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A Points Powered Weekend In Prague
It was Friday afternoon and whilst initially I was planning to finish my working day eating at Thakers in Hounslow whilst catching up with a colleague, it didn't quite go to plan. An enforced change of schedule meant starting my day in East London instead. As per usual my meeting over ran significantly and lunch at Thakers became lunch from Pret. I was still full to bursting but unfortunately I was stood on the Piccadilly line, hoping, praying if you like of making it out in one piece.
Something was not agreeing with me that afternoon and whilst I was keen to blame my Pret chilli hot wrap the truth was it could have been any of the lethally strong coffees I'd been knocking back, the rather delicious masala dosas I picked up under recommendation from my ex colleague J, after all, that place no longer has the zero star food hygiene rating... It might have been the burger from Shake Shack, or the decadent chocolate and halva danish from Ottolenghi, or perhaps the spicy sauce from Nandos a few days back after having lunch with S. It certainly wasn't any of Ms. Spymon's home cooked dinners. By the time I'd finished trying to work out what was to blame for the ever increasing pain in my stomach and feeling almost equally sorry for the poor people trapped inside the tube carriage with me it was time to get off for a quick stop in Hounslow. Relief was soon found, and in just the nick of time. The meeting went as planned and a little over an hour later I was back on the tube and on my way to LHR. Did the usual stretch along the travellators and up to Terminal 3. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2828/3...40d262e3_z.jpgDSC04462 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr There was no queue at check in so I picked up a paper boarding pass as my phone was running low on battery. I had a lovely friendly check in agent who was definitely into the spirit of happy Friday. Up the escalator, straight to Fast Track and through pretty quick despite everyone beeping and going into the Tardis for the full works. I packed up my things and headed straight for the Cathay lounge. When booking this trip I was hoping the Qantas lounge would be ready but alas that will have to wait till later this year I suppose. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2863/3...bf709831_z.jpgDSC04464 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2830/3...111ec3d0_z.jpgDSC04465 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2874/3...0d626ff2_z.jpgDSC04466 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr The lounge was pretty busy but soon cleared out once the HKG flight was called. I sat in one of the big green chairs with a beer and some samosas to snack on waiting for Ms. Spymon to arrive. https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4169/3...1293d5ba_z.jpgDSC04467 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2819/3...24f5e7e7_z.jpgDSC04471 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2827/3...5900be68_z.jpgDSC04472 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4172/3...210f6c51_z.jpgDSC04473 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2842/3...136a5023_z.jpgDSC04474 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2854/3...86fee396_z.jpgDSC04475 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr My timing was excellent and a few minutes after finishing my beer she'd made it and we headed to the noodle bar for dinner number one. I ordered two of each of the dim sum options and got a kir royal and a glass of champagne from the bar. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2814/3...2167270b_z.jpgDSC04476 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4177/3...881e81e3_z.jpgDSC04477 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4177/3...6596d48a_z.jpgDSC04478 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr Yes, the weekend was here! The buzzer soon buzzed and I picked up our steaming stack of goodness and headed back to the table. Dim sum and champagne, it could be worse, right? https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2805/3...70e549f0_z.jpgDSC04479 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2833/3...b953ba41_z.jpgDSC04480 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4167/3...96b8aa10_z.jpgDSC04481 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4172/3...23d91dc7_z.jpgDSC04482 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4158/3...69643a64_z.jpgDSC04483 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr We needed more food and drink so I made another run around the lounge to see what else was on offer. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2843/3...9fe2c223_z.jpgDSC04485 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2884/3...a16c7008_z.jpgDSC04486 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2840/3...096b1a8c_z.jpgDSC04487 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr Skipping the buffet options I ordered wonton soup and a deliciously fruity smelling glass of sauvignon blanc for me and beef fried rice and a bloody Mary for Ms. Spymon. Learning from last time I was easy on the condiments. A good handful of peanuts with a dash of chili sauce, fried garlic and spring onion. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2828/3...2be72342_z.jpgDSC04488 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2819/3...ebf947e1_z.jpgDSC04489 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr We didn't feel like ice cream and Ms. Spymon didn't like the brownies so we thought we'd scope out the BA lounge for coffee and dessert. https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4171/3...7d590081_z.jpgDSC04490 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2865/3...d9c33258_z.jpgDSC04507 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2892/3...831540c8_z.jpgDSC04491 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4166/3...d6fc175e_z.jpgDSC04492 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4160/3...39948ec0_z.jpgDSC04493 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4168/3...65d9bbea_z.jpgDSC04494 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr Coffee was forthcoming but dessert was non-existent apart from a wide selection of biscuits. It was too late for AA so we settled with what we had. https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4172/3...497def7d_z.jpgDSC04501 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4155/3...b9c83b13_z.jpgDSC04502 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr Coffee was good, biscuits were tasty, views from the window were rather nice and the place definitely looks the part still. However, the choice of food and drink and overall peace and quiet of the Cathay lounge do not compare. