Prague and Berlin - August 2016

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Time for our family holiday.....and this time a trip to Prague was voted upon ? ❤️ It was probably the lure of exciting trains that did it for Andrew, whilst myself and James were excited at the prospect of a new place that had a reputation for beautiful architecture and being cheap! We always hated the thought of holidays in August, most places too hot and crowded but having to work around school holidays left us little choice unfortunately.

As usual we had the routine arguments of whether to fly directly or get the train. This time common sense prevailed and we opted to fly as otherwise we would have spent half of the week just getting there. The compromise was that we would get the train back and fit in another destination. James fancied Berlin and it had the added appeal of only being a few hours direct by train from Prague. We knew from past experience that we could come back from Berlin easily by train, so we got it all booked. Jet2 for flights to Prague from Manchester, Airbnb for a reasonably cheap apartment in central Prague and the trusted Ibis for the hotel in Berlin. Then bad news hit.?......for Andrew anyhow.....engineering works from Berlin and replacement bus services everywhere. After the expected tantrum over such news, it was agreed to fly back from Berlin, unfortunately Ryanair were the only ones that fitted the bill in terms of cost and times etc but you can't have everything?

In the run up to the holiday I was suffering from sciatica and TMJ, on top of the usual problems associated with fibromyalgia ? The prescribed tramadol was leaving me feeling very spaced out and amazingly didn't even get rid of the pain. I was also on a no chewing diet so was totally miserable. It was certainly touch and go for a while as to whether we would go at all but thankfully a change of medication a couple of days prior to the off made things a bit easier?.

Our flight out was a very sensible time on a Sunday Afternoon, so we didn't have to leave home until the 1109hrs train. Apart from the discomfort of having to sit still, the journey was quite uneventful. We landed in Prague about an hour late but nothing too serious thankfully. We had booked an airport transfer for about 20euros before we left?.. It was quite a relief when a decent looking Merc was waiting for us at the airport?. It was quite a smooth ride into the centre of Prague and the driver was was quite chatty. It was slightly concerning though when the driver announced that our apartment was in the midst of the red light district!?

We arrived at the apartment approx 30 mins after leaving the airport and was greeted by a friend of our host. The apartment was in a lovely old building and was very spacious. After our usual rearranging of furniture and unpacking we decided to venture out. As we walked past the array of adult entertainment places etc?? it was evident our driver was correct and we were in the red light district?. Nevertheless though it seemed quiet enough so we tried not to think about it too much?. At the end of the street was one of the busy shopping areas - Wenceslas Square. Given the late hour we were only expecting to get a fast food supper in the form of KFC etc but thankfully there was a much better surprise in store?. Vytopna was an unique restaurant where your drinks arrive at your table via the model railway that went around the whole building ??.. The food wasn't bad either....James opted for his usual cheeseless pizza, Andrew went for something more traditional and I was swallowing very tiny pieces of pizza and mashed potato. Couldn't complain at the bill either....at 1000k or £32 which included a tip!?. On the walk back to the apartment we got a few essentials from the local convenience shop. Thankfully things still quiet around our street, so relief all round?

After a leisurely lie in and breakfast we opted to get the tram up to Prague Castle ? Buying tickets was somewhat of a challenge as there weren't any ticket machines at the actual tram stop. We did manage to find a kiosk in the metro underground station which sold tickets so off we went ? Unfortunately it wasn't clear where to get off or what direction to go so google maps to the rescue. We finally arrived at the castle which seemed very un-castle like, rather like a huge estate with a beautiful cathedral in the middle. Still the views from up there were amazing, you could see the whole of Prague❤️. We bought our tickets to go around the whole estate...700k or £22.33 for 3 of us which wasn't bad at all. Though in hindsight we wouldn't go around everything next time as most of it was quite tedious?. The highlight was definitely the cathedral and the palace. As you would expect snacks and drinks etc were quite pricy up there?. James discovered a liking for their local dessert called a Trdelnik....a pastry cone filled with chocolate and ice cream?.

