Day 22, 23 and 24 - 15/09/2008 to 17/09/2008 - Krakow, Poland to Prague, Czech Republic.
Prague Castle, Prague, Czech Republic.
Day 22,23 and 24.
We awoke to the alarm at 5:30am, packed up and walked over the road to the train station. The train we caught was one which offered no changes to another train and required a reservation which we had made through RailEurope prior to leaving Australia. The reservation cost 19€. The slowest moving train in history took us on the eight hour journey to Prague. There were six other people in first class and all were Australians. Jakki went and asked a train attendant if we could smoke somewhere and he blew his own cigarette smoke out the window and leant back in he said "Unfortunately, no". On arrival in Prague it was raining. We were approached by a seedy looking character in a black leather jacket who asked us if we wanted a cab. Fearing a rip off but extremely tired and wet so we agreed to a price for the trip and were taken straight to our apartment in Andel. It was a rip off costing us 800 Czech Koruna. We really didn’t care.
The apartment was modern and clean and was about 300 meters from the Staropramen brewery with a shopping centre just down the road. After freshening up we walked across the road to the shopping centre and had what was undoubtedly the worst KFC I have ever, or am ever likely in the future, to eat. Jakki agreed. Liam ate the chips and did not seem to mind at all.
On our first full day and armed with a street map we walked into Prague itself passing the church of St Cyril and Methodius Church on Resslova Street, Prague 2. This church is where the Czech parachutists who had assassinated the Reich’s Protector of Bohemia and Moravia SS Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich in 1942. All bar one of the Czechs died in the church basement after resisting the Germans for some time. The one who did not die was the one who betrayed the others. He was executed by the Czechs after the war.
From here we walked to the Old town Square where the Astronomical Clock is mounted on the side of the Old Town Hall. The oldest part of this clock is date to 1410. This is a typical are for an old city with beautifully painted old buildings. We wandered around town looking at the Powder Tower, or Powder Gate and the Old Town Bridge Tower. We then crossed the Charles Bridge and I walked up the tower for some amazing photo’s and views of Prague. Across Charles Bridge and with a brief stop at Starbucks it was on to Prague Castle. Prague Castle was very busy with long lines and we did not bother to go inside but strolled around the grounds for a while. Near Prague Castle we stopped at an antique shop and I bought some Czechoslovakian stamps. On the return we caught the very cheap and efficient tram system back to Andel and the apartment. We tried the restaurant at the apartment complex for dinner but it was packed and was one of those cavernous Czech bar type places with tunnel like rooms and alcoves. You can still smoke inside in the Czech Republic and it was no good for Liam. So down the road we went and found a little restaurant. No regrets as I had the best pork knuckle I have ever had.
The next morning we went to the train station and caught a train to Plzen about one hour and half hours west of Prague. The reason for going there was to go the Pilsner Urquell brewery. After getting off the train and with a little orientation for direction and the help of the TomTom we found the brewery a short distance away. We did not take the brewery tour but we had lunch there and ravaged the souvenir shop. A beer tray, t-shirts, bottle opener etc. The Pilsner Urquell from the wooden barrels, my favorite beer, was had over lunch. I bought couple of 500ml cans of the golden drop at the train station for the train ride back. Yes you can do that there! But one think you cannot do is smoke on the open air platform. The Police informed of this when I lit up so I put it out and ignoring the 100 butts on the ground placed mine in the bin. A quite dinner at the apartment when we got back and ready for the bus trip to Cesky Krumlov tomorrow.
Photographs:
1. Liam getting ready to go to Prague from Krakow.
2. A view up the Vltava River.
3. The church where the commando’s hid from the Germans.
4. Tiles at bottom of air vent at church.
5. Close up of the bullet ridden air vent.
6. The Powder Tower.
7. Closer view of Powder Tower.
8. The Powder Tower from a quite back street.
9. The Old Bridge Tower.
10. The main square.
11. Twin spires on a church.
12. View of church from the square.
13. Decorated building.
14. The Astronomical Clock.
15. Closer view of The Astronomical Clock.
The apartment was modern and clean and was about 300 meters from the Staropramen brewery with a shopping centre just down the road. After freshening up we walked across the road to the shopping centre and had what was undoubtedly the worst KFC I have ever, or am ever likely in the future, to eat. Jakki agreed. Liam ate the chips and did not seem to mind at all.
