czech republic: prague

I got really lucky this year when it came to holidays during the school year. We had our 'spring break' at the end of February and beginning of March, (when it was not yet spring,) AND I got to have a short work week the next week. International Women's Day takes place every year on 8 March, this year it was a Thursday. I asked my director ahead of time if we got the Friday off school as well, and as soon as she said yes I booked tickets for another trip. In other words, I got a week off for spring break, then a 4.5 day weekend right afterward. YAY!

My schedule at school this year had Wednesday afternoons off, so I was able to head to the airport at lunchtime in time for a mid afternoon flight. Several hours later I landed in Prague, one of my all time favourite cities. Even though I've never lived in Prague, every time I arrive there it feels like I'm coming home.

My host sent an Uber taxi to pick me up, it didn't take long to get to the home of my host. I met Katarina when I lived in Kyiv, we became good friends during those years. I was thrilled when she moved to Prague with her daughter, I knew I'd come visit. Katarina and I stayed up late talking, catching up about our lives.

The next morning I woke up pretty early, as my body was totally confused about what time it was. (Keep in mind that less than a week earlier I was in Uzbekistan, which is a couple hours ahead of Moscow, and Prague is an hour behind Moscow in winter.)

Before flying Katarina had asked if there were any foods in particular that I wanted, so I told her about my all time favourite yogurt. She hadn't been positive with what she'd bought, and when I first saw it, I wasn't sure either. 

Howeva, when I opened the jar I realized the company had changed its packaging but the yogurt was the same goodness I remembered from before. Best yogurt ever.

That morning I went with Katarina as she dropped her daughter off at school. There was some sort of reception before class started, so I got to meet her teacher and see her classroom. It was nice to see that she fit in well with her classmates, and was doing well academically.

Then Katarina dropped me off in the city center, we arranged a time for me to be home later in the evening. She dropped me off near an area of the city called Mala Strana, which is basically at the bottom of Castle Hill. I walked through the neighborhood, making my way slowly up the hill. I looked in a lot of souvenir shops, looking for a specific keychain, and finally found it.

After the successful keychain shopping miracle, I walked back down the hill, and made my way over to the so called Lennon Wall. It isn't any great shakes, it's just a wall covered in grafitti. The wall became a thing when young Czechs decided to use it as a way to express themselves when the government was still very repressive. The current grafitti is painted over quite regularly, as far as I know there are no rules about it. Visitors love to take heaps of photos, Czechs in general don't think anything of it. (According to Mom, who had never even heard of the wall until I took her to see it during one of my visits.)

I walked across the Charles bridge and through part of the old town area, making my way toward one of David Czerny's works, a man hanging from a pole over a street. It's not immediately obvious, but you can always tell when people spot it for the first time, as they are quite concerned that a real person is hanging on for dear life.

Obviously, I looked into every church I passed along the way, as I always do. Churches in Prague are fancy, glorious, and numerous.

I walked through the old town square, it was crowded as always. I noticed there was scaffolding over the astronomical clock, which must've been a huge disappointment to many visitors. The clock was first installed in 1410, and is the oldest still operating clock in the world. During a previous visit to the city I climbed up the clock tower, the views around the area are lovely.

From there I walked to a mall to see another work by David Czerny, a guy sitting on an upside down horse. It hangs from the ceiling, eye catching to say the least.

I was hungry by that point, and instead of eating real food, I went for one of my favourites: a filled chimney. It's basically dough wrapped around a form and cooked to form a cone of sorts. I have no idea where the name came from. My favourite flavour is called berries, it is whipped cream and berries. So good.

I decided to walk along the river, to another iconic sight of the city: the so called Dancing House. It is actually a couple buildings designed to look as if they are a couple dancing. Very cute.

There is a bridge close to the dancing house, so I crossed the river and started walking home. On the way I stopped by yet another of David Czerny's works: the babies. They are huge, crawling babies with funny looking heads.

