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veetravelblog · 1 year

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Prague, Czech Republic

Like I am sure many of you readers out there, I have always wanted to visit Europe, specifically Italy, but I always dreamed of hopping from country to country and city to city. Earlier this year my Husband was given the opportunity to travel to Prague for work (naturally I took the opportunity to tag along) and make our EuroTrip dream a reality. We decided to make a two week vacation out of it and I got to planning!

I don’t know about you, but I had to Google Prague to know where exactly this European adventure would begin. Prague is the capital of Czech Republic and is located East of Germany, to the North is Poland and South is Austria. Our flight was a long overnight flight, nonstop from LAX to Vienna which was just under 12 hours followed by a short flight into Czech Republic.

We arrived in Prague on a Sunday afternoon just around 3:00PM and checked into the Congress & Wellness Hotel Olsanka. The hotel was conveniently located about 10 minutes from historical sites, public transportation, a mall and my favorite part Olšanské Hrbitovy, an old historic cemetery created in 1680. The hotel itself was a huge building, with multiple bars, restaurants and a Wellness Center with spa, indoor pool, jacuzzis and a sports complex offering indoor badminton courts and even table tennis.

One of favorite parts of the hotel was the wine bar on the first floor called VinVin it offered an elegant, relaxing atmosphere, food was delicious and the selection of wine was extensive. They offered pairings as well as 0,1L pours for 50 czk which after quickly decoding on my phone, I realized was $4 for a 6oz pour! *big smile*. Another great dining option at the hotel was Nominaza Pizzeria all pizzas were made fresh with toppings of your choice and 0,5L of Hoegaarden beer for 79czk, 16oz for $3! I could go on and on about the great food and drinks we had in Prague, everything was reasonably priced, I would say even cheap, compared to prices we are used to here at home.

The sightseeing throughout the city is incredible, there are buildings that have been standing since 900BC! Walking the cobblestone streets of 16th century Golden Lane where goldsmiths and castle guards lived was breathtaking and standing inches away from the ornate architectural detail inside and out of the 9th century Prague Castle was humbling. Dancing House is a modern architectural building that plays homage to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, the building resembles a pair of dancers and is popular for a photo op. Nearby you can cross the Charles Bridge which is a must when visiting, it was completed in the early 15th Century and attracts thousands of people each year. Before crossing over the bridge we stopped at at an ice cream shop where we were told we would try the best ice cream ever and I must say that statement was true! Best way to describe this phenomena is if a churro and a sundae had a baby it would be a Trdelink (Chimney Cake) and it is absolutely delicious!

Getting around to the historical tourist attractions in Prague is very easy, most are within walking distance of each other, there are many walking and trolley tours that you can book to sightsee around the city. Old Town Prague is a great place to spend the day it’s maze like medieval streets take you through an array of museums, shops bars and restaurants. In Old Town you will find high end luxurious stores as well as the famous 14th Century Astronomical Clock that draws visitors every hour to hear the chiming and magical movement of the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest clock still in operation.

After a fulfilled day of sightseeing there’s no better way to end it than a cold beer and some dinner. U Medvídků is the oldest restaurant in Prague founded in 1466, you are seated in a cellar like hall which adds to the history of the building that was once Prague’s first cabaret and later became a brewery. I am a self proclaimed foodie and had to order the traditional dish which is roasted duck, sauerkraut and Czech dumplings, it reminded me very much of Thanksgiving dinner and I highly recommend! One thing I did not know prior to visiting is that Prague is known for it’s beer specifically lager, both the dark and blonde variations did not disappoint, the beer is much lighter and smoother than I expected which was a pleasant surprise, two of the best known are Pilsner Urquell and Budweis (no relation to Budweiser).

As you can tell by my account of my time in Prague my mission when traveling is to eat, drink and sightsee my way through! (emphasis on eat and drink) Prague is a beautiful city rich in culture, stunning architecture and filled with sights and amazing stories that hold their place in our world’s history. Although we did not start our trip in Prague by choice, it was a perfect way to start our European experience and it opened our eyes to a place of the world that we would have otherwise never visited.