We then decided to go up to see the Petrin Tower ?which is accessed via a funicular. We had tried to go before the castle but the queues were so bad we decided to leave it until much later. It was about 5pm when we arrived and thankfully although the cars were full there weren't any queues to speak of. Once we arrived, there was an unanimous sigh of "I'm not walking up that" so back down we headed and straight into a chocolate shop - purely for medicinal purposes of course?. Despite the fact we were quite tired by this point we decided to do the short walk towards Charles Bridge with the thinking we would get a tram easily from there back to the apartment. En-route we happened to come across a memorial wall to John Lennon.....very colourful and lots of people still making additions to it. James was particularly taken with the fact Harambe the Gorilla? had made it onto this wall! Beer was then needed before we decided to hit Charles Bridge so a nice spot alongside the river was found? . Charles Bridge, of course is a mecca for tourists and lots of market stalls were dotted along it. It was very busy so we didn't really spend a lot of time on it except to get to the other side!

It was now getting quite late. My leg was playing up terribly and of course I had run out of pain killers. Disaster...pharmacies generally shut at between 6 and 8? and they didn't seem to sell simple painkillers in places like supermarkets either. Not wanting to ruin the holiday with a hospital visit, it was a case and grinning and bearing it unfortunately?

We had already decided prior to flying out that we would go on a train trip to the World UNESCO heritage site of Cesky Krumlov. This was on my bucket list and of course Andrew was kept happy with all the trains to see?. It did mean an early start from Prague Station which thankfully was only a 15min walk from the apartment. Breakfast was an expensive selection of yogurt and pastry bought from the station to munch on the train. Thankfully the tickets were quite easy to buy and only cost 524k or £16.61for the 3 of us. We arrived at Cesky Krumlov at about 1330. The station was set up on a hill away from the town, it was quite a steep walk down to the town which unfortunately didn't do my sciatica many favours ?.

The town was very quaint and full of little shops aimed at the hoards of tourists that visit. Got my obligatory fridge magnet early on and decided to have lunch on the river bank so we could take in the view. Unfortunately the restaurant was not only over priced but wasn't even very good. Service was slow so we felt like we had wasted most of the day on a crappy lunch. Once it was over we had about an hour to have a quick wizz around and get crepes (another slow affair?). We had planned to get a taxi or bus back up the hill but the absence of both meant a long hard walk to the station. Certainly not ideal and was very relieved to get back on the train for a nap?.

The next day, Wednesday, and our last full day in Prague. We decided to be sensible and buy a full 24hr travel card which made life much less stressful when it came to getting about. The weather was very hot ? so the aim was to keep out of the sun as much as possible and limit the amount of walking. We were all quite tired already and certainly my health needs were causing a lot of distress, but we wanted to see as much as possible and only had one full day to do it! First stop...a boat trip. Thankfully the boat was covered and there was a bar on board? so in all it was quite a relaxing way of seeing the sights. Next stop up to the TV Tower which was only a couple of stops on the metro. The TV tower offered fantastic views of Prague and was certainly an interesting building. It also wasn't over crowded which was a great plus. Outside the tower there was a fab food market which of course was a must for stocking up on crepes and donuts?.

We then made our way towards the Old Square which is really the hub for tourists with its fantastic architecture and street artists. Of course the problem with that is that the prices were overinflated and everywhere was very busy. We tried some of the local street food and had ice cream before deciding to hop on another tram out of the way of the crowds. We ended up at the end of the tram line which looked like a deserted entertainment arena. Luckily we managed to get drinks but on the whole there wasn't a great deal about so we headed back to Wenceslas Sq for souvenir shopping. Unfortunately Andrew missed out on his train teeshirt but James got a mug and I had my usual fridge magnet. Dinner was a KFC before packing ready for our departure the next day?

The next morning was an early start as check out was 11am and we obviously wanted to give the apartment a good clean for some mad reason ? before leaving. By 1030am we were ready to depart but our train to Berlin wasn't until 2.30pm so we had time to kill. Luckily they had plenty of luggage lockers at Prague Station so for the cost of 80c or £2.51 we were able to leave all our four cases whilst we went back into the old town. The torture museum had caught our eye previously so we headed there. It cost 420c or £13.16 for a family ticket to get in. As we moved around the floors of medieval instruments, it was hard not to get tired as the stairs were steep and the lift appeared to be out of action, but it certainly was interesting and a good conversation starter?.

