Backpack Storybook

Backpack Storybook has moved to www.bpstorybook.wordpress.com

I've got my passport back and the new Euro adventures have started. Check out recent trips to Berlin and Scandinavia at the new address.

Prague, Czech Republic - The Lonely Planet described Czech cuisine as revolving around pork, dumplings and cabbage.

Not sure if that somewhat boring description is true for the rest of the country, but in Prague it was a case of all that and a lot, lot more.

I had perhaps the best breakfast, ever, at Bohemia Bagel in Mala Strana. So good (and so big) I didn't need to eat until that evening. The secret was the cold cream cheese contrasting with the hot scrambled eggs. Delish.

As I mentioned in the last post we were surprised to find a Vietnamese food stall in the markets serving authentic pho bo. We sat on rickety wooden benches amongst the other Vietnamese stall holders and slurped to our hearts content. I even surprised the owner by throwing out a "cam on" when we finished.

Lunch at Hany Bany near Old Town was also an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. Admist the tourist traps was a real bohemian bar with dim lights and smoky atmosphere. We joined office workers and students on the mismatched tables and chairs for a meal of sausage and dumplings washed down with turkish coffee.

After a hard days sight seeing dinner was eagerly anticipated and the cafes around Holesovice didn't disappoint. For just a few pounds we ate huge plates full of pork or grilled chicken with vegetables, all topped with thick sauces bursting with the flavour of garlic and butter.

Labels: Czech Republic

Prague, Czech Republic - Recently we had just two days and two nights to enjoy the fairytale city of Prague. We did our best to see, eat, drink and experience as much as possible.

But was it a holiday? Kind of. More like sight seeing in fast forward sometimes.

After getting acquainted with the delicious food, cheap as chips beer and smoky atmosphere of the neighbourhood cafe on the night we arrived, on our first morning Jacq and I grabbed the number 5 tram down from the suburb of Holesovice in the north, crossed the river and stepped off in Prague's delightful Old Town.

I soon realised that riding these trams was a blast. We bought a three day travel card for just 200 crowns (£5) at the airport and after that it was a piece of cake to hop on and off any bus, metro train or tram vaguely going in our direction. Reliable and inexpensive. Nothing like London's public transport really.

Not that we didn't do a lot of walking. With camera around my neck and Jacq in tow I'd be scurrying around the side alleyways and poking my camera at the scenes unfolding around every corner. A four hundred year old synagogue in the Jewish quarter. An old man shuffling past a toy shop that sold real wooden toys. A group of students hanging out in a cafe, smoking like chimneys.

Prague was both compact enough and yet filled with enough sights that we walked around for almost two days straight and comfortably saw all the major attractions without having to retrace our steps.

We attended National Day celebrations outside Prague Castle (which was closed to the public for the event) and listened to an enormous cannon somewhere nearby fire off a 21 gun salute at the end, the boom from the shots echoing around the square for seconds afterwards.

The next day when the castle was open we enjoyed a stroll through the Royal Gardens and past a changing of the guard ceremony before entering the castle gates. As the largest castle in Europe it was certainly impressive up close, especially inside the enormous St Vitus cathedral with its amazing stained glass windows.

But to get a real sense of the size of the castle you had see it from a distance. One evening we climbed the Old Town Hall tower at dusk and looked out at the castle on the hill, lit up by flood lights. It seemed to stretch across the entire ridge of the hillside.

With the castle on one side of Prague and the historic Old Town on the other, divided by the Vlatva River, it was Charles Bridge that was the most popular crossing point for tourists. After walking through the deserted back streets of Old Town early one morning I remarked to Jacq that it seemed like we had the city to ourselves. But that was shattered when we came to the bridge, which was buzzing with hundreds of package tourists photographing the numerous statues lining the bridge. In between were buskers, caricature artists and stall holders selling souvenirs and photographs.

The force of tourism was also in full swing in nearby Wenceslas Square, a long up hill boulevard that ended with National Museum. As Richard from our hostel described it, the square was not too bad during the day but awful at night with Brits on stag parties lurching from one British theme pub to another.

Down the hill from Wenceslas Square I photographed the famous Dancing Building, also known as Fred and Ginger, the Crushed Coke Can or the Drunk Building.

After a full day of walking, each evening we looked forward to returning to our quiet neighbourhood to the north for a few beers and a meal. Thankfully most of the local cafes near our hostel had English menus and the staff spoke some English as two days in Prague had done nothing to educate us on the tongue twisting language.

However, I managed to receive a full education on the beautiful Czech beers. For less than a pound I could enjoy a big handle of Staropramen or Pilsener Urquell. Served cold with a frothy head. Again, nothing like London!

Check out the Backpack Storybook Prague photo album here.

Backpack Storybook tip: We stayed at Sir Toby's hostel in a double room for about £38 per night. Just ten minutes on the tram from Old Town. A great place.

Labels: Czech Republic

London, United Kingdom - Coincidentally, after riding the London Eye recently my new route to work takes me right past the big fella each morning.

I've heard a saying that London is the world in a city and sometimes it's easy to see why. There are world famous landmarks around each corner, even during a 'boring' old walk from the train station to work.

And the train itself takes me through suburbs home to people from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and yes, even Kiwiland.

Labels: UK

London, United Kingdom - Hot tip for all you future London tourists out there.

Definitely, definitely make sure when you pay £13 to ride on the London Eye that the weather is going to be fine.

Or at very least, not raining. Otherwise, as Jacq and I found out, you might not see very much at all. And therefore spend 30 minutes in a glass pod with a bunch of bored kids and exasperated parents.

Labels: UK