So I was right. Very few parents were taking their kids out of school to come to Prague on holiday. Unfortunately, large numbers of them were bringing their brats to visit their motherland.
One of the downsides of travelling alone is the probability that you’ll be sharing an airline seat with someone you’d rather not. In this case, a three year old girl who decided to jump about on said seat for almost the entire flight. That’s apart from when she was attempting to climb over the seat to the passengers immediately in front or behind. No matter what its mother tried, it decided to do the opposite. Gritted teeth intact. You may have guessed – I really dislike children.
So it was good to be in some adult company on arrival. I can’t recommend the experience of a shared airport taxi enough. I’ve used them around the world – and they’re a great compromise between struggling with luggage on on public transport and paying through the nose for a regular cab. Our driver is helpful, handing out free city guides to the passengers, and recommending a few sights too. This is the kind of first impression we lack in the UK. How many regional airports bother with this kind of basic, but really useful service?
The transfer to the Hotel Pyramida is swift, and although it’s a late evening arrival, there’s still time to hop on a tram for a beer in the shadow of Prague Castle.
U Maleho Glena feels like it’s been there for centuries, but in fact it only started trading in 1995. It’s close to the Castle, but on the opposite side of Charles Bridge to Prague’s famous Old Town. That said, there’s no shortage of life – even for a Monday – thanks to the blues band playing in the basement. There’s a cover charge, and I’ve missed most of the show, so I’m happy propping up the regular bar. Being bang in the middle of the tourist trap, there are plenty of young English and French accents here. It’s a good place to reacquaint myself with the city before the real sightseeing begins tomorrow.
NewsMutt 