A quick dash to yesterday's food market to load up on supplies??? and we were soon on our booked train to Berlin?.. The journey was very nice and we went through some lovely places. Thankfully the train was quite peaceful so in all a good trip and the 5hrs soon flew by?

We arrived in Berlin at about 7.30pm and after collecting a few leaflets regarding the transport system and various welcome cards we headed up to the S-Bahn to get to our hotel. We had opted for the budget Ibis that thankfully was only a couple of minutes walk from the Anhalter S-Stop in the popular Potsdammer Platz Area. The hotel was certainly basic but had most things you needed for a couple of nights stay except for a kettle!!!???. Unfortunately this was a big deal for me so I would think twice before booking again?. On the plus side we did have a view of the old Berlin Wall and James was very happy having his own independence. After a bit of unpacking we headed straight to the Wall and Checkpoint Charlie to give James a history lesson before finding an eatery for supper...and once again pizza won?. Not a very successful meal....orders wrong and expensive but the ice cream? over the road made up for it?.

The first task when we woke the next day was to buy the Berlin Welcome Card. We had done lots of research over dinner the previous night and based on what we wanted to do, the Welcome card fitted the bill nicely. We opted for the 48hr one which covered getting us to the airport as well. It was 43euros for 2 of them. Luckily at age 14, James came under ours so we didn't need to buy a separate one for him?. Unfortunately the kiosk didn't accept bank cards, only cash?. We had only 150 euros with us as we felt sure cards would be widely accepted. Unfortunately we found this not to be the case and many places only accepted cash, so we had to make constant trips to ATMs in the end which was not the most cost effective way of getting holiday money?. Anyhow first stop was to this American diner at Potsdammer Platz where they did an all you can eat buffet breakfast?. At 8.99euros a head you couldn't complain. As myself and Andrew had already been to Berlin, it was James this time that set the itinerary, so next stop the Sony Centre which thankfully was in the same area. The architecture of the Sony Centre was somewhat impressive as we had a wander around. Most of it was quite quiet and seemed to be offices. We did stumble across a film museum, which amazingly Andrew wasn't interested in so off we went and agreed to meet him an hour later. The film museum wasn't very big and the layout was certainly interesting. Our first saving with our welcome card so we were happy?. We came out slightly earlier than planned so time for a quick ice cream ?before meeting Andrew. The next stop was the Kollhoff Tower which is supposed to boast Europe's fastest elevator. I have to say that although the elevator wasn't that impressive, the views of Berlin certainly was and at a cost of 15.50 euros for a family ticket (no welcome card discount) it was quite good value.

As the heat in Berlin was quite intense ? we made a decision to avoid walking as much as possible so despite our next stop only being a short distance away we jumped back on the S-Bahn to the Brandenburg Gate. We quickly found a cafe for drinks ? and due to the fact Andrew had seen it all before we left him and I quickly gave James a quick history lesson and shown him the historical sites including the Reichstag which had too long a queue to contemplate in our tight schedule.

Next on James' hit list was the Kaiser Wilhelm memorial church ⛪️ which was a few stops away. The church was free to explore and was very educational. It was great to see the old church next to the new chapel which were a marked contrast to each other. The Europa Centre was also on James' hit list and this was definitely a detour away from history as it was a modern shopping centre full of computer games ? and thankfully pubs?.

On our way back to the metro station, Andrew spotted a van advertising a model railway shop so off we went to find it?. We soon spotted it and now it was our turn to sit in a cafe whilst Andrew let his inner child free in this amazing shop?. Quite remarkably he only spent 29 euros and about 30 minutes in there??.

Next stop was on Andrew's hit list...so onto the Ubahn to get to Alexanderplatz for the Loxx Miniatur Welten aka a large model railway ? . Our welcome card gave us a decent discount so it was only 20.60euros for the 3 of us. Luckily it was quite quiet and there were seats?. I was quite exhausted by this point so was quite happy just to sit and watch the model airport whilst Andrew did his usual trick of taking photos ? of every tiny detail.

