Sometimes a second look makes all the
difference.
Never have I had more polarising experiences of
a city than in Prague. My first visit 10 years ago was rushed and at the end of
a school trip and I came away with very mediocre thoughts about Prague. This
time, perhaps with experience and maturity influencing the experience, I
thoroughly loved the city of Prague.
Even within this trip to Prague I experienced
contrasting moments. On our first full day in Prague we went on a guided
walking tour to orientate ourselves and ward off the jetlag. The tour took us
over Charles Bridge in the early afternoon and it proved to be a struggle to
move and walk in a straight line due to the swarms of tourists and vendors on
the bridge. Only days later after our conference (the reason for this visit to
Prague), we got up before dawn and took the first metro into the Old Town and
walked across Charles Bridge while there was scarcely anyone around.
Charles
Bridge at 1 pm (top) and 530 am (bottom)
Taking some extra time to absorb a location
gives better memories and appreciation rather than just arrive, take a picture
and leave. We spent several hours relaxing in the outside courtyard of St Vitus
Cathedral taking in the intricate and ornate facade, soaking in the sun and
people watching. There’s a startling universality to the way parents from all
over the world dress. For those who stayed after the sun went down and the
lights lit up the cathedral, a choir treated us to a free concert of music that
perfectly matched the location.
East
end of St Vitus Catherdral
Another highlight of our quick visit to Prague,
was a cycle tour out of Prague and to Karlštejn where the 14th
century Karlštejn Castle was once the centre of the Holy Roman Empire. The 35
km cycle ride was along the picturesque Berounka River and gave our feet a
break from the cobbled stones of Prague.
Karlštejn
Castle looms over the town of Karlštejn
Best piece of advice for those visiting Prague, find a hole in the wall pub, in a back alley, with a
waiter/body guard (thank you Josef) and order the local dish from the Czech menu and the beer
on tap. Na zdraví!
“A truly great book should be read in youth,
again in maturity and once more in old age, as a fine building should be seen
by morning light, at noon and by moonlight.” ― Robertson
Davies
A few more photos:
Sail boat on the Vlatava river about to pass under Charles Bridge
Super moon rising behind the National Museum in Wenceslas Square
Musicians Grál playing medieval music in Old Town Square
Over crowded Old Jewish Cemetery
View from the Astronomical Clock of Old Town Square
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