Touring Czechia during the first days after coming from the US to Europe.
Once I arrived, I balanced the jet lag and started a run of errands and sightseeing around the country. Here’s what I saw:
— Prague —
The Czech Republic's capital is full of famous landmarks. So, I went on a walk to visit some of them. I started near the castle, passing a complex of buildings from the 16th century.
Then I entered the castle.
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- guards at the west entrance.
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- The towers to the left are the St. George’s Basilica, a church founded around the year 930 (!). The structure to the right is….
…the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saints Vitus, Wenceslaus, and Adalbert.
I didn’t go inside, as there was an enormous line, and I didn’t want to wait – tourists from all over the planet everywhere. But one can’t be surprised when looking around.
From there, I walked down to the Vltava River, enjoying being a tourist myself.
Prague is famous for its variety. Besides buildings, there are hills, parks, and even some water channels.
I crossed the Vltava River by the Charles Bridge (construction ended in 1402).
another mass attraction.
After walking through historic streets...
...I got to the Astronomical Clock soon, one of the most iconic structures in Prague.
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- a cubist building “The House of the Black Madonna” from 1912
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- the Powder Gate, one of the original city gates.
After the walk, I had to visit some offices and shops, and the best way to get around is by subway. It was exciting since public transportation back in the States is nearly non-existent.
It is convenient and fast.
If you think that driving on medieval streets would be better, it is not.
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- If you drive anything bigger than a midsized sedan, you can be in trouble. Forget RAM 3500.
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- Add the fact that every street is one-way, parking shortage, and you see that using a car here is a pain.
— Brno —
The country’s second-largest city. I stopped here just briefly.
— Pilsen —
I met two friends of mine, and we visited the New Theatre; there was an audiovisual installation “test pattern” by Japanese artist Ryoji Ikeda.
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- the Pilsen bus terminal.
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- the New Theatre
Check out a video; it will be much better than if I’ll try to explain it.
Oh my, one of the best $2 I’ve spent in some time.
I haven’t been in Pilsen (the Czech one, not the one in KS), so I wanted to walk through its downtown. And it exceeded my expectations.
On their main square is the St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral – a Gothic temple established around 1200.
A quick shot how it looks from the inside.
At 102 meters (335 feet), its tower is the highest church spire in the Czech Republic. And if you don’t mind a heap of stairs, it offers a great view from up there.
In the evening, I met another friend, a poet and an avid smokestacks climber. We had some beer, another commodity Pilsen is famous for. Happy times.
— Loucen —
A small town in the Central Bohemian Region with a baroque chateau, so I stopped by.
They have a nice park there.
— elsewhere —
Europe was scorching when I got here, so it was nice to be able to swim. Thankfully, CZ has plenty of lakes and dams to do so. This is in Jablonec nad Nisou.
— on the road —
To get around, I used mostly public transportation. And once again, I couldn't stop thinking how cool that is. During the years I stayed in the US, I did only one bus ride in Vegas and two rides on a ferry in NOLA. Since I arrived here, I used it too many times to remember.
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- From small stations..
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- ..into bigger ones.
But I had a few journeys by car too, and one section of the freeway reminded me of the Mid-West…
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- Fields..
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- ..and beef semi-trucks.
I kept on the road since then, as I went to Austria and Slovakia. You can read about it here, or browse my Blog Archives for more stories, topics, and categories. Thanks for reading!
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