Visa Trip / Prague

Prague is one of the places we go to get our visas activated. It is also a fun place for a vacation too! Everyone speaks english so it was very easy to get around. When we got off the train from Freiberg and started to look for a ticket for the metro, a strange looking little man started to help Jim. He helped him get change and a ticket and also took us to the correct metro line. However, it took him about 30 minutes to do it. He would tell me "moment" and motion for me to stay put and then he would say something to Jim that he didn't understand. We did get separated while Jim went to get some change and we were both a little nervous about that but this little man turned out to be very nice and was just being helpful. Blessings!!

We had a delicious continential breakfast every morning at our hotel. This is the big room where it was served.

Streets of Prague. We were getting ready for our tour. Jim and I had the guide to ourselves for most of the tour. It was wonderful! He (Jerry) had lived in Seattle for about 35 years and could speak great english and had a fun sense of humor.

Prague with St Vitus Cathedral in the back.

St Vitus Cathedral

St Vitus Cathedral

Walking across the Charles bridge.

St Valentine statue on top of the Charles bridge. Notice the heart on top.

We stopped for hot chocolate with our guide.

View of old town Prague.

Good King Wenceslas on his horse.

Two buildings they call "Fred and Ginger".

National Theater

Looking through arches on the Charles Bridge tower into Old Town.

The Peoples House

Powder tower, part of the old city wall.

Prague Palace

This is the "home" of the Italian Dutchess of Tuscany

Prague Palace Guard

Prague Palace (again)

Home of the Italian Dutchess of Tuscany

St Nicholas Cathedral

the Church of Our Lady with the Astronomical Clock

Astronomical Clock

Old Town Square with food stands.

Old Town Square

Old Town Square and St Nicholas Church

Czech Sausage being cooked at a food stand on Old Town Square

Jim eating his BIG Czech sausage - delicious!!

This is the church our hotel sent us to when we asked if they knew where the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints or the "Mormons" was located. It is called the Church of Our Lady Victorious - Infant Jesus of Prague

Prague in every language

The Diplomat Hotel where we stayed on the 6th floor on the side where the sun is shining.

Visa Trip / Freiberg Temple

It was a wonderful surprise for us to find out that for our first visa renewal trip we were asked to courier some passports also. That would mean we had to leave early enough to drop the passports off and stay until our visa would let us back into Russia. Oleg, from the visa and travel department, also suggested that we take a side trip into Freiberg, Germany and go to the temple because it was only a few hours away by train. We were thrilled and left two days later. Germany was a balmy 4 degrees C and that was warmer than we had ever been in Moscow! After the train ride to Freiberg, we started to walk into town. People smiled at us and offered to help us. We saw lots of children and even the alphabet was something we recognized and felt comfortable with. Jim wanted to use his German but most people wanted to speak English! We found the town and the first place we went was the BAKERY. We bought four pasteries (after all we needed some treats for the evening and something to eat for breakfast before the temple). We ate dinner at the Ratskeller and then it was a short taxi ride to the temple. We stayed at the temple housing and did sealings and a session before we had to leave on the train the next day. However, we walked from the temple to the train station because we knew the way and also we made a necessary stop at the bakery to pick up food for a picnic lunch at the train station.

Freiberg Temple and the patron housing behind it.

Freiberg Temple


Patron Housing

GREEN GRASS!!!

Happy as Ever!!!

A family from Slovinia we met at the temple.

Buying a slice of meat and cheese for a picnic lunch.

Buying rolls for our sandwiches.

Having a picnic while waiting for the train.

Freiberg train station.

Dresden train station where we transfered trains to go to Prague

Gorky Park

We decided to go to Gorky Park. We really had no idea what to expect. We got off the metro and walked over the Moscow river on the bridge. We could see all of the ice on the river. Yes, it was a cold day and the ice has been on the river for quite some time. Across the river we could see the roller coaster that was part of Gorky Park.

This is the entrance to the park. We bought tickets to the left of the gate. The carousel is out in front and has two levels to ride on.

The ice skaters were everywhere! All of the walkways were covered with ice and the skaters were having a great time. One trip around this circle was much larger than the track around the football field. I should have packed my skates! The people don't rent their skates, they own them.

There are some children playing hockey out on this field. They had shoveled some of the snow away for their game.

We saw some reindeer that pulled a sled that you could ride on. There were also a lot of little childrens rides at the amusement park area. They must only run in the summer.

This is more of the park. We found at least three different large places where they were skating. Some of the areas had some fun Russian music playing. I took a video at one of the places so I could record the music. This was a beautiful place to spend the day!

We are on our way out. We have had a wonderful day and have worked up an appetite watching all of the skaters! We were with Francis and Jack Holmes, Devere and Arva Burton. We have learned to walk on the crunchy or squeeky snow because it covers up the slippery ice. When we walk we hold hands because it's romantic PLUS when we slip we don't fall down!