Prague was a must on our list, and once again it was incredible! We had both been previously when travelling in our 20's having spent most of our time drinking cheap beer and finding random underground bars, plus a little afternoon site seeing. Returning this time, as an 'adult couple' we were excited to experience some culture and take in more sites. We were also intrigued to see just how hard the cobbles would make it for Dickey!
We left Budapest on the most gorgeous clear blue morning, catching our first Euro train on the 6 1/2 hour journey. The trip was brilliant from start to finish. The assistance lift was on the platform ready and waiting when we arrived, the staff were super relaxed and we were loaded into our own private cabin, paying second class prices! Dickey had the option of parking his own chair in one of the two spaces, or transferring onto a seat. The accessible toilet, complete with SOS buttons was right next door, winning! And the view on the journey.... Through the poorer, more rural parts of Hungary with its big 'Eastern block housing towers', vege gardens lining every rear yard and canola fields. Along the river and then down through Slovakian country side and into Czech Republic. So many fields, castles and forests to enjoy along the way. The train was definitely a great way to get around Europe.
Arriving into Prague we had great assistance off the train and were escorted all the way through to the main concourse. Our ongoing ticket was eventually purchased, with a few translation issues and we were on our way to our next hotel. With the help of other tourists and an abandoned tourist map we made it to our hotel. The distance from the station to Katerinska may not have been far in terms of distance, but carting 60 odd kilograms of luggage, over cobbles and up and down hills definitely added to the intensity. 30 minutes later we arrived, checking in to our budget hotel for the next three nights, with the aiming of spending little time in the room. Thank goodness for our plan, because it was TINY. Dickey could get to one side of the bed and squeeze into the bathroom, just. With our cases as well, my challenge was having the flexibility to jump across the room and the cases blocking my only walk way.
Prague was a total delight and while we enjoyed plenty of wine and our nights out in the old town, we were enthralled in the culture and felt very 'adult'. We found a walking tour to join spontaneously while randomly watching the Astro clock and had a blast. Another 'tip' based, free tour and it was great. So much info and random fun facts. The history of the Astro clock and the gluttony, greed, death and Turkish figurines. The Tyn cathedral and the difference between the two towers; the history of the Jewish Quarter and the cemetery stacked 12 deep, the 'Old New Synagogue' and the haunted St James cathedral with the mummified hand said to belong to the hand of the thief who was caught stealing from the church. We found the
Coffee Cube, who served the best coffee we had all trip and saw the composers building now missing one of its 34 figurines. The story goes that one of the Nazi leaders believed one of the composers was Jewish and ordered he be removed, but not knowing what he looked like his lackey's destroyed the wrong one!
We also loved wandering both new and old town's, along the river, past
Frank Gehry's 'Dancing House', over the Charles Bridge at least three times, Wenceslas Square, seeing the upside down horseman again. Learning the story of Franz Kofka at the headless suit monument and then randomly discovering his huge silver rotating face when we were wandering home late one night. We spent hours sitting in the sun enjoying the Old Town Square just watching the world go by. For once we had no were to be, and it was bliss. A definite highlight was getting tickets to see the Royal Czech Orchestra at the Tyn Cathedral. It was the most magical experience and we were so spoilt being assisted by staff to get Dickey up the marble entrance stairs and then placed in the front row! Neither of us had ever experienced anything like it and the location just added to the experience, especially when we had expected back row, restricted viewing seats given our purchase price.
Once again Prague was a total love affair and a place we could return to again and again. It may have been a short stop but we achieved loads, and ticked off our goal of discovering the cultural and history as well as reliving some of the party days of our 20's. A word of warning from the now wise, Absinthe is hideous on ice and the cobblestones are brutal in high heels but 1000x's worse in a wheelchair!
Berlin the next stop.
Thur 28/4 - Sun 1/5
Leaving Prague via train we had a little hiccup with the original train we had booked on, not being accessible. We were allocated a later train and the staff in Prague phoned ahead to the Berlin main station, assuring us there would be assistance on the platform when we arrived. On the journey I had spoken with the conductor who strongly resembled Sergeant Schulz off Hogans Heroes. With a simple inquiry it seemed he spoke some English and we continue on our way, again enjoying a lovely a train ride. When we arrived in to Berlin many hours later, it fast became evident that there was no assistance personnel waiting for us and throwing our bags from the train, I ran up the platform to seek out 'Sergeant Schulz's' assistance. All he could reply with was a shrug of his shoulders and 'Nein', over and over. It seemed both his English and human decency had vanished! The stress wasn't simply how to get Dickey off the train, it was the fact that this was not the final destination and the train would be leaving in a matter of minutes. Thankfully two other passengers came to our assistance and we carried Dickey down off the train. In exasperation I ran back up to the conductor, who continued to shrug and say Nein and yelled at him, in English, that one day he would need help and know one would be there. Not my finest moment, but at least I held in all the other profanities that came to mind. Back to Dickey and our pile of bags I burst in to tears, while Dickey, true to form remained calm and collected while over my shoulder secretly watching one of our saviors give our 'Sergeant' a solid talking to, in German this time!
Arriving into Prague we had great assistance off the train and were escorted all the way through to the main concourse. Our ongoing ticket was eventually purchased, with a few translation issues and we were on our way to our next hotel. With the help of other tourists and an abandoned tourist map we made it to our hotel. The distance from the station to Katerinska may not have been far in terms of distance, but carting 60 odd kilograms of luggage, over cobbles and up and down hills definitely added to the intensity. 30 minutes later we arrived, checking in to our budget hotel for the next three nights, with the aiming of spending little time in the room. Thank goodness for our plan, because it was TINY. Dickey could get to one side of the bed and squeeze into the bathroom, just. With our cases as well, my challenge was having the flexibility to jump across the room and the cases blocking my only walk way.
Prague was a total delight and while we enjoyed plenty of wine and our nights out in the old town, we were enthralled in the culture and felt very 'adult'. We found a walking tour to join spontaneously while randomly watching the Astro clock and had a blast. Another 'tip' based, free tour and it was great. So much info and random fun facts. The history of the Astro clock and the gluttony, greed, death and Turkish figurines. The Tyn cathedral and the difference between the two towers; the history of the Jewish Quarter and the cemetery stacked 12 deep, the 'Old New Synagogue' and the haunted St James cathedral with the mummified hand said to belong to the hand of the thief who was caught stealing from the church. We found the Coffee Cube, who served the best coffee we had all trip and saw the composers building now missing one of its 34 figurines. The story goes that one of the Nazi leaders believed one of the composers was Jewish and ordered he be removed, but not knowing what he looked like his lackey's destroyed the wrong one!
We also loved wandering both new and old town's, along the river, past Frank Gehry's 'Dancing House', over the Charles Bridge at least three times, Wenceslas Square, seeing the upside down horseman again. Learning the story of Franz Kofka at the headless suit monument and then randomly discovering his huge silver rotating face when we were wandering home late one night. We spent hours sitting in the sun enjoying the Old Town Square just watching the world go by. For once we had no were to be, and it was bliss. A definite highlight was getting tickets to see the Royal Czech Orchestra at the Tyn Cathedral. It was the most magical experience and we were so spoilt being assisted by staff to get Dickey up the marble entrance stairs and then placed in the front row! Neither of us had ever experienced anything like it and the location just added to the experience, especially when we had expected back row, restricted viewing seats given our purchase price.
