Na shledanou Praha

Five days discovering the Chzech Republic capital (Prague).

 

E 'Friday morning and we sat in the waiting room awaiting our flight to Monaco of Bavaria, around us only German businessmen, all strictly in black suit, white shirt and black leather bag .. but the facts will appear in series ...
While traveling on the bus that brings us the plane I remember a small forgotten .... I have forgotten to put the label with the name to the trolley that we have embarked ... We hope, that this is not the time I lose the suitcase ... For once I may have forgotten!
The bus stops in front of a plane ... we're kidding? The aircraft of Air Dolomite in all its smallness is there before me ... Fortunately that Caselle there are 747 on the track otherwise it would seem even smaller than what I think comparing it with the usual Airbus.
E 'la prima volta che salgo a plane so small and the propellers of the engines outside and it inspires me a lot of confidence .. if and when a pigeon flies into a propeller ends? What happens ... is not that the whole maciullato beat against the windows? Do not think ...
The flight, apart from the rock that are perhaps typical of the type of aircraft, up to Monaco is quiet. Then from Monaco, with a plane a little 'bigger but still with the external propeller (this particularly upset me) go to Prague. On the there are some pairs of Italians who are now clearly recognized. By doing navigated by passenger joked about the type of aircraft and its robustness ... Pity that the last part of the flight and landing was very swinging and one of those travelers was made to scream manco precipitating the same plane! So .. perhaps it was better that the beak is kept closed before doing so the chicken and then they appear to be of xxxx!

Once in Prague, recovered our trolley, we are going to seek the seat of the journey we have made the reservation of accommodation to withdraw the key to our room. Already the board that we have chosen requires the presence of a person to receptions of up to only 13, so we agreed to withdraw the key to the room at the airport at their office. These things always leave me a little 'thinking but sometimes you must trust.
Recovered the key, the information on how to reach the city center and bus tickets needed we go bus stop 100, The Exchange in front of arrivals, not late in coming. Arrived at the bus stop, near a huge shopping mall, there is the subway station (line B) that door straight in the heart of Prague in Moldova. The cost is really insignificant, 12 crowns a head all the way. We descend into Namestri Republiky a short walk from our pension. Metro dropped us touches trace an escalator, steep as to fear, makes a certain effect to look back, better not think about how we can roll up beautifully at the bottom if one loses the balance.
The Pension is located Platan top floor of one of those old buildings with all the stone staircase and an elevator located in stairwell. Still one of those old elevators that are in the old palaces in Turin with the whole structure in iron.
The board is nice, very quiet, especially since the rooms are only eight. The rooms are clean and the furniture seem new. Our room has a double bed with bedside tables, a table, two armchairs and a cupboard all in light wood. The bathroom has a shower and is quite nice. Our window will not be on the road and this is fortunate since there is a lot of traffic, but the view over the courtyard of these buildings is not that a little. In the corridor there is a refrigerator available to everyone, every floor, the refrigerator was marked with the number of each room so everyone knows where to put your stuff and hopefully we eat looks good from the other .. he eh eh eh
Sistema our stuff and leave to make two steps and dinner. E 'dark and starts to rain. But is it possible that every time we go somewhere is accidentals cloud there must always be below! I understand that maybe you like to travel but can not refrain from doing so just in our company? However we, without umbrellas, the Celetna, full of shops and shop windows and eat a hamburger from McDonalds fast, meanwhile, the rain begins to be more insistent.
Prague, capital of the Czech Republic with a population of just over one million inhabitants, joined the EU on 1 May 2004 (and so no longer need a passport to enter the country). E 'a city rich in history, monuments, museums (the guides will have more than 20) and parks to relax. Tomorrow we go to discover all this .... Who knows how it will be.

Accommodation: Pension Platan - Revolucní 24 - Praha 1 - Stare Mesto (CK Petrs - tel. +420 224 215 050 - Email: slovan@petrs.cz - http://www.petrs.cz/ubytovani.php?lang=en&id = 22)

And it also came on the day of departure, our little holiday is about to end. Calmly try to put all our stuff, including recent purchases in the trolley. Undertaking not just because we have already started that was explosive.
Leaving our hotel, we still scappatina Staromestske to the square, to give one last look for the clock and enjoy the spectacle of the 10th I take this opportunity to take two cards to take home.
After that we head to the subway station. One last look at this beautiful city and the steep stairs that a few days ago brought us the heart of Prague, we are now back. Take the subway to the last stop and from there bus 100 that leave us at the airport.
In Monaco, including a flight to another, buy two sandwiches for lunch ... sti capers .... In Prague with what we paid for these two miserable sandwiches we bought sandwiches for a week!
Anyway .. Despite the planes' Helix 'arrived safely in Turin. And so this holiday is over ... there are pictures to be developed, to be labeled and the story to be written. So still some time for our 5 days in Prague will remain alive and present and then ... Prague is also a sweet memory ... Na shledanou Praha



