(9/12/04) Everyone had a poor night’s sleep because of wild
screaming and stomping in the bar below, where the locals were watching the
Czech national team play hockey in the semifinals on TV. (The Czechs lost to
Canada 4-3 at ~ 3:00 AM!) We left Pension Pohada at 9:15 and decided to try the
Hotel Central for breakfast, but they stopped serving at 9:00 (!), so we drove
to Prague on empty stomachs, arriving at the outskirts at ~ 11:30. We then
circled countless times around narrow one-way streets before finally finding the
Betlem Club Hotel with the help of a taxi
driver! After unloading the luggage, Paul and Stan had to take the car to a
parking garage behind the National Theatre – then walked back to the hotel
(getting lost again!).
We
finally had a wonderful lunch at the restaurant U Plebana next door – the fondly
remembered potato and mushroom soup in a bread bowl, and salads (roasted
broccoli and smoked cheese for me) – Yum! Then we were able to check into the
hotel, unpack, and take a much-needed nap. Since we’ll be here two more days
and saw many of the “must-see” tourist spots on our last trip, we had a chance
to
slow the pace. (Candy and Stan look a walking tour on their own and reported a
huge crush of tourists – many more than 2 years ago where we were here 3 weeks
after the big flood.) We met in Dad’s room ~ 5:30 and walked away from the
tourist zone to explore the area near our hotel, discovering Monarch Stella
vinia... delightful modern wine bar just 2 blocks north. We enjoyed sampling 2
wonderful local wines (a red Monarch Alibernet 2002 and a Ryzlink Rynsky 2001
white) and a delicious cheese sampler with baguettes and olives. Since we were
too full to consider a large dinner, we decided to return to our favorite little
restaurant – U Plebana – and shared two plates of delicious venison goulash and
3 bowls of onion soup.
9/13/04) Sleep was interrupted by some loud revelers
outside, but the bed was comfortable and
there
was no need to get up early. Paul and I walked to the car park to scope out
the (only?) route back to our hotel and to retrieve our travel brochures – then
searched in vain for a coffee shop. We returned to the hotel for breakfast –
surprisingly good coffee, cereals, yogurt, fruit, rolls & jam – then headed for
a walk across the Charles Bridge, which was packed with tourists and sidewalk
artists, but always impressive!
We wandered around Kampa Island, which suffered the flood
of 2002, now bustling with construction among the river view parks, pubs, and
newly painted shops, hotels and restaurants. Many of the Vltava River boat
tours leave from this area. Dad and Paul opted to return to the hotel for a
nap, but Candy, Stan and I continued to tour the “Little Quarter” (Mala Strana)
– one of four medieval towns that united in the late 1700s to make “modern”
Prague. We had a wonderful lunch at Restaurant Gitanne (soups, salads,
vegetable stuffed peppers, etc.), then toured the ornate and impressive
Church of St.
Nicholas at the center of the square.
Eventually our group of five reconvened at the hotel and
set out on foot to find a special
restaurant
to celebrate Candy and Stan’s engagement. We made reservations for 6:30 – then
spent the next hour “people-watching” in nearby Wenceslas Square, where Paul and
Stan discovered the wonderful local “Velvet” beer. The restaurant – “U Modre
Ru
ze”
is located in a 15th century cellar
with vaulted stone ceilings – a very intimate atmosphere. We toasted with
champagne, then enjoyed a variety of delicious cold appetizers (pate, avocado
with shrimp, etc), soups, and we all had the recommended entrée – a “Czech
plate”, with roast duck, roast pork, smoked pork, sauerkraut, Czech and potato
dumplings – Whew! A chocolate mousse was shared to end a pleasant evening.
(9/14/04)
After
sleeping late, we had another basic breakfast in the hotel – to start our day
with good coffee! We decided to take a
half-day excursion to the town of
Kutna
Hora, about 70 km southeast of Prague.
After one wrong
turn, we found it, and had a pleasant afternoon enjoying the clean lovely town
and eating a huge delicious lunch at
Dacicky Pinice restaurant
(meats, dumplings, goulash, and a huge pork knee served on a spit for Dad!). We
then toured the impressive Cathedral of St. Barbara – dedicated to the patron
saint of miners and built in the Gothic style over a 500-year period
(1388-1905). The history of Kutna Hora is connected to mining of silver ore
from the 13th century. Soon after, the mine was providing about 1/3
of the total European silver production and by the end of the 14th
century the 500-meter deep mine was the deepest in the world. Kutna Hora became
the second most important city in the kingdom of Bohemia (after Prague) and
today, with its 300+ medieval and Baroque buildings, is on the UNESCO World
Cultural Heritage List. Time did not allow for us to take any more tours, but
the town’s history is fascinating and it is obviously thriving as a tourist
destination.
The Czech countryside is delightful along the secondary
roads, which were in surprisingly good repair. Farmlands (growing sugar beets,
grain and hay) and orchards abound between the many small towns. New
construction and renovation is underway in every town we passed – a sign that
this country, with such a troubled past, is truly getting back on its feet. The
Czechs are pleasant, hardworking people (who really love their beer!), and the
future for the next generation looks bright, as they work hard to improve the
country’s economy.
This
feeling was further reinforced when we spent a delightful evening with Jan, his
adorable fiancé Martina (and their cute puppy
“Aneka” ?sp). Since they live in Prague during the week and spend most weekends
in Kovarska, we arranged in advance to treat them for dinner. We walked from
our hotel across the
Charles Bridge (Karlov Most) to the lovely Kampa Park restaurant. We ate
outdoors on the lower level (dogs are only
allowed here), so we didn’t have a view of the bridge – but it was pleasant and
comfortable, and the food and service were superb. Appetizers included
delicious soups, salads, sashimi, etc, and meals included venison, pepper steak,
chicken and fish – all gourmet and presented with flair on beautiful modern
white dishes.
Jan (32) has completed his PhD in
engineering and Martina (24) has a masters in ecology and is working on her PhD
– both very modest about their accomplishments. They volunteer their time to
help their community, and hope to eventually settle down in tiny Kovarska to
raise their children. This energy and optimism is a precious commodity for a
country on the mend! And this evening was a wonderful end to our stay in the
Czech Republic…
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