With Spain and Portugal behind us we headed east to Prague in the Czech Republic. A central hub for Eastern Europe, Prague is a bustling and modern town with a distinct medieval feel. Church steeples and castle towers dot the skyline while tourists clog the main streets 24 hours a day. After arriving at the airport we tried to catch a bus to the metro station, which was a bit of a challenge considering the complex ticket meters (24 ticket options at least, depending on zone, time and discount, and no English)! Talk about a brain teaser. On the metro we were stopped by a “controller” who just flashed a small keychain to get your attention, so at first we thought he was selling something. So of course our response was “no thanks” and to keep walking which then got him asking for “tickets, tickets”! A few laughs and metro ride later to central Prague, Karen (our Airbnb host) welcomed us to our home away from home. Lee had a bad headache and cold from our Portugal river swim so we laid down for a nap at 4 pm and woke up 16 hours later! Guess our bodies needed the rest.
Finally making it out of the apartment, we explored the city and had a nice, upscale (about $50 total) lunch at Artisans, just at the south end Prague’s main park. We each had freshly made soups and delicious entrées (Lee’s jerked chicken was fantastic) and drank aromatic tea and water with our meal. FYI - beer is cheaper than bottled water in Prague and quite tasty so we should probably have tried some then! Another food attraction that is just about reason enough to come to Prague are the Trdelnik pastries. A local creation, the Trdelnik is made from fresh pretzel-like dough rolled into a quarter inch thick bracelet, roasted over an open fire until brown and then coated with almond slivers and sugar. Well worth the $3 and quite addictive.
After lunch we explored the hill-side park in search of good views and people watched. We eventually made our way to the supermarket where Jazz got yelled at for the second time in our trip, something about filling our bag up while in the store instead of using their baskets, but it was actually kind of fun to since we didn’t understand a thing they said :P! That evening we crossed the Vltava River to see the old town and were taken aback by the millions of tourists (including English, Spanish, German, East European and Asians). Apparently Prague has always been a tourist destination and is packed year around. It shouldn’t be a surprise though - the town has an abundance of stereotypical medieval architecture; churches, bridges and castles, all packed into a relatively clean and compact town surrounded by parks and forest.
While staying away from most tourist attractions, we just had to check out the Sex Machine Museum, which was a fun/enlightening experience although still a bit pricey. For our last day in Prague we explored Prague Castle and the Lobkowicz Family Palace. The Lobkowicz Palace was the best part of our visit. The palace included family portraits from the 1400’s to present day, the original musical scores and rewrites (like the Messiah) by Beethoven, Handle, Mozart and other famous composers, many of whom were under the patronage of the 7th Lobkowicz Prince (definitely the highlight of the visit for Lee). Also on display were various instruments played by the family, famous artworks by contemporary artists (1800’s and on), hunting and war weaponry, dinning and dishware from all ages (some as old as 500+ years) and treasury items like jewelry, relics, crosses, snuff boxes, beauty-mark containers, etc. To top it off, they provide a free English audio-guide narrated by the current heir and Prince. He describes the family history in fascinating detail and combined with the classical music as a backdrop to his narrative, it is actually quite moving.
To finish of our last evening we walked to a slightly more remote park (Letenské Sady) on the north side of the river for a view of the city and a park bench among the locals. We had a Pilsner Urquell and enjoyed the sunset, after which we walked back through the eastern side of the city and stumbled on a quaint “hole in the wall” bar / restaurant for dinner, Pivnice U Pivrnce. While somewhat of a tourist draw with dirty cartoons on the walls as their shtick, locals still visit the cellar rooms to watch the “football” games and enjoy the hearty food. Before heading out of Prague we also tried a few of the local brew, including our favorite dark beer Kozel (Cerny) and several light beers (ordered by preference): Staropramen, Pilsner Urquell, Budejovicky (Budvar a.k.a. Budweiser) and Branik Svetly. Next Up: Family Time in Germany.
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