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Monday 28th October
Early flight out to Prague this morning. As we needed to be at the Airport for 4.30am, we stayed in a hotel next to Heathrow so just a short drive to the Long Stay car park and hopping on a bus to Terminal 3.
Pretty much straight through security and then to find somewhere to have breakfast. Callum had his usually pancakes, maple syrup and bacon, Jon a full english and I had a bacon sandwich. Breakfast on the plane had long gone!
Service was really quick and we still had a little time to kill before the gate appeared on the board and we could head to the plane. Boarding cards checked at the gate and everyone’s wheelie suitcases were being taken off them to put in the hold. Luckily, we had nothing of value in the cases and we could lock them. Quite a few people complaining, but if everyone had taken them onboard, there would not have been enough room.
Flight was boarding to schedule and left on time. As expected, as soon as the no seatbelts lights went off, the lady in front of me, quickly reclined her seat and found my knees in her back! No time to move.
We had a strong tailwind so the flight time to Prague was just over 90 mins. Straight to the gate, off the plane, through passport control and we arrived at the luggage carousel just as our bags were coming off.
WIth 15 minutes of the plane landing we were in a taxi heading to the city centre. Our hotel for this stay was the Melia INNSIDE Prague Old Town. The location seemed OK from the map and the reviews on Tripadvisor seemed mainly positive.
A warm welcome at the desk and we were lucky that our room was ready. We knew from the photos, the decor was bright. We had an orange room and it was rather orange! A good size room and bathroom with plenty of storage and a complimentary minibar that was restocked each day. Callum enjoyed the fruit juices and the snacks!
We quickly unpacked and headed out to grab a bite to eat for lunch.
Today was a National Holiday in the Czech Republic so everywhere was busy for a weekday – October 28 is Independent Czechoslovak State Day, a date that celebrates the formation of the sovereign state of Czechoslovakia after the first World War, when the country officially gained independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
While Czechoslovakia no longer exists – the Czech Republic and Slovakia peacefully separated in 1993 after 75 years together – October 28 is still an important date and a national holiday in the Czech Republic.
The hotel was really well located for exploring Prague. Turn right out of the hotel and keep walking straight and you end up in the Old Town Square in 10 mins or so.
We decided to soak up the Old Town Square atmosphere and grabbed a bite to eat at Restaurant U Tyna. Callum opted for the Spicy Sausage with dips and Jon and I settled on a ham and cheese baguette panini – ours washed down with a local Bakalar beer.
It was a lovely sunny day, although a little chilly out of the sun. The Old Town Square is pretty stunning with some stunning old buildings running around the edge. Last time we were here (1999), the place was packed with Christmas Market stalls whereas now all the restaurants had expanded into the market square and appeared to be set up for the winter weather with blankets and heaters.
After lunch it was time to explore. First stop was the Astrological Clock – we never quite got the timings right to see this chime on the hour! From here is was exploring the narrow lanes to get to the Charles Bridge.
The lanes were packed with shops, many selling the same range of souvenirs, glassware and jewellry. We eventually arrived at the Tower on the Town side of the Charles Bridge. The other side lead up to the Castle. It was incredibly busy on the bridge as it’s probably the main tourist attraction in town. A cobbled bridge for pedestrians and lined with statues on either side. Great views from the bridge up to the Castle.
We walked across and explored a little more – Jon was keen to find a statue he’d read about.
We went off the beaten track a little but eventually stumbled across it. Next door was a traditional Czech gingerbread house and the smell emitting from it was gorgeous.
The one plus about stumbling around is that we managed to get some great views of the Charles Bridge from a distance.
Eventually it was time to start making our way back to the hotel – Callum had seen loads of stalls selling Trdlos – a waffle-esque cone cooked fresh, sprinkled with sugar (style of a chimney) and filled with ice cream or fruit. He was happy enough once he sampled one of these – it was pretty filling.
We’d had an early start so back to the hotel and a quick beer (diet coke!) in the bar before heading out to find somewhere to eat. We didn’t want a late night so decided to explore the eateries surrounding the hotel. A rather posh restaurant at the end of the street (Grand Cru) and a selection of Indian and Italian restuarants and a Belgian Beer Cellar opposite the hotel.
In the end we settled on Alforno’s – an Italian restaurant around the corner. It looked busy which we thought was a good sign. They managed to find us a table but others that tried on spec to get a table later left disappointed as they were full.
Food was really good and packed full of flavour.
Back to the hotel and hopefully we’d get a good nights sleep ready for more exploring tomorrow.