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2871/3...a6d9665f_z.jpgDSC04495 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2864/3...f174121b_z.jpgDSC04497 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4188/3...6d15dab3_z.jpgDSC04498 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2826/3...4fc441cb_z.jpgDSC04499 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4177/3...f508474a_z.jpgDSC04500 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2835/3...d1837960_z.jpgDSC04503 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2822/3...328ce8a9_z.jpgDSC04504 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4167/3...bfd592eb_z.jpgDSC04505 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr Flight BA858 Depart: LHR T3 20:00 Arrive PRG T1 23:00 Aircraft: A320 https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4165/3...20517338_z.jpgDSC04509 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr It was soon time for boarding and thankfully the gate was near enough adjacent to the lounge. A delay of 15 minutes was called, shortly followed by a call for boarding. https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4178/3...6a4d3258_z.jpgDSC04510 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr After a quick zigzag down the air bridge and a warm welcome on-board we settled into row 1. https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4176/3...0fd87779_z.jpgDSC04511 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4191/3...a65051f9_z.jpgDSC04513 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2857/3...9b6e85a4_z.jpgDSC04514 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr The last light had gone and it was time to enjoy the thrill of the airport at night, bright lights in the dark, jets off to lands near and far. https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4188/3...58002f32_z.jpgDSC04516 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2815/3...cc1fe0c6_z.jpgDSC04518 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4176/3...fb879a83_z.jpgDSC04520 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2811/3...e9925e9c_z.jpgDSC04521 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4183/3...f5e69eb1_z.jpgDSC04523 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2883/3...e68171c3_z.jpgDSC04526 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2867/3...4aa5e53b_z.jpgDSC04529 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2811/3...ffe823bc_z.jpgDSC04532 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2849/3...d9f17f8b_z.jpgDSC04536 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2857/3...0c7ce583_z.jpgDSC04538 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr It was a clear night and take off treated us to a superb aerial view of Terminal 5. https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4167/3...0d49fa86_z.jpgDSC04540 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2834/3...ba664636_z.jpgDSC04542 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2873/3...41fa4e9d_z.jpgDSC04543 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4182/3...2fbaeff0_z.jpgDSC04546 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr Service swung into action and we loaded up with enough drinks to last us the flight. We need not have bothered as our personal flight attendant kept us and the cabin regularly filled up. Stupidly mixing my drinks yet again I went with champagne. The Castelnau, which although drinkable is a little less pleasant than the Moet was back in the lounge. It made for a nice apero with the bag of nuts. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2825/3...2a53c4cd_z.jpgDSC04549 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2891/3...82bcc21f_z.jpgDSC04550 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr With the main it was time to move on to the thankfully now warm glass of merlot. It went OK with the rather filling beef and cheese panini, severed with a side of potato salad and a brightly coloured cream and fruit dessert which I failed to eat. In fact I was so full at this point I even declined the coffee. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2882/3...5fc0c408_z.jpgDSC04551 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr Ms. Spymon did slightly better than me but also forfeit her dessert much to the embarrassment of our flight attendant who profusely apologised for forgetting to check whether the dessert contained passion fruit which Ms. Spymon does not agree with. Shortly after seat belt signs were on and we were preparing to land. It was a good job we did as we met the tarmac rather forcefully. After a short taxi our airbridge was attached and we made the short trip through a near deserted passport control and on to baggage reclaim. