Praha, Czechia. Saturday, 11th May 2019
'A room with a view!' No room would perhaps fit this title of one of Ruskin Bond's stories as well as room no. 1162 of Hotel Don Giovani, Prague. I actually write this diary entry on Sunday, 12th May 2019, comfortably ensconced in a sofa chair with a striped, colourful upholstery, having conveniently placed the diary on a beautiful, round, glass-topped table with the window to my left bearing long white curtains blowing freely with the gust of air that enters from time to time; the same window that affords a most magnificent view of this gentle and charming capital of the Czech Republic.
We had set off from Nuremberg after breakfast this morning, bidding 'auf wiedersehen' to the bubbly Mirjam at the hotel's reception. The bus station was literally a stone's throw away (Urmila complimented me on my good planning) and soon we were occupying seat numbers 95 and 97 on the upper deck of DB's bus to Prague. The bus had a livery similar to that of DB's ICE trains (those
with the 'crocodile' faces!) The departure was bang on time and we settled down to savour the 3 1/2 hour ride. Savour we did, because the bus was literally gliding on the autobahn with the driver maintaining a constant speed (zero acceleration in Physics parlance, if you ignore the change of direction) and the magnificent countryside - first German and then Czech - presenting itself in all its grandeur and glory!
Pine trees, tall and thick, easily stood out in the forest on either side, the red roofs vied for attention with the church turret, amidst the vast yellow carpets punctuating the green! To say that this was surreal would be an understatement. Enjoyed our favourite Ritter Sport on the bus. As the bus entered Czech territory, there was a noticeable change in the surroundings - taller, larger and more modern constructions were spotted more frequently, along with the alphabets 'cz' on billboards. At noon, the bus entered the outskirts of the Czech capital and a sense of familiarity struck us. It was cloudy but there was no rain. We crossed the Vltava along one of the many charming bridges spanning the river, recognising many familiar sights and buildings. Excitedly alighted at Hlavni Nadrazi, the Prague main railway station. It was a sublime feeling being back in my favourite city. A gap of five years!
Purchased the 24-hours transportation tickets at the information bureau inside the station and the helpful gentleman there guided us on the way to the bus-stop of tram no. 26. Exited the station and turned right, through the beautiful garden where we had spent half an hour sunning on a bench on a May afternoon in 2014. The tram arrived in 10 minutes and we rode comfortably to Zelivskeho. The hotel Don Giovani, whose building bore an interesting shape, was right behind the bus stop.
Entered the huge, glittering lobby, quite impressive. Reception expressed its inability to check us in before 15:00 so we deposited our luggage there and stepped out. Crossed the road in a very light drizzle and entered Lidl, our favourite supermarket in Europe. Purchased something to munch on and then boarded a tram for the city centre. Walked from the bus-stop outside Hlavni Nadrazi to Wenceslas Square - great renewing our friendship with these famous spots of Prague - finishing off the lovely cherries purchased at Nuremberg the previous evening. Easily found another favourite of ours, Vytopna Railway Restaurant and after a wait of 10 minutes, were shown to a table. Thoroughly enjoyed the meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, apple crumble with walnuts; and of course the drinks - draught beer and wine - brought to our table by a train. The restaurant now charges an additional CZK 25/- per customer, for train maintenance.
Lunch done, we walked to Museum U-station, admiring familiar sights. Caught the 'A' line metro to Zelivskeho, four stops away. Checked in to room no. 1162 - a wonderful, spacious room with all conveniences and which provided a most beautiful view of the city from the 11th floor. Also explored the executive lounge on the 12th floor, to which we had access. Shot a video of the room and the view. Rested.
Planning to visit Charles Bridge tonight. There was a loose end to our visit to Prague in 2014 - we had missed viewing and being on Charles Bridge at night! This thought had struck us for the first time at Budapest on our 2017 trip, when we had taken a night tour of the city. There and then, we had vowed to make a second trip to Prague, ONLY to see Charles Bridge at night; and tie up the loose end! (Travellers can come up with some crazy ideas at times!)
Urmila was tired and we were debating to go tonight or tomorrow night. Finally, we decided to go tonight and were amply rewarded.
Set off from the hotel at 20:00; Metro 'A' to Staromestska, six stations away. Exited the station (the escalators run deep) and strolled in the direction of the river, in twilight. Got our first view of the well-lit Prague Castle and the St. Vitus's cathedral. Thoughts went back to 2014! Little had we imagined then that we would be back at Prague five years later! Got our first view of Charles Bridge, which wasn't lit. We strolled on, avoiding small puddles and mud that the rain had created. The roads seemed a bit dirtier, this time! Within 6 to 8 minutes, we were on the iconic structure. Soaked in the ambience, along with scores of tourists. Clicked photos but were a bit disappointed that the lights on the bridge were not yet on. Suddenly, at approximately 20:54, Charles Bridge was lit! The purpose of our trip to Prague was served!
It was thrilling! It was unforgettable! The ambience was magical, mystical, mesmeric! No wonder Prague holds a special place in my attraction for Europe. The emotions at that moment were indescribable!
Mission accomplished, we returned to our lovely room at the grand hotel, by the same route, on the way purchasing two tins of Jack Daniels Bourbon at a small convenience
store just outside Staromestska station. Finished off the tins (with pumpkin seeds for company!), all the time talking about Charles Bridge, viewing and re-viewing the photos and videos. Hit the bed after 23:00. Need to take it easy tomorrow.
