Magic Prague
Trip Start
Apr 03, 2012
1
Trip End
Apr 12, 2012
Where I stayed
Two places - Hotel Constans for two nights and then At the Golden Key Hotel for five nights
Prague, Bohemia, Czech Republic
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
So, anyway, before I start telling you about Prague, I do need to tell you that visiting a friend is wonderful because we found ourselves in places that we'd have never gone otherwise. But I realized that I did not pay anywhere near as much attention to where I was when walking with him, sort of like when I'm a passenger in a car. I can get back to anywhere that I've driven, but If I don't drive, forget it. I have no clue where I've been. So, it was like that. I've got lots of pictures, but I'm not always sure where in Prague I was when I took them or what the buildings even are. So, there it is. I'll tell you what I remember and post pictures to go along with my narrative, but at the end, there will be a whole bunch of pictures that might just say "Prague." Please do look at them, though, because they are well worth it just to see.
Oh, yeah, two more things. First, any time the name of a place is mentioned, this blog host program hot links it. Follow the link the first time and get more information on the place. But don't waste your time following links to the same place over and over. There won't be anything new to see. I have included links as well to give you access to more information than I was willing to write in this blog entry. If you choose to follow any of links on the page, the information will open in a new page. Second, if you want to see more detail on any of the pictures in the narrative, click on it, and it will open up slightly larger for you. So, on to Prague...
One of the charms of Prague is that it is a jumble of architecture.
It's so visually rich that it's almost impossible to take it all in. There are Gothic buildings next to Baroque next to Renaissance next to...well, you get the idea. .
And the castle overlooks it all.
And yet it works. It blends to make a unique amalgam of shapes that somehow take on a look of beauty. (Well, maybe with the exception of the ugly TV tower in the distance. Just try to ignore it.)
Prague has personality. Everywhere you look is an opportunity to see something interesting and intricate.
This is not to say that there are not hold-overs from the utilitarian Communist era.There are, such as the line of “soldiers” in St. Nicholas Square that seem to stand guard as stern parking attendants. But even these cold reminders of Communism blend in and work together to create the incredible knockout that Prague is.
Founded in 880, Prague has a rich and varied history. In fact, Prague is alive with history. If you let yourself stop just for a minute, you can feel the past as an almost tangible thing. As we were walking to or from some restaurant, along the nearly deserted cobblestoned side streets of nighttime Mala Strana, Bill and I talked about how we could almost hear the clop clop of a carriage coming up behind us. And when we were standing at the spot of the monument to Plague victims in St. Nicholas Square, just for a moment, I could almost see a cart being driven up the street piled with bodies and hear the call of, “Bring out your dead.” Or less morbidly, catch the strains of Mozart music floating on the air. It is really easy to see how this incredible city came to be called Magic Prague. There is a magical feel to it.
And the weather we experienced just added to it. Apparently the weather in Prague in early April is unpredictable, and in the days before we got there, it was beautiful, like an early spring. But with our arrival came cold, wet weather. To me, this was perfect because gray overcast days lend themselves to a feeling of mystery and magic. Just right for Prague.
But aside from that, I was happy about the weather for another reason. In Greenville, our winter is typically cold and gray. Not so much rain as just overcast. And it usually snows at least once. But this year, we didn't really have winter. There were a few cold, gray days but not that many. It was unseasonably warm, and we got not one flake of snow. To me, each season has its own beauty, even the bare, stark winter, and I really missed having one this year. Or so I thought until we got to Prague. The weather for our time there was exactly what I had missed back home. I was ecstatic. Winter at last! Everyone we met there felt bad that the weather had turned so cold and gray for our visit and spent a good bit of time apologizing for it. But I was truly delighted. I was getting some winter finally, and in a city that just lends itself to that mysterious, almost mystical feeling of gray winter weather.
One day it even snowed! Not for long, and nothing stuck, but it really snowed! I was bouncing around like a little kid. Bill not so much. He really hates snow so it was a good thing that it didn't last very long. But I was truly ecstatic. The thing is, I couldn't ever convince anyone (other than Bill who knows me well) that I was serious. But I was, and if any of you (Jana, Vincent, Viola, and Zach) are reading this, now you know it was really true.
