Showing posts with label CzechRep;Prague. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CzechRep;Prague. Show all posts

Friday, 2 May 2008

Prague Day 2-4 April 2008

Woke up rather early to set off for the famous dancing building in Prague. The weather wasn't good, raining as usual and I hate it to rain when I travel because that means I will be wet, the sky will be cloudy and it just sucks !

The Dancing building is a modern architecture and its an office building. So it wasn't that great considering the fact that I walked 20 minutes to get there due to the rain and my pace was extremely slow....

Then I went over to Mala Strana again for a walk because I kind of like the area a lot. I wanted to go up the Petrin Tower to get a good view of the city but folks, forgive me for my laziness. Apparently, the Petrin tower is modeled after the Eiffel Tower but it's not as huge as the ET and it's not on ground! It's on this mountainous area and when I asked the tourist office staff how do I get up, she told me there are many different ways to get up. You just have to take any of the paths and they will ultimately converge to the tower. Goodness! The clock was 09:45 and I had to be at the Old Town Hall for the Right Bank Tour, which means I have 30 minutes exactly to conquer the mountain and down. Well, if I had more time and more concise instructions, I'd have done it.

See how far the Petrin Tower is!
So instead, I went off to Charles Bridge again because I wanted to see the scenery there. It's marvelous and I didn't have a good shot yesterday because it was too crowded. Anyway, I had to pass by Charles Bridge to get to the Old Town Hall as well.

On the Charles Bridge 2nd time. With Prague Castle behind. I really love this bridge a lot!
Saw a couple taking wedding photos! How sweet~~
The Right bank tour was much more interesting, showing more historical sites of Prague.
1) Municipal House
Where the parliament sits today.
Not much Stories to tell since Czech Republic is a relatively new nation like Sing. :)
2) Powder Tower
The gateway to Prague city
Rigid and firm in the ground.
Amazing!

3) Charles University
4) Franciscan garden
It's really beautiful.
You need the photos.

A quick story behind this statue. This guy was mending the roof of this church but he started hurling abuses at a group of "holy ladies". They asked him to stop otherwise he would be punished by being immortalized. He refused so he ended up being frozen as a bronze statue. of course, it's just a story. :)

5) Golden Tiger and beer culture
The most famous place for beer
Czech beer is really nice
I had quite a few of them while in Stockholm
I like them. :)
The Golden Tiger opens at 3 p.m everyday
But my bus back to Stockholm was at 3 p.m
So I didn't manage to get in to get a beer.
If anyone goes to Prague
Please get there, taste it and let me know if it's really GOOD?

The Golden Tiger Bar

6) Jewish Ghetto
The most oppressed racial groups of all times honestly
I don't understand why !?
Hitler didn't like them.
Neither did the Czechs.
Jews are smart in Czech in the past.
They held finance-related jobs in Czech
Advisory to the Kings and monarchs
People didn't like them.
they were rich and had power
So they ended up being confined to the Jewish Quarters
No Jewishs were allowed to trade in the town hall.
Until King Jose decided to free them.
So the Jewish quarter became known as Josefov today.

Old Jewish Cemetery

Jewish Star Synagogue (if I rmb correctly. there are 5.) Look at the clock on the left. It's a Jewish clock so the numbering is different. :)

There's a museum that depicts their lives in Czech
Their sufferings, success, WWII, and a tour of the Jewish cemetery
I could see bits of the cemetery outside.
I can now concur with those 2 czech guys in Berlin about the design of the Holocaust Museum.

It's always confusion when it comes to Eurolines Buses.
When I was in Prague and supposed to book my bus back to Stockholm
I was informed they could only book me till Copenhagen.
I couldn't do anything
People suggested that I go to Bratislava, Slovakia
Or even Budapest, Hungary.
I would love to.
but I will be stuck in those countries again
So I decided to take the risk to go to Copenhagen
And if there's no connection to Stockholm
I will go to Malmo and Lund before I bus back to Stockholm.

Wenceslas Square. Beautiful!
The Czechs are really famous for this art glasses. You see them EVERYWHERE!
Had Czech cuisine before I left.
Recommended by the tourist office.
Not that expensive, $10 for a really filling portion
Dumplings, Pork and mushrooms sauce
DELICIOUS~~

I reached Copenhagen at 5 a.m the next day. I was extremely certain that there's a bus to Stockholm at 5.45 a.m and would say I was lucky because I met 2 old ladies who were also going to Stockholm. So in total, a group of 5 of us from the Berlin bus are heading to Stockholm. I was without a ticket, only my eurolines pass.

The thing about copenhagen which I mentioned before is they don't have a proper bus terminal. It's just some temporary bus stand so we waited till 6:10 a.m and the bus wasn't here. In between the time, there's this Danish guy who's going to Stockholm like us. He's hilarious. I've so many stories about him to tell. But because of his Danish nationality, he kind of helped us because he could converse with some other bus coordinator and guess what? The bus to Stockholm actually left without us!

