24 May 2018, Thursday
This is probably going to be the shortest blog post for the trip as it was a pretty uneventful and chillax day today. Perhaps the knowledge that it was our last day together contributed to the somewhat subdued mood. Mum and dad would be flying home tomorrow, while I would continue my adventure solo for the next 1.5 months or so before joining up with them again on 8 July 2018 in Beijing, China.
This morning, we set off at about 9:30am and visited Havelská Market, the only permanent market in the Old Town. The market was just beside the street where our apartment was. It occupied one section of Havelská street and it wasn’t very big. Traditionally, it was a produce-only market, selling fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers. As years went by, shops selling souvenirs started creeping in, though some of the original trade still remains. For tourists like us, Havelská Market was a good place to shop for souvenirs because they were cheaper than those in proper shop buildings around the Old Town.
After that, we walked towards Můstek Metro station and Wenceslas Square, which is the commercial centre of Prague. Here, we did some window shopping and did not buy anything. After 24 days in Europe, we have become very familiar with the shops as they are mostly the same chain stores found in every country.
For lunch, we chose a Chinese restaurant called Hong Shun at Wenceslas Square. The good thing about travelling with mum and dad (or in a group) is that we can order many dishes to share, especially for Chinese food. We had ma la soup and seafood soup, ma po toufu, xiao bai cai and gong bao ji ding, which was quite a feast. I know that for my upcoming solo travels, I will not have the luxury of having such a spread. It was great to have green, leafy vegetables cooked in a similar way just like home, instead of cold, raw vegetables in salads and side dishes like in most of the European fare.
As we wandered around the city centre, we soon reached Powder Tower, one of the original 13 city gates in Old Town. The tower was built in 1475 and it was intended to be an entrance tower instead of a defensive tower. Kings used to pass through the Powder Tower to enter Old Town before reaching Prague Castle. It stands at the boundary between the Old Town and the New Town. In terms of design, the tower looks quite similar to the Old Town Bridge Tower at Charles Bridge. It is called Powder Tower because it was used to store gunpowder in the 17th century.
Located near Powder Tower was Palladium, a large shopping mall with over 200 shops and restaurants. The mall was modern and the selection of shops was decent. For dinner, we decided to have Asian food again, but Thai this time. We had tom yum soup, pad thai noodles, fried rice and mango sticky rice for dessert.
As easy-going I am with food, I still think Asian food is the most palatable because of the sheer variety of dishes and tastes available. With rice and noodles as the base, there are countless permutations on offer. Coupled with a huge range of spices and ingredients, there is something in Asian cuisine to cater to every taste bud.
After dinner, we went back to Charles Bridge to see the famed night view of Prague. Indeed, the city is even more beautiful at night than in the day, as the buildings and structures are lit tastefully, evoking a sense of grandeur. As we walked along the banks of the Vltava river, we soaked in the classic view of Charles Bridge and Prague Castle in the background, a scene that has graced countless paintings of Prague.
By 10pm, we were back at our apartment, ready to finish our packing as we prepared to leave Prague tomorrow. It had been a very fulfilling 24 days with mum and dad and I sure will miss them when they go home tomorrow. Well, all good things must come to an end, so it’s one last night together before I start my solo travels!
