Roll Up, Roll up for the Mystery Tour

The random choice of music continues…

After a good night’s sleep, we appreciated the great breakfast spread in the fascinating dining room of our hotel. I was slightly surprised at their choice of music though. Somehow the Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour did not quite fit in a Czech dining room filled with armoured suits and medieval weapons. Or maybe it did….

We decided to set off on foot, and just see how much of Prague we get to see. And what eventually felt like way too many kilometers, ended up being no more than about 7 km. But we saw a great deal.

First we went across the Most Legii (bridge), past the National Theatre, and along the Vtlava river to the Dancing House. This fascinating building was originally called the Astaire & Rogers building, after the famous dance duo, and is a total contrast to the surrounding historic buildings. I love it!

After a brief stop at a supermarket, we continued past the Church of St Cyril & Methodius, to the gardens of Charles Square. Here we sat for a while, eating Walnut salami’s and Czech pastries, and watching two rather lazy workers cleaning a pond.  You often see the most fascinating characters in a city’s parks.

At the one end of the Charles Square stands the new Town Hall. This is the thing with cities like Prague. To us, a “new” town hall would probably mean something built in the 90’s maybe. In Prague, the “new” Town Hall was finished in 1418. Parts of it has been rebuilt, but still! I stopped briefly, looking at some notices for potential concerts, and the next thing I knew, I was climbing the 221 stairs to the top of the tower.  The views from the top of the tower did make it worth while though.

Next we walked to the Wenceslas Square, where we stopped for a panini and a beer, watching a young blacksmith at work. How wonderful to know that a trade like this is still alive.

Our next target was St James Cathedral, but we took a detour past the Powder Gate. By now it had started to drizzle slightly, and by the time we reached St. James Cathedral, a fullblown thunderstorm had developed. So we sat inside the beautiful cathedral for quite a while, quietly watching the ornate ceilings and walls, while deafening thunderclaps raged outside.

The one thing that I still wanted to see, was the Old Jewish Cemetery. And somehow, I almost liked being able to see it in the rain. Niel opted to miss the cemetery, and rather strolled back to the Old Town Square.

By now we were rather soaked, and decided to have a late afternoon nap rather. After all – our plan has always been to take it easy during our time in Prague and Dresden.

We ended the day with a traditional Czech meal – Goulash and Dumplings, and Roast Pork Knee.

Today, it was my sense of taste that had the best experiences. The Walnut Salami was exquisite! And the Goulash and Dumplings were great. Not to mention the home-made lemonade that I had with my supper.

Prague is beautiful. Even in the rain. Especially in the rain.

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