Historical Prague is divided into five areas: Prague Castle, Mala Strana, Old Town, New Town, and the Jewish Quarter. Since Vincent lives in Mala Strana, that is where we stayed. Mala Strana (translated as Lesser Town) lies at the foothill of Prague Castle and is home to a number of embassies, St. Nicholas Cathedral, many quaint shops, almost hideaway restaurants and pubs, museums, and even the ubiquitous Starbucks. The streets are cobbled and the street lights are replicas of the gas lamps of yore. After spending time in Prague and visiting the other areas, I cannot imagine a better place to stay. During the day, it was crowded, but not anywhere near as crowded as Old and New Towns, and at night it was almost deserted, which meant we could walk the streets leisurely and peacefully without having to dodge around people and vendors. It is an absolutely charming part of town. Don't miss it if you ever get to Prague.
Prague Castle is made up of a cathedral, several courtyards, museums, an art gallery, a monastery, and various other buildings and is the largest medieval castle complex in Europe. You can spend time in any of the courtyards for free, but to visit inside, you have to buy a ticket, which we were going to do except when we got there, the line for the tickets was so long that we decided not to. (Easter weekend - what were we thinking?) So, we left that tour for a future trip. I was alright with that. After all, we will go back to Prague. However, the vexing thing is that I thought I took some pictures of the castle and surrounding area while we were there, but apparently, I didn't because I can't find much of anything except the entire castle complex in the distance and lots of pictures of St. Vitus Cathedral.
In the heart of Old Town is Old Town Square. Old Town Square has a lot going on, so much in fact that I could not possibly write about all of it. So, I'll write about what I found most interesting this time and leave the rest for a later visit. Of course, there is the Astronomical Clock. If you don't follow another link on this page, and I'm hoping you will, but if you don't, make a point to follow this one. There is absolutely no way I could explain this intricate clock, and it is well worth understanding how complex it is. It is incredible.
Then there is the Church of Our Lady before Tyn. This magnificent Gothic structure can be seen from all over the place in the skyline. Now, I do have to admit to a bias here. Gothic architecture is my favorite, but even so, I cannot see how anyone could not recognize the powerful image of these two spires.
Then the most randomly coincidental thing happened in this square. When we went over to look at the big painted Easter egg in the middle of a grassy park area, we saw that it was painted on all sides with a different Easter scene. As we were walking around to see the various sides, we noticed a sign explaining who did it. And guess what? It was painted by Croatian self-educated painters and the project to display it in Prague was done with the cooperation of the Croatian National Tourist Board. So, there was a little bit of home in Prague. Can't say that I was expecting that.
Connecting Mala Strana and Old Town is the Charles Bridge, which was built of stone in the 14th century. I had a love/hate relationship with the Charles Bridge. I loved the fact that there was so much to see. Truly there is so much on this bridge that I don't know that it would be possible to ever see it all. Every statue has its own set of intricate carvings to it so that even if you look closely and take your time, you're still going to miss something. And the statues themselves are fascinating and even a little bit ominous. My first question when we went across was, "Who are these figures looming over us like vultures?" Seriously, it feels like they're hovering over you just waiting to pounce. I wish I could have gotten a good picture to capture the feeling but was never able to due to what I hated about the bridge - the crowds. And if it was this crowded in the off season, can you just imagine what it's like in the summer? I don't think I want to. However, here are some of the images I did take, and there were fewer people due to the rain that day.
Then there is New Town. It is amazing to me that a part of town built 600 years ago could be called New Town, but then, the fact that there is so much that is old is one of the things I like about Europe. At any rate, New Town is considered the main business district of Prague, and even though it is as old as it is, it has a distinctly different feel to it than Old Town. In New Town, you will find Wenceslas Square, the National Theater, the National Museum, the State Opera, and the Jerusalem (Jubilee) Synagogue. We did not spend as much time here as in Mala Strana and Old Town, so again, I do not have many pictures. However, I could not pass up the Jerusalem Synagogue. It is magnificent, and these pictures do not really do it justice.
The Jewish Quarter is situated between Old Town Square and the Vitava River. I did not get there on this trip so I cannot write about it. Bill went there, but since he's not writing this blog, that doesn't do much good. It is on the top of my list for next time.
Now I have come to the point in this blog that I will have to change format. For the rest of this entry, I am going to break it into sections. We stayed here too long to do a day-by-day recap like I did in my "Not All Who Wander..." blog.
