"I see a great city whose glory will touch the stars"
Those were supposedly the words spoken by the Czech duchess Libuše somewhere around the 8th century, as she first laid eyes on what should later become the great city on the Vlatava.
But it was not until the 14th century that Prague flourished as one of the biggest imperial cities under the rule of the Luxenbourg and Habsburg dynasties.
Today, the city seems to be showing its rich history in every corner and nook of its architecturally rich streets, buildings and squares. From the famous and formidable Charles bridge, one of the most iconic bridges in Europe, to the old royal palace, ancient looking cobble roads and Austro-Hungarian streets, a walk around the old city will most certainly leave a lasting impression.
We were here for a weekend getaway. Having it a bit rough lately, Nikki's parents decided to treat us with a weekend away from Vienna's stiff and bureaucratic clutches (Pam and Chris - thanks a lot guys, we really appreciated!).
Incidentally, it was also our anniversary that weekend, which made the romantic eastern capital the perfect destination.
"Prague is like a cake!"
When I asked mum what to expect (she was in Prague some 20-something years ago), she looked at me for a bit, searching for words apparently, and then just said: "Prague is... how should I put it. It's like a cake!".
I was a bit puzzled - comparing things to food is something I would have expected from my girlfriend, but not exactly from mum, not to mention that the whole statement was a bit cryptic.
Retrospectively, she was spot on. It is hard to explain, but the city does somehow look like a cake. I guess you have to go and see for yourself.
Speaking of cake, if you are a guy going to Prague with a girl, a word of warning.
The city is full of things that will make your girlfriends heart skip a beat, and I don't mean any romanticism or, in fact, anything related to you at all.
Prague is full of sweets and jewellery shops. I mean it, they are on every corner and they are high quality. There is no way around them, believe me, I tried.
So if you're not careful, you might go home broke and with a slightly "upgraded" girlfriend, in more than one way. Just saying. Love you Nics!
There is a lot to do and see in Prague, and as we were rather short on time we had quite a packed day.
We pretty much did a sightseeing marathon, starting with Charles bridge and the Royal Palace, continuing with the old city square, the John Lennon wall and finally finishing the day with an outlook from the Petrin tower on the hill across the inner city (a replica inspired by the Eiffel Tower).
The evening we spent with a visit to the Ice Bar (which is pretty much a freezer with all furniture and accessories, down to the glasses, made of ice).
After that we made a short visit to the only Museum open during night hours (a direct result of the shots consumed at the Ice bar), and finished the evening with an exceptional meal at a Thai restaurant and a night stroll through the dimly illuminated city streets.
There is of course much more to do in the Bohemian capitol, but we would have to leave that for another time. Be it as it may, this was a much needed breath of fresh air from all our current problems and obligations and we enjoyed every bit of it.