Prague

Impressions of Prague:

• Drinking fresh, smooth dark beer in smoky candlelit pubs to hide from the cold.
• Barging through throngs of tourists around the central attractions.
• Dumplings, goulash, deep fried everything and not a vegetable in sight.
• The setting sun sneaking through the clouds (after a grim day of rain) and turning the brickwork on the clocktowers overlooking the Old Town Market Square into a glowing pink.
• Chatty, friendly, helpful staff and locals.
• Draining grey, cold and short December days.
• Getting lost in a maze of cobbled streets.
• Carols and mulled wine warming the Xmas markets in the evening.

Old Market Town Square, with it's astronomical clock. The poor bloke who built this in the 13th century did such a good job that the Prague powers at be didn't want the feat repeated elsewhere so saw to it that he was turned blind. He got a revenge of sorts though as he was the only one who knew how the thing worked he managed to turn the clock off and it stayed that way for 100 years until they could find someone to fix it.

St Wenceles overlooking the main drag - the sight of many political protests and uprisings during Prague's 40 year Communist battle.

Prague Castle.

Another friendly local. I felt about as bloated and frosted as this fella by the time we headed for the plane.