Prague

We got off the train at Praha-Holesovice station after 3pm local time. We make our way in the tram to the stop at Palmovka where we get off the tram and are greeted by a man kissing a rat! We then take a wrong turn and go a jaunt through the area, which is far detatched from the beautiful reputation Prague has acquired and finally arrive at our hostel. We were soon relaxed though when we were warmly welcomed into the hostel and shown to our room, a private twin room en-suite, which to us is very classy after sharing rooms with complete strangers for the past week. We have a kip for an hour or so then head out with our intention to see the Old Town in a dull Prague evening. We got as far as the wee pub/restruant 10 yards down the road and decide we've seen enough for the time being and settle down with a beer. Suddenly things in the area didn't seem as bad as our first impression, of which when I asked Rob what was his he replied, "Scary!"(Big Jessy!).

Our first morning in Prague was sunny, much to our suprise as we had expected it to rain constantly while we were staying there. I went for a run down to the Old Town and returned with an eagerness to get out and see the city. We went down to the train station to checkout the train times for Vienna and then headed for the Cathedral of St Cyril and Methodius. We stopped off at the pub across the road, Krama U Parasutistu, which was a themed pub dedicated to the assassins of Reinard Heydrich. After a beer in there we headed into the famous crypt where the men who had successfully killed the 'Butcher of Prague' had saught refuge while they were being hunted by Nazis and where they eventually committed suicide when it was inevitable that after a heroic struggle they would be captured by the Boche due to Curda betraying the group.

After leaving St Cyrils, we headed to the Old Town, enjoying the heat from the sunshine as we wandered along the riverfront(not hand in hand!) and seen Mozarts house on the way. We then wandered through the Old Town Square by the Old town house, and other very impressive buildings. We ventured into the Hard Rock Cafe, walked round it quickly catching a glimpse of everything we could possibly see before sneaking out without buying anything and again wandered round the Old Town, seeing a Hare Krshna march on the way. We then made our way back to the hostel after a successful afternoons jaunt around Prague.

We went out in the evening earlier than normal and went to a pub just down the road from where we were staying. It was a smoked filled boozer that had a real hardman tending the bar, and people having a drink that had returned from there days work. I think we must have been the first tourists to enter the pub as we got some very interesting looks from the punters and it had a real locals only feel about it. That didn't stop us enjoying a few pints, or Half litres, in there for an hour or so before heading for tea.

Today the plan is to head out across the water from the Old Town and visit The John Lennon Wall and the Prague Castle. Tomorrow we are making our way to Vienna, Austria which has produced many infamous people such as, Adolf Hitler and Joseph Fritzl! Hopefully the people we bump into aren't quite so evil!

Haven't found the bar Conor recommended 'Friends' and I'm pretty sure I don't want to find it either!

-Steven