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2890/3...9046f43f_z.jpgDSC04556 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr There did not seem to be any kind of additional tags on our bags (or anyone else's for that matter) but the wait was short. We exited the terminal and walked straight across to our lodgings for the night, Courtyard Prague Airport. Hotel: Courtyard Prague Airport We were warmly and proactively welcomed in English and immediately we felt right at home. We'd been upgraded to a studio room on the 6th floor with an airport view ��. Our room was quiet and comfortable with a nice big living room and a big comfy bed which was so far off the ground it required climbing gear to get in. https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4180/3...d0ec425e_z.jpgDSC04557 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4170/3...0eb9fa9d_z.jpgDSC04558 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2816/3...40928e4d_z.jpgDSC04559 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4171/3...6410dd6e_z.jpgDSC04560 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2807/3...728b003b_z.jpgDSC04561 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2888/3...b66f4c38_z.jpgDSC04562 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2853/3...37044bfe_z.jpgDSC04563 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4178/3...2660a99e_z.jpgDSC04564 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr We settled in, got ready for bed and were soon sound asleep. We wanted to start the day at a reasonable time so a good night's sleep was vital. The bed was lovely and comfortable and we slept well. The only minor complaint about our room was not from me but apparently the bathroom mirror does not lend itself to the application of make up |
Wonderful!! A weekend in my favorite city!! Looking forward to reading the rest.
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Originally Posted by roadwarrier
(Post 28314230)
Wonderful!! A weekend in my favorite city!! Looking forward to reading the rest.
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Day 1: Modern Art and Classic Cusine
We headed down to breakfast and were greeted with a fantastic, "Dobry den". Unfortunately this wonderful greeting was offset by a lack of clean tables for us to sit at. In the end we found a corner and settled in. Everything for breakfast was from the buffet including coffee and juice. I started with a savoury run and finished with a sweet run. Quality was acceptable and no more. On a side note I did notice they had a big pile of instant noodles and kimchi hidden at the side of the buffet which is not something I was expecting to see.
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2857/...3b845176_z.jpgDSC04569 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4169/...041a7fa7_z.jpgDSC04570 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr It was then time to check out and take the rather forlorn airport bus into town for our stay at the Hilton Prague Old Town. Despite being forlorn it was cheap and probably not an awful lot slower than taking a taxi. Our hotel was a short walk from the main station and we descended through a small park learning pretty quickly that Prague public peeing is definitely a thing, as well as wrotten egg drains! Hilton Prague, Old Town Check in at the Hilton was fine, the front desk agent who was in training (and who I managed to encounter each day) was able to combine our reward night with our paid night. Unfortunately as of a week and a bit prior to this trip I was no longer a Diamond guest, just a simple silver which meant my welcome amenity was a bowl of peanuts and a water bottle, at least my pet elephant would be happy. https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2835/...d660f665_z.jpgDSC04571 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2819/...9e5de28f_z.jpgDSC04573 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2814/...b6e1a54d_z.jpgDSC04575 by Simon Halsey on Flickr Our room on the 6th floor was fine with the finish in the bathroom being a noticeable upgrade over our Marriott room. https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2815/...5658d868_z.jpgDSC04576 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4181/...58e4ea95_z.jpgDSC04577 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr We quickly settled in and decided to spend our morning exploring around the old town including the famous square, racist clock and surrounding streets. https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2837/...a7a503cc_z.jpgDSC04578 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2835/...970175b1_z.jpgDSC04614 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2854/...229c51bd_z.jpgDSC04616 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2841/...e9f72022_z.jpgDSC04627 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2854/...c1df7fc3_z.jpgDSC04628 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr We stopped for lunch at Pivovar U Tří Růí a nice friendly Czech pub restaurant just off the worst of the tourist trail. Service was friendly and in English, though we'd have been OK to translate through our guidebooks if need be. https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2843/...bf23ae9a_z.jpgDSC04646 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr We started with some nice frothy house beer, I had the special of a wild boar burger and Ms. Spymon had the schnitzel. https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2869/...ff94cf73_z.jpgDSC04650 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2834/...af1af5e8_z.jpgDSC04651 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2880/...bd55152e_z.jpgDSC04652 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr Both were well cooked and portions were generous. The price was very reasonable no doubt helped by the low price of beer. Absolutely stuffed we had not an inch of room to sample dessert. What we needed was a long and ambling walk in search of art. https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2885/...a14216b4_z.jpgDSC04657 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2817/...86ff4310_z.jpgDSC04662 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2813/...15920781_z.jpgDSC04663 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2881/...72ae194e_z.jpgDSC04664 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2873/...b89e7b54_z.jpgDSC04674 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr Our guide book did not prepare us for what an unremarkable building the Trade Fair Palace would be on the outside. It was so unremarkable that on our bus ride in to town that morning we mistook this functionalist masterpiece as a communist era office block. https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2850/...9614c63c_z.jpgDSC04684 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr Inside however it was a