Prague 布拉格

Setting off to Prague on the morning of 24 Dec with a transfer in Paris. This is the first time I have my Xmas eve in 3 different countries.
24日一早出发前往布拉格，中间在在巴黎停留再转机，这是我第一次圣诞夜在三个国家度过！

I arrive in Prague at Night. The cab to the hotel costs 480CZK or 20 Euro. After taking care of e luggage, I went out for dinner and a bit of walk around the town quarter.

抵达布拉格时已经是晚上了，从机场到旅馆出租车是480克朗(20欧)，到了地方简单拾道下行李就出去吃晚饭然后到处溜达溜达。

Prague is the birth place of one of my fondest and earliest childhood memories, the Story of the Mole
布拉格有我童年最早的回忆，这里是我看的第一部动画片《鼹鼠的故事》的发祥地

Moles, and more moles. 商店里到处都是鼹鼠

They look much more adorable than the one in G-force.
这里的鼹鼠比G-force里那只卖相可爱多了

The elevators in all the underground stations are terribly long, dreadfully deep, awfully steep, and disturbingly fast. It makes first-timers dizzy and giddy. Better hold the grip tight and stay put! If you accidentally slip off, well, that's it!
On the other hand, it's really sensational to dash down from the top all the way to the bottom. I gave it a try in the hush of the night when there were hardly anyone around. It was great!

布拉格的地铁电梯又长又深又斜又快，而且几乎每站的电梯都这德行，恐高症的人上去立马就能晕乎，这种设计在新加坡还可以接受，那儿人多，不小心滑倒的话下面好多人撑着呢，这边要是从扶梯上滑下去了，那后果相当不尽人意，当然胆子大的从这个扶梯上一路冲下去也有非一般的享受，我临走前趁深夜人少就试了一次，非常刺激！

Another peculiarity about the underground in Prague is that every time before the train arrives, there will be an exceedingly strong gust blowing across the platform for at least 10 seconds. I am not sure whether this feature is installed intentionally but it does effectively scare off the crowd who are too near to the edge of the platform. When the train finally comes, everyone is sheepishly standing behind the yellow line.

布拉格地铁的另一特色是火车进站前10秒左右月台上会刮起呼呼的狂风，颇有地铁欲来风满楼的气势，好像跟大家说，都靠后啊，我要来了！

The enticing tale of Prague begins with the Charles Bridge
布拉格的童话从美丽的查理大桥开始

The Old Town Bridge Tower, one of the most magnificent Gothic constructions in the world

This golden statue brings good luck by the touch of it (Statue of St. John Nepomuk)
据说摸一下这金色的雕像就会交好运

An old couple happily feeding the seagulls at sunset
夕阳下，一对老夫妇愉快地喂着海鸥

One of the weirdest buildings in the world, the Dancing House
世界最奇怪建筑之一的舞蹈大厦

I have been dressing like an onion throughout my trip in Prague. Even though it makes me look somewhat bulky but i am always warm and cozy under the aegis of my shell.

在布拉格全程我都包得像个粽子似地，因为白天基本都在外面溜达，宁可热点也不能冻着，里里外外套了好多层，羽绒服也上来了，虽然造成外形上的臃肿不过整个旅程都非常温暖惬意，后来在查理桥上很碰巧很碰地巧遇到一对好朋友（上次类似巧合是06年在九寨沟里碰到俩国立大学的同学），俩人鼻子都冻红了，一边说话一边打哆嗦，不过还是为了保持最佳形象坚持穿秋装...

