Cafe Hopping

My new routine is to get out of the house in the mornings and go cafe hopping on the days that I don’t have yoga. Although the 35-minute bus to get to the outermost reaches of Prague is a drag, I am pretty used to it by now, so it isn’t too much of a hindrance. Once at the bus stop in Prague, called Zlicin, I have three options.

Option 1: I can take a free five-minute bus across the highway to the Avion shopping mall with its huge Tesco (sort of like a Super Target, I think) and the monster Ikea which I got lost in once and have been too frightened to venture into since. There is a beautiful Starbucks between Tesco and Ikea, so sometimes I like to go sit there for two or three hours. It is shaped like a circle with windows for walls and really nice chairs all along the edges. What do I do for those hours? News Flash--Starbucks in Prague have free wireless internet! This is very important, as it was in search of the internet that I began my cafe adventures. The internet at the house was screwy for about two weeks so it forced me on the 7:30 AM bus into Prague.

Option 2: A new Starbucks just opened up in the Metropole shopping extravaganza mall, which is a three-minute walk from the bus stop. There are nice stores there so sometimes I window shop for a bit before settling down. I don’t like this Starbucks as much as the Avion one because it is smack dab in the center of the mall so it isn’t as peaceful, but it has the advantage of being so close to the bus stop. I don’t have to worry about catching the bus from Avion to Zlicin so that I can catch my bus from Zlicin to the village.

Option 3: Hop on the metro from the bus stop and ride into the city center. About thirty minutes, but there are some lovely places where I can plop for several hours and have some quiet reading/internet/GRE subject test studying/graduate school applications filling out/Skype time. My favorite Starbucks in Prague (I could be a commercial for them. I did not go to Starbucks very often in America; usually I just hit the drive-through at the Elon exit halfway between Duke and home) but Starbucks is such a nice touch of home. Add the free wireless, a drink card that gives you any free drink, any size, after you have bought four, and the luxurious interiors...hard to resist.) Let’s rejoin that discarded phrase at the beginning and finish the poor thing:...in Prague is the Malostranska one at the foot of the Prague Castle hill. It is in a very old building with thick walls and arches, and it has lots of comfortable seating and windows so you can watch the trams pull up. But the one in Wenceslas Square has a beautiful upstairs (see picture) and the Palladium’s Starbucks are nice if you want something to go.

I tend to avoid the Old Town Square one since it is very touristy and busy. Not a good place to sprawl for hours.

If I am not in the mood for a bit of America, though that is indeed rare, I go to Tretter’s Cafe on the top floor of the Palladium shopping center. It is all white wainscoting and tables and relaxed, almost cabana-like seats. Nice selection of tea and free wireless. Julie recommended it to me. Although the waitresses are not super friendly, it is a nice place where you can look down and watch the shoppers stroll the four floors below.

Marks and Spencers! The one in Wenceslas Square has a newly opened cafe on the top floor. Behind the food (the labels are in English and they have British-y food like porridge and scones! I feel like I am in London!) is a modern, sleek cafe with tasty baked goods and teas and coffees.

I like CoffeeHeaven, too. It is basically a European Starbucks. Their drinks are about ten crowns, or 50 cents, cheaper than Starbucks. The baristas speak English, and they have almost the exact same stuff as Starbucks. I don't like the interiors as much, though. And although they apparently have wireless internet, I have not been able to connect.

What happened to the cukrarna in the village? For one thing, I don’t like their coffee—instant cappuccinos are not as tasty as what I can make myself at home. More importantly, the people aren’t very cheerful with me. I kept hoping they would warm up to me and get used to my face. But when I am there I feel like that face has “American” tattooed on the forehead, and “Stranger” and “Doesn’t Speak Czech” across the cheeks. So I don’t go there very often anymore. And no internet.

Although I may not be able to tell you much about Kafka or the Astronomical Clock, if you need to find a Starbucks or other pleasant resting stop, I am your gal. As I was writing this (in Starbucks, natch) a woman came up to me and asked if my internet was working. Unfortunately, I am having trouble connecting this morning, and so was she. She asked me if I knew of any other wireless hot spots in the city, and I shocked myself by rattling off all the different places she could go. I am half-proud of my knowledge, but also aware that cafe hopping does not always qualify as an enriching cultural experience, and that I must continue to explore the country, not just the cafes. But for now I am pretty happy with my free grande latte (four drinks, baby!) and my morning hours of freedom.