Prague’s Grand Café Orient is the only cubist-designed space of its kind in the world. It occupies the first floor of the House of the Black Madonna, designed in 1911 by modernist architect Josef Gočár. Renovated in 2005, the spacious café retains the original silk-shaded hanging brass lanterns and marble-topped buffet-bar. Diners can enjoy such menu highlights as Prague ham and apple strudel, and then visit the Museum of Czech Cubism upstairs. Ovocný Trh 19, 420/2-24-224-240. Photo by João Canziani. This appeared in the October 2012 issue.

Walk through the beautiful city of Prague and take in the sights while making your way to the river which surrounds the city. Be sure to stop by the Black Light Theater while you await your ferry ride. Once the sun begins to set find the nearest ferry (there are many) and pay the small admission price (around $3). Once upon the boat make your way upstairs to the very top and take in the sights, the castle and churches are the most beautiful when viewed at night as they are lit up by hundreds of lights.

Pivovarsky Klub literally translates to Beer Club. The restaurant and beer bar is dedicated to serving the finest Czech beers along with classic, rustic Czech cuisine. They offer 240 plus bottled beers (primarily Czech), and 6 Czech microbrews on tap at all times. Pivovarsky is always a snapshot of what's hot in the world of Czech brewing, which is expanding and evolving at local microbreweries throughout the country. Czech beer is no longer just great Pilsner and you can sample the latest innovations in beer expression here at Pivovarsky Klub. Come on an empty stomach so you sample some Czech favorites, such as Beer and Suerkraut Soup, Goulash and Dumplings or the mammoth sized portions of Roasted Pork Knuckle. Na zdravi!

A cyberpunk sensibility pervades this twice- yearly event as independent Czech clothing and jewelry designers take over a former slaughterhouse. DJs, dance performances, and runway shows enhance the festive spirit. The next market takes place December 7 and 8. Prague Market Hall No. 7, Holešoviceá Tržnice. Photo by João Canziani. This appeared in the October 2012 issue. Read "The New Bohemia."

I'm ordinarily a harsh critic of the plague of graffiti, which is found in most urban areas. But I draw a distinction when considering the John Lennon Wall in the Mala Strana District of Prague. After Lennon was killed a wall of the Anglo-American School served as a makeshift memorial. Officials painted over the tributes, but the graffiti always returned, and, over time, began to symbolize even more to the Czech people, who were still under the yoke of Soviets. The wall is always changing, as I saw last December. I had seen it 4 years earlier, and the current version was vastly different, while still maintaining the bright pastels and carefully drawn designs and messages. The picture of the heart was the centerpiece, and quite poignant. If you get to Prague, just walk across the Charles Bridge and turn left at the first street. You'll come to the school. Follow the wall around the corner to see this unique memorial.

Controversial Czech sculptor David Černý founded this rough-and-tumble exhibition and performance space in 2001. In an abandoned factory just outside the center of town, artists of every stripe show films, stage concerts and plays, and produce cross-genre happenings. Ke Sklárně 3213/15 Dame St., 420/2-51-551-796. Photo by João Canziani. This appeared in the October 2012 issue. Read "The New Bohemia."

Only a few blocks from Wenceslas Square, the 206-room Radisson Blu is at once an art deco period piece and a fully modern accommodation with comfortable rooms (some with views of Prague Castle) and free Wi-Fi. Dine at the Michelin-starred Alcron restaurant. Doubles from $142, Štěpánská 40, 420/2-22-820-000. Photo by João Canziani. This appeared in the October 2012 issue. Read "The New Bohemia."

Vaulted ceilings and arched hallways retain the medieval character of the 14th-century monastery that originally stood here in the Malá Strana district. The hotel also houses Essensia restaurant. Doubles from $350, Nebovidská 459/1, Malá Strana, 420/2-33-088- 888. Photo courtesy of Mandarin Oriental. This appeared in the October 2012 issue. Read "The New Bohemia."

As you enter the Spanish Synagogue sanctuary, in Josefov, Prague, it’s nearly impossible not to let your eyes plant themselves on the immaculately carved and painted dome ceiling for a good few minutes. Take several moments. Soak it in. Built in 1868 on the grounds of Prague’s oldest Jewish house of worship, you can’t help but feel the history within these sacred walls. Thanks to a late 1990’s restoration, the original splendor complete with stunning stained glass windows are now on view after being closed for 20 years. Be sure to visit the exhibit on the second floor prayer hall. The display places this, along with the other Prague synagogues and cemetery within Moravian and Bohemian Jewish history.

