I have been falling down on my blog updates the last couple weeks. By the time I get around to writing, I'm at least a week behind. Two weekends ago Debbie and I made a trip to Prague (Praha) in Czech Republic. It was one of the places we wanted to visit, so we flew over for a couple days.
We were fortunate to have friends of Emilee currently working there at the US Embassy, and Ales (a Czech native) met us at the airport and gave us a tour for the day. We had a great time, and saw lots. The only problem with the weekend was the temperature - it was COLD! It was snowing when we arrived, and below freezing all weekend. Fortunately, no snow after the first day! But it did make our tour with Ales a bit difficult - it's a bit harder to look around when you are under an umbrella and trying to avoid stepping in puddles! Regardless, Ales escorted us to our Hotel Černý Slon, which is off Old Town Square, right next to the Church of Our Lady in front of Týn (which dominates the square). Emilee had made arrangements for our stay in this historic hotel - very nice.
After dropping our bag, we headed out with umbrellas in hand. Ales pointed out the various sites in Old Town Square, then we walked over to the Powder Tower. We returned to follow the King's Way from Old Town across Charles Bridge, and then up to Prague Castle. Along the way, Ales explained some of the city history. Prague flourished in the 14th century under the reign of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia. Charles designed and built New Town, founded the Charles University (oldest U in central Europe), erected the Charles Bridge, and started construction of St. Vitas Cathedral in Prague Castle. He was a busy guy!
We had lunch in a Czech cafeteria-style restaurant (and my first of many Czech beers). Walked until Debbie's feet got wet, at which point we went to Ales and his partner Rolan's house to dry out. Later we walked by Lennon Wall and then all went to dinner at an Italian restaurant on a boat in the Vltava River, with a nice view of the castle (Italian restaurants can be found anywhere in the world, I think). It was all very nice, and the snow gave its own beauty to the city.
But, we were happy to find clear skies the following day (not so thrilled with the sub-freezing temperatures that went with it). We did some serious site-seeing this day. We started in the Jewish Quarter. Next, we watched as the hour turned at the Astrological Clock, and then climbed the clock tower for great views. Went to Wenceslaus Square, site of the Velvet Revolution in 1989, and strolled through a quiet Franciscan garden off the square. We saw the Powder Tower again, one of the original city gates. After lunch in a "cave", we walked back to the bridge and checked out the many statues (supposed to be 15 on each side, but some are missing). The afternoon was a brilliant, sunny, winter day and I got some great pictures by the river.
Most of all, we just enjoyed the beauty of the city. While we have been to other medieval towns, I've never seen such a large city maintained in such a way. It was lovely! It was also a definite tourist destination. Lots of languages being spoken (but, fortunately for us, most people also speak English). We ended up with dinner at a nearby Czech pub, and had some good pancakes made from cabbage, ham, and potatoes - tasty (yes, had a beer also - only a few $ for 50 ml, compared to 10
€ in Paris!). In the evening, we walked along the river, and saw the "Dancing House".
On our last day, clouds returned, but no rain. We returned to the Charles Bridge and crossed to Prague Castle. We toured St. Vitus, and then St. George's Basilica, and the Golden Lane. We were a bit disappointed that the Palace itself was not open that day. We walked down from the end of the castle past Wenceslaus vineyards to the Senate building (in Valdstejn Palace), and toured the gardens (along with an interesting/strange "dripstone" wall). We warmed up over lunch in a nice place near the Anglo-American University and walked along the canal before returning to get our bags and head back to the airport (took the metro, then bus - good way to go for less than $2 / person). All in all, a successful weekend!
I have been falling down on my blog updates the last couple weeks. By the time I get around to writing, I'm at least a week behind. Two weekends ago Debbie and I made a trip to Prague (Praha) in Czech Republic. It was one of the places we wanted to visit, so we flew over for a couple days.
After dropping our bag, we headed out with umbrellas in hand. Ales pointed out the various sites in Old Town Square, then we walked over to the Powder Tower. We returned to follow the King's Way from Old Town across Charles Bridge, and then up to Prague Castle. Along the way, Ales explained some of the city history. Prague flourished in the 14th century under the reign of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia. Charles designed and built New Town, founded the Charles University (oldest U in central Europe), erected the Charles Bridge, and started construction of St. Vitas Cathedral in Prague Castle. He was a busy guy!
We had lunch in a Czech cafeteria-style restaurant (and my first of many Czech beers). Walked until Debbie's feet got wet, at which point we went to Ales and his partner Rolan's house to dry out. Later we walked by Lennon Wall and then all went to dinner at an Italian restaurant on a boat in the Vltava River, with a nice view of the castle (Italian restaurants can be found anywhere in the world, I think). It was all very nice, and the snow gave its own beauty to the city.
But, we were happy to find clear skies the following day (not so thrilled with the sub-freezing temperatures that went with it). We did some serious site-seeing this day. We started in the Jewish Quarter. Next, we watched as the hour turned at the Astrological Clock, and then climbed the clock tower for great views. Went to Wenceslaus Square, site of the Velvet Revolution in 1989, and strolled through a quiet Franciscan garden off the square. We saw the Powder Tower again, one of the original city gates. After lunch in a "cave", we walked back to the bridge and checked out the many statues (supposed to be 15 on each side, but some are missing). The afternoon was a brilliant, sunny, winter day and I got some great pictures by the river. 
On our last day, clouds returned, but no rain. We returned to the Charles Bridge and crossed to Prague Castle. We toured St. Vitus, and then St. George's Basilica, and the Golden Lane. We were a bit disappointed that the Palace itself was not open that day. We walked down from the end of the castle past Wenceslaus vineyards to the Senate building (in Valdstejn Palace), and toured the gardens (along with an interesting/strange "dripstone" wall). We warmed up over lunch in a nice place near the Anglo-American University and walked along the canal before returning to get our bags and head back to the airport (took the metro, then bus - good way to go for less than $2 / person). All in all, a successful weekend!
Posts
