Steve Whitty

September 29, 2012September 29, 2012

Prague & Bratislava – Day 3, 12/09/2012

After a good breakfast I ready to undertake the free walking tour the hostel offers. The weather did not look too good and I had not brought a waterproof coat with me. Another item for the Christmas wish list. Still rain is only water. So we set out on the tour. The guide Javier was really knowledgeable. He had come over from Spain because there were no jobs for him back home.

The tour took in the historical centre of Prague including the Jewish Quarter but did not cross over to the castle.

As the tour carried on it was clear that the rain was not going to stop. Only one thing to and that was to purchase an umbrella from the nearest store. For 500kr it will have to do though I suspect that I would be lucky if it lasts until the end of the day. During the tour I got talking to a few people and seemed to be getting on well with them. We saw the Astronomical Clock strike midday. Javier said it was considered to be overrated. Like all great sites there were a lot of people waiting to witness the spectacle.

Rain I can handle but it was the cold wind that I was struggling with. I just wanted to go somewhere that was warm. Javier recommended a traditional restaurant to go and eat. My pork in fruit sauce and dumplings certainly hit the spot and went down very well along with the glass of beer too. I noticed that beer is cheaper than soft drinks. Oh my liver.

Some of the group decided that they were going on the pub crawl in the evening. My initial reaction was not was not to go saying that I would do it tomorrow instead. I made my way back to the hostel with an American lady from the tour. The problem was that neither of us were sure where we were going. I think it was more by luck than judgment that we found our way back to the hostel.

I spent the rest of the afternoon mulling over the question of attending the pub crawl. In the end I thought why not, I might as well enjoy myself while in Prague. Did I enjoy myself? Well I ended up in the tallest nightclub in Europe and did not arrive back to the hostel until 3:30 am. Trying to be clever I thought that I would not wake the dorm only to walk into the bunk bed. Happy days.

Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

September 27, 2012September 27, 2012

Photo of the Week – John Lennon

This week’s photo comes from Prague. It is of John Lennon from the Lennon Wall.

This was one of the most moving sights I witnessed while in Prague and I felt emotional looking at the image. 2012 sees the 50th anniversary of the release of The Beatles first single ‘Love Me Do’. John Lennon’s cultural importance was recently recognized when the British music magazine ‘The New Musical Express’ named Lennon as the ultimate icon of the past 60 years. Need I say anymore.

Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

September 26, 2012

Trip to Prague & Bratislava – Day 2, 11/09/2012

Not too much sleep as the man sitting next to me kept on rolling into my seat. Also I could not get too comfortable. A travel pillow is going to be in my Christmas list. Nothing else of real note happened until my arrival in Prague.

As soon as I got of the coach the warm weather hit me. This is a sign of it being a good trip. Once I negotiated the metro I arrived at my hostel, St. Christopher’s at Mosaic House. Upon checking in at reception there was a scare. Even though the girl behind the counter commented on how she liked my surname she could not find my booking. A moment of worry began to creep in my mind. Eventually it was found and I made my way to my dorm. I could not believe it. I thought I had booked into the Ritz by mistake. This is by far the most luxurious hostel I have booked into. Check out the photo of the bathroom.

I am certain that I am going to like Prague. However, I knew that after yesterday that I needed a good sleep so I decided to put my head down for a couple of hours.

I was awoken by the sound of my dorm mate coming into the room. After introducing ourselves he mentioned that he was from Marseille. To my surprise the next thing he said totally threw me. “Joey Barton” for he had just joined Olympique Marseille. Funny how football brings people together.

Talking of football the hostel was showing various World Cup qualifiers including England v Ukraine. England were lucky to scrape a draw. After a summer of sporting excellence it does not take it much for football to bring it back down to earth.

Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

September 24, 2012

Prague & Bratislava – Day 1, 10/09/2012

At my age I would have thought that I could get away with not sleeping because I am too excited to be going away, yet at 4am I was wide awake. So two hours later I was out of bed. The majority of the packing had been completed so it was just a case of eating breakfast, drinking a cup of tea, taking a shower and getting dressed.

At 09:30 I was ready for the off, so I waddled with my rucksack towards the bus stop. Typically the bus was running late. Is this the shape of things to come?

Arrived at Birmingham coach station and was relieved when the coach left on time. In London there was the parade to celebrate the success of British Olympians and Paralympians. Fully deserved it was too. It has been a great summer for Great Britain, one that will stay in the memory for a long time. However, I was concerned that I might be caught in traffic once I arrived into London. In reality I should not have worried as it was one of the smoothest journeys into the capital I had ever completed. After a bite to eat I checked in to catch my coach to Prague. Everything was running smoothly until the coach stopped in Dover. A large gentleman sat next to me. To make matters worse after we crossed the English channel he decided it would be a good idea to remove his jacket and jumper and relax in his vest. Oh my, this is going to be a long journey.

Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

September 12, 2012September 12, 2012

London 2012 – A few thoughts.

So the summer of sport is finally over. I have to say well done Britain you actually pulled this off. For the seven since we were awarded the games there were plenty of sceptics including myself who thought that we would struggle especially after Beijing.

Oh we of little faith. Not only were the both the Olympics and Paralympic games a success they also succeeded in bringing a nation together but also showed the rest of the world how to organise a event.

