Day 2 in Prague was to be spent on our own – walking some of the surrounding areas and returning to some places we wanted to see before we left. I love to explore a city just walking it. We started at the main square and decided to meander our way to Zizkov tower and Vyšehrad and then make sure to head back to the Operation Anthropoid memorial as it was closed on Monday. Along the way, I wanted to check out the Vinorhady neighborhood. I’d read it was a neat local neighborhood and Vinorhady is Czech for vineyards so it must be awesome.

The Zizkov Television Tower is a transmitter tower built in Prague between 1985 and 1992. With its unique high-tech architecture and its stance on top of a hill in Eastern Prague, it is a sight to see, especially relative to the ancient city that surrounds it. The tower has been a source of controversy in Prague and rumored to have been used during the communist era to jam incoming Western radio and television transmissions. The main reason for me wanting to see the tower is the art added to it in 2000 by internationally acclaimed Czech artist David Černý. Fiberglass structures called Miminka (Babies) were originally placed on the tower only temporarily but became so popular that they are now there permanently. There are 10 faceless babies on the tower, climbing up and down. I’m not sure what the correct word for it is – maybe weird? Yes, it’s weird. But interesting as well.

From Zizkov we headed to the surrounding neighborhood of Vinorhady which was once covered in vineyards in the 14^th century. To me it was a much more residential area of Prague. Small parks with teetering toddlers and dogs and many old beautiful buildings that looked like they were apartments. In fact, in doing research, it is where a lot of ex-pats live.

I really wanted to see Vyšehrad – which is another castle once used by Prague’s leaders. You can see the stunning spires on this grand building from miles away and I was told it was something to see up close. It was built in the 10^th century – some 70 years after the establishment of Prague Castle – on top of a hill overlooking the Vltava River and across the river from the more well-known Prague Castle. It was coined the “Castle on the Heights” and was used for about 40 years before successors to Vratislav II, a prince of Bohemia’s founding Premyslid dynasty, returned to Prague Castle. Now apparently it is a quiet and peaceful place to take in the city. It is surrounded by large gardens and is open to the public.

Well, we never made it there L But we did make it close! After walking over 6 miles and realizing we’d need to cross railroad tracks to get to the park, we were hangry and decided to bag the whole thing. We were still able to see the spectacular spires from “the other side of the tracks”.

After a stop for a coffee it was time to head back to the memorial to Operation Anthropoid which – wait for it – was closed! Apparently for technical repairs. Now hangry and disappointed we decided to find the cure for all ills – chocolate of course. We headed back to our tried and true Chocoffee for a sandwich and more beautiful tap-drawn Belgian chocolate goodness. It definitely lifted my mood!

Back across one of the lesser known bridges to Mala Strana, we strode along the riverfront. It wasn’t the most beautiful day in Prague but I’d be remiss in not saying how lovely it was to hold the hand of someone I love while watching the dazzling city go by.

What is it they say about the best laid plans? Well, I agree that they often go awry but they usually result in something wonderful. Maybe I should come up with a saying to that effect. I’ll get right on it…We’d been told by our cute free-tour-guide Amanda to check out a local restaurant called Lokal for a great local (get it?!) experience. And seeing as it was just a few blocks from our hotel, it was raining and we were exhausted, we were in. Immediately upon entering and asking about a table, John was told “We’re full”. Damn these rude Czechs! Or maybe they just don’t care. Regardless, I’m not even going to link to the restaurant…

On we went, now on the lookout for someplace warm and dry and close with – you guessed it – good wine. That’s not too much to ask, right? Well, we happened to stumble on a place that offered all of those things and more – a sweet little restaurant called Tři století – Café and Restaurant. Again, I’m going to reference Trip Advisor because they were right-on again…this one was voted #94 of 5372 restaurants in Prague. We had an adorable waitress who gave us great service. We had an amazing meal. We had some wonderful Czech wine. AND we had a great conversation to go with all of it. It was the perfect ending to our time in Prague.

It was our first full day in Prague. As on most of my international trips, I like to take advantage of the free tours offered in most of these tourist cities. Prague was no exception. We woke early, had an amazing breakfast at the Alchymist, and were on our way. It was going to be another gorgeous day!

We took our time along the Charles Bridge as there were many fewer tourists at this time of the day. Our tour wasn’t scheduled until 10 so we wandered into the Old Town Square. This is where the famous Astronomical Clock tower sits as well as restaurants, bars and shops as far as the eye can see. I love seeing these areas of town but try to resist the urge to eat or buy here as these areas are usually a rip-off. But they are fun to see – and the people watching can provide hours of entertainment.

