Same Old Scene in Prague, Only Warmer
To start our European adventure, we fly into Prague, a mere eleven years after our last visit. It’s as striking as I remember, with its ancient buildings, the river as wide as a field, and its streets still cobbled, though smooth.
My memories from 2014 include the fast-moving escalators in the underground that you had to do a run up to get on, workers hanging off ladders with little regard for safety, and a glass of beer costing less than an orange juice (36p comes to mind).
This time, it’s much warmer, and like in Mexico - also unseasonably hot in June two years ago - we looked for shelter from the afternoon peak heat. It was around 30°C, and we’ve sadly grown accustomed to being immobilised in the summer afternoons. Our window for travel is shrinking even more; September to May is now the only breathable bracket. After this, maybe Scotland may be the only option.
Prague is noticeably pricier this time around. We decided on the Pilsner Urquell Experience (about £22) to stay cool. The underground chill offered some relief, although neither of us are fans of Pilsner and I’m a very light drinker. Still, like most modern ‘museums,’ it was an immersive experience with plenty of interaction, including an automated talk via the headset that responds to your position, along with a tasting beer halfway through, which I couldn't finish, and a choice of two beers afterwards, of which I managed one before switching to a soft drink. The beer experience focused on the foam, which would normally put off an occasional (mainly Belgian) beer drinker like me, but it was quite fascinating.
Instead of workers hanging off buildings, Prague’s sustainability efforts now brilliantly extend to paper poo bags displayed alongside street bins.
Although not as affordable as before, Prague still draws an international crowd, as evidenced by the many accents we heard.
We only had two nights here, and a flight delay meant we only just made the hotel by the 11:30 cut-off for pizza on the first evening. So, one coffee was enjoyed at Cafe Hrnek after breakfast at the hotel, followed by dinner at B4, a chess-themed bar and restaurant. This was lovely, aside from my salmon being quite chewy and hard to eat, made worse by the heat.
We enjoyed a lovely long walk to see many of the central sights, including the medieval astronomical clock and Charles Bridge. Afterwards, we ended up buying a refreshing ice cream from McDonald's to sit in their cooling basement. Unfortunately, Prague has adopted Germany’s practice of charging for toilet use in restaurants. We don’t carry cash anyway, but this feels like a regression in wellbeing standards.
However, a highlight was our hotel, one of the best located, as you can walk straight onto the train platform after exiting. It’s well-connected, being next to the Conference Centre, so that’s a tip for future hotel choices.
Onwards to Germany.
June 20205
