Michael and I spent most of December exploring.  This meant many days of walking.  Now I enjoy long walks and liken myself to a beagle dog.  Does that need explaining?  Well, a beagle is often found walking with it’s nose to the ground, sniffing some exciting smell and ending up miles from where it started.  So, I am a like a beagle, always wondering what is around the next corner.  Michael is definitely not a beagle!  However he became this beagle’s best friend–but ONLY if I promised he could rest ever so often at a coffee shop and/or have lunch out in a restaurant.  That sounded ok to me!

On one of our walks we discovered a delightful coffee shop (that reminded us of the ones we frequented when we lived in the States.)  It was called Coffee Heaven.

Every time we went grocery shopping at the Flora Mall in Vinohrady, we made a bee-line straight for Coffee Heaven.  I was hooked on their java and and  chocolate cupcakes.  The girls there were very friendly and helpful as I attempted to order in Czech and they attempted to answer in English!

Then we discovered another Coffee Heaven near Old Town.  I loved the atmosphere there, particularly upstairs.

Yours Truly . . . enjoying a hot coffee after a cold walk around Old Town.

Such a beautiful ceiling. 

I enjoyed sitting by the window and watching the people below.  Christmas was only a few days away and everything was very festive in the streets with Christmas trees lit up in many squares.  The outdoor Christmas Markets (for which Prague is famous) were very busy.  Here one can buy a variety of interesting gift items as well as hot spiced wine and delicious sausages served in bread!  (Yes, we definitely tried both of those —  more than once!)

On one walk, we stumbled across The Globe Bookstore and enjoyed a delicious coffee there as well.  We love the combination of coffee and books.  They go together so well — and seem to appeal to people who also like to have long quiet conversations.  We intended to go to some of their events such as live music, movies, book readings, but we never seemed to get there.  Next time!

I could go on and on with lots of pictures of fabulous desserts we ate, our great lunches in the Hospodas (a bit like a bar but with food) in the neighborhoods we explored.  But I won’t at this time. Just suffice it to say that you definitely won’t go hungry and if you like beer you won’t go dry (Czech beer is very affordable AND wonderful!)  I am not a beer drinker, but when in Prague I seem to drink an awful lot of Pilsner Urquell!  Cheers!  Na Zdravu!

Update:  Coffee Heaven has been bought out by Costa Coffee.