My walk took me out the back side of Castle Hill, I don't think I've ever walked that way previously. Then the most embarassing thing ever happened to me. I slipped and fell, ON A BANANA PEEL!!! I thought that only happened in movies, but I was wrong. It's a good thing I can laugh at myself.

I met Katarina and her daughter at a grocery store, where we picked up dinner ingrediants. We walked home through the campus of a technical university, another part of Prague I hadn't seen previously.

The next day was Friday, the daughter had to go to school again. She was up as early as I was, and was happy to spend some time reading while eating breakfast. My breakfast was another double serving of the best yogurt ever.

After dropping the daughter off at school, Katarina dropped me in another part of central Prague, near Cafe Savoy. I first walked up the rest of the short street (it is a dead end,) to a memorial I've seen before. This memorial honours the victimes of Communism and Fascism, using guant human like sculptures. I don't know how to say it other than it is intense.

I walked up the street, toward the more touristy section, to see if my favourite place in the city was open. Unfortunately, it wasn't. Vrtba gardens has amazing views of the whole city, from the middle of the city.

Even though I wasn't terribly hungry, I went back to Cafe Savoy and very much enjoyed another breakfast and tea.

After stuffing myself, I walked back to a bridge and went back to the old town side of the river. I got to the tall tower on one side of Charles Bridge and paid to climb up the stairs. 

The views from the top are great, its fun to watch all the tourists scurry back and forth across the bridge. There is also a small museum up there, with history of the city.

I went back down the stairs and walked through the old town area. I've gotten quite good at moving quickly through crowds, a talent sorely needed in highly touristed cities. I walked all the way to a public transport stop, where I was able to catch a tram that took me to the neighborhood where my mom used to live. I love the neighborhood, I really wish she'd bought her apartment instead of renting. That way I would've been able to stay in the 'family apartment' each time I come to visit the city. Oh well.

I got off the tram and went into a mall, where I used wifi to download podcasts. I also spent time wandering through the grocery store in the basement of the mall. (I can never resist a grocery store, even if I've been there many times previously.)

I took the metro back to the home of my host, where I stayed up way too late (again,) chatting with Katarina. We don't see each other often, but clearly have plenty to say when we do.

The next morning I continued my streak of waking up early, and ate breakfast. Then, just because I could, I went back to sleep. Eventually I got up for real, and got dressed to go for a walk with Katarina and her daughter.

Our walk actually started with a drive, to a parking garage closer to the city center. We made our way out of the parking garage and walked down the street that has the memorial I'd seen the day before, to the victims of communism and fascism.

Since we were in the area, I asked Katarina and her daughter if they'd seen Czerny's babies. It turned out they hadn't, so that's where we went. It was a fun chance for the two of them to have a photo together :)

We also took a look at the yellow penguins (modern art,) lined up along the edge of the river, because I think they're cute.

Then the three of us crossed Charles Bridge. The city/country is slowly cleaning all the statues on the side of the bridge, removing each one as they do so. There is a HUGE difference in how the clean statues look versus the 'dirty' statues look. I wonder how long it will take for the whole project to be finished.

Considering the number of people on that bridge on a Saturday afternoon, I'm pretty proud that all three of us made it off the other side of the bridge, together.

Katarina needed to exchange money, so we went looking for an exchange bureau that used a reasonable exchange rate, and didn't charge a huge commission. I had no idea how hard it would be to find a decent place! Some places charged a commission as high as 25%, others used a rate that was about 60% of the value a US dollar. Crazy.

We found a good exchange desk next to a mall. After getting the money she wanted, we went in the mall, to visit a toy store. Katarina's daughter had fun picking out a toy she had been promised.

We went to eat at a place in the old town that had good food and decent prices. It's been a while since I've had handmade Italian noodles. Yum. Even though I didn't need it, I got a chimney for dessert as we walked back to the car. Before getting in the car we went grocery shopping, who am I to say no to my favourite activity?

The next morning I finally woke up at a reasonable time, just in time for my last day of the trip. I got dressed and packed up, then took advantage of the good weather to go for a walk.

