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Absorbing Prague for the last day

My last full day in Prague and so much I hadn’t done and seen. So much to fit into 5 full days including day trips. So I set off to actually enter the churches and walk the streets..not to mention eating the food and drinking the wine (sadly not the beer..would have been more inspired if it was hot!).

For the first time today it was drizzly but not rain that interfered with getting out and about. It is such a lovely city, one of those cities that grabs you every time you turn a corner. The only breaks you get when you just set out to see a city is by eating and drinking so I once again failed ‘Restraint 101’. My first break necessitated hot chocolate ( so thick you need a spoon) and creamy cake. Felt sick for an hour or so after that break!!! I went New Town, Old town, church, chapel, river, winding streets. Then break time…much more restrained with bowl of soup, wine, bread (and butter!!) and cappuccino. What can I say!! I’m so happy to be here in January. I really think it’s the best. They tell me that in August they have to put a rope up in the middle of Charles Bridge for one way traffic and you have to queue to cross the bridge. I’d rather be cold any old day. And it’s not even that cold, could be much worse!!

Back to hotel and haven’t worked out what to do for food yet. By all accounts I should not eat but…well!!! Not sure yet. So I leave for the airport at midday tomorrow for a 3pm flight back to Rome.

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Cesky Krumlov

Lovely day today. Had to set the alarm and be down at breakfast first thing. Then over the beautiful bridge to join my tour to Cesky Krumlov. This time we were 4…couldn’t be more perfect for me. The guide said that in August their tours are 50 people. So me with a middle aged Australian woman (the Aussies and the Chinese stand out at the moment) and her English gentleman ‘companion’ and a young girl from South Africa.

A long (about 2.5hrs) to the truly most beautiful town of C.K. It’s hard to know what more to say, it is all those things you wax lyrically about. It straddles a river with a castle perched above it, looking down with the fairytale turrets, towers. The streets are almost a cliche of narrow, cobblestones and as if it wasn’t perfect enough, the town also sports a brewery…what more to say. The tour included lunch which was at the brewery and very enjoyable. We walked up to the castle, around and about and set off back to Prague at 4pm.

So back in Prague at 6.30. Back over Charles Bridge…always such a pleasure of a walk, all the time thinking what the hell am I going to do for tea clearly, given it was late and Friday night, I wasn’t going to get a place downstairs. Then it occurred to me…something I NEVER think of…would they bring me a meal to my room?? Well no problem thank you very much…why have I not thought of this before??? Up came my bottle of wine and my carp cooked in lemon and thyme…with loads of potatoes of course!!

I feel very clever!!

So that’s my day. Only one full day left in Prague. It has flown!

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Kutna Hora

Today I went on a tour to Kutna Hora. I went on a mini bus with 4 other people. A young couple from Adelaide and a younger couple from Sheffield. Then there was me Grandmama!! Perfect size ‘group’ though.

I was picked up at 12 so had a few hours before then to squeeze in a bit more sight seeing. I went off to St Nicholas’ Church…spent time enjoying this amazing Baroque bling. Then I walked down along the river under the bridge around my hotel. I went to the Franz Kafka Museum…didn’t have time to go in but enjoyed the fountain of the 2 men peeing on their patch that is the Czech Rep. Then off to Kutna Hora. First stop was the Bone Church. I knew what I was in for here so the wow factor wasn’t there but it was very interesting. I mean what an amazing mind to pull that together. Of course I took about 500 million photos.Probably even more enjoyable was St Barbara’s Cathedral..I loved the real feel of the silver miners that you see everywhere in this town. I also loved walked around the town which was just lovely.

So, it was most enjoyable. Returned at 6pm and walked back to my hotel. I then went out to dinner. I decided I wasn’t going to make them try and find a place for me here so I went off to another restaurant…swankier but not nearly as enjoyable although foo was good. I had knuckle of pork, followed by apple strudel ( what else??)

Then back. A nice Skype catch up with Ham and then down to business…photos, emails etc.

Tomorrow it’s early start to Cesky Krumlov…more tomorrow night!!

