Prague

When you were a child, did you ever pretend you were a king or a princess? Or perhaps a knight in shining armour riding into a castle? My friends and I spent many afternoons playing medieval games running around the neighbourhood...perhaps that's why Prague was so magical for me. For a few days I got to walk, talk and eat in my fairytale land...a beautiful place called Prague. Prague is nestled in the countryside of the Czech Republic, about four hours south of Berlin. It is a city filled with such beauty and history, and looks like it hasn't changed a bit since medieval times.

We got off the train from Berlin and took the Metro to stop Straromesky, where we then walked to Old Town Square. The square is surrounded by old medieval shops and restaurants and of course, the famous Tyn Church! Tyn Church was the most majestic looking building I have ever seen, with tall black spires reaching high into the sky. Loaded down with our heavy backpacks, we just stood there in awe. Finding our hostel was a little difficult, as there are many little streets winding here and there, but eventually we found the little sign reading Tyn Hostel. We checked into the hostel and were shown to our average 5 bed room. The beds looked like they'd been decorated by a Grandma, as they were all covered in mismatched, tacky bed linens...it made me smile. That evening we rested and toured around the square, ending in an outdoor restaurant overlooking the square,where I feasted on Czech Goulash.

We woke up bright and early the next morning feeling eager to explore...and that we did. We started out with a tasty twisted cinnamon croissant and a strong cappuccino, before heading out towards the Prague Castle. We crossed the river, admiring Charles Bridge in the distance and began the trek up the hill. There were so many stairs, and I felt somewhat defeated in the early morning heat, but the view kept me going. By the time we had reached the top, you could see right across Prague! The river wove through the town, and all the little houses had red terra cotta roofing. It was a photographers dream! We spent a couple hours exploring the Prague Castle and even climbed up one of the towers. We climbed the 287 steps up the spiral staircase reaching a small platform overlooking Prague and the castle below. The wind whistled through the small windows, and for a brief moment I felt like a princess looking out of my tower.

After the castle, we ventured through the Kings Paradise Garden eventually making our way back into the little streets. We stopped at Palliardi, a sandwich shop and ordered a tasty meat, pickle and cheese sandwich. We sat and enjoyed getting off our feet for a few minutes, admiring a lovely church across the street. We headed back onto the cobblestone streets, and had fun playing with wooden puppets and flipping through funny postcards. We walked until we found ourselves in a park filled with local daycare children and people practicing there juggling tricks. We grabbed some chocolate-vanilla gelato and sat on our maps in the grass, laughing at the the kids playing tag. As the afternoon passed, we decided to head back towards our hostel and find a nice restaurant for dinner. We walked across Charles Bridge and although it was very nice with all the statues, I found it too touristy and busy for me. I preferred taking the less crowded bridge and looking at the Charles Bridge from the distance. We found our way back to the square and I sampled a local treat called Trdelnik, which is a cinnamon pastry wrapped around a dowel and roasted over an open fire. We also got to watch a very odd street performance that included exercise balls, fire, men wearing dresses and feet juggling balls...what a treat! Seeing as we were in the square already, we decided to just grab some cheap grilled meat from a vendor. On the way back to the hostel we stopped off at a restaurant and had the most amazing chocolate fondue....yes we are on holidays!

Day two in Prague and we had yet again another full schedule. I discovered the most amazing juice at breakfast, its called Cappy. A slightly thick, flavour packed juice in a little glass jar (which I have only seen in Prague). After breakfast we snapped some photos at the astrological clock; we happened to be there when the 10:00 bell went off. The hourly bell consisted of dancing figurines emerging from the clock and a man serenading the square with a horn. It felt like we were the village people being serenaded by the King! Our plan for the day was to venture to Vysehrad Castle. We took the metro to the Vysehrad station and followed the castle signs. We walked along a quiet path that overlooked the forest, the river and remote landscape. The air was so crisp, almost like Autumn, and the walk was so invigorating! We came across the Vysehrad castle hidden behind the trees. It was a georgous cathedral with stained glass windows and detailed archways; inside was even more impressive. Every last inch of the walls, cielings, and windows were handpainted in such detail, we sat in the pews and just stared. What a privilege to be able to visit such a special place. After the cathedral, we explored the cemetery and the grand tombstones and statues. We read about people's accomplishments and loved ones poetry...it was a beautiful cemetery.

We descended down the steep hill away from Vysehrad towards the town below, passing a photo shoot along the way (looked like a young pop star). We found a cozy little restaurant on a quiet street filled with people speaking a language we didnt know (that is how you know the food will be good). I ordered roasted duck with sauerkraut, pickled red cabbage and dumplings. It was delectible and exactly what I was looking for in Czech food. After eating too much (yet again) we waddled down the street in the direction of Old Town Prague. Along the way, my travel partner started feeling a little under the weather so we quickened our pace and made it back to the hostel within an hour. She had been feeling stomach pain for a day or so, and it seemed that it was starting to get the better of her now. She wanted to get some rest in the room and try to sleep off the discomfort so I decided to go on a solo mission to the forest that had intrigued me. So I headed back over the Charles Bridge to the other side of town and found my way to the finicular. This little train went straight up the side of the mountain, cutting through the dense forest filled with hikers and joggers. Within 10 minutes we reached the top and I decided to just wander around the top of the mountain and explore. I came across a mini Eiffel Tower!!! I hiked up that tower as well ( I was the only one taking the stairs, as I did not have money in my budget for taking a lift!). The view from here was the best of all! All of Prague was nothing more than little red dots and the gigantic Prague Castle now looked like a toy. The wind was howling, making the tower sway slightly. I also went to a Planetarium while on the top of the mountain, where I got to examine precious rocks, planet exhibits and I even got to look in a huge telescope at the sun! After leaving the planetarium, I wandered through a rose garden and watched the sunset illuminate the sky into briliant shades of red and orange. What a perfect way to end my last night in Prague.

That night, my friend and I went out for Pizza at a reataurant near our hostel and enjoyed the medivel streets for one more time. I did not want to leave Prague....I wanted to stay and explore every little nook and alley. I never thought that I would see that fairytale place that I read about in books, but I honestly feel like I have now. Prague will be a place that I will treasure in my heart forever, and I promised myself the day that I left that I would return one day.