Thursday 18 September 2014

what tourists do

Travel seems to play havoc with the iPad, as before the group went out tonight, I wrote half a post, saved it, and returned to the hotal to find it was not saved at all. And my back is sore from uncomfortable sleeping on the aircraft. How I suffer!

The trip was long, and long, and long, and aircraft seats do not fold out to being horizontal, as a real bed should be. This makes it difficult to sleep, and helps your body give in the the nasty suspicion that you are, perhaps, somewhat more decrepit than of yore.

While having my jetlaggy moan, let me include in the causes the camera battery becoming exhausted and the inordinate time it takes to recharge. Yesterday, the day of arrival, the group, having met and started to become acquainted, went out on walkabout, suitably armed with cameras. Alas, my battery ran out, and I had failed to take the iPad with me. I did take it out today so now I can start feeling like a genuine tourist, who cannot convince herself of having been anywhere unless there is photographic proof.

Prague is really interesting. Lots of historic buildings, streets, little granite pavers on footpaths, trams, hooked together, offering a very frequent service, casual pedestrians barging across the tram tracks, absolutely hordes of tourists, following their guides, people everywhere, shops full of crystal and really dark garnets, big squares, and quite a number of shops and ubiquitous brands. Tomorrow we go across the Vltava river, walking across the Charles bridge, and looking at the castle and church on the hill, and looking, looking, looking.

The people in the group are pleasant and interesting, and good talkers. And was really our first full day. This evening we went to a performance of Dvorak's first opera, Alfred, set in Sacon times, and never, ever performed.

It is a curious work. More like an oratorio than an opera, and what we saw was a stage version, with a very large choir and the requisite number of soloists. All very good singers, excellent conductor and orchestra, but to me it was a curiosity rather than a neglected and notable work. This being a tour concentrating on music, much of it by Mozart, we are attending a performance of Mahler's Resurrection Symphony. We also had a long guided tour of the Municipal Chambers.It is an arduous thing to be a tourist. 

1 comment:

Elephant's Child said...

Thank you for the update. I hope it gets better and better - and that your back settles too.