Tag Archives: Walking in Prague

Day Two Hundred and Seventy-Six My walk in Prague: Meeting with the head of Czech Tourism office, touring Vysehrad and Vinohrady and Cooking class May 31st, 2023

"A Local Journey: Exploring the outskirts of New York City, Dedication to Warren Watrel, Exploring Prague, Exploring Prague Block by Block, Exploring Prague by Foot, Exploring Prague Cafes, Exploring the City of Prague, Historic neighborhoods of Prague, Interesting Bakeries, My life at NYU-Graduate School, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), MywalkinManhattan Experiences, MywalkinManhattan in Prague, Czech Republic, Uncategorized, Walking in Prague, Walking Prague, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I really enjoyed this morning as we were allowed to sleep in a bit from class and did not have to meet up until 9:00am. Everyone in the class seemed to like that. We were able to grab a quick bite and then we had to meet with the head of the Czech Tourism Office, CEO Jan Herget. After the visit, we were going to have lunch at his restaurant/boat on the river and then an afternoon of paddle boarding. Not a bad way to spend some class time while learning what tourists might want to experience in Prague.

Our group shot with CEO of Czech Tourism Jan Herget (he is standing right of me. I am in the middle in the green polo).

We got to the office rather early and our host was a bit late (I kept thinking we were starting these mornings too early). Meeting the head of the whole country’s tourism board I was thinking I would be meeting this stiff guy in a blue suit but Mr. Herget could not have been more laid back. I think he rode his motorcycle over to the meeting.

We all thought he was a great. He had a PowerPoint presentation on his goals for the country and wanted to really build on the success that they were having. After visiting the outside cities, I thought the direction of the country should be more of getting people out of Prague for at least three days. I was so impressed with what I saw with the visits to the small cities that I thought more tourists would want to see that after maybe two to three days in Prague. I find that most people that travel abroad to a non-English speaking country are more adventurous in their travels and don’t want to be limited.

The riverfront in Prague is beautiful on a sunny warm day

After our conversation with the CEO, it was off to lunch at his restaurant, The Kayak Bar. This was an picturesque restaurant on the river not far from where I was touring on my afternoon off from visiting Old Town. It was a bright sunny day with blue skies and around 80 degrees. It was the perfect afternoon to be on a boat.

The Kayak Beach Bar at Naplavka 128 00 by the river

https://www.facebook.com/KayakBeachBarPrague/about/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g274707-d11923408-Reviews-Kayak_Beach_Bar-Prague_Bohemia.html?m=19905

It was a nice walk from the office to the river and we got to see more of the city that I had seen the other afternoon. I was hoping Mr. Herget would be joining us but he had an afternoon of meetings so our group was off for lunch. I was starved because I did not have much of a breakfast.

The Kayak Beach Bar

The Kayak Beach Bar

The Hamburger and French Fries were excellent at the Kayak Beach Bar

After lunch was over, the group of us were hoping to go paddleboarding. All the restaurant had was kayaks and no one wanted to kayak in the the river. None of us wanted to fall in. So we left the restaurant in search of paddleboats which we found on a small island park down the river. That was a lot of fun. I had not been in a paddleboat since I was in Boston about ten years ago when I was in one of the swan paddleboats.

All of us getting in our paddleboats for an afternoon tour of the river and the city. I am in the green polo and paddled like crazy that afternoon.

While we were waiting for everyone to come back, we relaxed in the garden on the small island where the paddleboats were located.

Even a better group shot with the river and the city behind us

After our lunch and the tour of the river area, it was time to explore the Old City again and then the neighborhoods of Vysehrad and Vinohrady. These were neighborhoods outside the tourist zones of the Old City and had lots of nice shopping and dining options. From there, we would be on our way to our cooking class where we would be making a traditional Czech dinner and eating in as a group.

We passed through the older section of this part of the city, passing the old Opera House and then crossing the Charles Bridge again. On this spectacular sunny day the views were amazing.

Passing through the town square

We crossed over the Charles Bridge and took in the sites during the day. It really is a breathtaking bridge with the most wonderful statuary. We passed by the old Opera House with its elegant details. The bridge is a national treasure in beauty and design. What I liked about this walk was all the interesting architecture that you pass where one building is more glorious than the next. These things were built to last and to show the importance of that city in that era. They just don’t built them like this today.

The old Prague Opera House

The Charles Bridge

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bridge

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g274707-d275157-Reviews-Charles_Bridge-Prague_Bohemia.html

The Charles Bridge

The Charles Bridge

The Charles Bridge statue of King Charles

Our Group shot on the Charles Bridge

Views of the river were just amazing!

We stopped at Winnie Lahudky & Potraviny Bakery at Masarykovo nábř 38/2058 for a quick snack before we continued the tour. As with everyone else, we needed a coffee and pastry break. I think we were turning into Europeans by this point. I think it is civil to have an afternoon break. The pastries were excellent (see TripAdvisor review).

The selection of pastries are excellent

The bakery had an excellent selection of delicious desserts. We tried not to ruin our appetites for dinner.

Winnie Lahudky & Potraviny Bakery

http://www.praha-lahudky.cz/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g274707-d26107831-Reviews-Winnie_Lahudky_Potraviny-Prague_Bohemia.html?m=19905

The river front park that lines the pathway

Old City Hall

Walking through Old Town again was a treat. I love the architecture of this area. We toured a lot of the areas that we had seen our first day of touring this section of the city when we visited NYU. We walked down Paris, the street that looked like the Right Bank, with all the luxury stores and passed the oldest Jewish Synagogue in the Czech Republic.

