We stayed in a modern hotel last night with air conditioning, so had a good night's sleep. It was an Ibis Budget with the shower and hand basin in the room. You couldn't see through the glass. It made the room seem a bit bigger. There was a bunk bed, sideways above the double bed. NOT a good idea as I hit my head twice (yes, I'm a slow learner).
Because the train didn't leave til 9
.06, we dawdled a bit. We were having breakfast and realised it was 8.12 and we hadn't even packed! We stepped it out on the way back to the station and did it in 13 minutes - beat the google walking time by 3 minutes! lol.
Got to the platform about 8.45 and there was a train to Prague there. We rushed into a carriage with Prague on the door and were a bit surprised nobody else was in there. Next thing we knew, the train was moving! The sign on the door said CNL/EN 457 Phoenix - I think it was the 8.06 train running late. There were sleepers and 2 Second class seat carriages. The carriage we were in didn't have any air conditioning (that's why it was empty), so we moved and had to share. Grump grump. The other guy in our 6 seater compartment had the forward facing window seat - and he slept all the way. What a waste! The views were great.
The train line followed the Elbe River - "Dresden is divided by the Elbe, a river that runs from the mountains of the Czech Republic to Hamburg and the Baltic in Germany
. Much of the
river is navigable, and the stretch from Dresden to Prague has long been popular for day trips and multi-night river cruises."
So we arrived about the same time as we were meant to. Went and checked in the booking office about tomorrow's train: we'd read on the eurail trip planner and elsewhere that we had to reserve seats - but the guy said it wasn't necessary. Hope he's right! Then went looking for tourist information or a map. The map outside the front doors wasn't a small enough scale - we walked down through the park and then didn't know which way to go. Back to the station and went back to ticketing 'general enquiries'. The girl tore a tourist map off the A4 pad and showed us the way - yes, back down through the park!! Then over the road and along 50 metres to a HUGE intersection:- a flyover with on and off ramps both sides, a straight across road below (one direction is divided), and a couple of other roads just to confuse you more
.
However, we made it to the Hotel Ostas and booked in. Had to show our passports and he put the numbers in the guest register. We also had to write our home address and sign - just like the early 1970s in Spain etc. The man spoke reasonable English, but didn't seem to be all that cheerful. Maybe it was because the plumbers were there making lots of noise. The water in the hand basin came out brown when I put the hot water on - but then it cleared. When we went down to go for our walk around, the man was quite chirpy and helpful. He asked if we wanted to eat locally and gave us a card to show at the "Spirit Bar" about 100 metres up the road.
We walked back to the station a shorter way, but the cobble stones will play havoc with the wheels on our bags. We're really only 15 minutes from the station - if the lights are in our favour. It took less than an hour to walk down to Jiraskuv most (the bridge near the dancing house)
. I love that house - I had to use the photo that shows the legs too. The walk there was really interesting; no tables and chairs out on the street even though there were lots of shops. There was a lot of work going on - replacing the tram lines and putting down new pavers (tiny pavers) on the sidewalks. Lots happening.
I think the next part was my favourite. The views across the river are great, and I loved the weirs, the locks, the boats and so on. We walked along the west bank and there weren't too many people about. We stopped at the Museum Kampa to read the story of "Winton's Trains".
From google - "Winton´s team realised the situation was so desperate, they decided to
falsify the visas, thus increasing the danger. In spite of all this, eight trains successfully managed to get to Great Britain via Germany and France where the children came to safety and were given a new home. The final, ninth train with 250 children, did not reach Britain,
because of the breakout of the war on the 1st September 1939
. Despite the unsuccessful dispatch of the last train, Nicholas Winton saved 669 Czechoslovak children."
The museum stories, which were outside on big posters, were about these children and what became of them. I'm sure I saw something along these lines as a TV program a few years ago.
Back to our walk. Then onto the Charles bridge - Karluv most. Thimgs started to get a bit touristy - all the usual stalls. Still a great ambiance though. Some of the stall holders were packing up because of the thunder and dark clouds. An odd lightning flash too.
We got lost in the maze of narrow cobblestoned streets on our way to the Old Town Square. Round and round and in and out. Fantastic. Too many people though. Once in the square, we watched "Spike" doing his tricks and cracking his whip for a few minutes. Then avoided the spray of water from the fire engine (to cool people down as it was still very hot). Walked through Prasna brana and on to the big intersection and back to the hotel. And it was just starting to rain.
We'd only been gone just over 2 and a half hours. Had a shower and lounged around reading Facebook etc. Then off to the "Spirit Bar" for a few drinks and dinner. I wanted to try "cmunda" but they didn't have it. The waitress said the closest was the honey pork ribs and potato pancakes. Both together cost less than $10. The ribs were delicious, but I wasn't that fussed on the potato (& cabbage) pancakes - which were the size of rissoles, not flat like a pancake (for the Aussies). Great night and the storm fizzled out.
Is getting an earlier train a good idea?
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Prague, Bohemia, Czech Republic
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Comments

2025-02-12
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susan jardine
2014-06-11
keep up the lovely photo's Anne. All the walking you two are doing make my feet hurt.