I’m in need of a break. So I’m taking a mental vacation… and bringing the DH along for the ride.
I can see it so clearly.
We sleep in late in a cozy pension. Then we wake up and prepare for brunch. We have reservations at Bellevue. The restaurant is less than a mile away, so we take the short scroll through Old Town Square. I make a special request for window seats so we can peer out at the Vltava River. It looks like a portrait… just breathtaking.
We share homemade saffron risotto with tiger prawns and green asparagus to start. For the main dish, I try baked monk fish with black truffles with a side of sweet mashed potatoes and caramelized endive topped with periguex sauce. Oh my goodness… I’m in heaven as I savor the dulcet flavors of fine German cuisine. And for dessert… hot chocolate fondant served with homemade mint ice cream. Simply ambrosial!
After satisfying our taste buds, we walk across the Charles Bridge. This historic bridge was built over 600 years ago and connects the city of Prague. We walk slowly to absorb the scenery. From the bridge we can
see the architecturally crafted city skyline. Besides enjoying the view, there are other things we can do on the bridge. An artist sketches our photo and we dance to the music of the live jazz band. We stay on the bridge for nearly an two hours. But now it’s time to venture on.
Wenceslas Square is less than 10 minutes away. Here we find the heart of the city. There are places to sip wine, places to shop, places to party and places to relax. There is so much to do. And we have settled into the typical American tourist role… using broken German and improvised sign language to ask locals to snaps pictures of us in front of the statue of St. Wenceslas… paying for souvenirs with open hands of Euros because neither of us understands the language enough to determine how much we owe… (We probably should have purchased an English to German talking translator before we took this imaginary trip.)
To end the day, we take a party boat cruise down the river. The sun is setting and the aura is romantic. We eat again, this time enjoying some of the German spirits. Then we head over to the reception area and dance the rest of the night away… under the breezy, star lit German sky.
I love it here. Prague is rich with culture. The people are welcoming. There are soo many attractions to visit. There are historic museums, lively festivals, entertaining operas… and ohhh the food and the
landscape… there is no way to describe it. I could nestle in this city forever.
Ahhhh Exhale!
Ok… mental vacation over! Time for me to get back to screaming children, cranky bosses and contemptuous presidential election debates.
I did not quite like this snap back into reality. I have to get to Prague. I’ve been dreaming about it for too long. And it’s more tangible than I know. There are hundreds flights leaving for Europe every day.
If you are looking for some cheap flights to Europe, you don’t have to look far. Try these great links:













1. You know Prague is in the Czech Republic, not Germany, right? Many people there do speak German (but prefer not to) because of the way the Germans tried to kill off the Czech language 60-70 years ago.
2. Prague is wonderful, and my wife and I have been twice. The second time, we booked with go-today.com and got very good rates. (in 2004)
3. Czech looks really, really difficult at first glance, but the language is almost completely phonetic. Nearly EVERYTHING is spelled the way it sounds.
If you (or anyone else) really wants to do this trip, get a price for a weeklong package for two, add 20-30% for on-the-ground expenses, setup an ING Direct savings account, divide the total $$$ needed by 13, and make a biweekly deposit in that account. In six months, you’re ready to travel. (Oh, and get your passport now) If that’s too short a time frame, 26 biweekly deposits and you’re ready to go in a year. Finally, grab some berlitz language CDs and a phrasebook in Czech. Spend 30 minutes a day for 1 week, then 20 minutes a day for 1 week, then 10 minutes a day for a few months. Anybody can do this.
When you get there, 6-12 months from now, you’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish. Happy travels!
[Reply]
Tanesha reply on August 3rd, 2008:
I realize that Prague was in the Czech Republic. But I know why I got confused about the language. About 10 years ago, my university was part of a consortium of U.S. schools that hosted a study abroad to Charles University in Prague. I distinctly remember in the brochure that it mentioned something about brushing up on your German.
Unfortunately I did not make the trip. By the time I figured out that I could get the money to go… my school had reached the maximum students. I was kind of disappointed because really wanted to go. I had become fascinated with how beautiful Prague looks in pictures.
It’s nice to know that you think Prague is a wonderful place to visit. And I love your plan to get there. It seems so doable. Now I am inspired to make my fantasy a reality!
Thanks for the suggestion!
Tanesha
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