The Synagogue in Old Town

The town square

As we toured this part of the city, we learned the history and development of the area and the change from it being a residential area to a tourist destination. Janna was telling us how she grew up here and the rapid change from her childhood home to tourists dominating this part of the city. Just like in New York, the tourist based businesses crowd out what makes a neighborhood a neighborhood.

The Old Town district has become one big tourist destination with no local character anymore unless people want to deal with troughs of people walking through their neighborhood. Here we saw more modern sculpture.

The moveable sculpture of the “Franz Kafka Head”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_of_Franz_Kafka

Video displaying the head moving

It was off to the cooking class for the rest of the evening. We got off the cable car and walked around the Vinohrady district which is a non-touristy district that you could tell must have been a much more exclusive neighborhood at one time. The apartment buildings and stores looked like a Parisian neighborhood. We got there a little late so most the shops and small markets that Janna wanted to take us to were closed at that point. We got the cooking school in record time.

This was interesting as it brought back memories of cooking at the Culinary Institute of America and at Michigan State University in my Skills Classes. It was not too difficult and the menu was easy to prepare. My table partner, Brian and I worked together to prepare our dinner.

We made a Cream of Mushroom Soup, a Roast Pork with Garlic and Chive Dumplings and then made dessert. It was a lot of fun but watching my classmates hesitate at times or making me always go first got to me. I am never afraid of making a fool of myself is because this is how I always learned in cooking school. Trial and error. We all make mistakes. Still, we had a great time working together to get the job done.

My cooking partner, Brian and I making soup for the first course

Plating the finished Mushroom Soup with Heavy Cream

Clean up to prepare to make the entrée

Me preparing homemade dumplings

Getting a demo of what the chef wanted us to do

Our entrée was Roast Garlic Pork with Chive Dumplings

Our Group shot with our Chef

We all sat down for dinner together after each course was done. We had such a good time not just learning how to cook these dishes but learning some things about Czech cuisine. Their version of dumplings are so much different from other countries. I saw this when we had lunch in Karlovy Vary. I did not know that is what a dumpling was supposed to look like. We got a lot out of this cooking class that evening. After we cleaned up it was back to campus to get some sleep. We had another long day ahead of us.

The adventure was going to continue. We were going to Kutna Hora on our last day and then our Farewell dinner. It was a quick week.

Day Two Hundred and Seventy-Five My walk in Prague: Visiting the NYU Campus, seeing the Astrology Clock and our tour of the Manifesto Market and then on our own time to tour the City May 30th, 2023

"A Local Journey: Exploring the outskirts of New York City, Bakeries for the budget minded, Dedication to Warren Watrel, Dining on s Shoe String in Prague, Exploring Prague, Exploring Prague Block by Block, Exploring Prague by Foot, Exploring Prague Cafes, Exploring the City of Prague, Historic neighborhoods of Prague, My life at NYU-Graduate School, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), MywalkinManhattan Experiences, MywalkinManhattan in Prague, Czech Republic, Uncategorized, Walking in Prague, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Our second day in Prague was a productive one as we started the day visiting the NYU Campus in the Old Town section of Prague. I have to say one thing, the person who invested in real estate for NYU to create the campus was very forward thinking. They knew the neighborhoods to buy in and how trendy they would become. The dorms were in the “Williamsburg” section of Prague that I could see would be a neighborhood of the future as it was in the second stages of becoming ‘hipster’ and the classrooms are right in the middle of the historical section of the city.

Leaving the dorms early in the second morning in Prague.

Breakfast at Osada

https://www.osada.cz/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g274707-d19454605-Reviews-Osada-Prague_Bohemia.html?m=19905

I could not make up my mind with the pastries the second morning for either the fresh Apricot Cake or the Cream Cake so I had them both. God, the desserts here for breakfast are the best. Everything is made from scratch and made on premise and was still warm when they served it in the morning. I loved coming here for breakfast in the mornings. The courtyard was the best place to eat when the weather was nice.

The Apricot Cake

The pastries and baked goods here are excellent

The Cream Cake at Osada in our dorm complex

After another quick breakfast at the campus, off we went to visit the NYU Campus in Old Town Prague for the morning. We got an early start, so the cable cars were quiet that morning when we took the trip into the heart of Prague.

We arrived at the heart of “Old Town” Prague for a day of touring the main campus, having a meeting with the head of Prague City Tourism, Michel Drobik and then a tour of “Old Town” Prague with a visit to the famous “Astronomical Clock” and then a lecture and lunch at the new Manifesto Market with Senior Marketing Manager, Marc Felton. So, we had a full morning and afternoon planned for our tourism class.

The Prague Cultural Center

The detail of the Prague Cultural Center

The entrance to the Old City next to the Cultural Center

It was a quiet walk through this part of the city this early in the morning. I swear that we were the only people walking around this part of the city. It was like it had not woken up yet. It was like walking in Manhattan in the morning before everyone gets up for work. We had the whole city to ourselves. The restaurants were setting up their outside cafes so we got to see how the city comes to life and prepare itself for the day.

The unusual sculpture in the Old Town district

Old Town architecture

The architecture and decorations on the buildings were breathtaking. The pictures I took did not do this part of the city justice as there were so many beautiful embellishments all over this neighborhood.

The Golden Angel sculpture in Old Town

Old Town Square by the NYU Campus

Town Square by NYU set for lunch time

Town Square by the NYU entrance to campus

The NYU Campus building in Old Town Prague

The beautifully painted ceilings of the NYU Building are from Medieval times.

Waiting for the Astrology Clock performance that is on every hour on the hour.

