Walkie Wednesday

I’ve decided pay weekly homage to my old favorite pastime: walking. Sounds silly and facile, but I used to luuurrrve walking back in the day. And now, though I may not be so good at the walking anymore(but I can still walk, for those of you that are wondering), it’s definitely become one of The Boy’s favorite things to do.

Yup, walking’s a big deal in our household, so welcome to Walkie Wednesday.

I’m currently in the throes of desperately wanting to plan The Boy’s first trip to Europe, so I’ll begin with a bit of nostalgia by writing about walking in Europe; Prague, to be specific.

A million years ago, when Prague was still part of Czechoslovakia and not part of the Czech Republic, long before Hubs and The Boy were even a glimmer in my eye, I packed a flimsy backpack and took my teenage self to Prague.

This particular walk started in Old Town Square, the gorgeous geographical center of Prague. It was July so it was warm, and I left Old Town Square after dinner and set out on Karlova Street, which extends in a west-ish squiggle from the Square.

The cobblestones were fairly uneven, making for many spills and tumbles when I walked the route a few years later between my job – at a bar – and my best friend’s job – also at a bar. But even in my sober state that last night of my first trip, the cobbles were still a tricky endeavor.

The sun was setting as I wound my way down Karlova Street, filled even then with trinket vendors and tourist wares housed in Baroque buildings. It was awesome and romantic and everything my suburban hometown was not.

And then I crossed Smetanovo Street and ended up on Charles Bridge. Looming ahead of me, atop the big hill in Malastrana(Lesser Town), was Prague Castle, with St. Vitus Cathedral hugging it tightly. The whole thing was lit up perfectly, like the icing on an immaculate cupcake.

I’m not fudging the truth at all by saying that it brought tears to my eyes, or that my life was completely altered by that walk and THAT view.

Hubs has visited Prague with me a few times and remains moderately impressed, but I cannot wait to take The Boy! By the time we take him I’m sure he’ll have grown tired of my stories about backpacking around Europe and living all over the place, but I will still be super excited to show him, in person, some of the life I lived before he and his dad came into my life, and before MS got the better of my walking ability.

As awesome as our day-to-day life may be, I can’t believe how much we have to look forward to. And that walk from Old Town Square to Charles Bridge is at the top of the list.

(Once I get a scanner I'll upload some pics of me and That View