Skatetigger
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2009
I think you'd really enjoy it. We were on the trip the week before and had an amazing time!
Come Along My Little Strudels on a 2016 ABD Trip Report - Cloud 9 Sky Bar
- Thread starter mare1203
- Start date
I think you'd really enjoy it. We were on the trip the week before and had an amazing time!
I, sucker for all things lemon, went with the lemon tart
We may be long lost cousins as well! I LOVE all things lemon as well. Looks very yummy!
mare1203
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2005
There is so much cool architecture in Prague; I really enjoyed that aspect of the city! More coming your way!
Yes, I was quite impressed. I fully expected a good, but relatively mediocre dinner for our welcome and was pleasantly surprised.
Haha, I think so!
mare1203
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2005
Prague Castle - Castle Square
Saturday was our full-day in Prague on tour. Today was all about the rich Bohemian history of Prague. After filling our bellies with another nice breakfast at the Marriott, we met in the lobby. Our journey today would be taking us to the Castle Quarter and Little Quarter of Prague, where we Czech leaders have been ruling for more than 1,000 years.
Obligatory bus pic! The sights at Prague Castle open at 9:00 a.m., so we aimed to be there right around that time. While it’s is walkable to get to the sights, ABD opted for the more common, bus route to drop us off and then we would be walking down from there. During our relatively short ride, Andy and Jennae mentioned a few things to ponder on.
One was the mention of the abundance of graffiti found throughout the city of Prague. Both guides acknowledged that while graffiti on monuments and other historical buildings bothers them, the feeling is dimmed a bit in Prague. And that is because the people of Prague have been ruled over and continually conquered throughout their history. From Kings to Emporers, Nazi’s, communists, and presidents, someone has always tried to hold power over the people. The graffiti is a form of power and freedom for the people; a form of expression in their struggle to gain all types of freedoms that we take for granted here in the U.S.
Andy also talked a little about the fact we would be visiting Prague Castle and mentioned we would be visiting a variety of castles and palaces throughout the week. He told us to begin thinking about and cataloguing the differences between castles and palaces, as we would discuss it later in the trip.
From the bus, we headed on a five-minute journey to the Castle Square. It took us across this intersection Jennae dubbed 'the 2nd shortest light in all of Prague...just be confident, go, and know that we're behind you'.
Our tour of Prague Castle was led by our private guide, Ludmila.
We all received whisper devices to use while we toured (an upgrade from previous tours, especially those who went in the first year the new version was offered). Ludmila spent most of her life as a history teacher, and it showed in the vast amount of facts and information she gave us throughout the tour. Incredibly informative, but also a bit overwhelming...phew!
Our drop-off location allowed us to view a bit of the vast Prague Gardens, and through the 2nd courtyard on our way to the Castle Square. Prague Castle, at 750,000 square feet is one of the largest castles on earth.
One of the iron gates surrounding Prague Castle.
Come along strudels!
The 2nd Courtyard is home to the Chapel of Holy Cross, which holds reliquaries and other liturgical objects.
Andy also stopped here to grab us some tickets! Hey Andy!
One of the entrances being guarded, with a couple of our adventurers standing in!
We must have arrived just before 9:00, because the changing of the guard happened while we were stepping into the Castle Square, and that happens on the top of the hour. I’m going to be honest here, I don’t really get why people love a changing of the guard, but they do. There was some pomp and circumstance to this one that the visitors enjoyed; I liked their powder blue uniforms.
While we did not come in via the main entrance, it is where we stopped. The entrance is a golden arch guarded by two fighting-giant statues along with two actual soldiers. It is also a focal point for power. Here is our happy group at said entrance!
The Archbishop lives in this white, Archbishop's Palace just outside the main entrance.
Once we finished up at the Square, it was time to make use of our newly acquired tickets!
