Our alarms went off at 3.30am so that we could make our 4.00am taxi pick up. We were downstairs waiting by 3.45 and our ride arrived five minutes later. We were flying with Easyjet, and even in our sleep deprived state, we found the check-in counter with ease. Clever me had somehow booked a ticket that put us in the speedy line, so we were checked in within 10 minutes.
We got through security, with Colin getting questioned about his carry on contents again and then we were at the gate. No immigration lines – it’s so easy with the Schengen to Schengen country visa set up. Our tickets also got us priority boarding, so we were close to the first to board, and with seats in the first row (extra legroom for six euros each!) we were on the plane and watching the masses follow. Closest thing to business class that Easyjet offers and we even ended up with three seats to ourselves for the three and a half hour flight.
The plane landed early, and as we couldn’t check in to our apartment for a while, we collected our bags and found a spot for lunch. The taxi and uber system is a bit weird at the airport so after some confusion with getting an uber, a scout reached out and took us to the taxi line, which was upstairs. Half an hour later we were at our apartment and eventually found our keys.
We are in New Town, which was actually established in the 14th century, so our building is old and doesn’t have an elevator…and we’re on the third floor. Six flights of stairs with bags that suddenly feel twice as heavy but we made it. The apartment is gorgeous and the most spacious that we’ve had. A quick google search and we found our nearest supermarket, so off we went to get supplies. Stir fry (Cheryl style) for dinner tonight!
With every new place we have to work out the quirks of how everything works. Light switches get turned on and off a lot and it takes a while to work out how to use the kitchen. After staving off a minor flood with the washing machine, we had a load washed, dinner cooked, dishes done and discovered some of the things that just didn’t seem to be working. A bit of communication with our host and we discovered that there is no TV connection as the building hasn’t been connected and that the heating hasn’t been turned on. We worked out how to hook the apple laptop up to the TV so we can watch Stan, Apple TV or Prime, and the hosts friends have turned the heating on. It looks like it will be getting quite cold in Prague, so it might come in handy.
Our first full day in Prague was a big one. We are about 25 minutes’ walk to Old Town so we set off to discover Charles’ Bridge as a starting point. There are a few ways to get to Old Town but we chose to walk along the river which is not far from our apartment. It’s easy to see why this city has the reputation it has – the architecture is stunning. The buildings are in good repair and are all different colours. Every building can be a feature of a photo, so I had to work hard to restrain myself and take time just to walk and look, rather than taking a thousand photos.
We reached the bridge which has spectacular gates at both ends, and statues lining both sides. It’s a traffic free zone and various vendors are set up along one side of the bridge, selling caricatures, jewellery and the usual tourist souvenir paraphernalia. It’s not high season, but there are still plenty of tourists. It’s a shame it was a cloudy day, but it’s testimony to just how lovely this city is – it all still looks spectacular.
We crossed the river via Charles Bridge which put us in the area known as Mala Strana. Old Town is also called Praha 1, New Town, where our apartment is, is Praha 2. Mala Strana is also an architectural feast for the eyes and we set off to find a coffee. This is still a high tourist area, but we still hoped for better prices than Old Town. We had become used to getting great coffee in Portugal for about $2…sure, we expected coffee to be a bit more expensive, but we were still shocked to be hit for close to $5 for a rather disappointing experience. In Portugal, the coffee was strong, not too strong, but it tasted like coffee, not just coffee flavoured milk. Our first coffee was weak and warm. Hmm, hopefully just a tourist zone issue.
We refused to use the Euronet ATMs at the airport as their fees are ludicrously high, so, feeling a bit naked without any local currency, our next order for the day was to find a fair ATM. Following the evil blue dot, we got turned around a few times as we got to the ‘dot marks the spot’ only to lose it on google maps and be told to walk in the other direction. We finally oriented ourselves with a McDonald’s (proved they are good for something) and used our eyes and sense to find a suitable ATM. Let’s not get into the discussion about trusting our eyes and instincts instead of the technology…yes, we had walked past this ATM about three times following that darn dot!
