Okay I am waiting

Is it that cold in Prague that you needed ear muffs !!??

Percy, yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!on earmuffs. This old gal from Florida. Left there it was 80 degrees. Glad you are tuned in.

I am tuned in too and enjoying very much!

looking foarward to the next installment

I'll be there in a few weeks -- hope I don't need earmuffs.

Prague
March 14, 2013
Day 2
18,562 steps
Trip Report
“There will be plenty of time to sleep once you are dead”
― Benjamin Franklin
Aching feet, throbbing back, sheer exhaustion, brain drain- I am experiencing all the above. This is a good thing, as I am trying to absorb Prague and all its gifts it has to offer (which are plentiful). I awoke this morning, well rested, sun streaming through the window, masking the bitter cold air that would welcome me later. We made our way to the grandeur of the dining room. Breakfast is served in a magnificant room that used to be a movie theatre. An open space of light, suspended on a level of glass. Decorative details adorn the room, with a buffet of fresh breads, tasty eggs, colorful fruits, and all sorts of not your every day delacies. The food was substantial, hot and pleasing. We coasted on that caloric wave for a full 8 hrs.
After breakfast, we made our way to the tram. One of the many ways to navigate this uncomplicated city. It runs on an electrified rail, and the cost of the ticket was the equivelent of $1.60 each. Not bad for a heated, comfortable scenic route up the hill, to many of the cultural sights in Prague. Once, up there the views are breathtaking and bountiful from all angles
We made our way to the Sternberg Palace http://www.ngprague.cz/en/2/sekce/sternberg-palace/ . It was confusing and maze-like trying to find this establishment, but with much perserverence, we eventually found our way. The building itself is an ornate building from the late 1600s, housing major Masters, with minor works. There are two levels, including Italian and Renaissance and a large German noteworthy collection. We spent a good two hrs there, satisfied with the experience.
We walked around the grounds of the Castle http://www.hrad.cz/en/prague-castle/prague-castle-tourist-information/visit-of-prague-castle.shtml, weaving in and out of swarms of tour groups, picture taking tourists, and masses of students. The guards looked on with a suspicious eye, as disrespectful hooligans took goofy pictures, adjacent to them.
We did some minor travel worship in the imposing Prague Cathedral http://www.prague.net/st-vitus-cathedral. A 600 year old church that is the biggest and most important church in Prague. The stained glass windows are vibrant and illuminating in the dark church. Commercialism has certainly engulfed Prague as there was an admission fee for the cathedral. Since when did you have to pay to pray? Oh well........... After our church experience, we stopped at a little stand and had some overpriced grog (grog: hot water, lemon, sugar and ummmmmmmmmm RUM) Yeah, that will warm you up real good. We rested our feet for a couple minutes and let the rum heat us up.
Next we went Lobkowicz Palace http://www.lobkowicz.cz/en/Lobkowicz-Palace-9.htm . A palace from the late 16th century housing spectacular art, relics, and original musical compositions from Mozart and Beethoven. In addition to the art, there is an interesting story behind the aquisitions. They belong to the Lobkowics family, who lost them to the Nazis, then lost them again to the Russians. In 1989, they were able to get all their items back. We used audio tour guides that were easy to listen to, and I thoroughly enjoyed the tour.
We slowly made our way down the hill, as the sun continued to warm us. We made our way back into the main hub, and dined at Pasta Fresca http://pastafresca.ambi.cz/en/#index , suggested by the kind receptionist at our hotel. We ate down in the cozy cellar, a yummy, Italian meal. I had an interesting stuffed mushroom with spinach and Frank had a minestrone soup, followed by homemade taglitalle pasta and mushrooms for me, and a hearty lasagna for Frank. We were tired and hungry and the meal fueled us for our upcoming evening's events. We finished the meal off with a creamy panne cotte and dark chocolate, and a ginger tea that made my eyes tear, my lungs open, and my innards stand up to attention. STRONG STUFF.
We staggered back to our hotel, hoping to rest our weary bodies, if not just for a moment, as we had a ballet to go to next. By the time we got to our room, Frank said "we have 5 minutes to get ready!" I quickly changed in my finest evening wear, brushed the teeth, and out back on the cobblestone streets we went. A brisk half hour walk, commented by yours truly bitchin' and moaning on this invention called a CAR! But, the hubby took it in stride as we knew we had to account for that panne cotte somehow.
We arrived at the National Theatre http://www.nationaltheatre.cz/ , where we had tickets to The Sleeping Beauty Ballet. The theatre is grand and impressive, yet surprisingly intimate. We were escorted to our front row orchestra seats, right as the lights went down. Little girls in fancy dresses, gazed in wonder as the magic of the ballet took over the stage.
The dark ,warm theatre became the perfect recipe for a soothing nap, as the orchestra became a hypnotic lullaby, and the dancers became leaping sheep. Our eyes glazed, heart slowed, as we kept catching each other mid snore, partial head bob, full blown drool. We pinched each other, silently giggling like school age children in detention. By far, these were the best seats we ever had, and, the most vivid dreams I have ever experienced.
All that said, it was a beautiful production, flawless and captivating. After the ballet, we trudged on back to the hotel, as my big monkey snores the exhaustion of the day away.
Tune in tomorrow for yet more exciting Bohemian Adventures---
Love and big swollen toe blisters,
`B and F~