Saturday was our full-day in Prague on tour. Today was all about the rich Bohemian history of Prague. After filling our bellies with another nice breakfast at the Marriott, we met in the lobby. Our journey today would be taking us to the Castle Quarter and Little Quarter of Prague, where we Czech leaders have been ruling for more than 1,000 years.
Obligatory bus pic! The sights at Prague Castle open at 9:00 a.m., so we aimed to be there right around that time. While it’s is walkable to get to the sights, ABD opted for the more common, bus route to drop us off and then we would be walking down from there. During our relatively short ride, Andy and Jennae mentioned a few things to ponder on.
One was the mention of the abundance of graffiti found throughout the city of Prague. Both guides acknowledged that while graffiti on monuments and other historical buildings bothers them, the feeling is dimmed a bit in Prague. And that is because the people of Prague have been ruled over and continually conquered throughout their history. From Kings to Emporers, Nazi’s, communists, and presidents, someone has always tried to hold power over the people. The graffiti is a form of power and freedom for the people; a form of expression in their struggle to gain all types of freedoms that we take for granted here in the U.S.
Andy also talked a little about the fact we would be visiting Prague Castle and mentioned we would be visiting a variety of castles and palaces throughout the week. He told us to begin thinking about and cataloguing the differences between castles and palaces, as we would discuss it later in the trip.
From the bus, we headed on a five-minute journey to the Castle Square. It took us across this intersection Jennae dubbed 'the 2nd shortest light in all of Prague...just be confident, go, and know that we're behind you'.
Our tour of Prague Castle was led by our private guide, Ludmila.
We all received whisper devices to use while we toured (an upgrade from previous tours, especially those who went in the first year the new version was offered). Ludmila spent most of her life as a history teacher, and it showed in the vast amount of facts and information she gave us throughout the tour. Incredibly informative, but also a bit overwhelming...phew!
Our drop-off location allowed us to view a bit of the vast Prague Gardens, and through the 2nd courtyard on our way to the Castle Square. Prague Castle, at 750,000 square feet is one of the largest castles on earth.
One of the iron gates surrounding Prague Castle.
Come along strudels!
The 2nd Courtyard is home to the Chapel of Holy Cross, which holds reliquaries and other liturgical objects.
Andy also stopped here to grab us some tickets! Hey Andy!
One of the entrances being guarded, with a couple of our adventurers standing in!
We must have arrived just before 9:00, because the changing of the guard happened while we were stepping into the Castle Square, and that happens on the top of the hour. I’m going to be honest here, I don’t really get why people love a changing of the guard, but they do. There was some pomp and circumstance to this one that the visitors enjoyed; I liked their powder blue uniforms.
While we did not come in via the main entrance, it is where we stopped. The entrance is a golden arch guarded by two fighting-giant statues along with two actual soldiers. It is also a focal point for power. Here is our happy group at said entrance!
The Archbishop lives in this white, Archbishop's Palace just outside the main entrance.
Once we finished up at the Square, it was time to make use of our newly acquired tickets!
CaliforniaGirl09
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2009
Love your comment about the changing of the guard. Right there with you 
Woohoo another lemon fan. And, from your avatar, I see a bulldog fan as well. Our English is almost 4 and he is a big goof. I'm so excited to hear about your Holiday River cruise!!I'm a lemon fanatic too...just planted two trees so I'll have plenty
tink1970
DCL Platinum
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2012
Tonia-I've had 6 English bulldogs over the past 20 years...love my "kids!"
Mary-I enjoy watching changing of the guard because it reminds me of the good/bad old days of having the watch in the military and the joy of being relieved of such (especially at 4 AM or after a long night of call). I think some people like the pomp and circumstance while others embrace their own personal nostalgia.
Since I'm a terrible photographer (unlike @sayhello, @Cousin Orville, @mare1203), I'll probably just post a brief report about the differences between the summer and holiday itineraries. So I'm waiting with baited breath for them to add to their TRs
Mary-I enjoy watching changing of the guard because it reminds me of the good/bad old days of having the watch in the military and the joy of being relieved of such (especially at 4 AM or after a long night of call). I think some people like the pomp and circumstance while others embrace their own personal nostalgia.