I started by going back through the campus of the technical university, appreciating the architecture. I practically grew up on a university campus, I love seeing how they differ around the world. 

Even though it was a university campus, I also spotted a religious statue on the grounds. Faith is never very far away.

I wound my way through the streets to a newish looking park with a pond in a corner. There was a playground which had some nifty looking jungle gym equipment for kids.

I kept going, walking to the very tippy top of castle hill. I made my way down the hill by using small alleys in between buildings. Some of the stairs were pretty steep, I'm happy I didn't trip over my clumsy feet.

I walked across the Charles bridge for one reason: my last chance to have a chimney. It was worth every step :)

I kept going, through the Jewish Quarter, across another bridge and up to Letna Park, where I took a few minutes to enjoy the view of the city. There is a giant metronome up there, replacing what used to be a statue of Stalin. 

I'd love to have a photo with the metronome, but it is always full of people, so the only way I'll get that is to get up super early during a future visit.

I followed the map on my phone, arriving back home in time to eat dinner, then catch a cab to the airport. It was a fantastic visit to a city I love, with people who mean the world to me. I'll definitely be back.

czech republic: new years eve in prague

I don't know how many times I've been to Prague in the past few years, but I'm always happy to come back. Again and again.

Ken invited me to go to Prague for New Years, along with a bunch of his friends, I said yes. I found a cheap flight arriving the day earlier than everyone else, I was happy to book it. 

I had a day in Kyiv between Georgia and Prague, and at one point I went to school to print out my boarding pass for the Prague flight. I had no desire to be charged to print it at the airport

My flight left Kyiv at 0400, and with a brief stopover in Kosice, arrived in Prague at 0630 or so in the morning, well before sunrise. I hung out in the airport for a couple hours,  doing some online stuff (yay for free airport wifi) and charging my phones. 

I used public transport, the same way Mom and I always got back into the city from the airport: a bus, then the metro. I got to where I'd booked accommodation, and found out if have to wait a couple more hours to check in. 

I kept my pack on (I didn't have anywhere else to put it, but I was dying to give my shoulders a break,) and started walking. I'd booked a place near Flora metro station, so I walked to a sight of wanted to see for a while. 

The grave of Franz Kafka is not near the city center, and I think that's the only reason it doesn't have heaps and heaps of visitors. It does get visitors, but it's a bit of a trek from the old city area.

As the area has several graveyards next to each other, I stepped into two others by mistake while trying to find the right place. Kafka is buried in a Jewish cemetery, and his gravestone is written in Hebrew. The gravestone itself isn't anything unique compared to others, but you notice it because of the flowers and other items sitting in the plot.

I walked back to my hotel, which was more of a room in a flat. I was able to check in early, and relax for a bit, I loved the room. 

I walked to a metro station, and got off at a station very close to troja bridge, definitely not an area frequented by most tourists. I walked across the bridge (which is white, and very modern,) and kept walking, toward my intended destination. 

I walked to troja palace, only to discover that it is closed from November through April. Darn it. I should've paid more attention when looking at travel apps. The palace looks totally different from others in the city, it's a shade of pink, and has extensive landscaped gardens. I walked all the way around, just in case someone had accidentally left open an entry, but I was disappointed. Argh.

I walked back toward the metro, to another building that had caught my eye. It turned out to be the Expo Center, and elements of the architecture are not the same as the rest of the city. There was a temporary ice skating rink set up in the middle of the complex, it looked popular with young families. 

I got back on the metro and went to malostranska, at the bottom of castle hill There are always heaps of tourists pouring out of this station, not so many locals. 

I walked from there to a memorial is wanted to see for a while, but had only just figured out where it was/is located. It's called the memorial to the victims of communism, and is notable in two ways: first, you can't miss the 'people.' Second, the inscription, which talks about the people who were in charge at that time, in less than flattering words. I took photos of both the sign and the sculptures, but no selfies. Why would anyone smile with that topic? 

