Prague, the city of cities...

Prague, the city of cities...

I am in Prague, the incomparably beautiful city in the heart of Europe. The Czech republic, a small, green, quaint looking country that is in some ways more German than Germany itself, what with the pork roast and dumplings being offered everywhere and the beer and the grilled pig knuckles with sauerkraut? The food is so heavy I keep feeling stuffed after every meal and am always on the lookout for something slightly more Mediterranean... but on the other hand, Tschechien is simply...Tschechien. A pearl. Praha leaves you breathless, your jaw never gets a chance to close from all thoes jaw dropping sights you get to take in on a city tour, just one fantastic building after another. The municipal house, now we finally know itˇs name, is somerthing straight out of a dream. An architect´s dream. Unbelievable. Golden, cream coloured, painted, decorated, with stucco garlands and little towers and gorgeous windows and paintings on the outside walls and altogether simply unbelievably beautiful. Surrounded by gas lanterns and more glorious architecture on the "Namesti Republiky" or whatever that was called, obviously the Square of the Republic.
Now we found out that the Czechs are quite different in temper from the likes of us. Lively, warm or even hot blooded, strong willed, amd in some ways not unlike the Turks...
Tonight we rode the subway home and this band of five labourers descended on the platform, only to squat in a circle and start a game of dice on the platform. When the train rolled in, they all turned their heads and shoulders, picked up their dice, hopped on the train and immediately gathered around their game again. When we got off we could see them sitting on the floor and the benches, inside the train, still playing... I laughed so much!

Sun, August 30, 2009