Our walking tour was lead by Amanda – a self-proclaimed “half-breed” – half-American and half-Czech – who had spent the last 9 years living in Prague. She was cute and fun and walked us from the Old Town Square to the river and the Rudolfinum (an architectural gem where concerts are typically held and is reported to have the best acoustics in the city) to the old Jewish cemetery and through the Jewish Quarter. During the tour she providing basic history of the area as well as stories from her own family who had “had enough” and finally left the area in the late 1960’s.

The history of Prague dates back to the 9^th century when the land was termed Bohemia and under the rule of the Great King Wenceslas. It continues through the Hussite revolution and the rule of the Hapsburgs and entry into World World I. The history of this region that is most fascinating to me, however, is Prague’s role in World War II and the period after that.

Prague is one of the rare cities that didn’t get physically destroyed during WWII, leaving the beautiful in-tact architecture we still see today. But the impact on the people of the Czech Republic was severe – some 120,000 Jews lost their lives during the war – some buried 12-deep in the old Jewish cemetery in the Jewish Quarter.

After the war, the Soviets took over and established communism in Prague during which repression and economic hardship became the norm. Hundreds were executed and thousands died in labor camps simply because of their beliefs. Communism remained in control until the fall of the Berlin Wall when Czech youths organized a peaceful demonstration in memory of 9 students executed by the Nazis in 1939. The days following this demonstration became known as the Velvet Revolution because it was almost completely non-violent. I enjoy hearing this history because those who went through this time are still with us today and it’s easier for me to picture their lives and hardships…

Needless the say, the tour was well worth the time and afterward, we decided to make our way down the river – hand-in-hand – to see a memorial to Operation Anthropoid. John had become fascinated with this story during his research into the area. Operation Anthropoid was the code name for the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich who was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and was instrumental in the rise of Adolf Hitler. He was in charge of the so-called Final Solution of the Jews in Europe. If it makes it clearer, this man was nicknamed “The Blond Beast” by the Nazis. Really?!?!?! And called “Hangman Heydrich” by others. The dude had absolutely no compassion for humans at all. So, despite extreme risks, 2 Czech soldiers – Gabčík and Kubiš – were tasked with carrying out the assassination attempt. After some unbelievable circumstances, Gabčík and Kubiš believed the attempt failed. Heydrich, however, was wounded and later died of his injuries. There is now a memorial erected beneath the Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius.

John was really looking forward to seeing this memorial. Little did we know that the memorial was closed on Mondays. We’d have to come back.

We’d been on our feet for hours and needed sustenance so made our way to a little bar filled with smoking locals. We tried our first local beer – Gambrinus – and of course schnitzel. On our way back over the bridge, John noticed a little café called Chocoffee. Well, the name says it all. This place was so good we’d go out of our way to return the following day. They advertised Belgian chocolate served from its own tap with any type of dipping food you’d like – from pretzels to fruit to nuts to what they called a cream horn which looked like an éclair but lighter and flakier. YUM! Those who know me know that I’m not a HUGE fan of Trip Advisor but according to them, this is #12 of 4970 places to eat in Prague. Yep – I agree with that!

Back across the river to Mala Strana, we visited the Lennon Wall, an area of legal graffiti that is a tribute not only to John Lennon but to love and peace in general. Even when the wall was painted over by authorities, on the second day it would be filled again with poems and flowers and even more graffiti.

John wanted to stop by the Church of our Lady Victorious which is famous for its housing of the Infant Jesus of Prague. He’d read about the Infant Jesus of Prague in one of his childhood novenas and he wanted to see it in person. The Infant Jesus has 2 crowns and about 46 robes which are traditionally changed about 10 times a year. He is enclosed in glass inside a beautiful Baroque-style church beneath which the novenas can be read in at least a dozen languages.

Our sweet free-tour guide Amanda convinced us that another tour was in order – that of Prague Castle. The tour was to start in the Old Town Square and complete on the other side of the river within the old castle walls. This was something both John and I were really looking forward to seeing – partially because of the amazing views of the city and partially because of the renowned St. Vitus Cathedral that is depicted in almost every picture of Prague.

This tour was a bit different, unfortunately. Our tour guide, Kevin, was American and had only been in Prague for 2 short years. Further, we think he was high or at least severely hung over. Regardless, he did make us giggle a few times but we didn’t get a great overview of this historic castle. One disappointing point – we didn’t get to go into St. Vitus Cathedral. Apparently it closes at 5 and we didn’t get there until after 6. But according to Kevin, “it’s just a church”. WHAT?!?!?! I really regret not having a chance to see this “church”.

Prague Castle is a castle complex dating from the 9^th century. It is the official residence of the president of the Czech Republic and is the largest ancient castle in the entire world at over 18 acres! At one time it even had a moat for protection and one leader filled the surrounding area with deer so he could hunt without leaving the castle grounds.