Loving every word! You do have a gift for descriptive prose.

I'm along for the journey!

Okay your from Florida ,so I can see why the ear muffs !!!

Glad you made it to the Sternberg Place, most people when at the Castle Square, head staight into the Castle area and St. Vitus Cathedral.

Sternberg is kind of "tucked away" back of the Bishop's Palace.

Did you walk along the Golden Lane inside the Castle area. ?

When I was there (June)the weather was 82- 88 F everyday so it was Florida weather .

I can see from your K-K Hotel you had a half hour walk to the National Theatre.
Hope you were not clicking away in high heels on the cobblestones !!!

<<Since when did you have to pay to pray?>>

Quite common these days, it seems.

Last fall, the only places that I received the incorrect amount of change for my entrance fee was at two churches! I expected to be taken advantage of somewhere but wasn't expecting it to be at a church!

First time, I didn't catch it until it was too late. Second time, I noticed right away and said to the clerk, "I thought the fee was $x"' she replied something like "oh" and gave me the correct change. Accidents or outright theft?

BtTW, enjoying your report! More, please.

Thanks everybody! Glad you are following. More to come later. Percey--- "Did you walk along the Golden Lane inside the Castle area. ?" Are you speaking of Kofka's lane?That is now pay too! we were here 10 yrs ago, and it was so uncommercialized! I still love this idealic place, but pay for Kofka's street???? He would be cracking up if he were alive!
Thanks again everybody!
`B`

I am enjoying your trip report. We were in Prague a couple years ago and loved it. Will keep watching for your reports. Have fun.

Nice report I am enjoying it very much.
St Vitus does allow people into the front area for free but as the box office for the whole castle Tour is there many folk just don't realise there are parts you can see for free.
Brookums,it's Franz Kafka you are thinking about,Golden lane is the street where his sister lived but where he did much of his writing,it was extensively refurbished a few year ago after a great deal of archeological work,a lovely place. There is a great Kafka museum near Charles Bridge,Kafka's grave can be visited in the new Jewish cemetary beside Zelivskeho Metro station.In Golden Lane there is an armoury museum that many folk miss and at the far end of the battlemnet area where the museum is you can actually try out an old fashioned crossbow,its great fun.
I enjoyed the description of the ballet, Prague was the first Place I ever went to the opera (been to ballet before) and the exeprience was wonderful plus its a fraction of the price you would pay anywhere else.

Brookum71

Yes I am thinking of Kofka's Lane.... hmm they charge now, very interesting.

Let us know more about the trip, it is nice that you help us remember.

Thanks for a very informative report. We will be in Prague April and will go to the places you recommend. Thank you.

You mention "Pilsner" when I was last in Prague the staff used to say how sorry they were they only had Pilsner, I hope you got some of the better local beers.

Uncle Gus-"St Vitus does allow people into the front area for free but as the box", we did hang out in the front and admired the Mucha stained glass. Thanks for your commentary.


