There was no early rush to get to the Brno train station this morning because our train to Prague didn't leave until 10.10am. It was a very cold day again and I donned all my layers: 3 layers of merino plus one light and one heavy down jacket, merino leggings beneath trousers, thick hiking socks, hiking boots, scarf, woollen hat and gloves. At about -5 degrees, I needed the lot. It was snowing as we walked the short distance to the train station, which felt really cool (no pun intended).
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| Arriving at Brno station to catch the train to Prague |
The trip to Prague took a bit over two hours, and passed through country coated in thick snow. It was very pretty.
Arriving in Prague train station was like entering a new world. The station is so ornate, and gave a taste of the type of buildings we would revisit in the centre of Prague. We filled in a little time having a coffee until we could access our apartment at 2pm. We virtually just dumped our bags and headed out to see what we could see.
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| Prague train station |
Our choice to return to Prague is partly because we love the architecture. The buildings are colourful, well-built and reflect a wide history - Gothic of the 14th and 15th centuries (castle, cathedrals, Charles Bridge), high-Baroque of the first half of the 18th century, and the New Town of the late 19th century. They were never seriously damaged, even during WWII.
Another reason to come back is because we love Bohemian glass, particularly Moser. Our first few hours here were happily spent searching out some second-hand and Bric-a-Brac stores, and enjoying the atmosphere of the Xmas markets which are up and running in the squares.
Running low on ergs we had a beer at 4pm, waiting until a pub called Convikt opened up for an evening meal. We had dined there twice in past years, both times the food was great, the pub humming with people and conviviality and it was a great experience. Returning this time was a bad move. We made the mistake of relying on our memories and not checking out current reviews of the place. When we arrived and found it empty, except for a group of bikie enthusiasts having a beer and who clearly knew the owner, we thought it seemed a little odd. The incredibly surly waiter came over to take a drinks and food order, and we should have walked out then but couldn't after a beer was on the table. We then checked the reviews and saw how terrible some were. Within an hour we agreed with all of them. No wonder the place was empty of other diners. The waiter was as about unhelpful, unfriendly, unpleasant and disinterested as he could be. He will be getting another bad review!
We were pleased to enjoy a gentle stroll back through the market and return to our room for a quiet cup of tea.
