Kiwi See the World through my eyes - Czech Republic

Prague

Leaving the UK was always going to be hard, but was a real wrench after we had extended our stay with family and friends for two nearly 2 months. There was little excitement for being on the road again and our backpacks felt heavy and cumbersome, especially when crossing London via underground to the Airport during peak morning commute time. We could feel the glares as we squeezed ourselves into already over packed trains loaded with backpacks, taking the space of at least 10 people.

As well as our lack of enthusiasm, we looked like rookies going through London City Airport. You would think we would be organised but no, we booked last minute flights from London to Prague without research and arrived just in time for a Bank Holiday weekend. With most of the city booked out and all the best deals long gone, we found ourselves scrambling around looking for accommodation and paying a premium, not a great start.

My studded belt and hand sanitiser flagged me for further inspection by security. We really should know better by now. Two minutes from boarding I remembered to download a map of Prague and bookmark our accommodation on maps me. The best off line map to use while travelling. Arghhhh!!! All made worse by a tired, tearful 11yr old, who was clearly anxious at just how unorganised we seemed!

Fortunately our last minute accommodation was lovely, located an easy walking distance from the metro, which meant for a painless transfer from the airport and access straight into the heart of Prague.

Top tip: Prague taxis are notorious for ripping off unsuspecting tourists so best avoided. Public transport is easy to use and cheap. Some alternatives are provided here.

Prague the city of music, is without doubt a beautiful city. Being a public holiday was actually a bonus as the city had a holiday feel to it and buzzed with street musicians, buskers and entertainment. Its certainly easy to see all the main attractions in one day on foot but a few days makes for a more relaxed cultural experience. 

The must sees include Prague Castle including Saint Vitus cathedral with its spectacular Gothic spires. The Old Town Square, cobbled and overlooked by bars and restaurants. The city churches provide a dramatic backdrop and the famous Astronomical clock attracts lots of visitors. It really was wonderful to just sit in the warm sunshine and soak up the ambiance, whilst drinking hot red mulled wine.

You cant come to Prague and not walk across the 14th century stone, Charles Bridge. It's charming although we found crazy busy with tourists. Musicians busking, artists and vendors selling an array of artisan goods. Adorned in statues it is beautiful and definitely worth suffering the crowds for.

As a family we enjoy finding the quirky, less touristy attractions as we travel and Prague didn't disappoint. The city is littered with peculiar statues, monuments and buildings, which strangely fit alongside the historical and grand architecture. The unexpected find of a 'John Lennon Wall' was a fun side attraction.

Its fair to say artists across the centuries have also enjoyed the unusual and provocative . We found a sculpture of Saint Vaclav suspended from the ceiling, sitting on an up turned dead horse. Some what bizarre and I'm sure confrontational in its day. The arcade it was housed in was also pretty cool, dripping in history and elegance and worth a wander through by itself. 

As always we try to eat like locals, which is often cheap and cheerful fare. We were fortunate enough to meet up with an old friend who kindly steered us to a good local restaurant and suggested the cuisine which was delicious. Svickova, braised beef in a thick creamy vegetable sauce served with dumpling fresh cream and cranberries. Michael and I have also taken to the traditional doughnut ice-cream cones, dripping in warm chocolate. Hmm Czech food is so delicious, I'm so going to have to keep the exercise up while travelling through Europe!! 

Kutna Hora

The reason we ended up in Prague to start with! Jason with a macabre fascination with skulls and bones has successfully taken us off the beaten track a few times and once again it didn't disappoint. Only an hour away from Prague by train Kutna Hora is a UNESCO World heritage Czech town which attracts visitors to its magnificent Saint Barbara's Cathedral and more for the less discerning the Sedlec Ossuary ( Bone Chapel) located in the graveyard of the cathedral of Assumption of Our Lady and Saint John the Baptist. A 13th century Gothic Cathedral with quite beautiful baroque architecture and its Ossuary decorated in skulls of 60,000 plague victims. Whilst a little eerie, It actually turned out to be a fascinating place and worth the journey.

Michael has settled back into travel with his usual lack lustre, moaning about walking and wanting to go home. Hey, at least he's consistent. It is a lot warmer than the UK and he has ditched the annoying jeans and climbed back into shorts, which has at least pleased him a little.

Next stop is a 9 hour train journey into Poland where we are visiting Auschwitz. A little nervous how Michael will react but sure that this is a good learning opportunity that he will never forget. The train journey also being a great opportunity to get some Maths done and update his journal. He will be thrilled !