Our group in front of the Astrology Clock

The Astrology Clock right before the 10:00am performance that has been happening for 600 years in the city of Prague.

The video of the clock performing

After seeing the clock display, we met our tour guide for the afternoon, and she took us on a tour of Old City Hall and then we toured the Astrology Clock from the inside. That was a really interesting tour.

Old City Hall

Old City Hall Seal of the City

Doorway at Old City Hall

Touring Old City Hall with our tour guide

Old City Hall tour

The City Crest

The Old City Hall ceiling

We were then off to tour the Astrology Clock Tower and learn all of its secrets. Some of my classmates took the elevator but the rest of the took the stairs and really explored the tower. I thought the stairs really gave you a birds eye view of the tower and it’s inner workings.

My classmate climbing the stairs up to the tower at the Astronomy Tower

Climbing the stairs at the Astrology Tower

Climbing the stairs at the Astrology Tower

The 600-year-old religious figures at the clock tower

I thought it was fascinating to see the puppets of the saints that moved around. I could not believe these were 600 hundred years old and still worked perfectly. They told us on the tour they have the clock maintained by a master clocksmith who knows the clock well.

The stained-glass windows at the Astrology Tower

Me at the top of the tower

The view from the Astrology Tower

The view of the people at the Astrology Tower

View from the Astrology Tower

After the tour at Old City Hall and at the Astrology Tower, we met with the head of tourism for the city of Prague. He gave a us a presentation on the direction of how Prague wants to see themselves to the outside tourist. I thought they could have done a better job with the presentation because I did not think it showcased it that well.

It could have had more pictures and a better game plan on how to move tourists around the city. There was so much more to see than just Old Town and the Astrology Clock building. They are wonderful but I experienced so much more without even knowing the city.

Our class with Mr. Michel Drobik from the Prague City Tourism Board

Our Group shot with the speaker

I thought the one thing the city was lacking was promoting the city as a whole not just the touristy areas of the city. There are so many great neighborhoods with places to shop and eat and things to do that foreign tourists would like to see. People sometimes want to ‘live among the locals’ and see a city firsthand.

We had been lucky that day in that we got to the clock tower and Old Town early so there were not so many tourists but later on it was elbow to elbow. When we visited the obscure parts of the city with our tour guide, Jana, she took us to regular neighborhoods where the locals live and there was so much to see and do there as well. I think there is more of the city people would want to see and that would become the theme of our final project.

We took another group shot in Old Town before we left for the Manifesto Market

We left the center part of the tourist area after the lecture and talk for a tour and lunch at the Manifesto Market Andel, a gourmet sustainable grouping of restaurants in a market like setting. I have seen concepts lie this in Brooklyn where a grouping of ‘hipster like’ restaurants with seating and really nice visuals like fountains and pools with gardens is the focal point of the visit.

We met with the Senior Marketing Manager who explained the concept to us. After lunch I discovered that the Google and Pfizer headquarters were just down the street near the cable car station so I understood why it was located here.

The Manifesto Market Andel entrance

https://www.manifestomarket.com/prague/andel/en/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g274707-d23650020-r894095129-Manifesto_Market_Andel-Prague_Bohemia.html?m=19905

The inside eating area of Manifesto Market Andel with lounge chairs and pool with fountain

The Senior Marketing Manager talked with our group about the restaurants that they choose for the market complex, the sustainability practices that everyone has and the shared services that the market provides to all of its clients.

Senior Marketing Manager Marc Felton explaining how the Manifesto Market works and the restaurants and services that it provides to the community.

After the talk was over, we all had lunch at the market. I chose to go to Dirty Dog Barbecue, an American barbecue restaurant inside the complex. I had not had good barbecue in awhile and they had a dish called “Triple Sliders”, which was a barbecue pork slider, a hamburger slider and a fried chicken sandwich slider. The food was really good and the place filled up for lunch with a twentyish crowd of customers.

Ordering a slider combination for lunch at Dirty Dog Barbecue

Dirty Dog Barbeque

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g274707-d16816538-r892659108-Dirty_Dog_Barbeque-Prague_Bohemia.html?m=19905

The triple sliders at Dirty Dog Barbecue

The weather really cooperated that afternoon and it was a clear, blue sky sunny day. It was perfect for eating outside. The only thing about the Market concept that a lot of us questioned is what do they do when it rains or when the cold weather comes. There is no way to cover the complex and there is no proper roof to cover the restaurants. I am not sure how they have worked this out.

When lunch was over, we had the rest of the day to ourselves and everyone dispersed and made their own plans. Our tour guide let me know that the cable cars were just down the street and I could pick them up to head back downtown again. After I finished my lunch, I walked down the street and discovered why the Manifesto Market complex would work so well in this neighborhood.

I passed the modern complex building of several American companies and right at the end of the block was an American style mall right down to the third floor food court that was larger than anything I had seen in the United States lately.

The Google headquarters was a block down from the market

The modern four story Westfield partnered mall at the end of the block.

I felt like I had entered a modern American zone of the city. I decided that since I had some time I wanted to walk into the mall and see what the difference was between this mall and the ones at home. I felt like I had been transported back to Paramus, NJ. It felt so much like home down the people shopping there were dressed like everyone in America. They just spoke a different language and with the diversity now in New Jersey of residents, it was not far off Garden State Plaza near my home.

The food court on the fourth floor was amazing. They had restaurants that I had never heard of before serving all sorts of casual food both in their seating areas and the large communal seating area in the middle of the floor. Who was the most busy? The large McDonald’s both inside the food court and in the first floor outside cafe. I felt like I was home. I have to say one thing is that if I ever move here for school or business, I will never feel homesick.

