Day 41 At a cafe with Einstein

We were told that Prague was a special place and in spite of the thousands of weekend crystal buyers (the less than sympathetic description of the tourists used by the locals) we loved this rich, diverse and beautiful city. We avoided the ‘follow the umbrella’ tour groups and with our own map we made our way around the town. The rich layers of history in this old capital of Bohemia are quite extraordinary. We were told that even Hitler was so taken by the architecture in the city that he insisted that it not be damaged.

After a busy day seeing the sights we sought refuge at the famous Café Louvre for afternoon tea. For over a century (except for when the Soviets closed if for a few decades) this café has been a meeting place for intellectuals, artists, lovers and those who like apple meringue cake. To sit in a cafe previously frequented by the likes of Einstein and Kafka was rather fun, especially as the food and hot chocolate was cheap and wickedly delicious.

In the evening we sat on the steps of a gorgeous art deco Museum and listened to a chamber orchestra play an hour long concert of all the classical music that the uncultured (i.e. us) only recognise from TV commercials. We ended the day by going to a restaurant we could only afford because Aussie dollars are worth 15.25 of the local currency. We think the waiter picked up on the fact that we really didn’t belong with the snooty crowd, and treated us accordingly, but nevertheless it was a nice treat and Richard enjoyed the duck.

We were probably the only patrons of the classy restaurant who caught a tram back to their hostel. Then we glanced up at the magnificent Prague Castle, floodlit on the hill above us, and marvelled at our diverse experiences of this very special city.