different story. The simple form of the building allowed the art works to shine (once we found them). There is no map and the guy checking tickets seemed more concerned with people visiting the free area of the museum. We spent some time stumbling around in almost darkness, trapped at the dead end of a Brian Eno multimedia installation. Once we realised it was just a simple matter of taking the lift we headed upstairs and went backwards through the history of French 19th Century art. The permanent collection here is pretty impressive and with the museum lacking any kind of crowd it was the perfect place to wander and feel amazed and occasionally annoyed at the works on show. We then looked at some early 20th century Czech art as like I mentioned we'd gone backwards. As the museum closed at 6 we had to move around at a decent pace to look at the quite fantastic Czech modern art on the floor below. Feeling we'd just started to scratch the surface it was time to go, but not before checking out the two quite stunning installations on the ground floor. One of large black, still water pools of different heights (they look flat from on high) which have light beamed on them and are backed by slightly vibrating mirrors distorting and disorientating you and the space around it and you. Secondly we sneaked in to the Ai Wi Wei installation of a giant life boat full of inflated occupants that investigates at the movement of people. The sheer scale of the boat and the words that go with it were quite overwhelming. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4180/...e4112361_z.jpgDSC04678 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2830/...341c742f_z.jpgDSC04679 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr We needed to recharge after all that emotional energy and the attached coffee shop seemed like a good place to do so. In hindsight perhaps not. Before this coffee I can't remember the last time an espresso nearly knocked me out. Part of me thinks that perhaps they just messed up the coffee but that was one bitter, sour, fruity and strong little cup. https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2816/...ed1d7305_z.jpgDSC04681 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr I was certainly awake now and enjoyed some interesting people watching of the arty types and their dogs. We walked back to the hotel taking a back street detour which included walking through a small park with nice views of the city. I think this afternoon was my happiest time in Prague not sat stuffing my face with food. https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2806/...74014be5_z.jpgDSC04690 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2875/...d5fcf043_z.jpgDSC04697 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr We had a small rest back at the hotel to freshen up and get ready for dinner at Maso a Kobliha. Truth be told I was a little worried about this place. The online write ups were good but the menu looked really basic. We also didn't get off to the best of starts ending up on the worst table of the house, a small crate by the door that we were able to quickly vacate for a much better one. https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2817/...5e531026_z.jpgDSC04703 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2873/...af0bf1af_z.jpgDSC04705 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr We started off splitting a portion of scotch egg and croquettes. The scotch egg was perfectly cooked, warm, slightly soft yoke, spicy meat filling and crisp outside. The croquettes were the same, crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4194/...dc8302e8_z.jpgDSC04706 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2894/...b2b5fa51_z.jpgDSC04707 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr For mains I ordered the Veal schnitzel with mash, fried egg and anchovy. Ms. Spymon took the Reuben sandwich. What turned up was a giant piece of meaty Veal, crisp crumbs on the outside, tender and moist within and with great flavour. https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2891/...0ea2f720_z.jpgDSC04708 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr I had a quick bite of Ms Spymon's sandwich and the quality of the meat was something else. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4184/...11aac483_z.jpgDSC04710 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr Confession time ahead, after a recent change of diet I know longer thought I needed eating jeans, turned out today I did. Between a little hit of sunburn, some strong beer and a crapload of food I was fit to burst and had to skip dessert. After trying Ms. Spymon's blueberry ice cream it was the right decision for my health but not for a taste experience I'd never forget. I can't remember the last time I had ice cream so rich and creamy. There was no way in hell I'd have survived the night if I'd ordered a whole portion. I was struggling so hard that the owner was worried I was not having a good time. The only thing that was upsetting me was a lack of room for dessert and of letting my country down at the one British restaurant in Prague (excluding the stag do curry houses). https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2859/...6e499399_z.jpgDSC04711 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr I was rolled back to our room, I can't say the fresh air helped and I was not back to normal till the next day, thank goodness as I had booked us an epic breakfast. (PS. Sorry for the delay in finishing this one off) |
Day 2: Brunch, Beer and Never Forgotten
We did not get off to the best of starts as a combination of Google maps and my terrible sense of direction almost caused us to miss our breakfast/brunch reservations. Let's say that our walk to Eska was not the best. From the hotel it was past a bit of carpark, under some railway bridges, a bus station, down some dirty alleyway and finally along a quiet residential street next to the side of a railway line with a building site at the end of the road. About half an hour later than planned we made it in to Eska and they kindly found us a table despite the place being pretty busy.
