This past weekend the three of us met up with some friends in Prague. It was great to see Val and Dave, and Prague was beautiful!
This trip, Jenn scheduled a car to pick us up. Though our timing with the car wasn’t perfect, we might start doing this on other trips especially when we arrive later in the evening like this trip.
We arrived in the evening and checked in. Our apartment was just a few blocks from the Charles Bridge. Sadly, the grocery store was already closed so we stopped at a convenience store to get some cereal, milk and diet pepsi. It cost us $20 since we were in the heart of the tourism zone. I really love the old world feel of Prague, the architecture reminded me of Lisbon. Even the cobblestone streets and sidewalks were nearly identical to Lisbon.
Saturday, we crossed the Charles Bridge and saw the astronomical clock. Though we passed it several times we never happened to be there at the hour when it does it’s show. Near the clock was Our lady before Tyn and the Jan Hus monument. We did some more walking and a few of the sites were closed so we stopped for ice cream on our way to Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral. That evening we met up with Val and Dave after their race at the beer garden in Letna Park. On the way, we passed the Winged Lion memorial to the Czech airmen.
The next morning we visited Kampa garden before hiking up to Strahov Monastery. On the way, we saw the John Lennon wall and a pair of animatronic statues of men pissing on Czech Republic. After lunch at the monastery we saw Wallenstein Garden. At one end of the garden is a huge Italian style grotto wall with an aviary. There are faces and fake passages in the wall. We could see part of the wall from Prague Castle the day before but didn’t know what it was until today. We went back to the Jewish museum and walked through the cemetery and synagogue. The synagogue was beautiful and very ornate. At the Grand Cafe Orient, we had a few Czech specialties before visiting ‘the world’s only cubist lamp post.’
We got a ticket on Sunday for walking on the wrong part of the sidewalk. The officer was kind enough to offer a reduced fine if we could pay in cash on the spot. Very convenient!
On our final morning in Prague, we visited Wenceslas Square and Vysehrad Citadel. After dealing with hordes of people in Prague for the weekend, the Citadel was a refreshing sight. Not many people were here, and the grounds made you feel like you were out in the country. Surrounded by old walls and buildings, with a giant cathedral looming in the background, the Citadel grounds were fantastic. We didn’t have enough time at the Citadel (or Prague for that matter).
Prague is a beautiful town, steeped in old world charm. Try to visit sights as early as possible. We were there on the weekend, it’s probably better on weekdays. We will definitely be back!