Prague at its most glittering - Staromanske Namesti and the jewish cemetery

Wenceslas Square
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Did I tell you how good the Villa David is? No? - well, the last few nights I have had steak in beer sauce for under £3.00. The staff are very friendly here especially headwaiter Josef and seem to spend most of their time laughing in the kitchen. The clientele are great as well. Last night an American couple from Atlanta were going into town and asked if I wanted to come with them. We went to a club which was pretty good. Certainly the beers were very cheap and the music enjoyable.

Decided to have a real wander today and took the subway to Mustek in the centre. This is a few yards from epic Wenceslas Square which sweeps up the dome covered National museum. The sides of the square are covered in Belle Epoque buildings like Viennas grandiose piles and contain jewellry shops and department stores. King Wencelas (he of "last looked out" fame) sits on a green encrusted horse on a central statue. The square was the weathervane of Czech history and in its time has seen Soviet tanks, Nazi stormtroopers, medieval markets and the 'Velvet Revoloution' of 1989.

The southern side is made up of houses painted yellow, pink and light blue containing restaurants and cafes

Staromanske Namesti
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Then through the medieval backstreets of Nove Mestro and the monstrous square of Staromanske Namesti. The whole edifice is stunning and each side of the square is different. The western side is Old Town hall with its black astrological clock. The southern side is made up of houses painted yellow, pink and light blue containing restaurants and cafes. The eastern side is dominated by the church of 'Our Lady of Tyn' whose metallic spires stick out at angles like great spikes reaching into the sky. The northern side houses the Jan Huss monument whose grey bearded features are surrounded by a sea of clipped hedgerows - signifying the fire that burnt him in response to his protestant beliefs.

Sv Nicholas Church
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BBrrrrr...enough history and architecture...oh, OK, one more..

The Church of St Nicholas - an enormous cream baroque creation with domes and stainedglass windows. Each ledge of the church was decorated by coal black statues of the saints. I looked inside and there was an organ recital playing. I let the music wash over me and it was a good place to rest my weary feet on the prayer cushions in the pews. Next to St Nicholas is Pariska which leads to the old Jewish quarter - Josefov and is covered in my review of that area.

But I was mainly dodging rainshowers and hiding in cafes and Czech languge bookstores. I found myself outside the Concert hall near the river. A sopping wet flyergiver was hiding from the rain decked in 18th Century garb including wig and britches. But the river has beautiful views and is infested with black swans. Across the river are great wooded expanses. Those wooded hill houses a 40ft statue of Stalin back in communist days. To be honest I havent found much evidence of forty years of communism. Budapest I can imagine under the communists - but Prague? Its a tourist city already inundated by hordes in the summer. The rumour was back in 1997 that you can crowd surf from one end of Charles Bridge to the other in the summer.

But I like it lots. The people are friendly and rather good looking. They are very well dressed and listening to the Czech language it reminded me of a gentle form of French, certainly it doesnt sound as harsh as German. I caught a tram back to the Charles Bridge and had one more last walk across.

The sun was setting by this time and the city was lit in red. This city has got a great future.