Since I'm a terrible photographer (unlike @sayhello, @Cousin Orville, @mare1203), I'll probably just post a brief report about the differences between the summer and holiday itineraries. So I'm waiting with baited breath for them to add to their TRs
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mare1203
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2005
Ha, yes! "Don't go in the first year" is advice I've heard often. Fewer people, improved itineraries!
Love your comment about the changing of the guard. Right there with you
Phew! Glad I'm not the only one!
Tonia-I've had 6 English bulldogs over the past 20 years...love my "kids!"
Mary-I enjoy watching changing of the guard because it reminds me of the good/bad old days of having the watch in the military and the joy of being relieved of such (especially at 4 AM or after a long night of call). I think some people like the pomp and circumstance while others embrace their own personal nostalgia.
Since I'm a terrible photographer (unlike @sayhello, @Cousin Orville, @mare1203), I'll probably just post a brief report about the differences between the summer and holiday itineraries. So I'm waiting with baited breath for them to add to their TRs
Thanks for the explanation! I'm always curious if perhaps I'm missing something, and can appreciate what others see in the various experiences! You're going to have a great time!
sayhello
Have Camera, Will Travel
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2006
That's an interesting comment about the changing of the guard. They actually hustled us to get to the main gate in time to watch the changing of the guard. I think everyone enjoyed it. I've always loved a changing of the Guard. For me, I think it's because it's always so steeped in tradition. How it's done is always SO specific. And I guess I like the pomp & circumstance.
Sayhello
Sayhello
mare1203
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2005
The Sights of Prague Castle
This post will be low on the info and high on the pics. Enjoy!
Once we finished up at the Square, we made our way to St. Vitus Cathedral. It’s the national church of Prague, and where kings were crowned, the crown jewels are kept, royalty entombed, and relics of saints venerated. A church has stood where St. Vitus is located since 930 A.D. St. Vitus itself was not begun until the 14th century, and was finally completed in 1929, six centuries later.
St. Vitus itself is huge, and crowded. Ludmila did a good job of winding us through the church at a good pace and while it was crowded, it wasn’t shoulder to shoulder traffic.
One of the many highlights of St. Vitus is the stained glass windows. The Mucha Stained Glass Window is the most famous in the church. It’s beautiful.
Throughout our clockwise journey around the church we saw the Royal Mausoleum, the Relief of Prague, the Tomb in the Apse, St. John of Nepomuk, and the Wenceslas Chapel.
Oh look, someone (cough: Jennae!) found a hidden Mickey at St. Vitus!
Our next stop was the Old Royal Palace. I don’t believe pictures were allowed here since neither I nor the guides have any. The main attraction is the main hall which is large enough to hold everything from markets to jousting tournaments.
Oh yes, the other place of interest in the Old Royal Palace...the far room of the Czech Office. Ludmila told us of an incident in 1618 where some angry Protestant nobles stormed the rooms and threw 2 Catholic governors out the window. It’s an old law called defenestration, usually targeting bad politicians. These particular governors ended up, fittingly, in a pile of manure.
And here we are, demonstrating for you! Not sure how I ended up the one being thrown out the window...!!!
We walked by, but did not go in, the Basilica of St. George.
Our final stop in the main Castle Grounds was Golden Lane. Before going through this area we stopped for a short break and chance to use the facilities.Golden Lane is an old street that used to house the servants. The quarters are cramped as you might expect and house mostly small shops. People, including Franz Kafka, lived here until WWII. This small street reminded me a bit of Elfreth’s Alley in Philadelphia...always mentioned in guidebooks and sorta cute to look at, but not much beyond that, and definitely not something I would mention to friends visiting the area. And apparently neither I nor the guides found it appealing enough to photograph...so sorry!
