Prague: Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, & Stare Mesto - Day 4
Day 4 was a bunch of walking in the cold. We first started by heading to the famous Charles Bridge to find it half under construction. But that’s ok. It was still nice. Of course every building on the way was a sight to see.
We walked on uphill towards the Prague Castle. This was impressive. A massive gothic church was inside the castle walls. We really didn’t have much time because we had to make it down the hill for a scheduled tour but while leaving we saw the exchanging of the castle guards.
So we met our “not so favorite” tour guide who took us on a fairy to see the river at night. Several of us made it to the top deck to take pictures of the beautiful Vltava river by night.
Well, we could have ended our night after the boat ride but come… we were in Prague. So we continued to walk towards Stare Mesto, the famous yet not so impressive apostles clock. This was a great city square with the Church of Our Lady Tyn in the background. Again another massive and impressive church.Also, a huge Christmas tree lit up the square demanding attention.
While most decided to head back to the hotel after some shopping, Paulo and Patrick decided to get a fix of jazz once again. This time they enjoyed a jazz trio (piano, bass, and drums). After the musicians were finished with there sets, Paulo found out that the piano player was a teacher at the conservatory. It was outstanding… who knows, maybe another night of jazz will be in the works! [photos below]
Prague: Jazz, Pork Knuckles, Breweries And Good Friends - Day 1,2,3
Well we finally did it. After 3 years of trying to do a trip with our close friends, we finally did it. Last year we took at trip with Omar and Mira but this year we were a party of 6 with Patrick and Jennifer adding to the group. And yes, it was a party. We had such a nice time wondering the streets of Prague with its cold and wintery feel. It gave all of us a task for the holidays. Hot apple cider and Christmas tree lights added to Karin’s excitement.
Below you’ll see pictures from our first day arriving in Prague and heading out to dinner where Karin and Paulo both ate a pork knuckle. Paulo could not get over the hard skin that covered it and the dark hairs just waiting to get stuck between his teeth.
Unfortunately, on the way back to the hotel all of us were fined about $40 for not buying a metro ticket. The metro guards appeared out of nowhere and pulled their badges on us as if it was a speed trap. We were not necessary trying to be deceptive we just could figure out where to buy tickets. Oh, well, it made for a good story.
The next day we simply wandered the streets enjoying the many sights. The boys enjoyed taking photos while the girls window shopped - well, the guys wish that’s all they did. At night Paulo, Omar, Mira, and Patrick took in some excellent vocal jazz at one of Prague’s exclusive jazz clubs. It was excellent. Great musicians… we knew we would need to go back.
On our 3rd day, we played it simple. The girls headed to a crystal factory while the boys studied up on how beer is manufactured at one of Prague’s oldest breweries. They gave us free samples at the end of the night. Seriously good beer and very interesting to witness the process.
