Prague... oh Prague... how to describe the architecture, the mideval feel of the narrow cobbled streets, the grandure of the astronomical clock whose skeleton tolls the bell to remind you that you are another hour closer to death? Well, perhaps I will let the picutres tell you of those stories. Speaking of pictures, yes, we are running behind on those, but it is a pain in the @$$ getting them on here, so I don't blame Ana for putting it off for a while. (If it were left to me, you wouldn't be seeing any pix!)
Some good advice for visiting Prague - 1) Don't invent or build any astronomical clocks (the maker was blinded by the government to make sure he didn't build any more. He got depressed about this and so climbed up into the clock, got caught in the gears and died). 2) Don't try to steal anything from the church (a theif tried to steal a necklace from a statue of the Virgin Mary, the statue moved and grabbed him by the arm, the only way they could release him from the grip of the staue was to chop his arm off. The mummified arm is now hanging from a hook in the church). 3) Don't cause any plauges, fires or floods (people generally blamed these things on the Jews and killed quite a few of them back in the day). 4) Don't be a Catholic official (many of those were thrown out the windows of the Archbishop's quarters in the Palace during the Protestant (ation?) of Prague). also 5) Don't be a Protestant who threw a Catholic out the window before checking the ground (they landed in a soft pile of horse manure and survived) because the Catholic could survive and the next thing you know, you're getting your head chopped off by the King because he's sick of all the bickering!
Also if you come to Prague with your sweetheart with the intention of locking a padlock on a bridge (therefore ensuring that you'll stay together forever) be sure that you lock it on the right bridge. The locals get a kick out of the fact that the "Love Bridge" is actually very small and some tourists don't find it, so they lock their locks on another bridge that has been dubbed locally as... the "Divorce Bridge." That one made me laugh. Also on the Charles Bridge, there is a statue that has a dog on it, and if you have a sweetheart and you pet the dog, it's supposed to ensure that your significant other will be loyal. We asked the tour guide what about if you are single and she said that she didn't know what happens then. I piped up and said "Then you'll get a dog!" And Ana said "The next guy you date will be a dog!" She pet the dog, I didn't. : )
The food... oh the food... let me just say, their bread is VERY dense and I think my stummy does not appreciate dense bread. However, the meat has been some of the most flavorful we have had since we left the States. We both still miss, OH HOW WE MISS, Mexican food. I'm telling ya, when we get back, there will be nachos! The beer is good, although I definitly prefer the dark beers over the pilsners. Yes, I had some of the pilsner that is brewed (and was invented) in Plezn, I wasn't overly impressed. If you like pilsner beer the best, then you will love it. The Belgian beers definitly win in my opinion. Give me a Brugges Zot Dubbel any day of the week!
The people here are nice, but there is definity a feeling that they don't really like tourists. I guess that is another thing that is universal - everywhere the locals get annoyed at the tourists. And everywhere they get annoyed if you don't speak their language. We still are good because it's true - everyone speaks English over here. I'm starting to feel really lazy since I only speak English, so I'm thinking of telling people that I know how to speak American and Brittish. He he he - not really. Need to learn some phrases in French so that we're not too screwed in Paris - everyone is telling us that the French will be the ones who will give you a hard time if you go up to them speaking English. Gotta learn how to ask if they speak English!
All in all, it has been a very nice and relaxing week in Prague, nice to chill out and not worry about catching the next train, only downside has been that the showers are only cold and freezing... really helpful in winter, lemme tell ya.
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