After I walked the mall and walked around the neighborhood for a bit, with its modern skyscrapers and Americanized businesses, I took the cable car back to Old Town to take a longer tour of the city. I retraced my steps and walked back to the Astronomy Tower which was packed with people later in the afternoon. As a matter of fact, the entire Old Town district was filled with tourists one on top of another.

I watched the clock tower perform again and then took an extensive walk around the entire part of Old Town, touring all the nooks and crannies of the side streets and then walking around “Paris”, a street of fancier designed buildings that housed all the exclusive stores from Paris and New York. Between the architecture and the stores and just coming from Paris, it did look like a Parisian street on the right bank.

Passing the old Opera House

After walking around the city for the rest of the afternoon, I decided to head back to campus. I was not sure what cable car to take and then looked at the map that I had and I decided to walk back to campus and explore the city. That was fun. I did it all at my own pace and stopped where I wanted to stop.

The Old Town Square

Crossing the bridge into the older part of the city

Creative bars at the riverfront

How these tunnels have been reused as bars

The Tunnel bars

The Riverfront from the bridge

Looking from all sides of the Prague riverfront

The statuary by the riverfront in a little park

It was a wonderful way to explore the city. I walked at my own pace and walked down roads and through small parks. I was able to peek into the windows of stores and restaurants taking mental notes when I might be able to come back.

I got to admire beautiful architecture, make detours on the road and just followed my Google Map on my phone that took me things marked on the map. The city seemed quiet that afternoon so I had the sidewalks to myself. It was a interesting walk through the city as I got to explore both the old and new sections of the city and then took a second bridge to the other side of the city back to campus. I must have walked over five miles back to the “Williamsburg” section of the city to the NYU dorms.

Passing artwork in our neighborhood

Passing interesting street art in our neighborhood.

When I came back to our section of the city, I realized how close everything was and the walk was not bad at all. I really got to see parts of the city that tourists usually don’t see or just pass on a bus. I also got to explore more if our part of the city. We really had a unique neighborhood.

The artwork on the buildings

After a long rest in my room, I headed off to dinner at a Chinese restaurant around the corner from our dorm. The neighborhood had some interesting Asian restaurants and I wanted to try a lot of them before we left. We would only have two nights free but I got to try some of the neighborhood spots that I had passed when touring.

Xing Wang Cinska Restaurace at Ulkomunardo 13

https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=179136336308881

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g274707-d26102899-Reviews-Xing_Wang_Cinska_Restaurace-Prague_Bohemia.html?m=19905

The Hunan Chicken with White Rice at Xing Wang was really good.

I was really surprised with dinner. The food was really good but it reminded me more of Americanized Chinese food than something really authentic. I think the concept of Americanized Chinese food is spreading around the globe. Even so, the Hot & Sour Soup was really good and had a nice fire to it from the chiles in the soup. The Hunan Chicken with white rice was also delicious. The service was so friendly too and the owners spoke perfect English which made ordering easier.

After a nice dinner, I walked around the neighborhood again and admired all the buildings and parks. NYU really picked a great neighborhood to put the dorms. It really was a great day of exploring the city and seeing how it has so much to offer not just to tourists but to locals as well.

I see a lot of potential in tourism here.

Day Two Hundred and Seventy-Three My walk in Prague: Our first day of touring the Castle District and Old Town Prague May 29th, 2023

"A Local Journey: Exploring the outskirts of New York City, Bakeries for the budget minded, Dedication to Warren Watrel, Dining on s Shoe String in Prague, Exploring Prague, Exploring Prague Block by Block, Exploring Prague by Foot, Exploring Prague Cafes, Exploring the City of Prague, Historic neighborhoods of Prague, Interesting Coffee and Flower Shops, My life at NYU-Graduate School, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), MywalkinManhattan Experiences, MywalkinManhattan in Paris, France, MywalkinManhattan in Prague, Czech Republic, Uncategorized, Walking in Prague, Walking Prague, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I woke up and the jet leg was not as bad this morning. I guess that day to myself was really helpful. I got all the laundry done, my work emails completed and got a good night’s rest and that was a big help. I woke up refreshed and ready to start touring the great City of Prague. Our Placemaking Tourist class in Prague was much different in perspective than Paris with more emphasis on experiences and less on the food culture (although that did not stop me from taking lots of pictures on food).

I started off with a light breakfast at this wonderful little cafe in the courtyard of the NYU Residence Hall called Cafe Osada, which would become my go to place for breakfast almost every morning we were in Prague. The pastries and the breakfasts were amazing!

Cafe Osada inside the courtyard of NYU Prague

https://www.osada.cz/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g274707-d19454605-Reviews-Osada-Prague_Bohemia.html?m=19905

Their danishes were always handmade and baked on premise and when you order them first thing in the morning, they were still warm. Everything I had from them during the week was excellent. I wish I could have tried them for lunch or dinner but we were always on the road with touring but still they were a treat at breakfast.

The delicious Cherry Pastry with Pear juice started off my first day of touring

The Cherry Pastry was to die for and it also came in Plum and Apricot

The Scrambled Egg breakfast I really enjoyed and it was visually stunning. Don’t underestimate salad for breakfast. It was delicious!

We started our day with our first (and only thank God) NYU class introducing us to the campus, to the City and to the culture of Praguel led by one of the NYU Prague professor’s and then a talk from the Head of NYU Prague campus. It was a nice way to start the class off.

