Prague Blog Part 2

Refreshed with 12 hours of sleep, we were ready to enjoy our first full day in Prague with our friends. After breakfast at the apartment with los dos Dianas we were off to meet up with our local tour guide.

Phil and I have learned from our travels that we tend to enjoy group tours that aren’t too big. We also have enjoyed tours with locals about the location we are visiting; walking tours and food tours (or a combo of both!) tend to be our favorite. We like to book these types of tours early in our trip so we have a chance to pick their brains about must see/do spots in the city and hidden gems that might not be so well known to tourists.

Apparently there had been a marathon in the city that morning. Diana had been out for a morning run and seen the runners and folks cheering them on. When we set out it seemed to be winding down, but we still had to traverse barricades and extra large crowds around the Charles Bridge to make it to our meetup point of a little local coffee spot called Starbucks, on time to meet with our guide, Jolana.

We had another friend to add to our group who met us at the Starbucks as well. Our good friend, Utkarsh, who we’d met while living in Gijón! Utkarsh started the intercambio we attended in Oviedo, the capital of Aturias. He is a dynamic individual who has a knack for bringing people together. Utkarsh was in town to give a presentation at the University and it worked out wonderfully that we could all meet up for a little reunion tour!

Besides our group of five, there were two others; Czech friends of Jolana, our tour guide, who wanted to join. The tour was scheduled to take 3 hours. This might sound like a long time, but when you’re walking and talking, learning, and enjoying yourself, it flies by. Off we went, making our way through the Lesser Town (which Jolana explained literally meant downtown as it is nestled in the foothills of Prague Castle), up toward the Castle area.

We took the “back way” up to the Castle, which Jolana explained as a little less traveled, with a more gradual incline, which was appreciated. It gave us a chance to chat and catch up with the Dianas and Utkarsh as we walked. Once we reached the top, we were rewarded with lovely views of the city and got a photo of all of us together!

After checking out the castle area, we made our way down, toward the very edge of the old town and walled-in castle area called Golden Lane, where the servants (including goldsmiths) lived. It is a super cute area with charming little homes where a lot of artists now live and work.

The last big stop on the tour was the Astronomical Clock (also known as the Orloj). Built on the front side of the old town hall, the clock draws a huge crowd awaiting the hourly show of the Walk of the Apostles and a skeleton representing death. The clock has several dials, one representing the position of the sun, moon, and zodiac signs, another a calendar dial with the seasons, a traditional hourly clock face with Roman numerals and an hour and minute hand, and another dial dial shows Ancient Czech Time, Central European Time, and the smallest circle shows Unequal Time (Babylonian Hours, what’s that now?). Each dial uses a different set of numbers, including Gothic, Roman, and Arabic numerals, to display the time.

We lucked out as we found ourselves inside of the marathon barricade that had been placed around the clock for the early morning runners. As the huge crowd swelled on the other side, we were able to snap a few pics of just our group right in front of the clock, which Jolana explained is typically impossible because of almost constant crowds. Score!

After our clock pics, we ended the tour (which ended up being closer to 4.5 hours!) with a beverage at a hidden cafe near the clock. It is hidden in that it’s located inside of a building that houses other businesses. The cafe has a terrace area for seating that spans three stories, overlooking the building’s courtyard. We sat and enjoyed our drinks, talking with Jolana and her friends. We knew that the people of Prague must have a great love of fine arts given their opera houses and symphony orchestra (in addition to art museums), which Jolana confirmed. We discovered that she and her two friends met each other because they are all dancers. Additionally we learned that all Czech children learn ballroom dancing in high school, a tradition dating back to the early 20th century.

While we enjoyed the tour immensely, by the time it was over, we were ready to EAT! Luckily, we asked Jolana (who graciously had already stated she would send us a list of recommended must sees around the city), where the closest, recommended restaurant was. She pointed us toward  Lokál (the restaurant Phil and I had looked for the night before) and in ten short minutes, we were sitting down, perusing the menu.

I am not exaggerating when I say this was one of the best meals I have ever eaten. Not only because the food was delicious, but also because we were able to share it with our friends. Food is special in the way it connects people. This meal was shared by a group of people who come from different countries, enjoying food in yet another country that is foreign to all of them, but in that moment, felt like home.

We shared all of the food, family style, which is my favorite way to dine. I love trying a little bit of everything. My favorite dish of the meal, was the steak tartare. I have had tartare before, and enjoyed it to varying degrees, but this dish was spectacular. Czech rye is the best rye bread I have ever had, and I really like rye bread. This tartare was served with delicious rye that had been pan-fried in lard and garlic clove. Holy moly and yes all day long!

After our meal, we walked back to the apartment and after talking a while with Diana, Phil and I walked Utkarsh back to where he was saying. We stopped at little champagneria on the way. I love champagne and most things sparkling while, so c’mon, of course we stopped at a champagneria. It was great to spend a little one-on-one time with Utkarsh and catch up over some bubbly.

Stay tuned for part 3: our day trip to Pilsen, more Pragueing around, and of course, more food!