Prague

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More Prague! I hope you all aren’t bored yet! After we left the palace, we saw a snowy embankment that looked like it had a park at the top. Obviously, we had to go and explore, even if that meant scaling the hill in the snow to avoid the icy steps.

walking around Prague

Hill running in Prague- am I the only one who wants to run up every hill I see?

We didn’t get any photos up on the hill. All joking aside, it was pretty treacherous and in hindsight, not the best idea to be treading on ground covered with a foot of snow, especially since we didn’t know the terrain. We almost fell several times, and if we had it would have been a long way down.

We decided to walk along the river before crossing it to get to the beer hall that we were eyeing up for lunch. The views were beautiful.

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After crossing the river we encountered the Prague State Opera House.

Prague Opera

We had a clear lunch destination in mind, U Fleku,a beer hall that dates back to 1499.

No drink menus here, our server asked if we wanted beers, yes we did, and we were presented with two mugs of dark beer.

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Our server also offered us shots of Becherkova, a Czech liquer that is used as an aperitif. We declined, but I really wish I had tried it.

Since we were both FREEZING, we started with soup. I ordered the garlic soup which had a hot, tangy broth and an abundance of delicious croutons floating in its lovely garlicky-ness. It reminded me a lot of the Sopa de ajo blanco that I made for the Nature’s Pride contest.

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We also ordered warm cabbage salad, beer cheese with butter and onions, and speck dumplings. Holy hearty meals! Everything was really inexpensive, and I think we expected the portions to be tiny which they were not.

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lunch in Prague

Beer cheese is interesting. . . in a VERY strongly flavored, dense, thick sort of way. Don’t get me wrong, it was good, but it was cheese topped with butter served with a hearty bread. I was full after a couple of bites!

After lunch and a bit more walking, we were feeling cold and sleepy, so we returned to our beautiful hotel/apartment where I had the best nap of my life. I am not a napper, but laying on the comfy couches watching German reality TV while the hubs translated for me, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. What a completely refreshing day!

Don’t forget to check out Blogger Secret Ingredient this week! The prize will be delicious, and it will be fun to see the recipes that the bloggers come up with!

ALSO. . .

Please don’t forget about my raffle to raise money for The ALLY Foundation! Each entry is a $10 donation on my fundraising page: http://www.firstgiving.com/meghanmalloyteamally. The prize is a $100 gift card to Williams Sonoma! The ALLY Foundation is doing incredible work protecting us from violent sex offenders, and I am proud to be running the 2010 Boston Marathon for them. Anything that you can donate will help!

Tags: beer, cheese, Food, Prague, Travel

Our first full day in Prague was cold and bright. After a delicious breakfast which was included in our stay at the Iron Gate Hotel, we ventured out into the old town square to catch a glimpse of it in the daylight.

We stopped by the famous astronomical clock and the outdoor market which sold meats, cheese, crepes, hot cider, and gluwein, a delicious, soul-warming hot, spiced wine.

Prague clock

The astronomical clock dates back to 1410 and has had several additions and adjustments made to it over the years due to both wear and tear and as a result of gunfire at the end of WWII. It is an amazing structure and is very cool to see the animation of the Apostles that takes place on the hour.

food in Prague

Hard cheeses like these were displayed in wooden market stalls.

food in Prague

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A picture of me taking a picture of the market

After a stroll through the market, which I believe is much bigger in the warmer months, we made our way across The Charles Bridge and up the long, hill cobblestones to the palace and cathedral.

Prague in winter

Prague in winter

The palace complex was massive, and the beautiful St. Vitus Cathedral looms over all of it.

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You could spend a couple of hours alone just wandering the cathedral, the palace grounds, and the nearby monastery, which I will cover in another post. Every corner of Prague brings new architectural and cultural beauty. I am going to say goodnight before this post gets too long, but I have so many more photos and meals from Prague and Ireland to share. Also up on Travel Eat Love this week, a marathon training update, a super simply soup, a healthy grocery haul, and a recap of my weekend dinners at Gaslight and Craigie on Main. Hope you are all having a lovely Sunday night!

Is there anything you are especially looking forward to this week?

 

Please don’t forget about my raffle to raise money for The ALLY Foundation! Each entry is a $10 donation on my fundraising page: http://www.firstgiving.com/meghanmalloyteamally. The prize is a $100 gift card to Williams Sonoma! The ALLY Foundation is doing incredible work protecting us from violent sex offenders, and I am proud to be running the 2010 Boston Marathon for them. Anything that you can donate will help!

Tags: Prague, Travel

We arrived in Prague after dark, and our drive from the airport into the city brought us through some not so lovely places. The architecture was more concrete block than castle, and we were a little nervous as we were expecting a magical European city.

It wasn’t long until we were pulling in front of our hotel, the Iron Gate Hotel in the old town section of the city. With extremely narrow, cobblestone streets, we were glad that we had hired a driver to bring us into town.

We were lead immediately to our room, a deluxe suite and the largest room in the hotel. It was really more of an apartment with a bedroom, two bathrooms, one of which had a Jacuzzi, an entryway/study a kitchen area and a sitting room.

The ceiling was painted in a funky, Bohemian pattern, and our apartment was reached by a cool spiral staircase.

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Our Jacuzzi with a bottle of Bohemia Sekt sparkling wine, a light, crisp, slightly dry bubbly. I was pleasantly surprised by Czech wine!

 

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The lovely courtyard outside our regal room

Even though it was late when we arrived, we were eager to explore, so we walked the short block to the old town and were completely taken away with its enchanting beauty.

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We were hungry after the short flight from Dublin, and we quickly decided on a traditional Czech restaurant. Warm and cozy, Staroměstská restaurace gave us a glimpse into the deliciousness of Czech cuisine with incredibly friendly service.

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We shared a few dishes including smoked salmon with a dill cream sauce and herb cheese.

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Red and white cabbage salad that offered a tangy crunch

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Goulash with bread dumplings in a rich, spicy sauce laden with paprika, topped with spicy sausage and a chili pepper

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All washed down with Pilsner Urquell, the Czech Republic’s most beloved beer.

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Our server was fantastically warm and accommodating, making sure we enjoyed everything. Note that tipping is acceptable and appreciated in Prague, especially for good service. Personally, although I know that tipping isn’t expected in many countries, I always like to give a little extra for someone’s hard work.

After a warm and comforting dinner it was nearly midnight, and we returned to the Iron Gate where I enjoyed the Jacuzzi and some bubbly to kick off a lovely Prague holiday.

Tags: beer, Czech cuisine, Czech wine, Food, Prague, Travel, wine

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