Prague - part two

On Sunday morning I decided to walk to the castle up on the hill. It was a cool, crip morning with no fog at all and the walking was easy until I hit the bottom of the hill and started up the stairs. I walked and climbed steps and walked and climbed steps and had just stopped for a mid-climb break when I heard a band begin to play a catchy tune, so I hit the steps again and came out at the top of the hill, overlooking the city. What a view! The morning had warmed up and covered the city in a light haze and the breeze was blowing among the cherry trees and drifting petals down the hill. Behind me, people were walking around the square in front of a church and there was a small band playing music to entertain the visitors.

I bought my entry ticket and walked around the outskirts of the church and the square inside; watching the people and deciding where to start. But as soon as I was out of the sun it got quite cold so I stopped for a coffee. Once I was warm and fuelled, I entered the castle and wandered around the areas open to the public, reading the boards which gave information about the spaces.

After a quick walk through the church and one or two of the other buildings I walked down to the gardens and had a doze in the sun and then started down the hill again through the public gardens. The place was full of people enjoying the sunshine and it was a pleasant place to linger but I was hungry and wanted to find a place for lunch so I didn't linger. I was walking along a pathway, looking for the right place to get back down to the river when I came across the most beautiful old building sitting on the side of the hill. When I got closer I discovered that it was actually a restaurant and also that it boasted the most amazing view; looking out over four bridges spanning the riverbank. It was a view of Prague that I'd seen on postcards around town and wondered where it was - and I'd found it!

I scored a table on the balcony and ate roasted duck breast in plum sauce with dumplings and it was amazing. You have to be grateful for a day when you stumble across the perfect place to spend a Sunday lunch. :-)

A few hours later I finally finished walking down the rest of the hill and crossed back into the city to take a tour of the Jewish synagogue and cemetery. I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering through the old town, finding picturesque courtyards and arty streets and looking down on the city from the top of the town hall viewing platform. Prague is truly a charming city and it's just made for lingering and walking.

Nearly 20,000 steps later my feet gave up the ghost and I had dinner at a stunning restaurant across the square from my hotel where I had pork medallions with wild mushroom risotto and local beer. The food on this trip has been amazing so far!

A few days in Prague just isn't enough time to really explore every corner of this charming city and I was sorry to pack up for the return journey to Germany at the end of my visit. It's easy to get around (unless your are bad at following map directions like me!) The people are friendly and everyone I met had some English, so communication was never a problem. The food was consistently amazing and the beer was very good and cheap. I'll definitely be back!