Voyages
What better moment to go to Prague than December ? June ? OK, maybe, because it would have been warmer. But the Christmas period in Prague is magic.
Xmas Market
We spent a long week end in Czech Republic to see Prague under the Christmas lights, and more importantly to visit Zuzana and Standa. I studied in Finland in 2002-2003 with Zuzana and had not seen her since.
We arrived on Thursday morning. Getting to the city centre from the airport was easy: we just had to follow the perfect indications given by Zuzana by email. We wander through the noisy streets (yes noisy, because they are crowded by Italian exchange students). We enter the castle and visit the cathedral. I recognise some places that I visited with school back in 1998. We walk down the colourful streets and stop for a glass of hot wine. Charles Bridge is a lovely place. The night is quick to come and we hardly see the Christmas market before we take the underground to meet Standa at the last station. 20 minutes by car and we arrive to Beroun, 17 000 inhabitants and 3 bears. Zuzana is waiting for us at her parents’ place where we’ll stay for three days. Her parents are very welcoming too and a nice traditional Czech meal awaits us.
The colourful streets of Prague and its Astronomical Clock
Charles Bridge
Prague's Castle and Cathedral
On Friday we go back to Prague. We still want to see many places we have not had time to appreciate the day before. We pass by the Dancing House and walk along the river (the Vltava). We spend most of our time in the Jewish area. We visit several synagogues and an old Jewish cemetery. Later on it’s time to meet with Standa under the astronomical clock. We walk together in the crowded streets again before going back to Beroun. Another fine Czech meal warms us up.
Jewish cemetery
Dancing House 
Two of our many nice Czech meals...with Zuzana's family and in a restaurant
On Saturday we take time to visit Beroun. And don’t believe the Lonely Planet guidebook, there are things to see and do in Beroun. The best known inhabitants of Beroun are probably the three bears who live in the park, right in the middle of the town. They used to play in a famous Czech show for children. We watch them dozing…winter is not the time they are the most active. Going to the central square, we enjoy the colourful streets animated by the market. We then walk along the river for a few kilometres until we reach the village of Srbsko. There Zuzana fetches us with the car and she shows us around. The landscape is rocky. Yet another very good meal in a restaurant (we eat deer) and we walk towards the castle of Karlštejn. It is very well conserved. We drive back to Beroun and stop in two supermarkets to buy food to bring to Ireland. At night we go to Standa and Zuzana’s apartment. They have two turtles, much more animated than the bears! We then have dinner in a restaurant.
"Amerika"
Castle of Karlštejn
After a last good but too short night, Zuzana brings us to the airport. The plane almost has to leave late because some passengers arrive at the last moment. They look like they had heavy quantities of alcohol until late in the night. We know their accent. It’s the Dublin accent.
Thanks to Standa, Zuzana and her family for the great time we had in Czech Republic.
Thanks Laetitia (it was my Christmas present!)
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