Cashed up, we headed back across the bridge to explore Old Town. Words just cannot describe the beauty of the architecture, and the sense of time. Even with the clouds looming closer overhead, the city is just beautiful. Our wandering led us down cobblestone streets until we came upon a small square, where a crowd had gathered. The feature of the square is a lovely clock tower – we had found the Prague Astronomical Clock (Orloj). It was first installed in 1410 which makes it the third oldest astronomical clock in the world, and the oldest still in operation. The mechanism has three main components – the astronomical dial representing the Sun and Moon; the Walk of the Apostles, an hourly show of moving Apostle figures and other sculptures, and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months. According to legend, the city will suffer if the clock is neglected. We waited the 10 minutes for the clock to strike 1.00pm. It was a bit anticlimactic, but I’m glad we got to see it.
We decided to head towards home, undeterred by a light drizzle. We walked past candy shops, a sex museum, many jewellery windows – garnets are a big deal here apparently – cafes and restaurants, souvenir shops, crystal shops…everything for the cashed up tourists to support the economy. We headed towards Wenceslas Square, which is another landmark area. We’d noticed a lot of school children in groups – it would appear that Prague is a great location for school excursions.
As we made our way along Wenceslas Square, which is more rectangular than square, we came closer to a large, majestic building which presides over one end of the square. We had found the National Museum. No time like the present – we still had plenty of daylight, and we were here, so why not check it out. There were no massive lines for tickets, so we paid our 280KCS and walked up a magnificent marble staircase. The inside of the building is worth the ticket alone. The museum was established in 1818 and contains over 14 million items. It’s huge! We were already rather foot sore when we entered and we did a good job of exploring the extensive collections of natural history, art and local history. It would be easy to lose yourself for a whole day or even two days if you read about everything that is on display.
We were both feeling somewhat overwhelmed and very tired by the time we exited – it had been a big day of spectacular sights and knowledge. It was raining lightly but evil said we were only 25 minutes from home, so we set off on new streets, with yet more stunning buildings.
Thankfully, last night’s stirfry left overs saved a challenging cooking session.
After our big walking day we kept to our local area and got out and about after lunch to explore the local area. On our way home from the museum, we had walked past a nice little park, so we made our way back and took some time to, yep, check out more architecture, but also sit and watch the world of Prague go buy. We even managed to get some rays of sunshine. Eating out is looking like a rather expensive proposition here (for our budget at least) so a stop at our local supermarket for dinner and roast chicken in front of the TV ended yet another lovely day.
Colin was still having tummy issues, so the next day, I set off in search of a special Prague souvenir. Czech garnets are considered very high quality and the Turnov cooperative have the rights to the garnets (or granats in Czech) that are produced here. I followed the river back towards Old Town where google maps indicated some of the ‘genuine’ jewellers are located. I was delighted to wander through the markets that had set up along the river, and was surprised to see that, even before 11am (no judgement!), people were cheerfully drinking beer and wine (in real glass no less!) from the market stalls. It looked like a local market – lots of produce, meats, cheeses, flowers and food vendors. We will have to come back together to check it out next Saturday.
Back on my way, I made my way back into Old Town and started exploring the jewellers and their wares. The first jeweller had two rings that I loved, but the prices, after the research I had already done, seemed extremely high, and certainly much more than I had planned to spend. But I did really like those rings! I headed out and checked out a few more jewellers, but didn’t find anything that grabbed me. Determined, I set off, following, yep, evil blue dot, to get to the jeweller I had set out to find.
It took a little bit to find, but I got there in the end. I had already had a look on the website and I was thrilled to see that they actually had the rings I had seen, along with prices that matched. I tried on a couple of rings, but they didn’t look right. Then another. And another. Then my eye caught sight of it, and that was it. Sold!
With my souvenir on my finger, I wandered back towards the astronomical clock square and contemplated lunch options. My sunny day had darkened, and the clouds overhead and in the distance were making promises that did not appeal. With a 30 minute walk ahead of me, the clouds delivered on their promise and I got a bit damp, but even with the 10 degree temperature it wasn’t too cold.
