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Published: August 12th 2006
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Prague - On Charles Bridge
The famous Charles Bridge with Prague Castle in the background and some happily newly engaged couple in the foreground!!! Our drive to Prague was very interesting. Our GPS tried to send us on roads that didn’t exist and we ended up driving through cow paddocks and hay bales. The funniest part came when Pip said “I think that you can expect all the roads to Prague to be like this!” In all seriousness, I also programmed the second cars GPS to speak in German so watching them pull over completely confused was piss funny! We eventually got to the Czech border and got pulled over for passport checks and cavity searches. Quite nervewracking but I made friends with a big Czech woman with a moustache called Frieda!!!
We got to our hotel in Prague, The Savoy. We were greeted at the door like royalty, staff came running from all directions to cater to our every whim. The hotel manager came down and said “Welcome Mr Jansen, I trust you will enjoy your Presidential Suite!” I had secretly booked this suite for Pip’s birthday which was the following day and until then she had no idea what all the fuss was being made of us for - she thought that it was standard practice!! Apparently Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
have stayed in this exact room, so I take great delight in the knowledge that I am sleeping in the same bed as a naked Angelina!
Yesterday was Pip’s birthday and our first full day in Prague. We strolled down from the hotel to the Prague Castle area where we spent the next few hours exploring. Prague is like taking a step back in time and the streets here are very heavily cobble stoned which makes for a great ride - NOT! - in the chair! The Castle area is high on the hill overlooking the main city of Prague and the views were spectacular. The problem with being only 142cm tall is that you don’t get to see over a lot of balconies or past window sills.
Next was the night I had been planning for a long time in advance. Yes, I decided to take the plunge and propose to Pip. It was quite a nervewracking day as I had arranged with concierge to have the ring taken to a beautiful restaurant on the river under the Charles Bridge but they mistakenly thought that we were dining inhouse. When I was alerted to this mistake and told them to fix it I was then told that the ring was on the way to the restaurant in a taxi! A bloody dodgy eastern European gypsys taxi!!! Now I was really nervous…… Not knowing whether the ring had arrived at the restaurant or my instructions understood, I was relieved when all my plans came to fruitition. After the pressure preceding me from the likes of Grant and Cam, I had to do something pretty unique to try and top them! So, in the beautiful twilight over the Prague River and the famous Charles Bridge in one of Prague’s finest outdoor restaurants, I asked Pip to marry me when two glasses of champagne were brought out to us, one of which had her ring slowly corroding in it! There were tears and more tears and surprisingly more tears (there were not, well not that many anyway!….Pip). After about ten minutes I had to say “So I still don’t know if that is a yes or a no!”. Naturally, she said yes (she is only human), and there were more tears….. This time on my behalf, knowing that my life as a freelancing stud muffin was finally tamed once and for all.
The ring is absolutely beautiful and Ric designed it himself - I can’t wait for you to all see it! I cannot get this silly grin off my face!
Well, of course she said yes. Naturally, who could resist a good-looking, charismatic, charming and sexually magnetic man such as myself! After a night of enthusiastic behaviour (if you know what I mean?) and many phone calls home to our families, we ventured out the next day as tired, cranky fiancés. First stop was a visit to the Jewish Quarter of Prague. With my (extensive) knowledge of the Jewish Religion, and having a captive audience with a new member of staff, I became the proud tour guide. Information just seemed to roll off my tongue with the slightest of ease, most of which was not true. By the end of the day, Betty said “You sound like you know exactly what you are talking about, and you are very convincing but really you are just full of shit!” A great, entertaining day had by all! Charles Bridge which we had viewed the night before when we got engaged was just as wonderful in daylight. It was packed with tourists who had come to admire the statues that line the bridge and the magnificent views of Prague as well as the musicians and artisans which entertained the crowd. The next couple of days were pretty restful. The night before we left we all did a river cruise together down the Vlatva River which was a great send off to the city that will now hold a very special place in our hearts.
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