Tweet
So, Cab (a good chum of mine - the one who does the racing thing) arranged some cheap tickets to Prague. A PM or two later and we met up with Eireann on Monday just gone.
Cab and I had spent some time at Brands Hatch where, despite not having driven the circuit until the day and being up against some serious talent here or there, managed a very respectable sixth place. I, in the process of being his pit monkey, managed to create the largest molotov cocktail I'd ever accidentally made.
The very next morning, at stupid o'clock, we headed for the airport. One connecting flight later, we hit Prague. Fascinating place, it really is.
The Czechs have an attitude to life that's pretty much summed up in general as, "We're Czechs, sod you." It's great! The place is full of functional beauty from the middle ages onwards, such as bridges lined with statues that are still used as regular means of crossing the river. There's not much religious faith in the Czech republic, but there are some stunning churches marvellously maintained.
As Eireann told us, the Russians invaded in times past. The Czechs got wind of it and changed the road signs to, "This way to Moscow" at junctions.
"We're Czech, sod you."
History is rifely described in plaques and statues, such as small plaques on the sidewalk/pavements to commemorate the many who died in concentration camps. A large plaque on the side of a building near our hotel commemorated the life of a Czech feminist who died in, if memory serves, the uprising to throw out the Nazis. The building is currently a sex store.
Bribery isn't in everything, but there are elements of the official structure that are susceptible to this art form. Tax evasion is a pressing issue.
"We're Czech, sod you."
The national menu is mostly meat. Eireann was able to show us a rather fine eating and drinking place that was vegetarian and a proud financial success.
"We're Czech, sod you."
A food chain (mostly Italian) we ate at on a couple of occasions advertises itself by saying that the vegetables on the plate are there only for decoration, so don't eat them.
You get the idea.
Public transport is excellent. We were able to get hither and thither on train, metro, and tram, and we did. Pretty cheap, for that matter. Our hotel was basic, but functional, and we didn't spend that much time there. However, it was attained from the main Wenceslas (in Czech "Vaclav") Square via a route I quickly dubbed 'Porn Alley'. The sex shop with the plaque to commorate a feminist? On the corner of this. Further up were a couple of 'clubs' that weren't even thinly veiled as brothels. Chaps stood outside on a night to try and encourage people in. I ended up with a price list. Further up yet was something boasting 'sauna', yet the chap outside boasted of 'fun in jacuzzis'.
It didn't have the sheer reputation of Amsterdam, perhaps even the panache, but it was a similarly relaxed attitude.
One of the funnier sights was a lady of the night glomming onto a chap a number of yards behind us in Wenceslas Square with a cry of, "You want sex?" His reaction was feigned bewilderment. Looking back on it, it's easier for a lady to have a 'throaty' voice if she still has her Adam's Apple.
That's Porn Alley out of the way. What did we actually do?
Well, Thai massage places are very popular, and we're talking proper massages instead of happy ending establishments. Cab had never had a proper massage. He and I were shown into a room with two massage beds and instructed to remove our clothing.
"Bwah?" he asked.
I was already unbuckling my belt. "Just down to your boxers, should be enough."
"What?"
He'd assumed it was going to be a neck and shoulders thing. Oh no. Not at all. I heard the massage therapists returning and I whispered to Cab, "Don't get a stiffy." He glared at me in what I think was abject horror (I had my glasses off by this point, so it was fuzzy), and I smirked.
They started with the feet. I didn't know Cab was ticklish. Heh. Tell you what, though - I'd not fancy my chances in a wrestling match with those ladies. When my therapist got to my back, I had touble breathing. I had to time intakes of breath to when the pummeling was off.
I'm pretty sure that when I was asked to roll over, little Rapscallion made a brief appearance, and Thai words and expressions of gratitude erupted. Well, I think laughter is appreciative. Usually...
Other than that, we saw castles. Karlstein Castle is pretty damned cool, both in temperature and in structure and location. There's been some significant restoration work and there are tour groups in four different languages (held at different times). The Czech prices are in the notoriously difficult to learn Czech language, in words. Eireann was able to point out that they were a hundred crowns cheaper than those written against other languages in numbers.