Our next excursion was to visit the Prague Castle (Prazsky hrad) complex, and we decided to explore the public transport system. Our nearest tram stop is near our supermarket (so two minutes away) and we purchased our tickets from the machine at the stop. The system in Prague is very different to Portugal – here you can purchase tickets for 30 minutes, 90 minutes, 24 hours or 72 hours. We opted for the 30 minute ticket for $2 as the system is time based, not trip based.
Safely on the tram, with validated tickets, we enjoyed the ride to Old Town and across a bridge, where the tram stopped six minute’s walk from the castle. Of course, it was uphill as it seems to be a trend to build these things up high. Built in the 9th century, it is the official office of the President of the Czech Republic, and was a seat of power for kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman emperors and presidents of Czechoslavakia. Apparently, it is the largest castle in the world. The cathedral, Basilica of St Vitus was founded in the first half of the 10th century. Of course, expansions, modifications and changes have been made over the centuries.
The complex is massive and there are a lot of different exhibitions to choose from. Entry to the complex is free, but the exhibitions and St Vitus have entry fees. We opted to just explore the complex and gardens, as well as the spectacular view over Prague. I did think about going into St Vitus but my google search of photos was enough I think. The cathedrals and churches all start to blur in the mind after a while – they are all beautiful, special and awe-inspiring, but it’s hard to keep the individual memories.
On our way up to the complex, we passed some hole-in-the-wall cafes selling hot dogs. We’ve both been keen to wrap our lips around some tasty sausage and we set off back down the hill. It was a different hill though, so we were not near the café we had passed earlier. There should be plenty of sausage to be had…shouldn’t there? Our unsuccessful wandering just led us to rather expensive restaurants so we made our way back to the walk to the castle complex and bought our hot dogs. Expensive at 8 euros each, but they sure hit the spot.
We are enjoying the cooler weather and find it funny that the locals are rugged up in puffy jackets and scarves. We’re just wearing t-shirts and our light jackets; it only gets chilly if the wind picks up, and of course, it’s no fun getting wet when it rains.
Our apartment is in a historical part of Prague and one of the sights listed near us is Vysehrad. A short walk up the hill and we were there. The church is spectacular, although we didn’t go inside. Instead, we wandered around the most beautiful cemetery – wow, some people spend a lot of money on burying the dead. Apparently, the cemetery is the resting place for a lot of famous Czechs such as Antonin Dvorak, and Alphonse Mucha. Vysehrad is an old castle and fort, built in the 10th century. The grounds are lovely and we even got to see a squirrel!
We had a couple of quiet, sit around days and it gave me time to get the website up to date, as well as get a couple of Portugal YouTubes finished. Colin set off on the hunt for a barber. The first guy wanted to charge $55 for a men’s haircut! Outrageous. The second barber was only $33, so, at the risk of his ears, that was his pick. Bourbon flowed freely by all accounts, and it would appear there are no issues with drinking on the job…or manipulating sharp objects near customer’s heads.
The weather is still cloudy and cold, but inside the apartment is warm enough to sit around in shorts and t-shirts. Apple TV has been getting a beating, but this was always the plan – live a normal life, just in a different part of the world every month or so.
After our quiet days, we decided to emerge from our cave and explore. The weather was dreary, but not cold, so we set off hunting for curcumin. The first health food shop was just that – it didn’t stock supplements, so we set off to the next one. It’s not a tough job walking these streets; the visual feast is never ending.
Our hunt had us heading into Old Town, and we made out way, yes, following evil, to a herbal supplements shop. They didn’t have exactly what we wanted, and phew! the prices are high, but we did manage to walk out with our curcumin capsules and mixed greens powder. We decided to jump on tram 18 and set off towards the main square. On my hunt for garnets, I had spied an art exhibition of Dali, Mucha and Warhol.
This part of Prague is so spectacularly beautiful. Even with overcast skies it chokes me up a bit. The clock was striking 12 as we walked into the square, so we had to navigate the crowds dispersing from watching the astronomical clock. This place would be a nightmare in high season – as it is, we need to duck and dodge the umbrellas, even though it wasn’t raining. Souks!
