Come on, Louna. Let's go. Viens. On y va. Bilis Louna. Tara na.
Those were my favorite phrases during our weekend in Prague.
It started at the airport. Louna, as already observed on her first plane ride, still loves airplanes. She would ran at the glass wall to get a good view of the planes and could stay there for hours. She would point at them and say a-be continously which could mean avion or airplane or eroplano. Why not, hehe. The only way to get her out of there is to tell her Come Louna, I saw another plane over there. It's flying. To which she would answer ooohh with her lips in O-form and her eyes wide open.
The prodding game continued each time she saw a dog, a pigeon, an ant (yes, she sees them!), anything unusual on the ground like an empty bottle of soda or a pair of reading glasses (unfortunately, we were not able to find the owner among the hordes of tourists).
Stay here, Louna. Tu restes içi.
Those were another set of favorites. The tag-of-war game is set off especially during the walk tour where we had to stop from time to time to appreciate the beauty of Prague whilst listening to each story behind each wall. The stories about the Jewish ghetto, the fall of Communism or even King Charles IV seems to be a boring topic for an 18-month old kiddie.
Parents and toddlers don't have common interests. Don't you think?
The Prague Experience
I was thinking of the best word to describe Prague but thought of sharing to you this picture instead. The number of tourists was overwhelming and it's not even peak season yet. The fact that most of the tourist spots are concentrated in one area makes their downtown 
really congested with people. It's almost impossible to cross downtown with a car! Like most of the European capitals, the hot spots are crowded with musicians, vendors and all kinds of artists. This one is a fave.
The architecture of the city is a mix of Baroque exterior and Renaissance interior. What probably marked me the most is seeing their Cathedral surrounded by the Prague castle which reminded me of hotels around Eurodisney. Oh yeah, I'm not an architect, alright. Another one is this church of Our Lady before Tyn with a very nice interior but is surrounded by appartment buildings, litterary using the church wall as their appartment wall. In fact, in the ancient time, they built their buildings where they could, without really giving importance to such architectural heritage.
Another point of interest is the Jewish part of their history: the ghettos,the cemeteries and their synagogues. This is part of world history which intrigues me the most. Why they ended up to such level of inhumanity? My ultimate dream is to visit extermination camps in Poland. Well, that's another story.
The food. Cheap and good. Tourists will never get hungry here. They have spacious restaurants with high chairs available and a live music to boot. After a sumptous dinner, the night ambiance with the souvenir shops, street music, and romantic atmosphere will surely give your money's worth to visit the city of 100 spires.
Visiting the city with a baby/toddler is a pain tho. Most of the buses have the 'No Stroller' sign simply because they are most of the time full-packed. Buses/Tramway/Metro arrive every 10-20 minutes and it's not enough to accomodate all the tourists coming in. Another pain are the pavement and streets of cobblestones practically everywhere. It's cool when Louna's awake and enjoyed her horsey ride.. but imagine when she's sleeping.
So that was my recap of our Prague weekend. A must-see. Here are some pix, visit Prague with me.
13 years ago
36 comments:
Sarap naman bakasyon ni Louna, buti pa siya nakapunta na sa Prague :) Natawa ako on that part where they built their apartment walls off the church walls - aba, parang sa Pilipinas rin pala.
Through the eyes of our children, we learn to see things and places from a different perspective. :)
Prague sure is a very historical place. When Louna get a little older, she would be able to appreciate the history of the place. It is very good though that you bring her with you on your travels.
someone had once told me that: all cities are the same.
I visited munich, barcelona, geneva, rome, pisa, florence, venice, milan,london, include na natin paris, monaco and nice, they are same cities, but they DONT present the same thing.each one has their own characteristics.
Same with Prague.its a lovely city, the way yo show, sarap puntahan bukas, lol
yeah, parents and toddlers don't have common interests, but it's challenging to discover their world.
wow, looks like your family had fun time touring one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. the photos obviously shows 'em. i particularly like the one where Papa Frenchguy is holding Louna's stroller. now, that's what you get for flying with a toddler. :)
Looks like a fabulous weekend getaway. My son has never been on an airplane yet but he's fascinated with them. He would stop in his tracks to look at a passing airplane in the sky. One time, we were at the Skyway and he saw a plane up close passing us (on its way to land at the airport). He loved it! I hope we could travel with him in the near future. I'm sure he would love the ride.
Thanks for sharing the lovely photos of your trip. It sounds like a beautiful city. Sorry to hear about the small hassles such as the cobblestone pathways. I could just imagine the disadvantage of passing through one with a sleeping child.
I'm sure the overall it was a wonderful trip. Take care!
you really had a FUN time in prague. lucky lucky you, and Louna must have enjoyed her first plane ride. it's a challenge touring places with a toddler, but it's worth it. any place with my loved one, no matter how difficult, is always a welcome respite.
very nice pics.
i'd like to go to prague in the future and visit the franz kafka museum and metamorphose into something....lol
Oh nice a weekend getaway, kelan kaya kami?
