Czech Republic: Prague again

I love Prague. I am always happy to return to Prague, no matter how many times I've been there, nor how recently I've been there. This visit was less than three months after my last visit, but it was for a reason. My mom was planning to move back to the states before the end of March, so I wanted to take advantage of a long weekend to spend a few days with her while she was still close and living in a city I love.
I got out of school as fast as I could, and caught a 1400 flight. While waiting for my flight in Kyiv I saw one of my students, it was fun to have a personal sendoff. This first flight took me to Frankfurt, where I had a 5 hour layover.

Fortunately, I know someone who lives close to Frankfurt. I arranged to have dinner with my friend Tripp, it was great to have a catch up with a friend from years ago, and kill the layover. we took the train from the airport to the central train station, then found an Indian restaurant nearby. A nice couple of hours.
Since I flew Lufthansa, the service and food were good. I wish they were cheaper, I'd be happy to fly them all the time.
Mom met me at the airport in Prague, and due to the late hour we took a taxi to her flat. We stayed up late chatting as we always do the first night of any visit by me, and I ate one of the yogurts I love so much.

Saturday morning we got up slowly, and went to see Kafka's grave. What we didn't think about ahead of time was the day of the week. Saturday is Shabbat, and Kafka was Jewish, and buried in a Jewish cemetery. Not surprisingly, the cemetery was closed, so we turned around and went back to where we started. Mom bought me a 24 hr transport card, so it didn't matter how many rides we took.
We took the metro and trams up to the back side of castle hill, to see Loreta Monastery.

I'd seen it a couple months previously, but didn't mind seeing it again. Mom hadn't seen it since she lived in Prague a long time ago, and since she would be leaving Prague soon, she was happy to walk through with me. I've realized it is fantastic to visit tourist spots in Prague with Mom, as she usually has a story to tell of a previous experience, or has some history that isn't on the information boards. I paid the photography fee, and retook some of the photos I'd taken two months earlier but hadn't backed up and lost when my phone was stolen in Bucharest.
I loved the treasury the second time around just as much as the first visit.

The chuch was just as Gothic, and felt even more busy. Gothic churches always feel way too busy for me, at least in terms of how I would prefer to worship.
We walked a few hundred meters to a place I'd heard about from fellow travelers, a restaurant called U Zlate Hrusky. In English the name is The Golden Pear. It's a place with traditional Czech food, and has some special pear dishes on the menu. Mom didn't know the place from the name, but as soon as we were seated, she remembered being there before. A looooong time ago. I loved my pear soup.
After leaving the restaurant we passed a church I hadn't seen before, called the Soldiers Church. We didn't go inside, then exterior was rather boring.
We walked all the way down the hill, across the river, to the old city center. I wanted to get a chimney, but as we got to the place that sells them, the queue seemed to go on and on and on. I love chimneys, but I wasn't willing to wait in that line. Neither was Mom.

Instead we walked to a nearby metro station and went back to her flat.
The next day we took a day trip with Mom's friend from childhood and her son. That's in another post, and was a great day. I love the whole country!
Monday morning Mom and I were up early to beat the crowds. I wanted photos of a couple places without other people in the way. We took the metro and tram to malostranska, and the bottom of castle hill. Then we walked to Lennon Wall. I was surprised to notice that the graffiti had already changed, from just a couple months ago.

I took my photos, and we moved on. I don't think Mom had seen this wall before, as it started in the 80s, I think.
We also took photos at another art installation by David Czerny, the Babies.
From the Babies, we walked to Cafe Savoy for breakfast. This was my second recommendation/request for a specific meal with Mom during this trip. I'd enjoyed breakfast so much back during January that I wanted to come again. Good service, good food. Even though I was the one who had been there previously, it was Mom who took a couple photos I hadn't seen before. I copied them.
We walked across the river on a bridge Mom crossed almost daily when she was growing up. I'm sure there is an official name, but in my head I'll probably always think of it as Mom's bridge from now on.

Remembering that back in January Mom and I had tried to do a tour of the Klementinum and it hadn't worked out, we tried again. This time it worked perfectly. We arrived just 15 minutes before a tour was scheduled to start. Yay! Our tour group was small, just 8 people. I think. It might've been less. Anywho. Our guide spoke well, and gave us all the relevant information. The Klementinum was/is a monastery, and was once one of the learning centers of the continent. Mom remembers studying there from time to time, how amazing that must've been.

The astronomy tower still has some of the original tools used in the 1500s (i think?) which was really nifty to see. Hard to believe that scientists were able to do such amazing things, centuries ago, with tools so much simpler than what we have now. The views from the top of the tower were awesome, I realized how many towers and churches there are in Prague, and how big or small they appear totally depends on distance from the eye of the beholder.
I was most impressed with the library, which was incredible. We weren't able to go past the doorway, but WOW. Just as amazing as the library in the Strahov Monastery. I could've stood there for ages.

After the tour we finally got our chimneys. Just as good as I remembered :)
We walked through the old city center area, and made our way to the area near Charles University. I loved seeing the buildings where my mom was a student. We didn't go in the buildings, but it made family history just a little bit more real for me.
Even though we'd just had chimneys, we settled into a cafe (named for Kafka, on Kafka square,) to warm up and relax with coffee and tea. Good service, nice decor. They also served Kosher food, which I thought was nice even though I'm not Jewish.
After the cafe we walked past a couple souvenir stores when Mom decided to enter one of them. Since she knew she was leaving soon, she wanted to find a coffee mug with Prague/Praha written on it somewhere. Even though this sounds like an easy thing to find, it's not as easy to make a decision. There are HEAPS of coffee mugs with pictures of the city, the flag of the country, words in Czech, etc... Any visitor can browse for ages and ages when looking for just the right mug.
Even though I'd seen it before, and Mom had no thoughts about it one way or the other, I convinced her to go see the spinning Kafka head. Definitely a unique piece of art, as are all of Czerny's works.

We went back to Mom's flat, and on the way decided to go to Kafka's grave. This time, we didn't get to see it because of our arrival time. The cemetery had been open all day, but we arrived 15 minutes after it closed.
Actually, that isn't true. The cemetery closes at 1600, but the last admittance is at 1530. We arrived at 1545. Argh. Defeated again!
That night we had dinner in the food court in the mall close to Mom's flat. Simple, easy.
The next morning we got up early and finally saw Kafka's grave. Its the truth, the third time really is the charm!
Sadly, that was the end of my trip. When I got back to Mom's flat, I had enough time to pack up, and Mom took me to the airport. It was harder than ever to leave, knowing that I wouldn't be seeing Mom again for who knows how long.

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.