29 May 2011

Bohemian Rhapsody in Blue

O, Bohemia! I rhapsodize your blues! Since a 'rhapsody' is song or poetry, a rhyme scheme I will use! (The form must also convey jubilation, hence my use of punctuation).
We began our journey here in Prague, where the tourist masses were agog. The Vltava River runs right through and on a day so bright and blue, they flooded the Charles Bridge like it was 1432. (The historic landmark also survived a bigger flood around 1785.)
But away from the main sites, we could wander around at will. Oh Prague! Of cafes, bookshops, art, one could easily have their fill. Each detail caught the eye, each molding, window, light. Its overloaded with eye candy...
...and so beautiful at night.
By day, the water bustled just as much as the cobbled streets. People in rented boats leaned back and pedaled with their feet.
The capital of Bohemia had character oozing out of it. Between the beautiful opulence leaked charismatic grit. It seemed to greet you with a smile, wink and bit of a sneer - it seemed to say, "Welcome! Enjoy yourself! But you're hardly the first person here." And in this way, more than Vienna, Amsterdam or Rome, it reminded me just a tiny little bit of home.Then, out into the countryside we drove! On narrow roads, through forests we wove! Pulling up to Orlik Castle, we paid a man here to park our car, which was nothing more than a tiny hassle. Our first Bohemian zamek so far!
And now Lake Lipno is our home base, where we enjoy this stunning view. Far from the crowds and tourist fast pace, in our tent, which - of course - is blue.

No comments:

Post a Comment