Hi, dearest friends,
I hope you’ve also started your Christmas holidays. This week I’ve basically disappeared because I’ve been super busy traveling, as I wanted to explore new places and bring interesting content here to the community. I’ve collected so much material to share, and I hope in these quieter days to share everything here because, I have to say, I’ve also made some interesting discoveries.
By the way, I realized I haven’t shared all the photos I took in London yet, but I’ll do that soon. Instead, today I wanted to share with you some photos I took in a European capital that I always find very interesting, which I had already visited in the past. But as we know, even if you’ve already been to a place, you always find something new, interesting things, in short, always new discoveries.
I’m talking about Prague, which I think you all know is the capital of the Czech Republic. But for me, it was an opportunity to see it at what I think is its best aspect, which is Christmas time. I had visited it in the summer to escape the scorching heat of Italy, and I have to say that in the end, I found it more interesting in the Christmas season, even though compared to when I had visited it, it has probably increased in tourist attractions as well.
Also, I think that most people go there at this time of year, and I was lucky because I found a very cheap flight, even if at a slightly inconvenient time. But I think most people go there in the end to visit the three main Christmas markets: the one in Old Town Square, which is the largest, the one in Wenceslas Square, which is known for its elegant wooden houses where you can find some real local craft gems, some very beautiful items made of wood or steel, and I have to say at much lower prices than, for example, in Italy, and also in Republic Square, there are some very interesting stands, especially in terms of the food offering, which includes Czech specialties like klobása, which is basically a type of sausage.
It was a pretty quick trip, but I have to say the accommodation was great. Unfortunately, I forgot to take some pictures of this place I found on Airbnb. I paid very little—barely 50 euros per night, which compared to Italy is truly an amazing price for the season.
Of course, I also tasted a traditional trdelník at a typical street food stand. These are sweet dough cylinders wrapped on wooden rollers and cooked over the fire, then caramelized with sugar. But I like the ones with a bit of cinnamon and cocoa as well. I don’t know if you’ve tried them yet.
I also joined a little free tour, and I got to see, if I’m not mistaken, on Charles Bridge—but I might be wrong about the names because I always mix them up—this ancient tradition where, in the past, lamps were lit manually by lamplighters, kind of a historical reenactment where they used a long pole to light up these lamps that illuminated the bridge. And as you can see in the photo, in the background, you can make out the iconic Gothic and Baroque buildings of Prague with those towers standing out and the Vltava River.
I must say it’s always nice and very interesting to participate in these reenactments, and it’s great that these people keep these traditions alive, even if they’re just demonstrations, as these jobs are no longer done today.
I was able to eat in a very famous restaurant in Prague, U Glaubiců, where I finally tasted an amazing goulash served in bread, let’s say one of the most iconic dishes of Czech cuisine. For those who don’t know, it’s a meat stew, usually beef or pork, cooked in a rich spiced sauce with fresh onions and peppers. So it’s not a very light dish at all, all served in a hollowed-out loaf of bread that acts as a container and also goes perfectly with the dish.
Of course, all of this was accompanied by two excellent beers, and I must say that here, they really serve some very good beer.
Naturally, I didn’t have much time, so I couldn’t visit many of Prague’s numerous monuments. But I did get to see, even if briefly, Prague Castle with its St. Vitus Cathedral, Charles Bridge as I mentioned earlier, and Old Town Square, which is surrounded by medieval and Baroque buildings. Unfortunately, I missed out on the Astronomical Clock, a medieval wonder that animates every hour, but I forgot to visit it.
In conclusion, I can say that Prague is not only a culturally interesting destination but also gastronomically, and I must say it has nothing to envy other famous European cities like Vienna. Again, I only regret not having had a bit more time to visit its wonderful monuments more in-depth.
I hope the photos I’ve shared have been interesting. I hope you all get the chance to visit this beautiful capital. See you soon!
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