European Getaway - Day 15 - Prague

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Day 15 - Prague

I wake up at 5:45 ready for today’s early morning sports fixture. St Kilda v Collingwood in the AFL Grand Final Replay. Three of us head out to a local American pub to watch the match. Andrea, Brendan and myself brave the early morning to watch one of the biggest sporting events in Australia....The question you’re asking is why am I, an Englishman, going to watch an Aussie Rules match. Well I’m interested in learning a bit about a new sport, plus it’s kinda exciting. On the way my friends inform me of the basics of the sport and how teams score. We arrive at the pub and it isn’t open yet but there are a few Australians outside. We get in and grab a good seat just in time for the singing of the national anthem (I feel as though I should put my hand to my chest, but then realise I'm not Australian, this isn't my national anthem). I buy a Pepsi but realise it costs like double a pint of beer, so despite the earliness, I decide to drink beer for the rest of the match. There are about a dozen or so people watching, most are neutrals supporting St Kilda (like myself), there are a couple of Collingwood fans, one of whom has painted his face black and white, the colours of the Magpie’s.

After the end of the first quarter the score is 20-2 to Collingwood, however even I can notice that St Kilda’s attack is awful and they keep losing possession really quickly. In the second quarter St Kilda score a few times but only get behind’s (worth 1 point) rather than actual goals (worth 6). At half time the score is 41-14 to Collingwood, it isn’t looking good for St Kilda. After half time we grab a hotdog from the American guy cooking them, it’s a bit rank but being hungry goes down well. The second half is a disaster for St Kilda and Collingwood finally win the game108-52. The Collingwood fans are fairly happy. The painted face dude asks me if I support St Kilda, I declare that I am English and this is my first AFL game, which saves me from potential abuse. Poor Andrea is unhappy and isn’t looking forward to bumping into Jess , our coach Collingwood fan. Although I’m disappointed Jess didn’t come, even I turned out and I’m English.

We grab the tram back to our hostel and grab breakfast, I bump into Jess who seems really happy about the result, and then the bloke with the facepaint turns up, apparently he works at the hostel. He plays the Collingwood song and sings along, I find it a bit sad, but then again if United had won the FA Cup whilst I was away, let’s face it, I’d have a red and white face and be singing Greasy Chip Butty really loud.

I head into town with Kristeen, Jodie, Sam and Kayene on the underground. We get off at Wenceslas square and I take a few photos whilst the girls get a Starbucks. We wander to the pretty little market and have a look around. There are some beautiful stalls with food, sweets, woodwork, metalwork, art etc. There are some lovely clocks but I decide against buying one. The girls get excited about a guy who makes people’s names out of wire and then puts them on a necklace. We spend ages waiting for loads of necklaces. Whilst there we bump into Jacqui, Nicole, Kat, Jaala and Tahlia...plus Brendan, Mel, Mel and Annaliese, everyone seems to be loving the little market.

After the market we head to the old market square. On the way we pass the Sex Machine museum, we pop our heads in to see a crazy contraption which I can only describe as a tongue machine. The museum costs about a tenner to get in so we give it a miss. I pop in a Bavarian crystal shop and buy my sister a present and then we head to the old square and I take photos of the astrological clock. I then begin to feel a bit ill. I’ve been struggling a bit with a loose stomach for a few days but I feel a bit feverish. We find a Dali museum, which Sam and Kristeen want to look at so we leave them there and the rest of us do a bit of shopping. I find a sports store and buy a Sparta Prague shirt. I’ve been wanting to get a football shirt all trip so I am quite pleased. We pass a Matrioshka (the small Russian dolls which fit inside each other). They have loads of different one’s with sports teams on. I take a look and spot a Sheffield Wednesday one. I get excited because if they have a scum matrioshka they must surely have a Blades one, since we are in a league above them. I find the United one and it has last season’s kit with actual player names and numbers on. The dolls are quite expensive but how could I not buy a United Matrioshka.

We meet back up with Kristeen and Sam, and find somewhere for lunch. We stop at a restaurant called Einstein’s and I have a pizza and a small Budvar. The beer is quite tasty. We then decide to head to the castle and Charles Bridge, however we head in the wrong direction and get slightly lost. When we get back to the market square, I am feeling dreadful, I am sweating heavily and feel like I might faint. I decide to give the Castle a miss, as do Kayene and Kristeen. Kristeen pops for another Starbucks and I sit down outside as I am seriously struggling. As I’m sat there Annaliese and Mel pass and I think they can see how ill I am. They are heading back so I jump ship and head back with them. We head back up Wenceslas square and grab the tube back to our hostel. I have some water and feel a bit better on the journey back.

After a bit I feel a bit better, I meet up with Mel, Annaliese, Marten, Gerard and Chin in the bar. I have few games of pool with the girls, which I win. I also find out from the free computers that United have lost 1-0 to Watford. I am not happy. I decide to just drink coke tonight as I don’t feel too good.

Eventually most of our group end up in the bar, we all have a meal, as our dinner is not provided tonight. I play it safe and have a ham and pineapple pizza. We then play table football for a lot of the evening. I begin the night beating everybody, I’ve never been any good at it so this is a surprise (Ubershaan) to me. I then play Lance, who is amazing at the game, he scores regularly from defence and goalkeeper. We then play some doubles and I have some success teaming up with Simon and Nicole, although I think the best players are Lance and Lauren (with Justin).

The bar then turned into a nightclub and we stopped playing table football. The music is slightly odd, one track is a remix on some African chants from the Lion King. We have a good dance and I pop a few moves. There are some nob head locals who keep trying to interfere with our group and this leads to momma Jac giving them some shit back. I pop to bed earlyish as I would like to get over my sickness.

Overall Prague was a fairly nice city but I wish I had done a bit more there as I missed out on the castle.

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