After that part of the class, we were introduced to Jana Markova, our tour guide extraordinary, who would be our guide for the rest of the week. She had been born and raised in Prague and her family was in the tourism business so she would be our guide to corners of the city. She ran the business “Absolutely Prague”, her own touring company and she did excellent work throughout the whole week and became part of the gang with the students attending the class.

Ms. Jana Markova, the owner of “Absolutely Prague” and our tour guide for the week

Home Page

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g274707-d26102438-r892664503-Absolutely_Prague-Prague_Bohemia.html?m=19905

After a quick talk from her, we would get our passes for public transportation and off we went touring the city of Prague by cable car. First we would be exploring the Castle District of the city and then part of Old Town and then a site tour of the Hotel. The would be a very nice afternoon with a lot of walking.

Before we left on our tour of Prague for the first day, we had our welcome lunch right down the road from the NYU Prague campus at Holesovicka Kozlovna, a wonderful Czech restaurant that I had passed my first night in Prague. It was a really nice lunch and a good way to get to know some of my classmates. Not everyone from Paris went on to Prague. There were only four of us who continued on from that class.

Restaurant Holesovicka Kozlovna at Delnick 1501/28

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g274707-d15866960-Reviews-Holesovicka_Kozlovna-Prague_Bohemia.html?m=19905

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g274707-d15866960-Reviews-Holesovicka_Kozlovna-Prague_Bohemia.html?m=19905

The inside of the restaurant

The hip decor of the restaurant

Our lunch, a traditional Chicken Schnitzel with Potato Salad

The menu had already been set for us so it did not take that much time to serve us. The food and the service at the restaurant were excellent and everyone enjoyed lunch. It was a little heavy for a long day of touring, but we needed the energy. We were told that the rest of the menu is just as delicious.

We were joined by Jana from Absolute Prague for lunch, and she helped lead all the tours for the rest of the week. She became part of our class, and she was the best! She assisted in leading our group to all our activities and did a wonderful job.

Our group shot at lunch.

Getting to know everyone over lunch

We started by taking the cable car from our hipster neighborhood to the Palace District. I was not sure what to expect but I was blown away by the architecture and the history of the area. The buildings were so amazing, and I liked how an elite community was built around the palace. We were lucky that we had gotten here early in that the streets and walkways are so narrow that it must be tough to maneuver them when at the height of the tourist season.

The cable car system around Prague is amazing. It got us all around the city the entire time in Prague.

The entrance to the Palace District in Prague

The entrance to the Palace District of Prague

Us starting our adventure in the Old Section of Prague.

We walked section by section through the complex passing former homes of elite families of Prague, some of whom still live in these homes. I can’t see people living in such a highly traveled section of the city but in houses that big you can stay away from the foot traffic.

The view of the City from the palace grounds

One of the old homes is now an art gallery

What I loved about this section of the city was the detail work on all the homes, light fixtures on the streets and in the small parks and fountains. You can see the craftsmanship in the stone and metal work that went into building this complex of homes and palaces.

The Castle Square leading to the main building

The light fixture in Palace Square

Statue in one of the squares leading to the Castle.

The Prague Castle

The entrance to the Prague Castle

When we finally arrived at the Prague Castle, the security was all over the place. People were running around taking pictures of the law enforcement protecting the place. We just bypassed them as we continued our tour of the complex, but I have to admit one thing, people seemed very respectful and didn’t pull the stunts that pull at Buckingham Palace by trying to harass the guards. I would not pull that in a foreign country.

Prague Castle was most likely founded in around 880 by Prince Bořivoj of the Premyslid Dynasty (Přemyslovci). According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Prague Castle is the largest coherent castle complex in the world, with an area of almost 70,000 m². A UNESCO World Heritage site, it consists of a large-scale composition of palaces and ecclesiastical buildings of various architectural styles, from the remains of Romanesque-style buildings from the 10th century through Gothic modifications of the 14th century. The famous Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik was responsible for extensive renovations in the time of the First Republic (1918-1938). Since the Velvet Revolution, Prague Castle has undergone significant and ongoing repairs and reconstructions (Prague Castle for Visitors-www.hrade.cz).

We then walked through St. Vitus Cathedral where many royal coronations and funerals took place when the palace was still in use by royalty. The stained-glass windows were gorgeous.

The Roman Catholic Church, St. Vitus Cathedral, in the Palace complex

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Vitus_Cathedral

https://www.praguecastletickets.com/st-vitus-cathedral/

The inside of St. Vitus Cathedral

The beautiful stained-glass windows at St. Vitus Cathedral

As we exited the Cathedral, we continued through the complex. The tour guide explained that the gargoyles that adorned the top of the church is something it was known for, and we used to redirect water from the top of the church.

The church as we exited it

The gargoyle on the church is something its famous for

Prague leader Tomas G. Masaryz

Walking around the Palace Square

A fountain in the one of the Palace Squares

Prague Castle Square

As we exited the complex after many stops, our group took a turn and we went on our site visit of the Agustine Hotel, a Marriott property, that is a historic luxury hotel in Prague. The unique architecture and its historic background is a much different Marriott than its more traditional partners.

The front of the Hotel Augustine, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Marriott property at Letenska 12/33 Lesser Town

https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/prglc-augustine-a-luxury-collection-hotel-prague/overview/

My review on TripAdvisor:

http://www.tripadvisor.com//Hotel_Review-g274707-d1159286-Reviews-Augustine_a_Luxury_Collection_Hotel_Prague-Prague_Bohemia.html?m=19905

The Bar Area

Our initial meeting at the bar

Our meeting with the head of Guest Relations at the Augustine, A Luxury Collection Hotel

We started out meeting in the bar area off the main lobby of the hotel with the head of Guest Relations talking about business at the hotel and its history. We then proceeded to tour all part of the hotel’s guests’ spaces.

