi becuase it was our first sunny day. We ate dinner at a place called Garga on Via Moro-SO CUTE and good! Mom gave me an heirloom ring for my 21st!! (thanks!)
--Packed up and back home for mom! I crawled in bed and didnt come out until today haha!

There is a quick, to the chase catch up! love you all, miss you all :)