A European Castle Call

As if in homage to an era that most Czechs would prefer to forget, our introduction to Prague comes in the form of panelaks—tall, uniform concrete-block apartment buildings, which stand like Socialist-era sentries around the city. The wide Vltava River guides us in. We pass the Staropramen brewery on one side of the river and Frank Gehry's dynamic Dancing House on the other before seeing Prague Castle, the final fortress on our trip. The Gothic spires of St. Vitus Cathedral, plopped in the middle of the castle, shoot toward the sky; floodlights are just beginning to illuminate the massive city on a hill. Prague is surprisingly empty. In a matter of minutes, we'll be in a pub toasting our beer-bellied buddies back in Hirshhorn for their excellent itinerary tips…with a "womanly" pilsner. Being back in an urban center is going to take some getting used to after cruising the countryside for days. Admittedly, the hardest part will be that without the Solstice we'll just be regular guys again.