Monday, 9 July 2012
Related posts: Prague Day 1 and 2, Day 3, Day 4
Today is our last day in Prague. We had an early breakfast and by 11AM we checked-out from the hotel.
We went to the same riverside spot we went yesterday evening for an afternoon view of Charles Bridge.
From there, we walked to Mostecka Street and onto Charles Bridge. The bridge was packed with people. There were lots of artists offering painting/drawing services apart from the normal souvenir stalls. We took some photos, enjoyed the view, and moved on to Old Town.
At Old Town, we had lunch at Lippert Restaurant. It’s part of the Lippert Hotel, located near Old Town Square. I was amazed by how attentive and friendly the staff were. We had a nice authentic Czech meal at an affordable price.
After that, we went to Erpet (website), a Bohemian Crystal shop near the Astronomical Clock Tower. It’s a massive 2-storey shop selling the finest Bohemian crystals from the Czech Republic. Aliaa bought a number of crystal sets, both for her and her mother. All purchases will be mailed directly to Malaysia. The crystals, even with shipping costs, are still cheaper by at least 30% from their retail price in Malaysia. Imagine that!
After all that shopping, we went for coffee at a Nespresso boutique, located along Pariska Street. They served excellent coffee, ranging from normal espressos to fancy iced/sweet/frappucino style coffee.
From there, we walked back across Manesuv Bridge, and headed to Mala Strana. We explored a new street, passing by a few embassies and a number of high-end apartments.
We were thinking of going up to the castle again but it was just too hot. So we decided to have our second teatime (haha this is a holiday after all) at SegaFredo. I was impressed with variety of coffee, cold drinks, ice cream and desserts. I wonder if they have branches in Malaysia. It might be a good business idea to bring them to Kuala Lumpur.
Later, around 6PM we headed back to the hotel. Our airport transport picked us up at 7PM. It was a short holiday (compared to our Rome & Paris holiday), but given the size of Prague, it was sufficient. I believe Prague is underrated and should be promoted more, especially to the Asian market. It’s inexpensive and the people are very tourist-friendly. The Czech really take tourism seriously. Given this positive experience in my first eastern European country, I look forward to visit the rest.
Imran Jaafar 