Travel from Edinburgh to Prague was very smooth but very early. I arrived in Prague early Monday morning and went straight to the hotel to change and drop my luggage. I knew my room wouldn't be ready but that allowed me time to explore. I knew once my room was ready I would be in for the rest of the day catching up on rest after a busy first week and only a few hours of sleep the night before. In the few hours I had before settling in, however, I had a nice lunch by the river, and a walk along the river and surrounding neighborhoods.
I couldn't wait to get to my room, though. I was afraid I would be disappointed because I was maybe a bit too excited about this hotel but instead I was even more impressed than expected. The room is huge, has more amenities than I could imagine, and the perfect view. It may be a little too good - I've spent more at the hotel than I normally would but that's ok. For me, this part of the trip was for rest moving slowly. After my walk, I moved into my room, had a nice nap, long bath, and went down for a slow dinner. The chef at the hotel is apparently fairly well know. He's either been a guest judge on Master Chef or he will be a judge in an upcoming season. Regardless, the food at both restaurants in the hotel is fabulous. Monday night I had dinner at the nicer of the two restaurants - they even greet you with a glass of champagne at your table!
My Room!
Marinated Salmon and Asparagus
Tuesday I explored Old Town. There are many highlights of Old Town including the Astronomical Clock that keeps up with everything related to time (calendar, moon cycles, astrological signs, etc). On the hour, the clock really puts on a show. A skelton rings a bell, the apostles rotate giving blessings, the tower dings, there's even a rooster that crows. However, the area around the clock is like Mardi Gras in New Orleans - way too many people. In fact, the city in general seems to be over populated with tourists (yes, I know I'm one, but this could be the most tourists I've ever experienced while traveling). In fact, I've ended up not doing many of the things on y list because of the crowds. But that has led to a totally different experience that I really appreciate.
Other highlights in the area are the churches and cathedrals, the colorful buildings, and the curving cobblestone streets. I enjoyed not having an agenda and just wandering. It's fun to see a pretty street and just walking down it instead of trying to get to everything on my list.
I did go into a couple of the churches and cathedrals on my list and found them to be very impressive. These are the types of buildings I have always enjoyed visiting the most when traveling.
After wandering for several hours I went on a two hour cruise on the Vltava River then to Wine O'Clock for dinner. They mostly have Italian wines but there were a few Czech wines for me to explore. The highlight of this place, however, is the food that is prepared in front of you when you order. Fortunately they serve tapas style small plates so I was able to try a few but I'm definitely going back while I'm here!
View from the Cruise
Grilled Halloumi Cheese
And finally, this statue reminds me so much of the one I love in Budapest that I consider to be my favorite piece of art, called Anonymous. I think I'll have to research the two to see if there is any connection. You can see Anonymous at this link: http://www.vajdahunyadcastle.com/attractions-near-vajdahunyad-castle/statue-of-anonymous-varosliget-budapest-kieran-lynam - I love it!
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