Day 2
The plan for today was to tour Prague Castle in the morning and then have a free afternoon to explore the city.
Prague Castle
This morning, as the group gathered in the hotel lobby, we met our local guide, Honza! Honza was incredibly knowledgeable and did a great job engaging with the group during his talks. I never felt bored or overwhelmed when Honza was talking, which is not an easy feat when presenting so much information!
After the morning's buddy check, we were off to Prague Castle. I was quite happy that the tour took the tram uphill to Prague Castle because my legs were tired from climbing 200-plus steep steps on Saturday and the clock tower on Sunday!
When we arrived at the tram platform, Andrea handed out transportation passes while Honza explained to the group how to validate the tickets.
A good lesson learned that morning is that in Prague and also Budapest, one can be charged a very steep fine if caught with an unvalidated ticket, so always remember to validate, and not lose, your transportation pass!
The first stop in Prague Castle was the impressive St. Vitus Cathedral. This was my first time experiencing a European cathedral, and I was awe-struck. The sheer size of the structure, the ornate architectural features, the colorful stained glass windows, the large church organ, and the detailed murals had me in complete awe as I walked around the magnificent cathedral. This site and St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest tied for first place on my list of favorite places visited on the trip.
I will admit that while Honza was doing a great job explaining the history of the cathedral and pointing to key features, my mind sometimes wandered off cause I was in a state of amazement. The 40 to 45 minutes we spent at this site went by too quickly!!
Images: The stained glass window (right) was designed by Czech artist Alphonse Mucha. On the bottom right, is the St. Wenceslas Chapel.
The next two sites we visited in Prague Castle were the Old Royal Palace (pictures to the left and right) and St. George’s Basilica (pictures at the bottom). These sites are smaller and have less to view when compared to St. Vitus Cathedral, so we did not spend much time in these places.
My favorite item in the Old Royal Place was the green tiled stove/fireplace, and at St. George's Basilica, I loved the interior facade and frescoes. The basilica actually reminded me of the Coptic churches I visited in Egypt.
When we arrived at Golden Lane, the group was given some free time to explore the homes and shops that line the narrow street. This site was a bit difficult to navigate because it was really crowded that morning, making it a challenge to enter the homes and stores to view the displays. Nevertheless, it was interesting to see how people lived and worked in yesteryears. (This was the most crowded site I experienced on my trip.)
The group's meet-up point was in a courtyard that housed a café selling these beautiful desserts. I didn't buy one but they were definitely picture-worthy!
Our tour of Prague Castle ended with a quick walk through the South Gardens. The gardens had areas that overlooked the city, and one could catch a glimpse of the Church of Our Lady Tyn (Old Town Square) in the distance. We ended our walk in Hradčany Square and were able to catch the start of the Changing of the Guards ceremony. (Check out my video of the ceremony on the Pre-Tour page.)
It was here that Honza said farewell, and the group parted ways for the day. My tourmate Allison and I were quite hungry at this point and in need of some peace after the craziness in Golden Lane, so I suggested lunch at Maitrea. This is the restaurant where I had eaten lunch yesterday and Allison was interested in trying the avocado salad.
Lunch Break
We decided to walk instead of taking the tram, which is a good thing because, along the way, we came across this very interesting door.
Per the commemorative plaque: ...door reflects a symbolic dialogue between John Amos Comenius (1592-1670, Czech Humanist, Pedagogue, and Philosopher) and Dediderius Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466 - 1536, Dutch Renaissance Humanist and Catholic Theologian).... (forged in 2007/8).
Prague is a treasure trove of hidden gems like that door, which is why I highly recommend walking around the city instead of taking the tram when possible.
When we arrived at Maitrea, there wasn't much of a lunch crowd so we were promptly seated. Allison and I both ordered an iced coffee and avocado salad. The food was as delicious as it was the previous day even though the salad was not as artfully prepared. (See yesterday's salad.)
Special Experience
Walking back to the hotel from lunch, this was the scene at Old Town Square. The night before, Czechia had won the International Ice Hockey Federation world championship, so Old Town Square was filled with music and many happy locals!! It was a fun memory, and I found it hilarious that the musicians sang songs from Earth, Wind, and Fire, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, and other 70s and 80s wonders.
Dinner Break
I used my free afternoon to get some much-needed rest. The long travel hours and jam-packed sightseeing days finally caught up to me, and a planned 30-minute nap turned into almost two. I awoke feeling refreshed and ready to tackle some laundry! Today was a great day to do laundry, as Tuesday and Wednesday would have less free time.
I am a creature of habit when it comes to food, plus Old Town was mayhem with the celebrations, so I walked over to Bageterie Boulevard to grab some dinner. I got a salmon sub, "cheesy fingers" (cheese sticks), and water. I expected something similar to "bagel and lox," but this salmon sub can best be described as funky. Best part of the dinner was that there were no pigeons this evening!
Wow Moment - Sitting on the terrace while watching the sunset over Prague, listening to the celebrations happening at Old Town Square, and reminiscing about the beautiful sites I saw in Prague Castle earlier in the day. Life was pretty great at this moment!
