DAY 1: Prague
DAY 1: Prague

Sitting in “Café Broadway” in Prague. It’s 10:10 am and I’m hanging big time. The bar is equipped with comfy red leather couches and other modern furniture. Toward the end of the place is a “dome” that has been there a while. The café is located in one of Prague’s many shopping arcades.

The café is pumping out recent radio hits. Really good material. Seriously. European radio stations rock.

I have a new theory: despite history—and my memories of the contrary, Prague was never sucked up and placed behind the Iron Curtain. The place is just too perfect. From the cobblestone streets to the perfect façades, trendy cafés, etc.

I’m eating a layered cake, called a honey cake and drinking a strong, large coffee.

PRAGUE

My flight was easy and my arrival in Prague was uneventful.

Prague is just how I left it. And pretty damn similar to how people 100 years ago might have. It was sunny, about 30F and the skies were a beautiful cloudless blue.

The taxi was a brand spanking new silver Volkswagen Passat. Luckily, the driver was well versed in only Czech and practiced it on me. He sped toward the city in a fury, just marginally missing pedestrians as he went.

(Sidenote: not advisable to wear your iPod with noise isolating headphones while prancing around Prague’s narrow streets,. I’d do it. But I’m not ready to ‘cash out’ yet. Naw, especially ‘cause Mark would get my place.)


Children looking at the castle and Vlatava river.

Luckily, my hotel, “Pension U Lilie” doesn’t have many takers this time of year. They were able to offer me my room at 9:00 am, which really worked out well. It felt good to be able to get settled in and take a hot shower.

The hotel room is great. A smallish room with a bathroom, mini-bed, couple of shelves and a mini-fridge. Very clean and very central, just near the Charles Bridge. Easy to find, even in a drunken stupor. I tested this theory out last night which I’ll get to in a minute.

I walked a bit then returned to my place and took a two hour nap, which you’re not supposed to do, as it messes up your internal clock. Well, I was tired. I arose and I had a lot more energy and enjoyed things more than if I would have been a tired zombie.

Regenerated, I hoofed the Royal Route, apparently the track that royalty took before they got crowned. It’s a labyrinth of small cobblestone streets.


Prague’s old town square decorated for the holidays.


Drinking a mulled (hot) wine on the town square.


I need to look to see what the name of this building is, and if there is some type of historical significance.

It’s not an easy city to describe, so I’ll offer some photos. The architecture is a hodgepodge of different styles. Maybe I’ll look in my tourist book and write down the different styles and take pictures of each. Or perhaps that would be too boring and too tedious. And perhaps I’m on vacation and shouldn’t think too much.

The historic “old square” was decorated with trees and had some stands set up to pawn off goods, some of which was “hand made,”—from China, for example—for Christmas.

DINNER

For supper, I went to the pizzeria across the street. The place was empty, which was a bad sign. But I wasn’t feeling overly creative. I ordered a delicious half liter of beer, a salad (tomatoes cucumber and green pepper) and a pizza (light cheese, fresh mushrooms, ham, artichokes and a few olives in the middle for good measure.) Delisiouso.

I noticed that people were arriving and going downstairs. Apparently, I was in the bar and not the restaurant. Oh, well. I’m a tourist, I’m allowed to act like a fool. See, there are a lot of nuances and unwritten rules. You have to observe carefully.

Because the beer was so delicious, I felt obliged to drink another half liter.

After woofing down ¾ of the meal, I ordered a Bechorlovka (herbal drink for “chicks”) and since it was so cold out, I ordered another. So, to summarize, I had a 16” individual pizza, a fresh, oversized salad, two beers and two shots. Yep. It was a whopping “260 big ones,” just under $10 USD. Gotta love it.


Wenceles Square

AFTER HOURS

I went to a “friendly” bar called “Friends.” It was located in the basement of an old building. New, modern fixtures, vaulted roof. Inexpensive beer. “Friendly” company. Recipe for success.

Oh, for the record, Budwar Budweiser is the only real remaining Czech beer. I wanted to do a taste test, involving quantity. The only way of being completely sure is to drink a certain quantity of God’s nectar, which he gave to the Czechs.

The owner is from Wales and I talked with him and a couple of other people until around two. It was no problem finding people with whom I talk to in English. Nice people. I enjoyed it.

I don’t know when I left. But suffice it to say I was tired and “felt no pain.”


Prague’s castle and Charles bridge at night.

To get into the Pension after hours, I had to wake up the owner, a pudgy 30s something woman with dyed hair who smiled as I tripped into the threshold. She advised me that breakfast was until 9:00 the following morning. Before going to bed, I incorrectly set the alarm clock for 8:00 am.
- posted by Matt @ 5:12 PM