Christmas in Prague

Dec25 – light snow flurries fluttered around the air while we had our stockings in the hotel room – hung out – caught the train to Prague at 4.30 – arrived in Prague at 9pm – staying at a great hotel Metamorphis right behind the Church of Tyn!

Dec26 – after breakfast walked back to Old Town Square to get some money and happened upon at 11am to watch the Astronomical Clock do it’s thing on top of the hour! Then went on a bus tour of the city at 11.15. Went through Lesser Town, over a bridge parallel to Charles Bridge and up to the Prague Palace. Here we were dropped off to wonder for an hour – we saw the changing of the guards, St. Vitus’ Cathedral – which had spectacular stained glass windows and had a quick but yummy hot chocolate near Lobkowitz Palace – however not enough time to wander. Caught the tour bus and headed back to the other side of the Vlata River.

After the tour, we walked up in Josefov area – the Jewish area – with the Synagogues and the Old Jewish Cemetary. Then had lunch at Les Moules – a Belgian restaurant – had a great Trappe beer and garlic mussels.

Don Giovanni's opera



Went to see Don Giovanni’s opera with marionettes – the stage and the backdrops made the marionettes look life size until a puppeteer came out and looked like a giant! It was an interesting way to hear an 0pera and see a marionette puppet show.

Dec27 – walked to the other side of the river and then went up to the Prague Castle via a tram. Toured the Prague Castle and then Lobkowicz Palace – a great palace – where the ancestors of the Lobkowicz family still own it today. For 300 years, the Palace was passed down to each ruling Prince – in WWII the Nazis invaded it and confiscated the Palace along with the Lobkowicz family properteries. The items owned by the family were returned in 1945 – however they were all seized again three years later by the Communists. In 2002, the Lobkowicz family once again became the owners. As the narrator on the audio tourguide was a Lobkowicz person himself, you felt a real connection to his family and the long generations of his family tree. Very interesting.  We then attended a midday concert in the old chapel of this palace. There was a pianist, a violinist and a flutist – they played many popular classical music pieces for an hour.

Dad went home (due to feeling under the weather) and mom and I ventured back up to the St. George’s Basillica. Once leaving the church I ran smack into Erik Kunik and his son Atticus and Phaedra then caught up (they came to Greece the same time I did to teach at ACS)– unbelieveable I run into someone I know in Prague!

Mom and I then walk down the hill to Charles Bridge and then back home to a sleeping dad.

Dec28 - Walked down to Wencales Square and then back up to Charles Bridge, then did some last minute shopping.  For dinner we went to a traditional Czech restaurant - actually the restaurant was about 2 stories below ground with a medieval theme to it.  Since we hadn't had much of the Czech food we order a traditional combo platter filled with Czech food - it was so much food, but was delicious! 

It was great to see both cities again (it was 15 years ago and in the summer when I was last there).  It was even better to see them through the eyes of my parents as they had never been to either city.

It is unbelieveable how much history lies in both cities - and how connected they used to be.  There was definitely much more grandeur, wealth and power a couple of centuries ago.  We all noted on how Prague was more "Christmassy" than Vienna was even though 65% of Czech's are atheists. 

As we get older, I feel enriching ourselves with new cultures and experiences fulfills our lives much better than with unwanted/ unneeded materialist items.

on the Charles Bridge