Prague

I’ve only heard glowing reviews from people who have visited Prague, so my expectations were high as Sam and I boarded a train for the Czech Republic capital.
Those expectations were met, although not at first.
The main train station in Prague, a gorgeous old building with twin towers, is being renovated, so passengers exit from the rear to a small park.
It’s a bit run-down looking and kind of dirty, so my initial impression was “welcome to eastern Europe.”
Once you walk away from the train station, though, and into the heart of the old city, everything changes.
Streets wind and curve down narrow passageways and there are seemingly gigantic churches with tall steeples everywhere you turn.
And those are just the normal streets in the city’s “Old Town” area.
When you make it to the Vltava River, the enormous Prague castle with its huge gothic cathedral looms on a hill overlooking the city.
What a view.
Sam and I did another free walking tour that took us all through the city and included the following sites: the Tyn Church, Jan Hus Monument and the Old Town Hall with it’s astronomical clock, which are all located in Staromestke nam, or the Old Town Square. We also saw Wenceslas Square, the Prague Opera House, the last remaining gate of the old circular wall that used to surround the city and a basilica that had the most ornate altars Sam and I had ever seen.
We also were told about the Charles Bridge, the oldest of Prague’s bridges, and the thinking behind the construction of its many statues.
Since we were in Prague from June 19-21, Sam and I did a lot of walking and even more backtracking, as I could never quite get my bearings.
I’m fairly good with directions and knowing which way to turn — thanks Domino’s — but Prague proved very difficult for me to navigate. Sam on the other hand, strangely, knew roughly where we were. She joked it was because this is where her family is from. She did in fact find some Zvolanek’s in the phonebook. As soon as we passed a Phone booth she was in there thumbing through the pages.
We never got totally lost, but we rarely walked straight to our destination.
There are worse places than Prague to take a detour.
Along with the local culture, Sam and I made a point to sample the local cuisine as well.
The Czechs know what they’re doing when it comes to beer and goulash.
We found a restaurant off the beaten path and had traditional Czech garlic soup, goulash and beer for dinner.
It was fantastic.