The exhibition gave you the choice to see just one, two or all three displays, so I picked Dali and Warhol, both of whom I have had a soft spot for since doing Art at school. We got to wander the two exhibitions for our $20 each for our tickets, and it was delightfully uncrowded. The exhibitions were well set out, with good explanations of both artists’ history. I thoroughly enjoyed the Dali’s Horses section, and it was interesting to get greater insight into the world of Andy Warhol. How fascinating would it be to have been able to get inside their heads and understand their thought processes that led to their art?
Recharged with art and architectural wonders, we made our way to a little Vietnamese restaurant we had walked past on our way to the square. We finally found a restaurant that doesn’t charge the earth, and the food was positively delicious. Colin found a 1000 dong note in his wallet and handed it to the Vietnamese staff – she was delighted and they shared a laugh together.
We explored a shopping centre near the tram stop – five levels, with two of them underground. I guess in such a crowded city, sprawling centres are impossible, so it makes sense to go vertical. It’s funny how just wandering around a shopping centre, a banal activity, brings some homey normality to our life.
Tram 18 pulled up just as we stepped outside, so we thought we would miss it, but a quick hop, skip and jump over the tracks and we managed to slide in through the closing doors. It’s not far to get home, but it’s no fun walking in the rain, so we didn’t risk it. A quick shop at our local supermarket and we had dinner and supplies restocked. Fabulous city – wish I could afford to live here permanently.
Saturday was a glorious, sunny day and I was keen to get some photos with blue skies. Not far from us and on the river, a farmers market operates each Saturday, so Colin and I set off to explore and maybe get a sausage for second breakfast. It was very crowded with a mix of locals getting fresh produce and deli items, and tourists drinking beer and eating local cuisine. It was slow going due to the crowd, but there were some great local craft items as well as amazing bakery items.
Colin wasn’t keen to hit Old Town again, so I left him to find a sausage and beer at the market and set off to get some footage of what I think might be the most photogenic city in the world. I was getting snippets of video of the river on Wally when, before I had made it to the edge of Old Town, he died. Flat battery – oops, should check these things!
My plan foiled by technology, I headed home, thankful that Wally only needs about an hour for a full charge. Colin and I ran into each other on my way back – he had given up on the idea of a hotdog and beer, balking at the $23 price tag. The prices for food and coffee have been a shock, especially as the Aussie dollar has taken a bit of a plunge since we left home.
Recharged, I set off with Wally, taking the Tram to Old Town. Sunlight really brings out the colours of the buildings. I meandered the streets and the square, eventually making my way across Charles Bridge to revisit Mala Strana. The crowds are horrific and the walk across the bridge took a while. Both sides of the river are such a visual feast and I hoped I was getting some great footage.
As I made my way back towards the river after wandering the streets, I walked past an open door which was taking people into a walled area. Curious, I crossed the road and peek in – lots of tourists. With no ticket booth, I thought why not? The gardens were nice – nothing to write home about – but as I walked around, I eventually came to an interesting looking building. I had stumbled upon the Czech senate! Cool. It looked like a wedding had just taken place, the couple dancing on the steps of the Senate building. The most intriguing part of the gardens though, was the dripstone wall. Constructed between 1623 and 1630, it is part of the Wallenstein Palace, which was taken by the state government after World War II and they repurposed the main buildings to serve as the seat of operation for the Senate.
There is so much to see in this city and it’s no wonder it is referred to as an open air museum. It would be easy to explore and enjoy without spending money to enter places.
I crossed one of the bridges back towards Old Town and stopped in to check in on a small market that was set up. The food options smelled amazing, especially as it was lunch and I was clocking up loads of steps. The barbeque stall was very appealing…but again, the 17 euro price tag for a burger put me off. I kept walking and decided I was going to have a chimney cake – they are everywhere in Old Town so why not? And then of course, I was looking for it, so I couldn’t find one (eye roll). Another 10 minutes walking and I came across a kiosk selling them, so I tried the apple and honey version. Yummy, too much whipped cream, but that didn’t stop me.