Biloberger- "You mention "Pilsner" when I was last in Prague the staff used to say how sorry they were they only had Pilsner," my husband rather enjoyed it. I am certain they have more than that now.

Thanks everybody for your comments. New blog under way.
`B`

Prague Trip Report
March 15, 2013
Day 3
Daytrip to Dresden
14,435 steps
No road is long with good company
- Turkish Proverb

Three and a half glorious hours of sleep, that's what this chickadee was running off of this morning. Awoken at 5:45 am for our day trip to Dresden, Germany http://www.dresden.de/index_en.php. A quick, satifying breakfast and then we made our way to the Prague train station. The train was very comfortable and clean and we had our own private car which we shared with a friendly couple. At one point, the gentleman pulled out a knife, Frank grew fearful, ready to save his woman (who was snoring against the window, and oblivious), when out came a ham. Crisis averted. I slept like a baby in the womb the entire ride, rocking with the rhythm of the train. We passed beautiful scenery along the way(as I was later told by the Hubs), as the train followed along the River. The train ride,(and lovely nap) lasted 2 hrs.

Dresden is a modern city, that was completly demolished before the end of World War II. Between Feb 13 and 15, 1945- 5 air raids destroyed the city, in addition 25,000 people lost their lives. The air was quite cold, and snow was falling. We made our way to Starbucks, to get aquainted with the city, warm up and map out a plan. We sat by the window and watched the city come to life as it was still early.

After our brief stop, we made our way to Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister http://www.skd.museum/en/museums-institutions/zwinger-with-semperbau/gemaeldegalerie-alte-meister/index.html . Even after much research and planning, we soon found out that it is closed for construction and renovations. We were quite disappointed, but quickly averted to Plan B.
Zwinger Palace http://www.dresden.de/index_en.php, http://www.skd.museum/en/museums-institutions/zwinger-with-semperbau/porzellansammlung/index.html, which was part of the Gallery that remained opened and housed porcelin from all around the world from the 17th and 18th century. We scooted through their, frankly with low expectations and was pleasently surprised. The porcelin was delicate and detailed, and we enjoyed the afternoon as the snow fell outside.

We broke for lunch, a quick sandwich we packed. We sat outside, as the snow fell, in the quiet stillness of the afternoon. After a relaxing light lunch, we went to Neues Grunes Gewoibe http://www.skd.museum/en/museums-institutions/residenzschloss/gruenes-gewoelbe/neues-gruenes-gewoelbe/index.html. (The Green Room). It consists of 9 rooms of antiquities, such as goblets and "trinkets" a "Hoarders" of sorts of the most priceless items. It came with an extremely detailed audio guide, and was interesting, but a little bit of "brain drain" as I call it began, and I had to selectively chose what I wanted to see and hear about. Enjoyable, kind of like champagne- indulgent, but in small, steady doses.

From there, we popped in the Dresden Cathedral http://www.dresden.de/dtg/en/sightseeing/sehenswuerdigkeiten/historische_altstadt/kathedrale.php. Pretty on the outside, but very simple on the inside. We sat and had our quiet moment, me trying to gather physical strength from a fairly exhausting day, and then moved on.

Our last stop before heading to the train for home was dinner. The snow was coming down fairly hard at this point, and all we wanted was hot and fulling. We went to a delicious Thai restaurant http://www.thai-essen.de/ . We both had hot coconut lemongrass soup, and fresh noodle dishes. The service was great, and I had a yummy litchi fruit drink.

We made it to the train, sat by ourselves sharing stories and quickly fell asleep. We slept in the dark cabin as we passed lit up villages and cities, along day, a different country, and many new experiences shared.

love and salty yummy German pretzels (my cryponite)
~B~

It is too bad that it was snowing in Dresden because it is a lovely place to walk about.

The Zwinger has a lovely huge courtyard but I guess with snow on the ground you could not see how lovely it is in summer.

Did you walk along what is called "The Balcony of Europe" which is a lovely walk along the Elbe River.?

I am sure you took pictures of the Opera House and Opera Square because it is right next to the Zwinger.

Did you walk across the Augustus Bridge and see the all Gold Statue of Augustus the Strong on a horse.?

