RECAP: MAY 2019

At Christmas there was a ridiculously large and mysterious box under the tree from our children Tom and Reya  (well they are 19 and 24!). It was one of those Russian doll presents - boxes within boxes until finally there was just an envelope. Inside the envelope was a single typed sheet with details of a flight to Prague for both of us! This came with four nights accommodation in a chic AirB&B loft and also coincided with our 25th wedding anniversary.

In the previous months Tom and Reya had managed to wheedle out of us our ideal City break and we had both said Prague. We have both wanted to visit the city for a long while and even considered it back in 1989 when we did our grand tour of Europe in our soft top car. I guess it would have been a very different city then as it was just before the fall of the the wall and the velvet revolution.

So last weekend we finally reached the City and we were not disappointed. It was is breathtakingly beautiful and elegant city with photo opportunities everywhere you looked. Its been a while since I've been out an about with the camera and I took very many photos. More to come soon - but here is a little sample.

MAY 2020:

So today is our 26th wedding anniversary and a whole year has gone by without me editing or posting any more of my photos. As we have been stuck here in lock down now for 7 weeks it seemed like a good time to wind back the clock and share a bit more of our trip.

THE PRAGUE DIARIES - DAY 1

4.30am. The alarm goes goes off crazy early for our 8 o’clock flight. Geoff is still in a rather dazed state after the Spurs last minute victory in the Cup semi final last night!

7.00am It occurs to me as we check in at Stansted, that this is the first time we had travelled abroad alone since having the kids- some 27 years and nearly half a life ago. As expected the airport is full of early travellers/revellers (what a weird idea that is in these lock down days) sipping prosecco and downing pints.

8.00am Take off! We have the obligatory noisy stag party on our flight complete with world’s ugliest “bride”. They live down to expectation and one of the party throws up just after take-off!

11.30am - Arrival in Prague and we negotiate our way out of the airport and onto public transport (bus + metro) to take us to our Air B&B in Vyserhad just a few stops from the centre of the city. We are met outside the apartment by the owner’s wife, who presents us with the key but says she can’t show us up because of the “many stairs” as she is pregnant. Some 102 steps later we find ourselves on the top floor of the building wondering if our offspring have chosen this high rise pad with the intention of seeing us off!! Actually it was a lovely airy, modern and pretty funky apartment- very different from the rather austere hall and staircase we had just clambered up which did have a rather communist era feel to it.

2.30pm We unpack, have a quick black coffee then head out on foot to take our first look at the city. It would be fair to say that it is a photographers dream with striking contrast between the more austere modern buildings and the grand old ones.

3.30pm Our meandering take us to Prague’s iconic Wenceslas Square (actually more of a long boulevard) the site of many historic events and demonstrations. From here we wander aimlessly around the pretty back streets taking in the architecture, graffiti, bookshops and art exhibitions.

5.00pm After refuelling on a take away baguette we give in to our weary feet a rest in the eclectic and off the beaten track Café Kamzík where we sample our first splendid pivos (Czech beer.) It is the perfect place to chill, surrounded by a black and white photography exhibition while listening to cool jazz!

6.00pm Suitably refreshed we wander back to our apartment through the Jewish quarter before finally ending up in Lidl (oh joy) where we stock on provisions for a quiet evening in. Note to readers: if we can ever travel again don’t bother with Czech television!

8.30pm Tired and happy we eat pasta and drink red wine. A great first day and over 25,000 steps trodden around this beautiful city!