Welcome back! Wow, what a day.
Breakfast at Cafe Letka
I started my day by taking the tram to the other side of town for breakfast at Cafe Letka. This place came up on my Instagram, so I thought I’d give it a try! I’m so glad I did.
The cafe was elegant, with huge windows, plants, and wooden tables. At the table I was sitting at, there was a massive, pink mirror hanging on the wall. It was still early, so there were only a few other people there. What a peaceful way to wake up!
I ordered the omelet (Gruyère cheese & chives) and a flat white. The latte art was beautiful, and everything was delicious. I would definitely go there again!
After breakfast, I walked across the street to Letna Park. For the next hour or so, I strolled through the park, admiring the greenery and observing everything going on around me. I saw a lot of people out playing with their dogs off-leash! The dogs, of course, were having a blast. They’d all play with each other, sprinting as fast as they could across the park. I kept thinking, “my mom would LOVE to see this!”. I think the cutest dog I saw was a schnauzer. I don’t see those very often!
The dogs weren’t the only great part about Letna Park — the view of the city was spectacular too!
If I had more running to do while in Prague, this would be the place to go.
Speaking of running…. I also went to the race expo!!!
Prague Half Marathon Race Expo
I walked from Letna Park to the expo, since they were roughly in the same area. I arrived shortly after the expo started, so it wasn’t too packed. My first stop was at a sunglasses shop. I accidentally left my running sunglasses (that I have worn for EVERY RACE so far) at home, and now it’s supposed to be sunny on Saturday!!! Thankfully, the very kind Czech man working the shop helped me pick out the perfect pair.
Whew! Crisis averted!
Next, I went to the SuperHalfs pavilion. Here, I picked up a passport and got my first stamp! For context, the Prague Half Marathon is one of six ‘SuperHalf’ races. The others are in Berlin, Lisbon, Valencia, Cardiff, and Copenhagen. When you complete all of them, you get a super medal! It’s pretty epic. My goal is to finish them all before I graduate, but we will have to see if I can actually get into them all fast enough. Most operate on a lottery system, and it’s difficult to get in. I still don’t know how I got into this race!
The next pavilion was where I picked up my bib. I was surprised to find out that I also got a drawstring bag, an energy bar, and a headband! The woman working the station was laughing at how excited I was. It’s the little things :).
After picking up my bib, I passed by an entire row of recruiters for races all over Europe! There were sign up sheets for races in Italy, Greece, France, and more! Somehow, I did not sign the paper. I just kept my eyes forward and kept walking.
On my way out, I thought I’d take a picture with my bib in front of the sign. I was taking a selfie when a man came up to me and said something which I assumed was, “would you like me to take your picture?”
He took my photo and then I took his. He asked “where from” and I told him the US. He said he is from Ukraine but works in the Czech Republic. I tried to keep the conversation rolling, but sadly he didn’t speak much English and I don’t speak Czech or Ukrainian 🥲. We kinda just smiled at each other and then said goodbye.
If I could have any superpower in the world, it would be to speak every language!!!
One of my favorite parts of the expo was finding my name on a poster that had thousands of names on it!!
That pretty much sums up the expo! I took the tram back to my hostel so that I could drop off the 10 million things I had collected… and charge my phone.
Karlštejn Castle
The reason I had to charge my phone up to the tippy top was because… drum roll please…
I was going to leave the city for the rest of the day!
I went to the train station and instantly had flash backs to when Alyssa and I were there. It’s a pretty impressive station (or maybe I just really like trains), and I found my platform right away. I didn’t have time to grab lunch, but I could hear my own voice from three years ago whining to Alyssa, “I dOn’T WANT to eAt a SanDwIcH”. Poor Alyssa. I’m lucky she puts up with me 😂
Once again, I bought my tickets through the PID app. When the ticket control person came around, all I had to do was pull up the QR code on my phone. Karlštejn is in zone 3, so I did have to buy a special ticket for that. The tickets are literally $2 though. It’s amazing.
