Prague

A Revisitation

Prague on a second visit. My first tour of the city was in 2012 when I accompanied a school choir on a singing tour. It did not occur that I would visit the city again.

Back then, we were told that if we touched that figurine on Charles Bridge you will come back to Prague again. I laughed of course and so I had to bite my tongue when I related the story. So do not touch if you do not want to visit Prague again. Did I touch this time? Guess again.

The city is old, charming and you sometimes may consider being in a fairy land when you allow your imagination to go wild. Horse-driven carriages occupy the streets to give the annual 6 million tourists a good feeling.

There are squares everywhere and if you were to ask for directions when lost, name the right square to find your way again. Buildings are old and majestic, too precious to be allowed to deteriorate.

In the hot summer afternoon, temperatures went as high as 29 to 30 Celsius but no one seemed bothered about the heat. It's summer ! No one can deny their chance of being out in the open. Bands were set up and ballads sung endlessly.

Shades were up for the merry goers and beer flowed ceaselessly into glasses.

The atmosphere was light and fun. Everyone wanted some happiness and fun.

Prague known as the city of hundred spires, have buildings with spires shooting out of the roof . It is a very common sight. The old astronomical clock in the old town square is a major attraction especially at specific hours when its chiming can be heard loud and clear. We also witness saints "cuckooing"away by popping out of the windows of the clock when it chimed. As told, there is endless renovation works throughout the year. Built hundreds of years ago, it must be preserved.

Every tourist will attempt to cross Charles Bridge ; it is a must see and must go.

Prague has 17 bridges and Charles Bridge is most coveted. 

Truly, the selfie is the best discovery for self photography. If there is no one around and you still want that photo you just got to be with the technology. 

Memory for life.

Pretty Prague is exemplified in her beauty with the colourful activities along the bridge.

You can bet I saw the same figurine again.

But they say you must hold the golden figure. Sometimes named "Golden Prague" but Prague has no gold. So the gold is personified in some figurines and emblems.

Painters, singers, peddlers of all trades dotted the length of the bridge and saints were constructed for all to admire and worship. The heat did not deter the tourists from scouring the place. I cannot function without the hat; umbrellas were forbidden as I was deemed too Asian. 

However, this man was in this posture for a long while. 

He was begging. Dad cannot understand why he must do it when he is so physically well. Which is tougher? To beg in the streets or work? 

Beautiful Czech Prague; isn't it? No wonder artists here express themselves paintings associated with Charles Bridge. Truly so.

Love is beautiful; why does one need locks? How can you lock anyone's heart?

I think the world has changed; you may not love for good reasons anymore.

When you first set your feet here, every form of street food seems worth trying.

Dad was eager to have that braised cabbage and sauerkraut with potato. It looks yummy but ... strange to our taste. It was tourist price too.

Roasted over fire burnt from logs, the pork knee cuisine is very popular here.

It should taste as good as it looks. But we shy away after the first plate of sauerkraut.

In the market place, dad stopped by to see some local paintings.

He cannot keep his eyes away.

Yes, he bought a famous local artist's work on the bridge. Very nice.

Prague is all about tourism.

Tourists of all colours and shapes throng her streets and they can identify our nationality too. So they gave us back in our language.

Avalon Waterways included a land tour of Prague and we were brought to the famous castles in the city. In Europe it is always castles and church buildings of the most exquisite architecture.

The Prague Castle ; refurbished and maintained.

Big squares which could be former court yards and market places.

The architecture is as of that time and season and it takes an architect to appreciate; I think.

The guards in a simple ceremony to be service for the day.

Somewhere in the middle of the buildings you will blotches of gold patches.

Truly befits its name; Golden City .

St Paul and St Peter were the two saints that were built as if to defend the Christian faith here.
There could be records of the past ?

The guide told us not to go beyond that gate.

We wondered why; later to be revealed that she did not want us to be dispersed when we see another beautiful part of the city. It was so not nice of her as that was the main attraction of the highest part of Prague. 

How did I find out?

I asked her where is the spot where we can overlook the whole city of Prague? She said, " beyond the forbidden gate!"

I was there in my previous trip.

Beautiful ? I had to extract it from my previous blog to remember it again.

Thanks to blogging.

How could she deny us of this spectacular view?

Panoramic.

The other tourists including dad never got to see it.

What a shame.

Tourist guides can kill or heal.

On our own, we found ourselves in another part of the city where Jews used to settle together.

This Jewish Settlement had records of how Jews congregate, worship and live together as a community in the past. As tourists walk the lane, many local stores offering all forms of souvenirs attracted them.

On another walk, we found ourselves in a square which had a chronology of the history of Prague before and after the great fire in 1689. Prague was spurred to works of renovation and rebuilding. It was an interesting account.

The John Lennon Legend is also here in Prague...All you need is love... Beatles came alive here. Strange but true, if you are well loved, you live in people's hearts forever. Tourists actually come here just to see the wall.

Guess who was with me at that time?

Yes. It is Emily our grand girl. Grace and Aaron were also on a tour and met us for an evening at Prague. When Emily met grand dad, he was the center of her life. They adore each other and grandpa entertained her non-stop.

Sweet Emily has fun. Her mother makes sure she has it. They are all fun lovers.

A different generation with a different outlook in life.
 You just accept their outlook and agree; and there will be peace.

We dined in a little vessel along the river; forgot its name.

Dinner was not great at all; nothing Czech. It was European forty per head and food was compensated by the breeze and the ethos.

Emily and new found friend took everyone's attention.

We met over breakfast in a boutique hotel.

We bade one another goodbye before we left for Nuremburg and they departed for Warsaw.

Prague , the beautiful European city.