We took the train from Vienna into the Czech Republic. It was a long trip exacerbated by the fact that the car reeked of cigarette smoke. Our compartment campanion was a Marine named Eric who had been working security at the American Embassy in Oslo. He was doing one last hoorah before going back to civilian life and attending college in Virginia. He was very friendly and talkative, probably happy to find fellow Americans.
We arrived in the south Prague station (via Breclav) and were quickly met with people trying to offer us rooms. We had already arranged for a place and even a ride through Athos.cz, a nice booking company. I'm glad we had the driver because Old Prague (Staré Město) is very confusing with crazy curvy one-way streets. We were staying at the Pension U Zelenho vénce, a very clean and comfortable place a stone's throw from Staroměstské Náměstí, the Old Town Square. After checking in (the pension keeper was a very kind woman who, upon learning we were from the US, began to speak sympathetically about September 11), we walked along the Vltava (Charles) River. We had a great (and cheap!) dinner at the Restaurant U Plebana, just across for the Betlem Church.
This
is the view across the Charles River toward the Prague castle by night.
And the Charles Bridge by day ... definitely one of my favorite photos:
We spent the next couple of days exploring the city, both the Old Town and Mala Strana, the "Little Quarter" at the foot of the castle. Images from the Old Town Square -- the Astronomical Tower, views of the top of the clock tower, and the Gothic Tyn Church, which was a Hussite church (named after Jan Hus, a Czech religious reformer like Martin Luther but lived a century earlier). I dubbed it the "Evil Church."
We crossed the Karlov Most (Charles Bridge) into Mala Strana, which reminded me of Montmartre with its quiet, windier roads. We walked up to the castle and enjoyed lunch at the Ozivle Drevo; our waiter looked like Pacey Whitter.
Thomas joined us for some sightseeing -- here Prague Castle. If you know the story behind the skull statue, please tell me! There was a plaque about it in Czech and I didn't think the Wackenhut security guard would regale me with the tale.
We took in a lot of shows while in Prague: Carmen in the beautiful Opera house, (near the ugly but heavily guarded building housing Radio Free Europe), a humorous version of Faust at the Black Light Theatre, and a piano concert. It seems that everyone in Prague is either an artist or musician.
Then it was back to München through Plsen (home of the Pilsner and the original Budweiser -- the one that does not taste like water) through the Bohemian Forest and countryside. At the border shop, we dug up all our change and blew it on candy.
We had a great last dinner at the Asam-Schlossl in München.
The End.