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Prague is a hard city to describe.
Without a doubt, it is beautiful, but
we were not struck with the usual
wonders of the city. In all honesty,
it seemed to have sold out to
tourists. While we expected the
Charles Bridge to be crowded with
people, we were sad to find street
vendors set up along the entire
expanse. Who knew you could get
your caricature drawn midway
across the bridge, or see a man
play the organ while a mechanical
monkey danced at his feet? That’s
just not the Prague spirit we were
hoping for.
Thankfully, we had a few more
days in the city. To me, Prague is a
subtle city. If you aren’t bowled
over by the sights listed in your
guidebook (the Prague castle, the
astronomical clock, etc.) which we
weren’t, then Prague might
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The Prague Castle as viewed from the Vltava River
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disappoint right off the bat. But the city takes on a different air at night. Minus the hordes of people, the Charles
Bridge changes from gimmicky to romantic. The Prague Castle, while Disneyland-ish during the day, turns stately
and impressive when it is illuminated at night. And if you enjoy classical music, Prague offers more opportunities to
enjoy this than anyplace I’ve been. In addition to the official concert halls, many of the churches and synagogues
offer concerts throughout the day. We also fell in love with Prague’s tea houses. We even stumbled upon one that
offered Moroccan mint tea. Dubious that it would taste as wonderfully sweet and perfect as it had in Morocco, we
were thrilled to find it to be extremely authentic. That, and our first hookah experience, made our visit to the tea
house one of our most memorable experiences in Prague.
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In the end, Prague did not disappoint. Far from it. We leave with impressions of a romantic city (getting lost on
cobblestone streets, the sound of violin music drifting out open windows, endless vistas overlooking the city’s
distinctive skyline) and also that of a vibrant, livable city (neighborhood pubs packed with locals and morning
joggers out for a morning run along the Vltava river). The more time I spent in Prague, the more time I wanted to
spend in Prague, if that makes sense. I definitely hope to make it back one day.
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