So the bus coordinator tried to get another bus company to send us to Stockholm first then make the necessary claims from Eurolines but they refused even though they had plenty of seats. Ended up the Eurolines bus which had left turned back to pick us up.

The bus drivers said they waited for us. We were the ones who missed the bus! Come on, if it's just me alone, it could have been my fault but 5 of us were pacing up and down to check whether our bus had arrived. None of us saw it. The bus driver said they were here at 5.15 a.m
but we were here since 5 a.m! Anyway, more arguments wouldn't solve the problem. We just have to get going!

Driving buses isn't easy I understand.
My dad drives a school bus. :)
Long hours on the road. Nasty drivers you meet along the way.

I explained my situation to the 1st driver and he didn't want to let me up the bus. He said "NO TICKET, NO RIDE." I was like,"no, please. You've to help me. The Copenhagen bus office is not opened at this hour.That's why I couldn't get the tickets from them now."

He was adamant on leaving me behind. Fortunately, the 2nd bus driver gave way. I explained my situation to him and he was very nice! If I remember correctly, he drove me from Stockholm to Copenhagen. Either he remembers my Chinese name or my face so when I told them I am a student studying in Stockholm and showed them my visa, he said, "yes, I know you come from stockholm. Just get on the bus. Don't worry."

He was very very nice! I promise if they get me to Stockholm, I will get the office to issue the ticket to them. They need it for accounting purposes. Honestly, ferrying an extra passenger without a ticket doesn't make much difference to them. You are still making the trip there anyway. So off I hop on the bus thanks to that helpful 2nd bus driver.

Along the way at stops or breaks, he talked to me but he can't speak English fluently so we can't communicate much. But I am really grateful to him. :)

Bored after all the reading? Nice scenery I took on the bus journey.


Now the Danish guy. He's HILARIOUS!!
I've to admit I am a rather talkative person, always trying to get into conversations.
But I have a new definition of talkative after meeting this guy.
He never once stopped talking for more than 10 minutes during the journey except when he was sleeping.
Once he got on the bus, he started chatting with this lady beside him
Initially, the lady didn't respond too much but half an hour later, they behaved like they were old friends who haven't catch up with each other for ages

Next, by 7 a.m in the morning, he'd already drunk 2 cans of beers and smoked at least 5 cigarettes.
Once we were on the ferry, he headed straight to the duty free and bought 6 more cans of booze...
He's an alcohol addict, isn't he?
But I am none better. I am a chocolate addict judging from the amount of chocolates I've been eating during these 4 months. It's almost 100g daily. :(

When the lady beside him alighted, he started to get bored so he took a nap.
When he was awake, he started to chat with another old lady in front of him.
The old lady is Swedish and he's Danish however their languages share some similarities so they could still figure out what each other were trying to say.

The old lady got a little bit tired then decided to stop and nap.
Instead, he turned to this married guy beside him and started asking him about his family.
"How many kids do you have?"
"Are they twins?"
"Is it a headache when you have twins?"
As the baby was crying, the guy couldn't really afford to entertain him further
He merely responded to the questions.

During breaks in between, he joined a bunch of girls in smoking.
I assure you that he knows half of the passengers on the bus in those 8-hours.

Here comes the climax of his story.
He was wearing a t-shirt, track pants and a jacket in the morning.
2 hours before we reach Stockholm, he actually went to change
He brushed his teeth.washed his face.change into a fresh set of clothes.GEL-ED his hair.
The little girl sitting next to him looked at him in awe!
He forgot his mirror so he started looking at his reflection in the bus windows.
My goodness! I thought that's what girls would usually do.
To top it up, the girl sitting behind him actually took out her foundation to touch up on her make-up
He was quick and actually turn behind and asked if he could borrow her mirror!
My goodness! I was like "WTH is this guy doing?"
I should have taken a picture of him.
He pales in comparison with his body.

What an interesting character. :)

Friday, 25 April 2008

Prague Day 1-3rd April

Departure-13:45 hours Stockholm Cityterminalen
It wasn't a planned trip.
Just because I'd the Eurolines Pass which expires on 5th April.
I wanted to fully utilise it.
22-hours bus journey to Prague.
Stockholm-Copenhagen-Berlin-Prague
It wasn't as bad as I thought.
I read books.listened to music.slept most of the time.

Prague's settlements is built around the Vltava River.
5 Main areas-Josefov.Mala Strana.Stare Mesto.Nove Mesto.Vinohrady
I went on the free Prague tour at 2p.m after I arrived at 12:30 p.m
It took me on the Left Bank Tour to Mala Strana
Weather was good, sunny and cooling.
The hostel I was staying is just within 5 minutes from Wenceslas Square (new town hall)
The thing about Prague is I don't know much about its history
All the names that were mentioned in the tour were strangers to me.