Are you on the train back to Prague?

Keep up the good writing .!!

Percy-
Thanks for all your interest. The snow was a glorious and a huge bonus for this Floridian. Walking in it was quite enjoyable. We were pressed for time, so we never did walk across the bridge, or the Balcony of Europe. we did see the opera house in our travels, as we walked by and did enjoy the courtyard. I wrote the blog back in the hotel. Thanks for all your suggestions.

Okay where are you now ..back in Prague !? from Dresden.

Pery---back in Prague. At least for a couple more days.

Prague Trip Report
March 16, 2013
Day 4
22,828 Steps
An opera begins long before the curtain goes up and ends long after it has come down. It starts in my imagination, it becomes my life, and it stays part of my life long after I've left the opera house.
Maria Callas


It’s your bohemian princess reporting for blog duty. Please, pull up a chair and come in my office. Today was a day of sober reflection, followed by entertaining delight. Another delicious breakfast, in the sunny bright setting of the lovely K+K Central Hotel. If you ever come to Prague, I highly recommend this hotel. The staff is extremely helpful, the building itself is so spectacular, and the location really can’t be beat.

We started off early, making our way to the central meeting spot in Prague, called the Powder Gate, named aptly because this was where gun powder was stored in the 17th century . We were meeting Marek Taborsky for his World War II Prague Tour (https://sites.google.com/site/ww2inprague/ ). Fortunately, for us we were his only attendees for his tour, so we had the luxury of having our own private tour guide. The cost for these services were 600 cz (equivalent to $32) per person, and the tour last approximately 1 hr and 20 minutes. He was friendly guy, well versed in all things War, history and Prague. He was a wealth of information, answered all our questions, and had interesting stories to share. He took us on a walking tour, through the underground, into the Jewish Ghetto, criss- crossing through the bustling streets, pointing out interesting tidbits and surprising facts along the way. The tour, for me was one of my favorite things so far, that we have done. One of the many topics he discussed was the assignation of Reinhard Heydrich- Hitler’s #2 guy. He went into amazing detail, Frank and I were hanging on his every word. He told us of a church where the killings of the assignators hid, there was a massive standoff, and basically all the assignators died in a violent death, as well as the people that assisted them and their families were all brutally murdered. The men all died heroes. Just a brief history, I don’t mean to bore you with all the details.

We walked along the river, as the sun was out, and people were all out enjoying the wonderful weather. We stopped in a jewelry store to purchase garnet earrings. On my last trip to Prague, 12 years ago I had purchased garnet earrings. One had broken many years ago, so I was delighted to replace them. It was my big splurge, and they are beautiful. From there, we stopped in the main square at our favorite Starbucks. We refueled with some beverages and had a light lunch of sandwiches we had packed. The streets swelled with activity, loud teenagers, families, tourists, enjoying the refreshing air and bright sun.

We decided to stick with our theme and visited the church where the assignators hid, The Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius http://www.prague.net/cyril-methodius-church. For a small fee, you enter a small exhibit, which walks you through the timeline of events and details. It was extremely interesting, very sobering, and once you finish with the exhibit, you can go into the crypt where these heroes hid and eventually died. I found the whole subject matter fascinating.

We made our way back to the hotel for some much needed rest for the evenings events. After a brief nap and a quick shower, we spruced up, and went to the same theatre as the other night for the opera Die Flerdermaus http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/history/stories/synopsis.aspx?customid=125, by Johann Strauss. It was a lively, comical production, sang in German, translated in English or Czech. We had great seats, managed to stay awake for the entire show and thoroughly enjoyed it.
After the show, we ate an absolutely amazing place called El Emir Lebanese Restaurant http://www.elemir.cz/. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, classy and sleek. The food was delicious, with beautiful presentation. We shared a vegetarian platter with all Lebanese specialties, followed by a shared desert of baklava. The meal was reasonably priced, the service was quick, and it was even close to the hotel. The whole day was a red letter day from start to finish.
It is late and exhaustion is seeping through my bones. The lack of downtime and sleep is catching up, but the trip is slowly coming to an end soon. Prague has changed quite a bit in the past decade, with commercialism and a flooding of tourists. This is good as Prague is a romantic, hidden jewel, stowed away in a time capsule. The downfall is if this gem of a place becomes “Disneyworld-ish” and loses its mystery and allure. I am cherishing the time I have here as it may be more than a decade to return-if ever. So, I am trying to absorb every little piece of magic this lovely place has to offer.
Love and carb filled dumplings,
~B and F~

Did you walk from the Powder Gate all the way to the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius.?

