Welcome

Prague, Czech Republic

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by

Diana
in

It has been a few days since my last posting. From Frankfurt I took the train to Prague.

The train ride from Frankfurt to Prague with a change in Dresden, Germany was very comfortable and pretty fast. I was sorry to have to make a change in Dresden (the suitcase thing) but I must say that Dresden had a beautiful train station!!

Pretty countryside. The yellow patches are canola. There are a lot of these fields in Belgium, France and Germany. I think this is the first flower on the season.
Pretty countryside. The yellow patches are canola. There are a lot of these fields in Belgium, France and Germany. I think this is the first flower on the season.
The Charles River Bridge. Rather iconic to Prague. The direction I am going is taking me into the Castle Side of Prague…the more touristy part. Had a great tour with the company called One Prague Tours.
An overall view of the city.
A little further along on our tour we stopped for some breakfast beer! Apparently the Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption per capita. So I guess a person has to start drinking kind of early in the day. This is the tour group I was with. Fun and nice folks. Most from the US and a couple who are in the military in Germany.
Then it was up to the Castle. It is a huge complex and my photos don’t do it justice. According to the guide it is bigger than Versailles. The French don’t agree with this. Versailles is prettier.
Then it was up to the Castle. It is a huge complex and my photos don’t do it justice. According to the guide it is bigger than Versailles. The French don’t agree with this. Versailles is prettier.
Another part of the Castle complex – the Cathedral.
Another part of the Castle complex – the Cathedral.
Some of the fun narrow streets.
Some of the fun narrow streets.
According to the guide a fun place to sit outside for a beer in the summer.
According to the guide a fun place to sit outside for a beer in the summer.
Originally a very old, kind of run down area but now the places are very expensive if you didn’t inherit them.
Originally a very old, kind of run down area but now the places are very expensive if you didn’t inherit them.
Then we went in to the “Old Town” District. Less touristy. This is the 600 year old Orloj Astronomical Clock. This is in the big town square which I didn’t get any pictures of. Ugh.
Then we went in to the “Old Town” District. Less touristy. This is the 600 year old Orloj Astronomical Clock. This is in the big town square which I didn’t get any pictures of. Ugh.
Seems like my picture didn’t get the name of this restaurant. But you go down these stairs to a huge basement with lots of candles that have been dripping down for years and there are a lot of tables. I almost always forget to take pictures of food but I did here.
Seems like my picture didn’t get the name of this restaurant. But you go down these stairs to a huge basement with lots of candles that have been dripping down for years and there are a lot of tables. I almost always forget to take pictures of food but I did here.
Wish I knew the name of all the food but I don’t remember. But it was delicious. The white items in the foreground are dumpling. There is a yummy piece of vanilla cake on the left, a sausage with a mustard sauce and horseradish.
Wish I knew the name of all the food but I don’t remember. But it was delicious. The white items in the foreground are dumpling. There is a yummy piece of vanilla cake on the left, a sausage with a mustard sauce and horseradish.
Kind of a scary guy who is part of a fairy tale here. Of course, if you think of our fairy tales they are actually king of scary and I am surprised kids don’t have nightmares.
Kind of a scary guy who is part of a fairy tale here. Of course, if you think of our fairy tales they are actually king of scary and I am surprised kids don’t have nightmares.
There wasn’t a huge Jewish population in Prague. But the folks were treated just as badly. I didn’t get a good picture of their one main building…just these two of their graveyard. Because of how many there were to bury and no room, there are many people on top of each other which is why the headstones are all jumbled up. Sorry.
There wasn’t a huge Jewish population in Prague. But the folks were treated just as badly. I didn’t get a good picture of their one main building…just these two of their graveyard. Because of how many there were to bury and no room, there are many people on top of each other which is why the headstones are all jumbled up. Sorry.

Final story out of Prague. I have been very lucky with no pickpockets or any scary moments. But I had my first scammer at the trail station in Prague.

I was standing and looking at the rail board to see what platform my trail to Berlin was at. I don’t think I look old (or too old) and the kind you can take advantage of but this guy comes up to me and asks if I am going on the train to Berlin. I said yes. He said he would guide me there. I asked him three times while we are walking quickly to the platform if he was a train station employee and he said yes. We go past the escalator and elevator which I want because of the suitcase and we keep going to the stairs. He carries my suitcase up and takes me to the train and even on the train to my seat. THEN, he asks me for 100 euros for all of his fine work! Geez. I said ‘what the hell’ or something like that 🙂 and said are you kidding. He then says 50 euros and I laughed and gave him 20 euros which was the smallest amount of money i had. He stomps off and flips me the bird. I looked out the train window and there was a cute older Spanish couple and apparently he had done the same thing to them. I actually felt like the 20 euros wasn’t bad for how hard it is to get up the steps on the trains in Germany…steep and 4-5 of them. I can handle 3 but not 5.