more walking in prague

There are two very distinct characteristics of Prague. One, the Gothic architectures; two, the ubiquitous cobblestoned paths. I swear they are a killer to my precious toes! Not to mention I was walking in flat-soled boots meant for walking long distance. Still, it hurt a lot.
Torture chamber man.

:: Put your hands up for Prague. I'm on the top of the world, looking ::

After an arduous climb up cobblestoned steep paths (really felt like you're going up the Great Wall of China), we finally reached a high point where we could have a bird eyes' view of Prague. The view was splendid indeed and the streaks of pink and purple splashed against the blue sky like an artist's work on blank canvas.

There... the fruits of my long, hard hike.

:: At dusk, the spires on the mosque stand out amongst the rest of the houses and buildings ::

:: My back view and the accidental gorgeous comet-like Aeroplane trail above ::

:: The famous Prague castle ::

:: After walking up MORE cobblestoned paths- except this time they were even steeper- we arrived at the second tourist hotspot. The first (which was the bird eye's view thing I was talking about ) is only a prelude to a more spectacular, magnificent entity.
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The Prague castle is so gargantuan that even when I lay prostrate on the ground, I was unable to capture the entire castle. The photo does injustice to how it looks like in real life.
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:: Interior musical decor of winged cherubs strumming harps and violins inside Chapel of Mirrors::

Opera concerts are considerably cheap in Prague. I love! We went to watch a Christmas opera concert with songs from Mozart and Beethoven. Opera is a large part in European tradition, especially Vienna, Prague and Italy. My first and last Opera concert in this Europe trip, undisputedly a charming experience!

The Chapel of Mirrors (where the Opera was held) is also a significant place. Aa gentleman rang a bell and began explaining the significance of the place for 20 mins or so, in Czech, French and Italian. Unfortunately, no English so...
The only thing I gathered was...lots of Baroque art in the Chapel of Mirrors ! :)

:: Sat in the 3rd row from the FRONT ! I';ve got VIP seats ! Aha yippee yay !!!
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:: Czech-style Absinth! ::

Also referred to as 'Bohemian style'. Originated from Switzerland, Absinth is well-known for its addictive and psychoactive deleterious effects. Artist Van Gogh cut off his ear due to excess Absinth. No messing around with Absinth!

:: Kitchen in the hostel. Not bad I say, feels like a mini apartment of sort ::

:: Shot of the bathroom ::

Hostel Albert has cosy rooms but I had to overcome the scariness of having NO receptionist and a pitch dark receptionist desk. The rule is if the guests need anything, we could sms them. So yeah, no room service, no reception, no physical "help line". Apart from that, we stayed on the first floor and a chill ran down my spine when I saw the stairway leading upstairs. It was, also pitch dark. So, I wondered, even as I am typing this now, whether we were the only occupants in the whole building. And mind you, it was not a rectangular, glass walled building as you might perceived, try a dark grey medieval castle. I take comfort in knowing that the tram stop (the tram runs 24 hours, phew) is located directly outside our temporary residence.

We were given the main door keys and when we first returned, the entire place was, pitch black as well. No thanks to their automatic light-saving bulbs.
Hostel Albert left me quite an impression. On the last day of Prague, the staff promptly smsed me this on my handphone "Hi. pls leave the keys in the apartment. thanks". So much for being there. Technically, they were, but only on the first day to collect payment.

Off the beaten path of Czech Republic

Here is a visual slice of Europe. I uploaded a video of the beautiful Vltava River which gracefully snakes under de famosi Charles Bridge- one of Prague's most enthralling tourists' attractions. Watch the waters scintillating, literally like diamond-shaped stars on the water!


:: The maverick musician from 'The Bridge Band' (literal yes, but that's what they call themselves) who uses metal thimbles and egg beaters to make drum beats. Unprecedented, off-cap to him ;) ::


:: 'The Bridge Band' consisting of mainly older musicians ::

They are superb, we even bought their CDs for 15 Euros ! Astounding, tracks-halting voices and really cool old-school musical instruments they used, those that most of us would have deemed as obsolete. Apart from musicians, there is a plethora of Caricature artists and glass jewelry sellers trying to vie for tourists' attention and of course, their moolahs.

:: The entrance of the famous Charles Bridge::

This is not the best of shots but it is the best I could manage whilst squeezing amidst a massive crowd and watching out for any pickpockets ready to prey on the gullible Singaporean. Prague will not be Prague without Charles Bridge. This magical city of bridges, cathedrals, gold-tipped towers and church domes, has been mirrored in the surface of the Vltava River. We had a bit of a problem getting around Prague and communicating with the people because Czech language is incredibly difficult to pick up. German and Dutch were much easier. Oh, and of course I had the aid of my English-German guide book and German friends around.

:: Bohemian kings, some of whom ruled as emperors of the Holy Roman Empire including Charles IV who built the 'new town', Nové město, an important hub at that time ::

:: I managed to capture some intricate detailing of the entrance of Charles Bridge's friezes::


:: More Gothic statues along the Bridge heavy Catholic/religious innuendos, an influence originated from the Holy Roman Empire rulers ::

Even along the streets in the city center area, Prague is replete with medieval Gothic influence. A tad too much for my personal liking.

:: Vltava River . It was a glorious sunny winter day that makes almost any photo pretty ::

:: And nothing beats Czech beer. Smooth texture. perpetually cold and a delectable faint whiff of alcohol when gulped. Although I would add that nothing beats beer in Europe because they are so ridiculously cheap. You can purchase beer for 1.50 Euros (S$ 3). Not to mention, they really aid in keeping you warm in winter! ::

Prague is famous for hand-made glass ornaments. Anything glass. Czech beads, glass earrings, glass teardrop shaped stuff (see on top) ::

Little things

:: On the way to Prague: The breath-taking view of cottages planted alongside emerald green waters and lemon-green hills ::

The blogging affair is beginning to take a toll on me. Days are cut shorter, the weather got colder, train schedules, bus rides, hitch hiking, more planning, more photos, more memories to take stock of. All that traveling is beginning to weigh.

But then, I remembered how life springs little surprises on us when we least expected it to.
Like the picturesque view from the windows as the train rumbled and whistled from Dresden to Prague. Transient but absolutely gorgeous scenery makes train-taking such pleasant journeys. Beautiful things in life are ephemeral because they force us to sit up and pay attention. That is why everyone loves travelling, that is why everyone loves sunsets.