There is a church near that memorial, I stepped inside. Very, very, baroque. Surprisingly loud, I'm used to more of a loud whisper.

I used maps and apps to find another sight I'd wanted to see for a while: the Lennon Wall. It is just a flat wall, covered in graffiti, which is added to quite regularly. It was first used by students as a way to speak out against the government, without being so noticeable. During this visit there was a man busking, standing against the wall. Guess who's music he was playing? 

On my way back to the old town city center I stopped at a place I'd seen before, the exhibit of Czerny's babies. They are unique, to say the least. 

Back in the old town square, I noticed the marking of a meridian on the ground. I don't know which meridian this is. Writing was in Czech and Latin. 

Since I was in the area, I decided to find and check on the accommodation that had been arranged for everyone coming in the next day. I found it, loved the view, and got in touch with the landlord. 

I found another church I hadn't seen previously, and stepped in. I had just a few minutes, since it was closing time, I made a mental note to return. Despite being big and baroque, it felt warmer and more welcoming. 

I made my way back to Charles bridge, and walked up the hill. I'd seen one of the pasts of the castle a couple years ago, but wanted to see the whole thing this time. I checked prices, thinking I would come back with friends. I also watched the soldiers guarding the palace for a few minutes. Since I already had a photo with one of them, I was happy to watch other tourists take that same photo. 

Further up the hill, kind of behind the castle, I found Loreta Monastery. How did I not know this was here? Especially since it is so close to the castle. It isn't big, and there is an extra camera fee, but I enjoyed walking around. I really liked the treasury, as everything is displayed really well. Lots of gold and sparkle, to say the least. 

At this point I walked back down the hill and back across Charles bridge. (If you do this often enough, you get pretty good at walking quickly, weaving in and out of the hords. I thought about walking all the way back to where I was staying, but I realized I was hungry, so I opted for a tram. I grabbed dinner from the food court in the mall nearby. 

The next morning I checked out, which just involved me leaving the key on my bed and walking out of the building. I walked back toward the old town, on streets I hadn't walked previously. There is always a new street to walk, always. 

I remembered another sight from my last visit with mom that I wanted to see again. It was another of Czerny's work: Kafka's head. Spinning, random. It's nice to watch for a few minutes. The weather was great, so I stayed longer just because I could. 

Even though it was nowhere near time for checking, I was able to drop my bag at the group accommodation location. My shoulders felt soooo light afterward. I found lunch (yes, I got moving a lot later than I'd wanted in the morning,) at a tiny place nearby. Typical fried Czech food, including fried cheese. 

After that I got myself another chimney, one of those 'snacks' I don't need. It tastes like a cinnamon roll, but is shaped differently, and has fillings. YUM! 

I walked for hours, enjoying the weather, enjoying the atmosphere, watching people. Prague is an amazing city. 

Everyone arrived, they all got settled. Ken and I decided to go for Indian food for dinner, YUM.

The next morning ken and I wanted to go to the KGB museum, but found out it was closed until January 6. Darn it. Why close a place of interest during a time of year when you would have more than normal visitor numbers? We found it somewhat ironic that this museum is located right by the U.S. Embassy. 

We continued up castle hill, and I stood in the queue for tickets. It was longer than I expected, but it moved quickly. Unfortunately we had another queue to get into St Vitus' cathedral. The entrance is stunning, but not easy to take a photo, as you can't step back very far. This queue didn't move so fast, and we were in the shade. Chilly. 

It was cold inside the cathedral as well, and you're dealing with heaps of people, but it is still impressive. Stained glass windows everywhere. History everywhere. Faith everywhere. I wish it was possible to be there when it's empty and quiet. 

The next sight on our tickets was the Old Palace. I was really disappointed, as you only get to see a few rooms, and very little furniture. You're not supposed to take photos, but I saw a lot of cameras and phones clicking away. I took one myself, in the throne room I think. 

