Prague

I don't have anywhere near Clare's diligence. Whilst she's been blogging daily in Finland, I've left it until the night before flying home to produce an entry from Czechia. To be fair to myself, I think I've had a lot more going on. You see, I'm here for the World Esperanto Congress, an annual week-long event now in its 110^th incarnation. It's taking place in Brno, Czechia's second city.

The Capital

Although Ryanair flies to Brno,  the flights land after 11pm. I thought it would be a better use of money to fly to somewhere else and enjoy time there; what's the point of going straight to a hotel and sleeping? So I booked a flight to Ostrava, east of Brno. Unfortunately, I ended up back to square one when that got cancelled. Spending a bit of time in Prague was the solution. It wasn't a perfect marriage: it still required an extra night in a hotel. It was functional:

It was also fairly late in the day, and very hot and sticky, so I didn't do much tourism beyond going out for some food. I did spend a couple of hours the next morning walking around part of the city, though. I knew I was getting close when the style of the buildings changed:

And suddenly there was a bunch of them:

I'd definitely hit something special:

And within seconds I'd noticed something looming whilst I was crossing a street:

Well, it's hard to resist walking through it and out the other side for a better look!

It really is magnificent! It's called the Powder Tower.

And soon I was where I wanted to be:

All of the facades are so ornate!

Although the square did take on quite a sinister look!

Ah, yes: the clock with which this square is synonymous!

This is the Prague Astronomical Clock:

You can see why it's such an attraction:

Not that it's required when you have beautiful buildings such as these:

and these:

Not to mention this corner view:

I set off on my way to find Prague Castle. I knew it was close once I glimpsed the Rudolfinum, a 19^th-century cultural venue with concert halls, an art gallery & exhibition spaces:

In fact, you could see it in the distance. In the foreground is Antonín Dvořák.

I walked alongside the river for a bit, which opened up a nice angle:

And then went in the other direction, which yielded another bridge:

After that, I had to  go back to the apartment because I had a bus to catch. There was a slight spanner in the works: the direct route was sealed off, so I had to take a diversion. But I made it with plenty of time to spare, despite carrying 40 kg of luggage. (I bring a suitcase of books to these events to give to one our colleagues. In return, I take home a suitcase of books which we had printed in Slovakia, and which he kindly keeps for us.)

The bus company was called RegioJet, and it was truly exceptional. I had deliberately booked a seat at the very front on the top deck, and had chosen the single seat rather than the double. It proved to be the right decision: the bus was full, and I would've had to sit next to someone for the three-hour drive. (And it only cost a tenner!)

In fact, the drive took a bit longer because of a jam on the way. A feature in Czechia (and some other countries) is that the drivers move to the sides to leave a lane for emergency vehicles:

Colour me sceptical, but I'm dubious about that working back home!

A long while later, we saw the commotion: a car had been burned out to a shell, its wheels removed. If I'd known that the source would be so notable, I'd have photo'd it, but alas ...

After that extended drive, I and my cases arrived in our new home for the next week.

We were in Brno.

The apartment is very well located. But that's a story for another day.