Tuesday 2nd December

Prague Round 2

Can’t say sleep has been plentiful and it’s best illustrated than by the bags under my eyes.

The eyes were working early when I did a weather check out back door of the hotel and realised we were only 50 metre from the Charles bridge- so pretty happy with hotel selection from afar. On top of that the hotel staff have been remarkably friendly and helpful.

Tried to be circumspect at  breakfast and may have got a B minus for effort.

Today was all about tours starting with a self guided one where we walked past the house of Einstein ( thinking he might only have popped in for wine and strudel but it makes a good story.)

Around the corner was a mark of respect Czech style to Sigmund Freud with him hanging from a lamp post- funny sense of humour over here.

Being early we passed several groups of school kids all rugged up and daisy chained to a teacher  as they entered the local school.

Headed down to the Clementine to book tickets to see the astronomical tower and Baroque library. A queue of about 300 people suggested we should return later and book tickets for tomorrow, not knowing the line would be the same until all tickets were sold.

We wandered along the riverside to the Jewish Quarter and decided on a tour. It was an emotional few hours walking back through history and seeing the mistreatment they endured under the various regimes.

The graveyard with tombstone from 1400 to 1700 were strewn rather than neatly placed through the cemetery, but it didn’t take away the sombre atmosphere.

Inside the Pinkas Synagogue Memorial it was a much more confronting and emotional experience with wall after wall of the names and lifespans of the hundreds of thousand killed in the two World Wars and various occupations. Pictures drawn by kids in interment camps was a bit of a reminder that many of them and their Mum’s never escaped.

It was a tour like those in the theatres of war in Gallipoli and Northetn France that ram home the futility of war.

Took a break for coffee and then visited the New Town and what is dubbed the Richest Street in Prague. The designer shops and cars parked nearby certainly cemented that fact. In one 200 metre stretch we counted

1 Rolls Royce

2 Bentleys

10 Mercedes

3 BMW

2 Audi’s 

1 unknown vehicle straight from the war front.

The majority of cars here bear the Skoda brand suggesting locals support the manufacturers over here.

Headed for the next tour we worked our way along the riverside,  getting to see some interesting sites on land and on the Vltava River.

Some more weird statues, including one paying homage to those in the IT world and another a very sizeable cat. Those looking to learn to drive a bike or scooter were well catered for with a sign laden “learners pad”. 

The river was abuzz with boats doing river cruises with most boats unsurprisingly full of tourists. Moored was a Boatel that had seen better days with an army of contractors trying to restore it to it more glamorous past.

After burning a bit of time before our walking food tour,  we were beckoned aboard a floating brewery to start the tour with some beer, wine and local cheeses.

There was 12 on the tour mostly from UK and USA. Tour leader was supposedly a Polish Professor who was teaching in Prague and using guiding as a side hustle. It took little time for him to talk about poorly paid guides and the generosity of tourists.

Soon transitioned from floating to walking and were tasting the delights of Prague as we meandered across town.

Gingerbread was first on the agenda where we indulged and then rationed up with some goodies plus a bottle of eggnog. Being big on bread it was inevitable the next stop was to sample an open sandwich washed down with mulled wine.

We managed to waddle over to Wenceslaus  Square, which is actually a rectangle , the sight of many marches and protests during the Cold War. It’s currently under renovation but you can still close your eyes and imagine what is was like in those days. It is the site of a Cold War bunker beneath the Yalta Hotel which we will visit tomorrow. In line with the war theme it was ironic to see a Tiger Moth fighter with butterfly wings suspended from the side of a building as we wandered about. Shame I deleted the picture and had to substitute it with a weird sculpture depicting life and death.

The last port of call was the fabulous Cafe de Paris which simply reeked with history with it dark wooden furniture, ornate lamps and tie wearing wait staff. The wine and strudel were great but the classical slow cooked beef and potato dumplings in a vegetable puree got the thumbs down from most – filling was probably the most apt description.

The whole guide tipping process has gone from a thanks and small note to a bloke recommending an amount and having tap and go facilities if you had no cash. 

Headed off home? No way there are more markets to see, this time the biggest local one which was a 30 minute uphill walk in the dark. The walk was warranted with a great atmosphere as mostly locals drank and ate their hearts out. and plenty of opportunities presented themselves for Jane to sate her Xmas tree decoration penchant.

The cold drove us home, with a walk  back through the major market only 5 minutes from home. Ran into Santa, his Angel and a Devil. Myth has it that good kids get a visit from the Angel with gifts and I don’t have to explain what the naughty ones get.

Soon home sitting on the side of the bed saying ‘sipping cold eggnog ain’t that bad at all’.

There ended another great day in Prague.