Travelling alone is like surfing
The train pulled in around 7:30am and if I were scoring a cricket match and entering weather conditions, I would have written: overcast and spitting. Today would definitely have been a day to bowl first. I got off the train and headed for the cash point; as I put my card in I suddenly gulped that I had no idea whatsoever what the exchange rate or even the currency was (maybe they accept Traveler's Czechs?). With a queue behind and thinking that on a day like today I'd want to be quick to the taxi line I just looked at the numerical options and picked the second highest number; how bad could that be? Quite bad as it turned out. With two 2000 notes I jumped in a taxi to my new Air BnB hosts and was then laughed at as the journey had cost 110 and there was just no way he was giving me change for what was apparently the cost of a small plot of land in Wales, $120. He accepted a 5 euro note I had and I scuttled through the rain to the front door of the apartment building.
Anna was about as friendly as anyone I could have hoped for at 8am on a grey morning and she explained that the American hosts Andy and Taylor were not here at the moment so it was just me and her. I had opted for American hosts this time as I thought I would measure the different experiences from staying with a local and staying with, say, a bar owner from Seattle.
True to form, I got up and went for a run to explore my new home for the next 3 days. Predictably, I ran across the Charles bridge; Charles IV was basically the greatest ever king of the Czech lands putting Prague well and truly on the map and taking the country into a Golden Age in the 14th century building cathedrals, universities and, of course, this incredibly famous landmark bridge. I'm not on Tinder but I do know that it very much exists in Prague and thought as I ran across that you must be an idiot NOT to meet on this bridge given she'd be wishing she'd worn better underpants before you can say 'fancy a Pilsner?'.
John Lennon Wall / Post It note convention
Coming off the other side I must have taken a few wrong turns as I had planned to be in a riverside park but was now standing next to a heavily graffitied wall with Beatles lyrics scrawled all over it. I had stumbled across the elusive John Lennon wall - and so had George. George had gone to Uppingham School in England and was sporting a top that signaled he'd also been on a rugby tour around South Africa. I knew immediately that George was a good egg. Worryingly though, he was travelling by himself around Europe being keen on, of all things, cliff jumping. I thought momentarily to say be careful as it that didn't turn out well for Humpty Dumpty, but thought egg-ainst it. OK, that's the last one I crack, promise. Incredibly, he leant me some waterproof paper and we both added to the wall of quotes and remarks originally meant as a place of rebellion as of course Western music (and particularly that of the anti-establishment Lennon) was forbidden while Czechoslavakia (as it was then) was under communist rule. I wrote "Rest In Peace John - you can't Imagine what the world is like now. I think you had it better." I spent the rest of my run wondering if I believed what I had written or not.
Imagine my surprise then when, on reaching the top of the Olympic mountain overlooking Prague, I was invited by 2 fellow runners to join them for a tour of Prazsky Hrad (Prague Castle) at 3:45pm. It was already 2:30pm by the time I'd climbed the mock Eiffel Tower structure commanding panoramic views of the red-roofed city, so I upped my pace to make it home and change before being at the Castle Gates well before 3:45pm. Without any way of getting in touch, I didn't want to be late for my new best friends in Prague, Marketa and Nat.
Nat was only a few minutes late and immediately apologised that Marketa was still straightening her hair. I could care less being happy that for the first time in recent memory, I had met someone without exchanging a single method of communication. I tried this once before in 2007 with a girl called Daisy Hambro; she never showed up and I have subsequently wished her a life of marginal discomfort. Still, one out of two isn't bad. Nat is Canadian and looks like the exact cross of Michael J. Fox and Adam, Prince of Eternia and defender of the secrets of Castle Greyskull. I'm now sitting here in smug self-congratulation as I have absolutely nailed this analogy. Indeed, his top half is that of the former and his bottom the latter with thighs like they are made out of oak tree trunks and could support small communities. There is good reason for this; Nat is a professional cyclist (or at least he would be if it wasn't for the doping that prevents 'clean' riders like him making it) and he gets around Europe, wait for it, by bike. He is based in Italy for now and cycled to meet Marketa (a local Czech but moved to Toronto several years ago) in Budapest. Let me repeat that. Nat cycled to meet Marketa in Budapest; it took him 4 days.