The atmosphere was buzzy and a little bit hipster with open kitchens, simple wooden furniture and an unfinished warehouse décor. Wait staff in blue jeans and white shirts buzzed up and down the stairs. We were seated upstairs close to the kitchen area where we could watch the pastry chefs hard at work. We were kindly given English menus and some fresh bread and butter. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4182/...07570ca4_z.jpgDSC04713 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4171/...233f26e0_z.jpgDSC04715 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr Ms. Spymon chose the Breakfast Karlín consisting of salmon trout, vegetables, egg, granola, herbs, sweet curd cheese, fruits and soft drink whilst I went with an omelette and some French toast. We also took a couple of coffees. Our friendly server soon brought over our delicious coffees and shortly after our breakfasts. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4170/...4d0d1371_z.jpgDSC04717 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr Once again I had definitely over ordered. I can't remember the last time I had such a good breakfast omelette. Eggs just set, cheese melted and fresh smoked ham. Perfection on a plate just how my Grandad used to do it. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4157/...297edf87_z.jpgDSC04718 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr In all fairness this eggy perfection was soon outshone by the French toast. Sugary soft bread with sweet caramelised apples. It was certainly one of the best breakfasts I've ever eaten in recent memory. Ms. Spymon felt much the same and even found space for a few bites of French toast, but in all honesty who could resist a mouthful of that. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4162/...fc116fbc_z.jpgDSC04719 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4161/...9e9ded17_z.jpgDSC04720 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4188/...652be08d_z.jpgDSC04723 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr Stuffed to bursting once again, it was time to leave. We settled up and managed the 5 minute walk to the metro station for the next part of our Prague adventure. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4162/...5f74f539_z.jpgDSC04726 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4172/...e2cbd5cd_z.jpgDSC04727 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr We planned to spend the bulk of our day touring the Jewish part of Prague. It was quite a moving afternoon with all but one of the synagogues you could visit now a museum, each depicting a different part of Jewish life and history in Prague from life to death and renewal. Whatever your religious (or otherwise) background it made for quite an emotional day. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4183/...3ce0ebc6_z.jpgDSC04734 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4174/...ccec4827_z.jpgDSC04737 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4173/...3e8e92dd_z.jpgDSC04743 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4166/...3d0612b3_z.jpgDSC04747 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4177/...f93c16db_z.jpgDSC04758 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4179/...139eeed4_z.jpgDSC04766 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4192/...c1e89f75_z.jpgDSC04771 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4187/...570ea10e_z.jpgDSC04773 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2848/...2135b5b5_z.jpgDSC04790 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4164/...173ca0ba_z.jpgDSC04785 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4175/...21f1bb3f_z.jpgDSC04786 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4170/...ceee7fb2_z.jpgDSC04801 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4168/...526fb320_z.jpgDSC04812 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4187/...e2cd3710_z.jpgDSC04813 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4192/...0914dbfb_z.jpgDSC04815 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr To unwind a little we went for an average coffee and cake at the famous touristic cubist masterpiece that is Grand Café Orient. https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2832/...80ba1ed4_z.jpgDSC04590 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4171/...e95fbfa6_z.jpgDSC04823 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4170/...d72115b0_z.jpgDSC04821 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4175/...2cf29aba_z.jpgDSC04825 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4173/...3053ca0e_z.jpgDSC04826 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4184/...601e9216_z.jpgDSC04827 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr I did my best to camouflage with the décor. It was good to rest our legs and we also managed to check in for our flight with seq 0001 and 0002 and seats 1A and 1C snagged. Geek goals met in full! We headed off to view the hotch potch of shops and buildings that lead from the old town up to famous Wenceslas Square. