Summer in Europe Part IV: Czech Republic

The last country I could visit before the clouds became more of a permanent fixture in the sky was Prague. My cousin and her fiancé came to Frankfurt for a week and a half to see me and with a train ride to the Czech Republic just 80 euros return it was a brilliant chance to experience one of the few cities my parents have been to in Europe and continually recommended to me.

It’s a six hour train from Frankfurt to Prague, and part of the ‘train ride’ which you book with Bahn includes a bus change. Trying to get the most out of our days we left at 6am on the Sunday and were in the capital by midday. One of the things I love about the Bahn trains is how good the service is; after experiencing some of the worst public transport in my life in London it’s nice that when you have a bus on your journey, it’s the best damn bus you’ve ever seen and so comfortable I fell asleep somewhere in Germany and woke up driving past the Pilsner factory.

Upon arrival in Prague we explored the city and the markets and checked out the local brew and food. To me Prague is very similar to Germany, but one definite highlight was their soup which comes in a big piece of bread rather than a bowl. One of my favourite things in the whole world is soup and bread, it got me through many sicknesses in Melbourne and debilitating hangovers in London. Another local specialty you can’t get in Germany is Absinthe. Heading to the Absinthe museum, we queried where we could find the entrance at the bar. ‘This is it’ was their response as they motioned to the bar behind them, and so in the absence of any real artwork we decided to sample some absthine ice creams.

The Absinthe museum

I don’t know what the hell was in those ice creams but it turned things that weren’t funny into the most hilarious that I had ever seen or heard. It certainly became a museum of comedy if it wasn’t one before and after two helpings and a shot of ‘sperm’ we wandered around the city streets in a state of euphoria that i'm sure many Prague folk have also done at one time or another over the last few hundred years or so.

Being the tourists that we are no city break would be complete without an open top bus tour. It’s like a compact tasting of everything so you can decide exactly how much you want to do now and later if ever again. We were able to get in the castle, the jewish district and the monastery which served it's own brew all in a day and saw all the sights of the city from their famous bridges to one of the ugliest buildings in the world (it has creepy looking babies crawling up it) and their version of the Eiffel Tower, which is proudly a teeny bit taller than the Paris one.

Chillin on the open top bus

I loved Prague but am not sure there’s much else to do than what we saw and experienced. It was the perfect little city break, and by the time the train was coming two nights later we were ready to head home. I didn’t get to experience the nightlife so much apart from our fun with the Absinthe, and this is probably why I’ll return some day.

Prague's centre square

So many beautiful monuments in this compact city

Coming back on the late train is like a really early morning flight; you think it’s a brilliant idea when you book it but at the time you’re cursing your past self. When we finally got in at midnight bed couldn’t have felt better to fall into, and as I woke up early the next morning to start work I contemplated what Autumn in Germany would be like.

With Oktoberfest coming up in a few weeks as well as a visit from my mother and the boy’s birthday things wouldn’t be slowing down any time soon. And organising a hens party for another Frankfurt expat would also be keeping me busy in this place that has quickly become my home.

xx