I toured this Church also, as I am looking at my own pictures.

There are bullet holes in front and a plaque and a small shrine to those patriots that lost their lives there.

From the Church I assume to walked to the "Dancing House" !

I hope you got to walk down Wenceslas Square but you know it is one thing to walk when the weather is over 80F and another when it it is cold.

I stayed about a block and a half from Charles Bridge and there was people everywhere all the time.

In fact the hotel lady said that January and February are the least busiest months...well yeah I guess ...but it is cold. !!

I am loving your report and your description of events.
Keep up the good work.

Percy--you are my only follower!!!
"Did you walk from the Powder Gate all the way to the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius.?" yes!yes! and more!

"There are bullet holes in front and a plaque and a small shrine to those patriots that lost their lives there"
I know! It was unbelievable!

From the Church I assume to walked to the "Dancing House" !

"I hope you got to walk down Wenceslas Square but you know it is one thing to walk when the weather is over 80F and another when it it is cold."
we did. It was cold but beautiful.
It has been amazing. Thanks for your comments.

I'm still following and loving your report as I begin planning for my trip in September.

I'm following too! I've been to that church and seen the bullet holes too. Amazing!

We enjoyed El Emir Lebanese as well, a good place and great prices

I did not think I was the only follower, so I am glad the others

made mention of their enjoyment of your Trip Report.

Hope there is more to come!!

Oh, I'm still following too. I made note of Pasta Fresca for our upcoming stay as well. Thanks.

Prague Trip Report
March 17, 2013************Frankster's Birthday*************
Day 5
17,769 steps

"If travel is like love, it is, in the end, mostly because it's a heightened state of awareness, in which we are mindful, receptive, undimmed by familiarity and ready to be transformed. That is why the best trips, like the best love affairs, never really end."
PICO IYER, "Why We Travel"

Well, all good things must come to an end, and we are approaching that point. (but, not yet)......One day left..... We slept in a lttle bit, but still out by 10 am. The sun was bright and people were already starting their day. We had plans to go to a funicular (a lift), but it was closed, so our whole schedule went slightly off track and eventually after a long sojourn to an Irish pub, it completely derailed. But, let me back up a bit.

After realizing the funicular was not working, we walked leisurely focusing on the "little quarter" http://goeasteurope.about.com/od/praguetravel/p/Malastrana.htm. This area is more like a little village, less cosmopolitan, more families. It was a beautiful day and perfect for enjoying outside. We visited Church of Our Lady Victorious http://www.pragjesu.info/en/shrine.htm. It is quite a popular tourist attraction as the Holy infant Jesus of Prague is one of the most revered images in the Catholic world- as she is said to have healing powers. So, while we were there I asked for a little help with my throbbing tootsies. Unfortunatly, I think she was busy with more important matters.

Conveniently, across from the church was an Irish pub JJ Murphy's http://www.jjmurphys.cz/. Being that it is the Frankster's birthday, and it is St. Patty's Day, we felt it was mandatory to pay homage. Although, it was noon, the bar was in full swing. The owner greeted us in true friendly Irish fashion. We got a couple of drinks (a shandy for me, apple cider for the Birthday boy) and watched the parade from Ireland on tv. The mood was lively, drinks were flowing, and everyone was merry. Our Polish waitress provided great service, adorning Frank with a big leprachon hat, which he wore proudly. At the end, a little seranade performed by our waitress, in her Polish accent, an apple birthday streudel to end the celebration.

