Czech Republic: 26 Prosinec 2009

It becomes more obvious in the daylight that Prague is a tale of two cities – tourist Prague and “the rest”. While tourist Prague is beautiful, well maintained and busting at the seams with shops, restaurants and bohemian crystal, “the rest” looks about like what you’d expect from a country under communist control for 40-some years. The streets are bleak and dirty. The buildings are tattered and minimal. The shops have multiple (sturdy) forms of security and safety precautions. The oppression is omnipresent. This vibe was overwhelming in Prague. Maybe it was the weather, maybe it was the season or maybe it was just us. Nonetheless, we felt it important to share this part too on the blog so you had a better idea about all of Prague.

Having said all that, it was interesting that once you walked inside most of these places, the vibe changed dramatically. Our apartment is a great example. From the outside, the building is nothing. The elevator shaft open and constructed as minimally as possible. The mailboxes are old and sad – yet artistic. It takes no less than four keys to get in the building. But, the actual apartment itself was quite nice.

See some shots below.

Here’s the view from outside our window. Not to shabby. Under this the river was visible, as well as an ice skating rink. (This provided lots of entertainment between the 3-year-old newbies and the adult wannabes).We head out again today and visit Prague’s astronomical clock. The clock is composed of three main components: the astronomical dial (sun and moon), "The Walk of the Apostles" and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months.

Next we head over to Prague’s highest point and their version of the Petrin Observation Tower (or little Eiffel Tower). This monument was constructed at nearly the same time (albeit second) and stands at the same height – thanks to Petrin Hill upon which it stands. The hill also has a nice garden area and a funicular that you can ride (as we did) to the bottom of the hill. We appreciated how the Czechs were resourceful and “green” in their approach to winterizing the gardens. In order to protect their delicate plants and trees, they’d used natural cover (greenery) instead of man-made materials. (Points for Prague).

By the time we make it back over to the market after lunch, things are really hopping. See this shot of the crowds. Apparently Prague is a big destination for Germans as well.We head over to check out the municipal house and associated shopping district. We’re done in by the crowds and the day, so we pick up some sandwiches at the convenience store on the way home and eat them in our trusty little apartment. Tomorrow it’s back to Germany and on to Dresden.