Parthemores in Poland

(Try to say that three times fast:  Prague Blog, Plog Brog, damn it!)

Since we had never been to Prague (and everybody kept raving about it), we made a quick trip down there this past weekend to see what all the fuss is about.  Even though the Czech Republic borders Poland to the south, Google Maps suggests that the fastest way is through Germany.  And if we’re going through Germany, why not stop at the Army base in Grafenwoehr, which is only a few hours from Prague.

The trip through Germany was fraught with peril.  Well, maybe not peril…but inconveniences.  First, we were inexplicably routed off the Autobahn with no marked detour.  After we figured out which new road to take, it was closed for construction. 

(Ironically, the local code for the license plates started with “LOST.”  Coincidence?  I think not.)

This is not the autobahn:

We counted at least five different occasions where we were unable to take the road we wanted.  In one case, we had to go north for one exit to turn around and go south.  It was impressively ridiculous.

So…our 6.5 hour trip turned into a 9.5 hour trip.  After a short stop in Grafenwohr to pick up supplies, we got to Prague around 8:30 pm. 

We rented an apartment in the Old Town, which meant that we had to drive in Old Town.  That was pure hell.  After figuring out where our apartment was, we turned down a street in an attempt to find some parking.  As we are inching the Skoda through the swarms of people, a policeman waves us over and asks to see our passports. 

I’m sure he was confused why two Americans were driving a car with Polish license plates and had a dog in the backseat.  He also didn’t speak English.  But through the magic of Slavic languages, we were able to have a conversation…his half in Czech and our half in Polish.  Here’s what we learned:

1. We were driving on a pedestrian only street.
2. We could find parking at the square down the next road.
3. He would not be giving us the 2000 koruna ticket.  Sweet!

The scene of the crime, the next day.  There were triple the amount of people when we drove through.

Prague is really a pretty neat city.  We explored the Old Town and the Castle District across the river.  If I had to describe it in two words:  looming and pointy.  But in a good way.

The Church of Our Lady before Týn and the Town Hall loom over the Old Market Square

The castle looming over the river

The towers on the Charles Bridge looming over the thousands of tourists!

Being in Europe and during the summer, of course it was packed with visitors.  The Charles Bridge is undergoing some renovation, meaning there is even less room in the most popular spot in Prague.  Luckily Daisy has no problems with swarms of people.  Here’s one of the 30 statues adorning the bridge:

Everywhere, there was something to see.  The buildings were beautifully decorated, the sidewalks were intricate and there were a million souvenir shops hawking crystal, pottery, garnets, and extremely low quality t-shirts.  You could even buy a “Czech Republic Drinking Team” shirt in kids’ sizes. Classy.

Segway tours were popular.  At least these have the cool off-road tires, so your teeth wouldn’t fall out after riding over the cobblestones.

Another popular sight is the clock on the town hall.  It is pretty ornate and is unbelievably complex.  If you’re into the astronomy thing, you can read about how it works here. I just think it’s pretty.

In the market square, there were little food huts set up as well as a bunch of folks in period dress giving a sword-fighting demonstration.  The blacksmith on his cell phone kind of detracted from the whole historic vibe.

(Leather apron?  Check.  Anvil?  Check.  Shoes?  Nope.  Cell phone?  Check.  A complete blacksmith’s ensemble.)

So we had lots of fun, resolved to return, and, most importantly, had absolutely no problems driving home.