Marianske namesti (Marianske Square)
Marianske Square is the site of the Town Hall built in 1912. Also in this location are statues of Rabbi Loew and of another statue I've heard referred to as both the Dark Knight and the Iron Man (looks like Darth Vader, doesn't he?). Follow the links for the legends associated with them. The legends are interesting but have too much information to put here. Do check them out, though.
Alchemist Museum
There are many museums in Prague that we want to see, but this time, we chose only one, the Alchemist Museum. Why this one, you might ask? For the very good reason that Vincent was involved in its development, so of course, we had to see it. And c'mon, who could resist going to an alchemist museum in Prague anyway? The museum is located in Kelley's Tower, named for the famous, or infamous,16th century alchemist, Edward Kelley (also spelled Kelly) who, along with mathematician and astrologer John Dee, moved to Prague to further their spiritual and alchemical investigations.
John Lennon Wall
And what would a trip to Prague be without seeing John Lennon's wall? After Lennon's death, Czech youths painted a picture of him along with political graffiti and Beatles lyrics on a wall opposite the French embassy. Despite all the efforts of the then Communist government to whitewash the wall, the young Czechs continued to paint. Today most of the political messages are gone, but Czechs and tourists continue to paint lyrics and peace messages. The day we were there two young boys were carrying on the tradition.
The House at the Minute
Look closely at the painting on this house. A typical Renaissance house, it is covered in sgraffiti, a painting technique in which one color, in this case black, is painted over another color, in this case white, and then the images are scratched out using a palette knife. Aside from the sgraffiti, another interesting fact about this house is that it was Franz Kafka's childhood home.
This next section does not have but three pictures because I didn't think to take pictures of the hotels and restaurants. However, if you follow the links, you will see pictures of them. Next time I'll know that a dearth of pictures makes for a visually boring section of blog.
Hotels
The first hotel we stayed at was the Hotel Constans, which was right down the street from where Vincent lives. We were only able to stay there two nights (Wednesday and Thursday) because it was Easter weekend, and all the rooms had been booked well in advance. (I did mention we were there on Easter weekend, right?) Our room was really a suite with one room with a couch and a TV and a mini bar and the other room with two double beds and a wardrobe and another TV. Truly, they were nice but nothing extra special. The bathroom, however, was fantastic! The other cool thing about this hotel was the key holder by the door. You had to insert it for any of the lights to work. This is a good way to get people to be energy conscious, but it is also a good way to get you remember where there key is and to take it with you when you leave. Very convenient.
We moved to The Hotel Aureus Clavis (At the Golden Key), which was as close to Vincent's house as Hotel Constans on Friday and stayed there through Wednesday morning. We were really lucky to get a room there at all over the weekend so we didn't complain even though the room was in the attic up four flights of steps and a ladder with no elevator. Well, we didn't complain the first day. By the middle of the second day, we were complaining, but we were still glad to have a place to stay. However, when we checked in, the manager told us we would only have to stay in that room for three days and after that, he could move us into a better room on the first floor. As I said, even though we were happy to have the attic room, our enthusiasm for it had grown less every day. Granted, the view was great, but the climb was grueling, and by the end of the three days up there, we had decided that if for some reason, they could not move us to a lower room, we would just go home to Croatia. Fortunately, we did get to move, and was there ever a difference in the room. Never mind it was only one floor up, it was just a great room. It was like moving from a room Cinderella would have had while living with her step mother to The Savoy. Well, maybe that was an exaggeration, but the room was just as nice as the Hotel Constans, and the bathroom was almost as good, albeit smaller. Oh, and did I mention the Aureus Clavis was cheaper? That made it all the better.
Both of the hotels served breakfast as part of the room fee. Both served a combination of hot and cold buffets, which included eggs, some kind of sausage meat, different types of cheeses, different kinds of cold meats, a selection of fresh baked breads, juice, and coffee. The overall food, including the coffee, was better at Hotel Constans, but the Aureus Clavis's food was adequate, and they never ran out of eggs!
Restaurants
One thing about hanging out with people who know a city is that you don't have to guess at what restaurants might be good or not. You get taken to the ones they frequent, which of course, are going to be good. After all, would you take a friend to a bad restaurant in your city? I honestly cannot remember everywhere we ate, but here are the places I do remember with little bit about what we ordered and the atmosphere. If you want full information on any of the places listed, the names are linked to either their home pages or reviews of them by travel sites. Other
than the first and last ones, they are listed in no particular order of attendance.