;-)
re: your complaints about the bus & the cobblestones
Very true. I've never been to Prague but most european cities are fond of those cobblestones 'no? Only recently London Tower provided a smoother pathway for the buggies but some people are too dense to realise they're in the way. And the buses I always feel anxious when my son's asleep & we're told to fold up the pram. Imagine my struggle when I'm alone.
Anyhow, it looks like Louna's enjoyed being a tourist ha! She's taking her time in absorbing everything kaya slow walker sya hehe
Lovely photos! And congrats for surviving the trip, hehe. Sounds like Louna is a seasoned traveler already.
How did you get around kung bawal ang strollers on buses?
Makis, to save space hehe.. the funny part is that they didn't even spare the facade, as in pati yung harap ng simbahan, hindi pinatawad hehe.
Julie, yes, in fact. We learn to appreciate small pleasures like feeding the pigeons and then just let Louna ran after them. The smile in her face is just priceless.
I don't think I'll enjoy the vacation without her, so it's imperative, she had to be with us ;)
Francesca, I've heard that one too.. and it's quite true at a certain level, like if you just look at the buildings without paying attention to the kind of architecture they used and the history behind them. Add to that the general culture and ambiance each country has to offer.. London is not the same as Barcelona and surely far from Amsterdam, right?
and yes, you could go there no problem, as a wife of a French national, you won't need a visa ;)
Feng, it was fun spending time with the family, without worrying about our daily routine. The stroller, it's a must when you travel with a toddler hehe... these kids love to walk alright, but when they feel tired and want to sleep... hmmm, you don't want to carry a 13kg sleeping toddler, do you?
Rachel, you know what i want to know? what these kids have in mind when they see a plane. i discovered louna's love for plane when we traveled to philippines last christmas. she was one year old then but she was already a fan... i don't know tho if she realized that she actually flew with a plane, i tried to explain to her but i dont know if it registered, she had fun looking outside the window tho. and since it's a regional flight, the plane was flying at a low altitude, she could see the landscape very well.
yes, it was a wonderful trip inspite of the cobblestone. ;)
Sexy Mom, it's already her second plane ride (first one was last december to pinas) and she still was overwhelmed. and yes, it's always better to travel with the loveones.. no matter how difficult it is.
Mitsuru, aha, so you're a fan of Kafka? but did you know that he didn't even speak the Czech language.. he wrote all his oeuvre in german.
Auee, hehe, i was waiting for that comment. Na cobblestones are everywhere in europe, and Dijon is not spared from that. but they start to implement smoother roads esp for handicapped population. In Prague, there were roads under renovation but they kept the cobblestones.. as in everywhere!
In France, i don't think they'll ask you to fold the stroller. Passengers will surely give way..
Christianne, no sweat. she didnt even cry during take off and landing compared to the other children inside the plane.
re: stroller. i carry louna, frenchguy folds the stroller and off we go hehe. if you havent bought one, check out for maclaren strollers, it's a good buy in terms of quality-price. it's one of the lightest* strollers in the market and they offer lifetime guarantee.
*light-weight strollers: one of the most important factors when you travel. take it from me ;)
how nice naman, ana! at an early age, louna is beginning to love traveling.I salute you and frenchguy for bringing along your toddler in your trips. It's probably not as convenient as it was when it was just the two of you but I'm sure it is an adventure!
p.s.
great photos of Prague :)
Am glad you had a great time guys ;) ! grabe Ana I saw the pics with lots of tourist parang mga hindi mahulugan ng karayom sa dami ! Louna will be the first child traveler in the world who can read map :)...cute ! Thanks for sharing your weekend escapades Ana ! So how was the food ?
Sshhhh atin atin lang to ex gf ni hubby bago ko sya napikot este bago naging kami taga dyan :) married na rin ngayon i-tsismis ba daw !
tukayoow...im finally here...^^
im sure you, louna and frenchguy had a wonderful time on this prague escapade. thx, for sharing the pix, their all very nice. at least now i had a taste of europe's one of the most beautiful cities...sama ko minsan, pag napagod kaung magbitbit ng stroller...lol
Wow that looks wonderful. I am envious! lol! Since I always wanted to travel to Prague being that Odd or my Norwegian father have been there for like a couple of times and they say it is beautiful and cheap!
Duke, im sure baby Duke will surely follow maman and papa's footsteps din..
Haze, and we were told na di pa daw peak season nyan ha.. grabe, dami tourists everywhere.. the food? yummy! and cheap pa hahaha.. that's a bargain.. di ka gugutumin dun...
in fairness sa mga pragoise, beauty din sila tulad nating mga pinay ha hahaha, buhatin daw ba sariling bangko!
