Suicide by Walking
Prague
Prague Photos
In spite the wonderful Berlin metro we decided to take a taxi to the train station.
The Berlin train station is incredibly large and like everything else in Berlin, under construction. We called Talixo. This turned out to be a German version of Lyft. A very nice young man drove up in a Prius, loaded our luggage and took us directly to the entrance which looked more like a modern art museum than a train station. Eleven euros well spent. Emoticon encore!
I had been to Prague once before in August 2002 with my two older daughters, Nicole and Camille. Unfortunately, this was the exact time for their five hundred year flood.
We had to leave prematurely. Two things I learned on that trip about Prague was -- must return and not to trust taxis. The taxi driver who got us around the flooding and to the train station told us the taxis were unreliable and dangerous for foreigners! We had been lucky to find him.This trip forewarned, we contacted our host AirBnB proprietor, Rick, who confirmed the previous taxi driver's taxi diagnosis. He told us that he usually transported his clients to and from the station. Forty Euros, well spent!
Prague has been a political, cultural and economic center of Central Europe most of its 1,100 year history. It was founded during the Romanesque period and flourished during the Gothic and Renaissance eras. It has been the capitol of the Czech state and several Holy Roman Emperors. It was an important city to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After World War I, it became the capitol of Czechoslovakia.
We arrived mid-afternoon. We decided to have a baptismal
stroll around the hood since we were staying near the center of the old city. We found we could easily walk to the main square. After our initial stroll we stopped at a traditional Czech restaurant to have dinner. Over dinner and perhaps too much wine we made a blood pact to commit suicide by walking. We nearly succeeded walking over thirty miles in four days. I've got the pedometer for you Thomas. This city is a visual delight complete with a replica Eiffel Tower. We were seen sleeping on park benches in the afternoons. Walking is the best way to see this city. Stay in the center, it's quite safe. Full tourist too. Just around every corner is some visual delight. We couldn't stop walking. Well, I could have but my camera threatened to shoot me if I did.
Suzanne, the best girl in the world (for me anyway), surprised me with tickets to the Prague Opera to see Don Giovanni. Which by the way, premiered in Prague some two hundred years ago. No nosebleed section. Up front on the floor row two, thank you. This girl knows how to throw a party. We could touch the orchestra and see every expression on the singers faces. Who knew they could act and sing at the same time? A once in a lifetime experience if you enjoy opera. Incredible. When you go be sure to read the libretto first, no English "super titles" like Bass.
Many believe that, for me, Paris is the epicenter of the universe. Prague pushes Paris. Now if they just spoke French.....
Prague Photos
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