Prague

The story starts on Friday evening.  I had been good, only one pint despite a serious Friday in the pub at work, a quick run and did all my ironing before the intelligible text from Amanda.  I wasn’t surprised there had been a leaving drink for her last day at work, but it was quite clearly some leaving drink.... Still it is not every day you leave somewhere you've worked for 18 years....

But she did well in the morning and actually left her home before me – we met at Seven Sisters and then to Stansted, where the hang-over did kick in a bit.  It was a beautiful day in London and Prague and the flight was glorious.  We were off to stay with my old University friend Eric Todman, whom many of you are familiar with from the days when he used to write travel columns in NMR!  Eric met us on cue, making a big point about not hailing cabs, instead elaborately arranging a rendezvous point.  The taxi ride gave a very good first impression of the City and Eric’s flat was a great shock – absolutely lovely - a real bachelor pad!  Did little for the rest of the day except talk and headed down to a very classy local Italian (Aromi) for dinner.  Warm, civilized, good food and wine, if not as cheap as we had been led to believe.  All in all a good start to the weekend.

Wenceslas Square is the Oxford St of Prague and eminently forgettable, but around the corner was the first place from the list given me by one of my clients, Francis.  He is a lover of Prague and gave us his list of things not to miss.  We did pretty well as you shall see. Obecni Dum – a temple of Art Nouveau, was his first item, and it was an absolutely wonderful place.  After a tour of the inside – the restaurants, the American Bar, the staircase -  we sat outside in the beautiful weather for a couple of beers and sandwich.  Then walked thorough the Old Town to the famed Charles Bridge. We were very struck by what excellent condition the buildings are in. We continued on through the edges of the Hradcany and found some very lovely gardens (possibly Valdstejnsky jizdarna though not absolutely certain) .  Then we went on up to Metronome Park – called this because – yes there is a huge Metronome.  It was also a spot to try and get the famous 7 bridges photo – but I didn’t manage it!  After another beer we went back down the Metro only for me to get robbed of my wallet – about £ 100 and 2 credit cards.  Not a lot I could do as I was surrounded and jostled by 5-6 men.  I knew it was happening but didn’t know what to do. Spent an hour or so cancelling cards and so on. Bit of a downer after such a good day, but I think I rallied sufficiently to enjoy dinner at Mozaika, another local place very near Eric’s flat.  All in all, crime apart, Prague really was showing itself a tremendous City.

On Monday, with Eric off to work, we managed to get out marginally before midday and headed out toward the Castle on the Metro – and emerged in another beautiful day.  On our way to the Castle we wandered quaint and lovely streets, ending up finding a huge Waterwheel down near the Charles Bridge.  It looked as if we could wander this area happily all day.  But we went back to the main tourist drag and decided to pop into St Nicholas’ Church, which Eric had recommended the previous day…. Correctly so as we were knocked out as we walked in, hit in the eye by GOLD.  This was High Baroque, gold, statues, ornamentation everywhere.  Stunning stuff.  So on and up to the Castle, which is really a chateau.  I really wanted to go to St Vitas Cathedral, but on first sight it was considerably less interesting than St Nicholas.  However, it soon began to reveal its charms, stained glass windows of wonderful colour, including one by Mucha, baroque monstrosities, and the Byzantine chapel of St Wenceslas himself.  We only did a fraction of it. 

Time for a beer and we then strode confidently off to the Romanesque Basilica only to find our tickets didn’t take us there.  Decided against the main part of the palace – leave it for another day – and instead went to a very quaint bit of cottages called Golden Lane.  After that we went to find another of Francis’ recommendation, the Loretta, but it was shut (it is the house of the Virgin magically transported by angles to Prague to save it from the infidel) so it was time for a beer and a sandwich and a trek down to the Old Town.  I fancied checking-out Tesco but it was manic and we fled.  Met Eric at 6.30 – by which time we were exhausted, and went to a Lebanese restaurant (Diwan) – which was fun but probably the most disappointing meal of the week.  However, we were taking about buying some Kafka for Matthew and Tracy, so Eric took us out into the suburbs to an English Language, second-hand bookshop and bar called Shakespeare and Son.  Not just any old bar either, but one serving a micro-brewery beer and the best beer of the week. Why doesn't London have such places?

Tuesday was slightly duller, and I even contemplated taking a jacket… but didn’t. I attempted to find a tram to take us into Town, but failed, but we did get to see the awesome – and with the crawling babies utterly bizarre – TV Tower at close hand.  Actually I quite enjoyed wandering the suburbs.  Conceded defeat on the tram however and took the Metro to the top end of Wenceslas, and then to the Mucha Museum. Mucha is the most famous of Prague artists, though his most famous work - the art nouveau posters of Sarah Bernhart were actually done in Paris.  This is a small place, but really interesting and good – if expensive – souvenirs.  Then it was back to Obecni Dum for beer and cake. 

I wanted to find the House of the Black Madonna, an unlikely name for a cubist gallery, which was also on Francis' list. An interesting building, some old-fashioned communist manning levels and some wonderful Czech Cubism spread across three floors.  Amanda in particular was very struck by some of the work. Would have happily bought a print, but all they were offering was £ 100 + coffee services….  And on to our next bit of culture, the Kafka Museum.  Small and rather pathetic it was not without interest, and you really wanted to go and tell them how to do it.  Went back across the square to the Kafka Bookshop to buy our copies of The Trial.  And then the weather finally broke – dramatically.  The rain hammered down for half an hour or fury.  Once it was safe to venture out headed for the Bridge one final time for Amanda to buy a print, then back to Mucha Museum for me to buy a print, to tick off the last item on Francis' splendid list - the Cubist Lampost,  then met Eric again.  Tonight’s venue was a modern restaurant at the Opera (Zahrada v Opere), and this was the best of the stay.  a classy modern menu, excellent service, great food and £ 55 for the three of us including two bottles of wine...

And that was it really.  Just time on Wednesday to explore the local supermarket and take a taxi back to the airport.  Everyone says Prague is a lovely place, but we both fell deeply in love with it  We have done but a fraction of it, and this account tells you even less.  But it has to be returned to, and for anyone who loves architecture, art, history or quirky religion, I can only recommend it.

 

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