The exit is just at the end of Golden Lane. Our trek down allowed for some great views and a photo op. We winded through a vineyard, which allowed for some nice scenery. Once down we ended our tour at the entrance to the Charles Bridge where we were let go for lunch on our own.
This post will be low on the info and high on the pics. Enjoy!
Once we finished up at the Square, we made our way to St. Vitus Cathedral. It’s the national church of Prague, and where kings were crowned, the crown jewels are kept, royalty entombed, and relics of saints venerated. A church has stood where St. Vitus is located since 930 A.D. St. Vitus itself was not begun until the 14th century, and was finally completed in 1929, six centuries later.
St. Vitus itself is huge, and crowded. Ludmila did a good job of winding us through the church at a good pace and while it was crowded, it wasn’t shoulder to shoulder traffic.
One of the many highlights of St. Vitus is the stained glass windows. The Mucha Stained Glass Window is the most famous in the church. It’s beautiful.
Throughout our clockwise journey around the church we saw the Royal Mausoleum, the Relief of Prague, the Tomb in the Apse, St. John of Nepomuk, and the Wenceslas Chapel.
Oh look, someone (cough: Jennae!) found a hidden Mickey at St. Vitus!
Our next stop was the Old Royal Palace. I don’t believe pictures were allowed here since neither I nor the guides have any. The main attraction is the main hall which is large enough to hold everything from markets to jousting tournaments.
Oh yes, the other place of interest in the Old Royal Palace...the far room of the Czech Office. Ludmila told us of an incident in 1618 where some angry Protestant nobles stormed the rooms and threw 2 Catholic governors out the window. It’s an old law called defenestration, usually targeting bad politicians. These particular governors ended up, fittingly, in a pile of manure.
And here we are, demonstrating for you! Not sure how I ended up the one being thrown out the window...!!!
We walked by, but did not go in, the Basilica of St. George.
Our final stop in the main Castle Grounds was Golden Lane. Before going through this area we stopped for a short break and chance to use the facilities.Golden Lane is an old street that used to house the servants. The quarters are cramped as you might expect and house mostly small shops. People, including Franz Kafka, lived here until WWII. This small street reminded me a bit of Elfreth’s Alley in Philadelphia...always mentioned in guidebooks and sorta cute to look at, but not much beyond that, and definitely not something I would mention to friends visiting the area. And apparently neither I nor the guides found it appealing enough to photograph...so sorry!
The exit is just at the end of Golden Lane. Our trek down allowed for some great views and a photo op. We winded through a vineyard, which allowed for some nice scenery. Once down we ended our tour at the entrance to the Charles Bridge where we were let go for lunch on our own.
mare1203
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2005
We were almost to the main gate when we sort of ran into those 3 guards on their way to the change, so we ended up following them. I think a number of people in our group hustled on ahead to see the whole thing while I continued somewhat obliviously strolling along, since it really is quite popular for most people. I'm also sure a few of my fellow adventurers have better pictures than I. It's actually somewhat out of character for me not to enjoy something so steeped in tradition, but that and flag raising/droppings are always anticlimactic to me.
Calfan
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2009
Enjoying your TR. Thanks! Bringing back lots of memories from our 2014 trip on this itinerary. I think there are two schools of thought on doing an itinerary in the first year. I think avoiding the first few departures is a must so ABD can work out the kinks identified on the early trips. But I can't agree that the itineraries are improved in all cases after the first year. In a number of cases, I think ABD has whittled away the itineraries in subsequent years. Scotland is a great case in point. That itinerary has been pretty radically changed for the worse since the first year of departures in 2013. For example, the entire day to the Isle of Lewis on a private charter has been eliminated, adults no longer get to ride the horses at Rothiemurcus, archery no longer takes place at Glamis Castle, etc. I am so glad I did that itinerary in 2013 and not after they mucked with the itinerary in such a negative way (at least IMO).
