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Published: August 16th 2010
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The second day in Prague went as planned, a walk around the Communist Museum which was actually quite scary, then a 4 hour walk up to and around the castle. It was 30 degrees with a cloudless sky and I got burned shoulders but it was an enjoyable day.
Then it was time for the 'Jazz Boat'. One of our party was very keen for this excursion so we were one of the first in the queue at the marina to board. We could hear the Jazz band warming up and it seemed like an ideal way to spend the last few hours in Prague before catching the midnight train. Because we were so early we got one of the best tables near the front on the upper deck. Shortly after we set sail, while tucking into our starters, we saw bright flashes in the sky. I reasured Nat that no, the thunderstorm that had followed us from Amsterdam to Germany would surely not be here in Prague when we were adrift on the Vitava without shelter. Obvously someone with a very bright flash was taking lots of pictures.
An hour later, we were wrapped in blankets on the
lower deck sharing an intimate table for two with an Italian couple. The band played on to mask the rumble of thunder, but all we could think about was the walk to the train station once we disembarked. Luckily the rain subsided so we head off to the station a little dissapointed that the stay in Prague had ended as it had. Halfway to the station the heavens opened again and we had to take cover. The rain was so heavy that it looked like a river flowing down the street. When I stepped in puddles, my whole foot got covered. We had on rain coats and an umbrella but our bottom halves were soaked through. I lost my bearings and we ended up going in the wrong direction so we only got to the train station just in time. Nat was really scared but held my had tightly and didn't grumble, instead he sang Lady Gaga songs to himself as a distraction from the awful conditions.
Then the train was delayed for 45 minutes. Then we spent 6 and a half hours sleeping intermittently in reclining chairs. All I could think about was that I had left my
beautiful sunglasses on the top deck when we fled for cover.
Anyway, that was last night but we have had a lovely day since arriving in Vienna. We left the bags at the train station then started exploring. We had pastries for breakfast and went to the Natural History Museum. My favourite exhibition was the Venus Von Willenhorf, a tiny little 75,000 year old figure recovered from the Danube early last century. I wanted to take her home with me but settled for a postcard picture instead. Would love to have taken a decent picture to show you but I didn't so look her up on Wikipedia.
After lunch we retrieved the bags and headed for the hostel. It is a new building about 20 minutes on the underground from the city centre. The beds are sooo comfy and the power shower is amazing, I felt alive again after half an hour here. I treated Nat to a TV which you can hire for 5 Euros because he has been so tired today after last night's escapades, so we wanted to spend some time in the room relaxing this evening.
We popped back into the city centre
for dinner, and while strolling around saw a building with four statues mounted at the entrance each showing a man in various different battle poses, including one with a 3 headed dog and one with a sea creature. I wondered aloud who he could be and Nat answered staright away that they were obviously scenes from four of the Twelve Labours of Hercules. Obvoiusly!! Over dinner in a cafe overlooking the statues he told me the whole mythology of Hercules that he had learnt from a book at school. We caried on walking through the entrance to the building which was the Hofburg Palace and found depictions of some of the other labours.
Back early to the hostel tonight, plan to visit the Sigmund Freud museum tomorrow but the thing I am most excited about is that training at the Spanish Riding School opens to visitors tomorrow for the first time in 2 months, so if we queue for a really long time we might get in. Night train to Venice tomorrow, and this time it is a 12 hour journey with beds so we should get a good night's sleep.
Off to watch CNN now........
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