St. Vitus cathedral on the grounds of Prague Castle is incredible to see. It is definitely something to do on a visit to Prague. The sheer size of it is overwhelming, and for lovers of Gothic Architecture, there are plenty of flying butresses and gargoyles to satisfy you.
You can climb up to the top tower to have a magnificent view of the city. Despite the 95 degree day, some of us thought that this was a great idea. 200 steps of a winding stone staircase...sure!
About 100 steps into it, with the cool air disappearing and the steps seeming steeper with every turn, I was about to give up and turn back. The worst part was when some of the lights were burned out and you couldn't see the narrow stairs or if someone was in front of you, behind you, or descending the stairs right next to you. All I could hear was my own heavy breathing. A French woman was right behind me, and somehow we became partners on this long journey.
Encouraging each other, we rested together when we needed to, and finally reached the summit. What a great feeling! We hugged when we got to the top.
Of course, the views were totally worth it. In this one, you can see the Charles Bridge.
Going down was much easier, of course. I was so glad that I had done it. As I was gathering with my family at the base of the cathedral, the French woman found me and introduced me to her husband. We smiled at each other and hugged again, and as she left, my mother asked me if I had run into someone I knew. I just smiled and said no, she was just on the stairs with me. It was too hard to explain. We had shared something unique, a moment in time when another person's smile can make the impossible seem possible.
