Our last day in this charming Bohemian city of Prague and the weather seemed to share our sadness with our departure tomorrow. The temperature dropped a score from yesterday’s and the weather was drizzly all afternoon. Whatever the temperature is, warm or cold, or whether it is sunny or rainy, windy or calm – Prague will still be beautiful and alluring to me!
Trini and I took our time to start our last day of exploration. We did not leave the hotel until noon. We ventured to take another unfamiliar street again to search for the Church of the Infant Jesus (Sto. Niño). When we arrived we found the church to be a simple nondescript structure without the frills and complex façade like most churches here.
We went up to the church’s museum where the different colorful robes of the Infant Jesus were on display. There was one purple robe donated by the Philippines!
After our visit to the Sto. Niño we spotted a restaurant with a swirly sign “P.Noy” across from the church. We weren’t sure what it says but when we saw the menu beside the door that says, “Sinigang” and “Halo Halo”, we almost ran across the street to go look inside. We were greeted by a Czech gentleman (who is married to a Pinay). He kept saying, “opo” when we talked to him. We ordered the advertised sinigang. Of course, not the real one but it had several small slices of okra, lots of sliced tomatoes, seasoned with sinigang mix although it could have been hotter (temperature and taste wise). The rice was already inside the bowl along with the soup. It had a couple of slices of pork loin (no fat or skin). Overall, it satisfied our urge for a Filipino food. We give the Czech guy an A+ for effort and friendliness!
After lunch, we headed north to try and find our way back to the hotel. We saw a long line of youngsters and went inside to find out that it was the famous Trdelnik. Trini wanted to try it so I ordered one filled with ice cream. I’m not a person who enjoys pastries or sweet desserts but I’m willing to try anything once. Verdict: it was okay but not spectacular.
My overall impression of Prague is that it is one of the best cities to go on a vacation and enjoy history, culture, architecture, night life, and a warm and friendly atmosphere. However, finding a place even with a map in your hand is not easy. The names of the streets seem to change every few blocks. I noticed that the street name changes when the road angles a little bit to the left or right. Hence, the map will appear to have several names of a single thoroughfare!
As I mentioned in my previous blog, I think food and drinks are overpriced in Prague. I am basing this on the fact that a sit down lunch in a mediocre restaurant will set you back more than 50 euros! I find most of Spain’s premier cities more affordable than Praha. Prague is also not a place to splurge on shopping as there are more affordable cities in Europe to throw away your hard-earned money.
In ending, in Prague there is a certain mystique in the air as you allow yourself to move through its serpentine streets. A kind of magnetic force beckons you to explore every nook and crannies until you realize that whatever you are looking for is all around just staring at you. Praha is one huge microorganism that pulsates with each tourist’s purposeless movements – increasing to a crescendo until the entire city becomes one humongous vibration… or shall I risk to say…one giant orgasm!
Sbohem, Praha….
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