Prague- the city of a million spirals.And honey cake. Cheap beer. And rude service staff.

Central Prague is composed of 4 different ‘areas’ = New town, Old town (includes Jewish Quarter) , Lesser Town & Prague Castle.It has got to be one of the most walkable cities in the world; everything/everywhere is abour 20 minutes walk away. Not knowing this, we purchased the 220kc/£5.50 three day all public transport ticket at the airport. This includes the 30minute bus ride to the nearest metro station from the airport, and another 4 stops to the Mustek station,right in the centre of New Town.

And probably my first time not taking a taxi or being picked up from the airport. It is suprisingly easy to get to the centre of Prague by public transport (Bus 119 to Dejvicka metro stop) – comparatively to our 20kc ride; a taxi cost 700kc and a minibus costs 490kc. So yeah, all in all a bargin, ableit a little claustrophobic as the bus meanders through housing estates and tend to get a little stuffy.

Obviously, as with most things, we chose a really bad time to try out the public transport – it was pissing it down when we got out of the metro station. Not knowing where anything is (I could only see H&M and Sephora from the little metro exit), we just hung around the metro station for 30mins whilst waiting for the rain to subside. But I made a good choice hotel-wise; the hotel was about 50 meters away from the the metro exit, I just couldn’t see it from the exit! Woo! I was so bloody glad when we got to the hotel at last, I was dreading walking up and down Wenceslas Sq seeking for my hotel.

Paying 80EU per night including breakfast, Hotel Rokoko was an excellent bargin, right next to Marks & Spencers, opposite Debenhams & right in front of the famous Hotel Evorpa. Tram lines (Tram 3, 14, 24) and metro stops (Mustek,Museum) are all so painfully near – its absolutely great.

Happyness in the lift greets you daily…Plus service staff were actually smiling, which is extremely rare in this city that depends so much on tourism. Suprising, really, as they just tend to bang your tankards of beer down and do not smile at you when you smile at them. Yet they DARE demand for tips – one extremely rude waitress (at the Hotel Evropa bar) even took the trouble to highlight (yes, with a highlighter) on the check that service is NOT included. Bitch. Another one even came out with a calculator and showed us what 10% of our bill was.

Service is, also, extremely slow and frustrating. I know, I’m on holiday, I should relax, but it pisses me off when it takes them 15 mins to serve me my drinks – and it wasn’t like it was busy, they just popped out for a fag. Whilst in a restaurant, the couple next to us waited 30 mins for their expressos after their meal. Its extremely frustrating, more so when they always pull a face like as if you’ve stuck a stick up their arse and kept stirring it about.

We even got shouted at in a pastry shop when the woman kept stupidly serving us the wrong cake! Like as if its OUR fault if she is a dumbass crap. I believe she swore at us,but obviously no proof. And seriously, working in a touristy area, you would not expect everyone to speak your language anyway! In fact, all the patrons ordered in English. And if you keep chattering with someone behind you whilst we try pointing out the cake that we want, it is not OUR fault if you keep getting it wrong! AAAAARGH. By the end of the 4 days, I’ve had enough, and for all its old school charm and lovely buildings, Prague really needs to improve on its stick up the arse attitute

The service people were so rude, I did not buy anything on this trip to Prague! NOTHING at all! Look at all the sales sign beckoning me! Even the souvenier shop attendants crossed their arms whilst tailing us around the shop, and with that signature stick up the ass look. I did not even get a shotglass – after collecting shotglasses from so many countries, this is how BAD the customer service was.

Welceslas Square (Václavské náměstí)Originally a horse market, it got its present name in the mid-19th century. The Wenceslas Square is the main centre of modern Prague surrounded by shops, cinemas, office blocks, hotels, restaurants and cafés. The 750 m long and 60 m wide square has been the scene of a great deal of Czech history. In 1969 a university student Jan Palach burnt himself to death in protest against the Warsaw Pact invasion and in November 1989 protest meetings against police brutality were held here and led to the Velvet Revolution and the end of communism in Czechoslovakia. In the middle of the square is a monument of St Wenceslas on a horse accompanied with sculptures of four Czech patron saints.

Trivia: Did you know that the current and past Czech Prime Minister is called Wenceslas/ Václav ? So, if you want to be head of state for Czech, change your name!

In daylight with pretty flowers

National Museum (Národní muzeum)Founded in 1818 as a regional natural history museum, the architectural symbol of the Czech National Revival was completed in 1890 in a Neo-Renaissance style. It stands at the upper part of the Wenceslas Square and it is more than 70 m high. Its hall, façade, staircase and ramp are decorated with sculptures made by famous artists. Inside of the building are many historical paintings by František Ženíšek, Václav Brožík and Vojtěch Hynais. There are changing exhibitions as well as permanent collections devoted to archaeology, anthropology, mineralogy, natural history and numismatics.

Tomorrow: More of old town!

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