The Front Desk lounge

I love the sculpture throughout the hotel.

The hotel’s Meeting/Banquet area

The hotel’s restaurant dining room

The Terrace restaurant area that was popular that evening

Right off the hotel’s gardens is the Monastery where the monks live who help create

The Sundial Gardens inside the hotel and the Monastery off to the left.

The outside gardens with the monestery in the back

The tour included a visit to the Presidential Suite. This is the living room.

The bedroom of the Presidential Suite

We concluded the tour with a beer tasting in the bar dedicated to American singer, Debbie Harry. The monks of the monastery had been brewers of beer.

The hotel was interesting in its design being part of monastery complex and how it was incorporated into a hospitality complex. I thought the designer of the hotel did an interesting job with it.

Our class group shot outside the hotel with Guest Relations and our tour guide, Jana.

After the tour of the hotel was over, we continued to make our way through the complex and ended up at the Wallenstein Gardens right off the palace grounds. These beautiful gardens were an oasis from all the traffic walking around the complex. These breathtaking gardens were built in 1630 and have continued to inspire people who visit them.

The Wallenstein Gardens

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallenstein_Palace

The Wallenstein Gardens

The Wallenstein Gardens

The Wallenstein Gardens

Before we left the Palace complex, we visited the Lennon Wall, named after John Lennon after his assassination in New York City in the 1980’s. This has always been a wall of ever-changing art but was dedicated to the singer as it continues to change today. The artwork and messages change on a daily basis.

The Lennon Wall

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lennon_Wall

The Lennon Wall

The end of the Palace complex on our way out. There was even a McDonald’s just outside the entrance.

After this extensive tour of the Palace and it complexes and grounds, we were on our own again for the rest of the evening and we all went off to do other things in the city. I went to campus and walked around our ‘happening’ neighborhood to find a place to eat.

I ate at Pizza Bistro Gallo Nero right around the corner from campus, a small pizzeria I had passed on my first night in Prague. All the pizzas coming outside to guests looked really good. It was such a beautiful night and the perfect night to eat outside. The pizza was fantastic, and I really enjoyed my dinner.

Pizza Bistro Gallo Negro at UldelnickA 642/17

https://pizzagallonero.cz/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g274707-d26095442-Reviews-Pizza_Bistro_Gallo_Nero-Prague_Bohemia.html?m=19905

The outside seating of the Pizza Bistro Gallo Nero where I had my dinner that night.

I ordered a wood-oven fired pizza with Cherry Tomatoes and Parma Ham and it was excellent. The flavors combined so nicely, and the ingredients were so fresh. They loaded the toppings on the top of the pizza and the complexity of the flavors were in every bite.

The Parma Ham and Cherry Tomato pizza was delicious.

After dinner I got to talk to the pizza chef and asked if he was Italy. He told me in his broken Czech that he was born and raised in Prague, and he seemed to be happy that I thought he was Italian. I told him the pizza was excellent. I think I made his night.

I walked around our “Williamsburg” neighborhood that evening, exploring all the bars, restaurants and art galleries. It was too bad that we had things planned the next few nights as there were concerts planned and an art gallery exhibition the next evening. For the next time.

It really was an great adventure today!

Day Two Hundred and Seventy-Two My walk in Paris is over/My walk in Prague has begun May 27th and 28th, 2023

"A Local Journey: Exploring the outskirts of New York City, Dedication to Warren Watrel, Dining on a Shoe String In Paris, Dining on s Shoe String in Prague, Exploring Paris, Exploring Paris block by block, Exploring Paris by Foot, Exploring Paris Cafes, Exploring Paris, France, Exploring Prague, Exploring Prague Block by Block, Exploring Prague by Foot, Exploring Prague Cafes, Exploring the City of Paris, Exploring the City of Prague, MywalkinManhattan Experiences, MywalkinManhattan in Paris, France, MywalkinManhattan in Prague, Czech Republic, Uncategorized, Walking in Paris, Walking in Prague, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I could not believe how fast the trip to Paris went. We were there for five days and then done and off to the next class in Prague. It was an informative and interesting trip and what a way to spend a week walking around one of the most exciting city’s in the world. It was an open air classroom for me.

All I know is that I had a productive week. My walking tour of the Gourmet Stores and Shops went by really well and I learned a lot from it. When we had the wrap up class on Friday afternoon, everyone complimented me on the tour and how much they enjoyed it. One of my classmates said it best, “It could have been a disaster with all the twists and turns but you made it fun.” I filled them full of candy, fruit ices and chocolate and paid for all the samples they ate so it was an engaging walk and not just “Here’s a store. It’s wonderful.” Altering the program did not make me happy but I understood and reworked it so that everyone benefited. I just had a collective sigh of relief when it was done and everyone liked it.

My last morning in Paris was wonderful. I did not have to get up for a tour early and run around. I was already packed and ready for Prague and had checked out of my dorm. The rest of my class was staying on Saturday and had planned a picnic dinner on the Quad of the University of Paris for that night. Most of them were taking their free day off going shopping or going to the museums or exploring Paris on their own tim. We were so busy that we did not have much free time for ourselves. Remember this was a class and not a vacation.

