Out and about in Prague

I am hoping that you guys can see two images on yesterdays post. For me one has a broken thumbnail but if I click on it is comes up with a picture of the bath in our apartment. I have no idea why it isn't working properly for me.

Today I have deliberately posted a difficult image you will need to look at it sideways because no matter what I say to my phone it always posts pictures the way round I took them. It's a quirk, sorry. The picture is of the Powder tower at night. After lunch we climbed to the top of it (mostly because you can) and found it does indeed have a good view. The tower itself was looking particularly beautiful as the snow was neatly highlighting the ornate stonework. When we came back past it in the dark I just had to stop for more pictures.

The other picture shows the astronomical clock and Tyn church. This is probably the busiest tourist area and consequently not my favourite place. It's just too busy also the astronomical clock tower is the least impressive of Pragues towers in my opinion. It does have a fantastic lift though, I will try and popst a photo of that when I get back.

Today we decided to go to the transport and science museums. These are at the top of another hill (did I mention we're tired now and about ready to come home :). We noticed on the map that we could take a tram part way then walk through a park via a metronome. Cool. Frozen actually. The hill (park) was much steeper than we anticipated and accessed by stairs which unfortunately were the only ones in Prague that hadn't been cleared. It was a mamoth trek especially as all the stairs are polished marble and very slipery if you don't stay in the deepest snow. Still we made it and found some amazing views.

Unfortunately the science museum was closed for referbishment and the guide book had had another translation error. It wasn't a transport museum but an agriculture museum. The chap in the tractor hall carefully explained this wasn't the science museum, I guess they get a lot of lost tourists and was obviously thrilled that we wanted to look at his tractors. It was a very good collection of weird tractors and I got to sit on one. My those seats are hard and bouncy.

The whole museum was just three halls but for me the tractors, the giant metronome and the views were well worth the hike.

For lunch e managed to find the first bad restaurant in Prague. I guess there had to be one. This one had poor food (overpriced too) very nasty hot wine, minute apple juice and rude service. All in all I would suggest avoiding the Marie Teresie.

On the way up the hill I had realised we hadn't been to look at the bridges from the bank of the river so we made a quick dash across town to do that, and found the artist I had been looking for on the Charles bridge. This time I bought a picture instead of waiting to think about it. I have regretted not buying a piece of his work since my last trip two years ago, Now I have one.

On the way back to the hotel we found another tower to climb, it really is the thing to do in Prague. This one was a lot less popular, which is a shame as the views are lovely and all the more so for being dusk. The tower is called the old Jesuit Bell Tower and is attached to the Churh of Saint Nicholas. Obviously it has a proper Czech name but I can't easily type that. I have been wanting to be up a tower in the dark so this was perfect. It also has lots of information on bells, and a small watchmans apartment to look around. On the way up you go through the bellfry which was nice as you get to see bells and slightly concerning as I wasn't certain they wouldn't ring them. On the way down I looked more closely and I am fairly sure there aren't ropes attached to the bells so I guess they don't deafen the tourists.