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4184/...76780206_z.jpgDSC04832 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4183/...568f77d3_z.jpgDSC04834 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr Unfortunately the National Museum atop the square was covered in scaffold whilst under renovation. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4184/...7c47d8e2_z.jpgDSC04836 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr We then finished our days walk through a quite bizarre shopping precinct, some more beautiful buildings and rest in the park. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4178/...a26518c0_z.jpgDSC04840 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4183/...5c8ff222_z.jpgDSC04842 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2879/...27a5e7ae_z.jpgDSC04843 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4189/...3fc0f83a_z.jpgDSC04844 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4182/...29b976e7_z.jpgDSC04846 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4193/...037d99a7_z.jpgDSC04849 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4157/...fe6492b1_z.jpgDSC04853 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4162/...e7f4ce3f_z.jpgDSC04858 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr We headed back to the hotel for a brief rest before heading out to Lokal Hambruk for a spot of dinner. Unfortunately the branch next to the hotel was fully booked so we went to the one near where we had breakfast, this time making the sensible decision to take the underground. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4156/...8ffb9230_z.jpgDSC04865 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr We arrived to find a mix of rowdy locals and shy tourists but soon felt at home once a couple of cold ones were slammed down with affection on the table. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4185/...c258f449_z.jpgDSC04866 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4163/...077a2032_z.jpgDSC04867 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr We ordered the famous fried cheese, braised beef and beef goulash with a side of mash. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4171/...dcca3e63_z.jpgDSC04869 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4184/...d5a4c4d7_z.jpgDSC04870 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4176/...2e9c7e28_z.jpgDSC04871 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4178/...be2fc400_z.jpgDSC04872 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4183/...84aee256_z.jpgDSC04873 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr It would have been nice to try more but the portions were bigger than they looked and a lot of the food had run out. What we did have was tasty and incredibly good value for money. I even found room to squeeze in a dessert. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4175/...69313eaa_z.jpgDSC04874 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr We enjoyed a slow moonlit walk back to the metro station for the short ride back to the Hilton and soon fell sound asleep. https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4161/...56465c8d_z.jpgDSC04876 by Simon Halsey, on Flickr |
Thanks for the report. I am planning to visit Prague with my family after two weeks and your report helped a lot ^
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OMG - when I read the first part of your report about not feeling quite right, I was afraid that you too had succumbed to a stomach bug during your travels like I did (My trip to hell and back). Thankfully that was not the case!
I am thoroughly enjoying your trip report to Prague. It is truly one of my favorite cities in the world. I especially enjoyed your trip through threw the Jewish part of town, even though it is an extremely emotional experience. My husband and I also stayed at the Hilton Old Town and thought it was quite nice. Looking forward to the rest of your report! |
Great report!! Am finalising my trip in September at the moment and cannot wait!!
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Right, time to finish this one off at last. Bit of a challenging few months with work and life but let's crack on!
Originally Posted by NA-Flyer
(Post 28658471)
Thanks for the report. I am planning to visit Prague with my family after two weeks and your report helped a lot ^
Originally Posted by kathykathy
(Post 28658471)
OMG - when I read the first part of your report about not feeling quite right, I was afraid that you too had succumbed to a stomach bug during your travels like I did (My trip to hell and back). Thankfully that was not the case!
I am thoroughly enjoying your trip report to Prague. It is truly one of my favorite cities in the world. I especially enjoyed your trip through threw the Jewish part of town, even though it is an extremely emotional experience. My husband and I also stayed at the Hilton Old Town and thought it was quite nice. Looking forward to the rest of your report!
Originally Posted by roadwarrier
(Post 28658471)
Great report!! Am finalising my trip in September at the moment and cannot wait!!