Located right in front of the Franz Kafka museum in the Lesser Town (Mala Strana) area of Prague, is one of the funniest fountains I’ve ever seen. Two bronze sculptures in the form of two men pee into a Czech Republic-shaped enclosure. Created by Czech artist David Cerny, this piece of art is appropriately called “Piss”. After seeing this “pissing fountain”, and not in any particular hurry, we sat on a nearby bench and just watched the reactions from people passing by. It was hilarious. The funniest moment we experienced was when a father and his two young daughters came over to the fountain. We watched as the girls each put their hands in the streams and played around in the water. It looked so inappropriate! But all we could do was get a really good laugh and just enjoy the humor of it all. At the time, I didn’t know there is even more to these men than simply looking like they’re peeing in a pool shaped like the country. Not only do they move realistically with an electric mechanism driven by a couple microprocessors, but they are actually writing out quotes from famous Prague residents with the streams of water. You can even send your own message to a number that’s displayed next to the sculptures and they will write it out. I think about what message I might have sent, perhaps, “love the goulash!” On a visit to Prague, go see this fountain for yourself where you'll definitely have a reaction. It might make you think, laugh, or more than likely, both.

The basement of the historic and stately Grandhotel Pupp is dedicated to Becherovka. The extensive menu of cocktails includes a dozen or so made with Becherovka, some of which, including the Midnight Pupp, are signature creations of the bar. Grandhotel Pupp, Mírové náměstí 2, 420/353-109-111, pupp.cz.Photo by João Canziani. This appeared in the July/August 2012 issue.

You can't miss it. In my book it's a major symbol of Prague with all the jutted mini-towers. Makes one think of every castle any child has seen in their storybooks.

David Cerny is one of the Czech Republic's most avant garde and controversial artists due to his large public art displays that usually have political and/or social overtones. The large scale 'Guns' exhibit hangs in the Artbanka Museum of Young Art in Prague, near the Charles Bridge. David Cerny is most famous for his communist era stunt that landed him in prison, when he painted a Red Armada Tank in Victory Square pink.

This chic cocktail bar attracts Karlovy Vary’s bold and beautiful residents. There are several Becherovka cocktails on the menu, including the classic Beton (Becherovka and tonic). Jaltská 7, 420/722-658-334, foopaa.cz. Photo by João Canziani. This appeared in the July/August 2012 issue.

If you have a day to kill in Prague, I strongly suggest taking the hour train ride out to the medieval town of Kutna Hora. Amid the wonders of this charming village, you'll discover one of the most ghastly, morbid and, at the same time, spectacular displays of artistic ingenuity to be found anywhere. The Sedlec Ossuary is the location of a grand assembly of human bones from hundreds of years of human burial arranged and configured into large neat mounds, a giant chandelier, a coat of arms and several wall and ceiling adornments. The unique works of art were created by a wood carver named Frantisek Rint in the 1,800's. He was asked to place the bones uncovered by the construction of the church basement into orderly piles, but made art of them instead. The Ossuary is a real oddity and needs to be seen to be believed. Kutna Hora is home to many other attractions, such as an awesome brewery, called Dacicky, an intact medieval town center, the stunning Santa Barbara Cathedral and sweeping hilltop views over Bohemia. The greater Kutna Hora and Sedlec area are together a UNESCO World Heritage Site and worth a day trip from Prague.

I can't imagine there being a more beautiful city architecturally than Prague. I bought a "tower pass" to climb all the towers of Prague. It may have cost as much as 200 CZK but was well worth it for the exercise and for views like this. The Klementinum tower offers a 360 degree view of the city. Inside the modernized portion of the complex is a concert hall for classical music. I caught the tail end of the International Classic Music Festival and saw the Hungarian Philharmonic for the equivalent of about 18 USD. I highly recommend visiting Prague the last week of May.

Some areas of Prague give that impression that you are seeing a city described in a fairy tale. The tradition of puppets makes it even more interesting. If shopping for something unique in Prague there are many puppets stores that sell different sizes, shapes, characters, and colors of puppets. If you are a puppet fan check out this website www.puppetsinprague.eu

While walking through the beautiful city of Prague I passed a farmers market and shopped for a bit. However I grew tired of the mounds of people and I yerned for something more peacful I walked down past the tourist information center on the right and vowed to keep walking until the noise from the crowds ceased to exist. That is when I came upon this passageway. It was gorgeous, I could see the marketplace from it but it was far enough to allow me to enjoy a nice lunch while taking in the magnficent surroundings. This felt like I had truly found Prague.

Prague is the home of a large Vietnamese population, which is excellent news for foodies who constantly crave Vietnamese cuisine. During the Communist period, the Czechoslovak government invited Vietnamese people into the country as guest workers; after Communism collapsed, many decided to stay. If you have time to venture beyond the city, you can visit TTTM Sapa ("Little Hanoi") in Prague 4 or the market in the Malesice district in Prague 10 to eat delicious food, visit shops, and experience the community's culture. Otherwise, stop by the market in Holešovice for a delicious bowl of beef pho like the one pictured above.

We took a tour that included this old Jewish cemetery. I wondered how the headstones could be so close together, and now I know. They had limited space, so they buried people in layers & put all the headstones for the layers together on top.