October 10, 2009 - Prague, Czech Republic

Lisa and I got into Prague today (Lisa's birthday) to start our vacation.  I have wanted to visit Prague ever since the Cold War ended (The Czech Republic was then Czechoslovakia, an eastern bloc country under Soviet domination) and have finally arrived!  I have only been here a few hours (I write this at 9 PM and we arrived at our hotel at 4 PM) and so far it doesn't disappoint. 

Our cab ride from the airport was interesting (we flew from Baltimore via Detroit and Paris).  The driver was a maniac and I had flashbacks to our cab ride from Brick Lane in London in 2003.  He rode everyone's bumper and was off like a bat out of hell as soon as they got out of the way.  But, we made it in one piece for about $35 USD or 600 crowns (Kc).  There was almost no customs inspection and no passport stamp at the airport...

Our hotel (Hotel Rott) is very nice.  The room is small, but actually one of the large rooms in which we have stayed in Europe, and very clean.  The hotel staff were super courteous and the hotel cafe looks nice.  The location is perfect.  Just off the Old Town square and a short walk to the Charles Bridge.

After settling in, we went over the Old Town Square.  What a place!  It was filled with people, tourists and locals alike, and bustling with activity.  Vendors were selling everything you could think of - hot dogs, sausages, fish, chicken kabobs, and all sorts of sweets and pastries that I couldn't put a name to.  The smell of grilling meats permeated the air and there was also a vendor selling beer!  Prague is all about the beer and it is as good as it is cheap.  A pint from the vendor cost 35 Kc ($2 USD) and it was really nice beer!  Unfortunately, I cannot recall the name...  In Prague you can walk around any street drinking beer from an open container.  And, where we ate dinner, the beer was the same price as soft drinks for a 0.5 L draught!

Astronomical Clock

The bustle of the square gave it the feel of a medieval marketplace, which I am sure was the initial purpose.  However, the buildings lining the square were baroque, and stunning. The highlight of the square was the astronomical clock, which we got to watch change at the top of the hour (5 PM).

Some sort of chanting was going on at the square amongst a gathering of Polish soccer (football) fans (Poland was playing the Czech team that night).  It seemed benign enough to me, but all of a sudden several scary looking policemen in riot gear stormed into the square and set up a perimeter.  They looked like throwbacks from the communist era and like they meant business.  We decided it would be a good time to leave for dinner!  Never did find out what happened, but several of the Polish fans hot-footed it out of there and as we were leaving a police helicopter was circling overhead.

Old Town Square, Prague

From the square, we walked over to the Charles Bridge.  Although currently marred by some construction, from the bridge there are beautiful views of the Vlata river and the city - especially Prague Castle in the Little Quarter (Mala Strana).  Several statues adorn the bridge, including one of St. John Nepomuk (who was drowned in the river at the order of King Wenceslaus IV for refusing to divulge the contents of the Queen's confession, a martyr to the sanctity of the confessional) - rubbing his brass relief with your left hand (which I did) is supposed to bring you good luck.  Street vendors lined the bridge as well as some pretty talented street musicians.

We had dinner on the other side of the bridge in Mala Strana at a restaurant called Gitanes.  Not only was it recommended in our guide book (Top 10 Prague), it was also highly recommended by Lisa's Uncle Mick, who is a chef and gave us the great recommendation of the Falcon Hotel in Stratford in 2007.  He and Pam liked it so much, they went back a second time - and I can see why.  The decor was very eclectic but the food was fantastic.  A talented band consisting of a pianist, a violinist, an acoustic guitarist, and and upright bass player provided live music while we dined.  The served rolls, that were really more fried dough, with cream cheese to spread on them.  Delicious, although I am sure terrible for your arteries.  I had a Balkan salad - cheese, cucumber, tomato and green pepper dressed with oil and vinegar (also delicious).  My entree was called Pork Tobasco - an above average piece of pork covered with a tomato sauce that tasted like the sauce my paternal grandmother (maiden name Wiener) used to make for stuffed peppers, only with a little spice to it.  In the sauce were grilled onions as well as green, red, and yellow bell peppers.  It was absolutely delicious.  I washed it down with a Gambrinus, a delightful light (in colour) lager (pilsner) that is apparently the best selling beer in the Czech Republic.

Unfortunately, I don't think Lisa enjoyed her meal much.  Probably from the travel, lack of sleep, and missed meals (we'd been on the go since breakfast), she developed a migraine and subsequent anorexia.  By the time we had finished, I was feeling a bit tired too and we walked back to the hotel.  The Charles Bridge is just as impressive at night, but by then it had started to rain.

We'll call it a night early tonight, but tomorrow night plan to take a free 1 hour walking tour to get an overview and then will take it from there.