best summer prague day (along the vltava)

as prague is still sort of a winter city to me (scowls, trams, winter coats, and the smell of svařák come to mind) i wanted to make an effort to change that and get to know its lovely summer self this month a bit better. and it has come to my attention that hangin’ by the vltava river for the day is a very good way to spend a breezy summer day.

start, for example, at náplavka on a saturday morning… of the markets i’ve seen, náplavka has something reeeeal special, which explains its popularity. the best vegetables that this hot weather could produce, fresh-squeezed juices, some seeeeriously delicious looking single-origin freshly-brewed iced coffee (it had an orange slice! the coffee snob side of me guesses it was a kenyan), and a festive atmosphere with some of my favorite street musicians in the city. (the same ones who rocked out “the sound of silence” with an accordion on my birthday)

i could spend a couple hours here easily with that “easy summer feeling” thing going on, but promises of bahn-mi were luring alex away, and i came with. we walked along the river instead of delving into the zig-zagging city streets of old and new town before arriving at bahn-mi-ba, a new vietnamese joint just off of dlouha trida. their offerings are sparse and the quantity small, but it is tasty… just order at least two things on a hungry belly!

next, to t-anker cafe to take in some special old town views while sipping ledová káva. it was THE perfect temperature, at 23 C… i was more than happy to get to know summer prague at a happy medium between face-melting heatwave and i’m-wearing-five-layers dead of winter. visiting t-anker really brings out the “i’m in my happy place” kind of feeling.

speaking of happy places, i insisted that we go to mine in malá

strana. however, it had been brought to alex’s attention that i have never been to or even heard of the valdštejnská gardens, located at the seat of the czech senate. mazes of hedges, fountains, and almost french-style perfectly manicured gardens, it was a wonderful summer stop! but don’t sit on the much too perfect lawn or risk an admonishment from the groundskeepers. i guess when you find a lawn that perfect here, it is a little too good to be true. you were almost perfect, czechland.

i also learned that day: never go into a bookstore when you’ve got nothing but five crowns in your pocket. especially not shakespeare and sons, on

u luzickeho seminare

ulice. we are both still dreaming of books we want to give a good new home too!

until then, books…… (sigh)

after wandering the district, poking in places that i never gave the time of day earlier or even noticed, like the tiniest street in the country, below (!!!), we found ourselves near kampa island at my favorite prague beach (near the franz kafka museum) wandering along the vltava again– we came full circle.

…and then i come home to be greeted by černy petr the cat, who seemed to be welcoming us back inside on this warm summer night. or trying to scare us away, one of the two.

what are your favorite prague summer things?