View of Prague Castle from Petrin Hill

  www.hrad.cz/en/   Check out castle's website.

Walking up

Rooftops

Mini Eiffel Tower

 

Bakery where I left Grace

Weird street performer doing Indian Powwow dance

Day 3.  Sun at last!  And good thing too as we spent much of the day wandering up stone paths through the autumn woods trying to get to the top of Petrin Hill.  Petrin Hill has a replica Eiffel Tower and a gigantic park with churches, a monastery and some miles-long-ancient-turret-topped wall twisting and turning all over the place.  We kept wandering through arches to see gardens and views and then ended up stuck on the wrong side of this endless wall and had to back track to get where we needed to be.  This was all uphill again, with lots of stairs.  I have built up some serious calf muscles.  When we went back down we wandered along the riverside, more shops, restaurants, lovely old buildings.  We stopped in a bakery for cheesecake cause it comes from this area and we HAD to try it.  Most places take credit cards and as this cafe was across the road from an American university/study program, I assumed that using my debit card would not be an issue.  Well it was.  So I had to leave Grace as hostage and find an ATM to get some cash.  I thought about taking a little walk to scare Grace but then decided against it.  She holds a grudge.  After that we went to Wenceslas Square which separates old Prague from new Prague.  One end of the square (which is actually a long rectangle) spreads out into multiple little cobble stoned alleys that lead into the old center.  At the other end stands the National History Museum which is massive and dark and scary.  It would have been the perfect place to spend Halloween evening but was, alas, closed for renovations.  On the square is an open air market with stands selling roasted sausages, pretzels, grilled smoked sheep cheese (really good) and beer and oh so much more!  We tried it all, then waddled back to the Astronomical clock for one last look before saying goodbye to Prague.  We got back yesterday and I am now on a diet.  xxoo me