Then we walked to St. George's church. It is a lot smaller, and this was my first time inside. There are no stained glass windows in this one, it isn't nearly as light inside. Well, there is light but it isn't natural light. You end up in a queue to see what is left of frescoes in the front, near the altar. It's okay I suppose. You also get to peek into the crypt, which isn't big, nor ornate. 

Our tickets also included the Golden Lane, another area I hadn't seen previously. For me, it was another disappointment. It's supposed to be cute and all, and it is, but I didn't really see history like I wanted to see. The houses and buildings are quite small, but now they are just filled with tourist shops.

There are a few jewelers, which is how it got its name, but it just wasn't what I thought. Nevertheless, I took a couple photos of Ken next to a door or two, because he is tall and the doors are not. That was the best part of the Golden Lane for me. I won't go there again.

We walked back down the hill, and crossed another bridge. We Braves the crowds enough so that I could get another chimney as a snack. Did I need it? No. Did I want it? YES! Then we had lunch at a random cafe on the old city square. The lobster soup actually tastes like lobster. 

We went back to the group flat to relax for a few hours before getting ready for the evening. The last two members of our group arrived, as they hadn't been able to get the extra day off, like everyone else.

In addition to the group staying in this flat, as the evening wore on more and more people came to hang out for a while. I had no idea so many people had come from Naples. It was fun to get ready with friends, new and old. 

Then we all went out for New Years Eve. I can't remember the last time I've done that. And this was a real night out! Tickets bought ahead of time and everything. The price included entry to the club, a glass of champagne, (which I didn't drink of course,) a buffet meal (the salmon was surprisingly good, and time on the dance floor. The dance floor was upstairs, and led to a balcony overlooking Wenceslas Square. 

I have to admit, it was pretty awesome. We could see fireworks going off the whole evening, especially at countdown time. Plus it started snowing at some point, which just made the whole thing awesome.

Not surprisingly, (at least not to me,) I was awake before everyone else the next morning. After playing on my phone for a while, I went out for a walk around 0830. We were staying close to the old city square, so I got to see that completely empty, with some of the remnants from the night before. And the snow, or at least what little had built up and was still there. 

Somehow, the shimmery place was open, so I had another. In case you're counting, that is three in three days. I don't know if it was officially open, but they were willing to make me one :)

As the square was empty, so was the bridge. Well, almost. And almost was good enough for me. Too bad it was a hazy gray sky, not blue or stunning like you see in the postcards and photos. 

There was no one else at the Lennon wall, and no one else by Czerny's babies. I love early mornings! 

I made my way back to the bridge by the Rudolfinium, and crossed back over to the old city side. I made my way to the old city square, using streets I'd never walked before. Since this is Prague, of course I passed a church or two along the way, both of themhad services going on. I had no idea this happens, but apparently mid morning on New Years Day is a normal time for a church service. 

When I got back to the flat, everyone was awake. Some people were feeling better than others, of course ;)

Some folks had already gone out, including Megan and Ken. I went to find them, getting all the way to the far end of Wenceslas Square before figuring out where they were. I sat with them in a restaurant for a little while before leaving. 

I met my mom back in the old city square, we chose one of the nearby cafes at which to have lunch. I have to admit it was a bit strange to be staying in Prague, but not at moms flat. She and I had a nice lunch, catching up and enjoying each other's company. Ken came by for a little while, since he's met her 8 months earlier. 

Mom and I walked toward the Klementinum, as I was interested in taking a tour. When we got to the cashier, we found out the next tour didn't leave for another hour or so, and neither one of us wanted to wait. You're not allowed to wander through by yourself, darn it. 

On the way back to the old city square I convinced mom to have a chimney with me. We tried the apple strudel chimney, it wasn't nearly as good as the berry version. I won't make that mistake again. 

Mom and I walked for a while, then I walked her to a metro station so she could go back to her flat. A little while after I got back to the group flat, the group went to a nearby Thai place for dinner. Yum.