Nat or Prince Adam or Michael J. Fox: never seen in the same room.
Added to the group was Steve, another friend of Marketa's from Toronto and then Hansa, an old friend from Prague who not only runs a superb restaurant just outside the city but is also an apparent expert in Czech history (as was Marketa to be fair). Hansa didn't speak much English but Marketa and him related fascinating stories of the city and of themselves growing up in communist times including the crazy story behind Operation Anthropoid. To read more about it click here. We continued on into the cathedral listening to them regale us with quirky anecdotes and animated insights into life under communism. After a few hours, we decided to head off for a drink. But not just any drink.
Hansa's friend runs an Absinthe shop near the castle and he suggested we go and try some. My skepticism radar was well into the red zone; given its proximity to the Castle, I thought this might be as authentic as buying a cricket bat at Heathrow airport, but Marketa seemed convinced and so we marched on regardless. It was some parlour. Absinthe, or the Green Fairy as it is called, is not just a reckless memory eraser, it's allegedly responsible for some of the greatest works of art in recent memory with proponents such as Van Gogh, Hemingway and even our very own Oscar Wilde. Well, I thought, if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me; and it bloody well should be at $55 for one drink. Out came the sugar cube and water, and the ceremony began. You can watch it here.
From right to left: Absinthe pricing at $200, $550 and a whopping $1000 a bottle.
With a buzz in my step we headed out into town to jump in the car bound for Hansa's restaurant. On the way we walked past a coffee shop with the most adorable tradition. Not exactly known how it started but at the U Zavesenyho Kafe (the Hanging Out Cafe), you buy not only your own coffee but one for the next person if you are feeling generous. The idea being that the next person that comes in gets an unexpected free coffee to start their day but then presumably buys the next stranger a coffee and so on. It's a lovely idea that makes something special out of something ordinary - that is until you get a travelling Scotsman in and then the whole chain almost certainly breaks down.
After about 20 minutes we got to Hansa's restaurant and while he ordered us beer, Marketa told us all to heads upstairs as one of her friends is an artist and her art was hanging there. I'm not generally impressed by paintings but this was something special. Originally from Prague, Radu Tesaro had fallen in love in Canada but then moved to Zambia to be with him. While there, her paintings were noticed by the President and she was duly requested to paint several portraits of him. Her art work is sublime so read more about this lesser known artist here.
As we came back down to the table it was evident that Hansa was expecting the New England Patriots to be joining us as there was a banquet waiting for us like 8 Prodigal Sons had all coincidentally returned at once and the father (he has no given name in Luke) had hired Jamie Oliver and his full team to prepare it. I was asked to say a few words and leaping on the opportunity for a gag, I announced that this all made sense now given the earlier story that at Prague Zoo there was now only a snake rattling around wondering where the hell everyone went. Sorry, too much for now perhaps but on the night, I can assure that line was a proper rib tickler. I should also add that no food went to waste, everything is locally sourced and Hansa's restaurant, Bovorka, is well worth the trip. The ribs with Jack Daniels BBQ sauce ranks, to this day, as one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted.
After dinner, we all went our separate ways; Marketa, Nat and I decided we had one more drink in us as it was only about 11 o'clock and we went to her favourite bar which very rapidly became my favorite bar. Much like the Absinthe parlour, one might be surprised at such local quality being in such proximity to the Charles Bridge but just round the corner from the cobbled river crossing of romance is Bluelight bar, a speakeasy low lit hipster haunt filled with as much character as there were Czechs. I think Nat and I were the only foreigners, me from England, him from Eternia / Hill Valley. We got a bottle of wine and we chatted about love, life and lucky to meet each other. Nat suddenly and yet profoundly said that travelling alone and meeting people was very much like surfing. You have to be patient and just wait for the right wave. We all agreed, toasted and I made my way home to bed. I missed my girl back home - she would have loved today.