Day 28 - Prague

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Another local tour, first in the coach around the local streets with George, our local guide form last night. He is more subdued this morning, but we hang off his comments for his subtle jokes to kick in. Don't have to wait too long, as we drive around the more affluent area of Prague, he drops a few pearls of wisdom about his wife, mother in law and daughters. Thanks for thone George.

We drive to the top of the castle hill and then walk around the castle and church area. Impressive place that has lots of history and is also being restored at the moment so lots of scaffolding and workers wandering around on the roof, no safety harnesses here.....

Walk over and back to the coach where we are taken back to the old town for our next walking tour. Again, George delivers in trumps. Lots of double entendres, and slipped in one liners. Makes the tour good fun. People wonder why we are laughing as we walk the streets. That is because we have our "walking" as Kari Anne calls the radio headpieces we carry on these walks, George has the microphone and we all,listen from a distance - in some cases quite a distance.

Finally end up in the main square of the old town where we see the Astronomical clock and it's interesting moving parts. We farewell George, but not before he reminds us that to keep his wife, 3 daughters and mother in law from starving, we should provide some sort of tip to him, novel way to finish, whereas most other tour guides have just stood with their hands out...... At least he was up front about it.

Free time now for the rest of the day and night. We decide to do a bit of re-tracing our steps to see some of the sights we had only briefly seen. Found our way around the old town to the Charles bridges again, not getting lost. Good work to us. Lots more people since last night. Then we do more of the old town, a few shops and finally back to the hotel, back wet from the backpack, and need to change out of jeans and shoes.....

Make the hotel safely, a few others from the group also coming in looking weary and hot. Refreshing drinks of WATER and off again into the old town to grab something to eat. Saw a stall that had legs of ham being warmed over a wood fire - too hard to ignore. This time we do get lots, but in that, we find an amazing sculpture in a square somewhere that is a head made of slices of mirrors that turn from top to bottom and the head rotates 90 degrees (hard to describe, but I have a video to prove it - too big to upload here). Amazing sight, which has been viewed by others of the group who did ooh and ahh appropriately.

Finally got back to the ham shop, ordered some, then got a slab which was over half a kg. oh dear, way too much, can we have less, no was the answer. Decide to pass on the ham, have a sausage instead. Not a bad substitute. back to the hotel again, shower and then down for the dinner meeting - how many tonight and who.....

Drinks and then we have 9 in the group tonight. Decide to do Italian just across the road from the hotel. Walk a in and the waitress asks how many. Oh dear, 9, we get ushered downstairs, she turns the lights on and we have a table and room to ourselves, for maybe 2 minutes. Another 2 young ladies joins us. We wait, wait, wait. Finally I go upstairs, the waitress is run off her feet, and I suggest she give me some menus and if she could come and get drinks order that would be good. I distribute menus to the 2 ladies from Belgium ( the others had been chatting to them) and all on our table. Finally the waitress appears downstairs. We cheer and she is suitably impressed. Drinks orders placed, and the other 2 order meals. Our drinks arrive correctly and everyone is now happy.

Our bread also arrives shortly after and the mood has even more improved. By the end of the night, everyone loves our waitress, even she comes back with free shots of some sort of throat paint stripper. We tip generously as the meals have cost a bout $19 AUDveach including drinks - very cheap,night out.

We thank her again and back to the hotel for a nightcap - sound familiar..... Another couple join us and wonder what the hell we are talking about, lots of dribble, but lots of laughs. We line up to pay drinks in couples, and even get that right, must be an honest group. Off to bed, or maybe to re-pack once again ready for an 0645 bags out. Not too bad as tomorrow we get to visit a brewery on our way to the next stop....

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