The next morning I was up early again, it's just normal for me. Megan and Will were up early as well, as will was hoping to catch a bus to Dresden. Megan and I walked back through the old city square to Charles Bridge, which was mostly deserted. It was quiet again, my favorite type of atmosphere. 

We crossed the bridge, and I took her tithe Lennon Wall and Czerny's babies. Good fun. Megan is a good amateur photographer, so I asked for a few photos :)

Using texting, we had made plans to meet ken and scott for breakfast at Cafe Savoy. I'd never heard of the place, probably because I don't make a point of going out to eat in Prague. It is a French, somewhat fancy, breakfast kind of place. 

Megan and I arrived first, and asked for a table. The hostess was quite rude and made no effort to accommodate us. She told us the four of us would have to sit separately, at tables across the room from each other.

Fortunately, someone else (another employee,) walked by the hostess and suggested moving two tables together in another area, and the problem was solved. Breakfast was good, and the service was good. (Except for the hostess, of course.) The menu had heaps of choices for tea, even listing which garden where they'd been grown. 

After eating we walked to the nearby victims of communism monument, and took a moment to ponder. 

Next, we walked to another bridge over the river, another one is never crossed before. I don't know why. It took us to the front of the national theater. I really wish I could go inside when there is no performance taking place. 

We followed that street back toward our flat, it was a new street for me. We stopped once, to go into the supermarket that has my favourite yogurt. Heaven. Our next stop was Palladium Mall, where we met up with will. His trip to Dresden had not worked out, so he was keen to find something else to do. 

There was mention of going on a tour of communist Prague, but I had no interest. Given my family history, I don't (currently) have any interest in a tour for such things. I will ask mom or dad if I want to know more. Instead of the tour, ken and I went to Hooters, megan joined us after a bit. 

After a while, we went back to the flat and cleaned the flat a bit. Ken went with some members of the group to an Rscape Room. I don't know why, but I had no interest, so I stayed at the flat. 

At some point I left the flat with Jon and Jackie, we made our way through the old city square to the river. We walked along the river for a while, then turned left, going up the hill at the Dnving House, into the Prague 2 section of town. Eventually we got to our destination, a hotel. 

Not just any hotel, this hotel had a beer spa!!!!! A BEER SPA!!!! After waiting a bit for the group before us to leave, we got into swimwear, and the lady gave us instructions.

There were three wooden runs, in which there was water and hops. (I think it was hops, maybe it was something else? Under the tubs were kegs of beer, you get to drink as much as you want while you are in the tub. I told ken, will, Jon, megan, and Jackie that I was counting on them to drink for me.

We added a lot of hot water and soaked for 40 minutes. It felt good.

The next room had heated tables, and massage chairs. A bit of heaven, we would all have liked to stay several hours more. After it was over, we showered, changed, and took über cars back to the group flat. 

The next morning, most of us were up very early to catch uber cars to the airport for a flight to Naples. 

Another fantastic visit in Prague. 

czech republic: prague in the fall

I don't think you can ever spend enough time in Prague, it's an amazing city. I had a long weekend near the end of October, so I took the chance to spend time with my mom, and see more of the city. 

My flight landed at the airport, and mom was waiting for me there, as she always is. Public transport got us back to her flat, we stayed up talking for a few hours, as we always do. 

The next day we went on a day long road trip with mom's friend and the friend's son. After we came back, we had dinner at the food court in a nearby mall. The food court had a good variety of food at reasonable prices :)

Sunday morning I woke up at what I thought was 0530. When I used the computer to check email and the like, I was reminded that Europe had 'fallen back' the night before. The clocks were back on standard time for the winter season. In other words, I'd woken up at 0430, not 0530. 

I used the computer for a couple hours, (and ate a breakfast of my all time favorite yogurt - found only in Czech Republic) and left the flat just after daylight, near 0730. 

Not surprisingly, there weren't a lot of people or cars out at that hour on a Sunday morning. It was quiet, I loved it. If only I could get myself out of bed that early every time I travel, I could see so much more without other tourists in the way. 