Yeah, I'm also a fan of the changing of the Guard. But, I've been in the Army for the past 14 years and a lot of my family has been in the military, so I grew up in that environment. My grandfather was a Marine and taught me the Marine Corp hymn when I was young. I always joke that there aren't many 6 year olds who know it
.
mare1203
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2005
Fall Festival Lunch and Lennon Wall
It's been a rough week; we were at Disney (yay!) and while there, we stupidly ran 19.3 miles (never. again). But, we got some bling, right?! Now that I'm back and able to once again climb stairs and walk properly, here's an update! I brought my computer along, stupidly thinking I might update. Lolz.
Before letting us go for the afternoon, Jennae and Andy took some time to familiarize us with our surroundings and give a few tips for lunch. We ended in the Little Quarter near the Prague Castle side of the Charles Bridge. This was a cool pic snapped showcasing the locks and watermill.
We also snapped a pic of this artwork made out of vegetables.
Ludmila mentioned that the John Lennon Wall was just a short trek away and offered to show anyone interested where it was located before heading off. Since we weren’t hungry yet and didn’t have an afternoon plan, we and a few others took her up on the offer.
The Lennon Wall, actually owned by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, allows the graffiti to remain on the wall. When first graffitied in the 80’s, it was a source of tension, and even when the wall was repainted by authorities, the wall was graffitied again the next day. I thought it was worth the short stop.
After snapping a few pics, we parted ways with Ludmila and our fellow adventurers in search of the bridge and some afternoon activities. I asked my dad what he wanted to do for lunch and he said he wanted to get some street food. We still weren’t hungry, so we decided to make our way across the bridge and wander a while until we got hungry.
The Charles Bridge was busy, but not overly crowded. It was cool to see the many varieties of artist selling their wares or showing off their talent all across the bridge.
After crossing the bridge and wandering around for a while (we just sort of wound in and out of various streets, but didn’t find anything overly cool), we were beginning to get hungry. During our walk, we didn’t see any street food vendors, so we decided to head towards New Town and then onto Old Town if we didn’t find anything. Happily, we came upon a fall festival that had been set up in the pedestrian-only section of Wenceslas Square. Along with a variety of food vendors where other craft vendors selling their wares.
We stopped at a couple of huts to cobble together a wonderful Prague lunch. First up was to share some fresh potato chips.
Then we stopped by this guy to grab sausages and beer.
The sausages were served with a piece of bread and mustard was available on the side. This lunch definitely hit the spot!
Since Prague is so beer friendly, once we finished our sausages, we were able to wander around and finish our beers. The pedestrian end of Wenceslas Square runs into another pedestrian-only street which leads right near the hotel. There is quite a bit of shopping on this street if you want to take advantage.
After finishing lunch and wandering the streets again, we were kinda pooped since we had been walking for over 4 ½ hours, and decided to head back for a short break before meeting up with the group.
However, before walking back, we stopped at the festival once more for a sugary treat...trdelnik! For those of you who don’t know, Trdelnik is a traditional dessert found throughout Prague in little street huts where the dough is rolled, wrapped around a stick, sprinkled with a sugary and spice mix, and baked over hot coals. We opted to get one with nutella inside. You can also find them with ice cream and other fillings. It was fresh, warm, and delicious, if only a bit messy.
I'm going to end here and post the rest of the day tomorrow and Sunday. Happy Veteran's Day, all!
It's been a rough week; we were at Disney (yay!) and while there, we stupidly ran 19.3 miles (never. again). But, we got some bling, right?! Now that I'm back and able to once again climb stairs and walk properly, here's an update! I brought my computer along, stupidly thinking I might update. Lolz.
Before letting us go for the afternoon, Jennae and Andy took some time to familiarize us with our surroundings and give a few tips for lunch. We ended in the Little Quarter near the Prague Castle side of the Charles Bridge. This was a cool pic snapped showcasing the locks and watermill.
