Prague - Day Two

We arose to meet our second day in Prague after a long and refreshing sleep in our warm apartment. To wake ourselves up, we took a stroll up the nearby Vyšehrad, which is a very formidable fortress to the South of town with high walls affording a tremendous view.

[caption id="attachment_984" align="aligncenter" width="620" caption="That's me surveying my Kingdom from on high"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_985" align="aligncenter" width="620" caption="Kristen blocking the view"][/caption]

We then caught the tram into town and got off at Wenceslas Square, which is lined with French themed art nouveau buildings. Here we stopped by one of the slightly suspicious looking street food stands.

[caption id="attachment_986" align="aligncenter" width="620" caption="The scary food stand"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_987" align="aligncenter" width="620" caption="The French art nouveau façades"][/caption]

The stands offer an array of fried foods and local sausages for rock bottom prices. They're not actually too bad if you're in a hurry and just want something simple to chow on, but the Xmas markets provide better at this time of year.

[caption id="attachment_988" align="aligncenter" width="620" caption="Marzipan at the Xmas markets"][/caption]

We had a bit of a wander around the old town, stopping every 50 metres to marvel at some other amazing building. When we arrived at the Old Town Square in the daylight, we stood and marvelled at the astronomical clock and saw the people in the tower at the top. What better way to see the town than climb up a big tower in the centre with a 360 view? Right, so up we went.

[caption id="attachment_989" align="aligncenter" width="620" caption="The Old Town Square"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_990" align="aligncenter" width="620" caption="From the top of the clock tower. These two towers are uneven."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_991" align="aligncenter" width="620" caption="Looking down on the Xmas market"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_992" align="aligncenter" width="620" caption="Looking from the tower to the Prague Castle"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_993" align="aligncenter" width="620" caption="Looking back up at the clock tower"][/caption]

 

Following this, we wandered into the Jewish area, where more fantastic buildings awaited us. A few days later when we did the free tour of Prague, we learned a lot about the tragic history of this area and the Jews there.

[caption id="attachment_994" align="aligncenter" width="620" caption="One of the synagogues in the Jewish quarter"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_995" align="aligncenter" width="620" caption="The Jewish Cemetery"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_996" align="aligncenter" width="620" caption="A statue based on Franz Kafka's Beetle"][/caption]

As the sun started to set, we crossed the Charles bridge with its beautiful statues - It's one of the essential and unmissable features of Prague. By the time we got to the end, we were spent from our day of walking and so retreated back along the riverside home.

[caption id="attachment_997" align="aligncenter" width="620" caption="Charles IV I assume"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_998" align="aligncenter" width="620" caption="One of the statues on the Charles Bridge"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_999" align="aligncenter" width="620" caption="On the Charles Bridge, the figure is polished by tourists rubbing it"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1000" align="aligncenter" width="620" caption="More statues on the Charles Bridge"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1001" align="aligncenter" width="620" caption="Me rubbing the dog, which is apparently unlucky. Oops."][/caption]

For dinner, we went 5 minutes down the road to Restaurace Pod Slavínem which has a small selection of beers, but the menu is exhaustive. We asked the waiter if 1.5kg of pork knuckle would be enough for two, and it most certainly was. When the monstrosity arrived, it was everything I had ever hoped for. I should mention that I'm never considering my personal health when tackling a dish; the only thing that matters is the flavour. This meal had such a simple but effective charm to it and it rates as one of the best things I've ever tasted.

[caption id="attachment_1002" align="aligncenter" width="620" caption="The pork knuckle"][/caption]

We managed to find some room for dessert as well - why not, when the final bill was less than £15?

[caption id="attachment_1003" align="aligncenter" width="620" caption="OK, that was a little more than we expected."][/caption]