Day 23 Clock Tower and Castle

Day 23 Clock Tower and Castle

9.8 kms and so many steps (600+)

Woke before the alarm and finished linking and sending off yesterday’s email. Packed my umbrella and coat for the forecast rain. Breakfast and then headed off to the Town Hall meeting place for the replacement tour. I was there so quickly, because I didn’t get lost! And then I remembered I wanted my guidebook for later, so I returned to the hotel picked it up and got back there without getting lost again!

The guide turned up around 9:25 and organised my ticket for the tower and English speaking guide for the Town Hall tour. Up I went to the top of the first section- level 1. Then you change lifts to get to the top of the tower and what a view! 360 and great day for photos. And I got a great view because there were only a few up there early.  I went down, after forgetting where we had to meet, just in time to catch the English speaking group tour of the Town Hall.

Incredible views from above

The Astronomical clock is currently being repaired for their big celebrations in September. The Town Hall was quite fascinating and even better you can take photos on the tour. The guide was great. The underground section was even more interesting, especially with the connection this week of the resistance fighters and Liberation Day. What was interesting was to see the original street level. It used to be almost a whole floor lower. Besides the very old history, in modern history the entire wing of the building and part of the tower was destroyed in 1945 by the retreating Nazi army.

After the tour I had a cup of awful tea at one of the cafes. Then I walked down across the Charles Bridge and up to the St Nicholas Church– very impressive but still too baroque for me. From here I climbed up the 220 steps on Zamecke schody to the Castle. I was a bit cranky about parts of my visit. The palace was closed at the moment! And I had to buy three different tickets to get into different sections. I did manage to get there just at the changing of the guards.

I saw the old Palace, The story of the Prague castle, Basilica of St. George, the treasury of St. Vitus cathedral,

St Vitus- amazing stainglass

Golden Lane and St Vitus’s Cathedral. The Powder Tower and the Palace were being renovated. I stopped for lunch before seeing more sights. Another cuppa before going down the wretched steps again, but I had to guess how to get back to the bridge area because they were the old steps and I went up the new steps. My radar must have been working today because I found it. Crossed the bridge, stopped at a souvenir shop and back here at 6:15.

Golden Lane

A hot bath using the bath salts. My legs were aching from all the stairs. I guestimated that I had climbed up or down 600 +! I washed my clothes, answered some emails then I had to use my time answering two extensive surveys about the hotel in Amsterdam. Interesting some very negative comments from previous customers: yes I agree that the rooms and en-suites were tiny, the shower leaked through the door onto the outside floor, you needed to be a contortionist to get the toilet paper, the bed was impossibly small as was the wardrobe, paper cups instead of real ones/ glasses was ordinary, the walls were paper thin and the carpet and paint looked tired. But after Paris, I wasn’t too upset. Some people must have had really bad rooms. I booked an online pickup from the train in Budapest. Wrote my diary, but no time left for photos, bed at 11.