The best way to learn what you love about a place is to spend some time away from the place and see what you miss. That is just what I did. I had an unconventional “study abroad spring break”. I headed back to beautiful Miami as a finalist for the University of Miami business plan competition. Below are the top five things I missed about Prague while I was away.
Walking everywhere – I love the easiness of going anywhere and everywhere in Prague. Everything you could ever need, want, and imagine is accessible by walking.
Self-service vegan restaurants – I adore food options in America considering we have fusion and influence of so many cultures. One thing I believe we are missing out on is the self service Vietnamese restaurants of Prague. They are awesome! Country Life and Loving Hut have locations all over the city. The restaurants have proven to be fantastic go to lunch and dinner places. A hearty vegan meal for under five dollars….what is not to love?
Cafe culture – I enjoy all of Europe for the appreciation of coffee time, and the time that comes along with the experience. There are countless Julis Meinl, Illy, and Lavazzo signs outside safes around Prague. I do love the cafe culture in Prague, but when it comes to the actual coffee, my allegiance is to Don Pan and Versaille’s cortadito.
Excellent public transportation – After sitting in some brutal US-1 traffic this week, I am looking forward to riding public transportation. I never thought the words “I look forward to riding public transportation” would come out of my mouth. I appreciate the convenience and accessibility of the tram and metro system. My three month public transportation pass cost $35 which is about a half a tank for my Jeep.
The relaxed going out scene- Lastly, I enjoy how Czechs technically “go out” everyday. I enjoy how grabbing a drink with friends is not an ordeal or over complicated combination of plans. This is a stark contrast from Miami since going out is typically a production. Considering I went straight from LIV (the opposite of Prague’s going out scene) to my flight back to Prague. I am excited to get back to Prague’s low-key chill going out places.
It’s great to be resettled back in Prague. Arriving in Prague, the city immediately looked different from two weeks ago. The area surrounding the airport was greener and flowers had begun to bloom. I am looking forward to a beautiful spring in Prague.
I know what you mean about the transport system. I live in the States now but spent most of my life in London and visited Prague a bunch of times. There is a certain peace of mind in knowing that you can walk around and explore unknown areas, safe in the knowledge that you are never far away from the convenience of public transport if you find yourself lost. On my last trip to the city I downloaded the interactive Prague guide http://www.prague.schulz.cz/ and it really made for a wonderful experience. I saw a lot that I had missed on previous visits and I always felt as though it had me totally covered for just about anything I wanted to do or see. I don’t like carrying large guide books around with me on vacation so this was really nice and I recommend it to anyone planning a visit.