I was all set for the Romanian saga and totally forgot about the Czech Republic and PRAGUE!
Prague is THE most beautiful city I have ever visited and an absolute must if you ever have the opportunity to visit Europe.
Paris, Rome, Athens...forget it. Prague is the place you want to be.
We had intended to stay for 2 days and were still there a week later!
The only bummer was that we had no time to go to Poland and had to scoot over to Romania.
So Prague...
Two wee stories to tell ye!
There is a Pub ( surprise! ) called U FLECKU
We decided to go for lunch and sample the famous "brown beer" brewed there.
It was a lovely day so we got ourselves settled in the courtyard.
No sooner were our arses parked than a waiter slapped a couple of huge mugs of beer in front of us. No order necessary!
Gorgeous.
We scoofed the first beer as we perused the menu.
No sooner was the first beer finished , "viola" a new one appeared!
Impeccable service and not a word spoken other than " Dekuji "
After a couple of these puppies, food was the last thing on our minds!
As the beer flowed, the pub had a regular influx of tourists, bus parties mainly, arriving, having a few sips of beer, then leaving. Ahhh the waste!
Around 3ish ( and 6/7 beers into it ) the band started to play and our waiter began to feed us shots in between his beer runs.
Some kind of peach Schnapps, rather nice as I recall.
Suffice to say we were happy.
Six o'clock ( maybe?) it began to drizzle, a few minutes later the heavens opened and a thunderstorm raged.
The band dispersed , the waiters all took off to the sanctuary of a covered area, tourists vacated en masse.
Us?
Well when yer wet yer wet, keep the booze coming!
We remained seated through the storm as our waiter ran back and forth under an umbrella with our drinks.
A couple of hours later the sky began to clear.
The Staff, the whole bluddy lot of them (15 or so) surrounded our table and gave us a standing ovation! The applause and cheers were quite remarkable!
No accolade in Scotland for being imbibed!
We smiled, bowed and curtsied and continued our "mission" until the bar closed.
Go team Bogie!
A couple of days/hangovers later we needed to go to the train station to book couchette tickets.
We had bought underground tickets at the start of the week so we hopped on an underground train.
Up the stairway and right into the Railway Station.
Tickets purchased we were ready to head back down to the Underground.
SB - We need to punch our Underground passes to go back down
Me - Dinnae be daft, we've never left the building, we just came upstairs!
SB - I'm no being daft! We left the underground!
Me - It's all the same thing, it's all trains!
SB - Look ya Eejit, the underground is one thing and the Railway Station is another. We need to punch our passes to go back down!
Me - Silly man ( or words to that effect )
I go stomping off with SB twittering behind me and march through the side gate towards the stairs.
I was aware of shouting and some commotion behind us!
SB - Feck!
I looked around and found myself with a feckin GUN pointed at me!
SB had one pointed at him too!
Three Railway Police guys, two with guns and the other yelling - you come with us!
He proceeded to yell that we had not punched tickets and so a crime had been committed.
- You walk this way!
We were marched, at gunpoint across the Railway Station towards a huge stone pillar.
Me - Awwww SB their gonnae shoot us! ( hysterical )
SB - Feckin TOLD ye we had tae punch tickets!
Me - I dinnae want shot! ( more hysterical )
SB - Dinnae be feckin daft! They're no gonnae shoot us for no paying "50 cents"
Me- Aye the are and I'm gonnae pee maself!
SB - *stifled giggle*
Me - *groaning*
- You come round this side - Policeman pointing to the back of the pillar, out of view of the rest of the station.
Me - *sobbing* I told ye they 're gonnae shoot us!
SB - *shaking head*
On the back side of the pillar there was a wee notice, in English, explaining that tickets had to be purchased or punched when leaving the Railway Station for the Underground.
- You see? You understand?- Policeman pointing at the wee sign.
Me - Yes, yes, please don't shoot! (waving our Underground passes at him) We have tickets!
- No shoot, but we make fine! -
We were marched back to the Underground entrance where SB had to cough up the equivalent of a $50 fine, which went straight into the Policeman's pocket!
- Now you go and punch ticket and have good holiday - all three Officers grinning.
Me - Oh mummy daddy, mummy daddy, etc etc
SB - Well that was a feckin cheap entrance fee...
Me - Sorry *whimpering*
SB - *sigh*
Yes dear readers, I, wee me, she who has NEVER broken the law, was indeed arrested in Prague.
So if you do ever go there, please remember to punch yer ticket!
Romania tomorrow...
4 comments:
One of these days we need to set up a "phone date," just so I can hear you talk.
Easy money off tourists! $50 for $0.50 ?? I don't suppose you could have pretended you only had $10 left on you. Especially not when the guy pulled his gun out. WOW!
Thats what Richard does over here whenever he sees people like policemen approaching. Pull out the bulk of his cash from his wallet and put it elsewhere.
Perfect timing for this story. My wife and I are heading to Prague in about 10 days.
Lilu - just gimme a time and date!
Amanda - Now you tell me! LOL
Mike - I'm jealous! You are going to LOVE it! You must visit U Flecku it's quite lovely...I think, LOL
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