Prague … Czech it out
We were on the road by 9:45 Friday morning for our 6-hour drive to Prague. WOW! Our apartment is in the Josefov quarter (former Jewish ghetto), surrounded by Staré Město (Old Town), Praha 1. It’s perfect for our stay – loft, elevator, AC, balcony, plenty of space. There were some kinks in the process (communication and information) but thankful it all worked out. We got ourselves in, unpacked, and ready to explore the city. (On foot because we parked our car in an “elevator”!) We walked to the Staroměstské náměstí (Old Town Square), ate at Mama Lucy Restaurant, stopped in the tourist shops, and headed to the Karlův most (Charles Bridge).
SATURDAY
After breakfast at the Bakeshop, we headed through the Staroměstské náměstí and across the Karlův most toward the Pražský hrad (Prague Castle). We happened upon groups lining up for the 12th Prague Folklore days in the Old Town Square. We didn’t get to see any performances but we did watch a few of them parade off. We walked into the Valdštejnská zahrada (Wallenstein garden) before heading up to the hrad. We were disappointed with our tour of the castle – she was late and not very interesting. The Aperolspritz and promises of trdelník eased the disappointment, though. We then slowly headed back for some down time and happy hour before heading out for dinner and meandering the Pěší Zóna in search of souvenirs.
SUNDAY
After a croissant breakfast in the apartment, we took an Uber back to the hrad to truly see it. Unfortuantley, the limited view of the Katedrála svatého Víta (St. Vitus Cathedral) from yesterday will have to suffice because the church was closed this morning. We did get to see the Starý královský palác (Old Royal Palace), bazilika sv. Jiří (St. George’s Basilica), and Zlatá ulička (Golden Lane) with the Daliborka Tower. Next stop, Josefov. Here we visited the Maiselova synagoga (Maisel Synagogue which now houses a museum), Pinkasova synagoga (Pinkas Synagogue – memorial to the nearly 80.000 victims of the Shoah (Holocaust) from the Bohemian lands), Starý židovský hřbitov (Old Jewish Cemetery), and the Klausová Synagoga (Klausen Synagogue with more Jewish artifacts). It was a full morning so we headed back to the apartment after lunch. A, S, and D decided to stay behind while the rest of us headed back out to wander the streets. We walked some of the Malá Strana (Little Quarter) and even stopped for drinks in the Malé náměstí (Little Square). We went back to the apartment to rest before dinner. Since it was our last night, we sat on the ground in the Old Town Square and just people watched. It is amazing – there are always people out and the stores are all open til 22h!
