Prague

Day 27
Location: Prague
Status: home sick.

Author. Simon

An easy 7 hour day train whisks us into Prague with no problems or
dramas. 7 hours of iPods, squeesy cheese and cupa-soups.

Prague was always a mile stone in my mind. Arriving here means we have
completed the first leg of our trip, through the warmer countries.
This is our second visit here, the first 2 years ago almost to the
day. That time we were not on the same budget, limo from the airport,
hotel room over 100sq meters with two balconies. Our accomadation this
time around has no balconies as it is in a cellar and we are sharing a
room with a man that insists on wearing very colourful but tight pants.

One of our friends, Caz, parents moved out here a couple of years ago
and runs an English pub called the Royal Oak, check it on facebook.
Here we were blessed with tastes of home and uneccessary but
greatfully received kindness.
While here it was my grandparents ruby wedding aniversary and to
celebrate all my family got together for a party. I am one of a few
that have not made it and to miss it makes me very sad.
So being with Caz and her mum, Gill, was perfect timing.
We spent a few evenings in the pub and even lost at the quiz, had
large English breakfast, tea and cake and shopping trips. It was nice
to just hangout for a while.

Mark also flew over, very last minute, to join us. Great to have him
around. We drank and laughed liked we did back in wandle. It was also
intresting sightseeing with him as he noticed different things and had
a diffent point of view. I wish he could have stayed with us longer.
One evening we went with Caz and mark for a traditional Czech meal.
Bottle of nice and cheap wine.
Mixed starters, kind of tapas style, lots of little bits of meat and
cheese. This was almost enough. And then the main course. I had a form
of mixed grill comprising of: Pork chop, chicken Breast stuffed with
sausage, salami and duck! Of course with cabbage.
Davina orderd pork knuckle not really knowing what it would be. Out
came this massive breadboard with a frame on top holding, well, a pork
knuckle.
We left full and satisfide for only £12 each. Back to the bar.
The bar was for mainly expats and the locals had their own tankards. I
wanted one.
While siteseeing me and mark kept looking for metal tankards ideally
with a lid, all we could find were ceramic ones. Just not good enough.
Just down from the bar was a junk shop that had eveything and here
mark found a tankard and so I did not feel left out Gill loaned me one
of Cazs dads. See picture.

20 years ago the Czech republic gained their indepence. This Is
celebrated with a national holiday. And the marching of polarbears in
the main square. Ok, I am not sure of the relivence of the polarbears.
But it was a funny site. See pictures of the lounging and of
polartransport

Prague for us signified the moment we decided Europe would get cold.
It is here we swap swimsuits for thermals. Sunscreen for snowboots.
Caz very kindly brought over a pack of extra clothes and my boots as
well as our canadian visas which did not come through before we left.
We also shopped for a coat and boots for Davina. All this extra stuff
means repacking. I bin my jeans, a pair for short and a tshirt to make
room.

It was here I had a wonderful moment. Looking at the map knowing we
had to enter russia on the 5th or 6th of November but no plan on how
to get there. We could go where ever we wanted and how ever we wanted.
I loved this feeling.

First though to krakow, with Marky!
We book the night train, the last 3 person cabin. It's all very
exciting. We have done night trains before but this time we had a fun
cabin with lots of things to play with. It was fun to travel this way
with mark, if it was not for him I think we would have gone 3rd class
in coachett and hoped for the best.

Prague was great.
Thank you mark for coming over.
Thank you Caz for fun and smuggerling
Thank you Gill for eveything, English breakfast, English bread, beer
in my own tankard and for single portions of butter.

Sent from my iPhone