The Golden Wheel

We were afraid that the sleeper train from Zagreb to Prague was a misnomer as we had no sooner got into bed when the Slovinian passport control officer was knocking at the door followed 5 minutes later by the customs officer asking if we had any alcohol or cigarettes to declare. Luckily she did not ask if we had any bananas (our breakfast). We did manage to sleep thereafter as there were no more official interruptions as we progressed through Austria and on into the Czech Republic.

The Golden Wheel, our hotel in Prague, is a small boutique located at the foot of Prague Castle. We can see the spires of St Vitus Cathedral from our terrace. We spent the afternoon admiring the architecture of the cathedral with it's magnificent flying buttresses that support the vaulted Gothic interior. Unfortunately pollution has discoloured the stone which is in desperate need of restoration.

St George,s Basilica, inside the castle walls, was the venue for members of the Prague Royal Orchestra to perform Vivaldi's Four Seasons. The basilica, built in the 10th century, was the perfect setting, and although the wooden pews were hard the hour passed quickly. Dinner at the three violins, originally a violin maker's shop, seemed appropriate and turned out to be an excellent choice.

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