"We're Czech, sod you." Hang on, done that one.
What's on show? Side by side you get restored and original fixtures. You get a good tour of a very large building with large rooms, and a good explanation of how things were. The views from the battlements are astounding.
Prague Castle is differently impressive. It's far larger, though it was more designed for bureaucracy, from what I could see, with a distinct eye towards defence. The original moat is drained, but still there, and it's good and deep. You even get modern guards who are supposed to maintain an alert status whereby they ignore tourists. I must have been fascinating to one of them as he eyed me. Maybe he knows some Thai massage therapists...
The History of Prague Castle exhibit is great - it tracks the known and discovered history of the area from prehistoric times. I was in hog's heaven.
Charles' bridge is very impressive. It's partly restored, as of some flood damage, but it's a haven for artists and buskers, and for many, many statues of ancient note. If my camera had been playing right, I'd have taken many more photos.
What else? Oh yes, the museum of torture. Some of that was remarkably descriptive. There's one at the bottom of Wenceslas Square (Wenceslas was never a king, did you know that?) that we saw, and one at one end of Charles' bridge (didn't get to see that one).
There's an astronomical clock (the one pictured there is the one we saw in action). They even laid on a bugler for us.
One of my favourite aspects was the breakfast menu at the restaurant near our hotel. They had a breakfast menu with English on.
Goulash? For breakfast?
Excellent!
Served in a bowl that is bread baked in the proper shape? Even better.
Best of all, they offered tiramisu for breakfast. I didn't bother with that one, but tiramisu is not a sometime food. Not in the Czech republic.
The arts have an important role in Czech culture, and we took in the performance of a Black Light Theatre (this specific one being the All Colour Theatre). That night was the legend of Faust. Some very good acting and dancing, but it's fair to say that we winced in unison as one actress/dancer performed the splits.
Bloody good time. Would go back. You know Eireann from on the site, and in person she's better. Knows the area, knows the things to avoid, and more than happy to help show a couple of clueless Brits around.
Rapscallion
Cab and I had spent some time at Brands Hatch where, despite not having driven the circuit until the day and being up against some serious talent here or there, managed a very respectable sixth place. I, in the process of being his pit monkey, managed to create the largest molotov cocktail I'd ever accidentally made.
The very next morning, at stupid o'clock, we headed for the airport. One connecting flight later, we hit Prague. Fascinating place, it really is.
The Czechs have an attitude to life that's pretty much summed up in general as, "We're Czechs, sod you." It's great! The place is full of functional beauty from the middle ages onwards, such as bridges lined with statues that are still used as regular means of crossing the river. There's not much religious faith in the Czech republic, but there are some stunning churches marvellously maintained.
As Eireann told us, the Russians invaded in times past. The Czechs got wind of it and changed the road signs to, "This way to Moscow" at junctions.
"We're Czech, sod you."
History is rifely described in plaques and statues, such as small plaques on the sidewalk/pavements to commemorate the many who died in concentration camps. A large plaque on the side of a building near our hotel commemorated the life of a Czech feminist who died in, if memory serves, the uprising to throw out the Nazis. The building is currently a sex store.
Bribery isn't in everything, but there are elements of the official structure that are susceptible to this art form. Tax evasion is a pressing issue.
"We're Czech, sod you."
The national menu is mostly meat. Eireann was able to show us a rather fine eating and drinking place that was vegetarian and a proud financial success.
"We're Czech, sod you."
A food chain (mostly Italian) we ate at on a couple of occasions advertises itself by saying that the vegetables on the plate are there only for decoration, so don't eat them.
You get the idea.
Public transport is excellent. We were able to get hither and thither on train, metro, and tram, and we did. Pretty cheap, for that matter. Our hotel was basic, but functional, and we didn't spend that much time there. However, it was attained from the main Wenceslas (in Czech "Vaclav") Square via a route I quickly dubbed 'Porn Alley'. The sex shop with the plaque to commorate a feminist? On the corner of this. Further up were a couple of 'clubs' that weren't even thinly veiled as brothels. Chaps stood outside on a night to try and encourage people in. I ended up with a price list. Further up yet was something boasting 'sauna', yet the chap outside boasted of 'fun in jacuzzis'.
