Prague-Kayla Tirrell and Kayla Afonso

Praha, as the locals call it, was the last stop of our study abroad trip to Central Europe. We stayed at Hotel Duo, which was only about 10 minutes away from the city by metro. Unlike the other places we stayed at, Hotel Duo was similar to a typical hotel you may see in the United States. In the other countries, it was based on a more hostel-style living. Hotel Duo had a restaurant, bar, sports center complete with a pool and sauna, beauty shop, gift shops, casino, and even a bowling alley. Breakfast and dinner were always included, but in our opinion, they weren't that impressive. Both meals were served buffet-style, but they served the same food every time and there weren't a ton of options. For lunch we ate at different places, either on our own or as a group; it depended on where we were that day. For example, we ate at the Institute of Banking in their cafeteria. It was a lot smaller than what we were used to at Simmons College. There were only a few options available to choose from. We both ordered the spaghetti with meatballs, which didn't taste any different from the United States. At many of the meetings, including those in the other countries, they would offer us snacks and beverages. We also noticed that sparkling water was a very prominent drink served at these meetings as well as in restaurants. In the United States, still/tap water is offered in most restaurants for free and even some provide it before you even order your meals. In Europe, you pay for the water, even if it's just still water.

Shopping seems to be inevitable while your studying in another country. Prague was the city where we both spent the most amount of money and where we bought the majority of our souvenirs. On our first night in Prague, we bought several Prague totes, t-shirts, magnets, bracelets, etc. Walking through the cobblestone streets was very nice and beautiful, and the shops were all around us. Many are geared toward tourists, so our advice is to look around the different stores before purchasing an item. Most of these stores sell the same exact products, so search for the ones that are selling theirs for the cheapest. The mix between Old Town and New Town was very interesting. We suggest going to both sides of the city for nightlife activities. Both have amazing architecture and fun places to visit, so try to see the two if possible.