Petrin Tower and the Jewish Quarter, take 2

The Observation Tower at Petrin Hill is Prague's equivalent to the Eiffel Tower except that it is a whole lot shorter at 63 meters as compared to the Eiffel's height of 320. But then again the Petrin Tower is located on a 318 meter high hill giving it a good view of the city.  

The Petrin Tower was built in 1891 for the Jubilee Exhibition much like the Eiffel Tower during the 1889 World's Fair.

Prague: Jewish Quarter and the Thirsty Deer

Arriving at the Jewish Quarter, the big K and I were wondering why there weren't too many people around. Seemed like we left everyone at the Prague Castle. Or the place was just not popular with visitors. Anyway, it was quite a relief really after having to deal with the crowd at Prague Castle.

Heading straight to the Old Jewish Cemetery, we saw that the gates were closed. Uh-oh, now what? "Closed for the Holiday" a sign said. Really? It was a holiday? We later found out it was Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people. Just goes to show how little we know of the Jewish religion.

So, the big K and I ended up just walking around, admiring the beautiful buildings and browsing the shops that were open (obviously they weren't Jewish).

I love the sunflower door on this apartment building. And it comes with a clock too!

Prague Castle

Second day in Prague the big K and I had to start out early. We had to pack our bags and transfer to another hotel. When I made the booking at this Náměstí Republiky hotel a few months ago I think I was having a dyslexic moment as I got the dates all mixed up (well, at least we have a place to stay at next year!). Long story short, we had to look for another hotel as they were fully booked. Thanks to Trip Advisor, we found an inexpensive hotel in the Smichov area (Prague 5). 

Taking the metro to Andel, we arrived at Aparthotel City 5 and was greeted by the red-haired, vivacious owner, Kristina. "Hello, hello! Good morning! Welcome! How do you want your coffee?" Talk about a very warm welcome on a very cold day. All at once the big K and I felt at home. Kristina offered us breakfast with our coffee but the big K and I declined since we wanted to head off to the Castle early to beat the crowds. Since it wasn't check-in time yet, Kristina stored our bags and gave us a map with instructions on how to get to the castle district.

The massive and awe-inspiring St. Vitus Cathedral.

Prague: Choo-choo trains!

While in Bangkok with the big K in one of his company trips, I saw this restaurant featured in one of the travel shows on TV. It had a miniature railroad running around the restaurant. It was a complete railway network with tunnels, draw bridges, ponds, rock formations, houses and trees. Nothing out of the ordinary you'd say, right? But, wait until you see the trains! What makes this place one of a kind are the miniature trains that chug along the tracks, carts loaded up with drinks and serving them straight to your table. Now how cool is that?  

And, where is this unique restaurant? In Prague, of course!  

Prague: Old is New, Less is More

Did you know that it was only in 1992 that UNESCO inscribed the historic center of Prague as a World Heritage Site? The five areas that comprise the historic center are Old Town (Staré Město), Lesser Town (Malá Strana), New Town (Nové Město), the Jewish Quarter (Josefov) and the Castle district (Hradčany). Thanks to the fall of communism in the former Czechoslovakia we can enjoy the beautiful city of Prague today. 

Prague: Two Squares and a Bridge

Emerging from the underground metro, the big K and I were greeted by this  beautiful scene. A big square filled with tall, graceful, old buildings and classic trams running on cobbled streets. Old World Prague at its best! 

Náměstí Republiky is just steps away from Old Town Square.

Dobré ráno Praha!

It was a bright and sunny morning when the big K and I stepped onto platform no. 7 of the Prague main train station otherwise known as Praha Hlavní Nádraží in Czech. For a central train station, it was on the small side (no. 7 was the last platform). 

Certainly looks can be deceiving, entering the underground terminal we were pleasantly surprised to see how expansive the interior was. It had several levels filled with shops and restaurants. Shopping and eating! Two of my favorite things. I would never get bored in here! The other facilities inside the terminal were a grocery, 24-hour luggage storage, a spacious ticket office, ATM machines, money exchange counters and a tourist information office.