From there, we purchased 3 adorable marionettes and some souveniers. We stopped at a busy Starbucks, relaxing with a hot cup of coffee. We stopped in Church of St. Nicholas http://www.stnicholas.cz/en/ a Baroque church built in 1761. We made our way back to the hotel for a quick rest, then off to the evening's event. We went to a ballet, Krabat at the National Theatre http://www.narodni-divadlo.cz/en. The ballet was modern and had a very confusing, dark theme. Our seats were good, we stayed awake, the theatre was beautiful, and the orchestra was perfect. The ballet itself, not my cup of tea.

We walked back to the hotel, and in our room was a bottle of champagne for Frank's birthday. I am not sure how they knew, but it was a sweet, pleasent surprise, and again what makes this hotel nicer than anyone we have been to. It was an amazing day, in the middle of an amazing week.
Love and shamrocks,
~B and F~

Normally you have to hand in your passport when in check into some continental country's hotels, a good one checks for the DObirth, it is a real pleasure when it happens.

bookmarking!

Prague Trip Report
March 18, 2013
Day 6 final day
???? steps- not impressive

"The sum of the whole is this:
Walk and be happy
Walk and be healthy.
the best way to lengthen out our days is to walk steadily and with a purpose."
----Charles Dickens----


Sick, sick, sick. Your friendly blogger is sick, chest rattling, coughing and miserable. (sorry) So, this entry will be short and probably unpleasurable. Today is our last day and I wanted to make the most of it, but illness has prevented me from doing so. After breakfast, Frank with my persuasion went on his own, as I went back into my pj's closed the curtains and slept for 2 hrs. In order to salvage the trip, you must first take care of yourself. Rule #1. But, I knew I was pushing it, and I was doing all the right things: using antibacterial hand gel, taking vitamins, drinking lots of bottled water, and generally listening to my body.

Frank returned to the hotel , and with some reluctance, and little energy we went to the Mucha Museum http://www.mucha.cz/. It really is an amazing example of Art Nouveau, and is a fairly quick, easy, museum. If in Prague, this is an absolute must. From there, we walked to our favorite restaurant we had gone to on our previuos trip to Prague- Slavia http://www.cafeslavia.cz/index.php?id_page=uvod&id_rest=slavia&id_lang=en. It is a lovely,spacious restaurant, open almost all the time. It is elegant, very reasonably priced, with good service. We both had some hot split pea soup, and I nibbled at some creamy gnocchi. Frank had beef strogonoff, declaring, the Russians do it better.

We walked back to the hotel in the dreary rain. I am glad to have enjoyed 5 wonderful days , with fantastic weather. So the weather fits my physical state presently. Our flight is obscenely early. We need to be at the airport at 4 am. It will be around 20 hrs of travel.

But, I do not want to leave on a sad note. This trip was fantastic. I love this country, the antiquity and preservation that surrounds you here is mind boggling. The people are friendly, the prices are still reasonable, and even though they are in the European Union, they have their own currency. The art is noteworthy, the architechure is impressive, the food is hearty, and our accomadations were excellent. All in all, Prague is a mosaic of all that is sublime in Europe.
Love and cough drops,
~B and F~

Great report. Thanks for sharing and get well soon!

Thanks for posting and letting us share your experiences.

Hope your feeling better soon.

Thanks everybody. Safe and sound in Tampa, Fl.
I also have 2 other blogs, feel free to check out.
Ireland and St Petersburg Russia and Edinburgh, Scotland
Appreciated all your comments
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/ireland-2012-greetings-day-one
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/st-petersburg-russia-day-2.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/greetings-from-edinburgh-scotland-day-1-169037-2.cfm

3 blogs...

Bookmarking
Thanks for your great trip report. We will be visiting Prague in October.

Thanks for a wonderful trip report and for pointing out the Mucha Museum. We visit early May and I would have bypassed this had you not mentioned it.

Did you take taxis anywhere, and has their reputation improved?

ThulaMama- we only took a taxi service to and from airport and they were excellent. But when we were there 10 yrs ago we had some issues.
aussie_10- glad I could help. Enjoy.
are you coming all the way from Austrailia????wow!

Thank you for your great report. We are going in September. We fell asleep though our first concert in St. Petersburg Russia last year so I could totally relate.

Glad you enjoyed!

Pasta Fresca was our favorite restaurant of our Berlin/Prague trip. Thanks for the recommendation!