Remarkable Prague

You can believe everything you read online or in travel guide books about Prague. Touted as one of the most beautiful city in Europe, its historical city centre is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.
Visitors throng this ancient city almost all year round. With visitor arrivals peaking in spring, summer and autumn. January and February are generally quieter because winter temperatures can dip well below zero.

It is easy to see why thousands of tourists descend upon this city. It is certainly a pilgrimage for  devout Catholics, with its many iconic religious sites. For the curious tourists like me, it is a worthy lesson on European history in-situ. Try the St Agnes of Bohemia Convent, which houses an amazing collection of Medieval and Renaissance art. Every time I thought "That's it", there was yet another section to visit. Grand churches to visit are like St. Nicholas Church ( Malostranske ), St Vitus Cathedral and the iconic Infant Jesus of Prague. Then there is the old city town square with the famous Astronomical clock and the Charles Bridge.

Prague is a walkable city and most tourists either walk or take the public trams. It is a good idea to go on a guided walking tour to get an overall view and then re-visit or skip the places you've been and see something else. A good map and sharp navigation skills do come in handy as the narrow meandering streets can be quite daunting especially when feet are starting to ache; otherwise do like most youngsters do and switch on your GPS.

Aside from the usual sightseeing spots, the magnificent buildings and architecture are quite something to behold. We must have taken  over 300 shots of buildings until my husband declared he had " building indigestion" on Day 3 of our visit !

Shopping for antiques crossed my mind as we peeked into a shop selling antique military paraphernalia. Could we have been 15 years too late? I don't know and I wouldn't be too concerned. I had my eyes on a pair of sparkling, hand cut bohemian crystal vase and dinner bell. Or would it be the pretty hand painted Slovak ceramics in that shop next to the US Embassy?

If shopping is your thing, then browse the main boulevard leading to Wenceslas Square, you find shops, restaurants, bars, hotels. British giants like C&A, Marks and Spencer, Debenhams, all blended into the façade like old friends. Other surprising tenants are the many Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants and Thai Massage parlours! I wondered how they got there and when?

I saw Bata and made a beeline for it. This must be the Bata Mother ship; the iconic shoe maker whose advertisement ran like " First to Bata, then to School" became a household name for school kids in Singapore and Malaysia. School children wore those unmistakable white canvas shoes as part of the school uniforms. Well, I did..
In Prague, the Bata store has six levels including handbags, accessories and small leather goods too.

Many tour operators have the insane habit of throwing in at least one meal at a restaurant that caters to the nationality of their customers.  The idea of eating Asian food in Prague does not excite my taste buds terribly. What is better than sitting in a restaurant with the locals and trying the local specialities of  dumplings, cabbage, more pork meat and goulash stewed in dark beer. Of course, I had to try the famous Czech beer which I did, albeit nursing it a bit longer than what the bartender would have liked. Unfazed, I happily visited Café Louvre to do justice to the mouth watering pastries. Coffee culture is steep here just like in Vienna - no surprises then.

Pictures to follow ....

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