（这件衣服其实是我小时候的，所以外观比较奇特，我平时在德国穿大衣时候会把帽子和嘴都扣上，只留俩眼睛在外面，因为有阳光经常是黑眼镜，这种造型在本地很不寻常，比较乐观的德国人会觉得很像爱斯基摩人，胆小点的就很不放心，觉得我很恐怖，在车上时不时就瞟我几眼，看我衣服里有没有掉出个炸药包，我倒是不在意，感觉是给自己安了个完全封闭的空间结界，躲在衣服里非常有安全感。这件衣服上次穿还是2001年，那时候冬天回抚顺，晚上回家的路又长又黑人又少，安全系数很低，我就把衣服全扣上，然后左手拎个巨大的塑料可乐瓶，因为晚上很黑，看起来就像是个蒙面戴着头盔又拎个大酒瓶子的危险人物，而且大家都知道喝多的的人是最没理性的，所以无论好人还是坏人都躲得我远远的，主动把路让出来。在布拉格时候这件衣服也发挥了极大地作用，走在路上要经常看地图，而地图无论放在兜里还是书包里都不特别方便，后来我发现这衣服袖子很大，就把好几张地图全塞进去了，要用的时候只要一甩袖子就出来了，跟古代人在袖子里放竹简很像，再后来我发现这袖子里的有效空间还没有完全利用，于是连相机、戏票、钱包等物件也都塞进去了，我在布拉格的照片几乎每一张袖子里都塞满了东西，跟机器猫差不多。如斯几次后我手法越来越熟练，眨眼间就能让一件巨大的物品出现在手里，每次我从里面拿出来东西或者放进去东西都能吸引周围游客热情的目光，看到一大张地图变魔术一样瞬间消失在我的袖子里让他们倍感神奇。）

Old Town Square 旧城区

The Church of Our Lady before Tyn in Prague Gothic style
哥特式的泰恩教堂是布拉格歌德风格的代表

The Xmas Market is crammed with locals and tourists
圣诞市场热闹非凡

Old transport with modern lifestyle, and super-modern price tag
老式的交通，乘坐价格却是超现代的

The Astronomical Clock (Orloj)
The clock is the most famous attraction in the old town square. It was said that Hanus, the constructor of the Clock, was blinded by the councilors so that he could never built such a magnificent clock elsewhere.

著名的布拉格天文钟，每小时都会有打鸣表演. 相传钟的制造人Hanus被议会陷害，失去视觉，目的是让他日后无法在其他地方也建造这样一座大钟。

St. Nicholas Church (Kostel sv. Mikuláse) in baroque style
巴洛克风格的圣尼古拉教堂

I've tried almost every variety of Palačinky (a type of Czech Pancakes) at the Xmas Market--apricot, chocolate banana, cheese ham, strawberry etc--taste not too bad!
在圣诞市场上吃了好多布拉格的煎饼，几乎所有味道都试了一下，有杏子、巧克力香蕉、奶酪火腿、草莓等，味道还不错。

I tried this one as well. Juicy and soft. Yum!
这个看起来很原始的烤肉偶也尝了，挺香的

Prague Castle 布拉格城堡

Prague Castle (9th century) is the largest castle in the world
世界最大的古城堡布拉格城堡（公元9世纪）

Prague Castle - St. Vitus Cathedral 圣维特主教座堂

City view of Prague. The tallest structure in the far back is the Zizkov TV tower (with a few statues of babies climbing up, which can't be seen in this photo). Some locals love to call it the ugliest structure in Prague.
不布拉格城景，远处模糊可见城市最高建筑Zizkov电视塔，跟土著交谈时他们都说那是布拉格最丑的建筑，跟周围景观非常不搭调，塔身上还有几个正在往上爬的小孩雕像

Eastern side of St. Vitus Cathedral

Prague Castle - St. Vitus Cathedral Bell Tower (southern side)

St. George Basilica (Bazilika Sv. Jiri), the 2nd oldest church in Prague

The Golden Lane
The narrow pathway is lined up with 11 colorful tiny houses that are literally glued to the back of the Prague Castle. Legend has it that once upon a time many alchemists were living in this street and trying to make the philosopher's stone (the one stone in the Japanese Manga Fullmetal Alchemist) and the elixir of youth. One of their free-time hobby is to transform metals into gold.
Normally a ticket is required for entrance. But in winter after 4pm it is free for all!

