Have I mentioned how much I love long weekends? Especially since I wasn't traveling this weekend, I was really able to make use of the 3 day weekend. I could leisurely explore the city and enjoy everything that is here in Prague, and also still have time at the end of all of this to sit down and do work. Usually I don't like Sunday's at all since they're my work/catch up day (and that still holds true here), but the long weekend is the right length to balance everything I want to do versus everything I have to do.
On Friday, 9/17, I went to Rainer Maria Rilke Restaurant (named after the poet) with Kim. Another place with a great atmosphere! We unfortunately came right at the end of the time frame for the lunch menu, but the rest of the menu had a large selection and I enjoyed my meal.
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| Part of the interior |
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| Chicken breast stuffed with smoked Norwegian salmon, served on chilli mango chutney, with mashed potatoes and fried parsley |
Afterward, we met up with Brianna and took the metro to Prague 8 (I spend basically all my time in Prague 1 and 2, so this is pretty much the boonies for me!). We went to a hemp fair that was taking place in Prague this weekend. It was interesting, to say the least. We walked around for a while, and made use of some bean bag chairs to sit down and hang out at.
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| A tall plant at the fair |
On Saturday, 9/18, I went shopping in Wenceslas Square (
Václavské náměstí in Czech) with Brandy. This is a really tourist-y area so unfortunately I did not end up making any shopping purchases that day. This won't be the last of my European shopping days though, don't worry... (Anyone know where to find a good, inexpensive cross body??!) The square was also fun to walk around in, because there actually was a fair there that day! This was a nice little surprise. It was too bad I already had lunch, but I'm sure I'll be making my rounds at these stalls at future fairs and squares soon enough (although I have already tried the smažený sýr and trdelnik). We also checked out the national museum. We didn't see the exhibits, but I will be going back the first Thursday of next month since that day is free admission! Before leaving the area, we went to Marks & Spencer. The top floor has a bakery and grocery section, and I pretty much loved it. The baked goods all looked delicious and fresh. As for the grocery part, there were a ton of items such as spices and sauces that I've never seen at any Tesco or Alberts, and would only be found in an import grocery store in Prague. Needless to say, I left with a packet of 2 plain naans, a jar of potted chicken, and crushed red peppers, among other things. I'll be going back in the future to try out their frozen entrees, which looked surprisingly fresh!
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| Some good ol' roasted meat |
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| Some stalls across part of the square |
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| The National Museum |
Afterward, we went to the Lesser Quarter (
Malá Strana in Czech). The name comes from it's location as it's by the left bank of the Vltava river. It took some walking around, but eventually we were able to find our desired destination: the Lennon Wall, a wall commemorating the musician after his death with Lennon inspired quotes and Beatles lyrics.
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| Česká filharmonie opera house |
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| A long shot of the Lennon Wall |
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| Me in front of the peace sign |
Today, Sunday 9/19, I started the day off by going to the gym. It had been quite a while since visiting my old friend, and believe me when I say it felt incredibly good to finish an actual workout again! Workout buddies are always an extremely motivating factor also!
Afterward, I treated myself a bit to some good food after a good workout. I met up with Laura, and we went to Radost FX for brunch! Radost FX is located close to Machova within walking distance, and actually has multiple functions as a cafe, club, record store, and vegetarian brunch place.
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| The interior of Radost FX cafe |
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| Eggplant mafioso: eggplant, mozzarella, parmesan and marinara omelette served with garden side salad, home fries and toast |
And then it was back to reality for the rest of the day. And by that I mean work, work, and some more work. Some trip planning, Prague planning, and skype sessions in between - well actually, a lot of trip planning in between. But, don't worry, I took a study break in the evening that started off as a quick dessert run with Shraddha to a full on sit down 2 hour dinner at Baifu, a Chinese restaurant nearby in the Vinohrady neighborhood. I didn't have a camera with me since I wasn't initially planning on eating dinner out, but I do have a picture of my leftovers! Enjoy.
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| Entree: Spicy chicken with carrots and bell peppers with steamed rice. Dessert: Fried bananas drizzled with honey. |
And that was my weekend in Prague. The first not in orientation, but during classes, and fully in Prague for the whole time without trips anywhere. After all of my trip planning, it seems like I don't have too many of those to spare...
PS: I have
officially booked my bus tickets to Munich, Germany! I leave Thursday 9/23 and come back Saturday 9/25. Can you tell that I AM SO EXCITED?!
