P R A G U E
9 - 13 March 2006

Walkabout -- Friday, 10 March 2006

Friday was sunny and we took the opportunity to explore the city centre, plot our future excursions and check out the shopping district.

I highly recommend a trip to Prague, but do it soon. They have shrugged off fifty years of communist oppression at a frightening pace and rampant capitalism is making it indistinguishable from any other major European city. EU regulations will, no doubt, finish the job.

The shopping district has a McDonald's density I have previously only experienced in the States, and they apparently build one KFC franchise for every resident family group. The avenues are lined with Marks & Spencer's, H&M, TGI Friday's, Coca Cola billboards and even Tesco's; the only thing that kept me from mistaking it for London was the relatively light traffic and a conspicuous absence of Starbucks outlets.

Fifty years of communism washed away in a flood of McDonalds, 
KFC, CoCa Cola and TGI Fridays.

We left the hive of burgeoning capitalism for the old town square--the geographic hub of the old city--and a chance to marvel at the stunning architecture. The Staromĕstské Námĕstí, as the locals know it, is fabulous and reminiscent of the Grott Markert in Brussels. Grott Market is also easier to pronounce, so that's how I referred to it throughout our stay. It's an attractive destination and made a convenient reference point, as all of the attractions we were interested in were only a short walk away.

Thousands gathered here in January 1990 to celebrate the
end of communist rule. This is the closest I've ever come to
visiting a communist country; I only missed it by 16 years.

For the most part, walking is easy in the historic district. The cobbled streets are narrow, winding and not frequented by vehicles. The cars and trucks that do navigate them, however, do so with a frightening alacrity, their drivers apparently convinced that everyone will jump out of their way. They fairly zip through pedestrian crossings without a thought or backward glance to see if they've left any bodies in their wake. I never noticed any mishaps, but there was a marked absence of older people walking around. Perhaps this is how they deal with their old age pensions crisis.

Despite the chill weather and the fact that we were visiting in winter, the streets were lively with tourists and buskers. The Charles Bridge was lined with street vendors and the crowds rivaled those of a summer day on Westminster Bridge. Our guidebook observes that, in the height of the tourist season, you can't cross the Vltava River without a catapult.

Also lining the Charles bridge, and stationed at key points among the more popular tourist attractions, were beggars, though not as obvious or pushy as most I have encountered. Here, custom seems to require them to kneel as if in prayer and lean forward on their elbows, holding out a cup or their hat for passersby to toss coins into. I'm sure it has something to do with it being a Catholic country. At any rate, it looks an uncomfortable way to make a living.