Cafe' Slavia The very first place we went after arriving in Prague was the Cafe' Slavia where we got coffee and a meat and cheese plate. Bill ordered an espresso, I had a latte with chocolate, and Vincent ordered hot chocolate with absinthe. (I hate to admit to being so dumb, but I never realized absinthe was something a person could drink. I had always thought it was a poison. Live and learn. For anyone else who might not know what it is, here are some absinthe facts.) Anyway, the meat and cheese plate was delicious and had a good variety of both meats and cheeses, and the latte was so good, I had two. While we were talking, there was piano music playing in the background, and at some point, both Bill and I at about the same time realized it was live. So, we were duly impressed with our first culinary outing in Prague. Great coffee, good food, and an absolutely delightful ambiance. Bill and I actually went back there again on our own before we left. The coffee was just as good the second time, but it was during the day, so the atmosphere was not the same. I would definitely recommend going for the nighttime experience.
Maitrea
We also went here twice, but the first time, we didn't eat. We were meeting a friend of Vincent's at a time of day that wasn't meal time, so all we had was something to drink. But the place was the most interestingly designed, beautiful place I'd ever seen, and the menu looked great, so I was all for going back to eat while we were out in Old Town one afternoon. And I am so glad we did because what I got there was without a doubt one of the best things I have ever tasted. I had a dish of warm goat cheese on top of spinach and eggplant covered by cream cheese all on two pieces of foccacia bread. OMG! It was melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. Then to top it all off, desert was a cup of hot chocolate. But I'm not talking typical hot chocolate. I'm talking a cup of melted chocolate served hot that you eat with a spoon. I had only had hot chocolate like this once before, in the hills outside of Naples, Italy. What a treat! One thing to know about Maitrea, though. It is a vegetarian restaurant. If you must have meat with a meal, give it a pass.
Saint Nicholas Cafe/Bar
This was another restaurant we visited two times. The first time was with Vincent and his friend (and our new friend) Jana. For some reason, we were the only people in the place, and it wasn't because the food was bad. We were just lucky, I guess, because the space is so cozy and intimate, it was very cool to have it to ourselves. And have it to ourselves we did until right as we were getting ready to leave. That's when another table full of people came in. People are so funny to me. With the entire restaurant full of empty tables, where do you think the people sat? At the table right next to us, which was so close that once they crowded in, one of them blocked Jana's way in and out. I mean, they didn't know we were getting ready to leave, so why not go for some area with more space and privacy? Beats me. As I said, people are funny. At any rate, Bill and I ordered pizza, and Vincent and Jana both had some sort of pasta dish, and they were all good.
Maly Buddha
A note before I continue: If you open the link for this restaurant, you will see a big title that says Spotted by Locals with a scrolling advertisement. You are not on the wrong page. Just scroll down to see the information about the restaurant. Maly Buddha (Little Buddha) is one of those places that I'm sure that Bill and I never would have gone into on our own, but Vincent had been wanting to go there for a few days, so we stopped in for lunch one day as we were walking back from the castle to where we were staying. Maly Buddha is an interesting little place that if you were not looking for it, you might pass by, but inside is as intriguing as any place we went. Lit by candles and smelling of incense, the atmosphere is comfortable and relaxing. As you can probably figure from the name, Maly Buddha serves Asian cuisine of all types. Bill ordered Shrimp Pho soup, I got Pad Thai, and Vincent had a chicken dish. My Pad Thai was quite good, but it didn't really taste much like the Pad Thai I am used to. Honestly I don't know if this is because it was more authentic that what I've eaten in the States or if it was Thai with a Czech flair. No matter. It was good enough that I would go back and sample something else.