We also snapped a pic of this artwork made out of vegetables.
Ludmila mentioned that the John Lennon Wall was just a short trek away and offered to show anyone interested where it was located before heading off. Since we weren’t hungry yet and didn’t have an afternoon plan, we and a few others took her up on the offer.
The Lennon Wall, actually owned by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, allows the graffiti to remain on the wall. When first graffitied in the 80’s, it was a source of tension, and even when the wall was repainted by authorities, the wall was graffitied again the next day. I thought it was worth the short stop.
After snapping a few pics, we parted ways with Ludmila and our fellow adventurers in search of the bridge and some afternoon activities. I asked my dad what he wanted to do for lunch and he said he wanted to get some street food. We still weren’t hungry, so we decided to make our way across the bridge and wander a while until we got hungry.
The Charles Bridge was busy, but not overly crowded. It was cool to see the many varieties of artist selling their wares or showing off their talent all across the bridge.
After crossing the bridge and wandering around for a while (we just sort of wound in and out of various streets, but didn’t find anything overly cool), we were beginning to get hungry. During our walk, we didn’t see any street food vendors, so we decided to head towards New Town and then onto Old Town if we didn’t find anything. Happily, we came upon a fall festival that had been set up in the pedestrian-only section of Wenceslas Square. Along with a variety of food vendors where other craft vendors selling their wares.
We stopped at a couple of huts to cobble together a wonderful Prague lunch. First up was to share some fresh potato chips.
Then we stopped by this guy to grab sausages and beer.
The sausages were served with a piece of bread and mustard was available on the side. This lunch definitely hit the spot!
Since Prague is so beer friendly, once we finished our sausages, we were able to wander around and finish our beers. The pedestrian end of Wenceslas Square runs into another pedestrian-only street which leads right near the hotel. There is quite a bit of shopping on this street if you want to take advantage.
After finishing lunch and wandering the streets again, we were kinda pooped since we had been walking for over 4 ½ hours, and decided to head back for a short break before meeting up with the group.
However, before walking back, we stopped at the festival once more for a sugary treat...trdelnik! For those of you who don’t know, Trdelnik is a traditional dessert found throughout Prague in little street huts where the dough is rolled, wrapped around a stick, sprinkled with a sugary and spice mix, and baked over hot coals. We opted to get one with nutella inside. You can also find them with ice cream and other fillings. It was fresh, warm, and delicious, if only a bit messy.
I'm going to end here and post the rest of the day tomorrow and Sunday. Happy Veteran's Day, all!
Congratulations on the Disney bling. I used to run marathons and a Disney marathon was high on my list (for the medal, of course) Unfortunately, after a couple of surgeries to try to fix the damage I did from running, I can't run anymore, so now I figure I'll just go and walk around the parks like a normal person
Unfortunately, after a couple of surgeries to try to fix the damage I did from running, I can't run anymore, so now I figure I'll just go and walk around the parks like a normal person
mare1203
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2005
Congratulations on the Disney bling. I used to run marathons and a Disney marathon was high on my list (for the medal, of course)
Thanks! This is my 3rd Half at Disney and I'm pretty sure I'm done. Not even the bling can make up for those long stretches of awful roads, haha! Walking around as a normal person is just as good (and a lot less painful, most of the time)!
mare1203
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2005
Prague River Cruise
To give you a sense of the afternoon, we were let go just after noon and instructed to meet back up in the Old Town Square at 3:00. I thought this gave us plenty of time to see some sights, grab some lunch, or other during the time.
Side note: I think I mentioned previously, but the only thing I didn’t get to do in Prague that I wanted to was a beer tour. I did find one that started at 12:30 by the Astronomical Clock, which is originally where our morning tour was supposed to end. Since I already knew the somewhat unpredictable nature of ABD and tours, I figured it would be best to see how it went. Good thing I didn’t since Andy and Jennae decided to let us go before crossing the bridge, rather than finishing off at the Old Town Square.