It didn't have the sheer reputation of Amsterdam, perhaps even the panache, but it was a similarly relaxed attitude.
One of the funnier sights was a lady of the night glomming onto a chap a number of yards behind us in Wenceslas Square with a cry of, "You want sex?" His reaction was feigned bewilderment. Looking back on it, it's easier for a lady to have a 'throaty' voice if she still has her Adam's Apple.
That's Porn Alley out of the way. What did we actually do?
Well, Thai massage places are very popular, and we're talking proper massages instead of happy ending establishments. Cab had never had a proper massage. He and I were shown into a room with two massage beds and instructed to remove our clothing.
"Bwah?" he asked.
I was already unbuckling my belt. "Just down to your boxers, should be enough."
"What?"
He'd assumed it was going to be a neck and shoulders thing. Oh no. Not at all. I heard the massage therapists returning and I whispered to Cab, "Don't get a stiffy." He glared at me in what I think was abject horror (I had my glasses off by this point, so it was fuzzy), and I smirked.
They started with the feet. I didn't know Cab was ticklish. Heh. Tell you what, though - I'd not fancy my chances in a wrestling match with those ladies. When my therapist got to my back, I had touble breathing. I had to time intakes of breath to when the pummeling was off.
I'm pretty sure that when I was asked to roll over, little Rapscallion made a brief appearance, and Thai words and expressions of gratitude erupted. Well, I think laughter is appreciative. Usually...
Other than that, we saw castles. Karlstein Castle is pretty damned cool, both in temperature and in structure and location. There's been some significant restoration work and there are tour groups in four different languages (held at different times). The Czech prices are in the notoriously difficult to learn Czech language, in words. Eireann was able to point out that they were a hundred crowns cheaper than those written against other languages in numbers.
"We're Czech, sod you." Hang on, done that one.
What's on show? Side by side you get restored and original fixtures. You get a good tour of a very large building with large rooms, and a good explanation of how things were. The views from the battlements are astounding.
Prague Castle is differently impressive. It's far larger, though it was more designed for bureaucracy, from what I could see, with a distinct eye towards defence. The original moat is drained, but still there, and it's good and deep. You even get modern guards who are supposed to maintain an alert status whereby they ignore tourists. I must have been fascinating to one of them as he eyed me. Maybe he knows some Thai massage therapists...
The History of Prague Castle exhibit is great - it tracks the known and discovered history of the area from prehistoric times. I was in hog's heaven.
Charles' bridge is very impressive. It's partly restored, as of some flood damage, but it's a haven for artists and buskers, and for many, many statues of ancient note. If my camera had been playing right, I'd have taken many more photos.
What else? Oh yes, the museum of torture. Some of that was remarkably descriptive. There's one at the bottom of Wenceslas Square (Wenceslas was never a king, did you know that?) that we saw, and one at one end of Charles' bridge (didn't get to see that one).
There's an astronomical clock (the one pictured there is the one we saw in action). They even laid on a bugler for us.
One of my favourite aspects was the breakfast menu at the restaurant near our hotel. They had a breakfast menu with English on.
Goulash? For breakfast?
Excellent!
Served in a bowl that is bread baked in the proper shape? Even better.
Best of all, they offered tiramisu for breakfast. I didn't bother with that one, but tiramisu is not a sometime food. Not in the Czech republic.
The arts have an important role in Czech culture, and we took in the performance of a Black Light Theatre (this specific one being the All Colour Theatre). That night was the legend of Faust. Some very good acting and dancing, but it's fair to say that we winced in unison as one actress/dancer performed the splits.
Bloody good time. Would go back. You know Eireann from on the site, and in person she's better. Knows the area, knows the things to avoid, and more than happy to help show a couple of clueless Brits around.
Rapscallion
Comment