Czech us out

Our experience in Prague was absolutely wonderful — from the historical sights and sounds of the Vltava river to the homemade goulash and freshly brewed pivo (beer) — it was the perfect first stop on Cash/Graham world tour.

Europe is a stunning reminder of just how young our homeland, the United States, actually is. Upon arrival it was immediately evident that the homes, churches and buildings in “Praha” were hundreds of years older than our own. Even our hotel — the Bohemian Plaza Residence — was a historical landmark to the Bohemian empire. It was built in 1879 and was then referred to as the “Wheat Tower” because grain supplies were brought into Medieval Prague through the tower’s gate. The Tower suffered massive damages following the Second World War/arrival of communism, but in 2002 the site underwent restoration(s) and is now back in business. The Bohemian Residence is located close to the heart of the city, about half a mile outside of “Old Town”.

Exhausted after our flight from New York, we forced ourselves to set off and explore. We quickly found our way to the Old Town Square, which hosts the notable Astronomical Clock, amid street performers and throngs of tourists. We ducked into a less-trafficked side street and found a place for a quick lunch, where we would have our first taste of Pilsner Urquell, the Czech Republic’s most historic and widespread beer. Maggie had her first fail: an errant pepper from her lunch plate managed to paint her jacket and leggings in a deep red sauce. Patrick laughed, but Maggie did not find it quite as amusing.

In the afternoon, we toured the city’s historic Jewish Quarter Josefov (named after the emperor Josef II, whose reforms helped to ease living conditions for the Jewish) which contains the remains of Prague’s former Jewish ghetto between Old Town and the river Vltava.

After a quick stop at the hotel for a nap, we ventured back to the city center to take in the Prague nightlife… Na zdravi(Cheers!)!

– Two for Takeoff