Sugar levels high, I set off again, stumbling into Wenceslas Square. Feeling confident I knew where I was going I decided to walk home. By the time I got back to the apartment, my feet were yelling at me, but I had had a fun day roaming the streets with the glorious sunshine caressing every step.
Our walks back from Old Town often take us past the botanical gardens, so on Sunday we set off to check them out as our excursion for the day. Once we entered, we discovered that they are extensive, with lovely paths meandering their way up the hillside. Typical of botanical gardens, there are strategically places benches, sections of the garden are dedicated to different world environments – Australia gets a mention! – and we even found a communal library, including videos. No TV to be seen, so not sure how that works. Beautiful spot for a picnic lunch one day.
Prague hosts a Funicular that runs up Petrin Hill, so we decided a gorgeous, sunny day would be perfect for the views. We took the Tram to cross the river, which we’re good at now, but then it got a bit confusing. We found Petrin Hill easily enough, which is a beautiful, forested hill, but the Funicular station presented a few issues. There are a couple of stops for the Funicular which is about 510 metres long, and we somehow managed to make our way to the half way point. Colin got google maps to work and we wandered back downhill to the start point…only to find it’s closed until 27 October, probably for maintenance.
Frustrated, but undeterred, we took the opportunity to check out the local environment and followed a path upwards…this led to some intriguing stairs, so we climbed those and checked out a pretty garden on the way. Then we found a café with stunning views over the city so we took a breather. There is a Mystical Cavern which we thought might be interesting, but it wasn’t open (theme of the day?) and as we were already on a path, we kept going…and going…until we arrived at the top of the hill.
A coffee stop, disappointing again, we wandered towards the tower which you can pay to go up for even more views. Yeah yeah…we get it. It’s a beautiful city! There is a lovely church, not as grand as those in the city, but still very pretty, as well as food kiosks and a restaurant. We’re still keen to do the Funicular, so it will be a nice excursion to enjoy a picnic. The forest is lovely – the type of forest where you wouldn’t be surprised to see fairies and pixies hiding amongst the trees. We didn’t see any squirrels though – disappointing.
We love our apartment, and it has a 50 inch TV, but there is no cable or aerial to connect to television in the building. We’ve been connecting the Apple Mac and watching Apple TV and Stan, but we’d like to be able to chromecast as well. We brought one from home thinking we could connect it, but we need an adapter. So we set off to find an electronics store that might be able to help us out.
Our first, and closest store, took us through a different part of our local neighbourhood. We found the hospital (another theme?) just five minutes away. Quite possibly the ugliest building we’ve seen in Prague to date, but just past it we took a detour through a lovely park. This city has loads of green space and as we traversed the park and came out the other side, we discovered the Police Museum. Reviews say it’s worth a look…but not today. One of the joys of walking this city is discovering beautiful buildings, churches and gardens – they may not make the tourist lists, but it certainly makes staying outside the tourist zone a pleasure and this walk was no different.
We couldn’t find the electronics store, but we found a delightful café that served HOT and good coffee, along with cheesecake. Fortified, we followed evil to the next electronics store, walking along one of the busiest streets we’ve seen so far. The road was bitumen, so we must be on the edge of the older part of town.
In the end, our idea to connect the Chromecast through our phones won’t work according to our electronics store guy, so even though our reason for wandering this part of town was a dud, we did get to see a part of the city that most tourists don’t get to. It’s also clear that this is a very walkable town – a few steps past the electronics store and we were back at Wenceslas Square. Revisiting areas and using the public transport system easily makes us feel like we are really living here, not just visiting.
Colin must have been inspired because not long after our return from our electronics hunt, he worked out how to connect the Chromecast. Persistence pays off.
Our exploration of Prague has been wonderful, but the Czech Republic, or Czechia, is more than its capital city, so, a little research led to train tickets to a town about an hour east called Kutna Hora (careful how you say that!). It’s a smaller town, about 20,000 people and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995. I’m starting to think this whole country could be a world heritage site!
