Lunch at the Restaurant Pod Vezi at the top end of the Charles Bridge

It was already almost 3 pm and we had actually planned not to have lunch as we had had a very heavy breakfast, coffee at Hotel Europa and bought pastries along the street to the national Museum. When we saw this restaurant at the top end of the Charles Bridge, we had first gone in thinking of just having coffee and apple strudel and have a late dinner after the Black Light Show at the Theatre Fantastika. But the ambience of this old establishment and the tempting menu forced us to change our mind. Pakdokter settled for a pan-fried seabass fillet and pakdokter's partner ordered a delicious plate of tender and sweet leg confit of the duck. Pakdokter had a round of black beer brewed in Prague.

The Charles Bridge

The Charles Bridge was built in the 13th Century and took almost 200 years to complete. It is about 500 metres long and 10 metres wide. It is built in the gothic-style and is acclaimed as one of the most beautiful Gothic structures ever built. It had three towers, two on the Mala Strana or lesser town side and one on the Old Town end. Decorating at intervals along the bridge are sculptures of statues mostly in the Baroque style of famous saints and religious scenes.

During the anti-Hapsburg revolution, the rebels were executed and their decapitated heads were put on display along this bridge.

During the day the pedestrian bridge would see a hive of activity with artistes and musicians playing music or sketching potraits, caricatures and scenery.

there is one tower on the Old Town end of the bridge...

and two more on the Lesser Town and Castle end...

panoramic sweep on both sides of the bridge...

this group of students wore similar bright coloured caps

so that they will not get lost so easily.....clever...

the Prague Castle on the hilltop beyond the bridge..

the towers at the Castle end of the bridge

and one of the many statues and statuories along the bridge...

Walking the banks of the Vltava River

The National Theatre where we had booked to see the opera "CARMEN " on Sunday is located by the banks of the Vltava River. From there it was an easy 1000 metres walk to the Charles Bridge. From the banks of the river we kept shooting our cameras at the Charles Bridge and the Prague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral perched on the hill across the river beyond the Chrales Bridge.

Hotel Europa on Wenceslas Square...

pakdokter's glass of cafe latte with the

half-finished glass of Czech digestif "becherovka".....

a toast to pakdokter's partner with the 'becherovka'...

We stopped for coffee at the Hotel Europa on Wenceslas Square. This hotel was built in 1889 but in 1903 to 1905 it was remodelled in the Art Nouveau style. It has 90 rooms and 3 apartments, some of the rooms are in the Louis XVI style.

Pakdokter and partner both had a round of caffe latte and took the time to rest our legs and appreciate the beauty of this old cafe. Pakdokter also decided to have a shot of Becherovka, a local Czech digestif which tasted sweet with a touch of almond. It went down well with the caffe latte which pakdokter normally takes without sugar.

Theatres and Opera Houses of Prague...

As we had booked several operas and musical concerts to go to, pakdokter decided that we should locate these theatres so that we would not get lost on the nights we were supposed to go there. At the top end of the Wenceslas Square is the National Museum of Czech Republic and to its left is the State Opera House where we had booked to see the opera "AIDA" on Wednesday.

We had to walk back to the bottom end of the Wenceslas Square and turned left towards the Vltava River where the National Theatre was located. We would be watching the opera "CARMEN " here Sunday.

We also located the Theatre Fastastika on Kalrlovy Street ( Charles Street) where we would be watching the Black Light Show titled " Aspects of Alice ".

We had earlier also located the Hibernia Theatre where we had booked the ballet performance "Swan Lake " for Thursday night. This theatre is located very near to our hotel, just in front of the Old Town Hall.

From our 'recce' we found out that all these theatres could be reached on foot...weather permitting. All of them could easily be reached at most within 30 minutes on foot.

the Divaldo Hybernia Theatre

is a new theatre with art deco design

we would be watching the Swan Lake Ballet

here on Thursday.....

this theatre is a mere 5 minutes walk from our hotel..

the State Opera House is located at

the top end of Wenceslas Square

next to the National Museum of Czech Republic

and the Prague Railway Station further to its left.

we were booked tosee the opera "Aida"

here for Wednesday night...

the National Theatre of the Czech Republic stands

on the banks of the Vltava River...

it is an easy 15 minutes walk from Wenceslas Square

we were booked to see the opera "Carmen" here

on Sunday night.....

we also located the Fantastika Theatre

where we would go tonight to see

the Black Light Theatre "Apects of Alice"..

this theatre was located just off the Charles Bridge

on the Karlovy ( Charles) Street)...

The Wenceslas Square ( Vaclavske Namesti)....

At the top end of Na Prikope, we hit the top end of Wenceslas Square. This is a wide boulevard lined on either side by many lovely buildings dating back to the early 1900's. Most of these buildings are now occupied by hotels, offices and department stores.

the Wenceslas Square carries a certain nostalgia for pakdokter...

pakdokter's partner had her picture taken here 1978

when we came here for our honeymoon..

the picture above was taken at almost the same spot.

.

the Square extends into the Vaclavske Namesti Boulevard

at the top end of which is the National Museum...

both sides of this boulevard are lined

by beautiful art neaveau buildings

housing hotels, boutiques and offices...

this bronze sculpture was outside a cafe...

this monument is at the top end of the boulevard in

front of the National Museum of Czech Republic..

The Shopping Pedestrian Street of Na Prikope

Breakfast at the Imperial Cafe of the hotel was a full hot American buffet spread. The juices were fresh, the selection of bread was great and generous amount of salads, cheeses, eggs, cold cuts and smoked salmons, sausages and bacons, fruits and of course aromatic fresh coffee.

It was still quite cold when we started to walk out of the hotel, must be around zero degree celcius ! But we were prepared and adequately attired. Just around our hotel there were many other hotels too like the Ibis, the Hilton etc. At the Old Town Hall, a crowd with the media people were gathered apparently to welcome some local celebrity.

We turned right and walked along Na Prikope - a stretch of pedestrian mall lined by many designer outlets. Many of the buildings along this street are so pretty that we spent a lot of time clicking our cameras at these buildings.....

a local celebrity arrived at the Municipal House

on a horse carriage to a large crowd of fans and media people...

at 10 am in the morning

the shops and stores were just opening...