I walked to Wenceslas square, which was mostly empty. I liked the emptiness, I could see the tile on the ground, I've never noticed the patterns before.

While walking the length of the square (more like a long rectangle,) I saw the inside of a gallery, with a beautiful ceiling. By gallery I mean building with shops, not a place where art is displayed. So pretty. 

I walked to the old town center by way of the gunpowder tower. One of these days I want to go up the tower, just because. There are a bunch of towers in Prague, offering various views of the city, it would be fun to see them all, but not in the same visit; that would be way too many tower climbs in a short time. The views are great, but not super different each time.
The streets were still mostly deserted :) I reckon during summer days there are more people around at that hour, but probably still not too many. It's so nice to walk around a beautiful city when it is just waking up. 

The lack of tourists was awesome when I got to the old city square. Much more fun to walk around when you're not avoiding tourists at every turn. Much more fun to take photos without tourists as well :)

I was able to see the astronomical clock without heaps of people, yay! There were a few tourists (most using selfie sticks) but it was still easy to take photos without them. 

I made my way through the streets to get to the Charles bridge, which was still mostly empty. Yay! I did see a couple having engagement photos taken, fun to watch for a while. Are all those photos so posed/fake? A few times they had to wait for others to get out of the shot to get the photo they wanted, their faces told me they were annoyed. I was thinking: hey, you've chosen one of the busiest places in the city, you can't expect everyone to pay attention to you.

Anywho. 

I crossed the bridge, and wandered around the area around the other end of the bridge. Then I came back. I really like walking the Charles bridge when it isn't so crowded. I imagine everyone says that. 

I walked along the river, all the way to the so called Dancing House. That was the intersection where I turned left and walked up the hill. Eventually, I got back to mom's flat. 

A few minutes later Mom's best friend from childhood arrived. (She was on the day trip with us yesterday.) After discussing who was on time and who was late, and what time it was (time change the night before,) we left the flat and started walking. 

This was a week after my birthday, and Mom had decided to take me to a nice birthday lunch. Awesome! Mom had made reservations a week before at a place she'd told me about, but I'd never seen.

The TV tower is semi close to Mom's flat, we were able to walk there easily. On one level of the tower is a restaurant, with fantastic views of the entire city. We had a lovely meal, I'd happily go back. Mom's friend had brought binoculars, we were able to see the city in great detail. 

There is also an observation level in the TV tower, which is where we went after eating. Good fun, good views. Too bad the weather was crappy. Even so, I'd happily go back. During our time in the observation deck, or during lunch, we noticed a small cemetery nearby. If we hadn't had that view (the ability to look down over an area in which there aren't other towers or ways of looking down,) I never would've seen this cemetery. 

After our meal, we decided to check out the cemetery. It turned out to be an old Jewish cemetery, which is no longer in use, but is still watched. I couldn't find it listed anywhere, but there is a sign at the entrance, caps for men to wear when they visit, and an attendant to answer questions. I thought it was beautiful. 

From the cemetery, we took public transport to the city center. Mom wanted to show me another piece of art by David Cerny. This one is Kafka's head. The head is quite large, and made of quite a few 'layers,' each of which is controlled by a computer.  The layers move differently, and allegedly never the same way twice in a row. It's fun to see the 'face' move and change. 

By that point, it was getting dark. We ducked into a nearby bookstore so I could get slightly cheaper postcards, (again pointing out that when you buy postcards in the quantity I do, every price cut makes a difference,) then took public transport back home. Dinner and dessert were at a place near Mom's flat. 

The next morning I was up early again. It's such a habit, and I don't really see a need to change it. I got going around the same time, this time heading straight for the river. I followed the river a ways until going back uphill a little, to find the entrance to an area called Vysehrad.

