Views of Prague

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Our 2008 annual holiday trip started out in Prague. This was my second visit to the city and the first time we took Mom there. What a wonderful time. We were staying in the "Little Quarter" the Mala Strana, and it is a lovely neighborhood. Our hotel was 5 mins from the Charles Bridge, and on a quite side street. Very nice. It was near to the Kampa Modern Art museum which we thoroughly explored. (more on that later.) And it was in a nice mixed neighborhood/ tourist and residential.

We spent a good deal of time on the first day (before mom arrived) exploring, walking around and even went to a local shopping center to get a converter for the wall sockets. I think going to a local mall or grocery store is always an interesting way to get off the tourist track and get a sense of regular folks.

On day one, we had the gorgeous plum tart included in the collage above.

The old city of Prague is completely gorgeous, every corner, ever side street hides old homes, lovely views, and cobbled streets.

We ate breakfast on day 2 in a strange little corner spot. I had local bread, cheese and tea. Mom arrived that evening and we started seeing the sites.

More collage comments clockwise from top left--

A view under the Charles bridge, swans, and a water wheel

Local street side fruit shop chock full of tasty fruit for the holidays

Previously mentioned plum tart

A view of the Charles Bridge towers on the Mala Strana side, near the Kafka museum
(which I did not get to visit this time)

A gorgeous design above a door in the Mala Strana, this one is famous and called the BLUE FOX. there are many such door decorations throughout the city-- hearkening back to a time when addresses were not street numbers but descriptions.

We walked walked walked. Prague is a great city for walking, all the major sites downtown are pretty close together, and for the more distant or uphill spots like Prague castle, the trolley cars do the job. I am eager to return to this lovely city again, so much to see and do. Next year we are considering a return to Germany and Vienna, so Prague may wait till 2010. Depending on what life holds in store for us.

Czech's Can Cook Some Pretty Great Duck

I expect to be reliving and writing about my 2008 Christmas holiday trip over the next few weeks as the fancy (glass) strikes me. There was so much fun and food related frivolity it will take some time to get my reflections up on the blog.

The trip this year went like this-- Prague-Vienna-Budapest. So we started out in the lovely city of the Charles Bridge, The Astronomical Clock, and delicious duck. Roasted, grilled, confit(ed), braised, in soup, with dumplings, the Czechs know how to make duck.

On the first night, jetlagged and exhausted, we checked into our gorgeous little hotel, the Alchemist Residence Nosticova in the Little Quarter-- and at the recommendation of the girl at the desk we found ourselves in THE BLUE DUCK, (U Modre Kachnicky) a little old fashioned place around the corner.

I had traditional potato soup, and then the Roasted duck glazed with honey and apple brandy, served with raisins, apples and potato kisses. All shown in the picture above along with a little blue duck in the window sill next to our table.

It was a bit more formal than we had requested from our receptionist, but It was well prepared. The place was pretty old school, down to the casio tunes fella playing old Frank Sinatra tunes and medleys from musicals over in the corner. But it was a delicious first night. They have many different duck dishes on the menu and I imagine they are all good.

Fancy glass review-- (wow haven't done one of these in a long time)

FANCY GLASS RATINGS (on a scale of 1-5)

Decor 4 FGs Very nice, elegant if a little crowded with antiques, still a nice atmosphere.





Food menu 4 FG




Wine Menu --Big Book, but not much help with the deciding-- 3 FG




Service, Friendly, Professional, a bit old fashioned. 3 1/2 FG





Overall impression one of old world elegance, a bit stuffy, a bit over done, but tasty and friendly.
4FGs