Another day in Prague

Well the Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square goes off every hour from 9am to 9pm, which it has been doing for the past 700 years. YEAH THAT'S RIGHT 700 YEARS!!! They say that when you stand and watch the clock chime that you should shake your head, "no," because the 3 chaps on the clock with Death are saying "no it is not time for death" by shaking their heads, so if you do it to you will live forever. I tried it, but it is a long time to shake your head and not look crazy, so I failed at sustaining it.

I tried to save some money today, after spending way more than I anticipated yesterday by just strolling around the city and stopping to sketch whenever I felt compelled to do so. It was a lovely way to spend the day, especially after doing 7 hours of tours yesterday. This way I could go at my own pace. A lot of the architecture in the city reminds me of the buildings in Disney's Sleeping Beauty, so I found myself doodling Malificent at one point. I ended up going out for a bit last night, and that's when the spending hit the fan for me. I really am holding true to my belief that the more you like a city, the more money you spend there. Prague is fairly cheap, but there is just so much to do, that I tried to do it all yesterday (unsuccessfully of course, but I made a dent in it). So I have put myself on a very strict budget for the next week or so to recoup some of my loses. (It sounds as though I was gambling when I say it like that, if only I had had the opportunity or possibility of winning my money back.) I thought I might look up ways I could work on the black market selling fake passports, or fake designer handbags, but then I realized I have a few morals left, they may not be many, but they're there. I say sticking to a little bit tighter budget will do the job, maybe not as quickly, though, and without the awesome stories that start, "Well, when I was working on the
black market..."

I think Prague is a must see city. With the fall of communism so recent, all of the people here really understand what the word "freedom" means, making them extremely friendly and more than willing to lend a helping hand. The architecture is exquisite, the streets are full of poetic justice, and you never know when you are going to stumble on a bullet hole or two left by the Russians. (The huge museum in New Town is covered in them.)

We will see what tomorrow has in store for me. Hopefully something cheap, or even better FREE!