Historic sign marking site of The Three Violins, now a restaurant.
OK, now we’re warm . . . . not Florida warm, but nevertheless in need of peeling off layers of clothes. We did not have rain today thankfully, despite the predictions, not one drop; although it was very cloudy on and off.
We started our day at the Old Town Hall and mingled with the crowds from around the world gathered to watch the Astronomical Clock strike the noon hour. Bells chimed, doors opened and figures emerged and a rooster crowed; it was fun to see and hear the live trumpeter blowing his horn from all four sides at the top of the tower.
Wandering around the winding narrow streets of the Staré Město was interesting and fun (probably more for Mother and me than my husband, since we ducked into a few stores). Our walk led us down by the river and eventually back across the Charles Bridge. The Bridge had more of a fair-like atmosphere today with musicians, artists and puppeteers entertaining the crowds. We were also all able to touch the cross commemorating the death of St. John of Nepomuk’s death in 1393; it is said if you make a wish while touching the cross, your wish will come true.
Eventually, we made our way into the Malá Strana (Little Quarter) in search of some of the historic house signs used to identify buildings prior to 1770. Many of the original signs had alchemical significance and therefore used allegorical symbols. Some simply defy understanding. The biggest concentration are on Nerudova Street – so that is where we headed.
Our first order of business was to find a comfortable spot for a light lunch – that’s easier said than done since many of the restaurants serve the heavier, typical Czech food midday as well as dinner. We were lucky to find “U tří housliček” (The Three Violins) a site of one of the famous original signs because the building was once the home of a family of violin-makers. Legend says it is also haunted and you can hear a demonic trio on moonlit nights. We all had salads and got back out on the street to continue our hunt for signs. Some of my favorite were: The Red Lamb, The Golden Key, The Green Lobster, a Turnip and the head of Medusa. If I lived in Praha (Prague) in the 1700’s the Medusa would be on my house.
We took our time and eventually made our way back to our hotel in the late afternoon for a rest and re-group.
After a simple pasta dinner at the nearby Phenix restaurant, my husband and I set off for a Ghost Trail tour. It was a fairly silly, amusing journey around the Old Town Hall and nearby streets. Our young guide, Martin was really cute and funny, his Czech accent alone made for a good ghost story. It was a perfect night for strolling around the Old Town and we extended our walk a bit to get some night shots of the dramatically lit buildings and have some gelato. From the Charles Bridge we were pleasantly surprised by a nearby fireworks display over the Vltava River.
Turning in early for a very early wake-up call.
Prague Castle.
55 ~ all day. Drizzling off and on. Gray skies prevail.
But, in spite of it all – we love this city!
I knew Prague would be amazing, and frankly I wanted to see Budapest first because I figured if we visited Budapest after Prague it would be a disappointment (and I was right). Today, because the weather forecast was so dismal, we amended our original plans and decided to take a very comprehensive tour (called ‘The Ultimate Tour’). Although tiring, it proved to be a great experience and really helped us understand the complex history of this charming city.
Much of the tour was walking, but we did have a few respites along the way. We managed to see New Town (Nové Město), Old Town (Staré Město) and cruise the Vltava River before walking through the Josefov Jewish Quarter, having lunch in Old Town and walking across the Charles Bridge (in our heaviest rain of the day) to the Little Quarter (Malá Strana), where we caught a tram to the Prague Castle. We definitely hit the highlights including Wenceslas Square, St. Vitus’s Cathedral, Old Town Square, the Old Jewish Cemetery, the changing of the Guard at the Castle, the Old Town Hall with its beautifully ornate Astronomical Clock and much more. We managed to hit many of the ‘Top 10’ on my list. I’m glad we did this, because it was mighty tempting to head back to our spacious suites, and read-away the afternoon.
Crowds were crazy, particularly in the afternoon, and navigating the sea of umbrellas was often difficult and hazardous. A couple of Australian men managed to become separated from our small group and were missing til our guide went back to search for them. Otherwise, they could still be wandering the streets of Old Town. Of course it’s a busy time of year to visit Europe and on a Sunday the weekend visitors are in; but apparently they have had some really awful weather here with torrential rain, and today people may have just needed to break-out.
Even in the gray drizzle, this town is magical: the beautiful colors of paint on many of the buildings; the bright gold accents on monuments, buildings and statues; the cleanliness and sense of order; as well as the endless charm of the narrow streets and structures built during the last 1000 years. I am amazed at the intricate and varied stone patterns on the sidewalks, with seemingly endless designs, each one a work of art. At every turn you feel like you have turned another page of a fairytale.
Hopefully, tomorrow we will be able to retrace some of our steps at a more leisurely, and drier, pace.
Dinner was at Old Town’s Restaurant Rainer Maria (R.M.) Rilke, an absolutely charming, candlelit, cozy spot where we all had a fabulous meal of veal paired with soup or salad. The mushroom soup I had was the best ever and as a bonus, I was finally warm for the first time today.
I don’t think any of my pictures will do this city justice.