The day greeted us with drizzly rain and heavy skies, but we set off anyway, taking the tram to near to the train station. The main train station in Prague has more shopping than most international airports, and was the most confusing station we’ve ever been to. We arrived early so we had time to navigate our way around, but signage was minimal and the departure board didn’t have our platform listed. They also use a system of J and S for the south and north which didn’t make sense when we were going east. Perhaps it relates to the orientation of the platforms?
Finally, our departure point was displayed and we made our way to platform 4S (4 north). It was quite cool so we were a bit more rugged up than usual, but still not as heavily as the locals. What on earth are they going to be wearing when it gets really cold. While we were waiting a young man approached us and asked if he was on the right platform. Considering the level of confusion we had been feeling for the past half hour, this was rather funny – and the third time in a week that someone has asked if we can give advice or directions. We must look like locals.
The train was a little late, and it was funny watching the mad rush of people racing to get on. We had allocated seats, so figured we wouldn’t have any issues. We found our carriage and the six-seat cabin we were allotted, only to find that a mother with two little girls was in our seats. She was fine and moved the girls onto one seat, but it meant that she didn’t have a seat herself. Children under six don’t have to purchase a seat, but it made for a crowded and uncomfortable ride for her.
We stopped to allow people on and off at a town called Kolin and as we pulled out of the station, the young man sitting across from us asked if we were from England. He got quite excited to hear we were Australian and we had a lovely chat until we arrived in Kutna Hora. Like so many Europeans he was horrified at the thought of all the bugs Australians live with. I guess it’s just what you get used to.
More drizzle and a chill breeze greeted us as we made our way from the platform. The station is not in town and google maps did little to help with public transport options. A lot of people who had been on the train were walking and we overheard one of them say they were going to the Church of Bones, so we decided to follow the crowd. As it turned out, 15 minutes later we found ourselves walking towards a large cathedral and signs pointing us in the right direction.
The ticket office was crowded and confusion continued to be the order of the day. Colin heard one of the staff yelling at people to get etickets from an outside window, so that’s what I did. We got tickets to the Sedlec Abbey and its ossuary (chapel of bones) as well as the Cathedral we had already walked past. The Abbey wasn’t far and we made our way into the ossuary, which is estimated to have between 40,000 and 70,000 bones. It’s a very eerie place – some of the bones are strung together and hung like decorations, and some of the bones date back to the Hussite war in the 1400s. The Abbey cemetery had to be enlarged to manage the number of burials and around 1400 a Gothic church was built, with a lower chapel to be used as an ossuary for the graves that were unearthed during construction. After 1511 a half blind monk, according to legend, was given the task of exhuming skeletons and stacking the bones in the chapel.
There is a lego museum, they call it the brick museum, which has a café attached to it, so that made for a nice spot for lunch. The hotdogs were okay and, to our surprise, no alcohol served – probably because it is a very child oriented café.
Our next stop was to check out the nearby cathedral. Again, the structural dimensions are impressive, and the coolest part of this cathedral was the opportunity to walk above the outer domes through the roof. They have set up a walkway so that you are able to see the brick work that makes the domes of the side chapels so you are walking just below the church tiles. Fantastic perspective.
We still had about four hours to kill before our train back to Prague and we still couldn’t get google maps to help us out with local public transport. We tried to call a couple of taxis, but the language barrier made a hash of that. Unpleasant as the thought was, we decided to set off in the drizzle to the silver mine museum. Kutna Hora means ‘diggable mountain’ and the region was rich in silver, with traces of silver dating back to the 10th century. The wealth made the town one of the most important towns in the kingdom.
The walk through the modern part of Kutna Hora was made less appealing by the, to put it bluntly, ugliness of the town. We were both thinking the day was going to be a dud, but as we followed the evil blue dot, the architecture began to change. Before we knew it, we had entered a small square and our spirits lifted with the sky as the clouds began to lose their depressing grey. We still had quite a walk to get to the mine museum, but the streets were getting too interesting to walk past, so we deviated and started to explore.
