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Published: March 15th 2008
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We stayed in a hotel right under Prague Castle and walked everywhere. We arrived in the afternoon and walked into the city and noticed graffiti on some of the buildings. We also saw billboards pasted about advertising various events. The people of Prague clearly enjoy their music, arts, and nightlife. This city is lived in. Prague being the center of Bohemia is unlikely to be labeled sterile or Disneyland though in many respects, it is the foundation of the ornate art and architecture of fantasy. If you can only see one place in Europe, you should start in Prague. It is more interesting and beautiful than anywhere else that I have seen in Europe.
We weren't too impressed with the food though. The traditional food of Prague is boring for vegetarians (how many ways can you boil vegetables?), but unlike other destination cities, there aren't as many foreign food choices on every other street corner. You have to go out of your way to find your next decent meal, there is no stumbling down the street and walking into a surprise of healthy explosive flavors.
As you may expect of Bohemia, the mafia still has a foothold here. The
Taxis from the train station charge anywhere from about 10 Euros to 150 Euros ($15.00 to $225.00) to go 6 miles. The expensive ones are Mafia owned and protected by the government. So read their price card and negotiate before you assume anyone is honest. The money exchangers are also government protected. They charge as much as 40% to exchange money even though their signs all say "no commissions." They advertise one rate but in small print it says that this is a special rate only for large sums of money being exchanged. You hand them your cash and they hand back about 60% of it in Czech money. When you get upset and point to their advertised exchange rate, they point out the small print. I asked for my money back and they said no. They gave me about $60.00 in Czech money for $100 in cash. They are behind thick plexi-glass so you can't even beat it out of them. Even if you are armed or have have registered fists, you probably shouldn't kill them. They are government sponsored gangsters so you would end up dead even if you could beat it out of them. Just learn your
lesson and move on. Keep chanting ... thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not kill.
We went to see an Opera at the National Theatre. The Opera was written by an Italian named Puccini and was a love story in the Gold Rush country of California called "La Fanciulla Del West." We enjoyed it very much but chuckled a little because our first Italian Opera was written about a place near where I grew up in California. They had Czech and English subtitles, but eventually the fat lady sang so we would have known when to go home anyway. We also went to see the Symphony. As Kim likes to say, we are getting "cultured."
We found nightlife in Prague that wasn't all techno and house music. We danced to 50s, 60s, 70s, 90s and 00s American music at a 5 story night club next to the Saint Charles bridge on the Old Town side of the river. Why must everyone smoke in Europe? It seems a shame to have such great restaurant choices but not have your olfactory senses to enjoy it. They should have a disgusting section for the smokers.
Prague is the capital and
largest city of the Czech Republic. Its official name is hlavní město Praha, meaning Prague - the Capital City. Situated on the River Vltava in central Bohemia, Prague has been the political, cultural, and economic center of the Czech state for over 1100 years. The city proper is home to more than 1.2 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 1.9 million. Prague is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and is among the most visited cities on the continent. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague
Prague Castle is a castle in Prague where the Czech kings, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic have had their offices. The crown jewels of the Bohemian Kingdom are kept here. Prague Castle is one of the biggest castles in the world at about 570 meters in length and an average of about 130 meters wide. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_Castle
Saint Vitus's Cathedral is the cathedral of Prague, Czech Republic, and the seat of the Archbishop of Prague. The full name of the cathedral is St. Vitus, St. Wenceslas and St. Adalbert Cathedral. Located within Prague Castle and containing the tombs of
many Bohemian kings, this cathedral is an excellent example of Gothic architecture and is the biggest and most important church in the country. The present day Gothic Cathedral was founded on 21st of November, 1344, when the Prague bishopric was raised to an archbishopric. Its patrons were the chapter of cathedral (led by a Dean), the Archbishop Arnost of Pardubice, and, above all, Charles IV, King of Bohemia and a soon-to-be Holy Roman Emperor, who intended the new cathedral to be a coronation church, family crypt, treasury for the most precious relics of the kingdom, and the last resting place cum pilgrimage site of patron saint Wenceslaus. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Vitus_Cathedral
Charles Bridge is a famous historical bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the beginning of 15th century. As the only means of crossing the river Vltava (Moldau), the Charles Bridge used to be the most important connection between the Old Town, Prague Castle and adjacent areas until 1841. Also this 'solid-land' connection made Prague important as a trade route between east and west Europe. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bridge
The Prague Astronomical Clock or Prague
Orloj is a medieval astronomical clock. The Orloj is mounted on the southern wall of Old Town City Hall in the Old Town Square and is a popular tourist attraction. The Orloj is composed of three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; "The Walk of the Apostles", a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_Orloj
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