This is the greatest beauty of living in Europe. The ease of traveling is absolutely amazing; the flight took just two hours.
Our vacation in Prague was probably our most relaxing to date. I left our travel guide on the kitchen counter for Damon to read on Friday night; he never read it, we never packed it. We discovered the city with only a map we picked up at the front desk of Miss Sophie's Hotel (and Hostel). It was quite nice to have such an unhurried pace for a getaway.
Prague is considered one of the most romantic cities in the world. It didn't disappoint. Most of the historic center is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I was particularly interested in seeing Prague, as my grandfather, Frank Kermashek, was Czech. Many of the locals did look like they could easily be from the Midwest U.S. Most of the women I saw did have features similar to mine and many of the people I grew up around how said their ancestors were from Poland or Czechoslovakia. (Before we left for Prague, Damon told me it's not good to say Czechoslovakia anymore when you travel in the Czech Republic, as that state/country ceased to exist in 1992.)
Travel into Prague was quite easy with public transport. Taxis are notorious for over-charging here, we read, so we took public transport route, which means one bus ride (Bus #119) to Dejvicka (A, Green Line Metro). Then we took the Metro from there -- about one hour travel time total from the airport to our hotel south of Old Town. (Tickets are sold at machines outside the bus stop. A ticket last for more than one hour, and gives you access to Metro and Bus. Tickets were cheap, and no one ever checked or scanned our ticket. It seems the Czechs operate on an honor system.
We started our trip with an authentic Czech lunch -- we got to taste true Goulash (no hamburger meat or elbow macaroni here) -- and wash it down with beers brewed on the premises, typical in Prague. I think the version of Goulash I ate was Pörkölt, typically made of meat, onion, paprika powder, tomatoes, caraway seeds and other additions (though often debated) to the basic recipe. The food was definitely cheaper than Ireland and France. (We usually ate a hardy meal with drinks and an appetizer for under 30€.) Lodging prices were reasonable as well (70€ per night).
Then we wandered through the streets of Mala Strana and got our bearings while finding the sites, figuring out when to visit. We then crossed over the famous Charles Bridge and walked through Old Town Prague, did some shopping, hung out at cafes, people-watching. Horse-drawn carriages take tourists through the streets of Old Town. You can also take car tours in vintage convertibles with a driver's guide for a reasonable price.
That night, we watched the famous Astronomical Clock strike 8 p.m. The 12 Apostles spinning around the open doors were quite cool, as was the skeleton pulling on the rope in unison with the chiming of the tower's bell. After the trip, Damon did some research and told me what the four figures (skeleton is one of them) stand for "the four things that are despised": 1) Death (represented by a skeleton); 2) Vanity (represented by the figure holding a mirror); 3) Greed (the figure with the bag); and 4) the Turkish -- OF COURSE! (the figure with the turban). This totally cracked us up. But overall, the hourly show was a little disappointing. We thought the other parts of the clock would spin too, and we'd be able to understand the reading of the planets, the sun, the moon as well. No luck.
The second day, we strolled through the parks and climbed Petrin Hill and its mini Eiffel Tower overlooking the city. Then we walked through the Prague Senate gardens, followed by a tour of the Jewish Quarter in Prague, Josefov, an amazing experience. I never knew of Prague's rich, Jewish history before planning our visit. The Old Jewish Cemetery left us speechless. It was used beginning in the 15th century. There are an estimated 12,000 graves there, some stacked 12 deep. We also toured a few of the synagogues; Damon had to wear a yamaka (as requested). We also learned that it is customary to wash your hands in the fountain at the exit to the cemetery. (I took a picture of some Italians doing this.)
We discovered that mojitos are all the rage in Prague, so we found a bar that specializes in them and ordered a Raspberry and a Strawberry one.
We then took on an afternoon boat ride on the River Vltava, crossing under the Charles Bridge and many other beautiful bridges in Prague. One of the most fascinating learnings of the trip for me was that most Gothic architecture structures were made of sandstone, and it turns black as it ages. That is why most Gothic buildings are black in color -- it's not pollution, just old age. Charles Bridge is covered with sandstone statues. Damon took some great nighttime photos that evening after we had dinner at Wenceslas Square.
On our last day, we enjoyed a morning stroll along Charles Bridge (very few tourists then), then stumbled upon a vendor cart in the street selling a unusual-looking traditional Czech pastry called Trdlo, so we had to try it. We then toured Prague Castle, St. George's Basilica (oldest church in Prague) and St. Vitus's Basilica (seat of the Archbishop of Prague). We ate goulash soup and beer-soaked sausages at an authentic Czech beer garden, Malostranska Pivnice, near Prague's Little Venice area on Cihelna Street, just under Charles Bridge. We watched some live Czech music near Wenceslas Square that afternoon before buying tickets to a Black Light Theatre performance called "Faust," held at All Colours Theatre that evenings. It was quite interesting to see this intimate, low-budget type of theatrical performance, when we typically watch shows by Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas. We also learned that marionettes have a long history in Prague. The wooden puppets filled souvenir shops, and we couldn't help but bring home one...a gift for someone special back home.
Sadly, we missed the Czech Cubism Museum (closed on Mondays), something I'd really hoped to do. There were also many concerts (classical -- Vivaldi, Mozart) held in the cathedrals every night, which we didn't cramp into our schedule.
Lisbon is still at the top of my list for favorite destinations this year abroad, though Prague's many spired churches, winding river, ornate bridges, hills, parks, cobblestone streets and lively, laid-back atmosphere made it a close second.
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