By the way – let me elaborate about our unique, lovely hotel. We are staying in apartment/suites carved out of the Baroque Palace of Count Jan Josef Pachta, built in the 18th century. Mozart and his wife were regular visitors, and it was here that Wolfgang had his only encounter with Giacomo Casanova. Beethoven was among the many other composers who also visited. We are located in Old Town just across from the Vltava.
Wish the walls could talk!
Vltava River view.
After breakfast we were back to the Keleti station for our trip to Prague. Once again, ticket validation went smoothly and a helpful porter made getting on the train very easy. This train was what we were expecting – individual first class compartments and a real dining car; just like the ‘old’ days. We shared our compartment with a lone, very pleasant traveler from Toronto. The scenery was lovely, pastoral farms, green hills, storybook towns and one large black animal (sheep or bear, what’s your guess?)
We traveled through Rakospalota-Ujpest, Vác, Nagymaros-Visegrad, and Szob without incident and then when we got to Slovakia we were nabbed by the conductor for not having a valid ticket. At the last minute before our trip we had been told there was a potential issue and that we might have to pay an undetermined amount of money . . . and it was true – we were extorted for 67 Euros and 2 cents. Yes, 2 cents. Once we paid the money we continued to travel through Štúrovo, Bratislava, and Kuty before reaching the Czech Republic and the cities of Břeclav, Brno, Pardubice, Kolin and finally Prague. Our beautiful sunny morning had gradually become gray and it was now raining.
A driver from the hotel met us and helped us navigate the deceptively large station that was quite expansive under the level in which the trains arrived.
We arrived at the Mamaison Pachtův Palác in the Old Town (Staré Město), near the Charles Bridge. It was a good time to regroup before leaving our very large apartment suites and heading into the rainy evening for dinner. Finding no smoking options are a challenge here, we had a wonderful meal at the casual, comfortable Restaurant Stoleti near the hotel, also on Karolíny Světlé. Trying to eat a little more healthy after the excess of the day before, we opted for a delicious meal that included salad, grilled trout, chicken and spinach/blue cheese omelet.
The bow never touched the strings.
Amazing what a little sleep can do. . . plus a great breakfast at the hotel . . . . then we started off to see the city on one of the bus tours that you can get off and on. This route (orange) had 13 stops and gave us a really nice overview of both hilly Buda & the flatter Pest. After reading The Invisible Bridge, I found myself feeling oddly familiar with many of the sights; starting with the Opera House from the book’s opening pages. We visited Heroes’ Square, saw beautiful neighborhoods along with exteriors of the Zoo and Vajdahunyad Castle, parks, Gellért Hill, Castle Hill with its Holy Trinity Church, the Hungarian statue of liberty, and of course, the Chain Bridge.
Once our drive ended, we found Vörösmarty tér and took the suggestion of our Hungarian friend and neighbor, Eva, to sample the pastries in the famous 150-year-old Gerbeaud Café coffeehouse located in the square. We decided this break would be in place of lunch. It was hard to decide from the extensive assortment; although my Mother had no problem selecting the most caramel concoction. I tried the locally famous Dobas Torta. Delicious. And for entertainment, we enjoyed watching two senior gentlemen – one playing the same tune repeatedly on the clarinet, while the other ‘played’ the violin; we swear his bow never touched the strings. I felt like we were watching a skit from one of the Miami Herald scavenger-type events in which we used to participate.
Once on a sugar high, we walked down to the Danube and boarded a boat for a river tour. The clouds that had been threatening all day begin to lift and we actually saw some sun. You can see close up why Budapest is called ‘the city of bridges.’ From the River the city was sparkling and the view of the Parliament amazing. After docking, we walked to Váci utca and did a little window and souvenir shopping, eventually making our way back to the hotel.
My husband and I took off for the nearby Jewish district to visit the old ghetto and see the Great Synagogue up close. What an incredible building. It was sobering to see the cemetery within its gates with stone after stone dated 1945. Many of the streets in the district were torn up (looked like they were adding fire hydrants), so it was a bit of a mess – but we did manage to see the Rumbach utca Synagogue, Arch at Madách Imre tér, the tunnel-like courtyard Gozsdu Udvar, a kosher pizzeria and more.
For dinner we took it easy and decided to stay in at the Meridien and enjoy their special Hungarian night. We listened to some lovely music played with marimba and violin, watched energetic folk dancing and tried numerous local specialties. My fav was the goose liver terrine with Makó onions; my husband is sticking with his goulash; while Mom loved the stuffed paprika and Rakott Burgonya (potato with boiled eggs and sour cream); we all liked the noodle (kugel-like) roasted cabbage & pasta (Káposztás Tészta) and all the wonderful pastries for dessert! It was a pleasant, relaxing evening and a good way to end a hectic day.
But my husband and I weren’t done, we had to see the Chain Bridge and ‘castle’ lit up at night – so we walked down to the riverfront for the beautiful sight! Along the way, we mingled with the crowds of autograph seekers and paparazzi waiting for the Formula 1 Hungarian Gran Prix celebrity drivers to emerge from a few of the area hotels. Today was the practice session and the city was buzzing with excitement (causing hotels to be booked and to hike up prices).
Now, we were ready to call it a night.
