Why Prague?

Indeed, with the choice of any European city to start this year’s journey, why did I pick the capital of the Czech Republic?   

Might you be persuaded?

Well, my son recommended it as the most beautiful city he’d seen during his teenage backpack ramblings. A friend spent a whirlwind two days here and said he would recommend more. It was an enticing new country and I needed a place to settle for awhile. To explore. To get to know my way around town. And to taste the food, history and stories of the people.

And …. After almost two weeks I still didn’t see it all. Of course I got lost a lot in the medieval rambling design of the streets and discovered surprises I’d never counted on. But there is more to be discovered and I heartily recommend you do it!

What specifically you might ask?

The Old Town Square where you can be entertained by the fast-talking juggler Sven the Swede. 

 

The Town Hall Astronomical Clock where on the hour the apostles whizz by. 

 

A Don Giovanni Marionette show. 

Concerts, concerts and more concerts! I do believe music is a Czech passion! Here in the Spanish Synagogue:

The Prague Castle in its imposing enormity defies description. (And indeed in finding the toilet.) Apparently Chinese brides are making it a destination wedding.

 

And then just around the corner is the John Lennon wall, which people still embellish with grafitti-inspirations.

 

 

Views from Charles Bridge of the amazingly preserved architecture. “The most beautiful city.” 

 

World War ll tours of underground espionage. 

 

The Alphonse Mucha Museum and the origins of Art Nouveau. (When I tried to characterize the style – “oriental?” – a Japanese youth said it looked 2.5D to him.) See his original poster of Sarah Bernhardt .

 

And the dancing house (dubbed Fred and Ginger.)

 

Where to stay, you might ask? My choice is always a hostel. Affordable. (More money to spend on concerts.) Helpful and full of savvy young travelers. Here are my French Canadian room-mates – quiet, respectful and modestly dressed for bed.

 

Friendly  people, culture galore, good prices …. A place to settle for awhile. Come join me for a Pilsner!

 

 

What You Can Find When You Get Lost

I set out from the Old Prague Hostel for the Botanical Gardens. Ha! You can start shaking your head right now! Yesterday a vendor at a craft fair (landscape architect turned nature-jewelry artist) turned me onto the blooming rhododendrons. I was tiring of the concrete and needed nature. She circled the site on the tourist map. Easy --- right?

Forget the train or metro with the confusing payment system – I decided to walk it. On the way I magically found an enormous shopping complex. Yes! I needed straps for the sunglasses and was actually mourning the lack of WalMart when I found the optical store. Then following Google Maps navigation for the Botanical Gardens I headed North East instead of the South West I had predicted. No problem. In front of me was a pharmacy. Voila! Source of melatonin – helpful in a noisy hostel. Then – yes! A bookstore! Maybe a cheap notebook? Nope, but I met an American woman on a similar journey who have me great tips for being a “travel hacker.” And a hug of encouragement. 

I followed the stupid phone navigation again before I realized it wanted me to cross the river. AARGH!!! 

Turns out there are two Botanical Gardens and I was the stupid one! The one it was taking me to was impossibly far away so I wandered instead by the river, eating the cherries and cucumbers bought at a Farmers Market. A very friendly 17 year old Andy with his lunging “dominant not aggressive Corgi, Katie” told me of singing opera in Fairbanks, Alaska in high school. He insisted he was too shy to sing for me. But here he is singing the Czech National Anthem. You go, Andy!

Oh well, no hope of getting to the Gardens after a taxi refused me so I walked by the river that I had never intended to go near. And … why not? Take the one hour cruise. Listen to polkas by the accordion player and strike up a conversation with a couple and their daughter from Cesky Krumlov. They told me of the lovely medieval UNESCO site and Ahh… The solution for getting out of Prague congestion appeared.

At this point I had glass straps, melatonin, no note-book, a national anthem and a next destination .. but still no flowers! I needed flowers! Spotting green on the map across the river, I crossed that persistent river and found peace. Yes.. a park. And I lay down in bliss amidst clover and daisies. The photographer of this picture sprinkled me in yellow.