Be sure to keep an eye out for my next post where I’ll bring you along our next stop…MUNICH, GERMANY

#prague #praha #czech republic #czechia

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onewheelneil · 7 years

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Czech Republic day 1 part 3

Too many people made it hard to unicycle once again and people crowding around the performers blocking sections as well. The setting sun made the water sparkle and it was just so beautiful. I didn't enjoy as much as I could toeing a unicycle around and still worried about my ice cream stained pants. Also my phone ran out of battery so I couldn't take anymore pictures. I kept on going looking at the jesus statues and curiously one was surrounded by candles and pictures of I'm assuming deceased people. It was interesting to see so many candles lit in one place. I got to the other side of the bridge and headed back to my friends place. Going south I didn't know how far to go so I stayed by the river until I found the dance house bridge. Then I knew exactly where I was to get back to my friends apartment. I hit the doorbell and my friends boyfriend let me in. I then charged my phone and relaxed until my friend got back from her meeting and we could go out to the river walk. Before that she made some tuna pasta for dinner because they were hungry (I wasn't so much from the trdelink). I had only one serving and it was tasty her boyfriend is definitely a good cook. After dinner we made our way to the river walk to enjoy the night sky and the people watching. Being the end of summer there weren't too many people or boats serving drinks or food. Usually it is packed with people and you can barely walk at all. We enjoyed the crisp air and the almost empty walkway and walked all the way to the end. We saw lots of groups with beers sitting on the edge of the walkway over the water having their own personal parties. In the summer every spot is taken usually on the edge of people drinking and playing music. We got to the end and turned around and walked onto a boat. They were serving big thick juicy sausages and drinks. I got a beer but was too full to order a sausage. My friend got the same beer and her boyfriend ordered a cola because he didn't drink. We found a table and drank our beers. One thing they said about Prague after dark was the spiders come out to eat. And it was true on every corner of the railing there was a spider and its web. We also saw one huge spider walking on the railway and it freaked out my friend. Another exciting thing happened across the river where about 9 police 3 fire trucks and 3 ambulances huddled together. We were all trying to figure out what was going on. Eventually we got cold and walked back to their place. On the walk back we saw an extremely drunk person pissing by a dumpster on the sidewalk. It was hilarious to watch this guy waved back and forth and then when he finished he stumbled back and fell into his own pee. I felt sorry for him but also entertained for it was his own choice to get drunk. We made it back to the apartment and they actually had a bath so I drew one up. It was soooooo relaxing to just sit there and think about nothing. I also texted with my girlfriend while in the bath careful not to drop it in. After several minutes I got out dried and drained the tub. I went into my pull out couch bed and promptly fell asleep. Thanks for reading!

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merrybellies · 7 years

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Prague

Prague, as of this moment, is the most spontaneous last minute international destination I've traveled to. It sits comfortably with the places I never expected to visit, but also the bad girl of the bunch. It's not totally off the beaten path, but it definitely felt more obscure than Paris. And, I love Paris - dearly and to a fault - but I've never felt more at home somewhere else, with someone else, than I did in Prague.

As for the purpose of every trip, I was focused on food. I was somewhat apprehensive of what to expect, due to previous misleading reports. I've already posted some photographs of the food we consumed, but I have to say, if you find the right places in Prague, you can eat anywhere (even at KFC) (drunk food, of course), and it's all delicious. I was most curious to try Czech food, and then I learned why we only made time for it once. I tried the goulash at the Strahov Monastery Brewery, and if it hadn't been for the tram home, I think we would've easily fallen asleep in a standing position. I also recommend the amber beer at the brewery. I've never had more smooth amber. It reminded me of summer, which is always an indication of love in my mind, and of course, that led me to want to return to the Czech Republic during a summer, at some point in my life. I was introduced to another love of my life, Las Adelitas (Mexican with actual Spanish speaking employees! In Prague!), deconstructed pho over at Pho Original, fresh bread and pasta from a farmers market, excellent cocktail bars (at affordable prices), hot chocolate and tea at Cafe Savoy, and the list goes on and on, and the pictures will come.

