Whistlestop Wanderjahr: Prague

Though I've tried to neglect mention of it so far, most stops on our Whistlestop Wanderjahr have greeted us with some form of precipitation -- at some times a mere drizzle, at others a sheer downpour. Prague didn't disappoint this trend, but it did ease up a bit. The Czech Republic's proud capital was cloudy but dry for most of our stay. The resultant broken blue sky provided the ideal climate and lighting for wandering the old nooks and crannies of a city untouched by the most recent and more destructive of our world wars.

We arrived early in the morning, following a comfortable night train from Krakow, Poland. Guidebooks will recommend avoiding such trains in Poland, for reasons of theft, but we slept soundly and safely in our room, waking only as the train pulled slowly up to Prague's platform.

After checking into the aptly-named Hotel Central, we set off for breakfast at one of Prague's many delightfully tasty culinary establishments. Details of what we ate in Prague are not important; suffice it to say that it was all excellent. After breakfast, excursions into the city would begin.

Tour guides to the city can be found aplenty both in Prague's central square and in any half-decent information bureau. However, the free walking tours are, hands down, the way to go. Led by enthusiastic, young-ish kids trying to fill time in the summers, these tours provide ample information on the antique areas of Prague, served with light-hearted and friendly humor from the guides. Salaries are tip-based, and can be paid at the end according to how well the guide performed. Or so I'm told. I didn't actually go on the free tour. My spirit for city tours taxed beyond the limit, I cringed at the thought of wasting two more hours behind another boring guide. My loss, in this case. I went for a spiffy haircut, instead, so not a complete loss, I guess. Later that evening, I would follow the same group of tour guides on a slightly more intoxicating tour of the city, via their not-so-free Bar Crawl. Unfortunately, the meat market on this latter tour would be the cause of me calling it a night before midnight, and WALKING (not staggering or crawling) back to the hotel for a too-short night's sleep.

The next day, after wandering the city with the parents a bit and ingesting more great food, we met up for a not-at-all-free guided tour -- this time of Prague's impressive castle. I'll refrain from any long, poetic descriptions of this castle, and instead just recommend that you get on a plane or train and visit the place yourself. While I haven't seen the palace at Versailles, yet my parents remarked that Prague's castle (at least the exterior structure) reminded them of the French wonder... minus the marble, excess, and insane power-grubbing. Our tour guide, a cute gal by the name of Sarah, led us through the fortifications and courtyards with expertly delivered story-telling. Her friend and moral support, Sofie, happened to be the lively, informative (and also cute, ) tour guide for my parents' free walking tour, the previous day.

After the castle tour, we made our way for the hotel, where we grabbed our bags and made a dash for the distant and confusing bus station, from which we would depart for our next destination: Český Krumlov.

Before we move on from this place, though, let me add: Prague is a great city, and a recommended stop for any- and everybody. However, keep in mind that people in Prague are starting to catch on to the attraction of their city, and prices clearly reflect this. By this I mean that the people of Prague have long ago lost any naivety regarding how much tourists are actually willing to pay for pretty much anything. According to more worldly people, the city feels a lot like a small, quaint Paris -- absent the French (love 'em or hate 'em) and the Eiffel Tour, of course. I don't usually enjoy large cities, but Prague doesn't feel like large, at all, and the people are usually quite friendly, when even a little modesty and humility are shown on the part of the traveler.