What I was bummed at is that I never got to explore the Louvre and see the “Winged Venus” sculpture and Botechilli’s “The Birth of Venus” painting, which I have wanted to see since I was four years old. We did not have the museum in our agenda. I also did not get to see Le Nain Bleu, the Children’s toy store or Galeries Lafayette or Printemps Department Stores and barely scratched the surface at Bon Marche. For the next trip to Paris I figure. Those were things on my bucket list and I will have to come back. At least I know Paris really well now.

I got up late and walked around the campus by myself with a lot of quiet which I enjoyed. No 8:00am wake up calls and no running around. I ate breakfast on my own time and just relaxed.

The University of Paris campus in the mornings

There were not too many places open at that time and I did not want to eat at the residence hall cafeteria so I ventured outside and walked around the campus. With the help of Google Maps (I am turning into a Gen Z now) and my What’s App on Paris, I was ready to go.

The University of Paris in the mornings is so quiet

Our group shot from the day before on the University of Paris campus

What was nice was there was a branch of Bakery Thevenin two blocks from campus so I could go there for those incredible croissant. I walked over to bakery which was only three blocks away and got to finally have the time to explore the neighborhood. The University of Paris was right on the border of Left Bank of Paris and was a unique, racially diverse neighborhood that you could see was starting to gentrify. It was a mix of students, middle class families, immigrants and business people all vying for space. I thought it represented what cities all over the world are all about.

Bakery Thevenin at 14 Rue Daguerre had the same selection as their Saint Germain branch

http://maisonthevenin.fr/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g187147-d20213805-r892123303-Maison_Thevenin-Paris_Ile_de_France.html?m=19905

I stopped at Bakery Thevenin at 14 Rue Daguerre and had breakfast. Even though it was a smaller branch of the one we went to on Wednesday, it had the same assortment and was just as mouthwatering. I don’t think that staff had seen an American with an appetite like mine for breakfast. I ordered a mini Quiche Lorraine, a Beignet filled with cream, a Croissant and a large Orange Juice. In my broken French I ordered the whole thing and they warmed the quiche for me. They guy who served it did not speak much English and was floor about how hungry I was that morning. I am like the English and I love a good breakfast.

I ate it outside and got to finally enjoy a quiet breakfast on my own. I sat at the little cafe table they set up outside and watch the neighborhood come to life. What really got to me was that I never had the time to explore the neighborhood because the second I got to Paris, I got off the plane, got to the dorm and it was run, run, run, run and run (see My Walk in Paris-Day Two Hundred and Sixty-Six: https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/32933). It was so nice to just sit and enjoy the moment.

Did I enjoy the breakfast! The croissant here is truly the best in Paris and it was a pleasure to eat them again and not have to stand up. I really dug in. I don’t think a group of French people saw an American eat so much, so fast and really enjoy it. I was in high heaven as I love breakfast so much and this was such good quality and such a great assortment of baked items. The woman who waited on me so how happy I was and she had a smile on her face.

Me digging into breakfast. I was in heaven! Everything was delicious!

After breakfast was over, I got back to my dorm room, checked everyone one more time and checked out of my room. I had the security guard call me a cab and I handed in my key. I thanked him in my broken French and he continued to talk to me in French where I could pick up every third word. I guess he thought I knew more than I did.

My cab driver was an older, well dressed Frenchman who proceeded to grab my heavy luggage and throw it in the back of the taxi with gusto and we were on my way to the airport. This guy must have been doing this for years because he was amazing how we got to the airport so quickly and so professionally. When we arrived at Charles Laguelle Airport, he got me right to the gate and I was on my way. He even added in his own tip (those clever French!).

United Airlines arranged Business Class for the flight to Prague so I got through the airport really quickly and got to the gate. What was nice was we were in our own section and we had this amazing little bakery cafe at the airport where everything in the case looked amazing. I was ready to eat again but I did not want more in my stomach before a flight. I said goodbye to Paris and boarded my flight to Frankfurt, Germany and then onto Prague. We got there in record time and then I had a six hour layover.

The Frankfurt Airport looked brand new and was so well organized. I just had to go two gates over and I was at my gate. I was going to start working but I was now getting hungry again. I am not sure where my appetite was coming from but I think it was from finally relaxing. I did not want any more baked items or sandwiches because I had enough of them in Paris. I passed this small restaurant near my gate and thought everything coming to the tables looked good. I had the time and ate there. It was a great decision because I ate one of the best burgers I ever had in my life since Jeff’s Pirate’s Cove in Guam.

I ate at Goodman & Filippo, which is in Terminal A at the Frankfurt International Airport and I highly recommend it. The food, service and views of the grounds around the airport makes you feel that you are not even in an airport terminal. The whole meal was reasonable and delicious.

The Goodman & Filippo Restaurant in Terminal A is fantastic!

https://www.frankfurt-airport.com/en/locations/g/goodman-and-filippo/goodman-and-filippo.html

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187337-d14921231-Reviews-Goodman_Filippo-Frankfurt_Hesse.html?m=19905

The food and service were great for an airport restaurant and I wish more restaurants were like this at Newark Airport. Everyone was so friendly and professional. I felt like I was in a three star restaurant on the way they treated me, speaking perfect German English ( the German’s speak better English than most Americans) and the meal came really quickly. I had a Bacon Cheeseburger with BBQ sauce, crisps (potato chips) and a tiny but flavorful side salad. I could not believe how good everything was for lunch and the quality of the food.

The Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburger at Goodman & Filippo was excellent!

I later told the waiter who cooked everything because the burger was so good and everything including the pastas coming out of the kitchen looked wonderful. He pointed to this older German woman who looked stern and ran a strict kitchen. The kitchen looked immaculate and she looked no-nonsense with the staff. God could she cook! I would visit this airport again just to sample her pasta.

