Prague
Prague, oh Prague, where have you been all my life? What a gorgeous city! Everywhere you look is amazing beauty. Architecture to keep you oohing and aahing. Monuments galore and a foodie-paradise! Prague is also exceptionally clean for a large city. There are 1M Czechs living in Prague and I would guess that they must have at least half that many tourists each year. It is also very green. There current administration has committed to planting 1 MILLION trees over its 2-term, 8-year governance. They are at almost 500,000 newly planted trees at the end of 3 years; well on their way to meeting their campaign promise. Imagine spending taxpayer money planting trees for future generations rather than dropping bombs? Wow.
We spent 3 days in Prague, staying at a boutique hotel run by Marriott Bonvoy, called Sir Prague (excellent value, good location and nice, clean & comfortable hotel). Three nights in Prague was not enough for us, and we have committed to returning.
Big crucial point. Book walking tours and food tours while you are in Prague. There is so much to see, so much history and a lot of tasty food. You will do yourself a big disservice if you do not hire a local to show you around. Plan to tour the city over several days, wearing extremely comfortable shoes (there is A LOT of ground to cover). A few highlights include the cathedral, the astronomical clock, old and lesser city centers, a1-hour river boat cruise, the main square with the statutes honoring the fight of the Protestants to end religious oppression and a statute of the Madonna in the same space, demonstrating to those who care to observe more than statues, that differing beliefs can live side by side.
Do not miss the John Lennon Wall. It has an amazing story and yes, I will share it right now.
Back during the days of Communist occupation, dissidents were dealt with harshly. No prison terms for them; no, they were banned to the uranium minds where they all died an agonizingly painful and slow death. So, those wishing to express their dissatisfaction with the regime would come in the dead of night and write their grievances on the wall for all citizens to see. The regime would catch on, paint the wall “clean” and the dissidents would appear again during the night and write their grievances again. The regime would paint the wall clean and the dissidents would return. And on it went. After the fall regime of Communism, the wall continued to be a place for all degrees of public expression. It is called the John Lennon Wall because when John Lennon was murdered, citizens expressed their horror at the killing, their love and support of the Lennon family and left prayerful messages. From that time on, it has been called the John Lennon Wall. The most recent expressions of solidarity with Ukraine continue to show the compassion and goodness of the Czeck peoples.
On a lighter note, Prague’s version of Rodeo Drive is worthy of a stroll. Even if you are not a “fancy pants,” like me, it is fun to people watch and window shop; not to mention a nice way to stroll off that pig knuckle and gravy, with dumplings that you had for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner!
Speaking of eating, we had lunch both days at Lokal, where the locals really do eat. The food is authentic and really good. They serve the famous Pilsner Urqell beer, the beer most enjoyed in Prague. The service is so-so, but the locals do not mind. Just give me a beer and you can take your time bringing my food, just do not take your time bringing my beer!
Did you know that Czecks drink more beer per capita than any other peoples in the world? I bet you thought that dubious distinction belonged to the Irish! Not so fast my friends. The Czecks are willing to show the Irish what beer drinking really means!
Now, back to food. Both nights we ate at Restaurant 420. The service was excellent (ask for Maria). We considered the food to be “elevated dining,” and the wine list was excellent. But the prices were not likewise elevated. Jim said it was some of the best food that he has eaten outside my kitchen (smart man). So, we went back a second night to assess whether our first night’s experience was an aberration or if the place is really that good and we were pleased to find the second night to be equally as good as the first night. So, no aberration here. Restaurant 420 is a “keeper.”
Unfortunately, our time in Prague ended too soon; however, we will be back next year and we cannot wait!