Onward to Prague! (Day 1)
After seven nights on the River Ambassador, it was time for us to disembark and go to Prague. Our Uniworld vacation included two nights in Prague, and then we spent four nights on our own in an apartment.
Disembarkation was a breeze. Our bus was leaving at 8:30 a.m., so we had to have our luggage packed, tagged, and outside our door by 8:00. We said goodbye to the staff in the dining room as we ate breakfast, and then got on the motor coach. Uniworld provided a guide/escort (Wolfgang) to tell us a bit about what to expect in Prague. He also wondered the bus when he wasn't talking in the microphone, and we got to hear him tell stories his mother told him about WWII.
After two hours of driving, we took a 30 minutes break just over the Czech border. Apparently, German bus drivers have very strict rules about how long they can drive before taking a break. It's unfortunate that the timing results in a convenience store stop, rather than a cute little town, but the staff were very nice and were willing to accept both Euros and Czech Koruna. Aaron picked up two cans of beer for about $2.00, and I got a wine spritzer. After reboarding the bus, it was about a 90 minute drive to Prague. As we entered the city, Wolfgang pointed out some of the major sites.
When we arrived at our hotel (the Boscolo Prague), we had to wait a few minutes for the first bus to leave (not only were they dropping off passengers from our cruise, they were also picking up new passengers that had just completed their pre-cruise stay in Prague). Then our driver executed an amazing driving feat and backed the giant bus across many lanes of city traffic and into a courtyard with a gate barely a foot wider than the bus. Here we had a private check-in, which took us approximately 30 seconds. We were able to go straight up to our room, knowing that our luggage would be delivered later.
We had just enough time before the 2:30 p.m. briefing to walk around the corner to get lunch at Potrefena Husa. This restaurant, operated by Staropramen brewery, offers lots of traditional Czech dishes (as well as steaks and burgers and salads) at reasonable prices. I had goose liver, and Aaron had sausage. Of course, we each had a pilsner.
We were too tired to go out for dinner, so we ate at the New York Cafe in the hotel. The food was good, but we could have gotten a similar meal for about half the price if we had left the hotel. After dinner, we went straight to bed—we had another long walking tour to get ready for in the morning!
Disembarkation was a breeze. Our bus was leaving at 8:30 a.m., so we had to have our luggage packed, tagged, and outside our door by 8:00. We said goodbye to the staff in the dining room as we ate breakfast, and then got on the motor coach. Uniworld provided a guide/escort (Wolfgang) to tell us a bit about what to expect in Prague. He also wondered the bus when he wasn't talking in the microphone, and we got to hear him tell stories his mother told him about WWII.
After two hours of driving, we took a 30 minutes break just over the Czech border. Apparently, German bus drivers have very strict rules about how long they can drive before taking a break. It's unfortunate that the timing results in a convenience store stop, rather than a cute little town, but the staff were very nice and were willing to accept both Euros and Czech Koruna. Aaron picked up two cans of beer for about $2.00, and I got a wine spritzer. After reboarding the bus, it was about a 90 minute drive to Prague. As we entered the city, Wolfgang pointed out some of the major sites.
When we arrived at our hotel (the Boscolo Prague), we had to wait a few minutes for the first bus to leave (not only were they dropping off passengers from our cruise, they were also picking up new passengers that had just completed their pre-cruise stay in Prague). Then our driver executed an amazing driving feat and backed the giant bus across many lanes of city traffic and into a courtyard with a gate barely a foot wider than the bus. Here we had a private check-in, which took us approximately 30 seconds. We were able to go straight up to our room, knowing that our luggage would be delivered later.
We had just enough time before the 2:30 p.m. briefing to walk around the corner to get lunch at Potrefena Husa. This restaurant, operated by Staropramen brewery, offers lots of traditional Czech dishes (as well as steaks and burgers and salads) at reasonable prices. I had goose liver, and Aaron had sausage. Of course, we each had a pilsner.
Goose liver, stewed with onions and potatoes, served with ciabatta and some salsa
That's a lot of sausage.
Cheers!!
After lunch, we attended the briefing by our local host. After, we intended to rest for a bit, but we decided to take "a short walk" first. Our little walk ended up being almost four miles! It looked a little like this:We walked over Charles Bridge, which was actually not that busy because of the lingering cold and dampness.
After crossing the Charles Bridge, we stopped at Krusta, a tiny little bakery that makes Trdelnik on the patio. We shared a pastry and each got a chocolate latte. It hit the spot.
We then walked through Mala Strana, and ended up in Kampa park, which is full of oddities like golden penguins and creepy giant babies with a zipper face.
We then made our way back over the river, and we were treated to a view of the Charles Bridge that I doubt many tourists see.
There was a festival of some kind on the small island below this bridge, but we were both too tired to stop. We walked on past the National Theatre, and through Wenceslas Square, and back up Jindrisska to our hotel. Sufficiently exhausted, we changed into swim wear and enjoyed the amazing spa/pool facilities at the Boscolo.
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| Photo courtesy prague.boscolohotels.com |
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