Prague

Even though we had no idea what the sign posts were trying to tell us in Czech, the directions we had been given by phone, from the extremely helpful hotel staff, were simple to follow. It was relaxing to be able to understand the public transport system, and so once we emerged from the Mustek underground, we only had 50 metres to walk in the rain. After 2 weeks of rooms where only one of us could stand at a time, it was a joy to have a huge room again. We were in a hotel above a puppet theatre in the old town at Mustek. The reception staff were friendly, a breath of fresh air after the tourist weary Italians. Some of the staff doubled as puppeteers in the puppet theatre. 

The hotel overlooked a pedestrian mall, which was very busy in the evenings with young people walking between Wenceslas and Staromestske (the old town) Squares. Prague is visited by masses of students in school tour groups (seemed to be mostly German), and so there is an atmosphere of young people out enjoying themselves. Even though Czechs are heavier beer drinkers than Australians, there was no feeling of tension or aggression in the bar areas. It made us wonder why Australians can’t behave in a similar manner.

Beer. I was in beer heaven. Czechs have been brewing beer since the 12th century. One of my favourite beers, Pilsner Urquell, brewed only a few kilometres away in Pilsen, was on tap. So too was a caramel tasting dark lager by Kozel and the real Budweiser, Budejovice Budvar.

We saw the beautiful Astronomical clock in Staromestke, a mechanical marvel. Finally created in 1490 by a master clock-maker, who was blinded, according to legend, so that he could not duplicate the work elsewhere. Many bridal couples gathered here for wedding photos. We always try to have food native to the area, which in Czech means lots of warming stodge. Lunch from a stall in the town square was a very large chunk of spit roasted pork, rye bread and a large beer. In the afternoon I got peckish and had a Langose, a large hunk of deep fried bread dough covered with tomato paste, crushed garlic and grated cheese. (It seemed like a good idea at the time). For dinner we stopped a friendly local, asked for his advise, and was shown to a downstairs Czech restaurant, to have beef goulash for Del, and a mixed sausage, pork and dumplings dish for me.  

Prague is full of beautiful old decorated buildings, preserved like no other European city, because it wasn't bombed during the war. Some interesting modern architecture as well, including the ’Dancing Building’, sometimes nicknamed (‘Fred and Ginger‘)

Prague Castle, the largest ancient castle in the world (7 football fields long), took us 5 hours to explore “quickly”. The cathedral with expressively painted faces in Art Nouveau stained glass, countless chapels, and a huge solid silver statue/mausoleum which contained somebodies tongue? A laneway of craftsmen’s cottages, built against the wall of the castle, which were only 3 or 4 metres wide. And the palace with various halls and chapels and views over the city.

One evening we went to a Classical concert in the Art Deco Municipal House next to the Prasna Brana (city gate). It was very grand, with the Prague Royal Orchestra, opera singers and ballet dancers, but designed primarily for tourists (a bit like a corroboree in Perth). Another evening we walked into a courtyard bar off Celetna street, where two friendly Czech singer/guitarists were playing laid back songs from old jazz to U2. There was only two other couples listening. 

Prague has art and architecture from every period of European history, and it has a sense of humour. Saint Wenceslas is the hero of Prague, and the Square named after him features a statue of St Wencelas riding proudly on a horse. In Lucerna Palace, off Wenceslas Square, hangs from the ceiling, a contemporary statue of St Wenceslas astride a decidedly deceased mount.