😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

​That’s all I can say 😂😂😂. In a good way 😂😂. I feel like I’ve left Prague and have arrived in Russia!😂😂 

First off, I am far away from Old Town, and now amidst the traditional Russian-era apartment complexes. You know the type…cheap, unattractive, but free-for-all-comrades. 

Each complex seems to have its own equally unattractive and un appealing park for children, which are nowhere to be found.

But amidst the mundane far removed from Old Town, I found  some lovely trees in blossom! And my favorite shopping market… LIDL😃😂😂👏👏!

More to come in a bit! The story continues😂😂😂. 

The Great Pack-Up

​Time to re-load my bags to move to the hotel I will be staying at for the next three nights in Prague with my COSMOS Tours group. It is on the east side of town, approximately 4 miles from Old Town, which is why I stayed here, at the Charles Bridge Palace Hotel. It was a wonderful first three days on my own, but I’m excited to meet the tour director, as well as the people I will be traveling with for the next seven days.  I can’t reiterate enough how much nicer and easier it is to have just a smaller, carry-on size suitcase, rather than the larger one. When I see people trying to navigate their 25 inch spinners over the cobble stones, along with a carry-on, and often a backpack, I can’t help but chuckle because that used to be me! I understand their misery😂!   I remember one of the youngest ladies on our group to Europe last spring had brought along two full-size suitcases and a backpack. She couldn’t take the buses or the trains with us, as she just had too much stuff. So she would have to patiently call and wait for an Uber before we transferred to a new place.  And when we headed over to the UK, she flew on an airplane! 😱😂  But she had a new outfit to wear every day, and even changed into something different a couple of times a day!😂😂😂  The NEW me 🤓…

That backpack looks massive on that little suitcase, I know, but it’s carrying my pillow. So let’s give it some grace.😂😂😂😂😂😂. 

Vyšehrad Fort

​Yes, another stand alone!  I never would have known about this place had I not watched the ‘Top 10 Things Not to Miss when Visiting Prague’ on YouTube!  I was grateful it was within walking distance of my hotel. I will post some information on the fort that was at the entrance. Surprisingly, this was free for all visitors! And not crowded with tourists at all. 😱

Can you see the moon?

How about now 🤓?  So lovely! 

And, as I have found is typical for forts and castles in Prague, they are all high up on hills!😂😂😂

But well worth the climb. 😊

There was a beautiful cemetery on the shady side of the historic church. It was fascinating to read of the people buried there, many dating back to the 1800’s. 

I believe this statue represents a mother and her daughter, who, according to the dates inscribed, died at three years of age. 😔

There were several random statues such as this scattered around the grounds. 

View from the fort 😊. 

When I was done wandering the grounds, I stopped into a small café on the campus of the fort and had potato dumplings stuffed with smoked ham, and a refreshing ‘still water’, along with a glass of a tasty Merlot 🍷.  

A fine end to a wonderful afternoon!

Castle

​I decided to venture out toward the fort and see if I could truly see the castle from every vantage point that I walked.

Yep…

Still yep 🤓…

And still yep!😂👏👏

And STILL! 

Even all the way down at the fort…still visible 😊. That’s why it makes the perfect landmark! 😂

And oh! The beautiful sites on the way down…

I found this in yet another park. Very few times has there been writing in English, so it is hard to read what is it is memorializing. But it sure was pretty.💕

Pedal/paddle boats. 😂  Why not ride in style!?

I know it’s difficult to tell, but this man is blowing some sort of a wind instrument. At first, I thought it was a soldier holding a gun, but I was wrong.😂  Doesn’t happen often😂😂😂.

Now wouldn’t THIS be fun? 😱 A HOTEL BOAT?  I saw another just a little ways down, and it was called a ‘BOATEL’  😂😂.

After passing several stairways, I realized I could walk at river level. That made the walk a lot more enjoyable! There was a nice breeze blowing down there too.🤗

Cobbles

​As in ‘stone’ 😊. I came across a street being reconstructed or repaired… I couldn’t tell which, but those cobblestones are a lot larger than I expected. No wonder they make such solid road material.😳

I decided to take the tram part way back after my walk around the fort. The tricky part when riding the tram is knowing which tram to hop on, because I tend to assume they all go straight along the river. I chose the wrong one today, and it went into new unfamiliar territory.😂😂  I hopped off when I saw a shopping mall, and decided I could navigate my way back toward the river from there. My landmarks are the river, and the Charles Bridge.😂  And of course, if I can set eyes on the castle, I know which direction to go! 

I came across yet another church, and the sign said ‘Open’, so I decided to stop in to cool off some. While it is only about 64, the sun is shining brightly, and I’ve been walking all day. So the cool of the church felt lovely! 

And of course, being in Europe, I remembered to look up! 💕

How wonderful it would be to be able to hear this pipe organ playing during a service! 

I wonder who gets to go through THIS door 🤔…