After lunch, I just sat at the terminal until 9:45pm when the flight to Prague was called and I got into Business Class again. This is when I met this jerk from Toronto who by mistake I sat in his window seat. Do you know that he had the gaul to say to me, “Are your in my seat. Do you know your on your way to Prague? Are you sure your in the right section?” I was about to tell the guy off but then I remembered all those videos of people on planes fighting and I just remained calm, acted like the gentleman I am and changed seats. I just said, “I thought I had the window seat” and changed seats without a fuss. When he knew that he didn’t get to me, he proceeded to talk to me the whole flight and would not shut up or stop bragging. I could not wait to land to get away form this jerk!

We got into Prague with no problems and since the airport was not that ibig, we got our luggage pretty quick and I ran as fast I could to the Prague Courtyard Hotel to get away from the jerk. What was nice about the hotel was that it was brand new and it was located between the two terminals.

The Marriott Courtyard Prague at Aviatická 1092/8

https://www.courtyardpragueairport.cz/

My review on TripAdvisor:

http://www.tripadvisor.com//Hotel_Review-g274707-d647986-Reviews-Courtyard_by_Marriott_Prague_Airport-Prague_Bohemia.html?m=19905

I walked over the Marriott Courtyard at the Airport for the evening. I could not check into my room at the dorms until the next morning and was lucky that this hotel was located between Terminal I and 2 at the airport. I needed a good night’s sleep after never getting any rest in Paris and never really getting over the jet lag.

I ‘slept like the dead’ that night and woke up completely refreshed knowing that I did not have to be anywhere until later that morning. The cab would not be picking me up until 11:00am and I could sleep in and relax and have some breakfast without rushing around.

The breakfast buffet at the hotel was really nice. It had the usual Marriott breakfast with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes and breads, cereals and yogurt. The thing was that it catered to a more International crowd so there was rice, miso and kimchi and most of the breakfast meats were not the Americanized ones but the European ones.

I relaxed for a bit and then it was time to get to the dorms and settle in. The shuttle service got there on time and we got off to the dorms. I did not know Prague at all in comparison to Paris on what to expect so when we got to the dorms, I was pleasantly surprised. The residence halls were located in an old historic Ham Factory building and that it was part of a complex that included shops, offices and a small cafe, Osada, that was terrific for breakfast. I felt like I landed in a hipster neighborhood.

The NYU Residence Hall is located in an historic Ham Factory building

You need to look at the beauty of the building

The detail work in the building

The founder of the Ham Factory, our new home from home, Josef Jerabek

I got to my room and settled in. The best part was that I had the whole room for myself. The room looked like a small studio with a view of the trees and the outside neighborhood. I swear I could live here it was so nice.

Cafe Osada and the courtyard just outside our residence hall room

Once I settled in I wanted to explore the neighborhood and discovered what a vibrant hipster neighborhood that NYU was located in. We had a great array of restaurants right around the block. We had a fantastic pizzeria, a great Vietnamese restaurant and innovative bakery just around the corner.

Isadore is a hipster Tapa bar and Coffee Shop

We also had an art gallery, a music bar and several great design shops just a block down. The graffiti art was amazing and I should known when later on our tour guide called this neighborhood the ‘Williamsburg’ of Prague. It did look like a former warehouse industrial district.

The inside of Isadore with its tables and paintings

The artwork was so creative

I talked with the RA for our hall, Eva and she gave me some great recommendations to eat. She recommended the Vietnamese restaurant around the corner for their glass rice noodles. I knew where I was eating that night. I had to get my laundry done, get my paper written and get some journal entries done so there was a lot to do first. That took up most of the afternoon and I was still jet lagged.

Pho C & A at Osadní 642/23, 170 00 Praha 7-Holešovice

http://phoca23.cz/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Profile/R4960NKjustinw/mediabatch/11827258?m=19905

After I finally got all that done, I went for dinner. I tried Pho C & A, the restaurant that Eva suggested for dinner and settled outside for dinner. I had not eaten outside in a Vietnamese restaurant since I was in Vietnam in 2016. The food was excellent.

I had the Spring rolls that were excellent. The were full of ground pork and fresh vegetables and fried perfectly. I ordered for the main dish which was the Chicken Tempura with a curried cream sauce that was different from anything that I had before and was nice with the white rice. I thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

The delicious Chicken Tempura dish I had that evening

When I showed the owner my pictures for our social media site for the college (I also put them on TripAdvisor) and she seemed amused. She just laughed and tapped me on the should. I think she approved. Both her and her husband seemed to like the idea. It is just nice to enjoy good food while dining outside.

Their delicious Spring Rolls

After the nice dinner and all the laundry was done from the Paris class, I decided to walk around the neighborhood that would be my home for the next week. What I discovered was interesting restaurants, hip coffee shops and bars, interesting artwork and pocket parks. There was a lot in this neighborhood to attract college students and tourists alike. You can tell there is an edginess to the neighborhood catering to musicians, artists and college students.

Interesting names of restaurants

Interesting Street Art

Community Art work

Graffiti Art

New uses for old buildings like this firehouse now a club and wine bar

Unique architecture proves what’s old is new again

This concept being put to creative use.

Before it got dark I got to walk around a very busy ‘pocket park’ around the corner from the campus which had a bar and small restaurant and a games are for kids. This is what makes a neighborhood. It would be fun to explore and try out other restaurants over the next week.

The pocket park on the edge of an edgier neighborhoods

It was an interesting and productive day and night and I was rested and ready to go on another busy week of classes in Prague. What adventures lie ahead.

We will see in the next week.