That's where I was
at Christmas.
They say that Prague
is a beautiful city and there is much to
see. I'm sure this is true but the piercingly
cold, wet, sleety, slippery, snowy, windy
weather made it impossible for shivering
chickens such as me and my sister to see
anything much besides the foam on a cup of
hot chocolate. I exaggerate: my sister
is much braver and more of a sightseer
than I am so I dragged along reluctantly
to make sure I'd be there to pick her
up if she slipped on the ice. That's how
heroic I am. I know it's reprehensible but
all I really wanted to do was to sit in a
warm cafe or in the hotel room.
Maybe some time, not
in winter, I could go back and see
all the interesting things I missed this
time. Maybe in other seasons the people of
Prague become more friendly and maybe they
even smile or reply when you ask for directions.
I've been to lots of cities and lots of countries
and in some of those places I didn't speak
the language but never, ever, have I encountered
such ubiquitously unfriendly attitudes as
in Prague - shopkeepers, tram conductors,
ticket sellers, information people, passers-by,
etc. etc. either did not respond
or responded in a manner which can only be
described as hostile. Very few people we
came across spoke any language other than
Czech - fair enough, but did they need to
be so brusque and dismissive? Maybe some
foreign tourists behave badly in Prague so
the citizens have decided all foreigners
are a nuisance. There were a few
exceptions: the staff at our hotel and the
taxi drivers booked to and from the airport.
Anyway here are a
few pictures I took in Prague. I wish you
all whatever you most desire in your heart
of hearts. Bonne Année, mes amis.
4 comments:
That looks so cold and it's been so cold here in Oregon too. Must be winter, huh?
Rain, but I guess you must be used to very cold winters in Oregon? I'm somewhat envious of people who actually enjoy wintry things and wintry places. Somehow it's alien to my DNA!
A very happy 2011 to you and yours, come sun or come snow.
Not a place I know much about. Sad to hear it came over unfriendly. I haven't travelled outside the UK for years and years - but I've enjoyed travelling around inside it.
Dominic, I think I've lost my urge to travel far afield. Almost nothing feels as good as getting back home to my own place. Of course that wears off after a while....
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