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More about Prague

A very short update tonight. Today I walked up to the castle and literally spent the entire day there. I had a full ticket and lots of venues to visit within the castle. It was fantastic!! I then walked back down the hill having a most delicious hot chocolate on the way down.I ate again at the restaurant below my hotel..it is definitely the hottest spot in town. Always jam packed but somehow they find me a place by persuading people to let me share their tables. Tonight I had beef tartare…wow!! It was delicious but it was on fried bread and took me ages to get through it all. But I did with concentrated determination!!

Now ready for an early night. I haven’t been sleeping well since I got here…missing my blow up mattress I think!

Tomorrow I think I’ve decided I’ll go to Kutna Hora…but there is so much to do and so little time to do it all. Oh well!!

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Day 1 in Prague

Here I am returned to my hotel after another one of those walk, walk, walk days and just when I thought I’d seen the most beautiful cities in the world along comes Prague. It has to take the cake in terms of beautiful cities. Amazing really…not much more I can say. Except how those of you who have been here must have loved it and the one of you yet to come will love it…and I’m talking about a culture of beer. Did you know that per head of population (including babies) the Czech’s consume 1.7 Litres of beer a day!! Bit of a shame for a wine drinker but fear not I manage. Fortunately Gluwein is abundant!!

My hotel is fantastic and in a great position but it is too HOT…I’m going to have to ask them if the heat can be turned down before I expire.

So my day today! A very full day. I headed off to get myself sorted out. I wanted to work out if I could get to Cesky Krumlov first and foremost. So, the only way was with a day tour and I decided to do that and have booked it for Friday. My next dilemma is whether to do another excursion to Kutna Hora which includes the Sediec Ossuary which is recommended by Rose. Do I have the time to spare I ask myself. There is so much to do! Anyway back to my day. I then wandered into the Old Square and I see a free walking tour which I decide to join. 3.5 hrs later I had marched all over the city (old and new) which was fantastic because it gives you a sense of the place. After the walk I retraced my steps in the Jewish quarter and went to some synagogues and the Jewish cemetery. This is very much dedicated to the horrors of WWII for the Czech Jews. It was very moving and gave a really good sense of the history of the Czech Jewish Community. That was it, I’d had it by then so wandered back over the Charles Bridge to get back at 5pm. A bit of a rest and then out to forage because my bar/restaurant here is already full.

I’m so glad I’m here in January. It is still full of tourists and walking back over the Charles Bridge I was struck by how busy it was with tourists from everywhere. I can only imagine the chaos of August. It would probably drive you nutty. The other thing to report is that the weather is just heaven. The sun shone brightly all day and I was hot in my coat. Positively perfect!!

Prague was a good decision I think!!

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From London to Prague

firstly to let you all know that I am safely ensconced in the truly amazing city of Prague.

Got myself organised this morning. Out for one last London cappuccino. Got the big bag down the stairs by sliding the mother fucker on its side. All good so far. Car arrived, a bit late but no worries.

But it was a most hysterical ride!! Firstly the car was dubious enough to have me hoping it would make it, secondly he didn’t stop talking all the way there about how god had made England so wonderful. He asked me what time my flight was then revealed when we were nearly there that he asked that question because if I had plenty of time he took his time, relaxed and made sure we got to know each other!!! He was really sweet and it was actually funny. I tipped him!!

Then there was the Easyjet flight. That is officially a tough gig. I have a handbag that weighs 10 ton with all my electronic stuff in it. I have a specific technique where I balance handbag one side and carry on case on other side. They really stuffed me because they wouldn’t let me take my handbag AND my carry on so I had to put the handbag in my carry on case then I had to lug it up and down stairs and on to the plane. nearly killed me. One more flight left until I get on the big flight to home!!!

On the Czech side I was very smoothly picked up at the airport by a lovely man in a limo affair and brought straight to my hotel. Great hotel right under the Charles Bridge. Downstairs is a fabulous restaurant, very traditionally Czech and very popular. I only got a berth because some depressed girl drowning her sorrows with steins agreed to share with me. The only wine they sell by the glass is white so I had to buy a bottle of red which I was able to bring up to my room!!! Not a bad system really!

After a nice meal (carp) I walked across the Charles Bridge and was able to truly gasp at this amazingly beautiful city. i think I made a good choice. Now I must get some sleep. A very big day and tomorrow I get my bearings.