We only had about a half an hour of resting time before we needed to set off to meet the group. On the way we saw a band playing where the street festival from the day before had been set up. Kind of a cool little pop-up for the weekend, and definitely some lovely music being played. One of the many reasons I love a good city.
I think we arrived at the square around 10-15 minutes early. Ours was an on-time group and we rarely, if ever, had to wait on any late louie’s throughout the trip. Side note, I don’t think we (being Bobbers and me) ever actually saw the astronomical clock? I have a joke about that for later, when we’re in Munich.
As we were waiting for everyone to arrive, Jennae pointed out the Old Town Hall, which features a 250-foot-tall spire. It is also home to 27 white crosses inlaid in the pavement. This marks a memorial to the 27 Protestant nobles, merchants, and intellectuals who were beheaded in 1621 after the Battle of White Mountain. She also pointed out the windows in the area that jutted out, looking a bit like bay windows. She explained that these were the medieval toilets, because...well, information, and because most of us, including Jennae, were actual 12-year olds and enjoyed it
Once we gathered everyone, Andy took the lead toward the Jewish Quarter and the river. As it was Saturday and thus the Jewish Sabbath, the Jewish Quarter was pretty quiet. We did stop at one of the synagogues to discuss the history of Jews in Prague. Much of it had been covered already by Eva in our food tour. We probably spent no more than 15-20 minutes walking through this area on our way to the river. It’s definitely something you’ll want to plan on your own if you decide to do this particular adventure.
The Vltava, or Moldau, River is located just on the opposite side of the Jewish Quarter and where we picked up the river cruise boat. We arrived a bit early and waited for a few minutes before boarding. Since it was a Saturday in Prague, there were many people out enjoying themselves.
We saw a few of these pedal pubs (at least that’s what they’re called here), which are popular for stag parties. Jennae said they are likely to be banned in the next year, or perhaps banned in certain areas? I don’t remember. A couple of my friends just did one for a birthday and, judging from the pics and posts, they had a great time.
Before boarding the cruise, Andy and Jennae gave each of us 2 tickets: 1 to get on the boat and 1 drink ticket. Although it was cloudy out, it never actually rained, and our group opted to head to the open air deck to enjoy the views.
We sat with a number of other adventure families and had a wonderful time chatting and getting to know them while enjoying the views of the city from the river. The river cruise took us up and down the river, went under the Charles Bridge, and made a turn in the middle. I loved that there was no tour or commentary during this portion because, up until this point, there hadn’t really been a chance to relax with our fellow adventurers yet. One family I chatted with showed us some pictures from their tour in Norway, and while this tour was already on my list, those pictures were heavenly. When I asked if they had Torgier for a guide and they looked at me incredulously, knowing I hadn’t done the Norway trip, I definitely didn’t look at the floor and mumble, yeah, well I know some people who have been on the trip because of the interwebs and reading/writing trip reports, and that’s how I “know” who he is. Lol.
We were sitting with another family who was on their first adventure at least one woman in the group got super excited and jealous just listening to our conversations about past adventures. I think she was ready to book a second adventure after day 1.
Jennae and Andy were the best and played waiter for us all. Most people got a beer for the journey, as you can see from all of our empty glasses at the end. This was probably one of my favorite activities.
We stopped about ¾ of the way through and I was worried that Disney was going to foil me in making a transportation-based activity that ended up being just for the fun of it. BUT, turns out we just dropped off a group and then started back up again, heading across the river to our drop-off dock to pick up the bus. Phew!
To give you a sense of the afternoon, we were let go just after noon and instructed to meet back up in the Old Town Square at 3:00. I thought this gave us plenty of time to see some sights, grab some lunch, or other during the time.