著名的黄金巷，是布拉格最小的街道，巷子一边由11座紧靠布拉格堡的小屋组成，传说上古时代这里住着很多炼金术师在这里炼制贤者之石(日本动画片钢之炼金术师里大家打得你死我活争夺的那玩意)、青春焕彩金露，空闲时再把金属炼成金子玩。通常进来要买票，不过冬天4点以后就可以免费参观！

Sv. Václav (St. Wenceslas) at Wenceslas Square

I've been singing the lines "Good King Wenceslas Look Out..." for 14 years and finally I see the man in the song!
In my utter exhilaration I sing the entire song on the spot before a huge crowd.
关于Good King Wenceslas的歌曲偶唱了14年，今天终于看到歌曲中的主角了，由于特别激动，当场在Wenceslas广场上把歌曲从头到尾唱了一遍。

The good king was out to help the poor. The winter was cold and the wind was chilly. The king's servant's power was failing. He was on the brink of falling, when all of a sudden a spring of warmth surged from his feet all over him. He saw the king's footprints glowing under the moonlight and warming up his feet and his body. The servant soon resurrected and continued his journey by following the king's footprints in the snow.

传说国王大冬天出去接济贫困的人们，因为天寒地冻雪又深，随从的仆人眼看就撑不住了，就在这时，国王在雪地上留下的脚印传来一股暖流，让仆人周身又温暖了起来，于是他就踏着国王的脚印继续奋勇前进！

The Loreto - Santa Casa
The well-known carillons in the Loreto can be used to play music
著名的洛丽塔，塔里的30多鼎大钟可以像乐器一样弹奏

St. Nicholas Cathedral (Chram sv.Mikulase) 圣尼古拉教堂

National Theatre 布拉格国家剧院

the Rudolfinum 鲁道夫宫

Old-New Synagogue (Staronova synagoga). The story of Golem has its origin in the Jewish Quarter.
老新犹太会堂，泥人Golem的故事就是从犹太区流传的

Powder Tower (Prašná brána)

Estates Theatre, one of the most beautiful theatres in Europe.
It is right here that Mozart played his opera Don Giovanni for the first time.
欧洲最美的剧院之一庄园剧院，正是在这里莫扎特第一次上演他的著名歌剧《唐璜》

Bethlehem Chapel

Emauzy – The Monastery Na Slovanech

Prague State Opera 布拉格国家歌剧院

Jindrisska Tower (Jindrisska vez) in Gothic style

Prague is the only city that are classified entirely as world heritage. You do not need a map here.
Just follow your instinct and walk on. Every street, every building and every stone has a story to tell.
布拉格是唯一整个城市被列为世界遗产的城市，在布拉格的城区，每一栋建筑都是一件艺术品

Sv. Václav Church

Arbesovo náměstí

Memorial to the victims

Archbishop Palace in Prague

Statue of T. G. Masaryk at Hradcanske namesti

His outfit is a strong fascination for all the passer-bys
这位大叔不合时宜的穿着引起群众广泛关注

Little girl sitting in Klementinum

Church of St Ignatius of Loyola in Charles Square

New Town Hall

Prague @ Night
A glittering jewel under the moonlight
入夜的布拉格灯火辉煌，美丽动人

My atrocious pronunciation of Czech words has caused quite a bit of embarrassment in this restaurant. I ask the manager "Do you have Svičková (a local food of meat, sauce and bread) here?" He says yes, then goes inside the staff lounge. Soon a young girl comes out. She shakes my hand and says with an amicable smile on her face, "Nice to meet you! I am svitch-co-va (honestly I can't hear the difference between her name and the name of the food). How can I help you?" I don't think I want to know how she tastes like when fully cooked...

晚上在这家著名的餐厅品尝Beef Goulash 和 Svičková (一种传统食物，肉配酱汁加面包或馒头片)，开始还闹出点笑话，估计我的捷克名词发音不太准，问餐馆”你们有没有Svičková啊“，结果经理听后进去内厅半天最后给我找出一位年轻女职员，一脸微笑过来跟我握手，说“我就是svitch-co-va（我确实听不出跟那吃的发音有啥不同），找我啥事呢？” 晕了，我找熟食结果弄出来个鲜活的。

the witch is another exotic products of Prague 布拉格另一特色产品，女巫

These fruit soaps looks even more savory than real cakes!
布拉格的水果香皂让人看了食指大动，据说还有各种保健功能

The puppet show is supposedly the finale show in my plan. Oh well I can't be more wrong! life is always full of pleasant surprises. As I step out of the puppet house, I am greeted by the heaviest snow in this winter! The whole world around me is silver and white. Huge crowds of locals and tourists are gathering in the square to celebrate the timely snow. There are people snow fighting, people singing and people running all around. The atomic clock strikes 10pm and brings the feverishness to a new height. It is like a grand carnival for the new year. This certainly makes an extraordinary and unforgettable grand finale before my return to Germany!