 

It’s amazing what you can find when you get lost...

Wandering the park I found a tightrope practice area, a passing beer cycle and .. voila! The Hanavsky Pavillion Restaurant. In some park on the other side of the river I’m eating duck and crepes.

 

And just in case you are wondering what Kathy does when she really gets lost, here is the ending of the story.

 By now I had absolutely no faith in the phone navigation and tried to follow my nose to the Charles Bridge to get back over the river. The nose was wrong. I ended up in a residential area with no one in sight. Hungry, tired and despairing, I perked up as a car pulled up and a Chinese-food delivery man popped out. My savior?

Well, I never would have advised my daughter to approach him. Pants unzipped, waist-band nearly falling down, punk sticker on car, a few tattoos…and no English. But what the heck? He signaled for me to get in the car and drove me to my side of the Bridge.  I told Michael that he was my angel by flapping my arms. I think he thought I was demonstrating a chicken but nonetheless he refused payment and smiled for the camera. 

 

Angels everywhere… You never know.

How I Got Skinny in Prague

Look at the menu across from my Air B and B at the Old Town Square and ask yourself... 

How can Kathy possibly lose weight in Prague?

I arrived at least 5 pounds overweight. And after having read “Eat, Pray, Love” I didn’t want to have to go to an Indian ashram (Pray) to take off the weight I could put on in Prague (Eat).

Well, not to worry folks. Dr. Oz—stand aside while I give our readers a little quiz. I’ve found the way to lose at least 3 pounds in 5 days. Not even Atkins Diet did that for me!

 Here are the popular ways. Read on to find out which ones actually worked.

1. Eat more vegetables. 

Oops! None to be found in the tourist-center of Prague except for salads that are the same price as protein. And even the tiny grocery store one hour walk away had no greens. Oh how I miss my garden! Can’t you fly me over a kale and mulberry smoothie??

2. Drink lots of water. 

Nope. Easier said than done. Tap water is not served in restaurants in Prague. Sure I got a nice pitcher of filtered water with floating cucumber and mint, but I got charged the same price as I would for a beer. I’ve resorted to carrying a collapsible water container in the back-pack and shamelessly pull it out at the restaurant.

3. Just say no to the bread. 

Well, that’s easy because there isn’t any. Rarely is it served with a meal and never with butter.

4. Eat high protein, ala South Beach.

Well… beef goulash sounds like it might work, but it consists of small pieces of tender beef floating in a dinner plate of yummy gravy, all to be soaked up with three 4-inch diameter slices of dumpling. (Tubes of boiled dough.) Don’t eat the dumpling and you go away hungry. Foiled again!

5. Eat slowly and mindfully. 

I can’t! I’m starving!

6. Pick the best restaurant.

In this case, Restaurant Mincovna, with waiter Patrick, across from my lodging. Yum!! It’s a treat! See the above menu. One can lose weight with the butter-laden asparagus soup and salad topped with sliced duck breast. Expensive food, small quantities .. and no bread.

7. Choose between music and food. 

I ask—would I rather spend $30 on a great concert ticket (and that is minus the discount they give to students --when I complained that seniors should get a discount too they gave me one for being a “student of life.”), I really weigh my values here, considering the "Budget." What will I savor longer? The exquisite 70 minute concert at the St. George’s Basilica at the Prague Castle where I could swear the heavens were resounding. Perfect acoustics! Eight hundred years of exhilaration vibrating in the walls? Or a four course meal? My decision – forgo breakfast for a week and savor the music.

8. Cook for yourself. 

Nope – full kitchen here, minus hot water, but as above—no grocery store.

9. The answer, ta da!!

Get this Dr. Oz! Is to set a budget and treasure every crumb of food your budget allows. Forget whether it is carb or protein or butter. And walk… That’s right, WALK!!! The 6 hour a day tourist foot-dragging shuffle. 

It works! After just 5 days the pants are loose and I wish I’d brought a belt.