Prague

---

As expected, today involved a lot of walking which was made a little tougher by the extreme heat. The kids have been very tolerant and even if they are tiring of looking at old buildings, they're hiding it very well!

We left our hotel close to the Powder Gate and walked through the main square along small cobbled lanes all the way down to the Charles Bridge. This is a old pedestrian stone bridge crossing the river and is a major tourist attraction. It is beautiful but the crowds were huge which detracted from the beauty of the scene. Of the four towns that we have visited so far on this trip, Prague is certainly the most crowded. We climbed the Little Quarter Bridge Tower at the west end of the bridge and enjoyed a great view across the red roofs of Prague.

From here we continued west up the hill towards Prague Castle. Along the way we stopped into the St Nicklaus church known for its frescoes and paintings.

The castle is a large group of buildings up on a hill, including the royal palace, a cathedral, churches and houses. It was quite a climb but worth the hike. This was the area where Prague first existed in the 9th century and it is now the seat of the president of the republic. St Vitus's Cathedral was a highlight as was Golden Lane, an area of small colorful houses once occupied by goldsmiths.

From the castle we took a direct route back down the hill towards the old town over a bridge to the north of Charles Bridge so we'd get a better view. Then back to the hotel to soak up some air conditioning!

For supper we went to a newer part of town close to Prince Wenceslas statue, who was apparently killed by his brother in 935. Bit unreasonable! Still, history was on his side as he went on to become the patron saint of Bohemia and is remembered to this day in the carol Good King Wenceslas. And none of us sing about the murderous brother.

---