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The last Day
As was the theme on this trip we started the day with an absolutely epic breakfast. Other than those amazing Indian breakfast buffet spreads I can't think of a trip where we started the day so well.
La Bottega Bistroteka was just a short walk from the hotel and we were amongst the first to arrive along with some other tourists that seemed to enjoy photographing their food as much as I do. As you can see we didn't go hungry. Superb baked goods and the eggs were absolutely delicious as well. Great spot for breakfast and very reasonable for the size and quality of the food served up. With most of the museums closed on Mondays we decided to do the tourist run across the Charles Bridge, have a walk round Prague castle leaving ourselves enough time for the afternoon flight back to London. I'm sure he was posing like that on purpose! Another happy camper. Guess they didn't have as good a start to the day as we did. The queue to queue up for tickets was pretty long so I took some snaps whilst Ms. Spymon queued up. The light almost looks like some classic day for night shooting. Couldn't resist this one. More crowds... The only thing I didn't like was being charged to visit a shopping street. Though we did find this which made as smile. Unlike this, I really hope giving this boy a good shine brings good luck, to me it felt more like some major bad karma. Feeling a little hungry and slightly rushed we headed back down into town, picking up some sausages and trdelnik. The former were decent, the latter had dried out to oblivion and beyond. I was left thinking if the trdelnik are solely for silly tourists or if there are actually places that make genuinely tasty ones? Flight: BA861 PRG T3 to LHR T3 Aircraft: Airbus A320-200 Depart: 17:15 Arrive: 18:35 Seats: 1A and 1C (Club Europe, Business) We picked up our bags from the Hilton and made the short walk to the station to pick up the crappy airport bus. At least it was cheap. The check in queue was huge and having access to the Club desks made a big difference today. It was a bit of a trek but we eventually found the Menzies Aviation lounge. It was pleasant enough with reasonable views. Time for one last beer. Our chariot awaits! Yes please... Time to settle in to row 1 again. We also managed SEQ 1 and 2 on this trip, travel goal met! Showtime... maybe that's not quite the right word. Ms. Spymon went with the salad option. I took the panini (well 1/2 panini). Whilst the short hop (and apparently longer route) catering has improved on BA's CE service those stuck in the middle have been hard done by. A few weeks prior this flight would have got a full hot meal I believe, not anymore. Good to hear that in 2018 BA are looking to review the catering options. Yes, that was really the meal... We enjoyed a safe flight back to LHR, arriving on time. A quick HEX trip back to Paddington, the tube to St Pancras and good old South Eastern High Speed to carry us home. Whilst the HEX/tube combo doesn't necessarily save too much time overall and does cost a bit more it is a significantly more pleasant journey than the Piccadilly line. Hope you enjoyed this TR. Thanks for sticking with me to the end. Hopefully up next a short video TR should I ever finish it off, perhaps our weekend in Brussels and Bruges and next year our trip to Japan (thanks QR sale). If you enjoyed this you might enjoy reading my others. Too Many Birthdays: BA (J), Some Trains, Cable Cars and Lots of Good Food High Speed Trains and Slow Food - Italy and France by Train and Plane (2016) What Better Way to Celebrate than a T3 Lounge Crawl (BA J/Y) (2015) BA to Budapest - A Last Minute Weekend Away (2015) Three Birthdays Featuring BA vs Easyjet, Lots of Food and Amazing Mountain Landscapes(2015) Eurostar, TGV, Canoe and a Puppy (2014) The Adventures of Rebecca Blanton - LHR to CLE on UA (Y) AKA another LHR T2 Trial (2014) South India: Featuring BA F, 9W, 6E, SG and the Indian Railways (and lots of food!) (2014) Coffee in Catalonia: Featuring BA, RENFE, SNCF and some good food (2013) Planes, Trains, Automobiles and a Boat (2013) For Family, Football and First Class by Train (2013) Experiencing BA Club Europe (LHR-LYS-LHR) As Family Matters (2012) A West Coast Adventure: San Francisco, Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon with VX and BA (2012) Three Ways From A to B a Statusless Persons Guide: BA vs. Eurostar vs. Easyjet (2012) Voyage To India: Delhi, Agra, Orchha, Khajuraho, Varanasi (EK, SG, IT and Indian Railways, 2010) |
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