Prague 7

This is a very interesting clock with moving characters on the hour - like many cities!
There was quite a crowd gathered when we arrived in the square so we knew it was 'time for the chime'.

This is a view from the top of the clock tower. Amazingly, there was a lift to the top - but we did walk down, honest.

Another one of those buildings asking for a photograph.

Smetana Museum - Prague 2

This is the interior of the excellent Smetana Museum
Everything was in Czech and English

They do have recitals here too

You could stand on the podium and aim the conductor's baton at one of the music stands which would then play an appropriate piece of music - very clever

I had to pay for a 'licence' to take these photos so I hope you appreciate them!

Smetana Museum - Prague

This is the museum about the life and times of the composer Smetana.
It was very interesting and very well laid out, plus only a very small admission charge!
More to follow...

Prague 4

A very small chapel at the end of the street. We heard an organ recital coming from there one evening.

River Vltava with Prague castle on the hill.

One of those buildings you have to take a photo of.
(Edited later as SWMBO has just informed me this is the 'Estates Theatre')

Many many trams in Prague - some old, and some very modern. This one's middle-aged!

Prague 3

On our first evening we went to this typically Czech restaurant about 100 yards (metres!) from the hotel. Very good indeed. All the staff spoke very good English - as did the whole of Prague, luckily!

If you want to find it, it's Restaurace Stoleti

Please click on the link, it's a very good website.

Continuing with the 'unlucky' theme. We had 13 anniversary cards, and the wine we were drinking at the time was 13%. I think all the 'unlucky 13's' must have cancelled themselves out?

This was an amazing rose display at a street vendor's stall. You will probably need to click on the photo to enlarge it. Look at the rose petals glued to the grasses - very clever, and the folded leaves between the rose flowers.

You can't get away from TESCO - even in Czechoslovakia.

Cloister Inn - Prague

I must include more internet links...

The Cloister Inn hotel, as I said before, was excellent. There was 24 hour free tea and coffee available in the foyer and two free computers for internet access. The reception was manned 24/7 and they could supply alcoholic beverages at fairly reasonable cost. On Valentines Day we had a bottle of bubbly stuff which was supplied in an ice bucket with two very nice champagne glasses.

Prague - unlucky?

Just back from celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary in Prague on Valentines day.
We thought we would never get there as we were flying on Sunday 13th, then we were directed to security scanner 13, and then our flight departed from Gate 13!
As you will have gathered, nothing went wrong and we are back safe and sound.
This is Prague airport from the aircraft.

Our hotel - The Cloister Inn, which was superb. We paid £136 for three nights B&B. The hotel was spotless, the staff excellent and the breakfasts great!

Thank you Expedia.com

Our room was huge -possibly not demonstrated from this photo?

The bathroom was enormous, with a long walk to get the towels from the towel rail.

Lost Lines exhibition

After visiting the signal box we went to the Museum of St.Albans and saw the 'Lost Lines' exhibition about the derelict railway lines of Hertfordshire. I had lent them some early cine film which had been transferred on to DVD featuring the Nickey Line running between Hemel Hempstead and Harpenden. The film was taken around 1950 and showed a train running from Redbourn to Harpenden. I was somewhat puzzled when I saw it as 'they' had run it in reverse and showed the trip from Harpenden to Redbourn!

St.Albans Signal Box 2

This is the 'Operations Room' upstairs.
Again, beautifully restored and you can even operate a signal in the garden from one of the levers. Well worth a visit.

St.Albans Signal Box

Recently we finally went to visit the beautifully restored 'St.Albans South' signal box.
It's only open a few weekends a year and we've only just managed to find a weekend day when we were free and could visit.
All very fascinating. These are the photos from the exhibition downstairs. Of course there's masses more than this, but you get the idea.

Bargain Amaryllis

Nice Amaryllis from Aldi - where else?
All the better because it's a dwarf variety although it didn't say so on the box, so it hasn't flopped over like most of them do.

Waterside Theatre crumbling

Oh dear...that didn't last long - about five months?

Belated Burns Night

On Saturday we went to The Cricketers for their Burns Night celebration.
Here's the menu which went down very well.

Then... here's the cabaret!
I did take some video but the sound quality was pretty poor as the volume was a bit high for such a small room - so, if you go to the website there's some 'proper' video of him on there http://www.michaelbublefever.com/ what do you think? I'll be interested to hear!

College Lake

After visiting Marsworth we called in at College Lake which is a bird reserve at the former Castle Cement works near Tring.
It seems to have been there some time as there are several very old hides, but since they have been awarded lottery funding there's a beautiful new visitors centre and a lot of brand new hides as well.
It was fairly muddy so we just did a short walk to have a look at the place. We'll come back in the Spring as it should be good for butterflies being a chalk landscape.