The castle represents virtually every architectural style of the last millennium as each inhabitant built onto the castle in the preferred architecture of the day – from the Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral to the Romanesque Basilica of St. George. It has seen its share of hard times as well. In 1541 a fire destroyed large parts of the castle and the Second Prague defenestration in 1618 saw the castle damaged and dilapidated by looting and robbery. Does anyone know what defenestration is? I didn’t! Apparently defenestration – or the act of throwing someone out a window – was a huge part of Prague’s history. Interesting…

The castle was fascinating – and over-the-top gorgeous – and the views of the city were exactly what I’d read – absolutely stunning!

Our friends from Charlotte had recommended a restaurant on the top of Stahav hill very close to the castle district so we decided to walk there. What was so interesting to me is the lack of people on that side of the river at that time of night. We’d literally go blocks without seeing anyone. Kind of strange in such a touristy city. And it also meant we got lost. But not for long. Eventually we found the restaurant called Peklo – which is the Czech term for “hell”. It is part of the oldest monasteries in the world and is accessible by descending into the rock. It was dark and warm and inviting. We had some LOVELY Czech wine – of course white for me and red for John – and enjoyed the food and service there.

Walking the roads back to our hotel was like being in a different era. Cobblestones and lanterns lighted the way and very, very few people. It was lovely – and a little disconcerting 🙂 The evening finished with some more Czech wine for me and Becherovka for John. Becherovka is a traditional Czech herbal liquor. Although obviously he looks great drinking it, he didn’t get much past a few sips!

The theme of this trip was “Be here now”. I really wanted to try to stay in the present moment because, not only has it been way too long since I’ve traveled, but this would be my first time traveling with a man I love. I had very high expectations and wanted to savor every moment.

Arrival into Prague via taxi had us cresting over Petrin Hill where we got our first glimpse of the stunning Prague Castle, Old Town and the famous Charles Bridge. Everything was so old and intricate and very, very clean. It was lovely! We arrived at our hotel, The Alchemist, in Malá Strana. Malá Strana is one of the districts of Prague that literally translates to “Little Side” but is more commonly referred to as “Lesser Town”. The name of the district derives from its position on the left bank of the river Vltava, at the base of the Prague Castle. I chose this area to stay in because it’s much quieter than Old Town and New Town across the river and was reported to have hilly cobblestone streets lit by lanterns that would be close to deserted while the youngsters played across the Charles Bridge. Immediately upon entering the hotel we were given a welcome cocktail of their house made sparkling wine and numerous apologies for not having had a car for us at the airport. They were wonderful and the hotel was gorgeous – over-the-top – lots of gold and rich fabrics and antique furniture and even a stuffed boars-head on one of the walls. Everywhere you looked was something different and unique.

Our room was decorated in a similar vein. Even the beams on the ceiling were hand-painted in swirls and flowers and grapevines.

The hotel hosted a free nightly wine tasting so we figured why not? Almost immediately upon sitting down with our wine, another couple in the lounge asked where we were from. Come to find out they were from Charlotte as well! We ended up sharing our stories over some lovely wine. It was a nice way to begin the trip.

First thing to do? Cross the famous pedestrian-only Charles Bridge and wander around Old Town until we found some dinner.

The Charles Bridge is a historic, Gothic-style bridge that served as the only means of crossing the river until 1841. It was named after King Charles IV and is protected by three towers – 2 on the Lesser Town side and one on the Old Town side of the river.  The bridge is decorated by a total of 30 statues, mostly in the baroque style, originally erected around 1700. But now they are all replicas – the originals are kept in museums for preservation.

It was a beautiful evening and the bridge was packed with tourists and locals artists hawking their wares. Every direction you look from this vantage is awesome. I’ve been to many places in my travels but have never been anywhere where the architecture of the buildings was so ancient and yet so intact. Breathtaking!

Letting yourself get too hungry as a tourist is never a good thing. Every single thing I read about Prague said never to eat anywhere near the Charles Bridge – we’d get mediocre food, poor service and big prices. Well, typical hungry tourists that we were, we popped into a restaurant right off the Charles Bridge. Let me just say, listen to what you read about Prague! The food was actually decent – we both had the typical Czech goulash. In the Czech Republic, the goulash is different than in other parts of the world. This one consisted of lots of savory sauce, beef, a few onions and more bread dumplings than you can wrap your head around. Did I mention that one should believe what they read about Prague?! But at that point, little did I know that bad service is a Czech tradition and usually comes accompanied by a good meal.

After wandering around the Old Town Square and sampling our own bottle of complimentary house wine, we crashed as if we hadn’t slept in 24 hours 🙂