Guide used:
The best of Prague - Ed EDT
Prague - city Book (Corriere della Sera) - Arnoldo Mondadori Ed

We wake up early. Time is not of the best: it seems that should rain, for a change.
Breakfast is served directly in your room, simply put your nose out of the room and warn tizia you want breakfast and just have time to prepare the tray, and breakfast is served.
Heaven does not promise well for which we decide to start our visit from the castle of Prague, where, if it rains we can always visit the interior.
In the streets there is no one, actually have not yet nine. We cross the famous Staromestske Namesti with its astronomical clock, practically deserted and we continue towards the Charles Bridge is also desert. Let us some photos and enjoy the solitude of this place unaware of the fact that from them a few hours would have been more of a crowded subway station in peak time.
Walk the streets of the old city, where merchants are opening their studio to finally get on the front of the castle. The castle was founded by the ninth century prince Borivoj. It enjoys a beautiful location overlooking the Moldova.
They just opened the gates and several groups, including many school children crowd the entrance waiting to enter. Someone makes the usual photo rite, un po 'ridiculous, with the charge of sentries guard the gates: upright, immovable, impassive. I guess what I think when people went para next to the usual photos, but I am a lady and then do not say!
Beyond the first court yard to go in the second courtyard (the original names) to arrive before the majestic Cathedral of San Vito. The groups and people crowded at the entrance and saw that there is pioviginando pushed us too.
Depending on what and how much you want to visit the castle, there are multiple types of tickets and prices .. You can only decide to visit the cathedral, the only museum, the alley of gold or you can get a ticket that allows visits to all sites (350 crowns). We choose the latter.
Since we are already inside (the box office is at the entrance to the cathedral) are beginning, like everyone else, we visit the Cathedral of St. Vitus. It can be said to be the most imposing monument of the castle. Impressive choir, and the wooden panel 'Escape of Frederick of the Palatinate'. So .. deserves a nice visit, even if accurate it is virtually impossible to move without jostling or being trampled by a myriad of tourists. It will be raining outside but it was all the same idea. We left the cathedral to admire the famous golden door. After that we move into the royal palace. In the century the palace became the seat of the principles of Bohemia. You can visit the hall of the Diet (contrary to what may think the name, this is not a room where we eat little but the hall of the parliament Bohemia). Very beautiful and well preserved are the various ceramic stoves placed in different rooms ... and still work! One of these is contained in the famous stanza from which the came threw. A peek through the window from which, on 23 May 1618 the nobles who were protesting against the ascent to the throne of Ferdinand of Habsburg pushed out of the window then the imperial governors and given that there were also the secretary of the latter. Actually have a nice fly about 15 meters. It is said that the three guys from the launches were saved because they fell on a pile of manure. The Catholics said that this providential 'mattress' it was a divine intervention ... beh ... could not make hay? In short, this intervention divine could be a bit more fragrant! A need to chronicle the history books say that this was the event that began the war of thirty years and obviously the word 'threw' was coined in this.

After this history lesson we are going to visit the museum where the powder is exposed to the currencies used by the Czech in the course of history. There are also some reconstructions of scenes of military life in the last century. I must admit that this museum that would not care less about it to anybody because we have only ourselves.

Finally we reach the alley Golden, both of which I had heard about. This is a narrow road flanked closely by a series of small huts, in all senses. Low low with small doors and windows. So .. could be the way to the house of the seven dwarfs! Are currently occupied by souvenir shops, but it goes .. I would not have said!
One of these hovels they say has been the home of Kafta. Personally I was expecting something different .. look nice but nothing more.

Walk through the streets of the old town, we pass in front of Loreta and then we head towards the Petrin Park. We arrive to the observatory tower, but as time is not very nice decided to postpone the climb for a day with a best time to enjoy the view from the city.

