Prague
Immaculate.
Gorgeous.
Charming.
Serene.
Prague is a happy city.
Kelli and I landed last night after flying in from Istanbul.
Prague
Giving my arms time for rest and recovery goaded me to type these words.
Usually I walk.
Prague had been on our travel hit list for a bit.
Blogging From Paradise had not been to Europe – save Cyprus – before this trip. Crete and Athens offered us a southern Europe feel but now I get to enjoy a taste of northern Europe for the first time.
We are are spending the month in this magical city cherished by world travelers as one of the *the* bucket list destinations.
Prague
“Prague; have you been?”
How many world travelers have uttered that common query?
I see what the hubbub is all about.
After walking around the city for a day I wanted to share a few impressions.
Quiet
Prague is quiet.
Expect some hustle and bustle; it is a city after all.
But the calm demeanor of the place combined with its mindful design keeps noise to a minum.
For starters, wide roads and even wider sidewalks in some cases allows auto and foot traffic to spread out. One never feels crowded here; at least compared to other choking urban environments.
Prague
I slept like a baby last night. Not a peep was heard.
Everything in this part of the city became a ghost town after 8 PM.
Granted, I know that Prague night life is epic in other parts of town.
But much of the city is quite…..quiet.
Clean
Prague is immaculately clean.
I did not see one stray piece trash on traipsing around the city for a number of hours last night.
Most cities cannot make the same claim. For whatever reason, humans tend to trash places as their number increases.
Not in Prague.
Prague
I sense a general decision to respect the beautiful place and to keep it as is. Garbage cans pop up on every block. Locals and tourists alike toss everything in the rubbish bin.
Clean cities feel pleasing to traverse.
An immaculate city makes the place that much more enjoyable to experience.
Dog poop? None.
Dog pee pee? Nope.
I find it incredibly impressive whenever millions of human beings come to a blanket agreement to keep a place clean.
Trip Back in Time
Prague is a preserved city.
Minus a few modern stores the place is predominantly historical, restored buildings.
I liken it to time travel.
Travelers seem used to modern amenities.
Prague is not heavily dependent on the latest and greatest of anything.
Strolling down cobblestone streets blasts you back to the past.
Prague
The city feels like time traveling.
Few spots on earth offer time traveling at this level of scale. By that, I mean how such a huge portion of the city looks highly similar to how it looked a long time ago.
Again; expect to see some grocery stores and chains. This is a city not a podunk spot in the country.
But as cities go, one would be hard pressed to find a more preserved spot.
The architecture is mesmerizing.
Kelli and I marveled at the acute attention to detail on some of these buildings.
Friendly People
From our driver, to the lady working the hotel desk, to the individual at the phone store, everyone has been friendly, engaging and yep, speaking fluent English is a nice, US-based preference of mine too. I admit it.
Prague
Spending time in friendly spots makes the experience happy.
The Spanish man working at the restaurant emitted a cheery, “Prague combined with Puss In Boots” vibe.
Antonio Banderas?
Czech Mate!
I feel welcome here and I just arrived.
A digital nomad like me appreciates feeling welcomed considering the fact that home is a state of mind for me, not a collection of timber owned by a bank that puts me in debt.
Anyway, Prague feels warm…..although the blustery conditions have made for a charming change up.
Snow and Wind
Exhibit A:
Video: Waking Up to a Snowy Blustery Prague
Waking up to a snowy first morning in Prague adds to the charm of this city. #travel #prague pic.twitter.com/1fBKDCgTii
— Ryan Biddulph | Blogging From Paradise (@RyanBiddulph) March 28, 2023
I have deeply enjoyed the snowy, blustery conditions in Prague from last evening to this morning.
From the somewhat turbulent descent into the airport last night to brief snow squalls on and off through the evening I appreciate the change up from the increasing warmth we experienced in Turkey over the prior 2 months.
Believe it or not, the Blogging From Paradise guy loves snow if it does not stick to the road and cause travel disruptions.
Prague seems colder than I would have expected for late March.
I’ll take it.
Variety is not so much the spice of life but the vivid contrast that makes life interesting solely because it reflects your mind back to you.
Trams
Trams are the way to get around town here on the cheap.
Prague
Trams offer locals and tourists alike a convenient way to move around town.
Plentiful and inexpensive, tram lines run throughout much of the city.
This image above is one making a stop beside our hotel.
I snapped it in between sips of the espresso.
Applaud me for avoiding the espresso jitters.
Colors
This city is a rich study in colors.
Picture the impressive architecture being somewhere in between a Crayola kid gone amok and the mindful work of a seasoned designer.
Prague
Walking down just one rainbow city block tickles the senses.
Inexpensive
One chief benefit of having grown up in New Jersey; most of the world is inexpensive compared to that sometimes overpriced swath of land.
Prague is surprisingly inexpensive to me.
Kelli and I just enjoyed a delicious, filling breakfast in the hotel restaurant for $10 USD.
Picture a classy-looking little joint serving wholesome fare a wee bit more artisan than pedestrian.
Yep; the featured image is me enjoying a delightful little espresso guaranteed to charge me up for a day of Prague city street-walking.
Prague
We grabbed some quick Chinese last night for $12 USD. Massive serving, delicious food and the Czech-English-Chinese banter served up by the shop owner added fine seasoning to an already delightful dish.
Note; these are prices for 2 people. I had to add that clarification for any New Jersey friends suffering from the effects of reverse sticker shock.
Conclusion
We will be busy settling in to our location for the month over the next few days.
Keep an eye out for more Prague pictures and ponderings here.
Your Turn
Have you been to Prague?
