Prague from atop the Castle
While the Hungarians recognized the day of the 1848 revolution on Monday, March 15, Jamie, me, and 4 other teaches decided to take advantage of a 3-day weekend and head to Prague/Praga/Praha.
1st Graders commemorating the 1848 revolution
Prague is a fairy tale of a place, and easy enough to get to that it fit perfectly for a weekend trip. We all found different means to get there, whether it be plane, train, or Student Bus Agency, but we all managed to meet up for some good times.
Jamie, me, and another teacher (we’ll call her “Eleanor”) took the bus from Budapest (or Gyor) to Prague. It was a seven-hour ride that included Mr. and Mrs. Smith with Czech subtitles, Ocean’s Thirteen with English subtitles, and a movie called Lonesome Jim, starring Casey Affleck and Liv Tyler. It was strange, but I have to say I enjoyed it.
When we arrived in Prague, it was 11:30 at night. We booked an apartment near the Old Town Square, famous for it’s astronomical tower. It was a good location for a great walking city. After walking around for half an hour, we found the apartment, and met Jeremy inside. Let’s breakdown the weekend, but for those who are not interested in that, let me first give some general thoughts on Prague.
For me, Prague was a great weekend trip. You could easily see most of the sights in a single weekend, most of which by foot. Like Bratislava, I felt like Prague was right out of a fairy tale, with his cobblestone streets and old buildings. The prices were pretty similar to Budapest, which is nice coming from America or Western Europe, but not the price break I had imagined coming from Hungary. Regardless, it is still very affordable. It’s also a clean city, English-friendly, and has plenty of delicious beer.
Thirst Quenching Czech Beer
Anyone who has the chance to should definitely see Prague at least once. Now, onto our itinerary for the weekend, which is more than you care to know!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
- Enjoyed a bagel (yes, a bagel) at an ex-pat favorite called Bohemia Bagel
- Watched the coolest show ever at the Astronomical Tower (see video)
- Walked around the castle, and saw a really big church
- Enjoyed delicious Thai food
- Walked across the Charles Bridge, famous for tourists and knick knacks
- Admired but did not purchase Absinthe or Cannabis Vodka. Big mistake.
- Walked, and walked, and walked
- Drank a beer sampler at a microbrewery. Beers sampled included: wheat, dark, coffee, banana, nettle, marzen, and a light beer
- Ate dinner in a 12th Century cellar
- Guzzled Czech beer as well as the Palinka cousin known as Slivovice
- Ended the evening with some of my wonderful hypnosis skills. No comment on the parties involved, but this included swimming on the ground and snakes in one’s pants
I forgot to rotate the video, but it’s probably more exciting watching it sideways anyway!
Jamie tried, but couldn't get the guy to crack a smile!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
- So impressed by the bagels, that we went back to Bohemia Bagel
- Toured the Jewish District of Prague. Saw five synagogues, a Jewish cemetery with bodies layered on top of one another, and even the home of the Golem
- Ate lunch at a big lunch hall called Lokal. Excellent bread dumplings and meat, along with beer to wash it all down
- Followed our tour guide, Betsy, until our feet fell off as we searched for cheap beer. By the time we went to the bar (post-dinner), beer was sold out. Instead, we enjoyed a lightning and thunder and snowstorm show
Monday, March 15, 2010
Seeing as this was the last day in Prague, we thought we’d try and see something awesome! We headed to some old church and cemetery that was very cool. The gravestones were quite intricate, making the experience all the more memorable. Jamie and I were having so much fun that we tried to switch our bus to a night bus, but we were out of luck. We did, however, enjoy an amazing milkshake before heading home.
Another view of Prague
It was great to get away from Budapest for the weekend, and now Jamie and I are preparing for our next adventure, Venice, Italy!