In the afternoon we return to the old town. Riattraversiamo Charles Bridge which is teeming with tourists and street artists, from painters, musicians to designers. Charles Bridge was until 1741 the only bridge over the Vltava, but I doubt that it was crowded as it is now! At either end and has two towers on both sides is a series of statues. A guide is all intent on explaining his group who knows what on one of these statues .. I hope that you have brought the need for camps because mica ce la fanno a pass all day!
We pass in front of the clock Astronomical few minutes before the time of the shoot, so we join the crowd already there to assist in this spettacolino. This clock was built and then placed on the tower of City Hall in the fifteenth century. The legend says that in 1490 the clock was rebuilt by a master watchmaker, a certain Hanus, but to prevent him from making a similar one elsewhere was blinded. Nice! The clock mechanism has been repaired several times but was only completed and perfected between 1552 1572 by Taborsky, who knows if he knew the fate to his predecessor a century earlier!
Shoot at the time, led by St. Peter, one by one, the twelve apostles make their appearance, while the statue of the Turkish shakes his head and the skeleton turns his hourglass.

Not far from our house, on the other side of Moldova, there is another city park (Letna). Stefanikuv from the deck you can enjoy a beautiful view of the castle and the citadel. Tizia is the morning of the pension he had talked about this bridge and you can not give you the wrong that view is very beautiful. The park is located exactly on the bank of the Vltava River in front of the Jewish quarter.

For dinner we chose a place nearby, recommended by the guide. Apart from the name of pizzas and Italian has nothing.
Now we need a bowl with a ball inside to not know what and crostini. Really we do not have ordered and several guides and forum I read that these things that you need is a fee and that often cost more than the rest. Così.. we are a little 'doubt whether eating or not. We would not want that actually taste this costs us more than the entire dinner. After a while 'meditation ... we toast and we spread over this thing ..., as they say "that cracking avarice"! This is a kind of cheese with herbs and garlic. Eat the pizza we ordered was not bad, just a little 'spicy, sweet and ... when we pay the bill the appetizers that we have offered is not compromised. Wow guides that make all this terrorism. Perhaps this bad habit is due to some restaurant because generalize this way!
Pizzeria "The Fan" - Souk

Today promises good weather, there appears to be the ideal day to delight the sight of the city from above. To not do the usual route and see the usual paths we choose an alternative route to get to the observatory tower. We pass on Wenceslas Square (Namesti Vàclarskè) flanked by historic buildings and hotels where the square tip dominates the national museum. On this square is the monument to victims of communism and even to Jon Palach, a martyr to the anti-suicide in 1969 is giving fire to protest against communism. This square is the scene of other events related to the fight against communism, in 1989 there was a protest march against police brutality and the regime which resulted in what was called the velvet revolution which toppled the then then communist regime.
Unfortunately for me in this square is also a great sports store and Mark, not only gives us a peek but it comes with its beautiful bag purchases!
To reach the observatory across Moldova legii on deck, the one exactly opposite the Charles Bridge. From this view is not bad and my mom as Formichini the Charles Bridge.

Arrived in front of the observatory tower, buy tickets (100 crowns) to get on this little tour Eiffel, and we are approaching the scale. The system of ascent and descent is made to go up on one side and descend the other stairs and the two obviously are not found. We immediately head to the top floor, which has a really nice view over the city. City that lies on several hills. E 'from Letna park that we stick to a monument with a guy on horseback on a hill. We study well the direction of advancing time because if we do a scappatina. Not so much for the monument, which we have no idea what it is, but for the hill that is not expected to have a good view.
After the tour the top floor, we pause a little 'to see the view from the floor before falling back to' ground '.
In the afternoon we walk along the park, go for the small neighborhood, we pass in front of the castle, where a pair of musicians (or maybe there were three?) Gives the already special atmosphere of this city into a something more that makes it special and very evocative. It must be said that artists are good, moving from songs of popular music and traditional songs to classical music (like the cavalry Rusticana) with equal skill. In any case, the small streets of the district are crowded with street musicians.
E 'Sunday for us, and even if we are here to make the tourists a quiet afternoon relaxing at the park as all the Letna Prague him take us too. There are many people who attend this and other corners of the town green: parents with children, couples, people with skaters and people in cycling. Despite the traffic of the city these parks offer a good place to relax in peace. A good place to spend Sunday afternoon out of the chaos and the city traffic without miles of road to reach them.
I included that in my good tourist, I always behind a book, I am immersed in reading, while Marco is acculturation by reading the pages of history of the city listed on the guide.

For dinner we return to the pizzeria in the evening before. There's a lot of people. But they soon discover the reason. Television broadcast of a game Okay, I said Mark, who in the field is more familiar to me, that the Czechs have a good tradition in this sport and also a good country. That is why they are all sat glued to the TV.
This evening we order a soup and a salad. Jump because of the sweet soup and super big salads mixed there was no longer room for dessert.
We finished dinner a little 'walk to the city. Despite the cold, really sharp, the roads are very crowded.

