Karlín, the Žižkov tunnel and the Metro

Karlín is a small area East of the New Town in Prague. Almost 600 years ago, it was the site of the battle between proto-Protestant reformists and the Holy Roman Empire. Today, it was our site to explore (and for a place to stop for an alcoholic beverage in the park, Prague-style).

Once again, the area is filled with beauty and imposing structures that leave you in awe. From the outside, the Cathedral of Cyril and Methodius seems like many of the other cathedrals in Prague, built in the nineteenth century in the Neo-Romanesque style, but as you walk through the cathedral doors you realise the grandeur of the building. It's the largest religious structure in Czech Republic. Jason blessed himself with holy water, and surprisingly he and the cathedral didn’t go up in flames.

Near the cathedral is the 300 metre long pedestrian tunnel, the Žižkov tunnel, which connects Karlín and Žižkov. While we were walking through the tunnel, we heard sirens. At first, we thought it was coming from outside the tunnel, but we quickly realised it was a police car travelling at high speed through the tunnel and we needed to jump out the way or be hit by the car. A narrow escape for both of us.

To get around Prague is easy. The public transport system is well-connected and seems to be very regular and on-time. The only issue Ricky has with the metro is that it seems to be situated in the depths of the abyss and the escalators seem to be a vertical drop. Hold on for dear life!

We seem to be drawn to the Old Town and end up in Old Town Square each night. This time, we got to view the Prague Astronomical Clock (Orloj) in action. On the hour, the clock features a show consisting of figurines of the Apostles (and death represented by a skeleton) moving in and out of the clock window. The clock is surrounded by hundreds of people in anticipation of the show, with cameras poised to capture it. At the end of the show, which only takes a few minutes, the clock receives a rockstar applause.Read more