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Published: December 28th 2014
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Me and a grumpy looking palace guard
The guards are changed every hour but with a fanfare and flag ceremony at midday As the title says, it was freezing in Prague today and looks likely to continue. It was -7 out of the wind and -15 in it and we were in it most of the day. That was without it snowing to plummet temperatures even further.
We were met at 11 am by a Prague City tour company and eventually grouped with others for the tour. There were 19 of us and all could speak English so our guide, Eva, spoke only in English. The first half hour was in a minibus where we had an overview of the old city and on up to Prague Castle on the hill where we were left to do the rest of the tour on foot.
What we learnt on the tour is too much for this blog and it can all be found on the internet. But, here's some short details. We started at the enormous castle with the magnificent nearby St Vitus cathedral that took 600 years to complete. It was too crowded to visit. There were very dour guards at the palace entrance and these are changed every hour, some with a brass fanfare. Nearby is the PM's house and
St Vitus cathedral
This a most impressive building and difficult to do justice with a camera. It was started in 1344 and completed 600 years later the President lives in the palace. It all sits upon a hill so is a fantastic place to look out over the city. It was windy there and very cold indeed. We made our way down the hill and had a temporary warm-up in a cafe for coffee.
We walked over the Charles bridge with 100's of others but were still able to admire the city, the river and statues along the bridge from it. It is an incredibly beautiful city with a long and interesting history over 1000 years. There are cobbled streets, grand buildings, parks, squares, many churches and countless spires but with a modern feel to it.
Over the Charles Bridge we walked into the Jewish District with it's unique and sad history. Our tour ended up in the Old Town Square where the astronomical clock is. We watched it chime the hour and for the figures to move according to their characters. Here we left our guide who was as frozen as we were. I believe we all headed off quickly to wherever we could warm up. We went straight back to the hotel where we ran the bath and immersed our feet and
hands to thaw, then jumped into bed to thaw the rest. I can honestly say I've never been so cold despite layers of clothes on - numb hands and feet, cold legs, and frozen face!
After a warm up we headed out again, this time with 3 pairs of trousers, 2 scarves, 4 tops, thick socks and boots, and Jude's furry hat. Only the eyes peeked out! By George, I think we have it sussed on what to wear for the next two days.
We went down to the end of Wensleslas Square to the Old Town Square where the Christmas Market is still running. It was humming. The lights are absolutely fantastic with trees lit up, lights on the ancient buildings, a gorgeous Christmas tree and other lovely lighting displays. This one would certainly rival Germany's markets. We had an excellent meal and returned to the K+K Fenix hotel. It has been a cold but excellent day.
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