Way back when, Vysehrad used to be a fortress protecting this entire part of the country. Parts of it still remain, and are pretty easy to visit. I'd never heard of this area before, it was listed in Mom's guidebook to the city, and I was thrilled to find something new to see.
I entered through a big gate that had been made through the walls of the fortress. There was a ticket office, but I couldn't figure out what tickets they were selling, so I skipped the office. As soon as I was completely in the area, I saw all the trees in their autumn glory. Absolutely beautiful, bright yellow. I saw a small church just a little up the road, but it wasn't open.

I followed the road a bit, and eventually came to the entrance to the cemetery. This cemetery is crowded, and according to the signs/guidebooks/info places, full of famous people in Czech/Prague history. It was definitely crowded, with a lot of variety in the grave markers. Most of them were fairly large and ornate, but not all of them. Along the edge of the graveyard was a hall of sorts, with monuments set into the wall. I haven't seen that in a graveyard before, it was unique for me.
Also in the Vysehrad area is a big cathedral. St Peter and Paul. You have to pay to enter, which isn't common in Prague. The lady taking money wasn't thrilled with people trying to peek in through the windows, so they could see the church without paying, she kept telling them to stop. I paid the fee, though I'm still not sure it was worth it. The interior of the church was painted, but the lighting was terrible, so I couldn't see it well, let alone take decent photos.

I really liked the front doors to the church, especially the mosaics above the doors. Really pretty. The treasury area inside was also pretty fantastic. It still amazes me how much money and power used to be concentrated in the Church.
Next to the church was a park area. There were a few statues, and a few trees, but nothing else. A great area for wandering and relaxing. This park was bordered by the walls of the fortress on two sides, and both of those walls offered great views. These views were views of the city I hadn't seen before, and not usually seen on postcards or photos of the city.
Eventually I wandered back down the hill, and made my way back to the old town square, walking along the river. When I got there, I watched the 'parade' that happens when the top of the hour rolls around at the astronomical clock. After watching, I paid to go up the tower. As many times as I've been lucky enough to get to visit Prague, I've never gone up the tower.

There are a couple ways to get to the top, taking stairs and ramps, or an elevator that looks (to me) a bit like a space rocket. I chose the stairs and ramps, and I'm glad I did. As you wind your way up the ramps there are posters on the wall with information on the history of the city and clock. I didn't read all the posters, but I did read a few, especially those related to the more modern history of the clock.
When I got to the top I had to wait a minute to get out, as the entry/exit is a door that lets just one person through at a time. The viewing area at the top is not wide, I would say it's wide enough to fit 1.5 people, so there are constant backups of people. Heaps of the people up there are taking selfies, and everyone up there is taking photos. I skipped the selfies, but took heaps of photos. It was fun to see the old town roofs, and all the towers from churches and everything else around the city. Up close they look big, but not so much when far away.

Then I walked home.
The next morning was my last morning in the city. I hung out with mom for a while, then went for one last walk. Not too far from Mom's place is a national monument, complete with a statue of a guy on a horse.
To get there, I walked down a hill, then took stairs up another hill. It was a long staircase, and straight up, so I was huffing and puffing when I got to the top. This particular hill is very wooded, so I got to see another display of beautiful fall trees.
Zyzka was an important figure in Czech history, before it was Czech history. He was a general in the 14th and 15th centuries. The statue of him on top of the national monument is the 3rd largest in the world, according to wikipedia. It's big, I know that much. There is a museum up there as well, which includes the tomb of the unknown soldier, but I didn't think I had enough time to see the museum.

Plus, it was a Monday, so I'm not sure it was open. The monument used to hold the embalmed body of the first Czech president, during the communist years, He isn't there any longer, as no one thinks too much of him. (Apparently communists all over the world like to embalm the bodies of their leaders,)
As I stood up there, I looked over the other side of the hill and saw a big church nearby. I didn't know anything about the church, but I figured I would take a quick look. I wound my way down that side of the hill and got to the church. It was big, and empty of people, yahoo. The interior was beautiful, I'm glad I got to see it.

At that point I was worried about time, (though it turned out I had plenty,) so I made my way back home. Not too long after, Mom took me to the airport and I went back to Kyiv. 
Another great visit to a great city!