Gitanes
One night as we were walking along trying to decide where to eat, we passed Gitanes, and our friends - this time we were with Vincent, Jana, and two other new friends named Viola and Zach - decided that we might like to try it since it served Serbian food. So in we went only to find that to get in, we had to walk right in the middle of a live band that was playing in the doorway! You have no idea the anxiety this caused me as I watched first one friend and then another negotiate their way around the instruments. I am such a klutz that I could just see myself tripping and knocking right into one of the musicians causing him to fall into one of his bandmates, starting a ripple effect. Fortunately, I was able to get through without causing disaster and devastation, and once my heartbeat slowed down, I could take in the absolutely delightful atmosphere. The review linked to this site describes it as if you are hanging out in your grandmother's old cellar kitchen, and that is exactly what it is like. It was totally comfortable, and everywhere we looked there was something interesting to see. When it came time to order, I honestly don't remember what everyone with us had. I had Cevapcici, which is a spiced meat that I had just learned about in Croatia, and it was good if a bit greasier than what I had had before. Bill and Vincent ordered pasta dishes, which they found "interesting" as Bill described it. Bill said his was good but definitely not what he was expecting to taste from the description on the menu. Vincent's in no way resembled what he ordered. It was pasta with what looked like sauteed ground beef on top of it, and I'm pretty sure what he ordered was supposed to have had a marinara sauce. So, this is what I have to say about Gitanes. Great atmosphere but when ordering, stick to food that is more traditional Serbian rather than Mediterranean.
At the Golden Scissors (I Think)
I did mention that one of the best things about having a friend as a tour guide is that you don't have to spend a lot of time trying to figure out where you are, but the down side to that is that sometimes you don't remember where you were, right? So, I am going to qualify this little piece of blog by saying that Bill and I tried to reconstruct where we went to eat on Kampa Island, and this is where we came up with, but it might not really be the place. At any rate, I don't remember what I had or indeed what Vincent had, but I certainly remember that Bill had a traditional Czech meal, including potato pancakes. These are not traditional "pancakes" like we think of in the States; they are fried potatoes mixed with egg, milk, and seasonings. I tried to find a good recipe to link, but every one I found was a little bit different, so I just picked one. (Potato pancake recipe) I don't know if it's the best one or not, but it will give you an idea of what I'm talking about. At any rate, I'd go back to this place, if indeed it was this place, in a minute to have those pancakes again. I had some in another restaurant later in the visit, but they weren't nearly as good.
Pizza Pasta Cafe'
Don't eat here. It can't say for sure that it was the worst pizza I've ever had, but if not, it was pretty damn close. (By the way, I should mention that I wandered into this place when I was on my own one day. None of our friends recommended it.)
Bonaparte's
I could not find any kind of website for this place, so there's no link, but that's OK because, to me, it was just so-so anyway. Maybe if I had not had a taste of Bill's potato pancake at the Golden Scissors restaurant, I would have had a better impression, but I ordered a traditional Czech plate just to get them, and they were mediocre compared to the others. The rest of the plate was pretty good except that apparently "smoked meat" meant ham, which I don't like, so I ended up giving it to Bill. I guess my overall impression of Bonaparte's was that I'd go there again in a pinch but wouldn't seek it out as a place to eat. In fairness to it, though, I must tell you that Bill really liked what he had and said he'd definitely go back again.
U Sedmi Swabians (At the Seven Cockroaches)
This is the last place we went before leaving Prague the next day. We had tried to go a few days before but could not get in since we did not have a reservation, and it was full. So, we made a reservation for the night before we left. Bill and I were joined by Viola and Zach so we got to spend our last night at an interesting place with new friends. What more could we have asked? Well, maybe that Vincent and Jana could have been there, but they both had other things to do that night. We had a marvelous time anyway. Stepping into this restaurant is like stepping back into Medieval times. It is dark and lit by candles and has the most interesting decorations ever, if you are not squeamish that is. Among the dried herbs and flowers, there were a skeleton, a rat in a cage (stuffed animal rat), and a boar's head mounted on the wall just to mention a few. The food was delicious. Bill and Zach had goulash, Viola had pork medallions, and I had ribs. Despite the name, it was a neat place, well worth the time.
Well, here ends the written portion of our adventure in Prague. However, I took many pictures that just didn't fit into the narrative. I have uploaded them for your enjoyment. One thing to note is that this blog site requires a name be given to the pictures, and I have named them as specifically as I can when I've remembered what they are. So if you see one titled "Building" or "Tower" or some such, it's because I have no clue. I am open to revision, however, so if anyone reading this blog knows more than me about the pictures I took, feel free to post a message, and I will add the correct title to the picture. Otherwise, please view them at your leisure, and thanks for taking the time to read my blog. Oh, one more thing to know. If you click on the pictures, they will come up in a larger view so that you can see them better. Enjoy!
Comments
Wow!!! Love,love it! Reading about it makes me want to visit there even more!
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Thank you, Jane. Prague is well worth the time. I'm definitely going back.