As we wandered down one curving street, an imposing church was revealed…and the scenery beyond it drew us forward. As we walked through a gated wall, we were greeted with the spectacular site of St Barbara’s Church rising above the greens and golds of the forested valley. Oh my! Breathtaking.
That was the end of the trip to the silver mine museum. Just the walk alone through the streets of this lovely town to get to the church would make this trip worth it, and we were not disappointed. After a quick stop in a quaint restaurant for a beer, we strolled along cobblestone streets, meandering our way to the church. It’s a gothic, five-naved church, begun in 1388 and took about 500 years to get to the stage it is now. Just outside the church is a small chapel which didn’t cost anything to enter – eerie.
After wandering around the church gardens and choosing which house we would buy (the views down the valley would make for a magical wine sipping afternoon), we muscled up and bought tickets to go inside. So many churches! But wow, this one is really special. Photos cannot do it justice and apparently it is one of the most famous Gothic churches in central Europe. St Barbara is the patron saint of miners, so as a mining town, it makes sense. Apparently, the original design would have built a church twice the size of what it is presently – boggles the mind. We spent quite some time inside, with Colin lighting a candle for us. We took advantage of the visitor access to a mezzanine floor where they have set up displays outlining the history of the construction. So glad we didn’t miss going into this church – stunning.
The skies began to clear, and we even got treated to some rays of sunshine as we made our way towards the nearby train station. Our ticket also included the short trip from the town centre back to the main station, so with a little tooing and froing we caught the short train to be sure we wouldn’t miss the main train back to Prague. When I was booking the tickets, some of the departure times were full, so the trains are busy.
Our wait of about 50 minutes on the platform was a bit chilly, but we revelled in feeling a bit cold for the first time since leaving Australia. When the train arrived, the warmth of the carriage was very welcome and after clearing up some seating confusion with some Japanese tourists (they were in the wrong carriage), we settled back for a comfortable ride. It was dark by the time we got to Prague, and after a big day, we decided on going to our local restaurant for dinner. I’ve been keen to try port knuckle, but opted out and went for beef goulash, while Colin sank his teeth into a pork schnitzel. The food was delicious (Colin loves Viennese salad) and for 28 Euros, was great value. Phew – big day, but ssooooo fun.
October 28 is the National Day for Czechia and we made our own public holiday of it, but after a relaxing day in, we had to get out and about. We have seen the major sights of this beautiful city and, seriously, there are only so many churches and museums that any turtle can handle. With a glorious day on our hands, we made our way to Vysehrad to wander the gardens and enjoy the autumn day. I had been doing a little bit of research on this fortress area and read that there are tunnels and nooks and crannies to explore, so I dragged Colin around and up and down, making our half hour stroll into a good exercise session. We found the remains of an old bridge that led across the moat to the church – only excavated in the ‘90s, it is believed to date back to the 10th century. It was a lovely exploration, and we even got to see another squirrel!
During our discovering of Vysehrad, we found a few cafes and a lovely beer garden, but without our wallets we couldn’t enjoy a beverage with a view, but, being the freelancers that we are, it was an easy choice to return the following day. Not only did we have a thoroughly refreshing pint each, we also got to watch a couple of locals play tennis on the clay court which is just outside the fortress. It was a good game – both players made some good shots and even enjoyed having an audience.
We took a two night trip to Cesky Krumlov to explore another part of this beautiful country. Check out what we did here.
Our last couple of days in Prague were spent quietly, wandering the local area and reorganising our gear as our flight to Rome on Sunday has tight luggage restrictions. We both managed to fit our backpacks and most of our stuff into our suitcases without ditching too much excess stuff, and using our little day packs to carry more than we would normally pack in them.
As we drove to the airport, we were both sad to be leaving. It’s exciting to be going to Rome and see Siena and Andrew, but we love Prague and the Czech Republic and look forward to returning to this part of the world. But before that, we have our Egyptian, Jordanian and Turkish adventures to enjoy. Thank you Czech Republic – you have won our hearts and minds with your beauty and charm.