On our first full day and armed with a street map we walked into Prague itself passing the church of St Cyril and Methodius Church on Resslova Street, Prague 2. This church is where the Czech parachutists who had assassinated the Reich’s Protector of Bohemia and Moravia SS Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich in 1942. All bar one of the Czechs died in the church basement after resisting the Germans for some time. The one who did not die was the one who betrayed the others. He was executed by the Czechs after the war.
From here we walked to the Old town Square where the Astronomical Clock is mounted on the side of the Old Town Hall. The oldest part of this clock is date to 1410. This is a typical are for an old city with beautifully painted old buildings. We wandered around town looking at the Powder Tower, or Powder Gate and the Old Town Bridge Tower. We then crossed the Charles Bridge and I walked up the tower for some amazing photo’s and views of Prague. Across Charles Bridge and with a brief stop at Starbucks it was on to Prague Castle. Prague Castle was very busy with long lines and we did not bother to go inside but strolled around the grounds for a while. Near Prague Castle we stopped at an antique shop and I bought some Czechoslovakian stamps. On the return we caught the very cheap and efficient tram system back to Andel and the apartment. We tried the restaurant at the apartment complex for dinner but it was packed and was one of those cavernous Czech bar type places with tunnel like rooms and alcoves. You can still smoke inside in the Czech Republic and it was no good for Liam. So down the road we went and found a little restaurant. No regrets as I had the best pork knuckle I have ever had.
The next morning we went to the train station and caught a train to Plzen about one hour and half hours west of Prague. The reason for going there was to go the Pilsner Urquell brewery. After getting off the train and with a little orientation for direction and the help of the TomTom we found the brewery a short distance away. We did not take the brewery tour but we had lunch there and ravaged the souvenir shop. A beer tray, t-shirts, bottle opener etc. The Pilsner Urquell from the wooden barrels, my favorite beer, was had over lunch. I bought couple of 500ml cans of the golden drop at the train station for the train ride back. Yes you can do that there! But one think you cannot do is smoke on the open air platform. The Police informed of this when I lit up so I put it out and ignoring the 100 butts on the ground placed mine in the bin. A quite dinner at the apartment when we got back and ready for the bus trip to Cesky Krumlov tomorrow.
Photographs:
1. Liam getting ready to go to Prague from Krakow.
2. A view up the Vltava River.
3. The church where the commando’s hid from the Germans.
4. Tiles at bottom of air vent at church.
5. Close up of the bullet ridden air vent.
6. The Powder Tower.
7. Closer view of Powder Tower.
8. The Powder Tower from a quite back street.
9. The Old Bridge Tower.
10. The main square.
11. Twin spires on a church.
12. View of church from the square.
13. Decorated building.
14. The Astronomical Clock.
15. Closer view of The Astronomical Clock.
Photographs 16 to 30
Photographs:
1. The Charles Bridge.
2. The Charles Bridge from the tower.
3. View of Prague and Vslata River from the tower.
4. Prague rooftops and trams from the bridge tower.
5. Prague Castle from the bridge tower.
6. View towards Andel from the bridge tower.
7. On the Charles Bridge.
8. A mill at the end of Charles Bridge.
9. The rooftops of Prague.
10. Jakki and Liam halfway up the hill to the Castle.
11. Liam trying to escape the stroller.
12. Castle courtyard entrance.
13. Royal guard.
14. The castle cathedral.
15. Inner courtyard of Prague Castle.
16. Cathedral.
17. The famous arch of the Pilsner Urquell brewery, Plzen.
Day 25 - 18/09/2008 - Prague, Czech Republic to Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic.
The bear in the moat of Krumlov Castle.