National Museum

The city is beautiful but congested.
Like Singapore's Orchard Road
You see traffic jams almost everywhere.
Plus, the drivers there are really reckless.
They stepped on the accelerator the moment the light goes green
There wasn't any intention to give way either

Streets of Prague
Typical tourist attractions I visited
1) Old Town Sqaure
Surrounded by churches, Church of our Lady, St James's, St. Nicholas etc.
The same names appear so many times in different cities that I no longer can recall them.
But I learnt something different in Prague.
Architecture.
The guide dwell into the different architecture styles
Gothic.Renaissance.Baroque.
Gothic-Pointed edges.Depicted humans as helpless beings.No control over own fate.
Renaissance-Beautiful images.Depicted world as beautiful.Self-control over one's fate.
Baroque-?? No Idea.

Old Town Hall
Gothic -style Church-Church of our Lady I thinkRenaissance-style building
2) Astronomical Clock
Just another Glokenspiel alike attraction
At every hour, the astronomical clock goes off and the window opens.
Not that fanciful.
But it was populated with tourists,Czechs alike.
Monument of 27 crosses.
Represents the death of 27 students who fought for their religion.
Can't relate the story completely because the guide wasn't a native English speaker
She couldn't explain much.
Just 27 students who protested against the Catholics
Ended up being killed.
Their heads were chopped off and left at a prominent bridge
To remind people loyalty to the state religion

Prague underwent a lot of change of rule
From the Romans.Bohemia.Habsburg (Austrian rule).WWI-Czechoslovakia.WWII-Nazi Rule.Post-WWII-Communism.Independence to form Czech Republic.

Astronomical Clock
27-crosses monument
3) Prague Castle
Everyone talks about how beautiful it is etc.
It looks nice because it's at an elevated ground.
From afar, it looks amazing
It's probably one of the best Castles around.
Going up the Castle steps were amazing because you could admire the scenery along the way. :)
View from the Castle StepsPrague Castle-Green top, St. Vital's Cathedral-2 towers

There are actually 3 courtyards in the castle and each has its own story.
To take over Prague, you have had to conquer the castle first. :)
the Czech President's office was right in the Castle.
If he's in, the Czech flag will be flying
If the flag's not up, he's out of office.
That's a funny way of differentiating isn't it?

3rd Courtyard-President's Office. No flag=not in office

4) St. Vital's Cathedral
You can't miss this Cathedral.
Like the one in Vienna, it's amazingly HUGE!
Its construction was done by 2 different architects
Displayed 2 different styles when you look at it from different angles.
Opposite it was the St. George Basilica

Apparently, cathedral and basilica serve different purposes
But as a Non-christian, non-catholic, i can't really explain.

St.Vital's Cathedral-View 1
View 2View 3-Run-down, of lower quality materials apparently
St.George Basilica
Famous Golden gate to the Castle
5) John Lennon Wall
Now you must be wondering.
What's the Beatles doing in Prague?
Shouldn't they be in Liverpool?
John Lennon was a peace activist in disguise
He wrote songs, lyrics and books on peace
And later became a pacifist hero among young Czechs when he died
Communism banned western pop music in Prague
However, in 1980s, beatles lyrics secretly appeared on this wall
The secret police never managed to keep it clean
There was a lot of latent political messages back then
When Prague finally broke free from Communism
The wall was kept intact
It signified human's freedom in speech.
Anyone can paint anything on this wall today
Write whatever he or she wants.
Which means it's legal to vandalise but only on this WALL!
Cool!

6) Mala Strana
A really quiet and peaceful on the left bank of the river
Houses along the streets here have names
According to their renaissance representations
Picturesque and a fav. movie and commercial set

St.Andrew's Cathedral
House of the Golden PigHouse of the 3-fiddles. Belonged to a family of violin-makers. House at the Golden Horseshoe-so-called for the statue of St Wenceslas, whose horse was said to have a gold horseshoe. Check out day 2's post on Wenceslas Square with St Wenceslas statue.
7) Charles Bridge
The HOTTEST tourist spot in Prague.
Charles IV brought Prague into its Golden Age
He brought a lot of new concepts into Prague's architectures during his rule
Charles Bridge was built during his era which explains why it's named after him.
It's one of the remaining STONE bridges in Europe today.
Imagine it has been around for more than 600 years!
There were some renovation works ongoing
Millions of statues dominating the bridge
Vendors selling art and crafts
Street artists playing music
To my surprise,
I SAW MY SWEDEN MAHJONG KHAKI on the BRIDGE!
It was such a surprise
Didn't expect to see them
Arranged for dinner but the message didn't get through

Area under Charles Bridge-known as Little Venice. This area was originally just water. People reclaimed land so it looks like it rose out from the water.

Mission Impossible Shooting Scene, Tom Cruise exited from this house. :)
Charles Bridge from afar. See the statues?
On Charles Bridge itself.More of it...
Busking Music-Spot where I met my Mahjong KhakisMy falafel lunch cum dinner
Ended the day kinda early because everything closed by 8p.m!
The city lies dead at 8p.m.
Only the club areas are active.
Headed to the supermarket and guess what I bought?!?
EGGS back to STOCKHOLM!! hehe...
Crazy me but it was like half the price in Stockholm so it's definitely worth it. :)