Previous page Next page


Monday, May 19, I'm 26 now and on waking, Amanda told me there is no need to prepare breakfast and I'll have a surprise. Eyes closed I wait while she prepared a surprise. She then told me that it's ready while I smell chocolate, opening my eyes, she apologizes for not having found candles, it's a nice (and good) chocolate cake. She tells me the undercover mission she did yesterday and we eat voraciously cake.
After this birthday breakfast lunch and in fact, lunch, we set off for the Charles Bridge. During the tram ride, I finally get the portrait of the tag of the green-normally-pink-panther that mocks me for days I see without getting to do a photo:

We get off the tram at the stop Malostranské náměstí, in full heart of Malá Strana. En route to the Charles Bridge, this time under the sun! (It was my birthday happens to finally have good weather.) On Malá Strana, a bench for anti-communist propaganda and a facade of Mostecká street leading down to the Charles Bridge.

The Charles Bridge ... Karlův most ... without contest the most beautiful bridge in Prague. Under the sun, buildings, much brighter, bring a whole new face of the city: bright, open, like a city on the Mediterranean coast.

We walk along the Vltava River, enjoying the sun and the ballad, often stopping to enjoy the view under the sun. Like here Bridge Legií (Most Legií) :

The inhabitants of the banks of the Vltava really lucky, the view is beautiful in good weather (and not unpleasant in the rain!), As for us, we passed the island of Slovanský (Slovanský Island) and stop at Jirasek level bridge (Jiráskův most) ...

And we have arrived at our destination of the moment: the house dancing! The Dancing House (Tancici Dum) so called because of its particular form, is the work of two architects: Czech Vlado Milunic (born in 1941 in Croatia) and the American-Canadian Frank Gehry (born in 1929 in Toronto). Built in 1994 and completed in 1996, will serve as a trial run to Frank Gehry to build the Guggenheim Museum in Bilba (in 1997). Originally named Fred and Ginger (in tribute to Fred Astaire and Gingers Rogers) but soon she is called by the name we now know him, the Dancing House, more neutral terms and without imposing Hollywood kitsch in the words Frank Gehry. Promoted in 1996 by the Times, best design of the year, is an example of deconstructivist architecture, however unusual as it is eccentric. The building consists of ninety-nine concrete panels of different shapes and sizes, requiring the use of many wooden forms.
It shows that nobody is indifferent to this very special architecture, the people of Prague are also barely 16% did not enjoy it.

Palackého náměstí Advancing a little along the Vltava to take the tram towards the city center, we arrived at a beautiful building and the church to 2 points (the cloister of Emmaus (Emauzský klášter)) Palackého náměstí.

Return by tram, the Čechův most, a small photo of the Faculty of Law (Právnická fakulta) we went to náměstí Republiky.

Once náměstí Republiky, we, on foot, the direction of the astronomical clock. We pass the Municipal House (Obecní Dum) and the Czech National Bank (Česká banka národní) resembling Soviet.


Passing under the powder keg of Prague (Prašná brána) tower we see the emblem of Prague with its motto: 'Praga caput regni', meaning 'Prague, capital of the Kingdom. And a little later, another Masonic symbol (decidedly ... unless it's a simple architectural symbol) on the corner of a building:

Here we are on the famous 'Manufaktura' with crystals bohemian garnets, and everything that makes crafts and Prague as Czech.

And then this is the place of the clock (Staromestské náměstí) with several things here (which I will discuss tomorrow): Astronomical Clock (Prague and orloj), home of the minute (Dum U minuty), instead of the clock obviously (Staromestské náměstí), the Jan Hus monument (Pomník mistra Jana Husa), the Church of St. Nicolas (Chrám Svatého Mikuláše), home of Franz Kafka and the church of Our Lady of Tyn (Chrám Matky Bozi před Týnem).


After a quick round-up of the place, we leave the other way, in an alley along Notre-Dame-de-Tyn to find our place tonight ... By the way, we see a good sign of a sushi bar:

We finally found our place and we go to the hostel to eat and prepare for tonight. RDV at 20:30 at Bernard.
Bernard, or rather his beer, we had purchased shortly after we arrived. And in Geneva, flipping through a guide, the mother of Amandine found this: a beer spa! We are in an old stone cellar, it is pleasant, greeted by a young man who shook our 'domestic' (sorry, I do not know how to describe it otherwise, there is a bell to call, it executes everything you could ask for, etc ...). The latter explains the concept and operation of the spa: we will be the only (! Logic, each booking spa reserves the spa, in full) and it is entirely at our disposal, just ring the bell copper placed on the edge the tub.
It shows us where we change (naked under a towel), once this is done, we go into the first room that is the most interesting (to me anyway) piece: the bucket. Here, two large tubs where we can be elongated in 2 by 2 (so 4 people max for a spa tour) with a tablet in the media to ask the tankards of beer. Because yes, it's a beer spa, so we drink beer (beer Bernard) in a tub filled with warm beer ... still active. Each tub is wood-rimmed metal (like a huge barrel) and equipped (as standard, hahaha!) Shooter with a beer can heat / cool beer bath as well as be full of bubbles everywhere. We therefore take 30 minutes of this dream bath and drinking our tankards of beer volontée while a small romantic music in the background is passing, total relaxation guaranteed! Besides the mood light is the candle ... it's truly royal!
After the first half hour in the beer, we could have 30 minutes of massage to the beer, but we decided to go directly to the third step: the heating bed. Bordered by the 'home', it said we could call to fill our tankards of beer as we wanted. He also showed us the great wooden statue of St. Bernard, the Czech patron saint ... beer!
In the end, we spent a little over an hour here and drank 2L 2.5L beer each ... for me that was not at all used to drink (because of the bitterness ) I found it particularly good. Leaving after being dressed we receive a diploma spa and a bottle of beer.
For those who would like, their website (in English, Czech and Russian). The prices are really low, we had about 40 € each, given the excellent quality of service and the spa itself (not counting the beer that was named the best beer in the world), you really enjoy (but reservations required!).

We go out and it is already 22h, returning with the tram, 2L of beer are a little effect and we do the trips cheerfully offered the bottle in our hand like a good Prague ultimately. Direction room and to bed, tomorrow we will return to the place of the astronomical clock. But tonight, it's bedtime. Just before falling asleep, we hear a big 'HO YEEES !' (passionate) out of the window... nice ambiance !

Previous page Next page