Day 25.
An uneventful bus trip to Cesky Krumlov with Liam making friends with all the girls on the bus. A shortwalk from the bus stop which is outside the city walls to the city centre itself to find the Hotel. Found the street after directions from a couple of cops and dropped our bags. Left or right into the street to find the hotel? Jakki walked to the right and of course it was to the left only about 30 meters away. We had all afternoon here and walked around the small cobbled streets having some lunch in the main square near the Plague Column. A walk to Krumlov Castle next stopping to look at the bear in the moat that surrounds the castle. Admission to the castle was with a guided tour only so I took the climb up one of the towers for a view of the city and got some great photos of the town. On looking down I could see a large crowd of people talking to Jakki who had Liam in his stroller. By the time I got down I could see that he had become the number one tourist attraction with a group of Japanese girls who all wanted to get their photos taken holding him.
We walked around for a while looking for the Eggenberg Brewery. It didnt seem to be where it was said to be on the map and we had a coffee and got directions from the waitress. I didnt want to do the tour but wanted to buy a few beers to try. I walked in a side door which led to a dimly lit bar sort of ara. I asked the bloke behind the counter if he had any take-a-away beer nad he pointed me to a fridge. I sad "Great, i have been dying to try these. Are they any good?" He replied with a shrug of the shoulder and an uninterested look "They are alright, i guess" With that fantastic endorsement on the brewing quality of Eggenberg Brewery i bought a couple to take back to the room. They were rather nice actually.
Walked around town some more including the gardens on the upper tier of the castle and a few of the shops. Had a nice dinner and back to the hotel for bed and a big sleep.
Photographs:
1. Crossing the river into Cesky Krumlov.
2. Part of Krumlov Castle.
3. Krumlov Castle.
4. Krumlov Castle with the sculptured stone on the inner face.
5. Inner courtyard of Krumlov Castle.
6. Inner courtyard of the Castle.
7. Outer wall with view of street below.
8. Rooftops of Cesky Krumlov.
9. View of city and beyond.
10. City and gardens.
11. Inner courtyard from the tower.
12. Jakki and Liam picked out with the camera zoom from the tower.
13. Inner wall with sculptures.
14. Main part of the city.
15. Close up of a church.
16. Wall and footbridge into town.
17. Inner wall.
18. Liam as number one tourist attraction.
19. Another view of the city.
20. Arches in the wall. You enter the city through the bottom one.
21. All too much for Liam.
We walked around for a while looking for the Eggenberg Brewery. It didnt seem to be where it was said to be on the map and we had a coffee and got directions from the waitress. I didnt want to do the tour but wanted to buy a few beers to try. I walked in a side door which led to a dimly lit bar sort of ara. I asked the bloke behind the counter if he had any take-a-away beer nad he pointed me to a fridge. I sad "Great, i have been dying to try these. Are they any good?" He replied with a shrug of the shoulder and an uninterested look "They are alright, i guess" With that fantastic endorsement on the brewing quality of Eggenberg Brewery i bought a couple to take back to the room. They were rather nice actually.
Walked around town some more including the gardens on the upper tier of the castle and a few of the shops. Had a nice dinner and back to the hotel for bed and a big sleep.
Photographs:
1. Crossing the river into Cesky Krumlov.
2. Part of Krumlov Castle.
3. Krumlov Castle.
4. Krumlov Castle with the sculptured stone on the inner face.
5. Inner courtyard of Krumlov Castle.
6. Inner courtyard of the Castle.
7. Outer wall with view of street below.
8. Rooftops of Cesky Krumlov.
9. View of city and beyond.
10. City and gardens.
11. Inner courtyard from the tower.
12. Jakki and Liam picked out with the camera zoom from the tower.
13. Inner wall with sculptures.
14. Main part of the city.
15. Close up of a church.
16. Wall and footbridge into town.
17. Inner wall.
18. Liam as number one tourist attraction.
19. Another view of the city.
20. Arches in the wall. You enter the city through the bottom one.
21. All too much for Liam.