The first 15 or so minutes of my train ride were very entertaining. The train was about to leave when a group of teenage boys, and what I’m assuming was their teacher, started frantically pressing the button trying to get in. They made it just in time to pile into the car that I was in. I moved over so a few of them could sit down, and they gave me a nod. There was one kid who was definitely the class jokester. Every time he’d say something, the one next to me would laugh hysterically. I couldn’t help but laugh along with them, despite knowing absolutely nothing about what they were saying. When they got off at their stop, the jokester kid hugged his friend and scruffed his head aggressively. I thought it was so funny, and they could tell. The next time I looked up, one of them was standing right next to the car, staring directly into my eyes with a demonic pose. You know the one… stiff arms, straight at the sides. Creepy grin. Wide eyes.
I laughed so hard! And then the train pulled away.
About 30 minutes later, I arrived in Karlštejn. It was QUIET. Remember when Alyssa and I went to Český Krumlov and were the only ones there? Same vibes.
I walked for about 30 minutes through the town and up to the castle. I saw maybe 3 people total throughout my entire hike up there!
That’s right, it was a HIKE. I always forget this about castles… they’re almost always at higher elevation than the surrounding area so that the knights could see enemies coming and defend! Don’t get me wrong, though. I love castles, and I will gladly hike however long as necessary to see their beauty.
When I finally reached the castle, I went inside and bought a ticket. It was perfect timing because the receptionist said that there was a tour leaving in 5 minutes! Let me tell you, I learned A TON about the Roman Emperor, Charles IV, and his Karlštejn Castle.
Here’s what I remember:
- Charles had a total of four wives throughout his lifetime, and he was strategic in choosing his wives so that he could expand his empire. His first wife was from Paris, and they were married at 7 (SEVEN) years old. His second wife was a princess from Germany. You get the idea. He was 47 when he married his fourth wife, who was 16 years old.
- When emperors like Charles IV traveled, they brought a piece of home with them. Usually, it was something like a tapestry. The emperor would often have to stay in mediocre conditions when traveling. Hanging up their tapestry made it feel a bit more luxurious.
- Charles IV had a room where he met with visitors. When I first saw the throne where he sat, I thought, “Jeez, it’s really dark”. Apparently, that was on purpose! He sat himself in front of the windows so that his visitors were cast in bright, natural light.
- The castle was besieged during the Hussite wars (1400s), and the atta jets used biological warfare. Yuck!
- Charles IV won his first battle on November 25th, 1332. Some of y’all will know why I think that’s pretty cool 😉
- A crocodile skull was given to the emperor as a gift. Since people didn’t usually travel to places with crocodiles, he (and everyone) thought it was a dragon. LOL
Overall, I thought the castle tour was very interesting and fun! I love to learn about history in small chunks, and it was the perfect way to do just that. I’m really happy I decided to go on an adventure outside of the city!!!
On my way back, I discovered the outlets in the train cars. Nice! Now, I could go directly to dinner.
I was ravenous, since the only thing I had eaten since breakfast was a muffin from the castle café.
Dinner at Luka Lu
This was another place I found on the internet. It’s a quirky restaurant with dishes inspired by Yugoslavia — a country that no longer exists. F
From the moment I walked in, I felt welcomed. The waiter took my jacket right away and put it in a coat closet. I got to choose where I wanted to sit. I could’ve sat at a table big enough for 5 people if I wanted to! That’s saying a lot considering I am one singular person.
I scanned the menu: grilled seafood of every kind, pasta, and meats. I landed on the seafood risotto. The second I had made up my mind, the waiter returned to take my order. He laughed when I ordered a hot chocolate with it. If only he knew I was chilled to the bone! Although, I can understand the aversion to seafood + chocolate.
I sat there, in my comfy cozy chair, and admired the decorations around me. There was a chandelier-ish thing, which consisted of part of a table and a bunch of dolls/toys/random objects glued to it. There were some yellow, lacey tank tops hanging around. There were several clocks, and a few sideways cabinets. Everything was SO colorful. Yellow, red, blue, pink!
You’re probably saying, “Clara, why don’t you just show us a picture?!”.
Funny story. I left my phone in my coat pocket…
I wasn’t about to go open their coat closet! And I was also too lazy to ask for it. Honestly, I took it as a sign to just enjoy the moment to the fullest.
I highly recommend that you look this place up online, though! I want you to see what I mean!
By the way, my seafood risotto was one of the most delicious meals I’ve had. It was filled with mussels, calamari, octopus, and prawns! Yum.
After dinner, I decided to just stroll around the city for a bit. I found the famous rotating head, walked around a few stores, and then called it a night.
That’s all for now,
Clara