Side note: I think I mentioned previously, but the only thing I didn’t get to do in Prague that I wanted to was a beer tour. I did find one that started at 12:30 by the Astronomical Clock, which is originally where our morning tour was supposed to end. Since I already knew the somewhat unpredictable nature of ABD and tours, I figured it would be best to see how it went. Good thing I didn’t since Andy and Jennae decided to let us go before crossing the bridge, rather than finishing off at the Old Town Square.
We only had about a half an hour of resting time before we needed to set off to meet the group. On the way we saw a band playing where the street festival from the day before had been set up. Kind of a cool little pop-up for the weekend, and definitely some lovely music being played. One of the many reasons I love a good city.
I think we arrived at the square around 10-15 minutes early. Ours was an on-time group and we rarely, if ever, had to wait on any late louie’s throughout the trip. Side note, I don’t think we (being Bobbers and me) ever actually saw the astronomical clock? I have a joke about that for later, when we’re in Munich.
As we were waiting for everyone to arrive, Jennae pointed out the Old Town Hall, which features a 250-foot-tall spire. It is also home to 27 white crosses inlaid in the pavement. This marks a memorial to the 27 Protestant nobles, merchants, and intellectuals who were beheaded in 1621 after the Battle of White Mountain. She also pointed out the windows in the area that jutted out, looking a bit like bay windows. She explained that these were the medieval toilets, because...well, information, and because most of us, including Jennae, were actual 12-year olds and enjoyed it
Once we gathered everyone, Andy took the lead toward the Jewish Quarter and the river. As it was Saturday and thus the Jewish Sabbath, the Jewish Quarter was pretty quiet. We did stop at one of the synagogues to discuss the history of Jews in Prague. Much of it had been covered already by Eva in our food tour. We probably spent no more than 15-20 minutes walking through this area on our way to the river. It’s definitely something you’ll want to plan on your own if you decide to do this particular adventure.
The Vltava, or Moldau, River is located just on the opposite side of the Jewish Quarter and where we picked up the river cruise boat. We arrived a bit early and waited for a few minutes before boarding. Since it was a Saturday in Prague, there were many people out enjoying themselves.
We saw a few of these pedal pubs (at least that’s what they’re called here), which are popular for stag parties. Jennae said they are likely to be banned in the next year, or perhaps banned in certain areas? I don’t remember. A couple of my friends just did one for a birthday and, judging from the pics and posts, they had a great time.
Before boarding the cruise, Andy and Jennae gave each of us 2 tickets: 1 to get on the boat and 1 drink ticket. Although it was cloudy out, it never actually rained, and our group opted to head to the open air deck to enjoy the views.
We sat with a number of other adventure families and had a wonderful time chatting and getting to know them while enjoying the views of the city from the river. The river cruise took us up and down the river, went under the Charles Bridge, and made a turn in the middle. I loved that there was no tour or commentary during this portion because, up until this point, there hadn’t really been a chance to relax with our fellow adventurers yet. One family I chatted with showed us some pictures from their tour in Norway, and while this tour was already on my list, those pictures were heavenly. When I asked if they had Torgier for a guide and they looked at me incredulously, knowing I hadn’t done the Norway trip, I definitely didn’t look at the floor and mumble, yeah, well I know some people who have been on the trip because of the interwebs and reading/writing trip reports, and that’s how I “know” who he is. Lol.
We were sitting with another family who was on their first adventure at least one woman in the group got super excited and jealous just listening to our conversations about past adventures. I think she was ready to book a second adventure after day 1.
Jennae and Andy were the best and played waiter for us all. Most people got a beer for the journey, as you can see from all of our empty glasses at the end. This was probably one of my favorite activities.
We stopped about ¾ of the way through and I was worried that Disney was going to foil me in making a transportation-based activity that ended up being just for the fun of it. BUT, turns out we just dropped off a group and then started back up again, heading across the river to our drop-off dock to pick up the bus. Phew!
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Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