Of all the different landscapes that could've won my heart, it's Prague's architecture which takes the prize. At every turn, I was in awe of the buildings, and the detail labored into each and every one. Even sitting at my temporary desk, where I had to work for a few hours, I found myself staring at the non-descript yellow building that sat outside the window, and all of the windows which stared back at me. I, of course, had the fleeting thought that I could live there, even in the bearable February cold. I can't imagine living without the sun (I tell myself), but based on (again) reports, and a week in Prague, the sun doesn't seem to shy away in winter.

I felt safe in Prague. I could probably wander and lose myself staring at every single building, which was more beautiful than the last. Everyone was so nice, too. And yes, it does get crowded on that Charles bridge if you're not up early enough. The smell of trdelink follows all of us tourists (or explorers?) where we go, and it's not a bad thing. Although I really wouldn't know because I never did get to taste it.

My bottom line is that Prague isn't lacking. It's a great destination for solo travel, but I think it's also incredibly romantic. The most romantic of the four European cities I've thoroughly been able to explore. And it doesn't have to be, but I think it's definitely a city that should be shared with someone. So, why is Prague the bad girl of the bunch? Because she's sort of lurking there, very uninterested whether you visit her or not, and when you do, you realize there's a whole lot of delicious fun.

#miami #travel #prague

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onewheelneil · 7 years

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Czech Republic day 1 part 2

I took my unicycle and headed out on the town. First thing I did was cross back over the river and just made my way north enjoying the sights on the river. When I kept moving north I saw lots of tourists on pedal boats all over the river. It was really photogenic and cute. I even saw a bunch of drunk guys (probably Czech) getting towed back to the rental place of the pedal boats. They were pushing each other into the water and when they tried to swim back the guy towing them having fun would speed up right before they got back to the boat. Everyone watching was having a blast laughing and pointing at these clowns. I kept on going north and saw a bunch of souvenir shops and tourist bridge absolutely covered in tourists. I didn't go that way so I crossed the street heading east to go into the old city and see the main square. There were so many people headed that way it was impossible to go slow walking speed and go over all the cobblestones on my unicycle. So I pushed it a bunch weaving through old people walking like zombies or people stopping in the middle of the walkway. Ya know super annoying people. I eventually got to the main square after passing many cool buildings with awesome architecture. The main square is this huge cobblestone open space with street performers and people crowding around them. There was a classical band with weird instruments, a couple statue people, a random dude dressed up as lala from the teletubbies, and a dude with a huge whip trying to give a show but just begging for money most of the time. I just continued on towards the old Jewish ghetto that had three old synagogues. I unicycled up there and saw all the poor tour groups being guided around. The place where the synagogues were has turned into a huge tourist attraction with stalls of souvenirs as well. The synagogues were in really good condition and you could pay to go around inside them. I decided to keep walking to the next tourist attraction and was approached by a scam artist. He drove up in a car and called me over. Me being curious I came over and he asked where I was from and when I said D.C. He said "ooooh I have a brother there, I need some help from you. I am a business man and I need some money to get my business started here and I will give you my phone number and when you get back to America I will give it double back" yadda yadda yadda I just told him I had nothing and he sped off to his next victim. I kept walking and even saw him talking to his next victim. I just chuckled and kept going hoping the next guy didn't get roped into his scam. I unicycled around dodging people and looking at all the cool buildings still and made my way to a really cool castle looking archway. It was cool and spiny had many little statues around it. After admiring it and dodging people's selfie sticks I made my way down a ride to another square where I saw someone selling trdelink the traditional Czech dessert found everywhere in Prague. I got some with ice cream and found a little perch to sit on and eat it. I ended up spilling a bunch of ice cream on my pants right where it looked like imposed myself. Embarrassed I moved on after my belly was full once again. I fought my way through crowds looking at more stalls selling trinkets on this other street. They sold jewelry and food and souvenirs. One annoying stall had these sound activated witches that would bounce and laugh creepily. Anytime someone clapped near it, it would go off. I made my way back to the river right when a bunch of really expensive Porsche cars drove by. There was this group of tourists crossing the road really slowly blocking all sorts of traffic while drivers honked loudly. It was pretty entertaining. I got back to the famous pedestrian bridge where more performers played instruments and stalls sold paintings and jewelry.

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