Nina and I have just arrived in Marseille, but I figured I should take some time and post about past locations that I hadn't had a chance to talk about...
So. Prague. I only had a day and a half - which isn't much time, but it was fantastic.
My overall impression of the city was that it was...eclectic. There were some amazing experiences I had here, but there were also some very odd things that I encountered.
I met a very nice Chinese girl (Pei) on the way to Prague - we were staying in the same hostel, so we wandered around together for a little while that evening upon arrival.
Which leads me to my first piece of advice - wander. You should do this in every city, but Old Town Prague is a lovely place to get lost.
Stop whenever you can to watch street performers. I'm from a small town, so to witness such a disparate number of performances all across the city was both relaxing, inviting, and is encouraged for all future travelers.
He is amazing...
Make friends with Petr - he just might let you play the water glasses (some of you know this is a lifelong dream of mine - so I was very excited!)
If you are only there for a short time, spend it in Old Town Prague. It's full of life, history, and beauty. Carefully pass off your camera to people to take pictures of you throughout the city - look for the bright orange/salmon colored shorts in this photo to find me - it's like Where's Waldo Prague style.
Go up into the steeple during sunset - the view is gorgeous and you can see all of Prague bathed in the beautiful, warm sunset coloring.
If you feel you must, stop to watch the Atomic Clock in the town square. It's one of the things Prague is known for, but it really wasn't that exciting...
While you're waiting, wonder how this man managed to get the prime location under the clock. Also be sure to look around and watch the crowd's reaction to him - it's much more entertaining than he is.
Stop to take in the beauty that is Prague.
Head over to Charles Bridge (unmistakable with the throngs of tourists heading that way and the statues lining its entirety). Watch the remnants of the sun setting over the castle from here.
Have a seat and watch the street performers here, as well. We were lucky enough to see some amazing cellists.
When it starts to become late - head back to the hostel. On the way make sure to take in the "Ballet on the Water" from Charles Bridge. It will be on your right back near old town - there are different kinds of performances here nearly every night and there is generally a group of people watching that you can join.
Get up "early" the next morning. Early being a subjective term here, because to me that means 7am but to people staying in hostels it generally means anytime before 11am/12pm. Have some breakfast and head toward the castle. This particular picture is of the cathedral - the castle is being renovated and is covered in mesh - therefore, it is not photo worthy at the moment.
Be sure to enter the gorgeous Cathedral St Vitus - I strongly encourage purchasing the ticket that allows you to go into 5 or so of the sites - I think it's regularly 250 Krns, but for students it's only 125 - from what I understand the more expensive one isn't worth the cost. The lesser ticket allows you into the cathedral, castle, Golden Lane and a couple of other places.
If you're travelling a lot, you're going to be seeing a lot of cathedrals and castles, etc. Choose one particular thing to focus on in each place - I've chosen organs. I will collect pictures of organs from all of the cathedrals and look over the lot of them when my travels are over.
With the lower end ticket, you get to walk throughout the cathedral rather than solely in the front of it to see all of it's beauty.
I received word that my grandmother had some pretty significant health concerns right before going into Prague, so I lit a candle for her in St Vitus and said a prayer.
Explore the castle and Golden Lane - lament over the fact that you can't spend $100 on these and bring them back for your brother.
Bring a lunch with you and find the courtyard of the Lobkowicz Palace Museum at the bottom of the castle complex. Every day at 1pm they have a classical concert in the museum, and by sitting in this courtyard you get to appreciate the music without having to pay for it. There is also wine tasting here if you desire to partake in that.
Best of all, it's shaded and rather empty - so you can beat the heat and the crowds.
Find a place to cool off. It was 90+ degrees while I was in Prague, but I managed to find these lovely sprinklers. I stood off to the side of the lawn (because you're not allowed to step onto the grass) - it offered a nice cool off every 10 seconds or so :)
Look for a good place to set up your camera for a self-timer shot. Wandering around the other side of the castle there are less tourists, so this becomes much easier.
As previously mentioned - it's hot. Therefore, I recommend choosing one of the many museums in Prague and spending the hottest part of the day exploring it. I chose the Czech Museum of Music. It was lovely and had little stations for you to sit and listen to different songs featuring the different instruments. Another added benefit to this museum was the fact that it was empty - apparently the Museum of Music doesn't have much of a draw from the general populace.
Be sure to have a special "photo ticket" to take pictures inside the museum - otherwise a mean Czech lady will yell at you and then follow you around the rest of the museum.
When it cools down enough to head back outside, seek out more street performances. Be sure to tip a little bit when you stop to watch and take pictures/video.
Stop to explore Charles Bridge. There are some very interesting religious statues and more locks - this time on a religious something on the bridge.
There are also many little places to purchase trinkets and souvenirs on the bridge. Many times you can meet the person who actually crafted the piece of jewelry or art or whatever. These make great gifts - especially for birthdays and Christmas (then you don't have to shop when you get home - you're going to be broke at that point anyways...)
Take a little trip over to Havelske Market located on the street with the same name. It's not far from the center of old town. It has some little shops as well as fruits and veggies for a snack.
Wear comfortable shoes! I cannot stress this enough! There is cobblestone everywhere in Old Town Prague, and thick soles with good arch support will save your feet.
Yes - this man is in Prague. One of the eclectic things I mentioned earlier.
As are these works of art. Quite eclectic...
If you're going to stay at a hostel, stay at Sir Toby's! It's outside the city center, but easily accessible by public transportation. The people who work here are amazing and there are a bunch of other travelers passing through for you to meet.
Be sure to make the most out of your last bit of time in Prague. Wander the streets at night. Explore. Shop. Make new friends. Listen to the rhythm of the city and get lost it it.
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