I believe the master stroke was to hold the Olympic touch relay around the UK. Everybody else in the country was made to feel part of the games and not to be seen as a wholly London centric event. It also added to the games build up to. We could not wait for the event to start. The opening ceremony was classic Britain at its best in the way it sent us up. It highlighted our sense of humour.

Great Britain was shown to be a sports loving nation while supporting its own athletes it would recognise the efforts of other nations too. Everyone was made to feel welcome and it was appreciated.

Finally I would like to note that the real success of the summer was the regaining of the British flag by the people away from the far right. We have every right to be proud of the achievements this summer has brought us. More importantly I have regained my pride in being British. Once again well done Britain.

Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve.

September 7, 2012

Photo of the Week – Me and The Thinker

This week’s photo was taken at the Rodin Museum in September 2005.

It shows myself with Rodin’s statue ‘The Thinker’. It is Rodin’s most famous piece of work. Like ‘The Kiss’ it is housed at museum which was Rodin’s former home. It is certainly worth a visit as there are gardens to stroll around too.

Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

September 4, 2012

Packing List.

In less than a week I will be off on my travels again. This time Prague and Bratislava are calling. The trip will take two weeks. It will be unfeasible for me to carry two weeks of clothes with me. Importantly there will be laundry facilities at the hostels I am staying in.

So here is a list of items I will be packing in my rucksack:-

3 x Cargo pants
1 x Jeans
2 x Short sleeved t-shirts
1 x Long sleeved t-shirt
2 x Polo shirt
1 x Short sleeve shirt
4 x Socks
4 x Underwear
Flip flops
Sandals
Walking Shoes
First aid kit
iPad
iPod Classic
Kindle
Travel adaptor
Notebook
Pens
iPhone

The only worry is that I may have packed too much. What do you think?

Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

September 1, 2012

Photo of the Week – Street Entertainers at Plaza Mayor

This week’s photo is of street entertainers performing in the Plaza Mayor.

I could only marvel at the feat of strength and concentration being shown. There were plenty of street entertainers on view in the Plaza Mayor. Some better than others.

Until the next time, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

August 28, 2012

The Next Trip – Prague and Bratislava

In less than two weeks I will be off on my next trip. As I may have mentioned I will be visiting Prague and Bratislava. This was a journey I was going to take last year until poor health intervened. I am glad to say that everything is now in working order and I cannot wait until 10 September.

I will be travelling to Prague by coach through Eurolines. I have mentioned in a previous article how I enjoy coach travel. The journey from London takes 16 hours leaving at 17:00 and arriving into Prague at 12:00. I will be staying at the St. Christopher’s at the Mosaic House for five nights. During my time in Prague I am looking to take in all the sights such as Prague Castle.

On 16 September I will take the coach from Prague to Bratislava. I will be spending three nights at Hostel Blues. This hostel comes recommended by Lonely Planet so it should be good. Finally I will return back to Prague for 2 nights before going home.

In my own mind I have my itinerary sorted but I would welcome any ideas on places I should see. During the trip I will be keeping my diary and publishing on the blog. Reviews of all the places I visit will follow.

All the coach travel is with Eurolines. All hostels were booked through Hostelbookers.com

As you may gather I cannot wait for 10 September.

Until the next time, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

August 25, 2012

Estadio Santiago Bernabéu

The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is one of the most impressive sporting venues that I have visited. It is a cathedral to the beautiful game celebrating one of the worlds greatest clubs Real Madrid. The stadium capacity is 85,454.

The stadium is named after former club player, manager and president Santiago Bernabéu Yeste. It was previously known as the Nuevo Estadio Chamartin until 1955 when it was renamed the Bernabéu. It was during his time as club president that he is remembered for. It was the time that Real Madrid became kings of European football by winning the first five European Cups. In total Real Madrid have been European champions on nine occasions and World club champions on three occasions. The trophies and replicas are displayed in the club museum.

Real Madrid were considered to be the club of General Franco. This maybe down to Bernabéu fighting for the Fascists in the Spanish Civil War. In truth, Franco was no fan of football but used the success of Real Madrid to promote is vision of Spain at a time when the country was ignored by the rest of Europe.

The reason to visit the Bernabéu is to take part in stadium tour. I was there just after Spain victory in Euro 2012 so the mood was good.

You can only appreciate the stadium when is it empty. You start the tour by the grandstands and there you can marvel at the stature of it.

Next you enter the museum. This is where you celebrate the rich history of Real Madrid. It is a celebration of all the club successes. Be it the trophies they have won or the individual honours achieved by the players. Each European success is celebrated individually. I would have liked to have seen more about the early history though I did enjoy the section which listed all the players who have played for the club.

From the museum you go to the President’s Box. From there you head to the holy grail, pitchside. In particular the coaches technical area. Standing there I had visions of all the players that have trod on the hallowed ground and dreamt of giving orders from the sidelines.

From the pitch I went to the away changing rooms. Nothing special there, indeed it is a little basic. Giving your opponents comfort is not part of the equation. Finally you end up in the press room. Befitting the size of Real Madrid it is a large room that has room for many journalists. I imagine that José Mourinho enjoys playing to that crowd.