Shamefully, the international Headlines are the News of the World scandal. The statements by the PM and the Opposition Leader are broadcast in full from the recalled Commons. The overdubbed translation is difficult for us to follow but WiFi is easy to pick up in cafes, so we can fill in the gaps in our news from the BBC and online papers.
On our last day of sight seeing in the city it is raining! This turns put to be a blessing as although the rain has stopped by the time we reach Charles Bridge, all the "artists" have taken down their stalls so the bridge is clear to stroll across with ease. There are no Segways chasing us up the street to the Palace either.
Apparently this is the biggest palace in Europe, as a result of being extended by each occupant over 11 centuries. As well as the seat of the President, the site includes 2 churches and the cathedral, all on an elevated site with the surrounding gardens affording panoramic views over the red roofed city below.
We take one last stroll through Wenceslas Square, (not a square actually, more of an avenue) looking up above some unfortunate shop fronts to admire the many fine Art Nouveau facades. Our favourite is the Koruna building with it's enormous, eccentric, burnished, crown on top. Then it's back on the underground for one last time - we never had to wait for more than a minute for a train.
The TV news is now dominated by flooding in the north of the Czech Rep, where rivers have burst their banks and it is still raining. The young lady reporter started out with a pink raincoat on but has now fashioned a second layer over this, out of what looks like a green fertiliser bag. She is stoically standing, in the rain, in front of a road bridge that appears in imminent danger of being swept away by a swollen river.
Our plan now is to cycle south west on Sat 23rd, to the village where my sister and her family hopefully will have arrived to meet us at their summer home.There is no rain forecast for this area.
Location:PRAGUE
