MADI TAKES PRAGUE

I'm Madison, and I am spending a semester in Prague, Czech Republic!

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MY BIRTHDAY IN VIENNA

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FOOD IN PRAGUE

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OLD JEWISH CEMETERY / SPANISH SYNAGOGUE

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ELANA VISITS PRAGUE

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PRAGUE CASTLE

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WEEKEND IN BERLIN

Out of all the places I have been in my life, Berlin was the fucking craziest. Please just look up clubs in Berlin. The descriptions are right out of that Stefan SNL sketch, and in the words of a Berliner himself, it is not unusual to stay for over 24 hours in a club: dance for hours, sleep, wake up, take drugs, and dance even more. Clubs are typically open until 3 pm the next day and don’t even really get started until 4 am. This means it is common for people to wake up early, grab breakfast, start drinking, and go clubbing at around 10 am. Amazing. This city is full of rich history, good Indian food that’ll serve you free drinks if you eat there two times in 24 hours (like we did), and of course, the best club scene in Europe.

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BERLIN WALL MEMORIAL

Berlin, Germany

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WEEKEND IN BUDAPEST

Széchenyi Thermal Bath

Castle Hill

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ANGLO AMERICAN UNIVERSITY ANNUAL BALL

I got to play dress up for the night because my university in Prague hosted their Annual Ball! The venue was beautiful, complete with chandeliers, a grand staircase, and a live band. I’ve never felt so royal.

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CLUBBING

My friend Scarlett, who is studying abroad in London, came to visit me in Prague! Our first night here, we went to Friends, a gay bar here in Prague, for drag night! I had no idea what to expect from the drag scene in the Czech Republic, but I had so much fun, despite not knowing a word of their Czech. Everyone was able to sing along to Cher, Madonna, and Lady Gaga! I know I’ll be coming back to Friends on Thursday nights. It was the most fun I’ve had in Prague so far, and it was by far the most lively crowd of people I have come across.

I was also able to take Scarlett back to Karlovy Lázně, the five story club near the Charle’s Bridge. We had so much fun on the hip-hop and oldies floors.

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KUTNA HORA

Only about an hour outside of Prague, there is a small town called Kutna Hora. From the outside, it seems quaint and simple, but it is home to Sedlec Ossuary, the bone church, where 40,000 skeletons rest in intricate decor. This chandelier is comprised of at least one of every bone in the human body.

What seems like a creepy church that praises evil is actually the opposite. The message behind all of the remains is that in the eyes of God, we are all equal. It’s a truly humbling experience to walk amongst over 40,000 faceless skulls, whether one is religious or not.

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OLD & NEW

Prague is filled with old and new elements. For one of my classes, Prague Art and Architecture, my class walked from my school to Prague Castle. This church, the Catedral de San Vito, is the third church built on this property, having to expand each time due to the relics of the saints inside. On the other hand, this is a rotating statue of Franz Kafka’s head, a writer who spent most of his life in Prague.

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POST VALENTINE’S DAY PICNIC

It has been so beautiful outside lately in Prague (the sun finally came out!), so my roommate Mara and I decided to have a picnic complete with goat cheese, bread, oranges, chocolates, and moscato.

Not pictured: my jeans getting soaked through the blanket due to the melting ice in the park. Nevertheless, a great time.

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Karlovy Lázně Five-Story Nightclub in Prague, Czech Republic Hip Hop/R&B Level

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ROXY Nightclub in Prague, Czech Republic

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I found a way to be a wine mom AND a day drinker with hot wine, aka mulled wine!

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DAY 4

On day 4, I continued walking around Prague in the freezing temperatures to visit the locks of love that hang from all sides of the bridges, the peacocks behind my school, the statues of the peeing men in front of the Franz Kafka museum (they’re peeing on the outline of the Czech Republic, symbolizing the many fascist dictators that “took a piss” on the country), and the Charles Bridge.

I’m starting to get a hang of Czech culture: I’m quiet in public spaces like the tram, I don’t make eye contact with anyone, and above all, I do not smile at strangers. It’s not all that quiet, though. On any day of the week, you can find a club that’s busy until 4 am.

I’ve walked a whole lot, but there’s still plenty more to see!