Portrait of a City: Prague

Dusk Til Dawn

Red, books, tealights, a lack of vampires. On the first day between us we had a martini, an old fashioned, daquiari floridita, salty margarita, and a brandy alexander. At 1.00am we ate strawberries with chocolate fondue. On the second day we had 2 margaritas, a dry martini, a martini expresso, midnight expresso martini, truffultini, mojito (best drink of them all), vodka coke, brandy alexander and a bloody mary.

Two of us embarrassed the other by singing along to Louis Prima, Bee Gees (Bails' mum has much to answer for - a back catalogue of many suprising records imprinted on Bails' mind), and other old time faves. A woman on the other side of the room smoked a big fat cigar, rolling it expertly in her hand, puffing on it intermittently as her partner watched. The barman stood outside and tried to entice customers in. Closer to midnight the bar filled up. It still wasn't living up to the Titty Twister image but it was nice all the same.

Date Bails

Are you longing for a date? Single life getting you down? Desperate for a bit of fun? (I know I know - this is sounding more desperate by the minute). You still have time to apply for a date with Bails. See here. Really, she's keen.

Of Suitcases and Airlines

So the day of reckoning was upon us, today was the day we find out what Czech Airlines made of Bail's case that came out of the hold with a wheel torn off and the body cracked. They said they would first attempt repair and only if unable to replace.

Al and I had a running commentary the last couple of days of possible repair scenarios - I thought duck tape round inside and out, Al thought an additional wheel, most likely mismatched, I thought perhaps they'd search around inside the plane for the missing wheel, Al thought perhaps they could seal the crack with some kind of car fixing kit. Bails kept saying they'd replace it like for like.

Today after walking about in the rain we came back in and lo! they had replaced it like for like. Personally I'm a little disappointed they hadn't tried to fix it, just for the possible look on Bails' face. Very good service I'd say!

Gargoyles, Drinking and Easter

To the castle and make it snappy. Black stone buildings. Long long queue to get in. Walked around the outside looking at the gargoyles who were sticking their tongues out and retching off the side of the building. Tourist throng.




The girls started the day with complimentary champagne for breakfast, were drinking amoretto coffee for 11ses, beer for lunch in the cafe with sheepskin chair covers. We sat outside at every meal which is pretty silly when one of our party hasn't brought a coat (Bails and I are getting in trouble for teasing Al, huddling into our winter coats whilst sitting under gas heaters).

Sat in the Old Town Square watching a strange disco dancing showcase and looking at an easter tree decorated with coloured eggs.

I didn't manage to drink any more absinth after yesterday but feel that I must have had some of the more disgusting stuff. Don't know whether I'll be brave enough to see if any other sort is more palatable.

Prague

Today was the day, we met at Tottenham Hale station in time to catch a 5.45 train to Stansted Airport. Before the crack of dawn. Very unsociable hours. Flight with Czech Airlines, a basketball team flying in the rows behind us - big boys, long legs, fidgety, very keen on the blond air hostesses (who we didn't think were anything special but for adolescents they were obviously the height of class). Arrived in Prague to find Bails' suitcase damaged beyond repair - one wheel torn off causing the body to crack. Caught a 119 bus to the Metro and a tube to Museum. Found our hotel and decided we needed lunch and short stroll.

Ate at the Cafe Tulip where a languine pale faced waiter with long ponytail hung behind the bar. Everyone in the joint was in possession of a Time Out Guide to Prague. We tried to hide ours. The girls both had beers with big heads on them. Big creamy heads (so Bails said).

Our short stroll turned out to be rather long for people who had only had 4 hours sleep but we saw great buildings and fab river views. Passing over the Charles Bridge stopped briefly to watch a jazz band (Bails said she liked the one on the end playing the CD case).


One particular statue has a queue of people waiting to touch some gold paint - it was only on relaying this observation to the girls that I realised actually it wasn't gold paint at all but rather so many fingers had touched the statue that the patina had worn off.

I decided to end the day with a glass of Absinthe - always wanting to test local stuff and all. Frightful stuff I have discovered, quite nice the way it warms your oesophogus but tastes like medicine. I'm wondering whether the red one will taste any different. Hummm.

Date Bails

Are you longing for a good date? Single life getting you down? Desperate for a bit of fun? (I know I know - this is sounding more girly by the minute). You still have time to apply for a date with Bails. See here.

