Prague + Blog = Plog: Day 3 Old Town Square and City Center

Today was all about serious exploring (and walking)...that is after Karl slept for 15 hours while I woke up every 2... thank god for books on tape. He had a busy schedule before the trip and "warned me that this would happen". Moral of the story: we didn't get out of the hotel until 2 pm. We headed back toward Old Town Square, this time with my camera. I just brought my 50mm for light travel and speed.On our way we stopped for crepes (late afternoon breakfast) to inject a little energy before going deeper beyond the square's bordering alleys. They were EXTREMELY sweet but yummy.

We visited some local craft shops where we found some great xmas gift ideas (the Bohemia region is known for its glass and crystal works), and then found a little cafe tucked down a side, alleyway for some tea. Karl ordered some cake. Talk about healthy 'breakfast'. From there we ventured a little deeper toward the city center area, which was a bit more modern, with larger retailers, restaurants and hotels. The center was really open with trolly cars moving through it regularly and I really loved the feel of it there. All the streets and sidewalks are cobblestones, even in the more modern parts which adds to the old-meets-new feel. We gave it a quick stroll then turned back toward old town. Everywhere we have walked I have been keeping an eye out for subjects to add to my "doors" portfolio. There are certainly lots of interesting doors all around Prague. Once back in the square we found a very nice little Italian restaurant for lunch (4pm), where we shared lasagna and pizza. It was starting to get bitingly cold so some red wine helped to keep the shivers at bay. Every side street that you walk down has three more side streets off of it. It would be easy to spend an entire week trying to find all the nooks and crannies of the Old Town Square. Into the evening we walked and admired small shops of all types, restaurants, cafes, bars, etc. For dinner wanted to return to one of the smaller - off the beaten path - restaurants we had seen earlier but struggled to find our way to it back through the maze. Karl was dying and nearly "depleted" (it is amazing he can run marathons but can’t walk a mile…but I give him credit for not complaining (much!) about all the walking) so we settled on a break and a drink at Déjà Vu, a small club we stumbled upon. I had my first White Russian. Yum. It was nice to get out of the cold for a few minutes but we still needed to find some real food (we gobbled through our bowl of bar nuts) and off we went in search of our restaurant. The search was brief and we surrendered to hunger and the fact that Karl's bladder was going to burst, for which he informed me every 30 seconds. I told him that, No, you may not pee behind the huge christmas tree they were setting up in the square and so we settled on a small English Pub (the closest toilet). Not so "local", but I liked the place and there was a really good live band. After that we headed back to the hotel. A good day :)

Karl with the Charles Bridge behind him.

Me with the Charles Bridge behind me. (love the ski gloves?)

A view of the castle from across the river. (BTW you can see any of the pictures enlarged by clicking on them!

Waiting in line for crepes.

We haven't had any fried cheese yet but I have to admit I am looking forward to it.

This is just one of the doors that caught my eye. I love the door in a door.

A peak around the corner into Old Town Square.

The Christmas tree they are setting up in the square. For some reason I love all the holiday decorattions here. It doesn't seem too early or shoved down your throat (like it does in the Maine Mall.)

A side street.

Everywhere we go there are little cat figurines and paintings of cats. Here is a whole shop devoted to cats. I asked one person why and she didn't know. She said cats are particularly special to Czech.. Odd. (And we haven't seen a single live cat.)

I love flower shops. Here is one in the City Center.

A scene in the City Center.

A scene in the City Center.

This is my favorite 'Door/window' picture so far. I want to go back and take it again so that you can't see the light from inside. I really like the simple lines if it.