day 2

My aunt told me that there's a huge fabric store in area where's a huge factory outlet is situated (with which my mother is obsessed unfortunately). There's a direct bus connection, but it goes through only once per 30 minutes.

The store was really huge and clean, it was in this type of these soulless american fabric store chains. Selection of fabrics also was like in these western chains... overpriced narrow quilting cotton, so much of printed cotton for kids, knits, some viscose and polys. They didn't have good selection of linen despite the season but I managed to get colors I liked and I looked for. I got 1,3m of deep lilac which was nicer than the pastel one which was so ugly and 1,5m of thicker light olive. I also saw stonewashed linen in person and I was right it's so horrid looking and it's a literally a damaged fabric sold for premium price. Funny thing was that it was on sale, because it seems that czech women don't find it good looking even. They had nice selection of 100% cotton courdoy, I'd take more but only color I liked was deep wine red of which I bought 1m, for a skirt with pockets. There were some shirt fabrics and I got two, pastel lilac which is 100% cotton and poly blend which was on sale (but I only found out later it has poly addition...). They had a beautiful cream wool but it was 900czk per meter... maybe I'll get it next time when I'll go in autumn/winter. It was literally what I was looking for.

We then went to nearby mall which was a very disappointing mall, I went to one shoe store but there was nothing worth buying. There were few more stores we went around before going to the food court and we ate. After this we went to buy some groceries. Bus came 10 minutes after we left the mall and waiting in heat was terrible...

In the evening we went out to the historic part of the city center. We got out on Malostranska station and then went to a tram 22 which goes right to the center. We walked in these narrow streets, went under the Karluv must first. We walked through one square where my aunt goes every Christmas, as Czech people all come here to sing carols... I believe it's really magical moment. We finally ended on the bridge via stairs, rather than passing the front gate. Going through these little streets after so many years was really fun, though I did mostly remember these places I saw few times before. We got to the Old Town Square a bit before 22:00 so we waited for the Orloj figure walk around one booth, that still was here after 6 years, which sold sasuage and czech ham. There was a bit more time so we went through the Parizska street which is the designer store street and has highest property prices in entire Prague. All stores were closed but it was fun to see the storefront windows... Modern fashion was a mistake.

A bit before 22:00 we rushed to the Orloj and happened to be in the middle of the crowd of foreign tourists. There were some Italians around, I also saw group of Britons. After this we ended up in maze or narrow streets again, heading to Vaclavske Namesti. I took some photos around here, but we didn't go near the Museum unfortunately (I want to see it illuminated up close next time). To get to the metro we went on makeshift "bridge" over dug out part of the street where they are building a tramline, it will be back after 45 years. Trams vanished from Vaclavac in 1980.

My aunt was too tired and we went back home. The trains in metro ran between every 10 minutes at that hour so we waited a bit, I had a chance to take some photos of the Mustek station which weren't rushed, blurry or out of focus.

The area where my aunt lives was very quiet at night. There still were old streetlamps around and photos I took came out so orange. I took a shower after coming home but I wouldn't sleep until midnight...