Pigeon and the Skylight

Frequently I hear this strange scratching noise coming from the roof over my bedroom. I have imagined its a variety of things but the other day I discovered it was a pigeon walking on the skylight. Imagine that music from Benny Hill where he invariably chases a long line of nurses in miniskirts - the pigeon got on the skylight and walked around a bit, then got off, came back, then left again, then got back on and scratched around some more. Don't know what he finds so attractive on the glass but he certainly has a good time up there.

Brain Overload

Its hard being a grown up. Even without dependents. I'm knackered from constantly having stuff on my mind. If its not work shit, its MA essays, if not that then its job applications, if not the applications then the prep for interviews. Persistently having stuff to do.

I'm sitting outside a cafe on a quiet side road, with a hot chocolate and an amaretto biscuit, the sun warming the side of my face. The sky blue. Blossom trees coming into bloom.

More of this is needed. I've ignored the urge to buy a paper that my eyes would devour with ferocity. I need to rest my brain. No input needed. It would be great to have one of those exceedingly dull 70s Sundays that dragged forever.

I'd like to take small steps. Not be in a rush. Sleep til I wake up naturally. Look at the scenery. Be free of deadlines and pressure. Read a novel whose words paint a picture in my head that needs no additional interpretation.

Needing a holiday perhaps. Lucky I'm going to Prague next week.

Date Bails

Having declared that she was afraid she was going to have to be a bit lesss fussy on the men front I decided to help my friend-in-need and offer her up on the internet (for a date) to the good men of the blogosphere. So for all of you waiting with baited breath...





She's nice with a twist of nasty.

Interests include: growing cacti, zombie movies, thrashing guitar music, Shakespeare plays, collecting scarfs, cooking.
Latest hobby: Bonsai
Favourite film: So I Married an Axe Murderer
Favourite book: Love in the Time of Cholera (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
Favourite album(s): Quadrophenia - The Who, Wiser Miser De Meltza - The Prisoners, Jimi Hendrix.
Listening now: Katie Tunstall, The Killers
Favourite beer: something called something like Leibsmanfs Kreik
Favourite dinner: Thai, oh but, well anything really
Favourite holiday destination: South America
Worst Date: dinner in pizza hut (dumpable), or home-cooked dinner made from pre-prepared packets (no marks for effort)
Eyesight: -7 (not blind though, can see clearly with corrective lenses).


You are:
30-45 (ish)
hair - unimportant (no comb-overs)
interesting, eclectic tastes
preferably with a job (although all circumstances considered)
single, male


To play please email to harrietsblogg at gmail dot com sending a picture (jpeg) of yourself that you are happy to have on the internet and the answers to the following questions:

1. Tell us your best joke
2. Black or white cowboy hat?
3. What do you like doing?
4. Favourite dinner?
5. Describe yourself in 20 words (full sentences not compulsory)
6. Favourite mode of transport?

All interested parties make themselves known by 22 April 2006 and be available for a date in London on 26 April (subject to negotiation if absolutely necessary).

Successful candidate will be required to provide brief post-date feedback for publication (not Blind Date style - constructive rather destructive, we all want to remain friends here).

Peckham Stroll

A striking woman wearing cream linen flares and a cropped cream leather jacket strolls along the street in the early evening spring sunshine with her husband. He puts a strong arm around her waist and lets it slide down where it lingers on her large bottom.

Favourite London Places
The Natural History Museum






I still get something of the childhood excitement about entering this great gothic building, purpose built with its creatures crawling up the brickwork and protruding like gargoyles from the guttertops. Going inside through its dark doorway to stand in front of the diplodocus, changed from the 70s when they thought it would hold its head upright and drag its tail on the ground, to an altogether more active seeming skeleton. Love the staircases that lead up and break into two, depositing you on the walkway-balconies, walk along past the skeletal monkeys swinging along the ceiling to a bridged stairway that joins back together to take you up to the slice of Sequioa with dated rings.

Remember school trips (clip boards and questionnaires to fill in) and silently walking through the gem galleries with mum. Visiting the back rooms with EP to take some donated skeletons from the Zoological Museum of the University of Wisconsin. Huge wooden drawers full of specimens. Watching a puppetshow with weird music in the less distant past (lucky enough to be in the museum after hours).