It is Tuesday night, and the week has flown by--only one more day here in Praha and then back to the states. Today was another gem of a day, and one that we hardly deserve in the middle of March. Temperature was in the 50s again, with sun for most of the day. We have forgotten the idea of traveling beyond Prague, as there is too much to see here.
Today was a good example of this. We started out late, as I have found out that Steve is not an early traveler--I was at the coffee shop at 9:00 and felt like a sluggard. Steve showed up at 10:40, as he had fallen asleep again. Mind you, they are reconstructing the apartment next to us, so there was hammering and banging on the turn of 8:00, so it is almost impressive. But it is a vacation, and its not like either of has agendas to follow. We wandered up to the hostel where I first stayed in 1999. At the time, it was rather run-down, and tired. Today, it is a five star hotel, and is not where I could stay and still afford to eat. The bell captain showed us one of the rooms and it is impressive. Take a look: http://www.hotel-imperial.cz/ It is as nice as any first class Marriott or Hilton. Even booking for tomorrow, the rate is 149 Euro, or about $225, which would make it a real bargain in any major city.
Our target for our wanderings was the Petrinske area of Prague, which is in Praha 8, so it is a hike, and most of it is uphill. It was worth the climb and the long walk. We, being brighter than most, skipped the funicular railway that would have taken us up this beast of a hill, and walked. Ouch. But what a beautiful walk. As mentioned, the weather was spectacular, and it was wonderful to see the early signs of spring everywhere. It is getting greener by the hour here, and many of the flowering trees and shrubs are beginning to bloom. They have a yellow equivalent of our redbud tree, and they are striking. The walk was also memorable for the different views of the castle and the cathedral. It was worth the extra wear and tear. That is what motrin is for, and it helps you sleep!
So what about Starbucks? It wasn't just a teaser headline. On the way down, we walked by the one Starbucks in the whole city, and we stopped and had a latte. The small latte cost 95 K, about $5.30. While that is expensive compared to US Starbucks, it was more noticeable because of the contrasts. On the way up the "hill" we stopped for a beer and fries, and the beer, the best I have had while here, was 21 K, or about $1.10. It was 1/2 liter of high-test, prefect beer, and it cost about one-fifth of the coffee at Starbucks. It just made me wonder what the US would be if beer was that much cheaper than coffee? Would we be more laid back? Happier? Have more accidents? More sensible? I am going to lobby for that when I get home.
Nothing profound today--just a lazy day enjoying the city and the weather. What a great vacation!
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