Prague's positive first impression.

Since we have six nights here in Prague, Steve and I didn’t feel the need to dash off to the main attractions this morning. We left the guidebook at home and decided to just take a stroll and get a feel for things. Of course, we feel in love with Prague. What a BEAUTIFUL city!

First thing on the “plus” side: It was so cool this morning. Jeans weather. What a treat to actually wear a jacket and jeans after the hot weather we have been experiencing.

Next “plus” is that the city just has a great vibe to it. On this Sunday morning, it was already active with people buying bread and strolling the streets, so it just felt like we were in a happening place. And although there are certainly plenty of tourists here, it doesn’t feel touristy to me, or crowded.

After some exploration of Old Town with its beautiful historic buildings and statues (since I left the guide at home we had no idea what we were looking at), we sat down for lunch. We choose the busiest cafe on Na Prikope, a wide pedestrian street. Great place for people watching! Though it wasn’t yet noon, many people at the cafĂ© were drinking beer. My guidebook says the Czech Republic is famous for its beer making (and drinking). I could see that the beers came in two sizes: “LARGE” and “JUST PLAIN RIDICULOUS.”  As enthusiastic as I was to jump into the local culture, I opted for a latte… THIS time!

We enjoyed our lunch but were a little confused about the exchange rate, and we didn’t realize until we walked away that our two salads and two coffees had come to $40. Wow!  

So off we went to the grocery store. We found a Tessco and stocked up for the week, buying way too much. It was not a fun walk back to the apartment with all those bags!

Later in the evening, we went back out to pick up the things we had forgotten, like paper towels. We found a shopping mall, where I continued the exasperating search for replacement clothes. I am so sick of the things I brought. And for once… I was lucky! I found a skirt on the sale rack at H&M…just $12!  A shopping success… yet another plus for Prague.