Prague Trip

I was lucky enough to go on a work trip to Prague last week, which is such a beautiful, old city in Eastern Europe. You could spend ages wandering the city, exploring the old neighborhoods, and traipsing over the bridges, but we made the most of the 3 days that we had in the city and tried to see as much as possible. 

Thanks to this little taxi strike in Paris, we barely arrived to CDG on time for our flight. It was a really crazy experience (think: exits to airport being physically blocked and eggs being thrown at taxi and Uber drivers who were breaking the strike). It was super stressful at the time, but being impacted by a labor strike made us feel like true Parisians. Luckily we made it - whew! Once we landed in Prague, we checked into our hotel and then I went into the Google office.

After work, the team organized a team dinner and city tour. We went to this Italian restaurant on the water with sweeping views of the Prague Castle. If you're traveling to Prague, I definitely recommend this restaurant - it's so tasty and the atmosphere is lovely. After dinner, we walked across the Charles Bridge, which was built in 1357 (!!!) and offers gorgeous views of the city in both directions. There are statues lined up along both sides of the bridge, including the statue of St. John of Nepomuk (above). There is a bronze star on the St. John statue that you can touch and make a wish -- of course I had to try it. :) It didn't seem possible, but Prague proved to be even prettier at night.

Lucas swung by the office for lunch and an office tour on Thursday. After work we went on a walk along the river and then stopped for a Staropramen at a beer garden on the water. Afterwards, we went to Kolkovna Olympia for a traditional Czech dinner of sausage, garlic bread, duck with sauerkraut and potatoes, and roast beef in cream sauce with dumplings. We also tried the other main Czech beer, Pilsner Urquell. Czech food is heavy but flavorful and delicious. It would definitely be hard to be a vegetarian in Prague. :)

We had one full day to see the city, so we got up early to fit in as much as possible. We started off by taking a taxi to the Prague Castle. The castle is really expansive and impressive - the largest in Europe. The views from the castle are sweeping and you can really see the entire city. Quick tip we learned from my co-workers: call a Tick Tack Taxi. Cabs in Prague are known for charging tourists abnormally high fares, but Tick Tack is a really amazing, trustworthy taxi company. The cars are really fancy (think: Audis and BMWs with leather seats!), you can order them ahead of time, there is free wi-fi onboard, they're surprisingly affordable, and they take credit cards. 

After visiting the castle, we walked down to see the Old Jewish Quarter and the astronomical clock. We ate a quick lunch at a traditional Czech restaurant and then walked to see the Old Town Square. 

We walked home along the river and admired the beautiful buildings. How gorgeous are the details on these apartments?

At my friend Sarah's recommendation, we ended our day with dinner at Osteria Da Clara. The restaurant is a bit off the beaten path, so we took a Tick Tack. Luckily we made reservations, because it's a teeny restaurant and they were turning so many people away. We shared salad, lentil soup (it was so delicious), prosciutto tortellini in a sage butter sauce, and seafood pasta with clams, shrimp, and mussels. Everything was amazing and the Tuscan cuisine reminded me of my last trip to Italy. It was really authentic and delicious. 

We love you, Prague. We can't wait to visit again!