Ana, tukayo!!!! finally in the blogging world! scoop yan hahahha... hope to read your kwentos too..
Chase, all the travel guides and forums advice to visit the place now while it is still cheap hehe.. add that place to your to-visit list ;)
Opposite pala ni Louna si Justin ko pag nasa plane kami, ayaw tumingin sa labas, natatakot.
great photos analyse! ang ganda ng Prague...thanks for sharing.
Daming tao hehe which my hubs hates a crowded place kaya ang wish ko makasilip doon ay...malabo! haha unless i go alone! lol
Cute Louna the young traveller. ;-)
nice pics! Louna is such a jet-setter! ;-) We wanted to visit Prague, until hubby heard a lot of horror stories coming from soldiers na nanggaling doon. Binigyan daw sila ng hard time sa German boarder, one was even detained overnight, we don't know the real story behind, pero we're not ready to take that risk. And, we're running of time na :-(
prague looks beautiful! me wants to go there too!! :)
those people along the bridge, are they all tourists? grabe nga sa dame ng tao!! but the weather seemed nice kaya siguro a lot of people decided to explore the city :)
Wow! Prague is indeed beautiful! And packed with tourists too! When Louna grows up, it would be fun for her to look back at the photos you took of her in this place. She's so cute! :)
what a fun trip! prague is such a beautiful place. your photos are great! and it seemed that louna enjoyed the trip a lot. Traveling is a learning experience, esp. for kids.
i also hope to travel with Vito soon. i am just worried about the plane ride.
nakarating din ako sa Prag, salamat sa mga pics dito ;)
siguradong mas trip ni L sa Disneyland heheh
Yup, totally agree about the lightweight strollers. We opted for the Quinny Zapp because the Maclaren brakes (at least on the two Maclaren models we tested in the stores) didn't feel as stable as the Quinny's. So convenient to just fold up the Zapp and go!
Ana! fab pics of prague! glad louna enjoyed her holiday as well!
so have you left for NYC yet? i wrote you an email re: meeting up! how 'bout drinks on may 12th? email me!
hi analyse. how's the little frenchies at home?
by the way, am dropping by here to greet you a Happy Mothers day. Sunday will be quite busy and pampering day for us so I thought to greet you in advance. let's all be proud of it, right?
Glad to see you"re having a good time with your loves.
Happy mother's day to YOU, Ana. Louna's so lucky.
Take care.
Princess
especially for you ;)
First let me greet you a happy mother's day.
Second, Louna is so pretty.
and finally, keep on sharing your adventures. Its fun to read.
happy mother's day, mommy ana! :)
ganda ng mga pics! feeling ko tuloy nandun din ako ;)
Hi Ana,
Love the photos! I like the slide feature :) .
Thanks for sharing. Beautiful trip!
Prague's architecture is very "old world". I actually love looking at it thru your pictures.
Happy Mothers Day!
Wow! Check out that huge crowd. Wonder if Manila will ever experience such a healthy dose of tourism.
Gorgeous city. Very photogenic.
Happy Mother's Day!
wow prague ... ako hanggang photos lang. Good na pinapasyal mo si louna. Belated happy mom's day po.
Fly to Prague from 15 to May 22, 2007 for the "standard" from the Czech
Hotel-two shestietazhnyh shell
in the area of Prague 10-sleeping district. Value: quiet enough
calm hotels, clean rooms, good furniture. Our room consisted of a hall,
co toilet blocks (shower booth), the room also has a small balcony.
Of furniture: the hall-top boxes for clothes and shoes, a mirror in the room
two beds with bed, a small refrigerator, TV, telephone.
Less: few away from the city centre. Almost all
tours start and end of the "horse-horse statue on Wenceslas
Wenceslas Square. Accordingly to the collection and to get back
on streetcars and subways (the road was about 30 minutes).
Breakfast at the hotel buffet, more uniform (ham, cheese, sausage,
meat, Cem, butter, coffee, tea, juice, sometimes a couple of salads), but before lunch calories
enough.
Transport in Prague, a single ticket for all modes of transport (metro, tram,
bus), limited to the duration of the ticket (rather convenient
for example, when we were travelling from the zoo, we proehali bus to the hotel, then
subways and trams, one ticket). There are tickets for 15 minutes to an hour a day, at
week. Roughly, we have about 15 trips, so buy week
travel for 250 kroner no sense-used tickets for 12 kroner (one
h, from 20-00 to 5-00 a year and a half hours).
Hi. I am so happy that author had the opportunity to visit exciting Prague with his baby. It is really one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Of course, it is unpleasant when your baby is sleeping and you have to walk through streets of cobblestones, but can you imagine this wonderful city without it, it will be the simple city.
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