Click for {Day 1}.
Click for {Day 2}.
{Day 3 & 4}
We wasted the morning of our third day by sleeping in, but the comfort of the hotel beds were reason enough for us to stay in bed for a little while longer. We lunched at a nearby pho spot as we planned our day before Transmission. Going to a gun range was a possibility, but because our day was shortened, we opted out.
Kevin, Edison, and I started off our late day at the beautiful Francouzská Restaurant for some treats and a caffeine boost. Kevin's nut allergy essentially prohibited him from getting anything on the menu, so he opted for pancakes with fresh fruit while Edison got an apple cake {surprise, nuts} with ice cream. At the recommendation of our waiter after he vehemently discouraged my original order, I had Stracciatella ice cream with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. I wasn't a fan, but the delicious coffee made up for the sugarbomb.
We then ventured off to look for a beer garden. TL;DR, we ended up taking a cab to our destination because we walked in the wrong direction. In our defense, it was freezing outside, and the short cab ride let us defrost before arriving at the beer garden. The beer garden was nice and quiet, with only another group of people {fellow Americans!}. It was a great opportunity for us to kick back and relax before getting ready for the long night ahead. Edison left to head back to the flat as we prepared to get a quick bite with Kevin's friend and his girlfriend. We grabbed a few beers as well as some potato pancakes {finally} and other small eats to accompany our beers. We also stopped to indulge in some gelato before heading back to our hotel.
It took us about 15 minutes {I think — I was passed out the entire ride} to arrive at O2 Arena, where Transmission was being held. Our entire group splurged on VIP tickets, so we had a fantastic view of the stage from our designated area. The production was through the roof, definitely above any production I've seen in the states, chock full of fireworks that exploded above our heads as they shot out from the stage. It was probably a huge fire hazard, but whatever, right? The theme for Transmission was The Seven Sins, and each artist represented a different sin. The introductions for each artist and their sin were incredibly well done and did a great job creating hype for the next set. Going to an event in a different country was an extremely different experience than what we are used to in the states. Needless to say Europeans party on some next level shit {excuse my language}.
Kevin and I left a little earlier than the rest of our group to get some rest for our early flight, so we hopped into one of the cabs in front of the arena. Our cab driver charged us 1000 koruna to get to our destination, which was insane because we paid about 300 koruna to get there. We reluctantly agreed to pay up; I was too tired to argue the price. We made a detour to walk the Charles Bridge one last time before heading back to our hotel. It was a chilly but beautiful night, and I'm happy we had the opportunity to relax outside before having to face reality back at home.
We had a relatively pleasant flight back with JFF with a {rather long} layover in Oslo. It took us a little while to get through customs back in the states; I forgot how strict the US could be with international arrivals. With the recent Ebola scares, many of the workers were wearing masks while assisting individuals at the passport machines and more. We eventually made it through customs, and from there, we said our goodbyes and headed home.
My vacation was short but it was filled with sweet memories and breathtaking scenery that I was finally able to see through my own eyes. Hopefully, this won't be my last visit to Prague, but I already have my sights set on my next destination. I'd say this trip was a beautiful start to the countless adventures that lie ahead. :)
{What's a vacation without a bowl of pho? And a beer of course.}
{This fellow was playing tunes and neighing while shaking his horse head. It was hilarious & gathered quite a group.}
{Apple pastry for Edison.}
{Pancakes for Kevin.}
{Way too sweet ice cream for me.}
{A cute cafe Kevin brought us to with live music.}
{The outside. Beautiful.}
{At the beer garden.}
{At the beer garden.}
{Angelato at the recommendation of Lumi!}
{Transmission lasers.}
{Transmission lasers.}
{Goodbye, Europe.}