When I first saw the Prague episode of "No Reservations", I immediately put it on my bucket list.
Why?
It's one of Anthony Bourdain's favorite countries and as a follower of him and his work, I knew I had to go.
Known for its good craft beer, breathtaking architecture and rough history through Communism, Prague is definitely a bucket list country.
December 26th, 2013
After spending Christmas Day, eating, walking around the last bits of Uppsala, we woke up at 7:00AM, ate breakfast, packed last minute things and were out the door and at Centralstation at 8:30AM.
This is Centralstation at 8:30AM, and yes it is still dark and the sun is almost rising.
1 hour bus ride, 2 hour plane ride and 20 minute taxi ride later...I WAS IN PRAGUE!!!
Reunited with my sister and her boyfriend in the hotel room, my mom and I dropped our suitcases and headed off to Czech Prague out and get some Czech grub!
After the first hello from my sister after not seeing her for 4 months, she brings me into the bathroom to introduce me to Melissa, a mysterious ingredient in our Prague soap.
After 2 1/2 days in Prague, we still don't know who Melissa is.....
Czeching out the bathroom!
Walking down Prague on the way to the restaurant
(Pictured from right to left: My mom, my sister and her boyfriend)
Pragueressing through the Czech streets
Our first Czech restaurant!
Czech out the menu!
As said before, Prague is famous for having good craft beer, their biggest beer is Pilsner Urquell which is what is pictured above in the .5 liter glass.
Also beer in Prague costs about $1.50-$2.00, so yeah we were going to get as much beer as we could handle.
Beer #1
My first Prague meal- beef tartar with fried bread.
Sidenote: This isn't really a typical Czech meal, I just wanted to know what fried bread was like.
It's pretty much like toast, toasted to the max without being burned, put on pan.
It's still pretty good.
Goulash with bread dumplings. This is typical Czech food. Hearty meat with heavy sauce on the side of more heavy hearty bread dumplings, this is what I would live off of for the next two and half days.*
* Before venturing off the Prague, I had Googled "Things to do in Prague" and eating the local food was one of them. The reviewers said that the food was hearty and delicious and that it was "stuck to your ribs good". These reviewers were not exaggerating, Czech food is literally stick to your ribs food.
You will see why.
Once we finished our delicious Czech meal, we wandered more into Prague and ended up in the downtown area where the famous Christmas Market and Prague Tower was located.
Non-stop hot dogs guys. Non-stop
Also note on the bottom left in the smaller font is the name "Praha" which is the Czech way of Prague.
Don't you just want to lean your head back and go "PRA-HA-HA-HA-HA!"
Horses. Horses everywhere.
This is a statue of a LEGO naked lady (it's not made out of legos, but it looks like it)
Their steaks make you crazy. CUH-razy
As will be shown in a next post, in the middle of all these buildings is the Prague Christmas markets, in just like the Swedish Christmas markets, have food, and objects at a cheap price and are a big deal in Europe (like a big deal).
Across from the notable Christmas Market is the famous Astronomical Clock and Prague Tower. Now, after reading "Things to do in Prague" article and getting over the food reviews, on of the other main things was to go up to the Prague Tower. Like it was a must, just see why.
*Disclaimer: If these pictures inspire you to go to Prague, then thank you, however if you are claustrophobic and/or afraid of heights I would not recommend going up the Prague tower, believe me it's pretty freaky going up and down, but the view is breathtaking. So maybe takes some practices with some high buildings in your hometown to prepare you...kind of.
The Astronomical Clock.
Want to know how to read it?
Just read it like a normal clock.
Ticket to the Tower!
Prague Castle
Aerial view of the Christmas Markets.
The tiny elevator tube to get you up and down the tower.
The way down from the tower.
After about 45 minutes total of going up the tour, squeezing through the many people in the tower, then going down the tiny claustrophobic stairs plus never ending ramps, we got down back into the downtown area, toured the Christmas market and were looked for a little Prague beer before dinner.
Unlike Glögg, this is legit hot wine. Like you take a bottle of wine heat it up to the hottest it can be and drink it and when I say hottest it can be I mean hottest it can be. I burnt my finger through my glove while walking fast through the crowds.
If you ask me which is better Czech hot wine or Glögg, I'd said Glögg is better.
In good news, I FOUND LI'L SEBASTIAN!!
(And by Li'l Sebastian, I don't mean my new cousin Sebastian, although they do have a high status in popularity and have lots of things in common)
He's alive and well in Prague with all his little animal friends, and doing what he does best, eating and urinating (just like my little cousin Sebastian does).
A beer break before dinner.
Top Right: the beers we had at lunch
Top Left: Staroprammen (another local Czech Beer)
Bottom: 5 different kinds of beer
1. Two Tales Bohemian Ale
2. Demon
3. Prague Beer Museum
4. Uneticke
5. Cornel Red Ale
All were delicious and what we needed before dinner.
Beer #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7
Now the place we were going to was recommended by one of my mom's good friend, finding it though was a challenge. The WiFi wasn't working at the beer place we were at and the name of the restaurant was similar to another restaurant by a letter. (Thank you Czech names)
Luckily we found it, sat down, had another Czech beer and ate until we could no longer move.
Another Pilsner Urquell
Beer #8
Goulash with Red and White Cabbage and Bacon and Bread Dumplings.
No I did not eat the whole thing, I ate the bacon dumplings, the goulash and half of one bread dumpling.
After the goulash, it was a struggle to eat anything else, but it was so worth it.
After a fulfilling dinner we walked around some more, eyed the Prague Castle from afar as we would see it the next day and returned to our hotels and feel asleep instantly from the long walks up and down downtown Prague and from the 2 food comas.
--Pragueressing forward--
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