It was getting quite late now, we had tickets to go up the Berliner Fernsehturm at 10pm so just enough time to have a leisurely dinner and to do some souvenir shopping. Unfortunately I think we were all quite tired by the time 10pm and the view was quite underwhelming unfortunately as our images reflected onto the glass. It was good for James to say he had been up but other than that we only stayed a short time before heading back to our hotel for the night.

Saturday was check out day though our flight wasn't until 10pm. We decided to have breakfast at the hotel which was actually surprisingly good and not too over priced before asking the hotel staff to take care of our bags for the day which they happily obliged ? . The Computerspiele museum was first on the hit list today ? . The history of computers in an interactive way was a hit for James and the welcome card meant we got a discount so everyone was happy, especially when we spotted a nice bench outside so we could leave James to it?. The next stop this time was for me as I wanted to head back to Alexanderplatz to explore the market. I had bought some fantastic trousers ? there previously and hoped to get another pair. Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be so we jumped on a tram hoping it would take us to the DDR Museum. Unfortunately there were maintenance works on the tram lines so we literally went two stops before coming back again and had to resign ourselves to the fact we were going to have to walk the half a mile required instead?. Luckily the route took us along the river bank and we had already decided to go on a river cruise so when there was a boat ? ready to depart, we leapt on it. Unfortunately this one wasn't under cover so the heat did affect us? but nevertheless it was a great way of seeing more of the historical architecture. The cruise was only an hour long which was enough due to the heat and within a couple of minutes we were soon within the lovely air conditioned building of the DDR Museum. The museum was all about communist Berlin before the wall came down and was totally fascinating. It was very busy and not very big unfortunately but nevertheless we really enjoyed it and with our welcome card discount it only cost 12euros to get in so was well worth it?. Knowing the trams ? not longer came down as far as the museum we began the walk back to the nearest S/U-Bahn. Seeing I was still trouserless we decided to head for the market at Hackescher which was roughly the same distance as heading back to Alexanderplatz. First stop when we arrived....more drinks ? and yet another cash only establishment?. Luckily Andrew found an ATM nearby so all not lost, except more cash in foreign transaction fees?. Anyhow a quick dash around the market saw me leaving with some very colourful trousers?, not quite what I had in mind but nevertheless a great find❤️. Time was now ticking and there was only one thing left on James' hit list - The Jewish museum, so off we went. Certainly another interesting building and quite a place to try and get around. We only really had an hour to spare which wasn't enough time to do the place justice but we did get a good feel for it. The iron faces and empty spaces were very thought provoking?.

It was now time to head back to the hotel for our cases before heading to the airport. We agreed to get the S-Bahn which meant only one change at Sudkreuz. As we were on the train with cases in tow I suddenly had this thought about the house keys. We soon had this awful realisation that they were still at the hotel?. Thankfully we had only gone one stop so it was back to the hotel (for Andrew anyhow) to retrieve the keys which to everyone's relief were behind the hotel reception.?. Thankfully it didn't delay us too much and we were soon at the airport only to discover the flight was delayed!?. Not great as I was really pretty shattered and in quite a lot of pain with my back and legs, but thankfully in the end we were only a couple of hours late landing into Stanstead. The flight was pretty awful....got told off for bringing a small bottle of Baileys on board and the pain was quite intense so was very relieved to get through at the other end quite quickly. By now it was getting on for 2am and the shuttle buses to the hotel had now stopped and the queue for the taxis was horrendous so we decided to walk. Google maps said 15mins walk so how bad could it be???. Well there was no pedestrian route at all to the hotel, the terrain was shocking so that combined with large cases and sciatica made it an horrendous 30min walk?. That was Stanstead off any future airport list? It was certainly a relief to be in a comfy bed at last?.

It was a good week despite all the difficulties with health issues. We certainly saw and did lots. I will remember Prague for being much bigger than I had imagined, for the castle that wasn't castle like, For not being able to get anything stronger than paracetamol from the limited hours pharmacies and for having to spend 30p every time I wanted to spend a penny ?

Berlin this time will be remembered for cash only outlets and the lack of black baggy trousers. The welcome card turned out to be a great investment, we saved 37euros on admission charges which meant all the travelling we all did only cost 6 euros...bargain?

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