Prague is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. A quick walk into the Old Town feels much like a walk into the past. The architecture was the first thing that called my attention. Being in countryside Czech Republic for two weeks, I thought I had already become familiar with the so-called Czech atmosphere, but Prague is very different from the small Bohemian town of Ceske Budejovice. I found a cheap but surprisingly comfortable room at the Florenc 41 hostel, about twenty minutes from the city center. The area was a bit sketchy and rundown, which in a strange way added even more charm to the experience. It was my last weekend in Eastern Europe that summer, so I had to get busy. I headed over to the Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square to meet up with some EGGers. Although US dollars were still strong and powerful in Budweis, the same couldn’t be said in Prague. Things cost much more, especially in the Old Town. We later found out that the most expensive ham in the whole country is sold right there, across from the Clock. Supposedly it’s really good ham. Considering that Czech cuisine has an extensive variety of pork dishes, that doesn’t come as a surprise. Our group wanted to have a fun evening without spending too much, so we walked a few blocks east to Pivovarsky Klub, a local pub/microbrewery with six draft beers and many different bottles from all over the world. The rich smell of roast pork is a plus. We very much enjoyed this joint. Ice cold beer served in large mugs fueled our conversation.
Prague, like most cities in Europe, has a few free walking tours. On Sunday, we met up again at the Old Town Square for the 11am session, which was very inspiring. The tour took about two very informative hours, during which we got to see the Jewish Quarter, New Town and the famous Charles Bridge (among other sights). We didn’t make it as far as the Prague Castle, unfortunately, but I’ll be sure to stop by next time. We had lunch in an underground bar/restaurant (can’t remember what it was called), with surprisingly good pizza, and an atmosphere that my claustrophobic-self was still able to bear. It seems that cold Czech beer helps me overcome some of my fears.
Mark, Teresa and I met again later that in the evening for some Goulash (and more beer), and a nice walk on the all lit up Charles Bridge and around the Old Town. On the way back, Teresa and I set up my visit to Barcelona later that week. I dropped her off and then found out that getting lost in Prague is not as hard as I thought. It may have to do with the fact that the maps don’t show some of the newer roads, or where the old ones end. Trying to find inexistent shortcuts caused me to roam around for an hour before “safely” getting back to the hostel. No real surprise there. It got to the point where I was surprised when I didn’t get lost.
