P r a G u E

Prague, Czech Republic.
I would not know where to point on a world map if someone asked where it was.
I could guess it was a gothic/dark-type destination
I figured it was off limits for a while (in history)
Aside from a credit and a debit card, that's about all I came here with. Today my education was advanced during my day of urban exploration...

Prague:
- Has more jewelry shops that can feasibly stay in business
- Does not have a leash law - dogs follow owners at their own will whether in a park or on the cobblestone sidewalks, no matter if its a doxen or a wolf. SO unlike LA.
- Easy to find a ex/change counter, very difficult to find an ATM
- Souvenir shops are like the currency, for every 1 US souvenir shop, Prague has 20
- The architecture (for a non-architecture person) makes one want to walk slower or re-walk the streets
- The glass/crystal shops are just as numerous as the jewelry shops
- The Czech cuisine most resembles Ireland, although that is an ignorant assumption for one whom hasn't been to Ireland... meat, potatoes and cabbage.
- It's VERY photographic city

Today was a lot of walking, a little bit of tasting, some shopping, and mostly absorbing. The bullets sum up my main observations. I saw the frequented sites... castle grounds (not interior), Charles bridge, Old Town, Wenscala Square, and along the river. Today I happened upon a hippy/international fair. I had baklava from Kirghistan, a garbanzo/tomato/cucumber/mint salad from Afghanistan, and a taste of wine from Georgia. There were also Greenpeace, dreadlocks, and refugee-sensitive countries in attendance.

Breakfast was a lovely buffet at the hotel. Lunch was a banana, pear, and nutella ice cream cone, which sounds better than it tasted. Dinner was excellent and at a pub/bar from 1499. The food was not from then, just the structure. It is the oldest food/pub establishment in Prague. I shared an (indoor) picnic table with a couple from Holland (him)/Italy (her) and they comprised by settling in France (near Nice) for the last 20 years. We share the table, we shared conversation, and we shared our first experience with Becherovka... a liquor that is best described as a cross between tequila, gingerbread, and chai. I'll try to get some at duty free tomorrow for those that want a taste. The waiter mentioned the ingredients are secret, and apparently he is completely accurate. Sheesh

After dinner it was dusk, not quite dark yet. I wanted to take some night snapshots of the castle, so I "wasted" time at a waterfront cafe with a glass of wine and an acoustic guitarist that I suspect was American. There has been a ridiculous... I mean surprisingly number of Americans around Prague the past 24 hours. I hear the accent everywhere and have spoken to a few about it. It is certainly unexpected. While at this riverside venue, fireworks started exploding on the other side of the nearby bridge. The guitarist was put-off to say the least, he couldn't compete with the bangs, however it was neat timing on my part. It was a 10 minute show. The guitarist did some "Sweet Home Alabama, Born to be Wild, and some Santana". Quite good overall. My glass was empty, he was done, and the sky was dark enough for my exit to be timely in order to get some attempts at a night shot of the castle. Many shots later I mosied on back to the hotel. It was 10:30pm at this point and aside from there still being plenty of activity on the streets, many of the tourist stores were still open for business. I concentrated on my hotel room and here I am. It's bed time, and it's been a pleasure sharing with you.

Tomorrow is a lazy morning with a mid-day flight to Oslo. Not interesting, but certainly restful!