In love with Prague
Despite its nightmare history Prague is a city for dreamers. That suits me!
Like those future wartime cities where the people will have been disabled without damage to the civic fabric, Prague has weathered occupation by German tribes Swedes, Austrian Empire, Germans and Russians (just about all European states had a crack during the 17C. 30 year war that killed about 25% of population-but not the English as they were gearing up for their own little side show-the civil war, king beheading, a failed republic and aborted communist uprising in the parliamentary army- but it stands completely intact, added to rather than detracted from by its successive overlords.
Unlike St Petersburg (and Melbourne) it has grown up higgledy-piggledy (Like Sydney on its bullock tracks) around villages founded by two rival Slavic tribes. It is much more “in your face.” Wherever you turn and look, both up and down, the eye gorges on wonderful and often bizarre architectural detail.
Baroque layers on top of Gothic/Romanesque and beside this, highly detailed art Deco stands in stark 20th C. contrast. Glad to report no Soviet excrescences, so far. It feels so good. Coming into town the modernity of the exterior gives way to splendid 19thC. mansions and then in the blink of an eye you are into the meandering canyons of medieval streets and at the door of the 15thC.hotel building-Domus Henrici!
Domus Henrici Hotel Hradcany
Cobblestones are the business to be in-wouldn't want to risk a student riot here-those limestone rocks look lethal.
Only been here 20 hours and I have fallen hopelessly in love with this city of my schoolboy dreams-who said medieval history was a waste of time for a 20th C. Mancunian-eat your hearts out my former maths and science sixth form compatriots. They have their unassailable facts but I am living my dream and drinking cool dark beers that make that Carlton brew seem like so much icy cold horse pee.
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