Accommodation: Pizzeria "The Fan" - Soukenicka 7 - Prague 1 - Price 450 kronor

After a good breakfast and have recovered our sandwiches fresh in the fridge we head toward the goal of this morning. The monument is located on a horse on a hill. More or less we have guessed the direction. More or less because after a while 'to walk abandon the intention to go further and we head towards the bridge Hlàvkuk where there are islands on Moldova. Once in the middle of the bridge, we discover that the direction we had taken was quite in line with the monument that we wanted to achieve and that was not far away. Un po 'di thoughts and second thoughts and return on our steps. Finally find the entrance to this park and we start to climb the hill. We meet one guy that makes jogging, the rest none. And 'even pleasant walk alone in the park that rises to the top of this hill where the monument should be I saw you from afar. Finally we arrive at the foot of a staircase, lifting our eyes we see the statue with a guy on a horse. All perfectly silent .. there is no living soul, I say ... salgo steps e. .. face there was none. A group of soldiers, with a band (they were making a break, that's why so much silence) are doing tests for some event. Four four .. beyond all these people and we go on the balcony where there is a statue and there are already two other people who observe the progress of trials. The statue is the equestrian statue of a certain Jan Zizka, while this construction is the national mausoleum Vitkov (will not be open to the public). A chronicle of having this area has been the scene of the historic victory of the Hussites sull'esercito sent by the Catholic Sigismonto (that name!). In practice, July 14 1420 on this hill (called Vitkov) the Hussite perhaps, although numerically much smaller than those Catholic, led by this type, Jan Zizka defeated the Catholic army. The mausoleum is the symbol of the struggle for the independence of the Czechoslovak people. Having witnessed some 'tests, we made a lap around the mausoleum to find out the other side there comes a beautiful road.

Leaving this hill, see the map to see the direction to take for Stramovka the park for lunch, go before the national museum of the art, the palace of the fairs. We decided to put strain on the soles of our shoes ... These salts then get off and who knows who does well on the line.
Stramovka Park is a beautiful park with trees (according to the guide this is the meaning of the name), so not suitable for our lunch because we wanted a nice bench in the sun and overlooking the city. A little male come back fond all'ormai Letna park.
Today there is few people who walk, someone with a dog and a grandmother with the wheelchair.

Consulted the guide I remember that I have not seen the royal gardens ... just bad ... After lunch we are. It 's just the third time that we spend in front of the castle, but ... The royal gardens we could not visit because they are not yet open, open them by just a few days. Patience .. know first avoid the road right there, but we arrived just in time to witness a changing of the guard. The guide said it takes place at noon, but the 14 ... it is also true in reference to the main entrance, here we are in a secondary, perhaps the time is not the same. Thus the two guards, one in an advanced state of frostbite, are replaced by two other young proud Baldi (I say) to freeze for their homeland.

Finally, the Jewish quarter, for now we have always just gone but we have not dwelt much to see the Synagogue, the Jewish cemetery and museum. Nor because we will miss half the closing time and even if we would not have the time to see everything. So we make a quick choice and let one peek at the Jewish cemetery that knows a little 'ghost of all those tombstones stone not quite perfectly aligned, and the facades of synagogues.

Finally we return to the streets Staromestske, monuments even stay close in the afternoon but has not yet finished.
There are banquets as the Christmas markets, all wood all perfectly aligned, with their objects and their craft. In one of these I buy the Easter eggs in Prague. Next week is Easter so I am not so out of place.
In another banquet rather buy me a strange candy, which I do not remember the name, which looks like a bracelet. A kind of biscuit not bad. Yesterday or the day before yesterday, instead we bought a huge round waferone. I settle on a plate, sprinkle it over the crumbled nuts, replace with another disk waferone at the plate and comes out a light but slightly sweet exquisite exquisite.

On the square there is also a kind of pulpit on which rooms for people to see the square a little 'more from the top. It 'nice to see the street people that move on the square. Alternatively you could go to visit the astronomical clock tower from which you can enjoy a beautiful view over the square and the city.

And so the dinner hour approaches, not just to take the cheat for dinner we return to our usual restaurant in addition to not being evil has the advantage that is just a stone's throw from our house and saw that they now walk We just made so many ..
Tonight, no consignment of okey so the place is pretty empty. We conclude the meal with a dessert and then we go back in the room to prepare our stuff.

Accommodation: Pizzeria "The Fan" - Soukenicka 7 - Prague 1 - Price 470 kronor