按原计划木偶戏就是本次旅程的最后一个亮点了，可是生活中经常会有美丽的惊喜，当我走出剧院时，才看到了我在布拉格真正的压轴戏！天上飘着鹅毛大雪，整个广场已经是白茫茫的一片，无数的居民和游客也在雪地里手舞足蹈，好多人激动地唱着歌，小朋友们兴奋地打着雪仗，古老的天文钟敲响了10声，整个广场一片欢呼，仿佛是迎接新年到来的序曲，我的布拉格之行也在这难忘的雪夜落下帷幕。

This photo was taken from the balcony of Akcent Hotel. This hotel offers the best service I have ever experienced! In fact I wanted previously to book another 4 star hotel but then I come across this hotel online. The user reviews are so good and so full of emotions that I feel obligated to stay here! And indeed it is the best choice ever! It is located at the hub of the city. The underground, the bus, the tour coach, the inter-city links are all right downstairs. I can go anywhere within Prague or anywhere within Czech with no effort at all! Airport transport is also within fingertip! The service is unbelievably good! The 3 staffs at the counter are always smiling and ready to help. They are extremely patient and answers all my questions in great details. And not just that, they even print out all the answers for me to bring along! How thoughtful! On my last day there I have to wake up much earlier before breakfast, so they asked the restaurant to prepare a breakfast packs the night before so that I can bring along in the morning. The packs are so bounteous that I only finish all the food the on the 2nd day after I return to Germany. Needless to say, Akcent Hotel has received my 5-star rating on the hotel review website!

这次来布拉格住在Andel的Akcent Hotel，本来计划预定河对面另外一家旅馆，后来在网上看到这家旅馆的网友评论超级好，住户评介的综合指数绝对比其他4星旅馆都高，而且地理位置绝佳，地铁、汽车、旅游车、长途汽车全都在楼下，想去布拉格任何景点或捷克其他城市都不费吹灰之力，来回机场也超方便，柜台服务员更是和蔼可亲和乐于助人得让我难以置信，每一个问题会给我详详细细的解释得一丝不苟，之后还打印出来方便我参照，最后一天我要很早起来赶飞机，来不及吃早饭，他们就特意让餐馆前一天晚上做好了早餐给我打包带上，打包的分量超足，我回到德国第二天才吃完。这家旅馆的服务没的说了，确实是无微不至，所以我一回家就把我热情洋溢的评论还有一颗大大的五星也加到了布拉格的旅馆网站上！

The return trip on 30 Dec is not all that smooth. The original plan is to transfer at Amsterdam. However, it appears that the Czech Airline sent me an email at 10am on 29 Dec telling me that my plane on 30 Dec is canceled and changed to 8am on 29 Dec. This is clearly bullshit. The staff at the airport apologizes and put me on a direct plane to Dusseldorf. The plane is so empty that there is just 1 passenger for every 20 chairs or so. So my coat has got himself a comfortable seat, and later a free drink as well.

30号启程回家，路上并不是很顺利，本来想在阿姆斯特丹转机并停留，没想到到了机场赫然发现捷克航空公司29号早上10点给我发了一封电邮说我30号的飞机取消了，改成29号早上8点，整封电邮写的乱七八糟的驴唇不对马嘴。机场的服务人员当即道歉，然后给我换到了直飞杜赛多夫的飞机，上了飞机发现里面空空如也，每名旅客可以占20多个座位，于是我就毫不客气地给一路帮我驱寒保暖的大衣也找个了舒服的座位，之后空中小姐也很配合地多给了他一杯饮料。